Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 24, 2023 (SKNIS): Residents from Central Basseterre and further afield welcomed the reopening of the New Road Family Park noting that the day was eagerly anticipated by adults and children. The Park reopened on Monday (January 23, 2023) following a ceremony after being closed in March 2020.
Tricia Smithen, her two sons, as well as her niece and nephew, were among the first to enter the park following the reopening ceremony.
“We are here to have fun,” Ms. Smithen stated. “We are so, so glad this park is open because we don’t have anywhere other than the movies to take the children, so it is good to have a park. I always said that we need to bring back the park, so I am excited that the park is back.”
“It’s great. I think it’s amazing,” the children expressed. “Thank you very much for opening the park,” said Ms. Smithen’s eldest son.
Kern Cabey visited the park in the past for several children’s events. Following the reopening on Monday, he brought his two-year-old daughter Imela to the park for the first time.
“I’m very happy that the park has been reopened because the park was a pinnacle of the community when it was introduced and it was a great way to come out and have a good time with the family,” he expressed. “I don’t know where she (Imela) heard about the playground, but she kept asking me about the playground, so I decided this was the perfect time to bring her since it was going to be reopened.”
Mr. Cabey added that the recreational ground would be his family’s regular weekly or biweekly escape.
Minister of Tourism and Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher #2, the Honourable Marsha Henderson, noted that being outdoors in parks and gardens was a favourite pastime when she was younger. She also recalled being at the New Road Family Park with her son for a birthday party and acknowledged the value of the park.
“We know that the residents here in Central Basseterre and New Road in particular, enjoy the facilities here. … It’s a park where you can come on the weekend and unwind, you can come here at afternoons and exercise, you can come with your family and just sit and relax,” she said, noting that the government promises to expand recreational green spaces throughout St. Kitts.
Minister Henderson encouraged users to take good care of the equipment, and the facilities, as the venue remains a popular choice for persons to visit from various communities.
