Tunapuna/Piarco Corporation to host week of events

Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) Josiah Austin has revived Tunapuna Week celebrations which will take place from November 19-26.

The theme of the week of events will be Cultivating a Culture of Achievement and Ambition.

Austin said over the years he had been part of celebrations for Arima, San Fernando and Point Fortin. But Tunapuna/Piarco has 16 districts and has the largest population in the country so it has a lot to offer.

He said there was a Tunapuna Week in 2016 but not on this scale and believed it was time to revitalise the area’s culture and commercial activity, and reintroduce people to the area as a lot had been happening in Tunapuna.

He said the stakeholders, including the corporation, the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Commerce, the Tunapuna Station Council and Tunapuna MP Esmond Forde were working towards addressing security, increasing community feeling and improving the surroundings.

They arranged for CCTV cameras to be installed along the main road and throughout the district with feeds to the municipal police and police, developed emergency systems for businesses, arranged for more events for businesses and burgesses, and proposals were sent to respective government agencies to develop the Tunapuna market, improve infrastructure in the streets and on the various grounds, and more.

“A lot is happening. The stakeholders and government agencies seem to have been coming together with respect to the revitalisation of Tunapuna/Piarco on the whole. We are tackling security, infrastructural development, entertainment and activities in just about three months into our term. It’s a good time to celebrate.”

He said every event would be filled with fun and excitement.

There will be an interfaith service and military parade at the St Charles RC Church and Constantine Park respectively on Sunday.

On Monday a business breakfast was scheduled at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Cultural Co-operation, in Mt Hope with a seniors brunch on Tuesday.

A health fair will be hosted at the Eddie Hart Savannah in collaboration with the North Central Regional Health Authority on Wednesday, and there will be a civic reception on Thursday.

On Friday the corporation will host a service day. Austin said he wanted to make an impact and change the way the corporation communicated with its burgesses. Therefore people from different departments would be available to provide information or answer any questions on disaster management, public health, infrastructural development and more.

He said there was a detachment when it came to the council and administration so the day was one where employees could mingle and work together. There will be a cook-out with teams to represent each electoral district, an all-fours competition and soca artists “passing through” throughout the day.

“At the end it’s just about bringing that spirit back to the corporation. We are a new council and we’re ensuring everyone is acquainted and more aligned with the same vision.”

On Saturday there will be a youth rally in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service at Constantine Park, and a cultural celebration on the Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna, on Sunday.