PHILIPSBURG:--- The historical official opening of the Causeway on Saturday afternoon can only be described as the beginning of the 2014 political campaign. Several dignitaries from the Dutch side including Governor Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, Ministers Ted Richardson and Cornelius de Weever, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell, along with President of the Collectivity of St. Martin Aline Hanson and several Territorial Council Members were in attendance for the opening ceremony which was organized by Artemia Events planning.
A white tent was placed at the beginning of the causeway where the official speeches were given. Dr. Emsley Tromp from the Central Bank was the first to deliver a 12 page speech to the huge gathering that had to endure the afternoon heat. Dr. Tromp elaborated on how and why the Central Bank chose to finance the construction of the Causeway.
CEO of the Harbor Mark Mingo did not mingle with words when he gave his speech on the Causeway and the Harbor which he said is called the other Government of St. Maarten. Mingo gave a synopsis as to how the causeway project stared, he also shared information on the duties of SLAC which is also under the Harbor Group of Companies and manages the lagoon activities. Mingo said that the brainchild of the Causeway came from former Minister of VROMI and now Member of Parliament Theodore Heyliger. Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake the man who said he is going "back to basics" spent most of his time crediting Heyliger for his vision and execution of the Causeway. Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams also shared her views on the Causeway which they all said took six years of planning and three years of construction. The Prime Minister went on to give the guests the experience her elderly mother had when she was taken across the Causeway in her wheelchair.
The main speaker for the event Theodore Heyliger took the opportunity to lash out at some of his colleagues, now Members of Parliament, who criticized the Causeway in the beginning. Heyliger quoted a list of articles that were printed in the local newspapers, those that came under fire were MP Leroy de Weever, MP Roy Marlin, MP Louis Laveist, MP William Marlin and former Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper.
Heyliger also gave a full explanation as to how he managed to secure funding to construct the causeway and the businesses he managed to convince to buy bonds from the Central Bank that would give them 5% interest rate. He said while the PJIAE had 60 million dollars in a USA account he was not able to get them to invest their monies locally, the same he said happened with GEBE.
Heyliger closed off his speech by saying that the causeway he worked on from beginning to end is not his bridge and it is the property of the people of St. Maarten. He said that while the bridge was given all sorts of names including the "bridge to nowhere", he is indeed happy to see that the people of St. Maarten are using the bridge for their morning and evening walks while several persons including the politicians that criticized the bridge are making use of it.
After the official speeches, MP Heyliger and his spouse, Governor Holiday, and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams along with Marcel Gumbs walked up the causeway where they did the official lighting. The opening ceremony concluded with lots of fireworks while guests were treated to food and beverages at the end of the ceremony.
Moderator for the event Marcel Gumbs said the causeway serves Little St. Maarten. He said while St. Maarten is one island those persons that work and do business in Simpson Bay, Maho, and Lowlands are part of Little St. Maarten. He said some people felt the bridge was built to facilitate the people of the French side. That too Gumbs said is alright because everyday Air France brings in 230 persons to St. Maarten and each of those passengers pay $68 to land at PJIAE and for him it is time that the French side get some convenience for what they have been paying for. "I also think that with this Causeway we will get that $68 faster because more French people will be landing at PJIAE now."
Click here to view more photos of the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Causeway.
