Hopelessness blankets ‘dying’ Clark’s Town despite grand promises
ONCE A thriving economic centre when the Long Pond Sugar Estates was the hub of sugar production in Trelawny, Clark’s Town has been in dire straits since the factory closed its door to sugar production in 2017.
However, last Saturday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness placed the town back under the radar, telling residents that plans are in train to develop the area and they would soon have their “own little city”.
Holness, who was on a whistle-stop tour ahead of the February 26 local government elections, noted that with new hotels set to be constructed in proximity to the rural town, some 720 housing units are also poised for the area.
But despite the announcement, a sense of hopelessness that has blanketed the town since 2017 when it lost its lifeblood.
“Clark’s Town has been dead for a very long time. They might as well just bury it and done,” resident Clare Brown told The Gleaner on Tuesday. “I honestly don’t believe that Clark’s Town will return to the glory days that we were used to.”
Former cane farmer Delroy Downer, who spoke glowingly of growing up in Clark’s Town when it was alive, vibrant and filled with hope, was equally forlorn.
“I started out in the sugar industry as a little boy, working alongside my grandmother, who was a cane farmer. Over time, I also became a cane farmer. In those days, Clark’s Town was a bustling town with a lot of business places,” said Downer. “Since the sugar factory closed, most of the business places have closed. Most of the people are now unemployed, albeit some of the younger folks have managed to secure jobs in the tourism sector.
“To be truthful, Clark’s Town is a dying town. The roads are in a deplorable condition. We are having challenges with water; the community playing field is out of use; and more and more businesses are closing … . There are no new windows of opportunities opening up for the people,” continued Downer. “We are a dying town, no doubt about it.”
While agreeing that Clark’s Town is a struggling town, former sugar industry executive Granville Robinson believes it could rebound if the major problems are addressed, making it attractive for new investment.
“The roads network is a disgrace. It would most certainly be a turn-off to investors. We also need to address the water situation and garbage [collection],” said Robinson. “We also need to create job opportunities to help some of the older people, who got displaced when Long Pond was closed. Many of them don’t have the intellectual capacity or skills required to work in the hotel sector.”
However, Dunstan Harper, the Jamaica Labour Party candidate who will contest the Sherwood Content division – which includes areas such as Sherwood Content, Duanvale, Kinloss, and Clark’s Town – there is sufficient reason to be optimistic.
Harper, who has been representing the town in the Trelawny Municipal Corporation since 2016, says things are not as bad as being intimated, expressing confidence that better days are on the horizon.
POISED FOR GROWTH
“Like the prime minister, I believe Clark’s Town is poised to become our lovely little city in short order with a new hotel coming into the nearby Braco area, which will generate significant employment for the young people; and for those persons in the construction sector, a major housing development is also on the cards for Clark’s Town,” he told The Gleaner.
Harper said that Clark’s Town has seen much progress under his leadership, especially as it relates to its water situation, garbage collection, improving the road network, and regularising the sugar lands that were being taken over by informal settlers.
“While we no longer have the many jobs in sugar, the hotel sector is constantly expanding and creating employment opportunities for the young people,” he said. “I will admit that the water situation needs to be improved, and the road network is not as good as we would like. However, based on the plans in the pipeline, these things will be addressed in my next term.”
Former policeman Charles Clarke, the People’s National Party’s candidate set to challenge Harper on February 26, sees him as a mere dreamer who is out of touch with reality.
He gave Harper a failing grade for his stewardship, adding that the incumbent is not capable of addressing the needs of Clark’s Town.
“The situation is Clark’s Town is hopeless for the young people, who have had to be looking outside of the community for employment opportunities,” said Wilson, who wants to convert the old Long Pond Sugar Factory into an industrial zone with a packing station to export produce he will challenge the farmers to cultivate.
“When it rains in Clark’s Town, you have mud coming through the pipes. The roads are a disgrace. One of the first things I plan to do is to fix what was once the road from the gate of the Long Pond factory to Duncans, which is just craters now. No road,” continued Wilson. “I will be looking to address the needs of the young people in many ways. Right now, they don’t even have a playing field or a community centre.”
Turning to Holness’ announcement on the weekend, Wilson dismissed them as just more promises that will remain unfulfilled.
“He (Holness) broke ground for those same houses four years ago and there is not a single house up there. It is just more promises because we are in an election season,” said Wilson. “Clark’s Town is a dying town and unless it gets proper representation, things will never get better.”