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Contact:
John Emmanuel
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Guests at Surveyor's Dinner |
Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - The long awaited
amalgamation of valuation, land and quantity surveyors under a single umbrella
body dubbed the ‘Institute of Surveyors St. Lucia Incorporated’, has received
the nod of approval from government. Minister for Physical Development,
Environment and Housing Honourable Ignatius Jean, who addressed the grouping’s
inaugural dinner on the weekend at the La Toc based Sandal Regency said, the
coming together represented a significant step in helping to demystify the role
and functions of surveyors to the country.
“Indeed your contribution to the development of St. Lucia will all do
recognize,” said Minister Jean. “I trust that with the formation of this new
organization and the merger of all surveyors under one umbrella will go a long
way towards responding to the new challenges of being able to innovate and
modernize and to ensure that you keep up to date with learning and the best
practice.”
Minister Jean advised the Institute to place continuous learning and training
high on its agenda, in order to attract new entrants and to keep pace with
changing times. He called for greater harmony amongst the new institute, the
government and other organizations like Cable and Wireless and the St. Lucia
Electricity Services Limited (LECELEC) - companies that have ventured into the
area of geographic information systems technology.
President of the Institute Ronald Gardner, noted the contribution surveyors made
to the island’s history, dated back to the early stages of the colonial era. “I
would like to make the point that the practice of surveying along with medicine,
are perhaps the two oldest professions in St. Lucia. I say that because quite
apart from what must have been a location survey of the island commissioned in
1492 by one Christopher Columbus. Suffice it to say that one of the earliest
surveys of St. Lucia dates back to the 18th Century, representing a survey map
which was completed in 1981,” said Gardner.
According to him, “this survey formed the basis of all other cadastral surveys
on the island. I am also advised that the earliest registered survey on record
is dated 1771 and this survey was of the Bexon and Forrestierre areas.”
The Institute has committed itself to a long-term major project involving the
research, compilation and publishing of the history of surveying on the island.
The newly formed Surveyors’ Institute has thus far received close to fifty (50)
applications for membership and will itself seek membership to the Commonwealth
Association of Surveying and Land Economy, which operates in thirty-two (32)
countries.
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