Ladies and gentlemen, it is my understanding that we are here to celebrate our transition from being a presidency of the Leeward Islands Federation to a standalone colony, later changed to territory, of the United Kingdom.  I would like to broaden the context for the discussion today and how we understand “Territory Day.” It is my contention that this day should celebrate our long walk to freedom, from enslaved people to our present status, and we should use this opportunity to discuss our future.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my understanding that we are here to celebrate our transition from being a presidency of the Leeward Islands Federation to a standalone colony, later changed to territory, of the United Kingdom.  I would like to broaden the context for the discussion today and how we understand “Territory Day.” It is my contention that this day should celebrate our long walk to freedom, from enslaved people to our present status, and we should use this opportunity to discuss our future.

I wish to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands, the Ministry for Transportation, Works and Utilities, and the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation (BVIEC), to apologize to all residents who were affected in some way by this morning’s power outage.

Residents and Citizens of the Virgin Islands, I greet you with a spirit of love and humility in this graduation season, and I extend congratulations to all the students and families celebrating at this time.

Fellow residents of the Virgin Islands, for too long we have been faced with the challenges of improper and inefficient waste management strategies. It is now a subject that must be addressed and solved.

De-risking continues to place excessive burdens on the region’s financial infrastructure and impedes our countries’ and territories’ abilities to effectively engage in global business and have sustainable economic growth. 

Fellow Virgin Islanders, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the members of our public and private services sectors for their stellar performance over the last weekend during which several international music performers visited the Territory for two concert performances; one being Reggae legend Buju Banton’s Long Walk to Freedom world tour and the other Soca Wee.

His Excellency the Acting Governor Mr. David Archer, Jr. chaired the Meeting held on 12th June, 2019 in the absence of Governor Augustus Jaspert....

His Excellency the Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert chaired the Meeting held on 5th June, 2019.

Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. We are called to recognise and honour how critical every father is to that foundation.