Blue Lagoon reopening now set for June 1
PORT ANTONIO, PORTLAND
The Blue Lagoon which has been closed since August last year is slated for reopening on June 1, on a phased basis, according to the Portland Municipal Corporation.
The first phase will be for pedestrian traffic, photographers and sightseers as well as for persons who wish to engage in swimming.
The facility was ordered closed following recommendations made to the Portland Municipal Corporation by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the Tourism Product Development Company, and other stakeholders as a result of reports of alleged tourist harassment, peddling of drugs, and the absence of bathroom facilities.
It was slated for reopening in March, but that deadline was missed.
But councillor for the Prospect division in Eastern Portland, Wayne McKenzie, has appealed to the Portland Municipal Corporation to honour the timeline given for the reopening of the Blue Lagoon.
“As much as we were told that it (Blue Lagoon) would have been reopened before this meeting, I am still happy to hear about the new date,” commented McKenzie.
McKenzie’s appeal came during the monthly sitting of the Portland Municipal Corporation last week.
The councillor said he was seeing a trend where several beaches across the island have been transformed into private-owned beaches – denying access to the common people. He argued that such a trend should not be allowed in East Portland, where fisherfolk and others use the Blue Lagoon beach and its attractions to earn a livelihood.
“It would appear that action is taken for special interests (groups) and then the little people, who make up the majority of this country, are marginalised. I am just looking forward to the opening and I am wondering why we have extended the period to June. Anything less than the execution of that opening, we won’t be able to guarantee anything normal [at that facility],” he added.
Mayor of Port Antonio Paul Thompson, however, gave the assurance that the Municipal Corporation will honour its commitment to ensure that the Blue Lagoon is reopened on the June 1 date. He cautioned, however, that a number of measures will have to be in place to support the move.
“We have to ensure that the basic facilities are in place and also ensure that law and order is maintained at the facility. I want to assure you that we will have everything in place for the opening on June 1, 2023,” Thompson asserted.