SAN FERNANDO
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A JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY
October 31, 2000
Page 8
Although it represents the heart of progress of the Southland, San
Fernando readily embraces change but is equally reluctant to give up its
traditions and rich past.
Evidence
of its important role in labour relations, national culture and its commitment
to the arts, are all around you as you drive through Trinidad’s second city.
The
centerpiece of it all is Harris Promenade, which has evolved over the years to
become one of the most beautiful urban leisure spots in the country. Walking along the Promenade is like taking a
trip through the history of not only San Fernando, but also the country as a
whole.
Harris
Promenade existed decades before the concept of a Promenade for Port of Spain
was even envisioned. Bounded by the
Carnegie Free Library in the East and the Police Station in the West, the
Harris Promenade holds a record of the development of San Fernando over the years.
Our
tour started with the Library, the most adaptable institution and most
recognised building in the group. This
structure has been the only constant on the Promenade since it as constructed
in the early 1900s. Today, many of the
region’s senior citizens cannot remember San Fernando without the library on
“Library Corner.”
Progressing
a little further west and deeper into the history of the last century, the last
train engine from Trinidad’s public transportation system which was dismantled
in the 1950s, remains as a reminder of what life used to be in the older days
when a trip to the capital used to take several hours.
With
the advent of busses and the spread of the automobile, it became increasingly
uneconomical to maintain the train system and many of the engines and train
cars were scrapped. The continuing
legacy of the era of the steam locomotive in Trinidad still exists as the old
train station at City Gate in Port of Spain takes on its new role as the centre
for commuters moving in and out of the city in new maxi taxis and busses.
The
train station in San Fernando has long been demolished and was replaced b a
new, more conventional concrete and metal structure that better suits the needs
of the new generation of busses.
The
later rise of the Labour movement is depicted a little further west by the
statue of Marcus Garvey, who inspired many of the local labour leaders of the
1920s and 1930s, who struggled for workers’ rights and fair wages.
San
Fernando has a rich history in the labour movement. Although much growth was experienced in the petroleum sector and
much of the nation’s wealth came from the Southland, many of the residents were
still poor and uneducated. Local
politicians, supported by labour activists had struggled in the early portion
of the century for better social services, employment opportunities and wages
for residents in south Trinidad – and the rest of the country for that matter.
Moving
further west, the Promenade takes on a more contemporary look, with a newly
added outdoor amphitheatre, which is flanked by the newly-renovated RC Church
on the right.
This
part of the Promenade is a favourite stopping spot for persons slowing down
from a busy day and it has attracted a large percentage of readers, playing
school-children and the occasional couple lovingly holding each other as they
stroll along to their destination.
As a
major thoroughfare, the Promenade is an ideal spot for activists wanting to
bring the country’s social issues to the front burner. Our stop included a chat with Khaleed Thornhill,
an activist doing his part by changing people’s attitude towards women and
protecting the nation’s youth. He is
also pressing for universal access and better funding for health-care and education.
Next to Thornhill’s camp is another significant
tribute, which is paid to Mahatma Gandhi, the great civil leader of India. His work and techniques of peaceful civil
disobedience against the British Government in India and South Africa has been
inspirational and is an important tool for liberating millions of people across
the world.
Other
important historical sites in San Fernando include a statue on Coffee Street,
which pays tribute to the Pan Movement, the famous South Fire Headquarters,
City Hall and the San Fernando Hill.