EFFORTS are moving apace to restore the Independence Arch on Brickdam, in time to host the traditional independence anniversary flag-raising ceremony at that venue on Tuesday, May 26.

This is in keeping with the wishes of Guyana’s newly sworn President, Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger, who expressed concern that the Independence Arch has been overgrown with bushes and strewn with rubbish.
Work commenced on Sunday, and a strong police presence was noticed by the Guyana Chronicle at the work site.
The National Independence Monument on Brickdam, near Vlissengen Road, is a gift to the people of Guyana from the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA), commemorating Guyana’s independence from Great Britain on May 26, 1966. It once stood resplendent at the head of Brickdam, and to the west of the Square of the Revolution.
The structure, in the form of an arch, consists of three tubes made of aluminum from Guyana’s bauxite, mounted on a quartz base. The arch was designed by Canadian engineer, Edric Klak.

(Photos by Samuel Maughn)