Charles Gordon Market Gets Labour Day Cleaning
By: , May 23, 2025
Photo: Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon right), and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Richard Crawford, participate in Labour Day clean-up activities outside the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay, St. James, on Friday May 23). The initiative forms part of the parish project, which focused on revitalising the market district under the national slogan 'Jamaica Nice Protect Wi Paradise'.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon (right), and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Richard Crawford, participate in Labour Day clean-up activities outside the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay, St. James, on Friday (May 23). The initiative forms part of the parish project, which focused on revitalising the market district under the national slogan 'Jamaica Nice: Protect Wi Paradise'.
Photo: Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, participates in Labour Day clean-up activities outside the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay, St. James, on May 23. The effort formed part of the parish project aimed at improving sanitation and infrastructure within the market district.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, participates in Labour Day clean-up activities outside the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay, St. James, on May 23. The effort formed part of the parish project aimed at improving sanitation and infrastructure within the market district.
Photo: Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon centre), assists firefighters with washing down sections of the roadway near the Charles Gordon Market during Labour Day activities in Montego Bay, St. James, on May 23. The clean-up formed part of the parish’s Labour Day project, aimed at revitalising the market district.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon (centre), assists firefighters with washing down sections of the roadway near the Charles Gordon Market during Labour Day activities in Montego Bay, St. James, on May 23. The clean-up formed part of the parish’s Labour Day project, aimed at revitalising the market district.The Full Story
The Charles Gordon Market and the surrounding market district in Montego Bay, St. James, experienced major clean-up and infrastructural upgrades as part of the Labour Day 2025 activities.
The Market was designated the official parish project for Labour Day, at a cost of approximately $5 million.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, said the initiative underscores the Corporation’s commitment to environmental preservation and food security.
“The Charles Gordon Market and surrounding district form a critical part of our food security in Montego Bay. We decided to do a massive clean-up under the slogan, ‘Jamaica Nice, Protect Wi Paradise’,” he stated.
Key components of the project include the patching of roadways and the enhancement of sidewalks leading to and around the market district.
Members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade provided support by washing and sanitising the streets, while a targeted pest control campaign was also implemented through a partnership with Farco Rapid Kill.
“We are doing some baiting in the Market District. Earlier, they did the baiting within the market facility, but moving forward, we’ll be doing it within the market district,” Mayor Vernon stated.
He pointed out that this is part of a wider sanitation and public health intervention that will eventually cover a one-mile radius around Sam Sharpe Square.
The Mayor noted that an additional $7.7 million has been allocated to the municipality’s 17 divisions, with each receiving approximately $450,000 to execute environmentally focused community initiatives.
“All the projects are aligned with the Labour Day theme and are designed to encourage greater waste management practices and environmental responsibility across the parish,” he said.
The Mayor emphasised that these efforts are not only beautification projects, but also crucial measures to enhance public health, support the informal economy, and promote civic pride in the heart of the city.