Labour Day’s focus will be on restoring community facilities, says Grange  

WESTERN BUREAU:

Sports and Culture Minister Olvia Grange says the focus of this year’s Labour Day, which will unfold on Monday, will be on the restoration of early childhood, sports and community facilities, which were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking at last Sunday's National Worker's Week and Labour Day Thanksgiving Church Service, in Montego Bay, St James, Grange said the spirit of volunteerism is needed more than ever as Jamaica braces for the beginning of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which starts on June 1 - eight months after Hurricane Melissa devastated western Jamaica last October.

"Many of our towns, many homes, many of our institutions, and many community spaces were devastated by Hurricane Melissa, and we have been called as a people to rise up and build,” said Grange. “Each Labour Day, we come together to volunteer our time and work in service of our communities and our country, and in times like these, voluntary community service is needed more than ever. 

"There is much for us to do as we continue to recover from last year's devastating hurricane and to prepare for this year's hurricane season, which as we know, begins on June 1. This year, we are sending a call to the nation to put particular focus on the restoration of sports, early childhood, and community facilities.”

The two national projects for this year's Labour Day will be the Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution, in St Elizabeth; and Sabina Park, in Kingston.

According to Grange, the Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution will be restored to ensure a safe learning space for its students, while the Sabina Park project is being done ahead of several major sporting events that are slated for the venue. 

"The Lewis Town Early Childhood Institution was one of those schools that were severely affected by last year's hurricane. This project will involve significant work to restore a safe, comfortable [environment] and even more resilient space for the children to learn and grow," said Grange.

"The other national project involves the cleaning, fixing up, and construction of much-needed facilities at Sabina Park, one of our country's premier sports venues, as we ensure that it is ready to host several upcoming international assignments, including the West Indies' series against Sri Lanka and the return of the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) to Jamaica," she said.

Meanwhile, Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security, urged attendees at the service to get proactive in restoring their respective communities in keeping with the spirit of this year's Labour Day focus.

"Strong communities build strong nations, and the church has always understood that. As you leave this service today, I want you to carry with you the spirit of service, and on Labour Day, stand up and get out in your communities and repair what is broken," he said. "Let us clean, let us plant, let us build, and let us make our communities better than we found them."