The United Workers Party Toronto Caucus expresses deep disappointment in the Honourable Alva Baptiste, Saint Lucia’s Minister of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, for his recent decisions regarding Saint Lucia’s relationship with the Canadian diaspora community.
The Honourable Minister’s decision to hold a town hall meeting in Ottawa and none in Toronto, the largest diaspora community of Saint Lucians living in Canada, was a missed opportunity to address critical issues affecting the Toronto community.
While the Honourable Minister attended an independence gala in Toronto, a gala does not provide the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues with the Toronto community, and town hall meetings should have been held in both cities.
The Toronto community was looking forward to engaging with the Minister on diaspora issues, trade, issues affecting Saint Lucia, opportunities for Saint Lucians in Toronto who want to establish businesses in Saint Lucia, or who have access to trade markets in Toronto for local Saint Lucian businesses.
The decision to not hold a town hall meeting in Torotnto suggests a lack of interest in engaging with the Toronto community, which is concerning, given its size, and the significant role that this community plays in the overall development of Saint Lucia.
It is essential that our elected officials engage with our communities especially those where the largest population of Saint Lucian reside, listen to their concerns, and work towards addressing them.
We urge the Honourable Minister to take the necessary steps to rectify this situation and engage with the Toronto community in the near future.
Furthermore, we are deeply disturbed by the Minister’s recent announcement of the intention to establish a High Commission in Ottawa. This decision is an unnecessary and unjustified duplication of the services already provided by the consulate office in Toronto, the burden for which the salaries and administrative costs will fall on Saint Lucian tax payers.
The United Workers Party Toronto Caucus urges the Honourable Minister to reconsider his decisions regarding the Toronto diaspora community and the establishment of a High Commission in Ottawa. We call on the Government of Saint Lucia to focus on building strong relationships with the diaspora community and using its resources efficiently.
We remain committed to working with the Honourable Minister and the Government of Saint Lucia to build a strong relationship between Saint Lucians in Canada and Saint Lucia.
SOURCE: United Workers Party Toronto Caucus
You all should come down and pay vat and contribute to the country . After you all have canadian benefits you all still want a toronto meeting . Not even a greyhound , you all local flights or gas money you’ll want to spend to go ottawa 4 hours drive . Smh stay and vote for liberals or conservative and leave slp and uwp ting alone lol .
Ayay! I didn’t even know that Laybar and UWPee had taken their wars overseas. Gassa, I am so naive. I stupidly thought that the thrust of overseas interactions was concentrated on assisting St. Lucia and St. Lucians.
Now, I am asking myself is Toronto yellow and Ottawa red? You learn new things everyday.
I wonder if the Lucians in Canada know we St. Lucian in St Lucia don’t want to to see or hear Allen Chastanet at all. That man never tell us the amount of passports he sold during his tenure. Now Mr. Hilaire its time you tell us the amount of passports that was sold in 2021.
Schedule a zoom meeting……. end of story.
Re Article..Alva, is not bright enough to speak to the Toronto Community, and They don’t need him in Ottawa also .
Please send us a Brighter Politician/s
Alva should focus on providing gainful employment to the people of St Lucia and a fair living wage of $10 per hour based on 40 hrs weekly to share the wealth of the island with the people of St Lucia..
That will be a better solution for political parties.. please focus on the hotel’s to share the wealth..
We need people with Commonsense up north and not the Silly ones..
I endorse my thoughts
Happy midweek aka Hump Day to everyon
My sentinments exactly. Even overseas playing politics???
Why do we need another Consulate in Canada? Just to create another job for one of the comrades? I would quicker accept a consulate being setup in France or even Texas. Award Alva that one not making sense.
We can barely fix the roads, finish St Jude or take care of our citizens that are struggling but we going to open another consulate? Putting us worse for real smh
Mondesir, we pay VAT, etc. We have the receipts for the amount of money we send home. Today, March 8th, I was speaking with a friend about how much I sent. She said I am ahead of you because I already sent $2,500 Canadian, about EC$4,800 this month, and she said there are medical bills she has to pay next week.
Courts love us; we pay for furniture and appliances. Sometimes, in a year, many overseas send more money home than the average person’s annual salary.
@Allison. Be quiet you talking foolishness. Alva has spoken before the United Nation, why you think he can’t talk to you all: what you got going on he can’t talk to you?
The man is educated went to the University of the West Indies. What you talking about?
Just cause the man had a busy schedule, he spent some time in Toronto but spoke to a crowd in Ottawa that burning you all.
Grow up with the petty nonsense.
Just a total waste!!! Alva is just in it for the lime.