Celebrating Portmore's 40th Anniversary (1968-2008)
By Kennedy Reid (2008) | Edited by Joneil J. Alcock (2011)
First Schemes Established
Some time between April and July 1968 the first residents of Independence City* stepped into their new homes. They would not have known it at the time, but they were the first of over 150,000 persons who would make this move in the next forty (40) years. During the process, this once remote part of South-east St. Catherine, a domain for rural villages and farms like the initial "Portmore Pen" would eventually become the Municipality of Portmore.
While modern Portmore was conceived in the early 1960s and announced by 1964, the first schemes were not occupied until betweem 1968-1970. The first nineteen (19) houses in Independence City opened in 1968. The second scheme was Edgewater Villas and that was started by 1970/1.
1968 is an important year because on January 30, the Lower House of Parliament gave its final approval for the first scheme. The Senate gave their approval on February 2, 1968 ina resolution moved by Senator the Hon. Sir Neville Ashenheim. The Senator outlined to the nation that the scheme was designed to relieve housing congestion in the city and to decentralize the traffic congestion in the approaches to the city.
The PNP Opposition saw the scheme as commendable. Sir Ashenheim assured the Senate that the new Causeway to Portmore would serve the scheme. The Causeway was to be completed by December 1968 (it was started in 1967).
What We Can Do to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary?
<1>Strike 40th Anniversary keys to the city to be presented to the initial pioneers and builders of modern Portmore:
-Moses Matalon, Joseph Matalon, Edward Seaga, Michael Manley, Ralph Hotchkins, Father Gore etc.
<2>Ensure that Portmore Week 2008 has a focus on Community History
<3>Establish an exhibition of pictures and articles solicited from the pioneering institutions:
-WIHCON, NHT, NHDC, CDC, USAID, Government Ministries
<4>Hold public lectures about historic figures throughout the years
<5>Facilitate an outdoor media public session of the Portmore Municipal Council
*Occupation date is deduced from two articles in the Gleaner. The first appeared on April 9, 1968. In this article, workers are putting the finishing touches to the first nineteen (19) houses at Independence City. The second article appeared on July 1, 1968. In it, the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) sates that "Some houses at Independence City occupied." Consequently, the people started entering between April to July.
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