Cleanup Underway at Charles Gordon Market

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is recommending the establishment of a new Charles Gordon Market, following severe damages caused by Hurricane Melissa, as cleanup and restoration continue in the market district.

“The entire roof is gone, and much of the market infrastructure has been destroyed. We will have to go in reset mode, and we may very well need a new market for St. James,” Mayor Vernon told JIS News, during cleanup activity on Sunday (November 9).

He stressed that the market is a vital service hub for Montego Bay and Western Jamaica, catering to urban and rural farmers who supply the city and surrounding areas.

The cleanup operation, which began last week, temporarily paused on market days, Friday and Saturday, but has now resumed with the market district closed to facilitate the massive exercise.

The initiative involves the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and corporate partners including Barnett Limited and Rainforest, which provided heavy equipment for the work.

In addition to the market, Mayor Vernon highlighted the removal of makeshift dump sites in the wider city.

“We started to eliminate some of the makeshift dump sites that were created due to the proactive nature of the people who started to clean up their community and placing garbage at strategic points for us to collect. So, we are going to collect those so we can use that initiative as a cleanup for the entire city,” he stated.

The mayor encouraged community participation in restoration and clean-up activities across the parish.

“I keep encouraging the community to come out to support and help to lift up some stuff, as we work together to clean up our space,” he said.