Work begins on hurricane-damaged DSC

Repair works have started on the facility

Extensive repair works have begun on the roof of the Dominica State College which was damaged by Hurricane Maria on September 18, 2017.

This was announced by Education Minister Petter Saint Jean on a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The work in progress was made possible by the Chinese, Cuban & Venezuelan Governments, Engineers without borders and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

“I am pleased to announce that extensive repairs have begun on the roofs of several buildings on the Dominica State College campus, with assistance from the People’s Republic of China, the UNDP, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Government of Cuba,” Saint Jean said. “Eighty (80) skilled Cuban workers began repair works today which is expected to be completed in time for the new semester.”

The New DSC which opened its doors to hundreds of students in September 2013 was funded through a $30-million concessionary loan from the China Export Import Bank (EXIM Bank).

The State College is one of several projects constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group in Dominica.

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29 Comments

  1. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    June 15, 2018

    If there was any planning, they would have held a meeting with all contractors, review the labor laws and allow contractors to work on a 24-hour schedule with three shifts. This would allow trades men and women to work more efficiently and respond to the overwhelming request from home owners. Most of our problems can be solved if we were willing to make changes as needed.

    • Barbara Saunders
      June 18, 2018

      Anthony,

      contractors are not nurses or policemen on the payroll of the state. The contractors that are always belly-aching about being as good as any other, they even have an association, cannot come up with a strategy such as the one you are suggesting? These are private sector people. Government must call them to a meeting to tell them what to do?

      Then you will turn around and say on DNO that Skerrit even wants to direct private contractors what to do?

  2. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    June 14, 2018

    Our construction sector will never evolve and be in a state where it can respond and provide timely service to our country, because every successive government in Dominica has agreed lock, stock and barrel to allow a few greedy merchants to keep the island hostage with draconian prices of goods. A roof of that size would have been covered in a week with mechanization.

  3. Dominican Bwoi
    June 14, 2018

    Only in Dominica do you repair a hurricane damaged building when it’s now hurricane season

    • June 15, 2018

      Why not wait until the end of the Hurricane season, better yet let us just wait until all hurricanes are banished……..we can try as hard as we want we just can’t change stupid….

  4. June 14, 2018

    WE just don’t know how to say thanks and shut up, thanks to the people coming forward to do this work and all those that come from other country to assist my country.

  5. Man enough
    June 13, 2018

    Oh goodness gracious. Dominica will always be backward n the laughing stock of the Caribbean. Had this government any sense of planning n priority the college would have been covered longtime by local folks. If the government had a recovery plan, health, education, housing, top priority utilities should have been completed or on point.
    After almost a year, some many things are not in place, because of bad leadership. But Dominicans will never get this labour party out. Dominicans apparently love hard times n slavery days. See how the Prime minister would easily fool them, he just comes from no where and dish out money, hand outs n pay for college students. Red clinic is the opium of Dominicans. Then Skerritt would leave them in the mess n fly Alll over the world.. Now he going Suriname. Labour must go. Oppostion party must expose the government here n abroad.. Checks n balances n accountability. Get rid of the money hungry government n there laval.

  6. Dominica fails
    June 13, 2018

    Waste of 30 million dollars, is not like when them children learn is DA they staying, allu just training US citizens at Dominicans expense :lol:

  7. AP George
    June 13, 2018

    You’d think that before spending $30 million on this College, they’d have thought of climate resiliency when they built it. So now they’re having to pay the same folks who built it in the first place to do climate-related repairs. That is the backwardness of leaders in this country. Didn’t they know of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods back then? Poor Dominica!

    • SD
      June 13, 2018

      Since your knowledge is limited only to criticising Dominica, let me try to help.
      Dominica was hit by what was called a CAT5 Hurricane. However, many experts are now calling for a CAT6, CAT7 in recognition that Hurricanes are (a) much more powerful than Category 5 as it stands, (b) Hurricanes are moving much slower, meaning they cause much more damage.

      Nations much richer and developed than Dominica -where Hurricane Maria’s wind speed was measured at close to 190 miles per hour – are being asked to look into shelters and buildings designed to withstand CAT5, as these will no longer be viable. For your information, CAT5 wind is 160-165 Miles per hour.

      We do not always need to criticise our country.

    • MadeInDa
      June 14, 2018

      Didn’t the other countries know of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods back then? What are you doing to improve the country?… come on here and make comments?

  8. June 13, 2018

    It’s sad that the two French men could not find skilled Dominicans to do repair work on public buildings in the country; Q: when will their begging attitude end and when did we become so dependable on others to do what we could have done for ourselves? A: since this corrupt and good for-nothing DLP government took over the governance of our once independent country.

    • Barbara Saunders
      June 13, 2018

      Gabriel

      I guess you either don’t live here or you really are unable to write anything positive. Ask any Dominican presently trying to find skilled Dominicans to do anything in the line of construction and you will get the answer.

      The very reason why the number of replaced roofs are now in evidence is that skilled people from overseas have come in to supplement the contractor services here. There are St. Lucians, Grenadians, Barbadians here working in the construction industry.

      I have witnessed the work of some St. Lucians and unlike our own people they work from Sunday to Sunday, six to six to get the job done. Not saying everyone must do that, just pointing to the work ethic.

      If you don’t believe me ask an honest Dominican for his or her opinion on whether Dominica has the capacity for all the work that is to be done. Also just bring back to mind that this hurricane was unprecedented in its destruction. The entire island was impacted sir in case we forgot.

      • June 14, 2018

        No Barbara i’m not a “johnny come lately” you missed the point i’ts a pattern adopted by this administration of not employing local Dominicans on any project. Fact check: West Coast Road: DSC: State House: Stadium; and the list goes on; continue to write every thing positive i’ll continue to write (anything) negative lets see which tips the scale. Just for your edification i’ve lived my entire 60 plus years in Dominica and witnessed many a disaster; “wha happen is Maria dat make us come so dotish nah”

      • Barbara Saunders
        June 16, 2018

        Gabriel St. Jean
        No I am not in your dotish team. I am just sick and fed up of this negativity for everything and on every subject. The West Coast Road was done by the Chinese, I guess like all other donors such as the EU they ensure that their nationals benefit from the project. It is their tax money after all. The DSC is another Chinese donation I think, same principle applies. The State House too.

        My goodness. I will agree with you everytime as long as you at least try to be fair. The government cannot be doing everything wrong and the opposition everything right, which in the latter case is talk and collect their monthly salary no doing of anything.

        Even you I am sure will not be able to point to anything they have done. so for all those who want and are working everyday on this site for a change. I want one also. Just tell me what exactly I must change to and I will go along.

    • Annoyed
      June 13, 2018

      Dominica has always received from other nations. Why don’t you ask, why is it that many Dominicans don’t work to develop themselves instead of being ignorant, always running their mouths, rarely doing anything, start encouraging their own people. Why is it that every thing has to be the government’s fault? Do the people not have any responsibility for anything? Really? Dominica is too much of a small country to be carrying so much drama in politics.

    • June 14, 2018

      Since people like you don’t come forward and say I am here to help this will happen there is work for every one but you see young able men sitting every where even playing dominoes big day and when you don you want to complain about government I wonder what you have done for your country lately.

      • Barbara Saunders
        June 16, 2018

        Thank you Wallace Hussey.

        They have an opportunity to learn a trade and to occupy themselves. With all the work to be done they will still sit on their….. run their mouths and blame government with the help of the agitators on this site.

        Have we ever thought beyond our hatred of Skerrit, the kind of society we are encouraging? You all think it is going to change with a change of government? You are going to have a rude awakening.

        If we encourage people to loot by justifying it that will be all they know. If we encourage them to hate business leaders who take risks to create employment etc. That is what they will continue to do no matter who the business leaders of tomorrow may be.

        I will continue in spite of the thumbs down to warn Dominicans against this recklessness of mouth and tongue on this site and elsewhere. Within them lie the power of life and death. If you don’t believe me check the Bible.

    • Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
      June 14, 2018

      Unfortunately, construction techniques have not evolved in Dominica, making impossible to complete any major project on time. Had a Dominican contractor been awarded the contract to repair the roof of the DSC, we would still be discussing in great detail, the reasons why the project is incomplete two years later. We are too reliant on manual labor, which gives power to corrupt contractors to waste time and screw with completion dates as they see fit. Our construction sector requires a heavy dose of mechanization.

    • June 15, 2018

      Gabriel you are just a Skeritt and a DLP hater. If it were Lennox and the UWP doing the same thing that Skeritt and the DLP are now doing you would be supporting it 100%. For people like you a crime is only a crime when you don’t like the person who commits the crime.

  9. required
    June 13, 2018

    So this building have been taking a beating with rain all these past months?

    • Yow
      June 14, 2018

      Yes. Classes had to be cancelled because the water was sipping downstairs

  10. Wayne Shaw
    June 13, 2018

    This is great news but why has it taken so long? This should have been agreed months ago. It also seems strange that all of a sudden there are 80 workers available to work on site yet hundreds of ordinary people are still in temporary shelters and hundreds more still waiting for skilled workers to mend their roofs? I for one have been unable to find contractors and supplies to mend my roof in St Joseph lost through Maria. I suppose it is a case of “who you know”!
    The people are not looked after!

    • Barbara Saunders
      June 13, 2018

      Wayne Shaw

      Hurricanes are not new to Dominica. Since when has it become someone else’s responsibility to find you a contractor and supplies to fix your roof? What does who you know have to do with it? Doesn’t the report say that these skilled people are Cubans? What then is the relevance of your question?

      If you get some help from the government, which, in my view is creating a bad precedent by giving people the impression that they are ENTITLED to that help, then say thanks.

      You people must get real in Dominica otherwise we are all going to be sorry about the society which we are creating by the things we say and do. It seems to be getting worse every day.

      • Wayne Shaw
        June 14, 2018

        Barbara
        No disrespect meant. The responsibility to find a contractor is all mine. My point was I am unable to find a Dominican contractor to take on the work. I am also not asking for help from the Government but I would have expected a direction so we can rebuild the properties affected, including mine. Apologies.

      • Barbara Saunders
        June 16, 2018

        Wayne Shaw
        It depends on where you are looking for direction. There have been radio programmes, by government, by private citizens like Steve Astaphan and Mr McKenzie. There have been documents providing information on proper building codes. I have studied them so much to ensure that my roof was done properly that I have the confidence that I can now be a contractor and build you a solid hurricane resistant roof.

        If we decide to wallow in negativity and criticism and spend our lives pointing fingers that will become our lives. I love Dominica and Dominicans. All of you, no matter what your persuasion but I am not going to help anyone to destroy my country by word or deed if I can say a word to stop it.

        Not sure what exactly you people want.

  11. derp
    June 13, 2018

    helmets they made a big show of enforcing helmets not too long ago now where is the enforcement ….

  12. Radio Kord Kapi
    June 13, 2018

    Nothing to shout about- after nine months of having our future scholars taking classes under punishing conditions; this repairs are overdue…this needed immediate addressing especially after $1 Million was given in a Samaritan-ish display to pay tuition that should have been paid years before. After 8 months, how many gov’t building is renovated…but before one is being repaired even at this time during the Hurricane season; some are excited.

  13. hhhhh
    June 13, 2018

    Good thing they got that cheque last week…..lol

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