Fifteen resolutions which seek to address matters of concern to Victorians were assented to as their first village conference wrapped up yesterday.
The resolutions tackled the main issues which are of paramount importance to the villagers, including the traffic situation, education facilities and ancestral heritage, among others.
One area of grievance for the community is the ownership of the Greco building which they said was built on land procured from ancestral holdings and was mistakenly handed over to GT&T as part of the assets of the Guyana Telecommunications Corpo-ration (GTC). It is hoped that they will be able to remedy this situation and bring it back under the control of the village.
It was noted by the participants that with the increase in traffic on the Cove and John Public Road, there has been disregard for the speed limit which endangers the lives of children and adults daily, and so a proposal was made for the construction of sidewalks along the road to cater for pedestrians.
Further, in an effort to solve the problem of traffic congestion it was resolved that parking zones for minibuses and cars should be put in place.
It was proposed that the main Middle Walk road be made a one-way street while all other access roads within the community should be upgraded to allow for a greater network.
Meanwhile, in observance of the UN Declaration of the Year of People of African Descent, plans will be put in place for a monument to be built at the site of the old Slaves Pay Office which will honour their ancestors. The monument will be sculpted by Ivor Thom and is said to be already in the works. Additionally, all future community facilities and streets will be named in honour of their ancestors.
With greater attention being placed on educational rebirth in the village, it was proposed that the community centre and playground be modified to fit changing demand and brought under the management of the Victoria Reconstruction Trust (VRT). In the south of the village where no form of recreation exists, a civic centre will be constructed.
The establishment of a modern primary school has been proposed to replace the existing one which lacks a play area for children and is in disrepair.
The VRT intends to apply to the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) for permission to operate a limited time, live frequency radio which will inform and educate residents of events in the community.
The conference was held under the theme “Imagining, involving and investing in our future” and brought together residents and Victorians in the Diaspora who identified issues and sought to provide solutions to their problems. (Candace Phillips)
