Residents and visi­tors to Saba participated in the 49th Saba Day ceremony last Friday. The theme was, “One island, rich in culture, shaped by diversity and rooted in heritage”.

This year’s Saba Day awards were awarded to notable service teams. Gina Hassell, Appolina Gumbs, and Joy-Ann Robinson were honored as the first female shift leaders of Sa­ba’s Fire Department.

The wall builders of the Public Works team — Andre Martin, Guyquade Lavia, Bossuet Guerrier, and the late Samuel Aladi — were honored for their excep­tional skills, which can be seen as the team continues to assist with ongoing road expansions throughout the island.

In his Saba Day message, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson said the theme for this year’s commemoration, perfectly encapsulated who Sabans are as a people.

“It is not just a phase; it is our story, identity, and beacon as we navigate chal­lenges and opportunities of our collective future,” he said. “We see diversity not as something that divides us, but the very essence of what makes us strong. It is in the harmony of these dif­ferences that we find unity and understanding.”

Johnson reminded Sabans of their responsibility to protect the island’s trea­sures, such as the environ­ment, local artistry, and tra­ditions.

Commissioner of Culture Eviton Heyliger took the opportunity in his Saba Day message to recognize those who help daily to shape the island’s future, such as edu­cators, community leaders and volunteers.

In the lead-up to the 50th Saba Day, he called on the community to recommit itself to embracing their roots and celebrating di­versity. “We should honour the island’s heritage not for ourselves, but for the future generations,” he said.

Commissioner of General Affairs Bruce Zagers re­flected on the island’s de­velopment in the last year, such as the construction boom evidenced by the ren­ovation of Scenery Hotel in Windwardside and the expansion of the healthcare facility in The Bottom. He said these projects were only the beginning, as there are other projects in the pipeline in 2025.

These projects include the start of the construction of new technical classrooms, an “enrichment centre” and gymnasium in St. Johns.

Another anticipated ini­tiative is the launch of the Black Rocks harbour proj­ect, which he said will be a “game-changer” by creat­ing jobs, fostering econom­ic development and being a secure cargo facility.

While it was a year of growth and development, Zagers said he could not ignore the price Sabans pay to live on “this island para­dise”. This phrase, he said, is often used to dismiss the challenges that the island faces. Referencing the is­land’s education system, he said both schools con­tinue to face challenges of recruiting quality teachers, often due to “bureaucratic obstacles”.

Moreover, Zagers said the island continues to experi­ence the impact of the high cost of living.

“Delegations come and go and they all agree that measures need to be taken, yet plans are being made to reduce or even eliminate subsidies that have helped to ease the rising cost,” Za­gers said.

He mentioned other chal­lenges Sabans face, such as rigid, inefficient and costly import systems, an inadequate equate banking system, decision-making on health­care referrals, tedious work permit processes and con­nectivity issues.

Zagers said he had to ac­knowledge the frustrations shared by many.

“It is deeply frustrating that political decision-makers in the Netherlands still do not fully understand or appreciate the gravity of our problems,” he said. “Despite the frustrations, the overall benefits of the relationship with the Neth­erlands far outweigh what still needs to be done. The island’s small size, difficult terrain and isolation have and will remain obstacles.” The Saba Day official cer­emony also saw many in­vited delegates from neigh­bouring islands.

“It was wonderful to spend the 49th Saba Day celebra­tion with our many friends on the Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean. Best wishes to all Sabans for continued success on your beauti­ful island, where only the warmth of the people ex­ceeds the heights of the soaring green landscape,” said John McNamara, United States (US) Consul General to the Dutch Ca­ribbean.

The Saba Day weekend continued with a concert on Saturday night headlined by Triple K International band from Dominica, as well as one on Sunday night headlined by Destra.

The Daily Herald.