Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 11, 2018 (SKNIS): The life like statues of the five National Heroes of St. Kitts and Nevis will be unveiled at the National Heroes Park next Monday (September 17, 2018) during the annual ceremony that pays tribute to the foremost nation builders of the twin-island Federation. It is the first time that all five national heroes will be found in one place dedicated to them, making the moment a historic one.
The park is currently a hive of activity as work crews are busy mounting tents, tending to the lawn, preparing the Welcome Centre, and completing other tasks in preparation for the ceremony that will be attended by family members and friends of the late Right Excellencies Sir Robert L. Bradshaw, Sir C. A. Paul Southwell, Sir Joseph N. France and Sir Simeon Daniel as well as the Right Excellent and Right Honourable Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds, the only living National Hero. Also in attendance will be Governor General, His Excellency Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton, Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, and other dignitaries, invited guests, students, and the general public.
The ceremony will feature a Guard of Honour from the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Osbert DeSuza, said the profiles of each National Hero will be read at the ceremony and the statues officially unveiled. He said the occasion will be a special one.
“I want to take this opportunity to invite the general public to be a part of this ceremony on National Heroes Day. It is a one off; we will be unveiling the statues of the five National Heroes and as I said it is going to happen only once so you should be here to be a part of history,” he stated.
Seating will be available to meet the large number of persons expected at the ceremony. In addition to mounting the statues, construction of the Welcome Center is essentially complete. It features an exhibition wing where information on and pictures of the five prominent figures will be on display. Offices for staff are hosted in the centre’s administration wing. Restroom facilities are under construction.
Mr. DeSuza said that the atmosphere at the facility has been greatly enhanced and persons will be in for a treat on Monday.
“The ambience and the physical appearance of the park have being enhanced from the last National Heroes Day,” he indicated. “I think we all will be very impressed with the layout of the parade square, the fact that we have been able, over the past year, to have quite a bit of ornamental plants growing in the park and its [a] totally different physical appearance to what we had in 2016 and 2017.”
Sunday, September 16, is National Heroes Day in St. Kitts and Nevis. However, because the 16th falls on a Sunday this year, the public observances will occur on the following day – Monday, September 17.
