More government homes to be handed over, two schools to be rehabilitated

The then Minister for the Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal, Joseph Isaac, breaking ground for construction of the Bellevue Rawle houses in 2019. The late Christopher Timmins (r) looks on.

Twenty-six recipients are expected to receive keys to their newly constructed homes in Bellevue Rawle, Stockfarm.

The houses were constructed by Montreal Management Company Est (MMCE) under the government’s CBI housing option.

 “Today I am pleased to report that the cabinet has approved the 26 recipients for the newly constructed resilient homes in the Bellevue Rawle Development,” Housing Minister Reginald Austrie said in a cabinet statement. “The Government of Dominica over the years in its mission to transform the housing stock of our country, with modern, resilient housing in partnership with Montreal Management Company (MMCE) is here to confirm and deliver on our promise.”

He said while 26 families will receive the keys to their homes, the greater impact will touch the lives of over 100 individuals who will occupy these homes.

According to Austrie, this development comprises 3-bedroom units which are constructed with concrete roof and structure and which also contain solar water heaters and decorated roof coverings

“Each unit comes complete with kitchen and bathroom installation,” Austrie stated.

He said to-date,  a total of 897 houses have been constructed under the MMCE housing programme.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Octavia Alfred, announced last week that the Cabinet of Dominica has approved the awards of two (2) contracts for the rehabilitation of the Grandbay Primary School and the Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that the Cabinet of Dominica has approved the awards of two (2) more contracts as follows: the rehabilitation of the Grandbay Primary School in the amount of EC 3 million, one hundred and forty-seven thousand, three hundred and seventy dollars and seventy-six cents and the Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School in the amount of EC two million one hundred and seventy-five thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars and fifty cents,” Alfred said.

She stated that that, over the years, the Government of Dominica  has built and refurbished schools island-wide with greater emphasis on climate resilience standards.

According to the minister, in 2018, under the Dominica Climate Resilience and Restoration Project in a collaborative effort between the government of Canada and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the government identified five schools for rehabilitation, namely Morne Jaune Primary School, Delices Primary School, Grandbay Primary School, Salisbury Primary School, and  Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School in Marigot.

The total cost was estimated at $US 7.563 or EC$20.2 million.

Recently, the government handed over a refurbished Salisbury Primary School and works are ongoing at Morne Jaune Primary School and the Delices Primary School.

Alfred said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Dominica continues to fulfill its promise to improve and manage the physical plant of schools nationally.

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17 Comments

  1. Waiting For Airport
    December 22, 2020

    Awa wi… too much cool out… remember they used to tell us about give a man a fish he eat for a day… teach a man to fish he will eat for life

    Skerrit, why not use them CBI funds to invite wealth creation teachers to the island? Teach the next generation investment, entreprenuership, business, networking, marketing, buying and selling – useful skills so they can generate their own income instead of waiting for cool out like the current generation. From school age we should be investing in useful income generating skills instead of the normal curriculum that has lead to generation after generation of people waiting for cool out or leaving the island to end up doing dead end jobs in big countries! We have the CBI funds to pay for it, we just need some vision and strategic direction.

  2. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    December 21, 2020

    The Caption Reads:

    “More government homes to be handed over:”

    Whereas there might be a few unfortunate older people who will never be in a position to build a house because they are poverty-stricken; in such a case there shouldn’t be a debate as to whether housing assistance should be given to such people. Nevertheless; we don’t know who shall be the benefactor of their residue.

    It is noted that Roosevelt Skerrit sometime ago said when the recipient of the house or apartment dies; the property returns to “him” the government; we will all agree that Rosevelt Skerrit that corrupted crook is the government of Dominica!

    It would appear that Dominica is becoming a state-owned entity!

    Only in communists, and totalitarian states and countries, the governments build houses and gives them to citizens; however, when the recipient dies, the house or apartment returns to the government!

    If the property is given, shouldn’t a grant dead be issued to the recipient, and…

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      December 22, 2020

      Anything concerning house and land the transaction should be done in writing; hence in this case the recipients of the house should be given a grant dead, or a simple dead of trust masking them the sole owner of the property.

      If something is given to a person as a gift, that recipient should have the power to sell or give it away or do whatever they deem fit, whether it is Will it to a relative or a stranger.

      If however on the demise of the recipient the gifts return to the giver or doner, that means the gift was not a gift at all!

      So, communism, and totalitarian and hardcore socialism system exists in all sorts of form!

  3. dafinito
    December 21, 2020

    Do you know what happens when you put poor black people who are mostly unemployed in apartment buildings? No? Check out the projects in NYC, in Chicago? In St. Thomas? ANd come back and tell me.

    Why are they building them projects opposite schools in so many villages? Castle Bruce? grand Bay? Is that what the youth have to look forward to? I pray for my country. I am so over it all. No job creation – just giving unemployed people houses. They are young and strong. We need job creation.

    On Kairi the other day, the woman said thanks to the PM for the apartment, now she needs furniture. You can win? Never!

  4. Ibo France
    December 21, 2020

    I have to emphasize and re-emphasize this at the chance of becoming monotonous. In a country, Dominica, where joblessness is a colossal problem, local building contractors are sidelined and one Canadian company is given access to billions of the people’s money and resources to build government owned apartments.

    Undoubtedly, some people are corruptly benefitting from this incredibly insane arrangement.

    In light of this, with many thousands of locals living in abject poverty, most Dominicans remain reticent. Life has a way of giving you exactly what you deserve.

    WAKE UP MAN!!!!!!

  5. LifeandDeath
    December 21, 2020

    What is most puzzling is the acceptance of unfettered disdain the the DLP regime metes out to local contractors in Dominica, clearly this does not bode well for Local Capacity development in the construction industry.

    Where is the National Pride my ppl.

    Equally Shocking is the level of admiration for the perpetrators on the part of the ppl. SMH.

  6. Viewsexpressed
    December 21, 2020

    The obvious fanfare of Failed Skerrit is to expose himself and have desperate Dominicans and Mothers present themselves to this questionable deceitfulness Red Clinic to beg and gain cash, rather than develop our people, create jobs and stop this handout deceitfullness Nonsensical Bobol Red Clinic disgust shame.
    Create jobs and stop playing on the poverty and begging on those families that your faiied immnature incompetent Labour government has created under your faiied leadership.
    It’s a damn shame and indecent. Too much un-necessary loose talk an
    How more lower should our suffering jobless poore people should hot. Families are suffering, the mothers and fathers are likely to be suffering and rather than elevate our people to jobs and opportunities, this Designed Red Clinic is abusing our struggling people and families while the country’s economy has deteriorated and our farmers as a result are suffering to feed their children and families and need good support from their…

  7. Viking Power
    December 21, 2020

    Decorated roofing…! Wow Austrie, what about the hundreds that still live under plastic sheeting. Are you as the minister for housing going to give them solid roofing, never mind decorated roofing. I guess these ‘goodies’ are reserved for DLP supporters only. One day, Austrie, one day…!!!

  8. The old Prophet
    December 20, 2020

    More dependency, more laziness, more corruption and more of the same old Truth is, people have to receive the mark of the beast and must worship Skerrit to get a house. I prefer the one the Lord will help me to build by my the sweat of my own brows. There is no blessing, no peace no protection in houses built with blood money.
    Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.Paalms 127:1

    • Viewsexpressed
      December 22, 2020

      Skerrit has failed us and reduced our struggling people and country blocking development. I just don’t buy Skerrit’s Devious blind leadership and management of thisbfaiied government.
      After 20 long years, we are still in poverty and begging and this is what this deception has done to our suffering people and poverty stricken island.
      Our Nature Isle is not in any development process but what we have is this failed incompetent Questionable failed Labour government and without any thoughts for meaningful development, we are made to que up to this deception on going now for over 20years. We, our suffering people has suffered enough and we need this comical Odd Minister called Skerrit Out of our ailing Nature Isle Dominica, destroyed by this fake incompetent Questionable failed Labour government.
      Our Dominica is in ruins with failed, Immature, Labour government run by a failed visionless Incompetent Labour government led by failed incompetent LabourPrime Minister.
      Skerrit must get…

  9. Ibo France
    December 20, 2020

    The CARNAGE of the CBI monies continues unabated without any transparency or accountability while the majority of Dominicans remain quizzically silent.

    Local contractors sit idly at home, unemployed, while MMCE, a foreign entity, has a chokehold on billions of the people’s money. Only in a FAILED STATE like Dominica these kinds of anomalies are allowed to happen without vigorous and rigorous push- back from the citizenry.

    Dominicans are a unique set of people, all talk and no action. Social and political activism is needed more than ever before.

    PEOPLE WAKE UP and stand for something. Don’t let your country disintegrate to nothingness.

  10. Roger Burnett
    December 20, 2020

    Recipients are receiving keys but not title to their new homes. Please correct me if I am wrong.

    And please do not misconstrue my comment to mean that I do not welcome re-housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. What concerns me is the ownership and suitability of the dwellings built under the CBI Housing Revolution Program.

    Without title there is no security of tenure and no means of handing the property down to family members, etc.

    In terms of suitability: regardless of lessons to be learnt from the lifestyle of rural communities, the Corona Pandemic should have taught us that self-sufficiency will be a major component in the “New Normal”. Dedicated floor space for working from home and yard space for growing provisions will become increasingly important.

    Admin, It would help to have pictures that update the development since the ground breaking.

    • viewsexpressed
      December 22, 2020

      If anyone has pictures of these houses, please share with Tim Durand at “Dominica News On Line” (DNO).
      We need Transparency and reliable committed accountability and openness in our Government.
      It’s obvious that after 20 long years this Failed incompetent immnature Labour government has to account for our resources.
      This Labour government and its failed incompetent Prime Minister has failed us. This to say openly that there has been no meaningful development of our people and country and villages under this failed incompetent Labour government and its incompetent leadership Prime (Odd) Minister.
      It’s time for a change as this Labour government and failed Odd Minister has failed us big time.
      It’s time that Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government must get the hell out of our government.
      We await a new trusted, professional, mature visionary Prime Minister who is Hon. Lennox Linton and his trusted competent visionary good United Workers Party (,UWP).
      Wake up my…

  11. Original
    December 20, 2020

    We should pay close attention to this photo! in a nation where we are predominantly black, we can clearly see an all “White” caucasian team overlooking and participating in the ground breaking ceremony, our “overlords” as it would seem, our modern version of slavery.

  12. lmckoy
    December 20, 2020

    Not that anyone is looking for ‘freeness’ but if the honourable ministers can get some help to develop the productive capacity of Dominica, it would be a great help to our country and the future of our people.

  13. STRAIGHTFORWARD
    December 20, 2020

    Looking at things with this Government and its biased against home grown contractors, well the money willl alwsys be sent overseas.
    Imagine in 2020, the government has a Canadian firm running tings in Dominic’s Construction.. This government forget its responsibility to put Dominicans First. The picture above tells the story.
    Secondly, no wonder, he has this road construction company with old and derelict equipmentz all over the place like Dominica is a junk yard.
    Its sad to seee foreigners can come in Dominica and run things and live nice…. Whereas Dominicans getting raw deals.
    Nothing is wrong witb foreigners coming to work, but for goodness sake stop giving our top positions to foreigners.. Government for the people and by the people. So give locals a big chunk of the pie
    Please let Dominicans enjoy the passport money..

  14. Trouble ahead
    December 19, 2020

    When government building more houses for residents than they creating employment you know something is definitely wrong and that is the recipe for poverty

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