Compensation for airport land

THE EDITOR: During the early part of the 20th century, the Trinidad Colonial Government built the Crown Point Airport. At that time the airport consisted of a grass airstrip/runway, a terminal building and a weather vane. It was lit by “bull de feas.” Eddie Gordon rode a bicycle along the runway to light the “bull de feas” located along its unfenced perimeter.

It is reported that Commander Cook landed his Cessna plane at Crown Point.

This, the first phase of airport construction at Crown Point, reportedly “took” the Crooks’ and McPhersons’ ancestral lands. At that time the surrounding villagers referred to the airport as “baseground.” Who knows if these former landowners were ever compensated for their lands?

The second phase was done at the time of the Second World War. It saw the Americans trespassing and bulldozing people’s lands. Reportedly, landowners were paid for their fruit trees alone. They were not compensated for their lands. This phase took the runway into Cromstain.

Decades later, the Eric Williams-led PNM government embarked on the third phase and extended the runway through Gaskin into Kilgwyn. This extension effectively denied the community the ability to “play bakes,” to run races and to play football at Kilgwyn Bay. It also denied access to Cromstain Bay, thus negatively impacting the weekend and holiday family socialisation for which Cromstain Bay was famous.

Yet again, the issue of adequate compensation arises. It must be asked whether Gaskin landowners such as Alvin Patrick, Anthony and the Youngs were adequately compensated.

More recently, in May 2018, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) collaborated with the Airports Authority and traumatised the Cromstain and Gaskin landowners as they unmasked plan to acquire 84 acres of prime Cromstain and Gaskin residential/commercial lands.

The government team told the residents and business owners that in order to facilitate the airport project they must start vacating their properties by July that year. The government team told the residents/businessmen that they would be relocated at Friendship and Shirvan. Interestingly, no infrastructure was in place at those sites.

Insensitivity! This was the apex of trauma.

It must be noted that:

1. Firstly, the airport extension may result in expanded air traffic and increased visitor arrivals in Tobago – despite the current negative impact of the “plandemic.” This begs the question of Tobago’s preparedness to provide quality customer service and healthcare.

2. Secondly, the National Petroleum storage facility is located in close proximity to the runway. The well-known axiom states “that which can fail, will fail.” Indeed, Tobago must seriously contemplate the dire consequences of an aircraft mishap at that facility.

May I therefore ask: what disaster recovery and business continuity plan does the Airports Authority, Caribbean Airlines and the THA have to manage this eventuality? Shouldn’t the NP facility be relocated prior to the removal of the Cromstain and Gaskin residents?

Today, I write before the affected residents are left in the rain to shelter under cheques that have grossly diminished the value of their prime real estate.

Today, I write before the descendants who for generations lived on/occupied ancestral lands and are currently being evicted, and are being reduced to destitution, pauperisation and vagrancy.

Today, I appeal to the Canaan/Bon Accord assemblyman, I implore Nidco, I beseech the Member of Parliament for Tobago West, I ask the Prime Minister and all those who have ears, to listen, to hear, and to address the plight of these adversely affected Tobagonians.

The affected residents are asking the State to seek their best interests and to extend to them the same duty of care as afforded to those landowners/squatters in Trinidad in respect of the Curepe Interchange, Oropune Gardens, and the highway in Debe.

The cry, the plea, the lament is: provide equivalent equitable compensation for everyone.

BERNARD HENRY

Hampden