GRAND BAHAMA’S SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS

The city of Freeport is once again holding a wake it seems.  The news that the Hutchison Group that owns the Container Port and who owns the Grand Lucayans 1200 room hotel refused to come to an agreement with the Sunwing Group of Canada and the Bahamas Government that would have allowed the Memories Hotel property to reopen to guests after the hurricane.  So one thing happened first the Sun Wing group terminated the lease with Hutchison on their Memories Beach Property, then next they terminated the employment of the 500 or so employees.  The unemployment figures went up in GBI.  The Port Lucayan Marketplace and Straw Market lost all its customers.  It was like a death march.  The government was scrambling to make the best out of it.  It appears that in the short term the unemployment benefits will last another 13 weeks or so but what happens then.  The Minister for Grand Bahama says they are trying to work out something.  However, the scene in Freeport is quite depressing.