HERITAGE/COASTAL TOURISM

Some 56 years later...

Around 1963, just fresh from art school, my uncle (who basically ran St. Ann's Bay) asked me what my plan would be for the town. Poor clueless me. He and main cohort were utterly disappointed that all I could recommend was "tourism." 

Well 56 years later, it's still tourism. And here's my very bare bones pre-outline for a preliminary plan:

ST. ANN AS HERITAGE PARISH

- St. Ann's Bay (SAB), being the seat of government for St. Ann Parish, is the appropriate place to hatch a plan for the entire parish.

- Ever since the first Taino inhabitants' era, fishing has been a staple of human settlement by the coast.

- The abundants river-fed water supply from the southern watershed led the Spanish to set up their first capital here. 

- Prior to settling in Seville, SAB, the Spanish tried settling in Discovery Bay and Rio Bueno, respectively, both withing the parish boundaries. 

- After the British conquest of Jamaica, SAB became the port town for plantation produce from Seville plantation and (possibly) elsewhere. 

- SAB (post British settlement) is some 360 years old, older than NYC. (The clock tower, older than Big Ben, dates from c. 1804.)

- SAB is the birthplace of Jamaica's First Ntl hero, Marcus Garvey, who is similarly honored throughout the entire African Diaspora.

- If for no other reason, this history that is unique to St. Ann Parish, ought to qualify it as a heritage parish.

THE BAPTIST INFLUENCE

- The Baptists were essential to the entire history of the abolition movement.

- William Knibb is noted as a prime figure within that movement.

- Knibb's primary achievements were in Falmouth, Trelawny.

- Somewhere c.1866 a Baptist Church was constructed in SAB

- An infant school was instituted at the church.

- Marcus Garvey attended that school.

- The school was later moved to the St. Ann Parish Church site a few block away, and exists under a different name today.

- The SAB Methodist Church was built at the time of emancipation from slavery, and was also attended by Marcus Garvey.

- Given the activity of the Baptist church and religious abolitionist involvement, St. Ann can claim abolitionist history as part of its heritage. (and heritage tourism plan)

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

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- A plan for Middlesex County could dovetail with a plan for St. Ann parish, its keystone. 

- A unifying thread of such a plan would be a coastal district plan, managed respectively by St. Mary Parish and St. Ann Parish. (We could call that the Middlesex Coastal Plan)

THE MIDDLESEX COASTAL PLAN

- Assemble information on tourist facilities along the coast.

- Integrate cruise ship programs with other Middlesex programs (e.g., collect waste from cruise ship and relocate in mining cavities left by bauxite mining)

- Negotiate heritage tourism programs with cruise ships and hotels.

- Prohibit dolphinaria.

-  Space marine sanctuaries 15 miles apart coastwide. 

COASTAL/HERITAGE TOURISM ACTIVITIES

- Make optimal use of taxis.

- Make optimal use of small business.

- Celebrate the primitive.

- Promote sailing and marine education.

- Consider the most minimalist and unobtrusive versions of floating piers at all tourist destinations.

- Have policies that promote healthy fisheries.

- Prohibit further big business incursions (hotels, villas, etc.) onto traditional "people's" beach access points. 

- Prioritize wide socioeconomic range, from roadside tourism to great house tours, whether coastal or inland.