(REAL News) — A resident who lives in a suburb of St. John’s wants Health Minister Molwyn Joseph to know she shed tears at a recent funeral – not simply over the deceased, but at the state of the Valley Church Community Cemetery where her loved one was buried.
“It was my first time attending a burial there, and to say I was surprised to see the condition of that place is an understatement,” she tells REAL News.
The shocked resident describes the burial ground as a “paddock masquerading as a cemetery,” and is urging others who are not familiar with the place to go and take a look. “We deserve better,” she says.
For the past several years, families have been complaining about the situation: Round-South residents have expressed resentment at the fact that persons outside their community are being buried there – reducing the space for themselves.
On the other hand, those in and around St. John’s resent the fact that their dead are being buried so far from where they spent their lives.
Neither group is satisfied, however, at the primitive state of the community cemetery, which began to be rapidly filled up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has long been known that the St. John’s Cemetery – colloquially known as “No. 10” from its cane field days – was out of space. This was confirmed by the Central Board of Health at least two years ago.
However, even prior to that announcement, the Ministry of Health had announced that a new cemetery – a modern facility equipped with a chapel, signage, and designated walkways and driveways – would be established at Tomlinsons in St. George.
It has been approximately six years since monies – more than $2 million – were disbursed from the CIP Fund for the preparation of the new site and for a second design based on the layout of Arlington National Cemetery, Joseph said. (The Stanford Group had commissioned a design prior.)
Yet, to date, no work has begun on the sorely needed facility – even though the last official word, in 2021, was that civil works and fencing would soon begin.
Only a few months ago, ground was broken for a modern aquatic centre in virtually the same Tomlinsons location.
Meanwhile, the grieving woman tells our News Room she is grateful that her family has several plots in the St. John’s Public Cemetery where she can be interred, close to her loved ones and in familiar surroundings.
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And to think, this idiot was given a knighthood. Every government department is in absolute shambles. Finance: 14 billion plus and counting and the country has never looked worse; the cost of living is out of control, people are poor and impoverished. Education: in total shambles first under Bowtie Browne and now Daryl Matthew; we are not even in the top ten in the region’s educational standards; hope the DirecTOR and Daryl Matthew realize that CXC is days away as they dilly-dally with teachers. Health: clinics are closed, in disrepair, nurses are on the verge of industrial action, solid waste is a wreck, Fiennes and Clair View are disasters.
Those of you who took money to put this Gaston Browne led disaster back into government, I wonder what you have to say now?
Cemetery might be a mess but my family grave sites are clean as a whistle. I agree that the government can do more, but come on people, a little civic pride can’t hurt you. We wind down windows and just throw garbage out. We go to the beach and leave the rubbish and used condoms and wrappers. We have zero pride.
Let’s ask Marvelous Mike to build us a cemetery or a crematorium
But wait! This AstraZeneca vaccine pusher is like still in charge of Ministry of Health?
He had a large budget to completely renew the Valley Church Community Cemetery so that people can give their loved ones a decent send-off, but instead funds were redirected to the fake vaccine mandates and scare tactics in the media. Expensive!
Melford Nicholas isn’t fit for this prestigious office.
Maybe he can ask his boss to redirect some money from the unaccountable CIP and NAMCO – HOW SIMPLE IS THIS OPTION MR MELFORD!
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