Ministry of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe. (FP)
Government will unveil a “magnificently” refurbished interment site at the St. James Cemetery in the coming months of this year, while three other cemeteries are set to also undergo upgrades and expansion.
This was revealed by Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe during an interview with the Barbados Government Information Service.
“We are pleased to announce that the Maria Holder Trust has undertaken a project to refurbish the [St. James] cemetery…,” he said.
The work which has already started will see improvements being made to staff quarters, the walkways and the chapel.
The Minister has also stated: “We are extremely happy to see finally, that attention is being given to these important facilities at the St. James Cemetery. There are some very outstanding persons interred there, and this gift from the Maria Holder Trust is in recognition of the resting of Maria Holder at that location.”
Meanwhile, there are also plans to refurbish and expand the Bushy Park Cemetery in St. Philip.
Dr. Lowe said his Ministry was currently in conversation with the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Rural Development to occupy an additional 22.2 acres of land which would be vested in the Sanitation Service Authority to be used for burials.
He added that efforts were also being made to have the burial ground at the Westbury Cemetery properly designated with a floor plan identifying each burial space and its occupants.
“We are currently in conversation with a donor who is making the technical assistance available to us to have that done. We are indeed giving attention to that and we are going to keep the public well informed as to our progress there,” the Minister assured.
The Minister indicated that the Christ Church cemetery would not be left out since that facility was in need of “intensive work” to address the challenges with the chapel and general infrastructural work at the location.