Popcaan wants to develop attraction in St Thomas - MP welcomes move to improve the parish

It is no secret that entertainer Popcaan is dedicated to his home parish of St Thomas. Having birthed one of the biggest stage shows in local music history (Unruly Fest) in the parish, the Unruly Boss has been putting his money where his mouth is as far as developments are concerned. And it doesn't seem the deejay's efforts to make St Thomas a premier destination would let up anytime soon. After a recent meeting with Member of Parliament (MP) for St Thomas Eastern, Dr Fenton Ferguson, sights are set on establishing a new attraction in the parish.

Speaking with THE STAR, Ferguson revealed that although it is still in the embryonic stages, he can confirm plans to convert one of the deejay's favourite chill spots into an official attraction site.

"There is a particular area in Sunning Hill that he has always spent time enjoying when he's in the parish; an area near a river. He has a general interest in that area and the potential for an attraction," Ferguson said. "I wouldn't want to state too much yet because it is early days and you have to get certain approvals to move the plans along, but our initial discussions are in relation to what are the possibilities and how can we create an attraction of a particular type."

Ferguson said that the people of St Thomas are excited about the fact that Popcaan still has a deep and abiding interest in where he's from.

"As the member of parliament, I am very much impressed with that and part of my own involvement is to help with the guidance - pointing him to the relevant agencies and institutions that will urge this project on and ensure it is done with order," he said.

When THE STAR tried to get a comment from Popcaan on the pending project, a member of his team said the deejay would not be conducting any interviews at this time.

Ferguson, however, was more than happy to elaborate further. The MP expressed that in a time where the effects of COVID-19 are expected to be long-lasting and far-reaching, he believes it is the perfect time to set things in motion for when things improve.

"In a period of COVID-19 when we are looking now to what will happen after, we no doubt have concerns that the economy will be affected significantly by the lockdown and the precautionary measures that have had to be taken. So any opportunity for development in the parish will be welcomed. And, as the MP, I want to direct the programme in such a way that it greatly benefits the parish," he said.

Ferguson opined that the road improvement project earmarked for the parish is a great precursor to development.

"I believe where we are now, the time is now," he said. "There is a school of thought that the road to development is the development of roads, and so St Thomas is on its way to take off in a real way. I am very optimistic because it also helps that we have someone like Popcaan helping to drive the growth. It is an additional push at the right time."