Displaced Tobago vendors get new tents

Tobago Correspondent

The vendors whose shacks were torn down at Swallow’s Bay, Tobago, last week, have received their promised temporary tents and have returned to the site.

However, those who spoke to Guardian Media said they were still shocked by the police action but remained optimistic about the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) plans for a permanent solution.

Last Friday, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine announced that 15 vendors, whose tents were destroyed, would receive pop-up tents. The THA is also working on a permanent platform to ensure safe and compliant operations.

The vendors had been warned earlier by Bon Accord/Crown Point Assemblyman Joel Sampson that proof of permission was required. Without it, the police dismantled their set-ups.

Augustine assured that the area would be realigned, and only the original 15 vendors would receive tents, which they must pack up and take home daily.

Artisan Joel Glasgow said he had spent the last five years making a living in his makeshift shack.

Glasgow, who moved from selling water to snacks, then veered off into art and craft, said the move left him shocked and surprised.

“We got a tent and table from the THA so we can continue selling. The Government say they doing something good and we just waiting, hoping and praying everything happened the way it’s supposed to happen.”

Although he had mixed emotions, he said he understood the intentions behind the move.

“Some days I come out here and I don’t make anything but just being here presenting my craft it’s a blessing. I can say, the time I’ve spent here, it’s allowed me to improve my craft and challenge myself. And the encounter with people, I’ve built a relationship. It’s about building the community. That’s what it was for me as well.”

He said the vendors had developed close ties and had helped each other’s businesses grow over the years.

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