13 years ago on September 19th, Father of the Nation George Price died at the age of 92.
And, to mark his passing and engender Price's lifelong commitment to public service - September 19th is now National Service Day.
And while that happens in different ways across communities, in the realm of officialdom - the veneration of the National Hero seems on its way to a canonization. Jomarie Lanza reports on the various Price celebrations in the last 24 hours:
BTB kicked off the Price marathon last night with the unveiling of an 11 foot bronze George Price statue last night in Battlefield park.
Pulled from under a shroud of navy blue - the statue towers above the park made famous for the labour movement - which is also one of the foundational elements of the PUP.
Price's grand nephew Henry Charles Usher says that it was a moment of reflection for him:
Henry Charles Usher, Grand Nephew of George Price
"It's something that has been in discussion now over a year and we've been waiting for this night waiting for this unveiling so"
Reporter:
"Your first thoughts after seeing it?"
Henry Charles Usher, Grand Nephew of George Price
"Well whenever I see an image of him, a statue, a video or I hear his voice I remember the times I spent learning from him. The times I spent sitting next to him and just being told about our country being educated on what it meant to be a Belizean, the Belizean identity, the value of unity, the value of working together, the value of nation building so it's always a moment of reflection for me."
And this morning, as per tradition, the 13th anniversary of Price's death was marked by the traditional wreath laying ceremony where government officials, CEO's and other members of parliament, as well as a cluster of school children gathered at the Lord Ridge Cemetery on the George Price Highway for a memorial service. There were speeches and reverential laying of wreaths upon the Great Man's grave.
But more than just honoring his grave, they are doing the same with the place that was the cradle for this national hero.
The Minister of Culture says they went the extra mile this year in preserving Price's memory by restoring his childhood home and turning it into a historical site.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Culture
"I'm very grateful for the Price family many of whom are here today for working with us and agreeing to participate in this important project which is the restoration and designation of the Price house on Pickstock street the family home, the family home will now be a part of our NICH program of work in terms of managing and administrating that property. And turning it really into a public classroom is how I like to describe it. A public classroom and an immersive learning space where all young people can go and all corsets indeed."
The yard space here at the birth home of Price on Pickstock Street will also be turned into a botanical and sculpture garden.
It's the product of an MOU that NICH has signed with the Price Family to preserve and transform the historic Price Family Home and repurpose it for public benefit.
The Prime Minister was there to unveil the plaque outside the house marking the transformation and spoke about the importance of its preservation:
Prime Minister, John Briceno
"I think not only as a government but also as a country that we have managed to sign NICH along with the Price Family to sign an agreement for us to be able to protect and preserve a part of our history, the house of the father of the nation. So many important events happened there from signing agreements to protests and meetings a lot of the history of Belize is right there over in that building and in that yard so it is very important for us to do everything possible to protect it so that our young people especially our young people can come and visit and get a better a truer appreciation of the work of the father of the nation."
"Mr Price gave his life to this country and he always felt that we must always give back to Belize and how best can we celebrate the day that he left us if you want to put it that way by doing what he did best to serve this country to serve the people and so as a party and as a country we ask everybody to do one small kind gesture to his neighbor or to his neighborhood to be able to help to make Belize better and that is the whole idea behind service day which we celebrate on the date of his death."
A release from NICH says the Price Family Home will remain, quote, "a non-partisan space accessible to all Belizeans and visitors."
Email
Print