No trade at Smith Cove, vows MLA
People enjoy Smith Cove without any vendors
(CNS): The MLA for George Town South, Barbara Conolly has made a clear public commitment that there will be no commercial activity at Smith Barcadere (a.k.a. Smith Cove). Anchor Tours, a local tour operator who had been selling tours to cruise passengers, in partnership with Carnival ships, has been told to cease trading at the local beach spot within her constituency, the back-bench government representative said when she appeared on local radio on Wednesday. Conolly said the owners of Anchor had not been given permission and they now understood that they cannot operate from Smith Cove.
The revelations that Anchor had been conducting tours and snorkel trips as well bringing chairs for their tour groups, which were all part of the trip, had caused significant concerns among members of the public, who feared that Smith Barcadere could face the same fate as Seven Mile Public Beach, where many vendors operate.
But it appears that neither the MLA nor any other government officials had been aware that the tour business was operating at the location, so she arranged a meeting with some members of the Public Lands Commission and the owners of Anchor.
Appearing as a guest on CrossTalk on Rooster, along with Tammie Ebanks, the deputy chief officer in the ministry responsible for lands, Conolly said the young Caymanians who own Anchor Tours were disappointed.
She said she sympathised with them, especially as government is trying to encourage local entrepreneurs to get involved in tourism, but they had to understand that they could not operate from this particular spot. Anchor had made a deal with Carnival which, according to the cruise website, was charging passengers $44 per head for the snorkelling tour at the public beach with Anchor.
CNS paid a visit to the beach Thursday and there was no sign of any commercial activity; locals and visitors alike were enjoying the beach and bringing their own chairs and snorkel gear.
Speaking on CrossTalk, Ebanks revealed that, as part of the growth of the lands commission, government had recruited an inspector, who will start work in January, to oversee control of commercial activity as well as beach access. In addition, the police will be partnering with the commission to help with enforcement, she said.
Conolly was unequivocal that there would be “absolutely, no commercial activity at Smith Barcadere”, and said that government was committed to protecting local beaches.
“We want to reassure the people of the Cayman Islands that the public beaches are for us and our visitors …not just a select few,” she said. “My government’s agenda is to provide beautiful beaches for our people.”
The public was encouraged to contact the commission whenever they see any issues on public beaches, such as trading and blocked access.
Comments and concerns can be emailed to plc@gov.ky.
Category: Local News
Ms Conolly seems to have successfully interceded tobresolve a problem in her constituency. Good for her. Now who is the MLA for Public Beach, and why haven’t they done the same?
Trolley Roger and ice cream trucks are still making money at smiths cove. She hasn’t done a damn thing!
no business license was given the company was breaking the law as well as carnival cruise lines why were they no penalties. Other than a slap on the wrist.
How long was the company operating in that location?
How much money was made by the two (anchor & carnival ) illegally?
The company does have a T&B. I’d suggest checking the coverage of one of the other news services
Are you also going to ban baptisms and weddings there are well?
Yes.
No Barbara go do the same for 7-Mile and West Bay public beach. Not your territory but it still Cayman. It will help with your reelection too
Pleb — In Ancient Rome: An ordinary, lower class citizen, unlike a noble patrician on the one hand.
Are you all plebs there begging her majesty Barbara for handouts? In return you promise to re-elect her.
She is your servant, not the other way around. And enforcing Laws is her job.
Perhaps you can vent at the West Bay MLAs or the government officials not doing the same for Public Beach instead of blaming her?
No small business work on the beach but I bet these big churches still getting the mega-millions.
from time immemorial the place was known as Smith Barcadere. Can we not leave something in Cayman as it used to be?
Certainly seems as though appalling grammar is here to stay.
Dats right bobo
Times are changing.
Smiths Cove
I beliv it wen I dont see it!
from the time I came to knowledge (which is many years ago) I have known the place to be Smith Barcadere.
A beautiful name for a beautiful place. Please let’s leave it like that.
So where exactly am I supposed to buy my Saturday night dime bag now?
How about no commercial activity at Star Fish Point. Another beauty spot being ruined, and if you get to see one star fish, think yourself lucky.
Carnival you say? Same ones we are jumping in to bed with? Or a different Carnival?
Good. No more weddings and baptisms taking over the place!
Oh don’t be so spiteful.
Rules is rules my friend. Don’t get to pick and choose to whom they apply in the real world.
so there is one rule at public beach but another rule for smith cove…
another day in wonderland….
Yes because when the land was donated to government to be used by the people it stated no commercial activities were to be permitted, in accepting the land government accepted those terms. So glad for it personally
Incorrect. We, the people, paid for the land north of the donated piece and there are no restrictions placed upon it.
The original donated land is the area in question (and is protected under the terms of donation) and if the recent purchase did not add the same governance, then shame on Alden.
Hear Hear! Huge thanks for the wisdom to put governance terms into the donation. V clever Burnett Webster, we need more like you and less like cruise greed.
please clean up public beach next
Big crabs always trying to push down young Caymanians.
What do you think would happen if 500 hundred young Caymanians decided to start their own chair and umbrella rental business at Smith’s Cove? Would you be okay with that? If not, why not?
I am fine with Caymanian youth succeeding!
I would hope that everyone would be fine with Caymanian youth succeeding but that wasn’t the question now was it…
And that is why I gave your redundant response a thumbs down.
So, I’m confused.
It is illegal to charge cruisers for tours to take them places in Cayman? Or just this one place?
Is it okay to charge cruisers to take them to Barkers?
Or is the expectation that it IS okay to charge to transport cruisers to Smith’s Cove, but that the cruisers need to bring their own chairs and snorkels with them?
And one last one: If a cruiser wants to go to Smith’s Cove, then they must be taken there at no charge? Is that correct?
I share your confusion – the Trolley transports people there as part of their tour – I presume that is now banned as well? And I assume taxis cannot drop people there either?
The trolley does not comply with basic traffic laws and must be removed from our roads immediately. It won’t be though, want to know why?
Hey ya no more trolly running tourist up and down smith cove obstructing traffic. It’s annoying to all the drivers needing to be places on time, plus you’ll be breaking the law now according to Mrs who ever the hell it is in charge.
I think just about everyone on this Island has made a complaint about the
Jolly Roger and she hust keeps on going. Now every day she is on the road
she is breaking our laws. It cannot reverse and has no seat belts. I cannot pass my vehicle if I have this problem. It makes about 6 trip from town full of
cruise passengers every day. This Trolly is too long and cannot park in the lot
so this means the Trolly is not only breaking our road laws but is also making
money and breaking the covenant of the property. It’s an accident waiting to happen as they use one side of the road to park.
I
Are you able to comprehend the difference between publicly and privately owned land or do you need some extra classes?
Yes I understand the difference quite well. Does Red Sail take divers to public or private diving and snorkeling places?
Please remind me of the private owner of Stingray City.
The article is written to make it seem as if they were vendors selling things at the cove, or conducting business there. Since you are so wise then you tell me the difference between charging to conduct a wedding there, and charging to take tourists there.
The Cove is in visitor’s guidebooks. If a cruiser would like to visit, tell me how they are supposed to get there for free.
Walk, it’s not that far. Weddings and baptisms should also not be allowed.
Most of those Carnival passengers sure could use it too.
Swim
$44 from GT to smith cove. That is robbery
There’s a frigging ice cream truck parked facing the wrong direction (facing the oncoming traffic), on the double yellow line right now!! Between the police and Barbara no use Connolly I can see nothing will change.
Yes that ice cream truck is a menace. Parked right beside the pedestrian crossing, it WILL cause an accident unless it’s made to move.
Barbara, you have my sincere thanks for the action you have taken. Like you I sympathise with the young Caymanians trying to make a living in the tourist industry, but Carnival are the real culprits trying to squeeze every last dollar out of their passengers with onshore packages and leaving the local operators with very little profit.
Agreed well done Barbara.
Great. Now if RCIPS would strictly enforce the DOUBLE yellow lines on the raod side. Especially as there is now a proper pedestrian crossing from the designated parking lot. Will I be allowed to include the RCIPS in a law suit if my vehicel is hit by a driver crossing the centre line to avoid a parked vehicle partially in their lane?
That rule must apply to all?
So the Public Works employees can still park their enormous truck on the double yellow lines with impunity?…these are the guys who will ultimately cause a serious accident, as well as obstructing the new crossing, making it impossible to see anyone waiting to cross (not all tourists use the stopping lights!)
I hope the RCIPS will halt this foolishness before someone is seriously injured, its just laziness on the part of the PW employees, who are too arrogant/ignorant to park opposite.
Literacy is the issue here. The sign saying “Barcadere “ reads as “parkcarhere” to far too many.
the lines prevent people parking between the lines and the middle of the road, it is not a parking offence to be on the outside of the lines. Of course it may be that the lines weren’t painted far enough over!
You may need to go back to traffic school, kiddo.
on a general note it always used to be called Smith Cove. What does barcadere mean? If you google it it seems “Smith Barcadere” is only place anywhere that gets to be a barcadere.
Smith Barcadere is its original Caymanian name known by many of the old time local Caymanians. I
The term “barcadere” has been used by Caymanians for centuries, but you will not find it in any English dictionary. It is derived from the French “débarcadère” meaning a “landing place” for boats and is synonymous with the Spanish words “embarcadero” or “embarcado” meaning “a place to from which to embark or disembark on a nautical voyage”. Barcaderes are richly steeped in the Cayman Islands’ seafaring culture and history.
But be honest, does anyone actually ever say “Smith Barcadere” or do they say “Smith Cove”?
Thank you.