$7.7M guest house, boardwalk commissioned at Capoey
CANADIAN High Commissioner to Guyana, David Devine, on Tuesday, commissioned a $7.7M guest house and boardwalk in the Capoey Amerindian Community on the Essequibo Coast. Addressing the gathering of villagers and Government officials at the ceremony, he said Canada, through the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) and the Guyana Environmental Capacity Development Project II (GENCAPD11), contributed the money for the construction.
Devine said the commissioning is yet another meaningful and clear expression of the dedication of the Government of Canada to supporting sustainable community development in Guyana with a direct positive impact on the lives of the indigenous people.
The diplomat said Canada is happy to partner with the Capoey Village Council and GENCAPD II to build the guest house and boardwalk.
He also acknowledged the involvement of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in offering technical advice on aspects of food hygiene and handling, which are key components of the hospitality business that must always be carefully managed.
Devine noted that tourism is an important sector in economies throughout the world and it offers wonderful opportunities for development in communities such as Capoey.
He acknowledged that he had the honour, over the last weekend, to attend the opening of the 13th Annual Caribbean Tourism Association (CTO) Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development – STC 13, where representatives of governments of the Caribbean sought to explore ways to promote related activities to contribute to their national economies and benefit citizens.
Committed
Devine said he got a sense that the Government of Guyana is committed to becoming a leader in the Caribbean in the advancement of the tourism sector.
According to him, the Capoey venture is a good example of the types of initiatives that will help the Government achieve its objective, by promoting sustainable eco-tourism and agro-tourism.
Devine, therefore, encouraged residents of Capoey to be very creative and network with other communities to learn from their experiences and exchange information that can mutually benefit everyone.
He said he certainly hopes that the facilities will be optimally used for the enjoyment of visitors to the village and be of economic benefit to the community.
Chairman of Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Mr. Parmanand Persaud, who witnessed the commissioning, agreed that the project will indeed boost tourism in the beautiful Amerindian community.
He said the Government, every year, is spending millions of dollars to develop all nine Amerindian communities in the Region and tourism development is one area Government is developing so Amerindians can benefit.
Toshoa of Capoey, Ms. Valarie De Jonge, thanked Canada for the funding and boasted that her village is on the road to development under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government.
She said the Government has executed many projects in the village, over the years, and residents are happy and proud.