We must protect our economy and our environment

But another issue has not received the same attention, even though it is just as important for our future.

It is the economic viability of Bermuda and the future direction of our country.

The focus on the environment has seen protest movements spring up as soon as tracts of land are slated for development but our economic development has taken a back seat.

This was the issue behind the proposed development of Southlands as a potential tourist resort.

The protests against this proposal have largely been dissipated with the compromise agreement of a land swap involving the former naval base at Morgan’s Point.

Irony

The bitter controversy surrounding the Tucker’s Point development is another example of the clash between Bermuda’s economic development and the preservation of open space.

The irony with this issue is that the land in question is not public land but is owned by private interests.

It was unlikely that the land would ever come into public use.

Its acquisition by compulsory purchase was also done under very dubious circumstances, amounting to a land grab, something largely lost to national conciousness.

This is because Bermuda continues to present a sanitised version of its history.

This is true when it comes to the east end naval base — many Bermudians were not even aware of the beaches that existed on Cooper’s Island.

It remains true with respect to Grape Bay in Paget.

My mother’s generation used to have picnics and swim in this area, larger than Horseshoe Bay. But my generation has only stepped on it during protests against beaches closed to public use by Bermudians.

Controversy

Many protesters of the further development of Tucker’s Point may consider that this represents the last struggle over a large piece of land since Southlands was saved. But there is one more area that — when the time comes to decide how best to bring it into use for the Bermudian people — will raise just as much controversy.

This will be the next great battleground over the use of Bermudian land.

I refer to the land at Government House, where the current British Governor now resides.

Premier Cox has spoken of the imperative need for Bermuda to develop a third economic pillar for the economy.

I envision the day when Government House’s grounds could house a possible third pillar for Bermuda’s economy in the form of an international educational complex.

This would not only attract Bermudian students, but potentially international ones, too.

In the Caribbean nation of Grenada, there exists a facility that trains foreign students seeking medical degrees.

Most of them come from Canada and the United States.

There is no reason Bermuda could not built a similar complex on the grounds of Government House.

We should put ourselves in a position to be able to do this and thereby create the potential of a third economic pillar.

Boost

We are closer to North America than Grenada and they could come here to attain medical degrees or study for some other vocation.

This could provide a boost for small guest houses, who would be able to take advantage of the overflow from the dormitories built within the educational facility.

We could even recreate the dynamic of seeing college students return later in life as tourists to relive their youthful memories of the island.

I can already hear the pro-environment brigade howling in protest at the thought of using the land at Government House in this way.

But I believe that national interests and our future economic viability should far outweigh any such protests at this judicious use of Bermudian land.