Morant Bay Beautified On Labour Day

The town of Morant Bay is now sporting a refreshed look thanks to a Labour Day beautification project organised by the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation on Friday (May 23).

From as early as 9: 00 am, volunteers were out in their numbers on Queen Street in the parish capital, washing and repainting sidewalks as well as removing debris and build-up.

Leading the workday was Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Louis Chin, who told JIS News that, “the town needed to be beautified and it feels good to be here. Everybody has put in the effort to be here this morning; we have a nice turnout and we [are] doing it for St. Thomas”.

Councillor Caretaker for the Morant Bay Division, Winston Downie, said that the day’s activities included brightening the parking and no-parking zones to address traffic congestion.

“In a busy town, there will be areas that are fit for parking and areas that are not, and [enforcing these] will allow for the free movement of traffic on any given day,” he told JIS News.

Also joining in the Labour Day project were the eight contestants vying for the Miss St. Thomas Festival Queen 2025 title, members of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the St. Thomas Health Department, political representatives, the Social Development Commission, the St. Thomas Fire Department, school representatives, and others.

Parish Manager for the JCDC St. Thomas parish office, Pamella Rodney, said that engaging in the Labour Day activity was aimed at reinforcing the value of volunteerism among the contestants.

“We’re here with the contestants just showing them what it means to be a volunteer. Nowadays, volunteerism is on the low, so we wanted to show it to them first-hand, and we’re happy to be here with the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation assisting with this project,” she told JIS News.

The St. Thomas Municipal Corporation also carried out work at the St. Thomas Infirmary in the Church Corner area, where members of the First Battalion Jamaica Regiment Bravo Company of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) lent a helping hand.

The group of 11 soldiers applied fresh coats of paint to the kitchen and bathrooms at the facility, bringing new energy to the space.

Labour Day 2025 is being observed under the theme ‘Protect the Environment: Our Land, Our Duty, Our Future’.