May 21, 2025

Thank you very much, Minister.
I will remind Members that we are in Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2025/26. The Minister will proceed with Heads 23 and 55, or as she
sees fit.
Minister.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I now wish to present fiscal year 2025/26 Estimates of Expenditure for Head 23, the Department of
Child and Family Services —

Go ahead.

760 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly HEAD 23 —DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND FAMILY
SERVICES
Hon. Tinee Furbert: —which are found on pages B -
297 to B -303 of the Estimates Book.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Department
of Child and Family Services is Protecting children by
strengthening families . The objectives of the department are found on page B- 297.
The department carries out its objectives by
providing investigative services; day care services;
care and protection services for children; residential
and home- based services for families; assessment; intervention and counselling services for children, adolescents and families.
Mr. Chairman, on page B- 298 of the Estimates
Book, a total of $21,133,000 has been allocated for Head 23 for fiscal year 2025 /26. This represents an increase of $1,453,000, or 7 per cent .
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services continues to focus on developing an integrated service that allows children, adolescents and families to receive services that are appropriate and coordinated and meet challenges they face. These ch allenges can include but are not limited to: uninvolved
parenting; limited parenting capacity; social and life
skills; housing; employment; budgeting; abuse of sub-stances; anti -social behaviour; cognitive debilities; education; mental health conditions and anger management.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services is responsible for promoting and pro-tecting the best interests and social well -being of children, adolescents, and their families and meets these responsibilities with the operations of five programmes:
•Programme 2301— Services to Children a
nd
Young Persons
•Programme 2302— Services to Individual s
and Families
•Programme 2303—Residential Treatment
Service s
•Programme 2304— Administrati on
•Programme 2305—The Mirrors Program me
Mr
. Chairman, t he US Council on Accreditatio n
has
approved the Bermuda National Standards, which
is used locally for accreditation of entities including the
department who manages children. The Bermuda National Standards Committee provides that review and accreditation. I am happy to report that, in accordance with the requirements from the Council on Accreditation standards, five sections within DCFS (Intake and Inves-tigations, As sessments, Counselling and Life Skills,
Family Preservations and Foster Care are all accred-ited.
Mr. Chairman, service improvements have
been achieved by the Department of Child and Family Services Implementing a strategy that begins with the enhancement of a Structured Decision Making tool, designed specifically for Bermuda, taking into account our cultural identity and social norms. The Structured Deci-sion Making assessment tools allow staff to objectively
determine safety and risk for all children and their fam-ilies who are referred to the department. This tool utilises a comprehensive assessment that ensures clients
receive the appropriate support and/or services from
the appropriate agency. This process reduces referral
duplication, closes previously identified gaps in service delivery and increases overall efficiency and effective-ness of programmes.
Utilis ation of this tool has resulted in an improved, comprehensive service delivery system that
has increased response time to initial referrals. Also, this tool further enhances appropriate prioriti sing of referrals according to risks; and ensures that the highest risks are addressed first resulting in better responses and positive outcomes for clients.
Mr. Chairman, I will now address each programme and business unit for the department as set out on page B -298.
Programme 2301, Services to Children
and Young Persons
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Business Unit
33010, the Happy Valley Child Care Centre has a budget of $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2025/ 26. The output measures for the Happy Valley Child Care Centre are found on page B- 301 of the Estimates Book.
Mr. Chairman, Happy Valley Child Care Centre
is the only Government -operated child care facility on
the Island, which provides high quality child care for a
maximum of 44 children whose ages range from three months to four years of age. Priority is given to children referred by helping agencies such as the Department
of Child and Family Services, Teen Services, the Department of Health, the Child Development Programme and the Department of Financial Assistance. These agencies along with families experiencing various chal-lenges account for 60 per cent of the C entre’s intake.
Mr. Chairman, each year there is increased demand for child care placement at the Happy Valley
Child Care Centre. For the school year 2024/ 25, Mr.
Chairman, 75 applications were received for the 15
available spaces.
•Infant spaces were 5, they had 22 applications.
•Toddler spaces were 5, there were 40 applications .
•Toddler spaces for children born in 2024,
there were no spaces and no applications .
•Preschooler Spaces 5, for children born i
n
2022 .
There were 13 applications .
Mr. Chairman, the previous . . . when we speak
about toddler spaces, 5, there were children born in 2023.

Okay.


Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Tinee Furbert: The application process for the
2025 /26 school year began on April 3, 2025. A PIPA
privacy statement was created for this year’s applicants. The statement included how application information collected is used, secured and disposed of.
Online applications were released for download once
the privacy statement was agreed to. On- site applicants signed the privacy statement prior to the submission of their application.
Mr. Chairman, to address concerns regarding
the selection process for the limited number of spaces available annually, the Selection Committee has implemented a rubric and lottery system for applicants. This
approach is designed to add greater objectivity and
transparency, ensuring that all candidates are evaluated fairly and consistently.
Mr. Chairman, the Happy Valley Child Care
Centre monthly fee is $400 for all children enrolled.
However, if a child is in the care of the Department of
Child and Family Services Director, they do not qualify
for the Child Day Care Allowance and as such their costs are absorbed by the department.
Mr. Chairman, the estimated revenue for the
fiscal year 2025/26 school year as shown on page B -
299 is $192,000. It is important to note that the actual
cost per child exceeds $400 per month. However, a
subsidy is built into the fees which are considerably less
than private child care facilities. Despite the low cost to
parents, Happy Valley Child Care Centre is a first -class
facility that is specifically designed to meet the compre-hensive needs of young children, provides an extensive
curriculum of high aca demic standards with trained
teachers who are continuously involved in professional
growth and development. The Centre offers enrichment
program mes that encourage family and community involvement and builds upon child development.
In July 2024, Mr. Chairman, 17 children graduated from the programme and were all well prepared to
attend preschool. Their accomplishments were cele-brated with a school leaving ceremony at the Bermuda
Underwater Exploration Institute.
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2025/ 26, Happy
Valley Child Care Centre will continue to uphold its
commitment to partnering with community resources,
including the Child Development Programme, the Department of Health, and Fire and Life Safety Associates.
Happy Valley Child Care Centre will continue
to serve as a community [ service ] site for public and
private school students and the Workforce Develop-ment Summer Placement for university students.
Happy Valley Child Care Centre also serves as a practicum site for Bermuda College students enrolled in the
PACE progra mme for individuals furthering their education in early childhood education. CedarBridge Acad-emy students do their child care as a profession course
placement annually at the Happy Valley Child Care
Centre. Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at the Happy Valley Child Care Centre, the Centre’s active Parent Teacher Association, volunteers and community partners for their
continued dedication to Bermuda’s most valuable treasures, Our Children, Our Future.
Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to programme
2302 , Services to Individuals and Families , found on
page B -298.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Programme 2302, Services to Individuals and Families (Page B -298)

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the activities covered under programme 2302 are:
• Business Unit 33020 —Investigating and
Screening
• Business Unit 33030 —Foster Care
• Business Unit 33200 —Counselling and Life
Skills
• Business Unit 33240 —Child Safeguarding
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for these three
business units for fiscal year 2025/ 26 is $6,198,000,
which represents a decrease of $37,000.
Mr. Chairman, the Intake, Investigation and Assessment section is responsible for providing comprehensive investigations and assessments to children
who are referred for services. The 2025/ 26 budget estimate for business unit 33020 is $2,245,000, a decrease of 11 per cent .
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services provides services and support for children and families referred for abuse or neglect. The department is committed to partnering with stakeholders
to promote the safety and health of families while protecting children from abuse and neglect.
Mr. Chairman, all referrals that are made to the
department are screened to determine if they meet the
threshold for abuse and/or neglect utili sing the Structured Decision Making Assessment tools. The performance measures for intake and assessments can be
found on page B -301 of the Estimates Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Screening, Investigations,
and Assessment teams have a combined total of 16
staff. The Screening team is comprised of five social
work assistants who receive new referrals each day via
email, the Kids -line, or from members of the public or
professionals who walk into the d epartment. The Investigations team includes five social workers who conduct inquiries on all cases screened to be investigated. The
Assessment team includes three social workers who
conduct assessments on all children who are referred
from sections within the department.
Mr. Chairman, t he Department of Child and
Family Services is mandated to provide services and operates 24 hours a day. Coverage is provided after
work hours, weekends, and on public holidays on a
762 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly crisis basis to the police, the hospital, and to members
of the community. The department responded to 22 oncall or call -out referrals in 2024.
Mr. Chairman, in 2024, the Investigation team
received 1,210 new referrals. This is an increase of 204, or 20 per cent, when 1,006 new referrals were reported. Mandated reporters referred 1,072, and 138
were referred from other sources in the community.
Mr. Chairman, the Investigation team utili sed
the Structured Decision Making screening assessments to determine the required response times. Mr. Chairman, 310 cases were screened out either they did
not meet the threshold for a child abuse investigation, or they were duplicate referrals from another source; 856 were screened in for investigation and 44 were screened directly to the Counselling and Life Skills sec-tion for substance education.
Referrals for the following types of abuse comprised:
•Neglect –357: One hundred and ninety -eight,
or 55 per cent of the neglect referrals were for
children exposed to family violence; 51 wer
e
f
or inadequate food, shelter, hygiene, and 64
were for lack of supervision.
•Sexual Abuse –197: One hundred and twenty -
two, or 61 per cent were sexual abuse referrals for child- on-child inappropriate sexual interactions or child- only matters .
•Physical Abuse –198, an increase of 113.
•Behaviour Problems –48, an increase of 24.
•Emotional Abuse– 58, a decrease of 2.
•Service Requests –48, of which 14 were welfare home checks, 12 were local and 2 overseas .
•Suicidal Ideations/Attempts –3.
•Family In Need of Assistance–20, this may b e
c
ases of child beyond parental control,
AWOL, suicide attempts/ideations .
Of the 1,210 new referrals in 2024, Mr. Chairman, 856 were screened in for investigation and 554
involved children. The referral numbers by age are as
follows:
•0-4 years –146
•5-9 y
ears–165
•10
-14 years –170
•15-18 years –73
•Unborn –7
Mr
. Chairman, the department is required to respond within 24 hours, five days or ten days, depending on the nature of the referral and the designated timeframe. The d epartment received 235 referrals that
required a 24- hour response; 591 referrals required a
5-day response; and 30 referrals required a 10- day response. Seven hundred and ninety six out of the 856
cases were screened for investigation and 93 per cent
of them met response times.
Mr. Chairman, social workers conduct thorough, objective investigations that include interviewing child(ren), their parents and other witnesses or collat-eral contacts who may be relevant sources of infor-mation. Social workers must observe the child and their living conditions, the parent/child interactions and rela-tionships, conduct further record checks and obtain all relevant medical and assessment reports when applicable.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services collaborates with the Bermuda Police
Service s on referrals received for physical, sexual
abuse, severe neglect and behaviour problems. The MASH team ( Multiagency Safeguarding Hub) that was
established between the d epartment and the Bermuda
Police Services continues to review all referrals re-ceived every week. In the meeting, the team deter-mines the investigation approach that is required for each case. During 2024, there were 853 cases dis-cussed in the MASH meetings and 167 were jointly investigated by the Bermuda Police Services and the d epartment.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services is also required to investigate mandated professionals that can include doctors, day care
providers, teachers, coaches, religious officials, and
youth leaders if an investigation identifies them as an
alleged perpetrator.
A total of 60 investigations of professionals
were conducted, an increase from 2023 when 23 inves-tigations were carried out. The investigation social
workers conduct interviews with the children, their parents or guardians, the mandated professional, and all relevant witnesses. These investigations may also in-volve the Bermuda Police if a criminal offence may have occurred. Of the 60 professional investigations conducted, 29 were in public schools, 23 private nurseries, 4 camps, 2 private schools and 2 Residential
Treatment Services [RTS]. The outcomes were: 25 un-substantiated, 6 substantiated, and 29 remain open with the Bermuda Police Services. One case resulted in the conviction of a mandated professional.
Mr. Chairman, the investigation social workers
completed 524 safety assessments. This engagement with parents allows the department to ensure that the
children are safe while working to preserve the integrity of the family.
Risk assessments are always completed after
conducting a home visit and before a case is trans-ferred or closed. The team completed 319 risk assess-ments. At the completion of investigations, there were 77 cases in need of case management and referred to the Family Preservation Team, 30 were referred to
Counselling and Life Skills, 14 referred to the Assessments team, one to Foster Care, three to RTS and one
to the Independent Living Programme.
At the end of December 2024, of the 856 cases
screened for investigation in 2024, 709 were completed with outcomes, 128 remain open to the Bermuda Po-lice, and 19 were pending.


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, the Investigation Team provided
14 Presentations on Mandatory Reporting to the private
and public schools, the Youth and Sport Afterschool Programme, Bermuda College students and all new
employees. These presentations provide professionals
with education on the Children Act, their duties as mandatory reporters, and the reporting process for child abuse matters.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Screening and Investigations Team and the community stakeholders for their commitment to being the first response in promoting
the safety and health of families while protecting children from abuse and neglect.
I would also like to thank the Assessments
Team for empowering the family and enhancing family
functioning through the comprehensive assessments they completed on at -risk children and families.

Foster Care, Business Unit 33030
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the foster care section of the Department of Child and Family Services is
responsible for providing alternative living arrange-ments for children under the age of 18 years old who
need out -of-home placement. The budget estimate for
business unit 33030 for 2025/ 26 is $2,672,000. This
represents an increase of $288,000.
Mr. Chairman, during 2024, a total of 61 children occupied foster care beds at some point during
the year. This represents an increase of three children
from the prior year. The team was also responsible for
case management duties for the children’s birth families and foster families. The team remains concerned
about the complexity of the cases, which has magnified
in terms of mental health, behavioural issues and
school difficulties.
During the past year, the Foster Care Programme served a total of seven therapeutic foster chil-dren. The children in this category have a variety of
physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges. Therapeutic Foster Parents are compensated
at a higher rate than traditional foster parents. They
sign contracts that outline the levels of care expected
based on the children’s needs.
Out of those seven children, two were referred
to overseas facilities for a comprehensive assessment and were recommended for further overseas placement. By the end of 2024, a total of nine children left the Foster Care Programme. Three were reunified with
a parent; Three were transferred to Residential Treatment Services; and three aged out of the Foster Care
system.
Foster Parent Recruitment was conducted via
several mediums that included developing graphics for
social media messaging, conducting radio and web -
based talks, using corporate newsletters and features
in business magazines. The Foster Care Coordinator interviewed 22 interested persons for foster parent recruitment. This was
an increase of nine from the year before. Ten were approved and became foster parents. Despite the constant addition to the pool of available foster paren ts, the
department continues to remain hard- pressed to recruit
enough foster parents to be open, available, and suita-ble for emergencies and for hard to care for children.
Mr. Chairman, presently, the d epartment has
12 sibling sets residing in foster care, and only two sets are able to reside together in the same foster home.
In May 2024, Foster Care Month, the foster
care team held the Annual Appreciation Tea for Ber-muda’s Foster Parents. The Keynote Speaker was Ms. Lashunte Dill-Assing, who spent time in foster care as
a youth and is now a registered nurse. This event was
held at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.
The Foster Care Programme ended 2024 with
Christmas gift donations for all foster children. Items were generously donated from anonymous members of the public and the RenRe Insurance Company. Each
child was gifted with multiple items for the holiday season. This initiative of gift donations from members of
the public was fully arranged by the executive of the
Foster Parent Association which is a registered charity.
The Angel Tree was publici sed and was on display at Rosa’s. Members from the public selected an-gels from the tree, which had the wish list items of foster children on them.
Mr. Chairman, the d epartment acknowledges
the foster parents of Bermuda. These are our unsung
heroes who provide loving, stable homes to children
who have experienced significant trauma as a result of
abuse and/or neglect. Every day, they make a foster child’s life better with their numerous acts of care and
kindness.
Mr. Chairman, appreciation and recognition
must also go out to the Foster Parent Association, that
works in partnership with the foster care team. They
provide extra support to foster children and foster families in the form of financial support for educat ional trips,
speciali sed recreational programmes, laptops for senior school and tertiary education scholarships for foster
youth post high school completion.
The Foster Care Team is to be commended as
well for working through some very serious, complex
and challenging cases.

Counselling and Life Skills , Business Unit 33200

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the purpose of the
Counselling and Life Skills [CLS] business unit is to advance and promote the emotional well -being of youth
up to 18 years of age and their families. The budget for business unit 33200 for fiscal year 2025/ 26 is
$1,181,000. This represents a decrease of $8,000, or
1 per cent, compared to fiscal year 2024 /25.
Mr. Chairman, the CLS team consists of a clinical supervisor and three social workers that provide
764 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly strength- based, solution- focused, and client -centred
services aimed at empowering individuals and families
to make healthy life choices. The CLS team conducts in-person sessions and uses technology such as Cisco
Webex, Zoom, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, and the telephone to conduct sessions.
Through these methods, CLS counsellors have
been able to complete necessary assessments and screening tools for developing service plans. The team has access to remote testing, and this has assisted cli-ents with having the flexibility to fill out counselling tools via computer instead of having to come in person in the
office.
Mr. Chairman, referrals to CLS are primarily
from external entities like the Department of Education,
Child and Adolescent Services, and the public. These referrals are screened through the department's Inves-tigation/Screening section, where interventions are determined using the SDM tool and then assigned for services.
A memorandum of understanding between the
Ministry of Education and the Department of Child and Family Services mandates that all substance- related
incidents in schools are referred to the department for assessment and education.
Mr. Chairman, in 2024, CLS received 110 referrals, a slight decrease compared to the previous year. Of these, 106 were approved to receive services and four were denied due to clients already being involved in external services. The referrals included 67
females and 43 males. Ninety -four clients were actually
served in 2024, with 12 to receive services in 2025.
Mr. Chairman, the ages of the children served
were as follows:
•Female clients:
o0-4 years:
1
o5-9 y
ears: 8
o10
-14 years: 27
o15
-18 years: 14
oOver 18 years: 3
•Mal
e clients:
o0-4 years: 3
o5-9 y
ears: 8
o10
-14 years: 23
o15
-18 years: 7
In 2024, notably, the highest age group for both
genders have traditionally been between the ages of 10
and 14 years old, and 15 to 18 years old . However,
there was a shift in 2024, with females aged 15 to 18
years old, now outnumbering males aged 15 to 18
years old.
Mr. Chairman, in 2024, referral sources for the
CLS team included:
•DCFS Teams (Investigations, Foster Care,Family Preservation, RTS, and Adoptions): 7
4
ca
ses
•Court Social Worker: 1 cas e
•Schools: 29 cases•Other (Police, KEMH, CAS, ILP [which is t he
Independent Living Programme]): 6 cases
Mr. Chairman, the CLS team has observed a
continuing trend of adolescents using vapes in 2024.
There was a shift in 2024 compared to 2023, whereas
the number of females reported using was higher than their male counterparts. The average age for 2024 based on the data was 13 years old. However, it should
be noted that there were children as young as 10 who
were referred in 2024 for either experimenting or for
having a vape pen in their possession. The referrals in
2024 were received from children as young as primary
school age to middle to high school youth.
Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that 90 per
cent of substance referrals are received from our
schools. The other 10 per cent of referrals are sent in
by the p olice or KEMH. Along with vaping, marijuana
and alcohol use also remains prevalent among adoles-cents. Data from 2024 indicates that young people still appear to believe that substances are a healthy way to cope with life stressors, depression, anxiety, trauma,
and grief. The complexity of family systems also underscores the need for co- parenting support and coping
strategies for parents to help families effectively ad-dress mental health issues.
Mr. Chairman, CLS received a total of 46 substance referrals in 2024 , and of these 43 referrals received services. The number of substance clients who received services in 2024 were 18 males and 25 fe-males. The other 63 referrals were serviced either for
trauma, domestic violence, behaviour, grief, mental health or parent /child relationships. It is not uncommon
for clients in CLS to be receiving therapy for multiple issues that could be affecting their well -being. The CLS
team conducted two substance groups for the year, in
June and October 2024.
Mr. Chairman, several trends were identified in
2024 and included:
•Substance referrals for vaping and marijuana
are still an issue with young people. This may
be affected by legalisation in some jurisdictionsdespite this population being minors and their
lack of understanding of the dangers of vaping.
•Grief counselling for children who have lost relatives as well as relationships with parents because of divorce.
•A growing need for co- parenting support based
on issues of custody and divorce.
•Younger children being referred with complexneurodiversity behavioural issues, such as
ADHD, ASD, who require a multidisciplinaryteam approach to address various needs.
•Parents requiring therapy support who themselves have experienced childhood trauma
that is impacting them in adulthood.
•Younger children requiring therapy beyond talk
therapy, such as play therapy, interventions to
assist with self -regulation of emotions, such as
somatic therapy, which focuses on the body


Bermuda House of Assembly and how emotions appear within the body, and
movement therapy .
• A need for parenting skills services that help
parents understand different developmental
stages and what is appropriate behaviour during those stages.
These trends highlight the growing need for
counselling resources to support parents, children, and adolescents that are affordable, evidence- based and
relatable.

Child Safeguarding, Business Unit 33250

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, this year,
$100,000 will fund the child safeguarding programme.
As per the Child Safeguarding [(Miscellaneous Amendments)] Act 2019, children who are victims of sexual
offences or who are convicted of sexual offences and serious personal injury receive both physical and psychological services, which translate to costs incurred
for psychosexual assessments and counselling services.
Last year, seven children received psychosexual assessments. Six were victims of sexual offences
and one was a perpetrator. All children subsequently
received associated counselling services. One parent
received a comprehensive parenting capacity assessment.
Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to: Programme
2303 , Residential Treatment Services . Or should I
pause?

Thank you very much, Minister.
The [Committee] will adjourn until 2:00 pm.
[Gavel]

Proceedings in Committee suspended at 1 2:30 pm

Proceedings in Committee resumed at 2:0 2 pm [Mr. W. Lawrence Scott, Chairman]

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR 2025/26

MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT AND SENIORS

HEAD 23 —DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND FAMILY
SERVICES

[Continuation thereof ]

We are here debating the Ministry of
Youth, Social Development and Seniors, Heads 86, 23
and 55. This is a four -hour debate. We have gone
through two hours of it, and we have two hours left.
I will give the floor to Minister Tinee Furbert.
Minister Tinee Furbert, you have the floor.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would now like to speak to programme 2303,
Residential Treatment Services, found on page B -298.

Programme 2303, Residential Treatment Services

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, programme 2303,
Residential Treatment Services includes Family Preservation, Brangman Home, Youth Development Centre, Observatory Cottage, the Psycho- Educational
Programme, Youth Residential Treatment and Inde-pendent Living.
This programme has a budget allocation of
$10,388,000. This represents an increase of $1,618,000, or 18 per cent from the financial year
2024/25 budget allocation.
Family Preservation, Business Unit 33060
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 33060 for fiscal year 2025/26 is $3,836,000. The estimate is 121 per cent more than fiscal year 2024/25. This significant increase is related to the enhancement and expansion of social services provided to community for our high- risk families.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s Family Preservation Team operates under a sound case management and assessment model, which comprehensively
assesses family and child needs and develops service
plans with the family, child and stakeholders to maximise interv ention and positive outcomes for children and
their families. The team provides ongoing intervention to monitor and ensure the safety of children at risk of
abuse or neglect, assist families to improve family functioning, increase child well -being, reduce the need for
placement in out -of-home care, and to enable children
766 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly in out -of-home care to return safely to their families.
The ultimate goal is to reduce or eliminate the circumstances in the family that have been or are causing abuse or risk of abuse (emotional and/or physical) to the child, and to maintain the child in the home environ-ment.
Mr. Chairman, in order to achieve this goal,
Family Preservation Services requires its social work-ers and social worker assistants to manage cases in compliance with the Council on Accreditation Family Preservation standards, in accordance with the Policies and Procedures of the department and the Structured
Decision Making (SDM) assessment system for Child
Protective Services (CPS). The social worker’s fre-quency of contact with a family is determined by the family’s assessed risk level. The higher the assessed risk for future abuse or neglect, the higher the level of intervention and engagement is required monthly. A
household assessed as high risk requires a minimum
of four face- to-face visits per month with parents/caregivers and children in addition to collateral contacts (for example: schools, therapists, doctors, mentors, et cetera); moderate risk requires a minimum of two faceto-face visits per month with parents/caregivers and
children in addition to collateral contacts; low risk requires a minimum of one- face- to face visit per month
with parents/caregivers and children in addition to col-lateral contacts.
The Family Preservation Team consists of two
coordinators, eight social workers, eight social workers assistants and one administrative assistant.
Mr. Chairman, from January 2024 to December 2024, the Family Preservation Team served a com-bined total of 147 families and 257 children. This is an 8 per cent increase in families and a 7 per cent increase in children served over the prior year.
Caseload complexities and risk levels remained high throughout 2024, thus requiring a high number of face- to-face contact, multiple court appearances, family conferences and consultations with community and government stakeholders.
Mr. Chairman, all families involved with Family
Preservation receive Family Strengths and Needs assessments and are reassessed every three months. These assessments help to identify the areas of need or development required within a family, as well as
strengths within the family unit. It also serves as a guide
for service planning.
Mr. Chairman, needs assessments completed
on parents during 2024 identified three top areas of need affecting our parents/caregivers. These were:
•Mental Health/Coping Skills/Cognitive
Functioning;
•Parenting Skills; and
•Resource Management/Basic Needs.
The needs assessments completed on children during 2024 identified the top three areas of need affecting our children. These are:
•Emotional/Behavioural challenges;•Educational Concerns/Needs; and
•Family Relationship Challenges.
Mr. Chairman, during 2024, 44 new families,
which included 77 children, were referred to Family
Preservation. The reasons for the referrals were ne-glect, child exposure to domestic violence, emotional abuse and physical abuse.
Throughout the year a total of 29 families had
their cases closed. All closed cases were void of child safety or child protection issues at closure. Of the cases closed:
•Fifteen or 52 per cent of case closures
achieved Service Plan goals/no child protec-tion issues at closure.
•Six families declined services. There were no
child protection concerns at closure.
•Three families relocated overseas.
•Four transferred to Foster Care.
•One was sentenced to Corrective Training.Mr. Chairman, Family Preservation workers attended 113 Family or Supreme Court hearings in 2024,
a 30 per cent increase over 2023. The court appearances were for Care Order applications, reviews or dis-charges, Supervision Order applications, reviews or discharges, Protective Intervention Order applications,
Juvenile Court matters, and Custody/Access matters.
Mr. Chairman, the department constantly assesses outcomes to determine if intervention is effec-tive and when and where adjustments to service deliv-ery need to occur. Performance outcome measures for 2024 were:
•Sixty -three per cent of households assessed
for abuse/neglect demonstrated consistent be-haviours or some improvement in behaviour in
service plan goals.
•Sixty -three per cent of households assessed
where risk of abuse/neglect decreased or remained low/moderate.
•Fifty-two per cent of families had cases closed
due to achieving service plan goals, a 10 per
cent performance increase from the previous
year.
Mr. Chairman, in 2024, Department of Child
and Family Services [DCFS] continued with its commitment to increase the skills of its front -line Family
Preservation workers in engaging and meeting the needs of clients. Officers participated in Staff Safety
Training, Mental Health First Aid for Adolescents and
four attended the 39
th Annual International Conference
on Child and Family Maltreatment. This is a highly acclaimed conference that offers continuing education,
networking opportunities and presents best practice standards on evidence- based practices and current
trends in the child and family maltreatment field.
Mr. Chairman, at the core of Family Preservation is the understanding that if we can improve the functioning and circumstances of the parents/adult, caregivers of the children, we can reduce the risk of
abuse and neglect of children. As such, training


Bermuda House of Assembly opportunities for staff are needed to increase their skills
in engaging and providing intervention services to our families.
The Family Preservation Team continues to
strive to provide effective services to children and fam-ilies. Performance improvement is an ongoing endeavour, thus enhancing the opportunity for improved client
outcomes.
Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to:
• Brangman Home, business unit 33070
• Youth Development Centre, business unit
33080
• Observatory Cottage, business unit 33090
Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for business unit 33070, Brangman Home, is $1,195,000, a decrease of $62,000, or 5 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 33080, the Youth
Development Centre’s budget allocation is $306,000. This is an increase of $18,000, or 6 per cent.
The Observatory Cottage that falls under business unit 33090, has a budget of $1,172,000, a de-crease of $311,000, or 21 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, Residential Treatment Services
(RTS) provides group living intervention services to children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. These
are adolescents who are deemed to be at risk in the
community and require care and protection in a safe and structured residential environment. All children
placed in this service have had their situation and circumstances considered by the Family Court, where it has been deemed appropriate for them to be placed on
a care order and as such, become the responsi bility of
the Director of Child and Family Services.
Mr. Chairman, the RTS programme provides
[services] 24 hours, 365 days a year. The young ladies
are housed at the Brangman Home while the young
men receive services at the Youth Development Centre.
The inclusion of family is paramount to the
healing process of the children receiving services. The
RTS programme allows for collaboration with the family
and the community to understand the child’s cultural
experience through a trauma- informed care framew ork.
Mr. Chairman, we continue to see the impact
of complex trauma on the adolescents served. Complex trauma is caused by the children’s exposure to
multiple traumatic events, often invasive and interpersonal in nature, and it is often wide- ranging with lasting
effects. This impacts the goal of having children transition within 12 months. As a result, the services provided
by RTS remain under a trauma- responsive lens. This is
translated into the intake and assessment process,
family engagement practice, crisis i ntervention, and
both individual and group counselling. The trauma lens
is also utilised in the reflective supervision of the staff
and treatment team involved in the child’s care.
Mr. Chairman, during last year, RTS provided
comprehensive case management and intervention for children on transition in the community, as well as those ready for discharge. This included working with both the internal and external multi -agency teams involved
with the children and families to ensure a seamless
trauma- responsive transition. The families involved
welcomed the partnership and requested continued engagement post the three months aftercare phase.
Mr. Chairman, the RTS programme faced
many challenges in 2024/25, in relation to services re-ceived by children in care. Some required closer observation and monitoring with therapeutic interventions to
prevent escalation. Moreover, some needed to be sep-arated from within the facility and required additional
support. Clients’ services included crisis intervention
and referrals to respond to critical incidents. Strong case management of children was essential through
crisis management meetings, ongoing indivi dual assessments, and service plans. Client profiles indicated
that 92 per cent of children had come from single- parent households.
Additionally, both male and female profiles
continue to reflect that 100 per cent of the children experiencing trauma included abandonment and abuse. During the year, there was an increase in the use of
substance abuse by residents, 42 per cent of the youn g
people in care engaged in substance use, including
marijuana and tobacco; and more specifically vapes.
This data demonstrates the wide range of specialist services required for dealing effectively with children and families.
Residential Treatment Services remained
committed in striving for the success of our children in the education system and responded to the learning
challenges. This year, an additional professional tutor
was hired; each cottage now has professional aca-demi c support, leading to increased partnerships with
the educational psychologists, paraprofessionals and
social workers.
Mr. Chairman, RTS met the performance targets with 100 per cent of residents given independent
treatment plans, 100 per cent had service plans and
100 per cent of residents had individual crisis management plans. The team focused on ensuring all plans
were aligned to offer the best care for residents and
continue to partner with key community stakeholders such as the Bermuda Police Service, Department of Education, Child and Adolescent Services, the Gang
Violence Reduction Team, Department of Court Services, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Bermuda and the Mirrors Programme.
Mr. Chairman, 187 coordinated services were
provided with community partners, 217 individual coun-selling sessions, 290 group sessions and 187 family
engagement sessions. RTS held 20 joint family group
activities to build connections and improve interfamily
relationships.
There were over 100 prosocial activities that
took place within the cottages; this included engage-ment in sports, community programmes and other
768 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly extracurricular activities expanding the residents’ resiliency factors.
Mr. Chairman, RTS engaged in training to support the growth and development of the team which in-cluded participation in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Youth Mental Health First Aide training and Trauma Attachment Training using dialectical behaviour ther apy
skills. All staff participate in Relias training regularly,
topics include conflict management, behaviour al supports, suicidality and developmental concerns of ado-lescents.
Mr. Chairman, with a primary focus on establishing trauma -responsive environments for the children in our group homes, review and amendments are made to policies and procedures to reflect the princi-ples of group home living. During the 2024/25 budget year, the DCFS administration continued its partnership with the Ministry of Public Works, specifically the
Department of Public Lands and Buildings, to address
ongoing building concerns at all three cottages; this in-cluded regular maintenance, addressing safety con-cerns and cottage improvements to better deliver a high-quality residential treatment program.
Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to thank
the staff at the Residential Treatment Services and the community stakeholders for their commitment in providing trauma- responsive services to the residents
of group living, to restore hope and build resiliency in their lives.
Psycho -Educational Programme, Business Unit 33100
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Psycho- Educational (Psycho- Ed) programme was developed to
clinically address children who could not be effectively
treated in Bermuda or those who had exhausted all
available local therapeutic treatment services. The
budget estimate for business unit 33100 is $2,119,000. This represents less than a 1 per cent increase over
2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, local psychologists, psychiatrists and educational therapists have demonstrated an improved ability to diagnose various psychological, be-havioural and educational problems. However, more Bermudian children are being identified with various psychological, social/emotional, and psychiatric conditions beyond the ability of our local service providers. The Psycho- Ed Programme allows the Department of
Child and Family Services to have external input concerning clinical therapeutic intervention and aftercare
services.
Mr. Chairman, the Psycho- Ed Programme provides children with protection, care, and nurturance by licensed and accredited therapeutic overseas facilities. The programme provides a safe, supportive, and ther-apeutic environment for each child while working col-laboratively towards either family reunification or an al-ternative permanent option. The Psycho- Ed Committee is comprised of
representatives from:
•Child and Adolescent Services
•Ministry of Education
•The Department of Child and Family Services
The Psycho- Ed Committee met virtually twice
a quarter during three quarters last year to review the
status and make decisions on children referred for overseas placement or clinical assessment . The
monthly meetings mark an overall improvement and committee for the benefit of the Psycho- Ed clients.
Mr. Chairman, in the best interest of the child,
the Psycho- Ed Committee utilises an overseas service
provider that specialises primarily in providing clinical neuropsychological assessments at Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI). Implementing the neuropsy-chological assessment at HMHI assisted DCFS in obtaining a clear and comprehensive understanding of
the specific needs of clients referred for an assess-ment.
The majority of Bermuda’s children who were
referred for a neuropsychological assessment were
current Psycho- Ed clients who did not have an identified diagnosis or those who did not engage with our local service providers. The comprehensive neuropsy-chological assessment assisted i n developing the client’s individuali sed treatment plan that facilitated the
most appropriate match of local community resources
or identified an overseas therapeutic placement that
matched the child’s specific needs.
Mr. Chairman, 14 children participated in the
Psycho -Ed Programme in 2024. Four children participated in an overseas neuropsychological assessment. Three children were assessed at Huntsman Mental
Health Institute (HMHI) and one child at Harbor Point
Behavi oural Health. Two children completed their neuropsychological assessments at HMHI resulting in one child being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, returning to the local jurisdiction for active case man-agement . And one child was referred for a long- term
overseas therapeutic placement. One child remains at HMHI and has not completed the assessment process. One child who completed the neuropsychological as-sessment process at Harbor Point Behavioural Health was recommended for a long- term overseas therape utic placement. Out of the remaining 10 Psycho- Ed clients, two children who were referred to Psycho- Ed
were admitted directly into an overseas therapeutic fa-cility for a long -term placement of nine to eighteen
months, and eight children were already currently en-rolled in a long -term overseas placement.
Mr. Chairman, a ll Psycho -Ed clients serviced
overseas received the Global Assessment of Function-ing (GAF) with a scoring range of 20 to 50. A score of 50 is defined as having serious symptoms or serious impairment in social, occupational, or school function-ing, and 20 is defined as having a danger of hurting
themselves or others. The result of low Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores required that all


Bermuda House of Assembly Psycho -Ed clients receive intensive clinical treatment
with a longer duration of treatment options coupled with
one-to-one staff interventions, psychotropic medications, frequent team meetings, psychiatric hospitali sations, family intervention programmes, and overseas therapeutic visits.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of Education
(MOED) and the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s (BHB) Child and Adolescent Services (CAS) face significant
limitations in resources and capacity when serving clients diagnosed with conduct disorder, experiencing se-vere mental health chall enges, presenting with complex behavioural needs, or those deemed high- risk
within the community. As a result, multiple referrals are submitted to the Psycho- Educational Committee seeking approval for overseas therapeutic placements. These placements are requested for young individuals whose needs cannot be adequately met within our local
school system or the existing therapeutic framework
provided by CAS.
Mr. Chairman, DCFS continues to face significant pressure due to the limited resources offered by Child and Adolescent Services and the Ministry of Education’s ongoing inability to adequately support children with severe behavioural challenges and intellectual disabilities. Although DCFS has a seat at the table
on the High- Risk Intervention Committee (THRIC) to
strategis e how to manage complex cases, the department is not fully equipped to meet the growing volume
and complexity of referrals from both MOED and CAS
which includes non- acute mental health and psychiatric
needs. This gap in service delivery highlights the urgent need for a coordinated response to meet the clinical needs of these children across all involved agencies.

Youth Residential Treatment , Business Unit 33110

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, business unit
33110, Youth Residential Treatment budget allocation
for fiscal year 2025/26 is $1,087,000. This reflects a decrease of 13 per cent compared to fiscal year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, Youth Residential Treatment [ serves ] as
the administrative and professional services arm that
delivers comprehensive support, including accounting,
management, counselling, and clinical services to all
residential homes and programmes. This business unit
is responsible for identifying staff training needs, assessing the clinical needs of all children within the programme, and managing facility maintenance and repair issues, which are reported to the d irector for appropriate action.
Additionally, the unit oversees all Performance
and Quality Improvement (PQI) efforts, ensuring that every programme within Residential Treatment Services consistently meets and maintains industry standards. During 2024, two hard- to-fill positions within
Youth Residential Treatment were successfully staffed,
strengthening the team’s capacity to deliver high- quality care and support across all programmes. Independent Living Programme, Business Unit 33240

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, business unit
33240, [on page B -298], Independent Living Programme budget allocation for fiscal year 2025/26 is
$673,000, an increase of 4 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, the Independent Living Programme (ILP) is a pioneering initiative, offering a vital lifeline and safety net for young adults ageing out of the
care of the d irector. This year, the programme celebrated two years of operations, providing the young
adults with the support and resources necessary to
successfully navigate the challenging transition into
adulthood. By leveraging community resources and fostering a supportive environment, t he aim is to ensure
each participant has the best possible opportunity to thrive and create a successful, fulfilling future.
Mr. Chairman, at the start of 2024, the Independent Living Programme housed four residents. However, one female resident was terminated due to non-compliance. Subsequently, ten referrals were received and four were rejected. By the end of the year, Independent Living Programme was at capacity with
nine residents —seven females and two males.
Two residents graduated from The Berkeley Institute. One high schooler moved to the Independent
Living Programme in July, completed summer school,
and is on the course to graduate from the CedarBridge Academy in 2025. One resident enrolled with the Adult
Education School in December 2024 to obtain their
GED. Also, each resident had some form of employment, whether f ull-time, part -time, summer employment, or apprenticeship. By the end of 2024, there were three residents employed full -time, three part -time, o ne
seasonal, and two unemployed.
Mr. Chairman, during the past [year], Independent Living Programme staff addressed a total of
seven employment -related incidents involving five residents. These incidents included concerns such as a
lack of insurance and benefits coverage, dishonest employer practices, and questionable employment contracts. The Independent Living Programme staff provided individuali sed support to affected residents
through advocacy, guidance, and resource navigation. In each case, residents were either directed to appro-priate external supports or provided with alternative solutions to address their unique circumstances.
Mr. Chairman, life skills development continues to be a fundamental component of the Independent
Living Programme , with a strong emphasis on equipping residents with the knowledge and tools necessary for successful independent living. Last year, group sessions were held that addressed a range of essential
topics including, [for example,] tenancy, financial literacy, money management, utility bill management, meal
planning and grocery shopping, legal awareness, un-derstanding actions and consequences, job sustaina-bility, personal safety and security, self -care, and common challenges faced by young adults.
770 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly In addition, the programme actively engaged
community partners to deliver monthly workshops, contributing valuable expertise and perspectives aimed at enhancing the residents' life skills and fostering greater community connection.
Mr. Chairman, Renovations to the Independent
Living Programme staff offices and boardroom commenced in November and are progressing steadily. Completion is anticipated by the end of May, May 31,
2025. These upgrades aim to enhance the functionality of staff spaces and support continued programme de-livery.
In addition, the development of a new studio
apartment is underway, which will increase Independent Living Programme’s residential capacity to a total of 11 [rooms ]. This unit has been thoughtfully designed to
accommodate residents with disabilities, ensuring ac-cessibility and inclusivity within the progra mme. When
not in use for this purpose, the studio will serve as a transitional living space for residents who have demon-strated readiness for independent living, offering an op-portunity to experience greater autonomy in the final stages of their Independent Living Programme journey.
Mr. Chairman, with the Independent Living
Programme having celebrated its second anniversary, we have much to celebrate. Over the past two years the programme has served as a vital safety net for young adults, transitioning out of care of the director of-fering essential support during a pivotal stage of their
lives.
I take this opportunity to extend my sincere
gratitude to the dedicated staff of the Independent Liv-ing Programme and our community stakeholders. Their unwavering commitment has been instrumental in providing a lifeline to our young adults, empowering
them to grow, gain confidence and move toward independence.
Programme 2305—The Mirrors Programme,
Business Unit 33140
Hon. Tinee Furbert: The Mirrors Programme, business unit 33140 is found on page B -298. Mr. Chairman,
the budget allocated to the Mirrors Programme for
2025/26 is $869,000, an increase of 24 per cent. Mirrors has begun to rebuild its team since it transitioned
to the Department of Child and Family Services. A full
complement of staff is expected this year. One addi-tional post, a Youth and Community Engagement Of-ficer, will b e funded this year and the Recruitment Manager post will now be fully funded this year for a total complement of six staff for the Mirrors P rogramme.
Mr. Chairman, w e are honoured and pleased
to continue our development of prevention program-ming for Bermuda, which is grounded in neuroscience of accelerated learning, counselling [ pedagogy and andragogy, ] and leadership principles which demonstrate
the depths of programming Mirrors is using. Mirrors and
its partners continue to develop the work in the Social Emotional Development and Life Coaching areas for
our community. As an example of the high level of cur-riculum, the Western Association of Schools Col leges
[WASC ] accreditor observed the February 2025 camp,
spoke with campers, staff, volunteers, leadership campers and parents with a positive report for re- accrediting our partner Quantum Learning Global, which extends the accreditation to Mirrors, producing WASC accredited programming. The Mirrors team is congratulated for this accomplishment.
Mr. Chairman, the new In -Power -Meant process developed by lead consultant Dr. Cheyenne Correira-Foster, is about s ocial and emotional development and is very useful for life. Youth and volunteers
have learned to identify who they are internally, to con-fidently express themselves externally, and to leave a positive impact on the world by elevating those around them. Mirrors continues its effort with relevant content
to focus on the whole person and cycle of impact to
support its primary population, youth wel l-being.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors enrolled 30 youth in the
October 2024 SuperCamp Senior Forum (Cohort 19) who are currently in their follow -through phase of the
programme with a life coach, with expected completion in June 2025. This year, the students were separated by gender to provide more specialised monthly support services, and they continue to receive weekly life coaching.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors is expecting to enrol a
leadership senior group ( cohort 20), in the upcoming
year, of twenty -five 14 - to 16- year-olds and five junior
team leaders to travel to Singapore for the SuperCamp Senior Forum leadership experience. The focus is to build peer leadership skills and harness the peer influ-ence such that they have a positive impact in their
schools when they return. Their follow -through phase
will be focused on experiential leadership skills development. Thirty volunteers who have demonstrated
leadership qualities to coach the students will enrol. This focus will allow for positive peer influence on the
school climate with the opportunity to accelerate positive community outcomes.
During 2024, Mr. Chairman, 60 middle school
students participated in the All In! 8 Keys of Excellence [prefect ] training across the three middle schools; 33
youth participated in the five- day SuperCamp Junior
Forum workshop, and 20 youth were supported through the out -of-school suspension and drop- in service programme. All post -training surveys continue to
receive 90 [per cent ] to 100 per cent school -age levels
in school reform positive experience ratings in content and experience. The team is engaging with the parish
primary schools to explore serving the upper primary.
Mr. Chairman, PeerForward Bermuda travelled
overseas in 2024 with a team of 16 peer leaders, four advisors, two college coaches and two support staff for the Mirrors -endorsed college and career readiness programmes at The Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge
Academy. Thirty -two peer leaders attended the fall


Bermuda House of Assembly training in student engagement to execute the PeerForward journey, which moves from self -awareness and
self-agency to community service. Service is about
leading peers to build a college- going culture in their
high schools to raise college enrolment and degree at-tainment. All trainings in the PeerForward programme
received 100 per cent positive experience in content
and experience.
The report from Bermuda College Fall 2024
enrolment indicated that 171 of the 198 high school
graduates for 2024 came from public schools. Mr.
Chairman, 99 students came from The Berkeley Institute and 72 came from CedarBridge [Academy ]. Students are using Bermuda College as a pathway to degrees. College Promise and PeerForward, hosting college application days at the high schools, are making a
difference in post -secondary enrolment.
Mr. Chairman, over 100 parents and students
signed up to attend the 2025 Finding Fund$ for College
webinars, and the focus has increased to engaging parents of students of all ages versus S4 parents to sup-port families' proactive planning to build financial pathways for students to attend college. PeerForward is
projecting to serve Berkeley and CedarBridge in the
2025/26 school year with the PeerForward programme
and support from the Mirrors Alumni and Friends Association charity.
Mr. Chairman, 172 students provided art and
digital submissions in the 8
th Annual Art and Digital
competition themed “Feels Like Home.” Students won prizes for themselves and their schools to support the
arts in school. The upcoming 2025 theme is “Faces of
Bermuda” which will showcase student summer art.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors continues to find ways
to engage parents to attend training to build skills for
positive youth development. Mr. Chairman, 384 parents participated in programming in 2024. The target
was reduced based on transition activities and vacant
posts. Mirrors has a secondary focus of building social emotional development in adult -serving youth. Mr.
Chairman, 330 volunteers, educators and youth work-ers attended programming in 2024.
Mr. Chairman, 86 adults provided roughly 204
service hours, and 209 youth provided roughly 656 service hours in the Mirrors Field of Learning Garden. Students were able to engage in sustainable gardening
curricula led by Mirrors team member, Nelson Bascome III, to transfer the knowledge in developing home
gardens. Students were able to harvest vegetables, donating them across the Island to seniors, group living
homes and families. The Mirrors Alumni and Friends
Association will continue to support Mirrors i n the upcoming year through the volunteer recognition scheme,
the annual Bermuda- themed art competition, Southlands, PeerForward and other community engage-ments. Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to thank corporate Bermuda, the Alumni Board members and
the Mirrors team for their commitment to the development of Bermuda’s youth. Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to programme
2304, Administration, found on page B -298.

Programme 2304, Administration

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, business unit
33120, Administration and business unit 33130, Grant
Funding fall under programme 2304 with a combined
budget estimate for fiscal year 2025/26 of $2,478,000,
reflecting a decrease of $404,000 or 14 per cent.

Administration, B usiness Unit 33120

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Administration
section of DCFS is responsible for the general supervision of the sections within the department and the over-sight of the Psycho- Educational Programme, the Mirrors Programme, Child Safeguarding and Court Social
work. The budget estimate for business unit 33120 for this year is $2,383,000. This reflects a 2 per cent increase.
Mr. Chairman, staff development and training
continue to be a strategic priority, purposefully aligned
with the goal of delivering a seamless continuum of services that address the complex needs of our client pop-ulation. To ensure staff remain current with best practices, a partnership has been maintained with Relias Learning Systems, DCFS’s core web- based training
platform. Relias offers a comprehensive library of accredited courses, endorsed by professional bodies
such as the Council on Accreditation (COA ) and the
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), which are regularly updated to reflect the latest research and
standards in the field.
Mr. Chairman, DCFS is required to conduct
Social Inquiry Reports (SIR) for both the Family Court and the Supreme Court. This section has one substantive social worker, and due to the increased requests
for reports another social worker was reassigned to assist in reducing the backlog from the courts. The court
social workers function autonomously from the other
sections within the department to ensure that all com-prehensive reports are compiled based on the information provided by the parties, their collateral supports,
and the relevant services that may be involved with the parent, guardian and/or the children. The court social
worker’s primary focus is to recommend what is in the best interest of the children.
At the beginning of 2024, Mr. Chairman, 35
court matters were carried over from 2023 and the total number of new cases for 2024 was 50. In addition to the SIR requests, the court social workers were required to submit 32 updated or addendum reports to
the courts. The court social workers appeared i n Family
Court 96 times and 26 times in the Supreme Court.
Mr. Chairman, many of the Family Court matters now include trials and require the court social work-ers to testify regarding their reports. This is a significant
shift from previous family court practices, and trials
772 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly often results in the social workers sometimes spending
days in court, which significantly impacts their ability to meet requested timeframes for other SIR reports. There are delays in providing judg ments that negatively
impact the relevance of the Social Inquiry Reports. So-cial workers are often requested to provide an updated
report due to the significant delay, and this can disrupt
the lives of families and children. Efforts should be made to implement measures that ensure rulings are delivered immediately following hearings. Introducing a “child’s timescale” framework [ could] prioritis e timely
resolutions while safeguarding the best interests of the
child.
Mr. Chairman, in response to the recommendations of the SafeLives UK review, a Domestic Liaison
social worker joined the Department of Child and Family Services in April. This o fficer brings experience as a
complex needs independent domestic violence advisor
and will work in partnership with the Centre Against
Abuse. Their role includes providing specialised do-mestic abuse and sexual abuse support services to families and adults, promoting education and community awareness, offering case management, crisis intervention, and safety planning. The new addition to the team represents a welcome continuum in our efforts to safeguard children and families.
Mr. Chairman, the establishment of the MultiAgency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) was another SafeLives UK recommendation, which has
been in operation during the past two years. Since April
2023, this dedicated team of professionals has been meeting regularly to review, assess, and ensure safety plans for referred high- risk domestic abuse and family
violence cases. The MARAC team comprises repre-sentatives from the Department of Child and Family
Services, the Bermuda Police Service—Domestic Violence Liaison and Vulnerable Persons s ections —the
Centre Against Abuse, and Age ing and Disabilities Services.
Mr. Chairman, from its inception in April 2023
until December 2024, MARAC has reviewed a total of 143 cases. These cases include couples, families with children, and seniors/vulnerable persons who experi-enced family abuse.
The breakdown is as follows:
•69 new cases were referred between April and
December 2023; whil
e
•74 new
cases were referred from January to
December 2024.
Of the 143 total cases:
•25 involved vulnerable adults (seniors/disabled
persons) ;
•24 involved couples without children;
•94 involved families with children or a child exposed to domestic abuse, which accounted for
a total of 142 children exposed.Mr. Chairman, during 2024, there were 14 reported recurrences of domestic abuse in households
already open to MARAC. Alarmingly, 85 per cent of these recurrences involved child exposure to domestic
abuse.
Furthermore, DCFS recorded 197 investigations for neglect in 2024, specifically related to child ex-posure to family violence/domestic abuse. This reflects an increase from the 157 investigations recorded at the
end of 2023, continuing a concerning year -over- year
upward trend.
Mr. Chairman, as a community, we must address these rising numbers with urgency. Evidence
from our cases, alongside extensive international re-search, highlights the devastating effects of domestic
abuse on a child’s development. During incidents of domesti c abuse, even if a child is not physically harmed,
the emotional and psychological damage from witness-ing or simply being nearby during such events poses a high risk. Children exposed to domestic abuse face both short -term and long- term challenges.
Mr. Chairman, it is critical to recogni se that children learn and are shaped by their environment from birth and even in utero. The harmful effects of domestic abuse must not be underestimated, and the community has a responsibility to act.
Grant Funding, Business Unit 33130
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 33130 for 2025/26 is $95,000,
representing an 83 per cent decrease from 2024/25.
This reduction is due to a shift of the grant allocation of $375,000 for Teen Haven and Teen Services from DCFS to the Ministry Headquarters.
Mr. Chairman, $75,000 in grant funding is to
support the cross-ministry initiative and assist families
in crisis through the development of coordinated, inter -
agency responses that address urgent and multifac-eted needs. This investment underscores a continued commitment to collaborative, holistic support strategies that create lasting impact where it is needed most. Mr. Chairman, $20,000 will be allocated to MARAC to
cover education, promotion and awareness about do-mestic violence.
Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now present
the subjective analysis of current account estimates for the Department of Child and Family Services as found
on page B -299 of the Estimates Book.
Salaries
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocated for S alaries is $11,926,000 for fiscal year
2025/26, an increase of $1,681,000, or 16 per cent
more than the original budget for fiscal year 2024/25.
The salary growth largely reflects increases in
manpower (FTEs) to ensure that a new community -
based intensive model of intervention, i.e., the


Bermuda House of Assembly Intensive Family Preservation programme, can be implemented under the Family Preservation section. The increase is also explained by funding for an additional full-time equivalent for the Mirrors Programme, and one
new full-time equivalent for the Foster Care programme . Finally, negotiated salary uplifts for public officers also explain the increase for 2025/26.

Wages

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the estimate for
wages is $187,000 for fiscal year 2025/26, representing
an increase of $11,000 compared to fiscal year
2024/25. This is due to the adjustment of an understated annual wage in the prior year ; however, negotiated pay uplifts for industrial employees accounted for the majority of the increase.

Other Personnel Costs

Hon. Tinee Furbert: The budget expenditure allocated
for other personnel costs remained unchanged from fiscal year 2024/25 to fiscal year 2025/26.

Training

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the $2,000 increase in training expenses for fiscal year 2025/26 is representative of new, specialised onboarding training
for employees within the Family Preservation section.

Transport

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, expenditure for
transport has been budgeted at $70,000 for fiscal year
2025/26, indicative of a $25,000, or 56 per cent , increase over the prior year. The Foster Care Programme provides transportation services for children to
and from school and some after -school activities. The
section has increased its transportation budget by this
amount due to the number of children involved in several after -school activities, and sp ecial professional
services that are time- sensitive.

Travel

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, total travel expenses have been budgeted at $252,000 for fiscal year
2025/26, an increase of $6,000 [ over] fiscal year
2024/25. This represents minor increases in the amounts budgeted for overseas conferences and hotel
costs for the Foster Care and Investigation and Screening programmes.

Communications

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, communications,
inclusive of phones, courier and postal costs, are budg-eted at $225,000 for fiscal year 2025/26, which represents a $37,000, or 20 per cent , increase over the
budget allocation for fiscal year 2024/25. Additional
staff hired for the new Intensive Family Preservation initiative will each require a cellular phone for safety purposes. Also, the Counselling and Life Skills section will be issued c ellular phones during 2025/26, as their client base has increased, and more time is anticipated to
be spent at the schools and meeting clients outside of the office. Lastly, the rise in the budget covers increased costs of local calls for the programmes having
satellite offices.

Advertising and Promotion

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget of
$18,000 allocated for advertising and promotion ex-penditures increased by $5,000 for fiscal year 2025/26. This is to support a planned campaign on mandatory
reporting by the Investigation and Screening section.
The Children Act 1998 requires service providers and
anyone working with children to be listed as a mandatory reporter of neglect and/or abuse. In the interest of
children, the campaign will provide information o n what
is reportable by professionals and to better inform the
community about mandatory reporting.

Professional Services

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Professional Services budgeted at $3,929,000 for fiscal year 2025/26,
represents a decrease of $175,000. The Independent
Living programme requires a security presence every
night and weekends at the facility. Funding for this security was redirected from Professional Services to the Security Equipment (Minor Equipment) budget line in
error. The necessary change will be made to the
budget.
However, reductions were also made to professional services costs to support funding needed to cover increased transportation costs by the Foster
Care section, additional communication expenses by
the Counselling and Life Skills section and satellite of-fices, increased funding for food supplies, office supplies, stationery, printing and cleaning supplies across the various programmes, financing professional liability costs and covering maintenance expenses due to ageing assets and equipment.

Rentals

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the estimate for
Rentals for budget year 2025/26 is $1,682,000, a decrease of $8,000 from the prior budget year. This decrease represents a minor adjustment to the rental budget within the Independent Living programme.

Repair and Maintenance

774 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year
2025/26, the costs of R epairs and M aintenance is
$611,000, an increase of $64,000 over fiscal year
2024/25. The Brangman Home, Observatory Cottage, and Transitional Living programmes and Independent Living programme have each budgeted additional
funds to carry out deep scale cleaning of their facilities
on a quarterly basis.
Extra money has also been budgeted to cover
vehicle maintenance to ensure staff are able to travel Island- wide to carry out their duties, and for ageing
kitchen and office equipment at the Brangman Home.
Insurance
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the $3,000 increase in insurance costs will ensure that the annual re-charge for psychologist medical professional liability
is covered.
Energy
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year
2025/26 the Energy budget has been allocated
$318,000, representing a $14,000, or 5 per cent increase over fiscal year 2025/26. This increase will sup-port fuel costs for two new vehicles to be used by the new Intensive Family Preservation programme.
Also, the Brangman Home and Observatory
Cottage have marginally increased gasoline and elec-tricity budgets , respectively , to bring into alignment with
historical spending.
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry
Hon. Tinee Furbert: F or fiscal year 2025/26, Mr. Chairman, $176,000 has been budgeted for clothing, uniforms and laundry expenses.
This is a $5,000, or 3 per cent , decrease that is
attributed to the Brangman Home redirecting funding
from their clothing budget to finance increased gasoline
costs, as mentioned.
Mat
erials and Supplies
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the estimate for
Materials and Supplies for fiscal year 2025/26 is
$512,000, representing a $136,000, or 36 per cent , increase over the 2024/25 budget allocation. Two- thirds
of this increase is due to the rising costs to provide chil-dren’s meals within the Happy Valley Child Care Cen-tre, as well as for residents within the Brangman Home,
Observatory Cottage and Independent Living programmes.
The remaining one- third of the increase is explained by additional funding needed for office sup-plies, stationery, printing and cleaning supplies across the various programmes; and the Independent Living programme has also budgeted more for linen and toi-letries for residents.
Equipment (Minor Capital)
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, minor equipment
expenses have been allocated $111,000 for fiscal year 2025/26, an increase of $83,000 over fiscal year 2024/25. The increase highlights an administrative er-ror as these monies are earmarked for spending on contracted security services at the Independent Living programme, and not security equipment. The necessary change will be made to the budget.
Other Expenses
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget for
Other Expenses increased by $25,000 for fiscal year
2025/26. This increase will support a new social sector
initiative funded by the Administration section for a Hardship Support fund for families facing a financial cri-sis, i.e., those having insufficient money to cover the
costs of food, medication, or utility bills.
The fund seeks to provide immediate assistance to people, pending being assessed by the De-partment of Financial Assistance, or for those who may not be eligible for financial assistance.
Grants and Contributions
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the amount allocated for G rants and C ontributions for fiscal year
2025/26 is $685,000, representing a $451,000, or
40 per cent reduction in funding from fiscal year 2024/25. As shown on page C -21, grants awarded to
Teen Services and Teen Haven (shown as Grant to YHED) have decreased by $375,000, since these grants have been transferred over to the Ministry Head-quarters. Also, the grant for the Multi -Agency Risk Assessment Committee (MARAC) has been reduced by
$76,000, as a s ocial worker (Domestic Liaison) post
has been created within Family Preservation, to provide these services. The remaining amount budgeted for MARAC will be spent on Domestic Abuse Aware-ness activities.
Revenue Summary ( Page B -299)
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year
2025/26, Revenue for nursery fees earned by the
Happy Valley Child Care Centre is estimated to be on par with the 2024/25 estimate. Additional earnings of
$33,000 are anticipated to be collected by the Independent Living programme in respect of residential fees from clients.
Employee Numbers (Full -Time Equivalents)


Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, on page B -300 you
will note that there are 117 full -time equivalent positions
for the Department of Child and Family Services for fiscal year 2025/26. This is an increase of 11 full -time
equivalents compared to fiscal year 2024/25. The increase is explained by the addition of nine funded temporary additional posts budgeted for the new community-based, intensive model of intervention, Intensive
Family Preservation programme, operating under the
Family Preservation section.
The temporary additional posts include one
Social Worker , Domestic Liaison; three Social Worker
Assistants; four Social Workers ; one Clinical Social
Worker ; and one Behavioural Support Specialist. In addition, one Youth and Community Engagement Officer post has been fully funded for the Mirrors programme,
and one temporary additional Social Worker post com-plements the Foster Care team.
It should also be noted that during November
2024, the department completed a realignment of its positions relative to the approved organ isational structure. This resulted in some positions being moved to
other business units, and thus accounts for the remaining differences shown on page B -300.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes our presentation
for Head 23, t he Department of Child and Family Services. At this time, I extend my sincere gratitude to all
the dedicated staff within the department for their unwavering commitment to the children and families of
Bermuda. Though often unrecognised, their impact is
undeniable.

And for the listening audience, we are
in the Committee of Supply for further consideration of
the budget for the country which is currently doing Head
86 . . . and Head 23 has just been completed by the
Minister for Child and Family Services. We will be going
into Head 55. This is a four -hour debate. We have
done, roughly, just about three of those four hours. We
have roughly 55 minutes left. This is being piloted
through the House of Assembly by Minister Tinee
Furbert.
Minister Tinee Furbert, you have the floor.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

HEAD 55 —DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now present
the Estimates of Expenditure and R evenue for Head
55, the Department of Financial Assistance, which can
be found on pages B -305 t hrough B-307.
Mr. Chairman, the role of the Department of Financial Assistance [DFA] is to ensure that individuals
with insufficient financial resources have access to services to gain, maintain, or regain a minimum standard
of living while encouraging personal and economic independence. The services enable the individual to maintain dignity and self -worth and encourage the development of personal skills and resources.
The mission of the Department of Financial Assistance is found on page B -304 and is , To assist vulnerable Bermudians to maintain a minimum standard
of living during challenging economic times.

Categories of Financial Assistance Awards

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Financial Assistance is intended to assist with partial or full financial
awards, in accordance with legislation, for items such
as: food, rent, r est and nursing home fees, medication,
utilities, home care and child day care. Approval for financial assistance is based on proven need, and a
“means test ” will assess the basic needs for a household to sustain monthly obligations either in whole or in
part. Eligible and qualified clients on financial assistance, child day care allowance and the short -term relief benefit are categori sed in one of six categories:
• Pensioners
• Disabled
• Earnings Low Employed
• Abled- Bodied and Unemployed
• Child Day Care Allowance
• Short -Term Relief Benefit
As of February 2025, the largest category of
persons in need of financial assistance are p ensioners,
representing 53 per cent of total persons in receipt of
financial assistance. The next highest categories are
persons with d isabilit ies at 36 per cent . Persons employed with i nsufficient earnings is at 7 per cent, followed by a ble-bodied unemployed persons at 4 per
cent. Approximately 258 children were supported under
the Child Day Care Allowance Programme during the same period.
Mr. Chairman, the monthly average number of
new application submissions from the public currently stands at 50. The vetting process for each new application is meticulous, and officers in the d epartment adhere to a turnaround timeframe of approximately two to
three weeks from the time of receipt of each new application to completion of the vetting process. Whilst vetting new applications, the d epartment continues to successfully service all existing eligible financial assis-tance and child day care allowanc e clients without interruptions.

Department Objectives

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the department's
objectives can be found on page B -304, with legislation
steering the core operational and financial activities of
the department. The General Summary of e xpenditure
for the department is shown on page B -305.
Mr. Chairman, the total expenditure for the financial assistance programme in 2025/26 is $56,030,000. This budget allocation covers
776 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly expenditures for business unit 65050, Grants Administration and business unit 65080, General Administration.
Business unit 65050, Grants Administration,
has a budget allocation of $51,289,000, an increase of $1,646,000, or 3 per cent more than in 2024/25.
The Grants Administration funding covers the
social assistance and Child Day Care Allowance programmes as shown on page C -21. A total of
$48,789,000 will be used to maintain the financial as-sistance programme and the short -term relief benefit
programme. This is an increase of 3 per cent or
$1,246,000 from the prior year. This increase is neces-sary to accommodate changes to legislation that will result in increases to client payouts.
A total of $2,500,000 will fund the C hild Day
Care Allowance programme. This is an increase of
19 per cent , or $400,000 from the prior year. This increase will also support increased child day care allow-ance payouts due to legislative changes.
Mr. Chairman, the total budget for 2025/26 for
business unit 65080, General Administration, found on
page B -305 is $4,741,000. This is an increase of
$263,000, or 6 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, in its operational activities, the
department continues to be guided by [ the practices of]
the National Association of Social Workers when managing relationships with financial assistance clients. In addition, the department collaborates with other licensed and accredited entities to provide supportive services such as health care assessments, psycholog-ical and psychiatric assessments, substance use disor-der assessments and care placements. During fiscal year 2024/25, the department made strides in fortifying these collaborations, which will be explained further in
this brief.
Mr. Chairman, the department will continue to
collaborate with the d epartment of Information and Digital Technology on the introduction of digital forms for
persons making an application for financial assistance.
The intent is to connect the public service with the people of Bermuda through comprehensive, secure, and
accessible digital forms. Modern, innovative, digital technology facilitates internal efficiency and effective-ness and mobile working conditions. It is hoped that data gathering and repor ting is expected to be less onerous in the very near future. This will improve the department’s data analytics function and risk manage-ment.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s compliance
process facilitates the investigative, legislative, finan-cial, and operational sections of the department to identify and prevent areas of potential fraud, abuse of the
financial assistance system and overpayments to cli-ents. Improvements can be measured by a more effi-cient turnaround of case referrals to Attorney General Chambers , random audit of client cases to detect any
areas of concern , identifying red flags of possible fraud
during assessments , and deploying preventative measures to manage the cost of awards per legislation and budgetary constraints.
Performance Measures
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Performance
Measures for the d epartment can be found on page B -
307. They demonstrate the achievement of public value to a vulnerable population group and are deliberately concise and precise. The focus is on measuring out-comes from the department objectives and other business improvements to better articulate the ability of the
department in achieving effectiveness and service delivery. The d epartment’s performance measures are as
follows:
Reduce Recoverable Debt f rom Prior Year
Hon. Tinee Furbert: This allows the department to
eliminate waste and control budgeted amounts by effectively dealing with financial assistance fraud, reduc-ing abuse of the system and overpayment of funds. The original forecast for 2024/25 was to reduce recoverable
debt by 15 per cent from the prior year, and the revised
forecast remains the same. The investigative officers
remain committed to continuing their collaboration with Attorney General Chambers in the pursuit of legal re-course.
Reduce the N umber of “A ble-Bodied” and/or “ Earnings Low” C lients from P rior Y ear
Hon. Tinee Furbert: The department provides a financial assistance award foundation that allows able- bodied unemployed, and earnings -low clients to become
employed and employable without losing all financial
assistance benefits. This has led to clients becoming employed, financially independent, and not dependent on financial assistance. Collaboration with the Depart-ment of Workforce Development has proven to be successful, whereby the use of personal employment
plans encouraged clients’ participation in employment opportunities that led to avenues for recipients to be-come financially independent.
The original and revised forecast for 2024/25
was based on the hope that with continual review and
formulation of strategy, 10 per cent of clients that fall
under the categories of able- bodied [unemployed] and
earnings low, at fiscal year -end, will have been transitioned out of financial assistance and into sustainable
work with independent living conditions. At the time of writing this brief, the actual outcome was 18 per cent ,
which is an increase of 8 per cent more than the original
forecast for 2024/25. With continued collaboration with the Department of Workforce Development, the target outcome for 2025/26 is anticipated at 20 per cent.
Reduce Number of Legitimate Client Complaints
from Prior Year

B ermuda House of Assembly Hon. Tinee Furbert: This is aimed at improving service
quality. The department addresses legitimate complaints via direct conversations with clients or in writing,
and in many instances, issues are raised either at the departmental level or directed towards the Minister’s office. Responses are provided in an efficient, fact -
based, and timely manner without compromising pro-fessionalism. The original and revised forecast for fiscal year 2024/25 was a 50 per cent reduction of reported
legitimate client complaints. This revised forecast was achieved, and the department will be benchmarked
against a 75 per cent target for 2025/26. The department will continue to reinforce a work ethic of customer centricity and aimed at delivering consistent and professional service standards towards the delivery of ex-cellence, at both the front end and back end, consistently and professionally.
Reduce Number of Review Board Appeals
from Prior Year
Hon. Tinee Furbert: A Financial Assistance Review
Board is appointed to hear appeals against the director’s decisions to
•refuse application for an award,
•impose special conditions on an award,
•suspend in whole or in part an award,
•vary an award ,
•to revoke an award, or
•require repayment of any sum of money as per
legislation.
This performance measure is aimed at improving the overall administration of the Financial Assistance Act, the r egulations and policy. The reduction in
the number of legitimate client complaints led to a positive correlation, which resulted in only two registered
appeals in 2024/25, compared to four from the prior
year. In both cases, the Review Board supported the decision taken by the director. The target outcome for
2025/26 is anticipated to remain at 50 per cent reduction.
Capital Expenditure
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the total capital expenditure for fiscal year 2025/26 is estimated at $4,000, as shown on page C -16. This expenditure pertains to
capital acquisition and will fund three l aptops to be
shared by the senior leadership and the financial assis-tance teams in documenting findings while working in
the field.
Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, t he Subjective
Analysis is found on page B- 305 and explains the
breakdown in expenditure for business unit 65080 ,
General Administration as follows: Salaries
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, a total of
$4,175,000 will fund Salaries during fiscal year
2025/26, an increase by $402,000, or 11 per cent compared to 2024/25. This is attributed to the recently ne-gotiated salary and wage collective bargaining agreement and the department’s funding three vacant positions discussed under the Manpower section.
Training
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, training funded at
$12,000 increased by $4,000, or 50 per cent , compared to the prior fiscal year. This increase is necessary to facilitate staff training.
Communications
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Communications
costs increased by $2,000 or by 15 per cent attributed
to an increase in the cost of telephone installation and setup for vacant positions that will be filled in this year.
Professional Services
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Professional Services funded at $300,000 decreased by $173,000 , or
37 per cent. This decrease is due to a reduction in hiring local consultants.
Repair and Maintenance
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, funding for R epair
and Maintenance increased by $8,000, or by 18 per
cent. This increase covers higher software maintenance and office equipment repair and maintenance costs.
Mat
erials and Supplies
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the funding for materials and supplies increased by $10,000, or by 7 per
cent. This increase is due to anticipated higher operat-ing expenditures for printing, office supplies and office cleaning.
Minor Equipment
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the increased expenditure for minor equipment of $10,000 will fund the replacement of office furniture and fixtures.
Manpower (Page B -306)
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the total full -time
equivalent count is 41 positions compared to 38 positions in 2024/25. The department will fund three positions this year, which include an a ccounts officer to support both the short-term relief programme and handle
778 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly the increase in accounting transactions due to the rise
in the number of clients receiving financial assistance.
Investigations
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, as a summary of
the department’s investigative work to reduce fraudulent activity, officers continue to conduct investigations and pursue individuals or entities that commit fraud and abuse of the F inancial Assistance system. The following three cases are based on actual occurrences and are provided to inform the public on the nature of fraud
and abuse committed by persons who receive financial
assistance .
Case Study 1: Pertains t o Fraud Committed Due t o
Unauthori sed Travel
Hon. Tinee Furbert: In 2024, the subject, who was
deemed medically unfit to work received financial as-sistance to help with monthly household expenses. The financial assistance awards that were granted con-sisted of payments for rent, insurance and food items.
When the subject’s reassessment was due, which allows the department to determine continued eligibility for financial assistance, the subject was notified via post to submit the required reassessment documenta-tion. However, the subject failed to submit the requested reassessment documentation despite repeated reminders. The d epartment officers then conducted a home visit to check on the subject’s wellbeing;
however, the subject could not be located. Subsequent travel checks revealed that the subject had left the Island without notifying the Department of Financial As-sistance, in accordance with legislative requirements.
Therefore, the subject continued to receive financial assistance payments while not residing in Bermuda. This case was referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers to recover any overpayments.

For the listening audience we are on
. . . there is probably about 35 minutes left in a four -
hour debate. This is being piloted through the House of Assembly by Minister Tinee Furbert. We are currently on Head 55, Financial Assistance.
Minister Furbert, you have the floor.
Case Study 2: Pertains t o Fraud Committed Due t o
Unreported Employment a nd Income
Hon. Tinee Furbert: In 2024, the subject, was categorised as disabled and deemed medically unfit to work
by a physician. Subsequently, the d epartment received
notification that the subject was employed at a local business. The matter was handed over to the department’s compliance unit and the investigative officers in-vestigated this matter. Digital evidence obtained con-firmed that the client was indeed employed and was receiving income that was not disclosed to the department. Based on recent changes made to d epartment ’s legislation, the d epartment is now able to seek
a second medical opinion on this subject to confirm the
occurrence of any fraud. This matter is still under inves-tigation.
Case Study 3: Pertains t o Fraud Due t o Misuse o f
Food Cards
Hon. Tinee Furbert: In 2024, the subject received food
allowance via a department -issued food card. The d epartment was notified by a member of the public that
the subject was exchanging food items purchased via
the food card for cash. An investigation was conducted and digital evidence secured confirmed allegations made against the subject. As a result of repeated abuse of the financial assistance system, penalties were ap-plied to the subject as per legislation.
Mr. Chairman, there are 43 active cases under
investigation due to fraud and abuse of the F inancial
Assistance system. The total reimbursable amount due
to the government for these 43 cases was $329,758. For those cases handled by the Attorney General’s
Chambers, the department ensures all necessary evidence and supporting documents are available for
court proceedings to recoup the funding. Other individ-uals are placed on a feasible repayment plan to recover the funds.
Suspicious activities are brought to the department’s attention via field investigations by investigative officers, the d epartment officers’ observations, internal
findings, and tips from the public. During 2024/25, the department received, on average, nine tips per month.
The department will continue to focus on
standardi sing current procedures and clearly defining
policies that govern operational activities. This process will also aid with the department’s investigative officers
documenting a blueprint for “Financial Assistance Ty-pologies” which can be used in other jurisdictions as a point of reference for identifying patterns and trends of
potential fraudulent activities.
Financial Assistance Social Worker
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Financial Assistance (FA) s ocial workers are committed to improving the d epartment’s social services delivery system.
This is aimed at enhancing living standards and the
overall well -being of financial assistance clients.
Building on process improvement initiatives
that commenced in the prior year 2024/25, the social
workers continued to re- engineer internal processes.
Specifically, the process for the submission of client progress reports by residential mental health treatment facilities was addressed. That is, to ensure continuity of care for clients served, the process for a client’s “step down” to a lesser level of care was efficiently facilitated through discussions and collaborations with the relevant agencies.


Bermuda House of Assembly As part of its mandate, and given that Bermuda
has a large ageing population, the Financial Assistance
social workers continue to work collaboratively with the Bermuda Health Council to validate the bed capacity of
each rest and nursing home. Through this collaboration, the Bermuda Health Council initiated their inspections of all rest and nursing homes, w hich are ongoing.
The inspections consider the requirements of the d epartment’s most vulnerable financial assistance clients.

Collaborative Partnerships

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, during the fiscal
year 2024/25, frequent collaborations occurred between the Financial Assistance s ocial workers team,
King Edward Memorial Hospital s ocial workers team,
and Ageing and Disability Services social workers.
Partnership expansions and strengthening efforts continued through ongoing collaborations and more efficient meetings scheduled on a quarterly or biannual basis with respective partners and stakeholders.
The Financial Assistance social workers continue to have a successful collaboration with the Salvation Army to support clients with housing challenges
and participate in the Drug Treatment Court and Driving
Under the Influence Court to facilitate interagency collaboration. The d epartment also partners with other
agencies such as Dignity House, which is a residential
mental health rehabilitation facility and Focus Counselling Services, which is a residential treatment facility
that provides substance abuse d isorder, [addiction and
recovery support. ]

Case Referrals

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, workflow trends
continue to be highly concentrated on case conferences, case discussions, and individual counselling.
Overseas medical transfers for financial assistance clients averaged between two to four per month, with
longer stays due to more acute medical conditions and
subsequent care being required. The Financial Assistance social workers' pre- screen support continues as
a mechanism to facilitate the application process, spe-cifically for pensioners and individuals w ith disabilities.

Community Outreach and Support

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Officers in the Department work collaboratively with several Government ministries, departments, quangos and agencies to
strengthen community partnerships and to ensure support for their clients. These include:
• Presentations to the Bermuda Housing Corporation and Focus Counselling Services enabling them to understand the department’s
mandate.
• Conducting site visits to rest and nursing homes throughout the fiscal year to survey each of the facilities and make sure that Finan-cial Assistance clients are served in safe and healthy environments, and receive the appropriate services and programming, and quality
care.
• Liaising with the Department of Education to
facilitate the transfer of 3- year-old children in
receipt of child day care allowance into the preschool Bright Start Programme offered in the
Government’s preschools.
• Working with the Department of Parks to provide health insurance coverage for participants
in their Skills Development Programme which
is intended to provide hands -on skills and the
enhancement of knowledge to help FA clients
secure employment and reduce dependency
on financial assistance.
During 2024/25, the Department of Financial
Assistance also purchased school clothing and shoes
from various Bermuda retail stores and distributed
them to FA parents before the start of the 2024/25
school year.

Legislative Changes

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, in June 2024, the
introduction of the Financial Assistance (Short -Term
Relief Benefit) Act 2024 came into effect. The purpose
of this legislation is to provide immediate financial support on a short -term basis to persons who qualify in the
event of experiencing sudden financial hardship due to
unforeseen circumstances.
This Short -Term Relief Benefit programme is
not intended to be long- term, but rather short -term financial support to persons who qualify by providing $1,500 per month for a maximum period of three
months in any given financial year. For the nine months
the programme has been offered, a total of $20,000 has
been paid out to persons due to termination from em-ployment and domestic violence.
Mr. Chairman, the Financial Assistance Regulations 2004 were amended to add an expenditure line
item for Personal Care Allowance in the Table of Allowable Expenses to provide a monthly Personal Care Allowance of $100 to all Financial Assistance clients who
reside in licensed rest homes and nursing homes. This
legislation became effective in February 2025 and allows for the purchase of personal care and health care
goods and services, such as toiletries and grooming
services.
Roughly, 229 FA clients will receive the $100
personal care allowance, of which 195 clients are pen-sioners and 34 clients are persons with a disability. The
department is now working through compliance issues
that must be addressed before the first payout is made
this month of May.
Mr. Chairman, the staff at the Department of
Financial Assistance continues to demonstrate professionalism and commitment to support disadvantaged
780 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly and vulnerable Bermudians. For this, I continue to recognise and applaud the hard work and dedicated ac-tions demonstrated by this department.
Mr. Chairman, that ends my presentation on
Head 55, the Department of Financial Assistance and for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors.

Okay. Thank you very much.
First off, I want to thank the Minister for a very
comprehensive brief today. Certainly, listening to her brief and some of the research I did in preparation for
today . . . it is amazing the depth and breadth and
scope of the work that this Ministry’s does for the good of our community and its well -being. I am just grateful
to everyone who participates in that , and I am particularly grateful for the people who are on the frontline 24/7 working in crisis situations. There must be days where there is great joy and there must be days where there
is great sorrow and much concern for people who you want to help that maybe are becoming more difficult to help. So, keep up the good work. And thank you so
much for the work you do.
We don’t have a lot of time here for questions
today, so I did want to sort of move along. So actually,
I will direct my questions to section C, the capital accounts estimates , in particular [page] C -8 line item
75093, the Seniors Day Care Facility. I note that the
total authorised figure (or TAF) is $6 million, and $1.5
million has been estimated for 2025/26. Could the Minister please provide some information on what each of these figures entails? In other words, what can we ex-pect is going to happen in 2025 and then going forward? That is my question. Okay?
I do have another question in relation to section
C, and that is [pages] C -27 and C -28. It is Schedule C,
and it is the Government Department Accommodation
Rental list. There are obviously a number of Youth, Social Development and Seniors property rentals listed on
that Schedule and they cover a wide range of services
that are quite self -explanatory. I do however note that
the office rental space for the Ministry is amongst the most expensive on that l ist. Specifically, Veritas Place
and Customs House on Front Street. These two rentals are considerably above the next most costly items on
that listing, and I do have a couple of questions relat ed
to them.
The first being, on page C -28, the Ministry of
Youth, Social Development and Seniors, and that is
Heading 86, Headquarters, is listed as occupying the fourth and fifth floors of Veritas Place at an annual cost
of $656,971 for one floor and $165,031 for another floor, respectively. I believe that, for the record and the
Budget Book , that the Ministry is actually occupying the
fifth and sixth floors and not the third and fourth. So,
you may want to have a correction there. But I do ques-tion why one floor costs so much more than the other. In fact, it is $491,940 more expensive from floor to floor.
And still on that same topic, on page [C -]26, the
Legislature is listed as renting the third and fourth floor of Veritas House for the House of Assembly, at $84,800 and an office for the Legislature at $98,980. My ques-tion is, Why is the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors paying so much considerably more
than the Legislature? And those are being, as I mentioned earlier, $656,971—

For clarification, but if that is not necessary that is fine. Okay?
So those are my questions as they relate to
section C. And I would like to then go back to . . . to go
to section B. And on page B -292 of the Current Account
Estimates, there is a $515,000 increase in Professional Services and I was wondering if the Minister could please provide some details on what that increase co-vers.
On page B -294, the Performance Measures,
business unit 96000, General Administration. The first line item. The Ministry forecasts two compliance re-views in 2024/25 but completed one and has again tar-geted two for 2025/26. My question is, What are the compliance reviews being referred to here? In other


Bermuda House of Assembly words, what is the subject matter of the compliance reviews? What aspect of compliance?
Continuing on in Performance Measures, business unit 96040, Ageing and Disability Services. The
third line item in that section, Accessibility Assessments, in 2023/24 there were 37, but this service was
discontinued in 2024/25 and there is no estimate for
this in 2025/26. My question is, What was that service
and why was it discontinued?
Continuing on in Performance Measures, business unit 96040, Ageing and Disability Services. The seventh line down, Percentage of Senior Abuse Cases,
opened after three months. We have gone from 48 per
cent in 2023/24 to a forecast of 30 per cent for 2024/ 25,
which was revised to 40 per cent and now is back to a
lower target of 30 per cent. And my question is, Why is
this target lower than it has been?
Performance Measures, business unit 96050,
K. Margaret Carter Centre, fourth line down, to increase the number of community initiatives and stake-holder relationships. While the measure is increasing, the target for 2025/26 is actually decreased from 14 to
12. Perhaps that is an oversight, but I am just asking
for clarification on that.
Continuing on with Performance Measures
page B -295, business unit 96100, Youth Community
Centres. The second line down. Projected number of
community enrichment programme participants per annum. Original forecast was 900 for 2024/25 which was
revised to 988. And the target for 2025/26 is again 900.
My question is, What caused the increase? (Which is
great.) And why hasn’t the 2025/26 target been revised to target that higher number? Under Head 23, Child and Family Services,
which includes services to children and young persons,
services to individuals and families, residential treat-ment, administration and the Mirrors programme. On
page [B -]298, business unit 2302, Services to Indivi duals and Families. The overall budget of $6.9 million has
been reduced by $37,000 with Investigation and
Screening having been reduced by $267,000 which is
considerable. While Foster Care has a considerable in-crease of $288,000 and I was wondering if the Honour-able Minister could please shed some light on the reason for the shift in those two areas and what that is telling us.
On page B -299, the Salary estimate of $11.9
million is an increase of $1.69 million, or 16 per cent,
over 2024/25 and $2.3 million more than 2023/24. Could the Minister please explain the increase from year to year and the growth from 2023/24 to this curr ent
2025/26 estimate?
Also, the estimate for Professional Services on
that same page, B -299, is down from $175,000, or
4 per cent, from the 2024/25 estimate of $4.1 million
and more in line with the 2024/25 revised estimate but it is still a large number of $3.9 million. And my question
is, What is included in those professional services and what does the Minister see is the trend there going forward?
On page B -300, the number of employees servicing Child and Family Services is estimated to in-crease by 11 per cent , and it appears that a majority of
those are in the business unit 33060, Family Preservation. I was wondering if the Minister could please explain the nature of those additions.
On page B-[301], under Child and Family Services, Performance Measures, under business unit 33010, Happy Valley Child Care Centre, there is a per-formance measure target at 100 per cent for a minimum of 85 per cent of children to receive set developmental and educational milestones. And I am wonder-ing if the Minister could please provide some examples
of what those milestones might include. Thank you.
Also, in that same business unit, Happy Valley
Child Care Centre, Satisfaction with services: Referral
sources. The target has been lowered from 100 per
cent to 95 per cent. What is the actual performance being measured? I wasn’t clear. And why was it reduced?
Under business unit 33020, Investigation and
Screening, Number of children abuse referrals re-sponded to in the designated response lines. I am not
actually sure what the designated response lines
means. Perhaps we could have some insight into that.
And also try to understand what is the relevance of a
90 per cent performance target in that category .
Under business unit 33070, Brangman Home,
which I believe serves female residents between the
ages of 12 and 18. Performance measure for Number
of adolescents successfully transitioning out of Brangman Home and reintegrating into the family unit/permanent placement. It was wonderful to see that the revised
forecast was considerably higher than the original
2024/25 forecast. In fact, it was revised upwards from
50 per cent to 80 per cent. And the 2025/26 forecast is
for 90 per cent. So that is super encoura ging. That is
40 per cent in the right direction. What does the Minister believe has contributed to this success? Because it
is a great success, or it appears to be.
Page B -303, continuing under Child and Family Services and Performance Measures. Now this is an
observation and a question from somebody who is really going through this for the first time. But page B -302,
business unit 33090, Observatory Cottage, which I believe is the male equivalent of Brangman Home that services [females]. I note that the performance measures are different there with the measurements
for Observatory Cottage being on things like
timeframes for assessments, plans and group ses-sions. Whil e the performance measures for the Brangman Home speaks more to the outcomes, things like average cost of service, number of clients with educa-tional plans and successful transition out of the home.
Would the Minist ry consider aligning the performance
measure of Observatory Cottage with Brangman
Home ? I just think it would provide much more information and would align those two.
782 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Under business unit 33100, the Psycho- Educational programme which provides overseas therapeutic services. The second item says to ensure 100 per cent of families receive a minimum of three follow-up visits by a social worker per month for a minimum of six months at the completion of the reunification
plan. The performance measure for this has remained
consistent at 80 per cent. My question is, Why is that
80 per cent ? And if you are getting there, why not try to
push it a little further?
The next line item under business unit 33100,
Number of clients receiving overseas assessments. The measurements are in the original forecast of
100 per cent for 2024/25 with a revised estimate of
30 per cent for 2024/25 and a target of 30 per cent for
2025/26. My question is, What is this actually measur-ing? And perhaps more informative information might be the number of clients receiving this service.
Business unit 33110, Youth Residential Treatment. The first line item to achieve and maintain 100 per cent compliance with the Child Act 1998 and
the Children Amendment Act 2000 the performance measure target here is consistently 90 per cent. I am
questioning why, particularly, it is adherence to the Act. It is not shooting and targeting 100 per cent.
Under business unit 33140, Mirrors programme, the performance measurement for Education status and non- offending status after two years of involvement in the programme is very impressive at
90 [per cent] and 95 per cent, respectively. However,
the status with respect to employment is somewhat
concerning; it is 50 per cent with a 2025/26 target of
55 per cent. My question is, Why is the performance in terms of enablement to get employment so low and why is the target not pushing a little harder?
Under Financial Assistance, page B- 305 under
Expenditures. I note that the estimate for 2025/26 is $5.6 million. That is an increase of $1.9 million from 2024/25. My question is, What is actually driving that estimate? Where does the Ministr y see that trending?
Those are my questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just have two questions which speak to all
three heads. What is being done regarding Mediation Services? Because I know that was a key component of the work that the Department of Child and Family
Services was doing before .
And the second one is, Seeing that the Cross
Ministry Intervention Team [CMIT] was mentioned as a
Throne Speech initiative to address the criminogenic risk needs and adverse charge or hold experiences to-wards putting the services in place so that families and
children will get the requisite service, I didn’t see any mention of that in the [Budget] Book itself, and I thought that was a bit unusual. Thank you.

Thank you, MP King.
Is there anybody else who would like to speak
to Heads 86, 23 or 55?
With none being recognised, Minister, would
you like to take the remaining . . . what it looks like to
be seven minutes to provide some answers?
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just want to start with the last question that
was in my head in regard to the question around CMIT. You would hear in our reporting in regard to CMIT, we changed the name from CMIT to Intensive Family Preservation, and I spoke about that a number of times
within my budget brief.
Is that clear? Yes?

Clear enough.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Okay.
I will go to the question in regard to the rental
accommodation particularly for the Ministry Headquar-ters and the Office of Youth Affairs which occupies the Ministry Headquarters on the sixth floor and the Office Youth Affairs which occupies the fifth fl oor and also has
the basement area for storage.
That is an error in the Budget Book. I ma de that
very clear. It is an error in the Budget Book. The actual cost for the sixth floor, in the Budget Book it says fourth floor, which we all know is for the Legislative Offices. Our floor is actually the sixth floor , and that cost is
$97,773 per year. And the fifth floor is $101,949 per year. And again, that is inclusive of the basement level
for storage as well.
Okay. There was a question in regard to the
Mirrors . . . a question in regard to an increase in employees in 33060. This is due to the social initiative the
Intensive Preservation, Family Preservation. There was a question around why the numbers have gone up.
It is because we are including new staff level s to the
Intensive Family Preservation programme.
There was question in regard to the percentage of senior abuse cases open ed every three months,
target is lower. Why is it lower for 2025/26? This is due
to the introduction of the new Structured Decision- making Tool and planned changes to the investigation practices.
There was a question in regard to the Senior
Day Care Facility cost. We did budget $1.5 million for fiscal year 2025/26. These are estimated costs that
were provided by the Ministry of Public Works. However, this is an initial rough estimate. However, the es-timate will be updated to a Class B estimate once the
construction drawings are complete. Total cost pro-jected of approximately $6 million under Projected cost for all construction and finished works. And this is inclusive of preliminary and contingency costs. So the $1.5


Bermuda House of Assembly [million] is an estimation. And I am not saying we are
going to use all $1.5 million for the architectural draw-ings and plannings for the Seniors Day Care Facility. There was a question in regard to the accessibility consultations and assessments, why they were discontinued. This is due to the post being vacant. The
person who fulfilled that post had retired and the role of
accessibility assessment has now been moved to the
Department of Planning who is taking on that role. So
that role is now not within the Ministry. It is now with the
Department of Planning.
There is a question in regard to the revised estimate of 988 and this is for the Community Enrichment
Programme courses, page B -295. This is due to the unforeseen community partnerships that afforded additional courses to be facilitated. Therefore, it was reduced back to 900 as this reflects the 30 community
enrichment programmes at a minimal of 10 participants
required for each community centre to reach annually.
There was a question in regard to the Brangman Home asking for the Minister’s consideration of alignment . . . let’s see. Sorry, I will come back to that
answer.
There was a question in regard to the professional services in page B -299 which includes services
for the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme that I spoke about in the media, as well as monies to advance the implementation of the National Senior Strategy. A
question in regard to the Community Partnership for
KMCC having decreased in the projected year of
2025/26 from 2024/25. The KMCC programme has recently undergone a strategic restructure to reprioritise
long-term mutually beneficial community partnershi ps
over a one- off or infrequent interactions Additionally,
KMCC is undergoing a period of significant transition
with the expansion of programmes with new areas of the programmes being developed to create additional
opportunities in other areas that will benefit clients.
In regard to referrals for investigations and assessment teams, they are assigned a designated response time of 24 hours, 5 days or 10 days utilising the
structured decision- making tool. And the performance
measure is to initiative the investigations 90 per cent of
the time based on the designation.

[Crosstalk]
Hon. Tinee Furbert: The Mediation Services, I can answer that question really quickly.

It has been moved that Heads 86, 23
and 55 be approved as printed.
Are there any objections?
If there are no objections, approved.
[Gavel]

[Motion carried: The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, Heads 86, 23 and 55 were approved
and stand part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2025/26.]

[Pause]
[Mr. Scott Pearman, Chairman]

Good afternoon, Honourable Members
and members of the listening public.
We are in the Committee of Supply for the review of Estimates and Expenditures for budget year
2025/26 and we are just concluding the debate in relation to the budget for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors.
We are about to commence the debate with the
Minister of Tourism [and Transport], Culture and Sport.
And I am just waiting for the relevant Minister to get
himself ready to address the Chamber.
I see the Honourable Minister, Owen Darrell.
Are you ready, Minister?

Hon. Owen Darrell: Not yet.

Perfect. While you are getting ready,
let me just say we will in this debate be covering the
various heads, which are Heads 71, 20, 30 [sic] and 52.
And in relation to Head 71, I understand that there was discussion between the Minister and the Opposition about how that would focus not on the issue of tourism
but on the issue of sports in relation to Head 71. And I
understand that has all been agreed and directed by
the [Deput]y] Speaker.
So, just to repeat: We will be hearing statements and questions in relation to Head 71, but solely in relation to Sport and then Heads 20, 30 [sic] and 52.
Minister, if you are ready, you have the floor.
784 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND
TRANSPORT, CULTURE AND SPORT
Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good
afternoon to the listening public.
Mr. Chairman, I move that the following Head
20, Sport and Recreation; Head 52, Department of Culture be now taken under consideration.

Thank you. Please continue.
HEAD 20 —DEPARTMENT OF SPORT AND
RECREATION
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, it gives me great
pleasure to present the budget for Head 20, the Depart-ment of Sport and Recreation, found on pages B -237
through B -242 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure book. This budget invests in the growing participation supporting elite athletes and ensuring our community clubs and programmes continue to thrive.
Mr. Chairman, the mission statement found on
page B -237 of the Department of Sport and Recreation
is, to foster a vibrant sport and recreation culture in Bermuda by increasing participation, achieving regional excellence and ensuring equitable access to sports and recreational facilities. Through collaboration we aim to inspire and develop young talent, promote community
well-being and elevate the value of sports and recreation in our society.
Mr. Chairman, a total of $9,948,000, as found
on page B -239 of the Estimates Book has been allocated for this head. This represents an increase of $1,630,000, or 19 per cent higher from previous years.
This change is primarily due to a transfer in Government golf courses and the Bermuda School Sport Fed-eration to this head.
Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation of business unit, 30045, General Administration, is $991,000.
An increase of $124,000, or approximately 14 per cent.
This increase covers the cost of rent of the caretaker’s
house on Government islands. The allocated funds provide for the administration operations of the Depart-ment of Sport and Recreation Headquarters.
In addition, the Administration section provides
administrative support for five programmes within the department and is responsible for monitoring depart-mental spending to ensure that policies and procedures are adhered to in achieving efficiency and eff ectiveness.
Programme 2002, Sport Development Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the Sports Programme Unit is operated through business unit 30055. The budget allocation is $658,000, an increase of $206,000, or approximately 46 per cent increase. This
increase represents an additional staff member ob-tained through the transfer of the Bermuda School
Sports Federation administrator to the department. The
increase also reflects funding allocated for continued implementation of the ACTIVE Kid Sports Programme Academy which exposes young children to multiple sports. This initiative is Goal 1.2 of the National Sports Policy. Funding is also allocated for the organisation of
a sports conference and expo which will feature overseas professionals who have provided sports educa-tion for athletes, coaches parents and administrators.
This initiative supports Goal 1.3 of the National Sports Policy.
Business Unit 30065, Sports Investment
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
30065, Sports Investment, is dedicated to highlighting how Bermuda Government invests in the community
through sports. In 2022, the National Sports Policy was
updated with a five- year promise to raise the value of
sport with the new vision that sport matters. To assist with the National Sports Policy business unit, 30065, and has been allocated a total of $2,106,000, an in-crease of $12,000 or approximately 1 per cent increase. Funds in this business unit are al located
through the Sports Investment programme which assist National Sports Governing Bodies with funding to de-velop sports through coach education, junior develop-ment and high performance. Twenty -eight sporting
bodies have applied for the funding this year, up from
25 who applied in 2024/25.
Funding in the amount of $125,000 will be provided for the Bermuda Olympic Association, and
$586,000 to the Bermuda Sport Anti -Doping Authority
which is a statutory authority mandated to establish and
enable Bermuda’s athletes to compete internationally
Mr. Chairman, during fiscal year 2025/26, the
Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with
our recognised NS GB's intend to continue on focusing
on all aspects of sports development to ensure National Sports Policy goals and objectives continue to be met.
Programme 23, School Sports Events
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the estimate for
business unit 30025, School Sports Events is $43,000. This is a newly established business unit that represents the allocated funding for school sports in Bermuda. The funding will support the officer responsible for organising and administrating school sports and events throughout the academic year. The value of school sports in Bermuda extends far beyond the play-ing field, Mr. Chairman, offering athletes numerous
benefits to contribute to their personal gr owth,


Bermuda House of Assembly academic success, and overall well -being. The Government is committed to supporting school sports as it
is a critical foundation and it is crucial for Bermuda’s future athletes, helping them to develop their skills, develop their character, and develop the mind- sets
needed to succeed both on and off the field.

Programme 23, Sports Initiatives and Awards
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the estimated
budget for business unit 30030, Athletic Awards is
$410,000, maintaining the same allocation as in fiscal
year 2024/25. This unit funds the elite athletes through
the Bermuda Olympic Association as well as the department’s separate Elite Athlete Sponsorship Initiative
Association and the department’s . . . Additionally, it
provides performance- based rewards through special
grants from the Department of Sport and Recreation
and the Outstanding Performance Incent ive programme. In 2024/25, the department sponsored 31
elite athletes from 14 different sports bodies to assist
with the achievement of their athletic goals. Two of the
year's recipients were our female and male athletes of
the year, Yushae DeSilva- Andrade as well as Jack Harvey. (I thought you would give a clap there.)

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Owen Darrell: The sport of swimming, Mr. Harvey is from and Yushae DeSilva- Andrade —
[Desk thumping]

Hon. Owen Darrell: —is the sport of boccia. Yushae
placed fourth in the Paralympics Games in Paris and
won silver in the World Boccia Cup. In addition, Jack, from the sport of swimming, qualified for his first -ever
Olympics in Paris where he made the Island proud as he won his heat and finished 39
th overall. Both athletes
made Bermuda proud and we are elated to be part of
their sporting journey.
Mr. Chairman, this business unit also funds the
National Junior Athletic Sponsorship programme which
supports the development of Bermuda’s junior athletes aged 15 to 19. This support aims to develop future elite
athletes who will represent Bermuda at major international events.

Programme 24, Sports Facilities Management

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 30060, Sports Facilities Administration, is $2,640,000. There is an increase of
$1,067,000 over 2024/25 budget allocations and this is
68 per cent. The variance in the budget reflects the
transfer of the Government's public golf courses, Port
Royal and Ocean View, to the Department of Sport and Recreation, coupled with the increase in the operational budget of the National Sports Centre. Business Unit 30075
WMC Preece Softball Diamond

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
30075, the WMC Preece Softball Diamond is allocated $149,000. This funding covers wages of two industrial
staff members and the cost of maintaining and operating the softball diamond.

Business Unit 30080, Joell Tennis Stadium
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
30080, the Joell Tennis Stadium is allocated $462,000. This business unit provides funding for salaries and wages of the workers for the facility, and it's also used
to maintain and operate the facility that houses seven
tennis courts and eight pickleball courts, Mr. Chairman.

Business Unit 30090, Motorsport Park
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
30090, the Motorsport Park, is allocated $8,000. There is no change to this business unit from 2024/25. The
funds are used for insurance, maintenance, and water
to the Motorsport Park.

Business Unit 30390, Sports Community Fields
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
30390, Sports Community Fields, is allocated $47,000. There is no change from last year and the funds for this
unit are allocated for the maintenance and operation of
community fields under the department’s remit. These investments help ensure every Bermudian has a place
to play, has a place to train, has a place to gather in an
open and clean recreation area.

Programme 27, Camping

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for department’s Camping program is $1,015,000, an increase of $44,000, or approximately 5 per cent increase. The budget for Camping on the Government islands breakdown by facility is unchanged from
2024/25. The allocat ed budget for Camping provides
for the staffing operation and administration which includes 10 full -time staff who maintain the facilities and
marine equipment. Last year 96 per cent of our clients
who utilise our Island stated that their overall experience was satisfactory with over 5,000 users participating in safe, affordable camping experiences.

Business Unit 30180, Recreational Programme

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for the Recreational programme, business unit
30180, is $1,419,000, an increase of $95,000, or approximately 7 per cent. This increase aims to assist
working- class parents by alleviating the stress and
786 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly finding safe and affordable summer services for their
children. This funding will increase the number of ob-tainable placements for campers through the Camp Connect Summer Day Camp programme.
Mr. Chairman, this programme typically supported approximately 1,700 school -aged children —
1,700. We can happily report that as a direct result of last year's boost in funding, the programme serviced more than 2,773 children, an increase of 63 per cent.
This further increase in financing should see another
rise in participation of even more school- aged children.
Preliminary [data] shows that we could have up to
4,000 campers this year, Mr. Chairman, in our Summer
Day Camp programme. Approximately 150 part -time
workers deliver this programme supervised by qualified educators. Also on offer is a special needs programme that provides care for children with exceptionalities.
Current Accounts Estimates
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis of current accounts estimates of the Department of Sport and Recreation is found on page B -239. I will
highlight a few of them.
Salaries and wages will see a combined increase of $232,000, or approximately 17 per cent. Representing the transfer of the athletic administrator to the department, uplift in salaries, and incremental salary increase for staff.
Training has also increased by $6,000, or approximately 86 per cent due to staff training requirements and renewals in this upcoming year. This is due to recertification of staff and CPR and first -aid training,
SCARS training, and fire safety training.
Rentals of our facilities has increased by
$116,000, or up 50 per cent due to the addition of caretaker’s rent in this year's budget.
Advertising and promotion for the department
has increased by $9,000, or approximately 64 per cent
for the advertising and promotion of Camp Connect,
ACTIVE Kids, the Sports Expo, and school sports
events.
Grants and contributions have increased by
$1,062,000, or approximately 28 per cent, mainly due
to the addition of a Golf Course Grant to the depart-ment. And this is on page C -20 of the Estimates Book
Manpower. Mr. Chairman, the Department of
Sport and Recreation administers six programmes and 16 business units for which manpower consists of 46 individuals as found on page B -240 of the Estimates
and Expenditure Revenue for fiscal year 2025/26.
Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to report that most
of the department’s forecast performance measures for 2024/25 were achieved. The performance measures for the Department of Sport and Recreation can be found on pages B -241 through B -242.
Business Unit 30030, Athletic Awards Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, this business unit
is responsible for the Athletic Achievement Awards that the department gives out. Thirteen junior athletes from National Sporting Governing Bodies received the Na-tional Junior Athletics Awards with an average of $3,000 awarded to each recipient. This year saw Sam
Williamson and Aiden Kendall become the third recipients of the Flora Duffy Award, where they were awarded $3,000 and $7,000, respectively, towards their pursuits of excellence in the sport of swi mming
and rugby.
Business Unit 30065, Sports Investment Programme
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department requires all National Sports Governing Bodies (N SGBs) to be compliant. To date, 27 N SGBs are recognised by the department [and] 23 recognised N SGBs have received funds
to assist with the development of sports which includes junior programming, coaching, official development, and high performance.
Business Un it 30075, WMC Preece Softball Park
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, this business unit
is responsible for the [WMC] Preece Softball Park where target of 500 participants was reached. This is directly attributed to the continued field improvements. Additionally, introducing youth baseball has made the
facilit y more user -friendly and appealing. We commend
the dedicated staff of the Softball Diamonding and the
Softball Bermuda for their hard work and revitalising softball as a recreational sport of choice in Bermuda.
I would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that I retired
from softball a couple of years ago.
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: I retired, yes.
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: I retired. I tell you . . . they had to
put the fence higher for me.
[
Laughter]
WER Joell Tennis Stadium
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, this business unit
[30080] is responsible for the WER Joell Tennis Sta-dium where average monthly usage has increased up
from 250 to 325 individuals using the facility each
month. This increase was due to the installation of new lights at the facility for courts 1 through 3. And the addition of four pickleball courts.
Business Units 3150, 3160, 3165 and 3170
Camping Facilities


Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, these business
units are responsible for the government Camping Facilities. The number of campers who utilise this facility continues to rise. The programme exceeds the performance target of 2,200 campers to 5,735 campers. The
camping section received an increased request for our
camping facilities often having some facilities sold out
during the first week of application. The department is very pleased to be able to serve the country all year
round by providi ng safe, fun and local recreation areas
especially during the holidays.

Business Unit 3180, Recreational Programme

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, this business unit
is responsible for our recreational programmes. There was an increase in the Government Summer Day Camp participants from 1,600 students to 2,773 students. This increase was due to the rising demand for
affordable, safe camps for students. The user satisfaction rate— I'm going to say this one slowly, Mr. Chairman. The user satisfaction rate of 97 per cent with
98 per cent of users willing to use this programme
again.
Mr. Chairman, from the evidence of our performance measures, the Department of Sport and Recre-ation was able to have a successful year delivering val-uable and very well -received programmes directly to
the community.

Plans for the Upcoming Year

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, in the upcoming
year 2025/26 the Department of Sport and Recreation
will continue to meet our policy goals and objectives
with our National Sports Polic y. As you hear me say
often, Mr. Chairman, sport matters. With the increase of funds allotted this year, we will host a Sports Conference and Expo. This event is designated and designed to bring together athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators as wel l as enthusiasts to promote sports
development and sporting education, and networking.
Mr. Chairman, at our government facilities we
will be starting the process of digital signage on all
properties. The signage will enhance the user experience while allowing users to interact with the content
for a personalised experience. Visual and audio components make information more accessible to individuals with varied needs.
This year the department offered a second
year. The Camp Connect online registration system designed as a one- stop shop [for] parents. Camp Connect
provides a platform to register for Summer Day Camps,
including both public and private options. We welcome
more private camps into the programme this year which
will result in an increased number of participants. Our goal is to continue reducing the wait list for these programmes by expanding partnerships and offering a
broader variety of camps. An exciting feature of Camp Connect is that all camps will be offered at an affordable rate making it easier for families to access quality and affordable, summer programmes. Through Camp
Connect families will benefit from a greater selection of
programmes, ensuring that every child has access to
fun, enriching and budget -friendly summer experiences.
While we continue to strive to meet the needs
of parents during the summer months, it must be
acknowledged, Mr. Chairman, it must be acknowledged, that the demand for camp spaces exceeds our
current capacity, even with the capacity doubling in the
last two years. Our team is actively reviewing all applications. Our team is removing duplicate entries to en-sure that every available space is allocated accurately
and as fairly as possible.
Mr. Chairman, along with the Camp Connect
Programme, we will also provide summer employment
opportunities for young individuals interested in the
child care field. The Summer Day Programm e has
been a cornerstone of our community for over 50 years,
offering valuable experiences that many of our counsellors and specialists carry with them throughout their
careers. This summer we are pleased to offer approximately 150 job opportunities , allowing young people to
gain hands -on experience while contributing to a meaningful and enriching programme.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Sport and
Recreation remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing and achieving the target goals outlined in the N ational Sports Policy. Guided by the principle that sport
matters , we look forward to the upcoming budget cycle
with great anticipation, recogni sing the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for sports in Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, I extend my heartfelt thanks to
the dedicated staff of the D epartment of Sport and R ecreation, their tireless work continues to uplift sports and
recreation across the Island , enriching lives of people
of all ages . I also acknowledge the determination and
achievements of our athletes . Their success inspires
our entire community and motivates the next genera-tion to aim high. Together with our staff , National Sports
Governing Bodies , athletes , community partners , supporters , and swim coaches we are building a stronger
culture of w ellness , pride , and sporting excellence. I
thank them all for their commitment and contribution to
Bermuda’s future.
Mr. Chairman, through the collective efforts of
the department ’s staff, National Sports Governing Bodies, athletes , stakeholders , and most importantly , our
valued supporters , we will continue to cultivate a culture of health, wellness and sportsmanship across the
Island of Bermuda. I deeply appreciate their ongoing
commitment and invaluable contributions to our sporting community .
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the presentation
on the fiscal year 2025/26 on the budgetary allocation
for Head 20, the Department of Sport and R ecreation.
788 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly I move, once okayed by you, to Head 52 which is the
Department of Culture.

Yes. Minister, just before you move on,
let me just flag with you that on page B -238 in relation
to item 2007, C amping, there seemed to be a discrepancy between what the Budget Book states and what
you presented in your brief to the House. It it's not a
huge discrepancy , but I just flag it in case you want to
bottom it out at some future point .
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, thank you. I will ensure that I have a look at that .

T hank you so much, Minister. And
please, feel free now to move to, I believe, Head 52, Department of Culture.
HEAD 52 —DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, thank you.
I now present the fiscal year 2025/ 26 Estimates of E xpenditure for Head 52, the Department of
Culture, which can be found on pages B- 258 through
page B-263 of the Estimates of R evenue and Expenditure Book.
The department's mission is To develop our
creatives , preserve our heritage and celebrate our people. Culture s hapes how we understand ourselves . As
Bermudians , this budget reflects our continued commitment to honouring our heritage, supporting our creatives, and sharing our stories.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Culture administers two programmes and 12 business units . A
general summary is contained on pages B- 259 through
B-260 of the E stimated Revenue and Expenditure for
fiscal year 20 25/26. T he total estimate is $2,497,000 .
This represents an increase of $274,000, or 12 per cent
over the 2024/ 25 original budget of $2,223,000. For the
2025 /26 budget year , the Department of Culture remains committed to fostering Bermuda’s cultural identity and supporting the creative pursuits of our artists
and tr adition bearers . Building on last year's success,
the department will continue to focus on the programmes and initiatives that celebrate and preserve our heritage while also creating opportunities for inno-vation and growth within the cultural sector .
A key focus this year is expanding access to
cultural spaces and resources which will be elaborated upon later in this brief. Additionally, the department will engage Bermuda’s young and old through educational workshops , videos , lectures and cultural programmes
designed to deepen their understanding of Bermuda’s
history and artistic legacy . Platforms showcasing the talents of our dancers , musicians , writers , Gombeys,
visual artists , actors and cultural practitioners will remain a cornerstone of the department's efforts to keep
Bermuda’s culture thriving. This increase reflects our investments in artists , cultural heritage, and national
identity .
Mr. Chairman, I now outline the accomplishments and plans and changes in the estimates for the business units associated with the Department of Cul-ture.
Business Unit 5202, Cultural Affairs
Ho
n. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the total amount
budgeted under the business unit for G rants and O rganisations . That is business unit 62000, Mr. Chairman. Let me go back up a bit . Cultural Affairs, 5202.
Mr. Chairman, the total amount budgeted under this
business unit for financial year 2025/ 26 is $317,000.
This amount reflects an increase of $86,000, or a
37 per cent increase, as compared to the original
budget for fiscal year 2024/25.
In the fiscal year 2024/25, Mr. Chairman, 30 indi
viduals received Bermuda Arts Council [BAC] funding, while 16 organi sations were funded through grants
from the department . The Bermuda Arts Council grant ,
as you see on page C -20 of the R evenue and E xpenditure book , has been increased to $167,000 for financial
year 2025 /26, an increase of $50,000, or 35 per cent.
One of the primary r oles of the Bermuda Arts Council
is to review applications submitted by individual creatives and organi sations for developing artistic projects
and further educating themselves about their craft .
In 2024, BAC awarded $ 70,893 in individual
and organi sational grants and $20,000 in student
scholarships . In the 2024/ 25 financial year , the Bermuda Arts Council awarded grants to a diverse group of creatives and organi sations supporting a wide range
of artistic endeavours . Individual grant recipients included Wendell “Shine” Hayward for free outdoor jazz
concerts celebrating international jazz day . Hana
Bushara for establishing a home studio to begin music
composition. A nd Andrew Stevenson for his film series
documenting humpback whales in Bermuda’s waters .
Additional awardees included Mischa and Gia Fubler
for the creation of a children's book about Bermuda’s
Theatres Boycott. A nd Yesha Townsend for a creative
writing residency at the University of the West Indies .
Organi sations such as TROIKA Bermuda received funding for technical arts training programmes,
while the K aleidoscope Arts Foundation was supported
in hosting a student portfolio class and a final art show .
This year’s grants also enabled projects spanning music, literature, visual arts and film, underscoring the
Council's commitment to nurturing Bermuda's creative
talent and cultural legacy . In addition to the individual
and organi sational grants that were awarded in
2024 /25 fiscal year , the Bermuda Arts Council also
awarded three student scholarships for the total of


Bermuda House of Assembly $20,000. Johnae Tucker is attending the London
School of M usical Theatre, Honor Minors is pursuing
her studies at Boston Conservatory at Berkeley , and
Vidya Cannonier Watson has secured a place at the
Trang Park School for P erforming Arts in the UK .

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Owen Darrell: Cousin in’it.
The Bermuda Arts Council awards took place
in May of 2024, and they honoured six recipients . In
2025 , the Bermuda Arts Council has revolutioni sed its
grant system introducing a digital platform that offers a
more streamlined and accessible process for local creatives aligning with international standards and grant -
giving . These new categories aim to expand opportunities for both emerging and established artists empha-sising accessibility , innovation and artistic growth.
The increase in budget allocated towards the
Bermuda Arts Council for the 2025 /26 financial year is
to support its restructuring process . The department
would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Bermuda Arts Council , particularly the Arts Council C hair.
And what an artist and graphic designer she is , Ms.
Shanna Hollis .
Heritage grants . Mr. Chairman, in addition to
the fine work of the Bermuda Arts Council , the department recogni ses the importance of supporting our tangible cultural heritage. Government plays a vital role in
assisting Bermuda’s museums and cultural institutions .
In the 2024/25 financial year the department awarded
Heritage Grants to the Bermuda Historical Society , Bermuda National Trust , St. George's Historical Society
Museum, the St. David ’s Islanders and N ative Community, Friends of S t. Peter’s C hurch, and Bermuda’s nine
Gombey troupes. These heritage grants totalled
$73,000. The Department of Culture also provided a
grant to the Bermuda National Gallery , in part , for their
stewardship of the Watlington Collection of art owned
by the G overnment of Bermuda, and the National Trust
to assist with the Annual Christmas Walkabouts .

Business Unit 62001 , Administration

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the function of this
business unit is to provide for the administration and
operation of the Department of Culture which is located on the third floor of the Government Administration
Building . Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget for financial year 20 25/26 is $1,127,000, as shown on page B259. This amount reflects an increase of $2 42,000, or
27 per cent, as compared to the original budget of
$885,000 for financial year 2024 /25.
Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget sustains
both programmes and operation including salaries and
wages . The remainder of the budget provides for office
supplies , board fees , website maintenance and telephone services . This budget also provides funding for
the department ’s wide promotion , specifically social media engagement . This increase in this year's administration budget can be largely attributed to salary up-lifts. Furthermore, two new posts were approved within
the department with funding reallocated f rom another
cost centre. T hese new hires will strengthen service delivery , enhance community engagement , expand the
department's internal research capacity , and support
the implementation and growth of a national cultural heritage policy . Additionally , there is an increase in the
budgeted funds for digital media.

Business Unit 62010, E mancipation
and Cultural festivals

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, our total allocation
for this business unit in financial year 2025 /26 is
$67,000. This represents an increase of $22,000 , or
49 per cent, compared to the original budget of $45,000
allocated in the 20 24/25 financial year .
Mr. Chairman, this business unit focuses on
highlighting the contributions of our African, Caribbean,
Azorean , British and S t. David's Island native community, core cultures in alignment with the National Cultural Heritage Policy. Through public events , educational content , and cultural programming these efforts
will reach hundreds of residents and visitors , deepening public understanding of Bermuda’s diverse roots
and fostering greater cultural pride across generations .

The Emancipation Program me

Hon. Owen Darrell: The Department of Culture offers
an annual commemoration of Bermuda’s emancipation. This programme that explores and researches the
history of enslavement and segregation experienced by
“Bermudians of African D escent .” Beyond this commemoration, the initiatives in this programme also celebrate our African roots and Black Bermudian excellence.
The 2024 commemoration signature event was
the fulfilment of the 2023 Throne Speech i nitiative
which proposed producing a film to showcase the rich history , personalities and businesses of Court Street.
That film was called the Heart of the City . It was a documentary and was an extension of this project that was begun by the students at the F amily Centre as their
summer project of 2023 .
The film serves to celebrate the community
and history and negate the areas of social stigma . The
documentary was produced by filmmaker , Mark Rodriguez , researched by Meredith Ebbin, and featured interviews from students from the F amily Centre. T he
documentary was launched at the Department of Culture sponsored Court Street Market, and has since
aired on CITV and YouTube where it has been viewed
over 4, 000 times to date.
The department annually also produces a calendar of events , lectures and sponsored by the Department of Culture related to emancipation . Funding from
790 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly this business unit also provides some support towards
the biannual Bermuda Powwow, hosted by S t. David's
Islanders and the N ative C ommunity in June of 2025.
Bu
siness Unit 62020, Heritage C elebrations
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the total amount
budgeted for this business unit for financial year 2025 /26 is $379,000 which represents an increase of
$106,000, or 39 per cent, compared to the original
budget of $273,000. T his increase represents a year
over year increase in expense and increased funding
allocation towards the creation of a technologically enhanced Bermuda D ay Float.
Mr. Chairman, this business unit covers the
cost of both celebrations, and our Bermudian heritage,
as well as the Bermuda Day Parade. Heritage celebra-tions as you would be aware, Mr. Chairman, the Department of Culture annually produces a calendar of
heritage and cultur al events within the month of May . In
2024 , highlights included weekly yoga lessons from the
Bermudaful Centre of Mindfulness , sponsored by the
Department of Culture’s “Cultural Roots and Green
Shoots: A Celebration of Heritage and Environment”
Harbour Nights Sponsored, t he Bermuda Day Parade
in 2024. T he Bermuda Day P arade was a remarkable
celebration of our cultural resilience and community
spirit . Last year's theme, “C ulture = Energy ,” highlighted the vibrant power of our cultural traditions and
the energy they bring to our I sland . The parade was
dynamic, and it was a reflection of how Bermuda’s culture fuels our creativity , unity and sense of pride.
In 2023, the Department of Culture partner ed
with the Bermuda F oundation to create the Bermuda
Day Fund. In 2024, this initiative enabled 26 of 66 entries to receive financial support . This is very important ,
Mr. Chairman, because this financial support offsets the cost and allows more robust participation from a di-verse array of community groups , including some
groups that had previously stopped participating citing
cost concerns. The B ermuda Day Fund has proven to
increase the diversity of representation to the participant numbers to the Bermuda D ay Parade. To date, the
most significant donor to the fund has been the Ber-muda Government . And additional funds have been allocated to allow the support of participants to continue.
Meanwhile the corporate and individual community is
still encouraged to donate to the fund to help ensure
the sustainability of the model and that the parade is inclusive and representative of the community .
Mr. Chairman, as you may have heard, the
Bermuda Day Parade 2025 is this coming Friday . The
theme is the “ Future Is Now .” Bermudians have always
dreamed of a brighter tomorrow while facing today's challenges . This theme reminds us that our future begins with the choices we make today . While we once
envisioned 2025 as a world of flying cars and Sci-Fi
tech, the spirit of innovation is alive and thriving in Bermuda . From supercomputers in our pockets to students coding apps and entrepreneurs transforming indus-tries, Bermudians are proving that our dreams fuel progress . Annually , the Department of Culture participates
in the Bermuda D ay Parade and showcases the possibilities within each category , often stepping beyond traditional expectations .
For the 2025 parade, with a technologically focused theme, additional funds have been allocated to
ensure that the department’s float aligns with international innovations and designs . The Department of Culture has consulted float builders from around the world to incorporate best practices which will be shared with
Bermudian artists .
The department , Mr. Chairman, is excited
about the increased community participation in the Bermuda Day Parade and is engaging with the corporate
sector for continued support of the Bermuda Day Fund.
Additionally , a special guide has been created for
schools to assist with planning their participation. T he
success of the 2024 media campaign showcasing be-hind the scenes footage of various groups participating and preparing for the parade will continue highlighting the hard work and creativity that goes into making the
event a truly community celebration.
Bu
siness Unit 62030, Cultural Education Programme
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the amount budgeted for business unit 62030, Cultural Education Programmes , is $31,000. T his represents a slight decrease of $6, 000, or 16 per cent, when compared to the
original budget for financial year 2024/ 25 of $37,000.
The decrease in this business unit can be attributed to
the actual cost relating to the department's A nnual C ultural Stakeholder C onference e vent.
Tr adition- bearers in schools , Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the fiscal year 2024 /25, the department
reintroduced the Tradition -Bearer in Public Schools
programme with a focus on middle and primary school
students . Our department worked alongside the Department of Education and tradition- bearer, Mr. Milton
Hill, in the construction of a full -sized Bermuda- fitted
dingy with M3 students at Whitney .
And I have to tell you, Mr. Chairman, I went ,
probably over a year ago now , to Whitney and I saw
this boat being produced. A nd I told them that before
the end of this year , which is coming up soon, I'm going
to take a ride in that dingy down Flatts Village . So, if
you see a M inister in a dingy going through Flatts you
know it’s not a mistake, Mr. Chairman, it is the M inister
actually taking part and being fully immersed in the tradition -bearer —
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Owen Darrell: —in the tradition- bearing exercise
that is put forward by Mr. Milton Hill. And I cannot believe, Mr. Chairman, . . . I cannot believe, Mr. Chairman, that I hear the swimming coach talking about arm


Bermuda House of Assembly bands . I cannot believe it . But nonetheless , we will stay
focused on the tradition- bearers , Mr. Chairman.

[Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Owen Darrell: While this project focused specifically on a small group of students , school -wide presentations have been given on Bermuda’ s traditions , including a very popular presentation in 20 24/25. At Dalton E. Tucker, by Ms. Janice Warner [-Virgil] on the Bermuda Gombey regalia . In the past years , the programme has been popular with educating our students
on the traditions of woodcraft , banana dough- making
by Ms. Ronnie Chameau, and Bermuda kite building
with our G rand Marshall on Friday , Mr. Eugene O'Connor. Funding has been allocated in 2025 /26 to continue
this amaz ing programme of learning for our students
with a focus on the primary schools .
Mr. Chairman, the department ’s Annual Cultural Conference and Eggnog & Dialogue also are
funded within this business unit . This is a recognition
that both units are focused on the education, support
and promotion of Bermuda stakeholders . The Department of Culture proudly hosted the 4
th Annual Cultural
AGM on 2 June 2024. T his event served as a valuable
platform to engage with our stakeholders , highlighting
our success , identifying areas for improvement , and
gathering insights on their expectations and aspirations for the future. The Department of Culture plans to bring
stakeholders together once again later this month con-tinuing this important dialogue to foster collaboration and shape the future of our cultural initiatives .

Business Unit 62050 , National Heroes Day

Hon. Owen Darrell : Mr. Chairman, the amount budgeted for this business unit for fiscal year 2025/26 is
$54,000. This represented an increase of $28,000, or
108 per cent, when compared to the original budget in
fiscal year 20 24/25 of $26,000. This increase in this
business unit was based on anticipating the costs associated with possibly inducting a new hero.
Mr. Chairman, funds allocated to this business
unit are used to formally honour and commemorate a new National Hero when one is named and celebrate
our existing N ational Heroes on an annual basis . In fiscal year 20 24/25, in addition to a public awareness
campaign , the department organi sed a series of musical tributes at our P remiers Concert , celebrating our
National Heroes event . This concert featured performances by Bermuda Donquili , Mr. Rakki Scott , Yesha
Townsend, Troika, T’aja Williams and the one, Mr. Fire
Wayne, from constituency 15.
Mr. Chairman, in financial year 2025/ 26, the
department is prepared for the possible induction of a
new National Hero. A nd I will say this , again, Mr. Chairman, we are prepared for a possible induction of a new
National Hero, pending the deliberations by the N aming
and Recognition Committee and C abinet consideration of their possible recommendations . The new National
Heroes Act 2024 now legislates that this happens only
once every 10 years .

Business Unit 62060, Promotion of the Arts

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the amount budgeted for this business unit is $49,000 which is a decrease of $25,000, or 34 per cent, when compared to
the original budget for financial year 2024 /25 of
$74,000. This decrease in the business unit can be attributed to the annual hiatus of the W riter-in-Residence
Programme for a future year .
Mr. Chairman, I would just like to note that in
this business unit we also discuss the A rt in Public
Buildings , which featured artists such as Gherdai Hassell, Otto Trott, Graham Foster , Dana Selassie and
Shan na Hollis . This also includes the P remier ’s Concert which we mentioned a little while ago .

Business Unit 62070, Folklife

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for this business unit in the 20 25/26 fiscal year is
$73,000, reflecting on an increase of $9, 000 from the
original allocation of $64,000. That represents a 14 per
cent increase. Activities that come under this business
unit include the Bermud ian Heartbeats lecture series
and the Cultural A pprenticeship Programme.
Mr. Chairman, I'd like to speak a bit on the C ultural Apprenticeship Programme. T he department's
Cultural Apprenticeship Programme aims to provide
and preserve and pass down cultural knowledge and
skills across generations . Its primary goal is to cultivate
a new generation of tradition- builders in Bermuda by
pairing experience tradition- builders with interested apprentices . The department was thrilled to coordinate
three cultural apprentices for 20 24/25 financial year to
continue its mission to preserve and pass on vital cultural knowledge. In partnership with CariGenetics and
BioQuest, apprentices were trained in researching and
producing high quality of genome of B ermuda's national bird , the Cahow. T his groundbreaking work contributes to Bermuda ’s scientists and cultural legacy .
The Bermuda N ational Trust provided a masonry apprenticeship focus ed on the care and conservation of historical cemeteries and built heritage in
need of restoration. Apprentice masons gain hands -on
experience preserving Bermuda’s historic sites for future generations . And finally , the St. George's Foundation led an apprenticeship to remediate and replace
blocks on the roof of the gunpowder magazine at Ferry
Point Park ensuring the preservation of this iconic landmark .
I will tell you, Mr. Chairman, there are videos of
these apprenticeship programmes , and I encourage
everyone to have a look at them because not only do you see the individuals who were teaching but the apprentices themselves and just the joy that they had, Mr.
792 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Chairman, of taking part in this C ultural Apprenticeship
Programme. This unit strengthens cultural knowledge,
preserves skills, and builds community connection
through accessible intergenerational programmi ng.
Bu
siness Unit 62080, Research and Publication
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the amount budgeted for this business unit for financial year 2025 /26 is
$61,000. T his represents a decrease of $12,000, or
16 per cent, when compared to the original budget of
financial year 2024 /25 of $73,000. T his decrease in the
business unit can be attributed to the completion of the
feature length documentary budgeted in the business
unit financial year 2024/ 25.
Also, in this business unit , Mr. Chairman, you
will find the Gold Bermud ian Documentary S eries . And
in March of this year the department launched a third
series of G old Bermudians : Profiles in Excellence. A nd
these documentaries are captured stories of Miss
World Gina Swa inson; musician Stan Seymour ; and
opera performer Gary Burgess . Each of these short
documentaries is film ed and produced by a different
Bermudian filmmaker allowing for a range of unique
styles and storytelling to take place .
Bu
siness Unit 62180, Special Projects
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the amount budgeted for this business unit for financial year 2025 /26 is
$120,000. This represents a decrease of $ 180,000 , or
60 per cent from 2024/ 25 of $300,000. T he funds allocated to this business unit are typically used to support special cultural projects. The budget decrease for fi-nancial year 2025 /26 reflects the ongoing operational
costs of the M akerSpace project rather than initial
setup expenses . Funds were reallocated for this provision of two new salaries as above .
MakerSpace, Mr. Chairman, is located at CedarBridge Academy and the D epartment of C ulture’ s
MakerSpace offers dedicated areas for visual artists
and musicians, as well as dancers and actors , to practice and create free of charge. E quipped with tools like
easels , musical instruments and studio space, this facility is designated to remove the financial barriers and provide a supportive environment for Bermuda's talent .
We also have C reatives C ulture Labs and, Mr.
Chairman, this has been moved from business unit
62100 to 62180, to reflect the alignment with C reative s
Culture Labs with the M akerSpace initiative.
Programme 5203, C ommunity S ervice
Hon. Owen Darrell: This comes on the business unit
62100, and it is Uncover of the A rts programme. Mr.
Chairman, the allocated budget for financial year
2025 /26 for the business unit is $81,000. T his amount
represents a decrease of $10,000, or 11 per cent, when
compared to the original budget estimate of $ 91,000 for
financial year 2024/25. This decrease is associated with the reallocation of funds related to C reative s Culture Labs when we moved it to 62180.
Creatives L ive!, Mr. Chairman, as you would
know , 2024/25 funds from this business unit supported
Creatives L ive! performance series . This programme
benefits local artists by providing performance opportunities for Bermuda social clubs by promoting community engagements . Artists supported through this year
include Joy Barnum , original Live Wires, Fire Wayne
from constituency 15, Mr. Fotogenik, Hana Bushara ,
John Seymour , Jesse Seymour , PHC M ajorettes and
Drum C orps, United Dance Productions , Gombey E volution and the Bermuda G ombeys .
Additionally, the department supported the
Chewstick Foundation’s O pen Mic at Blue Waters Anglers [Club] offering a safe , supportive space to hone
their performance.
Mr. Chairman, in this upcoming year the department will build on the success of C reatives Live!
and we will host another series of events at social clubs
such as Harrington Workmen's Club to continue to
sponsor open mic events in partnership with our cul-tural collaborators .
Mr. Chairman, in 2025/26, the department will
increase, and they will relaunch—this is something that happened back in the day —the Gombey Rendezvous .
And this Gombey Rendezvous will be a weekly performance designed to support local Gombey troupes and
celebrate Bermudian cultural traditions during the
slower months , from November to March. T his programme will provide a platform for Gombeys to educate
the public about their music , their dance, and their heritage and of course it will entertain both residents and
those lovely visitors which we call tourist s.
We have nine active troupes rotating performances approximately 20 weeks, the initiative aims to
fill the current gap and opportunities to regularly expe-rience the Gombey performance which has been a concern for the community since a similar programme
ended many years ago. A dditionally , the Gombey R endezvous will serve as a free family friendly event that fosters community engagement and shares B ermuda's
culture and history in a very accessible way , Mr. Chairman.
Gombey Festival
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I would like to go to
the Gombey Festival, a fan favourite and this comes
under business unit 62210. Mr. Chair man, the amount
allocated for this business unit for 2025/26 is $138,000.
This represents an increase of $14,000, or 11 per cent,
when compared to the budget estimate of $124 ,000 for
financial year 2024/ 25. The difference is due to allocating funds for additional Gombey troupes and increasing
the cost year over year for infrastructure.
The G ombey Festival . In 2024, the Gombey
Festival weekend celebrated one of the most vibrant
aspects of cultural heritage. The festival showcased


Bermuda House of Assembly seven Gombey troupes: Gombey Evolution, Gombey
Warriors , H&H Gombeys (from constituency 15),
Place’s Gombeys and the Warwick Gombey troupe.
Alongside two participants , Phoenix Gombeys and
Vibe Tribe and other Gombeys. T his event also featured local vendors, free family friendly activities and
the continuation of the “Gombeys in the Gardens Community Art Programme” an evolving mural project in
sponsorship with the Chewstick Foundation. In
2024/25, the Gombey Festival budget funded the launch of the “Gombey U nity Short Film” which was directed by talented Qian Dickinson .
Mr. Chair man, the allocation budget for financial year 2025 /26 will cover the cost of the event infrastructure, financial awards for the nine active Gombey
troupes , support for other local dance groups and additional weekend events celebrating Gombey art form.

Subjective Analysis
Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis. This will be found on page B -260. I will highlight
the material object codes increase and decreases.
The salaries object code has increased from
$808,000 for 2024 /25 to an allocation of $ 1,040,000, or
29 per cent i ncrease. The advertising and promotional
object code has increased from $83,000 to $117,000
for fiscal year 20 25/26, an increase of 41 per cent . This
represents the department's digital marketing strategy
to access users of non- traditional media to share Bermuda's history and culture.
There has been a slight decrease of 12 per
cent in professional services from $881,000 in financial
year 2024/ 25 to $773,000. This decrease is mainly due
to the funds being reallocated internally. Rental cost for
the Department of Culture has increased by 15 per
cent, $47,000 to $54,000, reflecting year over year increase in event rentals.
As noted previously, grants and contributions
has increased by 36 per cent largely due to increased
awards to the Bermuda Arts Council, the Bermuda National Gallery, the allocated funds to Heritage Grant . In
fiscal year 2025/26, Mr. Chairman, $437,000 is budgeted, a $116,000 increase from 2024 /25 representing
the Government ’s commitment to funding the arts .

Capital Expenditure

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chair man, as seen on page
C-7, the capital budget for the Department of Culture,
in fiscal year 2025/26 is $50,000, a decrease of.
$450,000, or 90 per cent, f rom the $500,000 from fiscal
year 2024 /25. These funds are allocated for further development MakerSpace, a 2023 Throne Speech initiative, detail ed previously . This decrease in funds is due
to the initial setup costs already having been spent in
this space. This capital investment completes the infrastructure work and allows operational delivery and a
fully functioning creative hu b. Manpower

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chair man, there is an increase
of two employees with the full -time equivalent increasing to 10 from 8 as found on page B -261. Recruitment
is expected to begin in early this year for the new post.

Performance Measures

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chair man, the Department of
Culture met or exceeded its key performance targets
for the year, reflecting a strong return on public investment. The Bermuda Arts Council grant successfully
funded 30 artist students and art organisation as planned, while support for cultural heritage surpassed
its target, benefiting 15 organisations .

Business Unit 62001, Administration
Hon. Owen Darrell: Social media engagement exceeded expectations with an average reach of 9, 000,
surpassing the target of 8 ,500 and increasing public
awareness of the department's programm ing.

Business Unit 62010, Cultural Festivals
and Celebrations
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department reached its target
by supporting numerous cultural events, including the
filming of “ Cup Match” , a “Mask ed Freedom” talk by David Chapman, and a creation of “H eart of the C ity” documentary celebrating C ourt St reet. Additionally, 80 per
cent of participants rated their emancipation programming experience as satisfactory or better , meeting the
set goal.
Cultural festivals and celebration— a total of
670 schools, community groups and business units
were engaged to participate in the Bermuda Day Parade, surpassing the target of 500. The annual C onference for Cultural Stakeholder s was successfully completed but now has been reassigned to business unit 62030. Additionally, 96 per cent of surveyed participants rated their Bermuda Day Parade experience as
satisfactory or better. This far exceeds the goal of 75 per cent , and we hope to see similar satisfactory ratings come this Friday, Mr. Chair man.

Business Unit 62030, Cultural Education
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department successfully
hosted the annual Conference for Cultural Heritage and
Arts Stakeholders . Student engagement and cultural
workshops exceeded expectations, with sections led by
Writer -in-Residence at CedarB ridge Academy, the
Berkeley Institute, as well as tradition bearer workshops with Mr . Milton Hill at Whitney , surpassing the
target of 80 participants.


794 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Business Unit 62050, National Heroes Day
Hon. Owen Darrell: The percentage of attendees who
felt that the National Heroes Day celebration fostered
the national pride was revised from 75 [per cent] to
60 [per cent] after feedback indicated that the new
video focus programming did not resonate as intended.
In response, future events will return to a format that highlights Bermuda's heroes, alongside impressing tal-ent.
Business Unit 62060, Promotion of the Arts
Hon. Owen Darrell: The success of the cultural labs
programme c ontributed to 100 per cent of participating
local artists rating their developmental experience as satisfactory or better, exceeding the 80 per cent target.
This initiative provided hands -on training, mentorships
and resources to reinforce the departments commitment to artist development and professional growth.
Business Unit 62070 , Folklife Bermuda.
Hon. Owen Darrell: The Bermudian Heartbeat s Lecture Series played a key role in achieving 80 per cent
satisfaction for cultural events. Similarly, 80 per cent of
apprentices reported gaining valuable cultural knowledge and skills through the Cultural Apprenticeship Programme, highlighting its effectiveness and preserving a nd passing down Bermuda's traditions .
Bu
siness Unit 62080, Research and Publication
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department successfully developed the Vernacular Architecture d ocumentary, a
film project set to be released t his year , contributing to
historical cultural research.
Business Unit 62100, Uncovering the Arts Programme
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department hosted eight
events showcasing supporting performing artists, in-cluding four o pen mics [and] four Creative s Live!
events . Additionally, 95 per cent of participants in the
Creative Culture Series reported gaining new skills and networking opportunities. They have surpassed the target of 80 per cent.
Bus
iness Unit, [62 180] S pecial Projects
Hon. Owen Darrell: These new performance
measures reflected the transition of Creatives Culture
Labs’ programming and MakerSpace operations into
Special Projects business unit, allowing for more focused development and enhanced support for performing artist and creative initiatives. Business Unit 62210 , Gombey F estival
Hon. Owen Darrell: The department successfully
showcased and honoured the contributions of Bermuda Gombey troupes t o the Island ’s culture through the vibrant Gombey Festival weekend.
Mr. Chair man, this concludes my presentation
for the budgetary allocation for financial year 2025 /26
for Head 52 , the Department of Culture.
Mr. Chair man, I wish to thank the incredible
team at the Department of Culture, who i s led by Acting
Director Ms. Carlita Lodge, who many of you will see
this weekend as she runs around the parade route making sure that we are all entertained with our Bermuda cultural heritage, w hose creativity, care and dedication in this department helps to preserve and cele-brate the stories that make Bermuda unique.
I would also like to extend my appreciation to
all our artists, tradition bearers, culture leaders, those whose work continues to inspire pride, spark imagination and connect generations , together with the staff ,
cultural partners, grantees, and community contributors
we are ensuring that Bermuda's heritage is not only
protected but continues to grow and thrive. I am truly
grateful for the passion of that entire department and the commitment to our I sland's cultural future.
Mr. Chair man, this ends my presentation for
Heads 20 and 52 under the remit of the Ministry of
Tourism and Transport, Culture and Sport.
Thank you, Mr. Chair man
.

Thank you, M inister.
Honourable Members and members of the listening public, we are in the Committee of Supply for Revenues and Expenditures of the Budget Book
2025 /26.
We have been hearing from the H onourable
Minister Owen Darrell , in particular on Head 20, Sport
and R ecreation, and H ead 52, Department of Culture.
Is there anyone who would like to contribute to
the debate? I recognise the H onourable Member for
constituency 8, Ben Smith.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Honourable
Minister for his brief this afternoon and as the Minister
said, it was brief. So, he has given us plenty of time to
ask questions and have answers to those questions.
Mr. Chairman, I would start by declaring my interest as somebody who has been involved with sport ,
involved with teaching sport , being an instructor at
Whites Island when I was 16 years old . So, this particular s port and r ecreation is near and dear to my heart .
And as I start to go into the questioning of this ,
I would like to state that no matter how much support
we give in the budget for sports, I am always going to advocate for more. Because I do not think that we can give enough support and specific financial support into
helping our young people to stay on the positive path.


Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjection]

And I would agree . . . I think for sure
the Minister does agree with me. I have had several
opportunities to talk to the Minister. I do get to see the Minister quite often when he's kind of hanging around
the area of the National Sports Centre, going to the
gym, walking around the track.
The things that sport can bring to our population are extremely important . Understanding that our
young people for so many different reasons, have been pulled in a negative direction and so many times we
hear those incidents rather than the positive things that
our young people do. Sport and recreation has the opportunity to bring our young people t ogether with a population that has a lot of health issues . Participation in
sport and recreation is another way for us to encourage our people to move around and actually be active. And
for those reasons, this is an extremely important M inistry.
I think that as we move forward today, I will be
trying to highlight the areas where we have support, but
more support will always be asked for and in any way
that we can encourage our young people to be involved
in sport, to be involved in recreation and our population
as a whole to be active . . . because I know we are a
country that likes to go out and support watching sport,
but we also have to make sure that we're doing everything we can to encourage our people, young and old,
to be participating.
The people that are involved in sport overall, I
would like to thank all the coaches and volunteers and
officials that allow many of the sports to happen and
everyone in this particular Ministry who I know it is a
love and passion for sports and recreation that allows
them to continue to do their job at the level that they do. So, I thank them for their participation.
So, Mr. Chairman, starting on Head 20 Sports
and Recreation, I would like to start on page B -238.

Under 200 1 Administration and Sports.
The Minister mentioned that there was additional funding here that was because the Bermuda School Sports
Federation , I think , has been brought into this M inistry.
It is actually something that has been talked about for
several years and this is an opportunity to really merge
something that really was probably misfitting for quite a
lot of time . And now to have the S chool Sports Federation as part of this M inistry I think is really import ant.
I think the question that I would ask is , What
analysis will be done that will show that this change has been a positive movement ? Because I know that sports
has been advocating for this shift. But what we would
like to see is that it is showing an increase in participa-tion, an increase in the sports that are available. And
maybe more collaboration between the School Sports
and National Sports Governing Bodies that maybe attract more of our athletes to be involved longer rather
than just within the school. So, can the Minister give us
some information on what the expectations are of this
change and how we will be able to analyse whether it has been a positive move going forward?
Mr. Chair man, 2002 Sports Development, still
on page B -238, 30065 Sports Investments. So, with the
Sports Investments , the Minister had mentioned that
there had been a change in the number of sports that
would be involved. I think he said there was an increase
to 28 sports. Of course, the issue that happens is as we
encourage more sports to be involved, what tends to
happen is we a re now having to divide the amount of
money between more sports. So , with that being said,
it is also important that we try to grow that pie so that
the sports that have been in the programme are still receiving similar amounts, if not more.
With that being said, I would like to be able to
know whether the sports investments that were provided . . . because if you look in the actual [Budget]
Book, I think you have to go to pages C-23 and C -24—

So, with that being said, obviously this
is the year that we have just gone through. So, can the
Minister provide us with what the investments were for 2024 /25? And as we are moving forward, you know , the
year would have started in April. What is the projected
numbers that we should be looking for this upcoming year? I would gather that all of the different groups that
would have put in applications will be waiting patiently
to find out what kind of resources are going to be given,
because I think it is important knowing that they have
to plan for potential overseas travel for certain training
camps , for different things that help the athletes to go
forward. That planning phase would have been in full
swing . Obviously with the election timing and the
changing of the budget, that might have had an impact
on some of them and what those plans are. So, can the
Minister give us some information on . . . what the information . . . on what will be provided to those sports
as soon as possible ? And if he does have that data
now, we would be grateful to get it.

Yes, t hanks.
796 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: Mr. Chair man, during the M inister ’s
brief he did talk about the fact that there was a significant change when the sports policy was implemented .
With that implementation of the sports plan, will the
Minister be able to tell us whether he has seen an increase in the participation of athletes in sport ? One of
the objectives of the Ministry is to foster a vibrant sports
and recreation culture in Bermuda by increasing participation.
Obviously, by putting a plan in place for sport,
one of the outcomes that you would be looking for is to get an increased participation in those sports. So, from
2022 to 2025, is the Minister able to provide us details
on whether we have seen an increase in participation
in the individual sports that interact with the Ministry ?
And since those new requirements have been put in place, has the Minister seen an increase in the interac-tion between the N ational Sports Governing Bodies
and the M inistry? And has that increased participation
led to more N ational Sport Governing Bodies getting involved with the programme ?
And I see that we are increasing the number of
sports that are participating , but is that also leading to
an increase in the total number in participation? B ecause in Bermuda a lot of times what happens is some-thing new comes up and what they end up doing is tak-ing athletes or taking people from another sport. So, getting that data of what the increase in sports and opportunities is, are we doing a better job of increasing
the number of participants overall? Because getting more of our young people involved in these healthy activities would be one of the main goals that we would like to see from this sports policy.
Mr. Chairman, still in this sports investment.
The Minister would note that the s ports investment
number has only slightly moved up in this period. The question that I have is , considering the changes of the
overall cost, not just in Bermuda but outside of Bermuda, has there been any kind of detailed conversation
about what that means ? An example that I will give is
that there was . . . the people that organise the jump
rope organisation in Bermuda were recently on the sports talk show . And I use them as an example because I don't think that they've actually reached the point to . . . I could be wrong, but I'm not sure that
they've reached the point of National Sport Governing
Bodies. And for that reason, I'm going to use them as
the example.
They are going to travel and participate in
World Championships this summer in Japan. And when
they discuss ed that and were asked, W ell, what would
be the cost of taking these young athletes to Japan?
The answer was $8, 000 per athlete. I use that as an
example because those are the costs that happen
when you try to participate at high levels in competition. But if you take it closer to Bermuda, one, you know we have multiple jurisdictions [where] we [can] land with
one plane ride, but the cost of hotels has gone up, the
cost of food has gone up, the cost of getting that plane ticket to get to that jurisdiction has gone up. If you are
trying to get uniforms for those athletes that price h as
gone up.
As all of those prices have moved up and at the
same time we've increased the amount of sports that
are applying for funding, Mr. Chairman, there's an issue
where there was a gap that used to be picked up by what I would call the charity givers, people who were
giving to our normal charities, but also giving to sports that also a lot of times our sports National Governing
Bodies are also charities so that they can r eceived donations. Has the Minister seen an increase in the demand because of the increase in costs?
And when the N ational Sport Governing Bodies are putting in their applications with the certain levels of what is necessary in order to travel , in order to
give our young people the opportunities to c ompete
overseas . . . which I am going to tell you from the experience that I had as competing for Bermuda and somebody who has been able to, over the last 30 years ,
work with young people and travel with them, that ex-perience can change a young person's life. It gives them an opportunity to see a broader part of our world
in healthy activity , away from drug activity , from antisocial behaviour because there i s a structure that is
around it . And for that reason, we know that the M inistry
is supportive of that.
But with the continued pressure of finances
that are happening in order for us to be able to get our
young people off the I sland to be able to compete, I am
saying that the number that has not moved must move.
In order for us to be able to support these athletes and
to support this positive growth of our young people, w e
are going to have to figure out a way to get them more
financial backing.
Once again, I am not saying that the Ministry is
not doing anything. I am only advocating that we have
to do more considering that the people in our community who have been able to give are having to give in
more areas, which means that a lot of times now they
are not getting the same answer that they would have 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.
So, Mr. Chairman, still in the same area, I have
a question on the decisions that are being made about
the level of funding that is going to be given to one sport
over another . Because o bviously with so many people
looking for these resources, it is going to become more
and more competitive in order to get any finances. Is some of the consideration based off of performance? I s
it going to be how sports are performing in our region, how sports are performing in our overall . . . in the international field ? Locally ? Participation? If the Minister
can give us some insight into how that works and what
that breakdown will be. B ecause in looking at the information that was provided on . . . as I was pointing out
before [page] C-23.

Pages C -23 and C24 , yes .


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: There is a significant difference between $300,000 that is going to one sport, and some
sports are at $ 5,000. And to be honest with you, for me,
the answer isn't that I want the sport that makes
$300,000 to make less. In actual fact, I think that sport
should make more because of the amount of participation it has. What I am advocating for is that these sports
that are in these much lower numbers also are going to
have to have increases in order for them to do the
things that are necessary for them to have positive influences standing up in front of our young people so that we can do everything we can to put them on a positive path and away from the negative influences that
are at present quite prevalent in our community.
And just a final question in that area, Mr. Chairman. Considering that more sports are getting involved,
can the Minister give us maybe some information or thoughts on how we can support some of those other
sports that are starting to move in that direction? As I
mentioned, [something] like jump rope that allows them
to maybe get access to some funding. I t is almost a
workshop for that group to move from being just on the
outside to being part of this process where they have
access to funding. I just think that would be an important option.
So, if it already exists, the Minister can tell us
about it . And if it doesn't exist, is it something that the
Minister is going to undertake to happen? Because
what we will be looking for is more athletes, more young
people getting involved. I know the Minister agrees with
that. So that is the question that I would like an answer
on. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, 2003 Sports Incentives and
Awards, under 30030, Athletic Awards. T he Minister
mentioned that this was an area that provided funding
for elite athletes , and also there was funding that would
be for the J unior Athlete Award.
So, I am going to just quickly flip to page B-241,
and looking at the Junior Investment Award, for junior
athletes and the original target in 2024/25 was for 16
awardees and the revised forecast is for 13.

Is this because less people are asking
for the money , less people are filling out the paperwork
to get this application done ?
Still on that same page, and the Minister did
mention that the average awarded amount was $ 3,000. So, can the Minister let us know what the total amount
that this funding for this Junior A thlete Award is so that
we know how much is actually being put forward to this
incentive programme? And the reason is because there
were 13 in the outcome for 2023 /24 and the average
amount given was $ 3,125. So, when you move forward
and the revised for 20 24/25 was 13, same number and
now the average was $ 3,000.
To me, I think something in here and once
again for me, it's always about , Can we give more support? We as a country seem to find money for certain
things that we think are important . And this isn't me saying that the G overnment doesn't think it's important. I'm
once again advocating that we need to make this a priority for how we can support our young people. And the
young people who are already on a positive path. They
are showing that they can be the role models for the group coming behind them. And for that reason, giving
them as much support as we can, I say , should be a
priority.

And the Deputy Premier just took the
words right out of my mouth. There is not enough there
either. Once again, this is another opportunity for us to
look at growth. How is it that we can give more support ?
And I'm going to tie the two things together . Page C -23,
as I have gone back to several times .

Yes.

798 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: But we are giving $900,000 to g olf
courses. What we should be looking for is a way for us
to encourage more of our young people and specifically our young who might not have access to golf. But
there's a long golfing history in this country and I am
sure the member from c onstituency —

—[constituency] 2 will definitely support that statement .
But these are the connections where we could
do more. So , if the Minister can give us an idea because this is something that is new to this Ministry and
not something that I have had the opportunity to ask
questions about previously. If he could give us an idea
of how that $900,000 i s broken down. What that money
is going to support , whether it is a reduction—because
it looks like in the past it might have been a little bit more than that .
But I had to find . . . that's actually under , I believe Public Works was where it was, where it sat before. A nd now that it is under Sport, will there be performance measures to show what this impact is of the investment of $ 900,000 coming out of Sport in order to
support the golf courses locally? So, can the Minister
give us a little bit more detail on the overall $900,000,
how we are going to see that as an impact and whether
there will be performance measures to show what that
investment impact is on Bermuda and in our sporting
community .
Mr. Chair man, 30075, which is the—

Yes , he said the fences were too low.
So, with that being said, c an he give us an idea
of what that impact has been for baseball? Like what
. . . how many of the numbers that he's seeing that
growth is actually because of baseball? So, if we're able to separate those two sports because once again, growing those sports, I think would be important be-cause, Mr. Chairman, in, I want to say , in some of our
neighbouring countries , like The Bahamas, they are actually producing some really top- level baseball players.
So, this is another one of those opportunities for us to see growth and potentially see elite athletes coming out of both softball and baseball. So, any information that the Minister can give on this I think will be much appreciated. And now on to 30080 , which is the T ennis S tadium.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair man.
There were some refurbishments done. The
Minister mentioned that there's been an increase in the
pickleball courts. Can the Minister let us know whether there has been any impact of increasing the pickleball courts, whether there's been any impact on the tennis side of what this facility was originally ? I think a lot of
people have been excited about the growth in pickle-ball, but there's also a bit of, you know, the traditional-ists that are potentially not as happy that there seems to be a lot more usage on that side, which potentially is
impacting where tennis has been and what the growth of that sport will be.
In the past, there was some conversation on
potentially needing another tennis court in order to give
us more ability to have international tennis competitions
at that facility. So, can the Minister let us know whether
there's any information that he has on that and whether
we need to give more support in this facility to make
sure that the growth of both p ickleball and tennis continue at the level that I think all of us would like to see ?
I might have missed it, but in 30390 S ports
Community Fields, there's . . . it's not a big number . It's
$47,000. But if the Minister can let us know , what exactly does that give us? What is the breakdown of that money for community fields?

Yes. So, I started with the point that I
was making when it comes to the Junior A thlete Awards
and that difference that you see there. I would like to
just finish off with the number of elite athletes receiving funding.
The Minister had mentioned that there were 25
elite athletes who were part of the programme and that
we would be . . . that is where a lot of the funding would
be going. If the Minister could just give us a breakdown


Bermuda House of Assembly of the C -level athletes, B -level athletes, and A -level athletes and why we are seeing a decrease from 25 with a
target for 20 25/26 to 18. Is this based on retirements ?
And what does the reduction mean? Does it mean that
we are not seeing a growth of young people coming into the C-level while we are potentially having athletes retire? If we could just get some clarification on why that target would be reduced, considering I think everybody would have been happy with that number that reached
25. And the Minister did state the number 25, which I
think both he and I are supportive of.
But using that specific area with elite athletes .
Earlier, I was talking about the cost . . . the added cost
of just living in Bermuda or living overseas and trave l.
And one of the items that I know has been an issue for
elite level athletes , it is . . . athletes, when they're at the
junior level, are usually being covered by their parents.
That's where their funding is going to come from. And
then the N ational Sport Governing Bodies have the
ability to put in applications that allow them to get some
funding if they are part of a National Sport Governing
Body.
Then the next step is usually if that athlete has
the opportunity to go away to school , and now that
school structure sometimes is going to cover some of
the costs that are associated. But the area that I'd like
to focus in on when we're talking about elite athletes is
that many times once they move out of school coverage, they run into trouble specifically with health insurance. And not having access to health insurance is one
of the factors that so many times causes a really prom-ising athlete to drop out of the sport.
So, Mr. Chairman, a lot of times you actually
see a drop off with athletes that have been supported by their parents, supported by the Ministry. T hey have
been awardees for multiple years and then they get to
that point where the numbers don't work for them anymore because they don't have access to regular health
care. And you know that if they are training in Bermuda,
that health care cost is going to be significant , and in
order for them to train at the level that is expected.
And, Mr. Chairman, a n elite athlete, although
most of us would like to say okay , they can go and work
a full -time job and then be able to train in the morning
or train in the afternoon or both, and be able to do the
nutrition at the level they need to and all the physical
support with physio and massage and the mental
health support that is now needed for athletes. They are
competing against athletes that get that level of sup-port. So it puts them at a disadvantage. And a lot of
times they are dropping out of the sport not bec ause
they don't love the sport or want to continue to move
forward, but it is . . . this area.
Now there was a previous Sports Minister. And
I had a long conversation with him about this specific
subject and how maybe there is a way for us to come
up with a government support programme that would
allow for this to happen. And, Mr. Chair man, I think
when you have athletes at this level, they are already role models. So, there's great synergy that what you
would have for that level of support . They would then
be expected to be our sports ambassadors . And the
Minister wears both hats, sports tourism amb assadors .
Every time they travel, they have the ability to promote
Bermuda, take that information and sell as part of this
give back programme that they would get.
Then when they return to Bermuda, they also
have an opportunity to stand up in front of our classrooms and go to help out with gym classes. I think in
that initial conversation that we had, this seemed like something that potentially could get really good bipartisan support in order for us to take this to the next level
of what the expectation is of our elite athletes , how we
can support them and how they can then give back to
the generation coming behind them. Because what we
want is for our young athletes and our young people in
Bermuda to be able to look up and say , This is what the
potential is for me going forward . Instead of , in many
cases, they are having to look at role models who really
should not be role models.
And when we have spent so much time, energy
and money to produce these elite athletes, having them
drop off without doing something to kind of gain that
give-back , also becomes a bit of a problem. And, Mr.
Chair man, a step on . . . I have obviously brought up
health insurance and health support because with health insurance now you get access to physiotherapy, you get access to mental health programmes. These
are all things that would be extremely helpful to these
athletes who are moving out of the university level and
don't have th e support financially from their parents anymore. Because one of the things that I am most definitely advocating for is we have to make sure that we
are not setting up a situation where only the athletes
who have access to finances are the ones who are progressing.

Because if your parents don't have the
ability to pay for you to do the extra travel , the extra
training and all the things that are needed in order for
you to make it , you are falling behind. Not because you
don't have the athletic ability, not because you don't
have the desire to be a top- level athlete, but maybe just
because you did not have the financial support . And
Bermuda is a country that does have a huge divide be-tween the haves and the have- nots. If we could look at
a way to make sure that we are levelling that playing field by giving the kind of support that is necessary, I
think anything that we can do in that area would be extremely helpful.
And so, Mr. Chair man, the last piece of that
would be a lot of times when you have an athlete . . .
and we have some athletes who have performed at the
at the highest level . They have gone to Commonwealth
Games, Pan Am Games, World Championships , and
the Olympics. And that was a 30- year-old that's been
800 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
Ber muda House of Assembly chasing that dream and Bermuda has been celebrating
those performances. They're now a 30- year-old, and
the only job experience that they have is that they were
an athlete. They don't have pension . They don't have
the health support . And now they have to go into the
working market kind of behind.
So once again, I think all of this is part of this
process that potentially could really help us to move things forward w ith people who have already chosen to
be role models . This could be an opportunity for us to
really help them and help our next generation.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN
HOUSE VISITOR
Th
e Chairman: While the Deputy Opposition Leader
looks at his notes, let me just welcome Senator Fubler
in the G allery.
[Desk thumping]
[Committee of Supply, continuing]
Th
e Chairman: This is the Committee of Supply for review of Estimates of R evenue and E xpenditure. We are
looking at budget year for 2025/26. We have been hearing a brief presented by the Honourable Minister
Owen Darrell and we are now hearing questions being
posed by the H onourable Deputy Opposition Leader ,
Ben Smith. W e are under H ead 20, S ports and R ecreation, which can be found roughly at page B-237 or
thereabouts in the Budget Book.
Please continue w hen you a re ready, MP
Smith.
Mr
. Ben Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I am going to go back to pages
C-23 and C- 24.
Th
e Chairman: Yes, Grants and C ontributions , pages
C-23 and C- 24.
Mr
. Ben Smith: So Mr. Chairman, for several years I
have brought this up. I am going to make sure that I say
it in a way that does not actually cause any issue, because that is not what I am trying to do.
There is funding that is given to BSADA . There
is funding that is given to Bermuda Sport Anti-Do ping.
It has to happen. I am not saying anything o ther than
that must be for us . . . in order for our athletes to be
able to compete, we have to have this . And we have
spent a lot of time to set up this organisation and they
do great work.
But
I do have a couple of questions, one of
them being . . . this budget has been similar to this
amount for quite some time. B ut when we had to go
through the transition, when we had some issues, one
of the things that happened was that we took out the illicit drug testing policy that was attached to this area.
So, considering that when every National Sport Governing Body travelled overseas, there had to be testing
that was done for the team . You would think that there
might have been some difference in the funding be-cause all of that has been removed.
So, if the Minister can just let us know whether
there was any consideration about that significant
change from the Illicit testing support that did exist , that
no longer exists , and the actual amount that is given for
BSADA.
Th
e Chairman: And that's page C-23, and that's the
figure for $ 586,000.
Mr
. Ben Smith: Correct, $586,000.
Th
e Chairman: But as you pointed out earlier , that's
2023 /24 actual.
Mr
. Ben Smith: This is 2023 . . . so, because I don't
have the other numbers, I have to use the numbers that are in front of me.
Th
e Chairman: Okay.
Mr
. Ben Smith: Using that number , I am pointing out
that although the overall number for the support of contributions is $2,466,000 here, right? And it has not
changed significantly this time around. Remember that the additions are an uplift for the National Sports Centre and for the bringing in of the golf courses. So, the number is going to be very similar. That number divided up between all of the National Sport Governing Bodies and
with BSADA and . . . from the Olympic Association.
So, if you take the
numbers from the Olympic
Association out , and BSADA out, you understand why
I make the comment that although we are supporting, we definitely as a country can do and must do (in my
opinion) better . . . more support . Because if we are going to tell our young people that they are that important, we need to give more finances in order to show them that support so that some sports are not getting such a small amount that it really isn't going to do any change other than potentiall y an admin spot . And even in that
consideration, $5, 000 for a year is really not going to
even do that . That number potentially is one trip for one
athlete. A nd that is something that we have to look at
and we have to figure out a way for us to increase this number.
The Progressive Labour Party has given more
support to sport. They have increased this number. But
it's not enough. And it needs to be more. A nd I will keep
advocating. I f the Minister got it doubled, I would still
ask for more.
[Lau
ghter and crosstalk ]
Mr
. Ben Smith: Mr. Chair man, give me one second.


Bermuda House of Assembly So, I am just going to quickly go back to 3003 0,
which was on . . .

There was a target of 10 with a revised
forecast of 23. Right? For the sake of argument, it was
$25,000 a year under the . . . when you had 10 athletes
that were in that situation. When you increase the number of athletes without increasing the amount of money
significantly, you are now dropping down to a number
that is significantly lower . Which means that the amount
of support that is available is significantly lower . Which
potentially impacts the ability of the athletes to perform.
I am not going to put this solely at the feet of
the Government. I am just pointing out that as we grow
the number of sports that are involved as we grow the
number of athletes that are applying for the funding, if
we do not at the same time increase the amount of
funding , what we are going to do is give less money to
more athletes.
Mr. Chair man, I am going to go to . . . on page
C-20.

So, can the Minister give us a detailed
breakdown of what that difference was between the
original and the revised estimate, and then what the ex-pectation is with the new increase to $ 1,500,000? I
know part of that potentially is the increase in salaries,
but there are several items within that facility that I think
would be important for the Minister to be able to give us
some information on.
I know the Minister will always say that I will
have plenty of questions about the swimming facility. The first question that I will have regarding that is that
the changing rooms at the National Sports Centre that are located at the pool were put in originally when that
pool was built on a temporary basis . If I recall, it was
because there was supposed to be a next phase of the
project that was going to have a major building, c ivic
centre kind of . . . That was the original plan. But because that phase didn't happen, it meant that the temporary facility has now stayed for an extended period of
time. Considering that some of that facility has actually
become unsafe, can the Minister give us some details
on what is going to happen to that changing room facility. Whether there is going to be new facilities built and
when will we see that change happen?
I will applaud some of the changes that have
happened at the Aquatics Centre. New lane lines have gone in in the last couple of weeks. I know that there
were several changes to the heating system that , I believe, change some of the drop offs in availability in the
wintertime. But as you look at the facility, there are also
areas that need maintenance. So, with the entire facility, can the Minister give us an indication of whether we
will start to see some maintenance investment, the tiling around the pool ? Because it breaks and it becomes
really sharp with people walking around without shoes
on. It can become dangerous. The diving area, in the
last year I know that the diving boards were replaced.
So, Mr. Chair man, wondering if the Minister can give
us—

[Crosstalk]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
So, considering the investment that was put
into the diving boards, whether the Minister can give us
a breakdown in the diving participation. And whether he
is seeing growth in diving in Bermuda and whether we
have an expectation to see an increase in the number
of people that are participating in diving with the investment that was made in adding new diving boards at that
facility. Because I think it is important that when we are making an investment that we have an analysis of
[whether] that investment is leading to something, that
we are seeing progress because of it. And in last year
that's when the investment happened. Can the Minister
give us some details on whether that growth has been
seen?
Continuing with that facility, whether the Minister can give us a breakdown of the participation at the National Sports Centre. Whether they are seeing an increase in the number of people that are using the pool,
802 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly using the track and using the fields. Because obviously
there is significant investment in this facility and I think that most people in Bermuda are very happy that Ber-muda has what I would call a world- class facility in in
many areas, but we need to make sure that we are giv-ing them maintenance towards this facility.
Mr. Chairman, I am on page C -20, and I am
talking about National Stadium Trustees because there's a grant that's given to them in order to run the facility. So, the same way I asked the questions when it came to the swimming pool, I would also like to know
what was the date that the track was laid and what the
estimated lifespan is of that. Because when we are
budgeting, we also need to be looking forward to when will we have to deal with this expense going forward because maintenance of a facility like this is extremely important.
Mr. Chairman, last year was also a time when
there was quite a bit of investment in changing the light-ing at the facility, which would have had an impact on the electricity usage of the facility because everything was changed to LED. Can the Minister give us, now that we have had them installed for an extended period
of time, what that impact has been, what the percentage of savings is that they have seen?
Mr. Chairman, still on that . . . in that same area
with the National Sports Centre. Obviously there has been a lot of interest in changing the energy of the Na-tional Sports Centre because the cost of the electricity
at that facility had become astronomical and it actually
had put the facility in trouble overall because they could not keep up with the payments for that high level of electricity. And there is no way that we would have had enough participation throughout the facility, it didn't matter whether it was the fields, the track, the pool to
be able to maintain and continuously maintain that level of energy bill.
So, a process was put in place to have the solar project. If the Minister can give us an update on that solar project, give us an update on whether it is now
fully operating and what the overall reduction in the
power has been since it has been put in place. And then if the Minister can let us know what the maintenance contract (or if there is one) in order to . . . because if
you spend the time and money to put in that kind of facility, we need to make sure that the same way that
we look to maintain the actual National Sports Centre
that this facility that will be reducing our cost is also be-ing maintained. So, can the Minister give us an update on that ? I think it would be most important .
Mr. Chairman, would the Minister be able to tell
us how many National Sport Governing Bodies are actually utilising the National Sports Centre? We know
that there is a hockey pitch. There's a swimming pool. There's a track and there's fields. So, with all of that
vast facility, is there a breakdown of what sports are participating and what numbers we are getting from each of those sports? I think what I would like to see is
the country realising how important that facility is and then that gives us an opportunity to maybe give it more
finances. Because in, once again my opinion on this, if we were able to give the funding to the facility that cov-ered all of its costs, potentially what you're doing is giv-ing the ability and opportunity for more participation.
Because it is the country’s facility, it should have more
access for the country.
And I can only speak specifically to the pool facility, because that's the one that I interact with the
most. What I will say is that when that facility was built, the Aquatic Centre, one of the major reasons for putting it there was that the pools that were available at the
time were sitting on private property. So, by having this
Government facility, it was to give access to the public. Being an island, having the opportunity for more of our people to actually learn how to swim, to be safe around the water and then the Minister would know that in the policy when the experts were brought in, one of the major features that came out in the long- term athlete development was that some of the core sports that actually allowed our athletes to be able to get that founda-tion that will allow them to do multiple sports and swim-ming was one of those.
So having access for our public schools to be
to be able to participate and go to the Aquatic Centre, the Minister knows that I brought this up several times. But you know it is not . . . it is cost prohibitive at the
moment and it's not because . . . I kn ow it is not because the Minister wants it to be cost prohibitive. And I
know that the conversation with Department of Education . . . but now it actually might be easier to happen
because Bermuda School Sports Federation is actually within the Ministry. So maybe that conversation can happen in a way that allows more access for the public schools to be able to participate and be part of the
aquatic sports. Because it is a shame when really within
a year, most times there's only one public school that actual ly has any real interaction with that facility. And
what a great opportunity we actually have with having our own facility. So, if there is a plan to try to see if we
can increase that participation, I think it would be important, and the public would be interested to know. Can the Minister give us information on that?
Mr. Chairman, one of the issues that has been
kind of ongoing with this facility is that they were not able to get audited financials for a significant amount of
time. So, can the Minister just give us an update on
whether that has happened, whether they've been able to catch up and whether we are moving forward with clean financials so that when we are providing this level of support ($1.5 million), whether we know that every-thing is what it is supposed to be? And potentially we
might find out that we actually need more money than
what's being provided. Because one of the things that I can bring up and I know this separately is covered in another Ministry when it comes to lifeguards on our beaches but making sure that you have the support to have well -trained lifeguards around that facility.


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, I know the Minister would know
because the facility ended up having a high diving
tower, it meant that the pool was extremely deep, which then caused a significant need to have lifeguards there.
Just the depth of that water is significant. So, if the Minister can give us an idea of how many lifeguards are
actually being used at that facility and whether that
number has had to be reduced in certain parts of the year. Specifically, because potentially there is not
enough funding to the facility in order to cover that cost.
So, Mr. Chairman, I think I will stop there and
maybe give someone else an opportunity to ask questions.

Thank you, MP.
Is there anybody else that would like to speak
to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports —Heads
20, 52, 71. This is a four -hour debate, and we have another hour and 10 minutes left in this.
I recognise Honourable Member Cannonier.
You have the floor.

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just have one question. As I was going
through . . . the Honourable Member who just took his
seat, Ben Smith, was talking about the facilities of the
pool. And I wanted to also go to the facilities as well. And just a question about the programmes. I jus t had
the line item . . . I moved away from it.

Are you doing this under line item 6884
National Stadium Trustees? Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: No. Under . . . on page B -
238, business unit 2002, Sports Development, and
Sports Programmes 30055 and 30065.
I will preface by saying I have had the fortune
of swimming at the pool. A nice facility to be able to exercise in —a great . . . very economical as well.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: No, no, no, no. I'm too —
well, I was going to say I'm too broad for a butterfly, but
that's probably good for butterflies.

Is that competitive swimming? Is that
competitive?

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I will say this that the first
pool . . . just for information, the first pool that was competitive for students was in Flatts. I'm trying to remember the name of the condos there right across from Four
Star Pizza right there. But that's where we used to have
competition at that time for interschool swimming competition. And a lot of people may not know that.
And so, the first time that they started competing was at that pool, and St. George’s Prep, which is
the school I went to . . . some of the first Blacks were going there. We won all the titles. And I won the free-style. But anyhow, the question —

[Laughter]

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Sports programmes. I was
just curious, you know, we spent a lot of time building this wonderful pool that we have there. What pro-grammes are catered towards . . . because we've got
this diving platform. Right? And I don't know, maybe I should have asked t he Shadow Minister about if there's
any diving programmes. But just curious, are there any
diving programmes that are on? Because we've built
this facility there that are ongoing. Are we producing any athletes in that particular arena? As to why we built
it? So that was the only question I had. I think the Honourable Member took my question already.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
I'd like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive brief
and also allowing for time for questions. I have to say
that the Honourable Minister went through every line
item quite succinctly and so I will first start off my questions because many have been answered by the brief. In the department objectives on page B -258. And I
agree with these department objectives, but I would like
to suggest that potentially with the new digital era and
you know, social media and so much more ability in the
global market for artists, creatives and whatnot to break
in and cultures to be highlighted like we've never seen
before, that potentially we add creating an industry here in Bermuda. And when I say an industry, I mean a creative industry where people can be employed and
make income full time as an artist.
And if you talk to any creative, any artist, anybody who is currently creating here in Bermuda, a lot of times they must work a full -time job to obviously be insured, to pay their health insurance and vice versa. So,
I think that a lot of creatives in the industry, a lot of them
feel as though the Island right now, Bermuda, is geared
more towards corporate and other nine- to-five jobs.
And I think that it would be a really great sign to them
to showcase that not only are we looking to protect our
culture and to amplify it, but also to create an industry
in which they can find full time, or at least enough to
sustain insurance for themselves and be able to perform more full time.
The industry could use, in my opinion, outside
investment, which is . . . meaning getting our Bermudians on the world stage. We have had a lot of iconic
creatives and musicians and artists who have made it to the world stage and done great things. But how are
we cultivating that next generation to be those internationally recognised artist, creatives in the industry. So
that is just a general question on—

804 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: I understand that you have a head, but
I just want to know the line item that you're speaking to.

All right. Again, MP Robinson.
Mr
. Dwayne Robinson: Yes. And just on these objectives, just also if I could ask whether or not we will be
seeing a more concerted effort to weave creatives into our tourism product. As I know the Minister currently wears the hats of Tourism and Culture and it would be
very g ood for us to see a bit of a road map on how our
local creatives and local influencers can be better implemented into our tourism product and into our mar-keting advertisement when it comes to Bermuda as a whole.
And just to also speak a bit about what the brief
stated, which was obviously support for creatives and increase in most of the grants and various things. I just wanted to know specifically when it came to animation. Where is the support level there? Because we've seen a few animators come forward in Bermuda and create
amazing cultural things that really have been capturing
us as a people, us as Bermudians.
And I just wanted to know how the department
intends to implement that and support for that in these objectives. Because I feel like that's a very great un-charted territory for us to really build on and also create
growth in the economy. Because if you have an industry of folks who are not only showcasing Bermuda to
the global stage but drawing more people here and also exchanging those skill sets, I believe that we will see some benefits for the economy as a whole and in tourism and hospitality.
So just moving over, let me see. Just going
through my notes here, make sure I don't ask anything
that's been answered already.
Yes, so underneath . . . let me see. Ah, yes,
okay, here we are. So, it was a line item where the Minister mentioned that a programme was coming back,
which is a tradition -bearer programme that's been reintroduced. I believe the line item was under 62030, Cul-tural Education. I could be incorrect about that, but it was mentioned, and I just wanted to get a bit of clarity on how does one, you know, qualify or become . . . or
is there any sort of description for being a tradition-bearer? Because I think this is so important and I feel like if we can get a bit of clarity on, how does one be-come a tradition- bearer that can participate in this programme? Because even in my constituency there was a master carpenter who was attempting to share some
of his skills at the CedarBridge Academy, at one point. And it just never really materialised like we had hoped.
And unfortunately, he has passed away.
So, you know, I think that it will be really interesting for us to be able to hear about the specifics on that and how we can encourage more, because I think that's an excellent programme to bring back on behalf
of the Government. And I think that it will showcase to
a lot of people that hey, you know, you can pass on some of those skills without necessarily being overly qualified, having to jump through a lot of certifications. You can learn something from an actual master and pass that on. So, I just wanted to hear a bit of that.
Also, if we could get a sneak peek of the fancy
float you were talking about, Minister, when it came to the theme.
[
Inaudible interjection]

But I think that I want to also
take this time to thank the department and also the Minister and those who are working on Bermuda Day be-cause a lot of us have noted that it has indeed in-creased in diversity and inclusion, and that's what we're all about. So, I wanted to just take that time as well to
congratulate the Minister on that .
So, there was also a mention in the brief of the
Cultural Annual General Meeting (AGM) and that basically in that Cultural AGM, some of the strengths of the Department of Culture was mentioned. And also, some
things that industry stakeholders felt could be improved. I would just like to hear just some of the high
level . . . maybe if that is on file. What were some of the
things that the cultural stakeholders felt the department did very well? And what were some of the things that they felt the department could improve on? To better
support them and the work that they are all doing.
And also, in the brief there was a mention of
film, a few mentions of films that are being done, and
I'm just referring directly to the brief here now generally. Because I was jotting down notes, I don't have the spe-cific line items. But there was a mentio n of film, and I
just wanted to know whether or not the Minister or the department has ever floated the idea of a film studio to cultivate a film industry. And the reason why I asked that is because not only will it provide a bit of avenue for actors, scre en writers, and various other initiatives,
but whether or not that's being floated and whether or
not that industry would be cultivated, especially when it


Bermuda House of Assembly comes to capturing our culture and providing ways to
do that on an Island.
And yes . . . most . . .

And for the listening public, we are debating the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports,
Heads 20, 52 and 71. It's a four -hour debate which
started at 4:02 pm. So, we still have about another hour
and . . . probably about forty minutes left in the debat e
and MP Robinson is on his feet asking the Minister
questions.
MP Robinson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
just jumping to page C -20.
We have line item 7099 which is Culture and
Entertainment Support and one of the things that a lot
of creatives have mentioned is that training up on their
craft can be quite expensive, especially if you're a vocalist who is doing vocal training or various things that
you need to do, similar to sports, to compete on the international level.
And so, I just wondered if anything was included in this or could be included in this to provide some affordable training or to bring in folks who can
provide that that training to our local artists, whereas
they don't have to pay quite a lot or maybe take any
online courses that are not necessarily reputable? Because I know a lot of times if you have ever spoken to
creatives or been around, you know that they all find a
work around to make it happen. Right? And I just wonder how we can streamline that so t hat we know that a
person who wants to be a vocalist can at least get training to be able to go and compete or do various things
on a global scale. Because that's going to help us in the
long run. So, I just wanted to ask if anything might be
included in t hat.
Truthfully, Minister, I think you —
[Laughter]

I think you . . . yes, yes, yes.
You have done quite well today. I do not have a ton of
questions left.
Just moving along to Contributions in the Department of Culture, on page C -20, 6881 Contribute to
Cultural Activity. I may have missed these, but I just
wanted to get a bit of a breakdown on what these cultural activities were under this line item. And I a lso want
to while I am on my feet celebrate that the Bermuda
Arts Council has gotten an increase, similar to my colleague. You know, you always want more but I understand that the Government is doing what it can in that
area. So, I will celebrate that as w ell.
And just wrapping up . . . the main thing that I
want to close on is the necessity for us (and this is just speaking to the brief) to provide a way for artists to be
able to have more opportunities in a longer season
where they can be able to perform. And there was a policy that was floated for a multi -purpose venue for not
only performance, but also for meetings and different
things. And I would like to just float that idea and offer
it to the Minister and the department if they wish to take
it up. But I b elieve that creating a multi -purpose entertainment venue would benefit artists and give them
more opportunity.
So, with that Mr. Chairman, I will take my seat
and make way for anyone who has any other questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the Minister, when he was giving his brief did mention that there was going to be a
sports conference. I'm actually taking this from under
Department Objectives. There were certain things that
he was trying to put forward. And there were two things
that I noted. One of them was the digital signage. Where and when can we expect to see the digital signage? And does he have an expected date of when that sports conference is going to be?
And, Mr. Chairman, just quickly, I would like to
take a look at page B -238, Camping and . . . actually
page B -242. The Minister did talk about the significant
increase in the camping. It was it was $2,200 and now
it's, you know, close to $6,000. The Minist er did mention that it's almost reaching capacity. Can the Minister
let us know whether there is any area of growth that
they potentially can look at next? Is there maybe an underutilised facility or a property that they have looked at
that maybe they can start to increase the capacity of
camping? Considering that this growth seems like a really important and positive move, and the fact that it
seems to have reached capacity, if there is an indication of whether there is any room to grow. If the Minister can let us know, that would be helpful. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, yes, sorry.
I was looking through my notes and I have one
more left. Just under line item 6200 on page B -259. In
the brief, there was a mention of a National Cultural Policy, and I just wanted to see if I could get a bit of
detail, if possible, on that and also when i t will be
brought before the public.

Thank you for that.
Is there anybody else that would like to speak
to Heads 20, 52 and 71?
Honourable Member, you have the floor.
806 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Dr. Douglas DeCouto : Thank you kindly, Mr. Chairman.
I am referring to page B- 237 and the mission
statement. It specifically —
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter ]

Specifically, increasing participation and ensuring equitable access. As many Members know, I am a big sailor and an advocate, and I wanted to point to our sailing traditions. We have had many numerous Olympians in that sport competing at
a top, top level. I know we have two young Bermudians
out there actively campaigning to qualify for the Olym-pics. We will see how that goes. And there used to be a fabulous programme out on White’s Island that was run by the Government that, yes —
[
Inaudible interjections]

—maybe we should take the
Minister out for a little test and see.
Now it is certainly true that many of the private
clubs have expanded the scope of the programmes that they are generally available to the public. And they also do include (many of them) financial support and bursaries for . . . because not everybody can. You
know, as we heard with the day camps, not everybody can afford programmes in in any sport. But I would like
to know if the Ministry does have any plans or thoughts
or inclination to supporting a programme like the White’s Island, public sailing program me.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, MP.
Is there anybody else that would like to speak
to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport? Heads 20, 52 and 71.
With there being nobody, Minister, would you
like to take a stab at answering these questions?
And while the Minister sets up, I will just let you
know that we now have roughly 90 minutes left in this
debate, which started at 4:02 pm, and we are doing Heads 20, 52, 71, being piloted through Parliament by the Minister Owen Darrell.
Minister Owen Darrell, you have the floor.
Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and this
is a nice debate.
I will say this: I think this is the first time in in
probably four years that, you know, I was in another place, but it's the first time that I think I have had the
opportunity to debate Culture. Maybe because it's Heritage Month and we are doing this debate a little later than normal. Maybe because we are on the week of Bermuda Day on Friday, but I just want to thank the Opposition for actually debating Culture because the lovely people and staff that work at the Department of
Culture were starting to feel a little left out over years gone by that the Opposition did not like to debate Culture. I don't know why.
Because there's so many great things that we
are doing to uphold and keep our traditions going. Es-pecially with individuals like Ms. Warner -Virgil, I'd like
to say, and I just . . . before we get into some of these
questions, would like to talk about those tradition- bearers. Ms. Warner -Virgil is one who I see often because
not only does she assist in going into schools to pro-mote this culture of . . . she does Gombey dol ls now.
But she takes pride in actually delivering these dolls herself. And she comes and she brings them, and she
wants to take pictures with the Minister and the staff.
And you know you would go a little farther to know . . .
just a little history lesson as we are in Heritage Month and we are leading up to Bermuda Day where you will see many Gombeys. Right, Minister Lightbourne? Many Gombeys. And just know that Ms. Warner -Virgil,
as her name states, comes out of the Warner’s Gom-bey troupe. But she for many years did make the tradi-tional Gombey capes.
And I would just like to shout out to Mr. Showande (I don't know why I'm drawing a blank) —

Butterfield.
Hon. Owen Darrell: Butterfield, thank you. Mr Showande Butterfield, now, who gave an excellent presenta-tion last week at the CedarBridge Academy. And he
has been going on to multiple . . . many schools, giving
his presentation on how to make Gombey costumes
and also the different pieces of the Gombey that makes up the entire performance.
And it is those traditions that are continuing to
go. And we see these tradition- bearers like, in past
years, Mr. Mills, who is a mason, and he has been
keeping the tradition of Bermuda architecture alive and building homes. We have got, as I said in the brief, Ms. Ronnie Chameu has done it in the past. We still have Mr. Milton as well, Mr. Milton Hill and Ms. Warner -Virgil,
as we have said. So that is just something I just wanted to highlight even further.
And I will get to the questions that the Honourable Shadow Minister did ask about that programme and it going further and continuing, but I would like to start in the order of which they were given.
I would start with the questions that came from
Head 20 and . . . I would just like to say that when the
previous Chair was there, he pointed out that there was a discrepancy in the . . .
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Owen Darrell: It was a discrepancy. And what it
should have said was that the budget allocation for the Department’s Camping programme is $1,015,000, an increase of $44,000, or approximately 5 per cent increase. That's what it [should have] said. So, I just want
to take a moment to correct that.


Bermuda House of Assembly The first question I think was [asked] by the
Shadow Minister, who holds the responsibility for Sport,
came from page B -238 under the 2001 Administration
and Sports. And the question was that there was additional funding due to Bermuda [Schools] Federation being folded into the Ministry, what analysis will be done
that will show that this change is positive? For example,
in participation and collaboration, what are the expec-tations of this change?
As noted, and pointed out by the Honourable
Shadow Minister this change has been something that has been talked about and asked for by many in the
sports arena for many, many years. And I'd just like to
point out the difference between sport and PE. They
are two di fferent things. And I just want to make that
clear before I get into answering that question because although PE still comes under education (and that's physical education in schools and they have a full curriculum that comes around that) it is di fferent than sport.
Sport is what the BSSF oversees. And as a result, many of the PE teachers are also part of the BSSF.
Not all, but many. And that is where the BSSF has been
moved from education to sport because we recognise
that there is a stark difference between physical education and sport.

What is it?

Hon. Owen Darrell: We will get that in a minute.

[Laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: But when we talk about sport, we
are talking about organised sport and the organising of
football. I know the Honourable Minister who has responsibility for Economy and Labour has long told us
how he was a football captain on many of his teams
and I know he participated in sport that would have
come under the BSSF many, many years and is still going. We are trying now to get cricket back in into the
schools as a sport and not just a PE [class] —and others. Right? So, we will be conducting surveys of the
school sports, and this will come from teachers as well
as athletes and all stakeholders. We're gathering
these—

No, no. I am in preseason right now. Hon. Owen Darrell: Oh, preseason goalkeeper. Okay.
Well, there we have . . . I am sorry I did leave you out,
Mr. Chairman.
We are gathering these baselines in order to
show changes over the years to come. And, you know,
this change just took place recently. We are excited
about where we are. I mean you have seen it. And I am
not throwing shade on anyone. But you even saw some changes at the recent interschool sports that you've
seen. And you just see kind of a reinvigoration of all
who are involved in the BSSF. And, like I said, over at the Department of Recreation we have sports officers
that are very passionate about sport. O ne, Mr. Jacon
Agnes will tell that story over and over how sport has
shaped his life, professionally as well as recreationally.
As you all know, he is a former Cup Match Captain for
the team up West —not Cleveland County, but they
were red.
[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Owen Darrell: Yes, that team. But yes. The second question that was asked by the Shadow Minister
with responsibility for Sport talked about sport development and it was under section 30065 Sports Invest-ments. And the question he asked I believe that there
had been a ch ange in the number of sports that had
been recognised as National Sports Governing Bodies. I think that is where we were at. And the concern always (and I get this) is that if you open up the participants, but the pot does not grow further, you know, you
have more National Sports Governing Bodies (I will use
this word) fighting over a smaller chunk of funding support.
How would this money be divided amongst
more entities? Can you provide what the investments
were for 2024/25 and what is the projected numbers for
the upcoming year? So, the 2024/25 investments were as follows: The Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association (how did that get at the top of the list?), $60,000.
The Bermuda Basketball Association, $5,000. The Bermuda Bicycle Association, $74,000. The Bermuda Cricket Board, $100,000. The Bermuda Equestrian
Foundation— funny looking shirts showing up around
here.

[Inaudible interjection and laughter ]

Hon. Owen Darrell: The Bermuda Bicycle Association,
$74,000. Like I said, the Bermuda Equestrian Founda-tion. The Bermuda Golf Association, $50,000. The Ber-muda Hockey Federation, $30,000. The Bermuda Karate Federation, $20,000. The Bermuda Lawn Tennis
Association, $25,000. The Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Association, $10,000. The Bermuda National Athletics
Association (that is the BNAA), $50,000. The Bermuda
Netball Association, $20,000. The Bermuda Olympic Association, $125,000. The Bermuda Rugby Federation Union, $30,000. The Bermuda Sailing Association,
808 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly $40,000. The Bermuda Sanshou Association, $35,000.
The Bermuda Squash Racquets Association, $20,000. The Bermuda Triathlon Association, $65,000. The Ber-muda Volleyball Association, $40,000. Bocce Ber-muda, $15,000. Gymnastics Federation of Bermuda, $20,000. Bermuda National Archery Association,
$30,000. And the Bermuda Pickleball Association of Bermuda —one of our newer National Sport Governing
Bodies was $25,000.
So, the funding available for this year is over
$2,000,000 that we have made available this year. So, to say that the Government is not investing . . . and I
know you did not say this, but this is what . . . and I don't
want to attribute that statement to the Shadow Minister of Sport. But you hear it a lot. You do hear it in the com-munity and individuals will ask just a question: Well, why doesn't the government support sport? And alt-hough I do say that support is given in multiple ways, it
has to be pointed out that $2,000,000, in excess of
$2,000,000 is available and being made available to this.
We have not allocated the funds for each of
these National Sports Governing Bodies yet this year.
That will be something that once we pass this budget
process, the budget gets approved, we will then sit down and look at all requests that come in and go through the rationale as to who gets what and why. So,
it is a process that I do know that the senior officer who I mentioned a few moments ago takes very seriously
and looks into why the funding is needed and that's how
it is allocated.
You would know that some organisations, like
the Bermuda Olympic Association in 2024, may seek a bit more as that is an Olympic year than what they would seek in subsequent years. So that's that.
Yes, the funding does include BSADA and the
Bermuda Olympic Association. There was a question with BSADA that I think I will . . . I will get to that one a
little later. As to the illicit drugs, that policy that we no longer have in place, where has that funding gone? And
that's a question that we will look to answer.
There was a change, sorry. Since there are
new requirements and there has been an increased interaction between the Ministry and international sport-ing bodies and has this led to more involvement in the programmes by these international bodies? Is the increase in sports leading to an increase in participation
in these sports without taking from other sports? That
was the question.
When it comes to the National Sports Governing Body, not all the time we get individual names back as to where that funding is going. You know, sometimes
the National Sports Governing Body will highlight in
their own publications that this individual is doing X, Y and Z. Sometimes they will attribute it to the govern-ment grant, sometimes they won't. So, it's hard for us to track exactly who . . . which individuals are excelling,
and this is where good engagement comes, and I pride myself on that community engagement whenever. I know my office has asked me to slow down a little bit.
But I say that it's important that whenever I am
invited to engagements to show up and support —especially a National Sports Governing Body. I do try to make time, as you would have heard in a Ministerial
Statement or Congrats earlier, that I did make it a point
to go to the Squash Championship.
You know, if the national coach for swimming
invites me to the national championships, I do try. He says it is next week. So, I do try to get up and see these swimmers, but it is at those meets and at those events
that you have these conversations with individuals and
their parents. And they'll say, you know, T hank you.
You know that that athlete right there is one that is benefiting from the increase that we got through the gov-ernment grant . Or, That athlete is one that ordinarily
would not be able to get the level of coaching that is
needed, but we really thank you for the support that
Government is giving. So it is those types of conversation and those types of engagement.
And I will acknowledge, as the Shadow Minister has said, I think the Shadow Minister with responsibility for Sport and Culture has said that even if there is
an increase, they will always (and we all should) advo-cate for more, as more increase usually leads to greater and better performance.
So, the only way to answer is to cross reference the individuals with sports. We don't go into that
amount of detail, so we do not have detailed individual
at this time.
Our sporting investment has only slightly increased. However, I would like to point out that it has increased, so more is always better than less. Right, Mr. Chairman? You would agree with that.

I definitely agree with that.
Hon. Owen Darrell: Good. Good.
Since there are new requirements, has there
been an increased interaction with the Ministry and in-ternational . . . No, sorry, sorry . Let me . . . I answered
that one already.
Sporting has only slightly increased. Considering the changes in overall cost, has there been any con-versation regarding what this means for participating in
international high- level competition and cost associated with our sporting materials? Is there an increase
in demand and for international opportunities? And the
Shadow Minister has said that there should be more money to support more athletes.
We have had conversations with sporting bodies in this regard. We recognise we have growing costs all over the world, that there's increased cost for travel. I always know when a sport is getting ready to embark on a large trip because, you know, someone w ill send
an email to the Minister of Sport and say, You should
be doing this . And a lot of times the e- mail goes back
and says, T hank you, but we have done XY and Z . And


Bermuda House of Assembly they say, I was not aware. But that is why we serve. We
serve to try to assist in as many ways as possible. And
as they have said, a long time. Right? What is it? Closed mouths don't get fed, right? So, if you ask, you
may receive. I have no problem when these requests
come in.
And I know that the Shadow Minister with responsibility for Sport, in his long involvement with the sport of swimming, will understand that there were requests that come and sometimes we are able to supply
them —

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Owen Darrell: —and sometimes we are not —accommodate. Thank you, accommodate. Accommodate
those requests and sometimes we are not.
When decisions are being made regarding the
levels of funding for the different sports, is some consideration based on performance in the region? Internationally? Local participation? And what is the break-down and what is that competition? And I would say
this, that is why the National Sports Governing Bodies
and part of the requirements for the National Sports
Governing Bodies is that you have an operational
AGM. That you have an operational executive team.
That you have an operational youth programme. Be-cause it is the National Sports Governing Body that will
govern and oversee their sport. Because I would not
think that the National Sports Governing Body will put
forward athletes to us or fund athletes who are not at
the level where they need or deserve, I guess we'll use
that word, funding.
So that lies with each National Sports Governing Body. But once it comes to the criteria that we set,
the criteria is set into three parts: high performance, junior development and coaching development. So
those are the three parts that you do. So, the Nat ional
Sports Governing Body is usually interviewed and
given a chance to state their need for funding.
I would even say this that a lot of National
Sports Governing Bodies have gotten very creative as to how they use their funds, because what you could do is . . . one option is you have 10 students or athletes,
sorry, and you try to get 10 plane tickets and 10 modes
of transportation and 10 hotel rooms and try to send
them overseas for specialised coaching or specialised
support. When what a lot of National Sports Governing
Bodies are now doing are actually saying, You know
what? Stay right here on Island and we will pay for the coach to come to Bermuda.
So instead of trying to pinch pennies and get
the National Sports Governing Body to go there, you can actually double the reach, and you can have maybe
upwards of 20 or 30 students, sorry athletes, that are
benefiting on that. So that's something that we l eave in
the hands of the National Sports Governing Body as to
how they can maximise, Mr. Chairman, the funds that they are getting and the funds that government is making available.
Next question I think came from the Shadow
Minister with responsibility for Sport, is considering that more sports are operating in Bermuda, can we provide information on how we get support for other sports that
are emerging that allows them to get access to funding
if it already exists? Please inform and if not, how do we plan to make this happen? And I could use the Bermuda Pickleball Association as an example. And I
know the pickleball courts that we have put in the Hon-ourable Minister's constituency of 17 down there at the
[W.E.R.] Joell Tennis Stadium have become extremely
popular. And the Pickleball Association, which is now a National Sports Governing Body, took the documents
that we laid out. It took the path on how a sport can
become a National Spor ts Governing Body and the
sports recognition policy is a document that guides the
organisation on the path to receive funding.
So, I can use that organisation of one that initially . . . and I remember when they came and they
said, You know, this is one of the biggest growing
sports around the world. And I said, Okay . And they had
a plan and they said, H ow can we get funding? And
even in that case some of their ask was not just direct
funding to the organisation, it was infrastructure. It was,
Where can we find a place to add additional courts to alleviate some of the demand that there is for pickle-ball?
And we all know, Mr. Chairman, that there was
some pushback to that with the traditional racquet sports. I will say that. But I will say this: without a
shadow of a doubt, many of them . . . many of them, in
addition to continuing on their traditional tennis coaching, have now started to play pickleball. They have
started to coach pickleball and they started to embrace
it. And that is what we like to see with —as I think the
Shadow Minister called it —an emerging sport. That is
the blueprint of what we are lo oking to do. So that
shows that our National Sports Governing programme
is working.
I know there will be a few who we would like to
see take the next step to get there, but there is a blueprint through the sport recognition policy that organisations can use to get there.
Next question was about sports initiatives and
awards under page B -241. Under the Junior Investment Awards and this is one, Mr. Chairman, that I'm very, very proud to be a part of because what happens
is a lot of times some of the junior athletes will get kind
of gobbled up in the stars that you are familiar with. We had some very young men, I will say, that participated
in our Cricket Classic last summer, who benefited from
the Junior Achievement Awards. One was and I'll call his name, Mr. Luke Fulton.
I remember one of my first engagements as the
Minister responsible for Sport was to present him with a Junior Achievement Award. And then to see Mr. Fulton a couple of years later, as a Colt for the Cup Match
810 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Classic last summer shows that this investment is working with the Junior Achievement. It also . . . it tags on to
one of our policy goals, which is the long- term athletic
achievement programme. And I know that this is some-thing that all National Sporting Governing Bodies have been asked for a few years ago to develop. Because
you don't just go from someone kicking a ball in your yard to someone who has multiple times taken his team to the championship playoff to get to the premier . That
doesn't just happen by chance. Investment has to be
made in that regard. So, I'm very happy and very proud that we continue to invest in these Junior Achievement
Awards.
And they asked, Was the decrease because
there were no applicants? I would not say that there
were no applicants. But there were less applications that were being submitted. And that is part of the edu-cation that we are trying to do as we go out to these
sporting events. We just don't go and clap and watch
goals be scored and records be broken in the pool. But
it's also a time and a way to educate the public on this. These are ways that Government is here to support you. And it is always disappointing when there are
some National Sporting Governing Bodies —and I will
not call them—that ask for an allotment of funds, they
get the allotment of funds, and they give it back. Be-cause for one reason or the other they were not able to utilise it. It does happen in some cases, and this would be one where we did get less applications submitted
from previous years from the sporting bodies regarding
the Junior Investment Awards.
The average amount was $3,000. What was
the total amount for Junior Athlete Awards? And this year we've allocated $50,000 for these awards.
Next question falls under the Sports Facilities,
and how is the $900,000 broken down regarding golf? Will there be performance measures to show how this investment is being used to support golf courses and how we see the impact? The $900,000 is an opera-tional grant for the golf courses. The golf courses this
year have also been given a capital development grant of $1.4 million and that could be seen on page C -7. And
a report will be produced from the golf courses and all National Sports Governing Bodies as to how they utilise the funds. Just like we have talked about other quangos in the past. Although I do have more oversight with the
golf courses than some other quangos that we have
talked about in the past. As always, once grants are
given to these quangos , they have their own operational , you know, organisation that operates that. So,
we will be waiting . And as soon as I get it, I will make it
available, Mr. Chair man, for how that $ 900,000 operational grant is used for the golf courses.
There was a question regarding the softball
park, 30075. I mentioned that there was an increase in
usage due to baseball. What are the baseball specific gross numbers? I don't have that at this time, but I'm going to tell a story, Mr. Chair man, regarding the baseball and the Michael Preece S oftball Diamond —
the name is softball.
There was a young man who wa s an entrepreneur in this I sland, and he came to me. He is married
to a Bermudian, which I think now makes him Bermudian. Right, M inister ? I believe—
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Owen Darrell: But we'll go there. Okay, okay .
Thank you— a spouse of a Bermudian. Thank you. Appreciate the clarification.
But he came to me and he —
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you.
[
Laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you for the terminology.
I don't like to bat outside my crease, but basically the story is that he came to a store and said from
his native . . . baseball was very, very popular and still
is very, very popular. You know, he has individual baseball players like “B ig Papi” and the like. A nd he came
and he sa id, You know , I notice that you have a beautiful facility in Hamilton (in my colleague’ s constituency ), but it's not being used on a Saturday morning.
And he said, Well, why not?
You know, I said, Well, it's called the softball
diamond. And for the most part, the Bermuda Softball
Association or Softball Bermuda has their events in the evening time.
And he said, Well, I would just like to use it.
And this is the story : He didn't wait for us to go
through the process of opening the gate and finding who can go and get overtime on a Saturday. What he did was asked, Can I set up some lines outside of the
diamond and just start a little baseball programme ?
And o nce you saw that happening and once
you saw young athletes (still pee wees ) come in and
play baseball, then you said, Well, why can't we make
the facility available?
So, I can say that that is one example of an
individual who has taken pee wee baseball and used
the facility that's, you know, it's a softball diamond. And
I've come to learn over the years when I was this great softball player back in the day , that softball rules are
considerably different than baseball rules. However, with the facility that we have there, this individual has
made it work, and we have seen an increase in baseball activities here in the area of Hamilton and not always having to go down to Kindl ey Field , which . . .
don't get me wrong. They have an amazing programme as well, which my son has had the opportunity in years
gone by to take part of.
But with that said, I don't have the specific
numbers . But that is just an example of how we are


Bermuda House of Assembly learning to pivot and utilise our facilities for more than
just traditionally what we've had. Because I think when that softball stadium was built down at the Preece, it
was built for fast pitch. And even fast pitch softball has
different rules than slow pitch softball. So that is an example of that.
The tennis stadium, page B -238. There were
some refurbishments to the pickleball court. Has there been an impact to the tennis site due to the facility and
the workaround of pickleball ? I could say this : not from
a standpoint as pickleball courts can be converted back
to tennis courts if we need them to. You know, there
was some discussion at the beginning as to how we will
make it work . Will there be fairness ? Will they kind of
push out the traditional racquet sports or tennis ? But
the nets that we have for the pickleball courts are portable. They can move.
If there is a need for a junior tennis tournament
that may pop up this summer , more tennis courts can
be made available . So, I'm very pleased that . . . you
know, for those who spend time on social media, I think
if they would report back that the kind of discussion and
the back and forth between pickleball and tennis has
diminished significantly . Almost, I would say to none.
So, I would not say that there has been a push out or
any negative impacts to the traditional tennis . Well,
some may disagree, but it doesn't seem to be that big
of a problem at this time.
Question regarding sports community fields.
And these become very important, especially on holidays. I have never seen requests for grass being cut so
much then Good Friday because what happens is we
go through the winter , grass is not growing and then all
of a sudden, these community fields like the one up in
Somerset, Loyal Hill —

[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: —Devil’s Hole. The one on Shelley Bay Garrison. All of these are the community fields
that come under the Department of Sport and Recreation.
And it is also . . . those are the fields that host
some of our larger community events and those are very, very important events. And I'm glad that we have
these fields and I'm glad that we have staff who keep
them up. So, I want to say thank you to those individuals for keeping those fields in pristine condition so that we can support the community . And the question was
what is the breakdown? And what is the money use d
for? And this uplift of funding provides funding for the
repairs of the machines and maintenance of the fields
and grounds . Because although they do a very good
job of cutting these fields, there are other factors.
You know, some of these fields have gates. We
did an extensive cleanup at Loyal Hill because there
was an outside entity AB IR, I think it was , that put a
playground —

BILTIR.

Hon. Owen Darrell: BILTIR, s orry. Sorry , it was BILTIR
that put a playground at Loyal Hill .
So, I want to publicly thank them for doing that .
And it is this type of corporate partnership that assist s
us in making sure that these c ommunity fields continue
to do what they are meant to do and that is to provide
recreational space for the community of which we all
serve.
There was a question around page B-241 and
performance measures regarding the number of athletes receiving funding. Can you break down monies
based on level A , B and C? The number of athletes who
applied this year has decreased. Last year there was
an increase due to it being an Olympic year. The Bermuda Olympic Association breaks down the athletes in
A, B and C levels. That is not something that we do, but
they do that for their elite level grants that they give.
Question regarding 2023 /24. There is funding
given to anti -doping. However, this amount has not
changed. When there were issues, the initial drug test-ing policy was removed. Was there any consideration
to the change regarding illicit t esting support no longer
existing and the actual number that is given, which was
$586,000?
I would say this. Although one has gone down
with the illicit testing, I can tell you that operational cost has gone up. So, their operational cost . As everyone is
dealing with, increased rents, salary uplifts and the cost
of other testing may have gone up. So, while it may look like the number is the same and it should go down, i t's
kind of a balancing act that has been done by BSADA to not come back for any additional funding and keep it
where they were. But that is something that we will continue to look at.
I will admit , it is a number that does pop out to
many people every time we go through this exercise.
However, the Shadow Minister of Sport will recall that
there has been one time in the almost three years that
I've been a Minister, one time that someone called for
my resignation and that was due to Bermuda losing—not losing, but being put on a list regarding its , . . . its—
[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Owen Darrell: Yes, its compliance with the
WADA Association. S o that speaks to how important
BSADA is to mak ing sure that our athletes who are going and participating, like the sailors, like the swimmers,
like the triple jumpers, so that they are compliant with
going to international competition . So, it is a figure that
while it may jump out , and while we may like to see
other figures come closer to that , it is one that is extremely important . And you don't notice it until something goes a little left and then we really do understand
the importance of BSADA.
So, I would just like to put in here that Ms. Debbie Hunter does a very good job as the Executive
812 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Director of B SADA regarding the work that she does to
make sure that we remain compliant and remain up to
the standards of which WADA is seeking . Because
there are horror stories all over the w orld. A nd I know
the Shadow Minister would attest to c ountries that are
way below the compliance mark for clean sport .
Question regarding $ 330,000, page B -238 under Athletic Awards 2023/24. It says the number of athletes increased without equal increase in money, meaning available support is lower. Does this mean that we need to increase our funding? The Bermuda Olympic Association's elite athlete fund is separate
from our fund. Their funding is for Olympic sports . Our
elite athlete funding is for all athletes and in all sports.
Question—g rants and contributions . National
stadium increase. They've asked for the detailed break-down in the original and revised estimates and what the expectation of the current amount was. What changes
will happen to the changing room facilities ? Maintenance? I nvestment updates, et cetera? When will they
occur? If you look at page C -7, there is an increase of
Capital Development for the NSC. And it is $800,000
for 2025 /26. This will allow for the continued maintenance and upgrade of the facilities . Out of last year's
funding , the new changing rooms have been purchased. A nd they should be installed very soon.
As the Shadow Minister did a llude to, that facility is one that I am at often. And I have asked the question many times . I asked, W ell, how soon can we wait?
And I'm happy to report that we should see some cranes in the area lifting those tiles out and putting new
ones in
Diving participation —considering the investment that we made recently in diving boards at the fa-cility, diving participation numbers have remained
steady. Dive boards were replaced for safety reasons
and the boards that were there were no longer suitable for use. S o, I will tell you this . This is another story. You
know, I like my stories. And the S hadow Minister , I don't
know where he was this day, but there was a time last
summer , I think it was about June or July that I took the
opportunity to go up to t he National Sports Centre.
I took the opportunity. I went up to the National
Sports Centre and I sat on the bleachers and there were two athletes, elite athletes, that were going through their paces . And they were swimming, and
their names were Jack and Emma Harvey. I am sure
he knows them well. And as Jack and Emma Harvey were going through their final p articipation to represent
Bermuda in the Olympic games , due to great coaching
by the national swim coach of Bermuda, a s I was sitting
there, there were many youngsters.
There were some that were from a football
camp and they were sitting on the bleachers as well. And there were others from another camp called Star
Diving and they were all sitting there and the . . . what
do you call it? T he Aquatic Centre. Bleachers were full
of children and young athletes who were excited to see
our former Olympic athlete Ms . Katura Horton[-Perinchief] as she was putting Star [Diving] C amp and,
as well as her mother , through this diving course.
So, I know that while we may not see it year
round, I do know that the diving platforms are used by a former Olympic athlete. And it was very, very heart-warming to see that the same pool was being used by
two different sports: the sport of diving, which we have
an Olympic athlete, and she was the Chef de Mission
that went to Paris. So, it was a really good use of the
National Sports Centre.
So, I will say that the diving platforms and the
participation numbers have remained steady. That would be something that we could look into and get
those exact numbers but it is always good that we have
to replace the diving boards that are not safe because
at any given time, someone like maybe the Minister
may go up and decide that he wants to do a couple of one-and-a- halves or two- and-a- halves off the platform.
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: And take the PS and everybody
else with me.
[
Laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: So, we have to make sure that
those diving platforms are s afe at all times . But thank
you for asking about that. I'm sure Ms. Katura HortonPerinchief will be happy that we recognise her diving
camp here. A nd we look forward to the day that we will
have additional Olympic diver s representing Bermuda
as we have swimmers who often represent Bermuda at the Olympic Games.
Can we give a breakdown of participation of the
N
ational Sports Centre? More people using the fields ,
pool, track and considering the significant investment
in the facility? I can tell you that every day —every day,
every evening, every morning, this stadium is being used. It's to the point where I'm putting a lot of pressure
on the new facilities manager, Mr . Steven Douglas , Jr.
A lot of pressure on him to make sure that the fields and
the facilities are in t op condition. W e have youngsters
who are up there early in the morning before the sun
gets up, going through their paces in the sport of football.
As you know, we had a massive tournament,
even with rain. The Kappa Tournament had unprecedented amounts of rain this year . I was in a conversation and they said, Well, I think we're going to have to cancel the tournament because the fields cannot take this level of rain. And it was the facilities manager, Mr .
Douglas that said, Please don't disrespect my workers
like that. We put a lot of work into keeping this field in pristine condition. A nd even after the tournament went
ahead the following day, there was no excessive wear and tear on that particular field. But we are seeing that
the traditional carpet is starting to show its age, and we
are going to put some investment into that to bring the


Bermuda House of Assembly carpet back to the days that , you know, Minister Haywood and Minister Weeks used to play football on those
fields.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Owen Darrell: No? I see the former p resident of
the BFA is questioning if these M inisters actually
touched the carpet, but we'll leave that for another day.
It just goes to the investment that we are putting into
these fields.
So individual users of the facility are not
tracked on the free North field. The Shadow Minister
would know that is a track that we have made available for individuals to walk and jog on at any time that the
facility is open and it is free of charge. So, we do not
track those users . For paid users , and those are the
users that like to use the rubber track , the pool, the
gym, the hockey , participation has increased year over
year following when we had to shut down the facility for
COVID -19.
You will continue to see that as more usage
happens, we will have to make sure that we are keeping this facilit y . . . but it's important to point out that the
facility is an ageing facility. It is . . . you know, it has
served Bermuda well and continues to serve us well. But I will tell you this, as the Minister responsible for Sport tries to go to CARIFTA G ames and other sporting
events, the National Sports Centre, which is in the constituency of my ministerial colleague who sits to my left ,
Minister Lightbourne . . . I will tell you it is a facility that
we can continue to be proud of in the Caribbean region.
And I look forward to seeing her up there a lot more.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Owen Darrell: Yes, absolutely , yes.
There was a question about . . . what was the
date that the track was laid and the lifespan of that . The
400-metre track was resurfaced in 2020 just prior to the
unfortunately cancelled CARIFTA G ames , and it has a
10-year warranty . There is, you know, with anything
there are some slight spots that are going to be repaired this year. And we look forward to that track continuing to serve us and our athletes well .
Considering the lighting investment, which
would impact the electricity bills , can I provide the percentage of savings due to this lighting investment? Absolutel y. I am happy to. The total electricity savings due
to the renewable e nergy project, which includes the full
change out of lights, has produced an average of
51 per cent savings in the electricity bill . And of a facility
of that size that is significant savings.

Say that again.

Hon. Owen Darrell: Yes, one more time . I will happily
do that. I think that the Minister responsible for E nergy
and the MP for that area wants to hear that again. A 51 per cent saving on average due to the lights being
changed out for this renewable energy project.
We have had ( in the past issues ) regarding
high electricity consumption regarding the N ational Stadium update on the solar project. Is it fully operational? What is the reduction of power since it was put in
place? Is there a maintenance contract and what is it?
Again, these are some of the detailed operational matters of the Board of which is in charge of the National
Sports Centre. I will answer the parts that I do know that
they have shared with me and others I will seek to get
in their annual report, which they have to report —or
produce.
The project is partially complete . In the process
of completing the application bulk generation single-use licence. It's expected to be submitted before the
end of the month. Give me a second.

And for the listening audience, we are
now about 40 minutes out from our . . . four -hour time
limit. We are debating the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Sports , Heads 20, 52 and 71 and the Minister
is actually responding to questions that have been
posed by the O pposition.
And so once again . . . and he is currently just
talking about the National Sports Centre and goi ng to
go on to some other —

Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you. It's expected to be
submitted before the end of the month with parts of the
facility being operational again. There's been that
51 per cent saving, which includes energy that's exported to the BELCO grid. The maintenance contract
will be negotiated once the system has been fully c ommission ed.
How many N ational Sports Bodies utilise the
National Sports Centre? Is there a breakdown of which
sports are participating ? And I'd be happy to provide
that, Mr. Chair man. And is there a plan to increase the
numbers ? Absolutely . Always . Wherever we can support . . . again, support doesn't come in just financial .
There are ways that we can support by usage of our
facility . So, the answers of the National Sport Governing Bodies that are utilising the National Sports Centre
are rugby , football, cricket, hockey , sanshou, athletics,
Special Olympics, a quatics, to name a few.
And we always are advocating to increase the
numbers that are using the National Sports Centre, and
this is something that you remember that they only had the opportunity to use the facility two weeks before
competition. W e have increased that to use it free of
charge two months before the competition, but even in
some of these they have found the investment to make
into using this facility, which will increase their participation on the world stage. And we can use field hockey
as an example. I think that t hat is the only certified topnotch field hockey pitch on the Island. And they are using it. They are going to tournaments as we recently
saw in Mexico, they are qualifying to additional rounds.
814 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly So, we can see that these facilities are causing
our National Sports Governing Bodies to get recognised on the world stage and keeping our athletes in
top-notch form. It is i mportant to also know that N ational
Sporting Governing Bodies can apply to utilise the National Sports Facilities, the gym, the pool, the pavilion,
the classroom— again free—for two months before international competition. And I want to repeat that because everyone thinks that this usage is just maybe for
a field o r just for a pool or just for . . . b ut it's the other
facilities that are available up there. Okay?
So, I'm happy to give up the bench press for a
little bit so that you know the other athletes —
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: Can you—what's that?
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Owen Darrell: Elite? Wow .
One of the ongoing issues as stated by the
Shadow Minister responsible for Sport, was a lack of
audited financials. The National Sports Centre again is a quango. They are working with the o rganisation to get
all outstanding audits complete and current. I think that is the O ffice of the Auditor General. They are presently
working on the year end of a couple of years back and once we get caught up, I can guarantee you, Mr.
Shadow Minister , that you will be the first to know.
How many lifeguards are being used at the stadium? Do they rotate? Do they change around during
the year because it's not enough money to cover? Life-guards are not employed year -round. Lifeguards are
employed during the summer months to cover events
and gr oup parties. Because I can tell you this, Mr. National Swim Coach, I don't think it is a good use of funds
or Government funds to have a lifeguard on duty while
your elite athletes in the swimming pool are going
through, especially like the H onourable Member from
consistency 12 who says that he was a top swimmer at
one point. I don't think we need . . . we don't need lifeguards on duty as he comes and does his butterfly .
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: No, you said freestyle. That's what
you said it was. Freestyle. O kay, so we do not need
lifeguards for those. So, we have dialled it back a bit when the H onourable Minister from c onstituency 14 organises her constituency Back to School party up
there. We will make sure . . . we definitely have lifeguards on duty to make sure that her constituents from the Cedar Park area are safe in that wonderful pool fa-cility that we have. But, no, the lifeguards are not employed year -round.
Facilities regarding the programme, page B238, under S ports Development and S ports Programmes . We spent a lot of time building the pool . Absolutely and I want to just . . . I think that . . . I believe
the Minister that was responsible for the pool was Min-ister Glenn Blakeney , I believe, under the P remiership
of the Honourable Ewart Brown.

That is correct.
Hon. Owen Darrell: So, I would like t o recognise him
for his foresight in building that pool. I think it was in
advance of the NatWest or I sland Games at some
point. So, thank you for the vision that that former Progressive Labour Party M inister had to build this pool.
And the time that we spent building it, I would say was time well spent .
How are we developing programmes in swimming and how are we developing athletes in the area? And I will tell you this, there has been some talk at . . .
way back that , you know , is this pool worth it? That's
what they have asked. They have asked, Is this pool
worth it ? And I will tell you that discussions —not in this
place but at other place —with swimmers, the national
swim coach, a former Olympic diver. They can tell you
that the investment that we continue to make in this
pool is proving dividends.
I don't think you can recall the last time that
there was the Olympic Games that did not have a swimmer from Bermuda i n it. You have to go back a very
long time. And that brings me to one of the amazing
features that the NSC does have and that is an Olympic
memorial —not a memorial, not a memorial . . . Olympic—
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: —Statue, c ommemorative plaque
there where all Olympians that have ever participated in Bermuda are there. And on that we have Ms. Katura Horton- Perinchief , who conducts an annual dive camp
to identify and develop young divers. West Pembroke
School, which we know is in the constituency of our
Premier, has an annual Mak e a S plash programme designed to teach all students the fundamentals and
proper techniques of swimming as well as general wa-ter safety. There are also a number of swim school s
and individuals, people who swim for fitness .
There are other aquatic activities which include
water aerobics and water polo. So that's one thing that I want to do. I want to grow the sport of water polo in Bermuda. And I did have the opportunity while I was
visiting the swimmers in Paris last year . I had the opportunity to go to some water polo events . And I can tell
you just the competitiveness that not only happens
above the water, as you are passing the ball, but the
real athletic ability happens below the surface of the
water as to how they are jockeying for position in this water polo.
That is something that I'm going to look to see
if I can do . And I'll call on the H onourable Member who
represents constituency 7 where that club, also known


Bermuda House of Assembly as Cleveland and Harrington Workme n's Club, resides
[to see] i f she would go to the membership and maybe
talk to the v ice president and anybody on the membership committee to see if Cleveland County might actually put in a water polo team. Maybe Devonshire Rec.
And maybe N orth V illage, the c hampions. Minister Haywood, maybe the c hampions . Maybe Western Stars, as
they're waiting to get their field built . Maybe they will
say, You know what? Let's try water polo. But these are
some examples of some of the increased —
[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Owen Darrell: The increased sport . You know,
I'm sure that many of those pools out in the Fairylands
area have some water polo specialists as wel l. And we
would love to have them come up to the National Sports
Centre and use the facilities that we are investing in to
grow other sports that many Bermud ians m ay not know
and have too much knowledge about .
A question was asked about the Sports Conference. Mention was made under object ives, a s far as
digital signage , and when and where can we expect to
see these signs come into fruition? T he Sports Expo
will happen in September of 2025, and more information will come. I encourage everyone to watch this
space www.sportsandrec.bm—that is sports with an
“s”—and the digital signage will first start on the Government Islands and we are in the infant stages of this
project . But I'm sure that the S hadow Minister responsible for Culture will have his eyes peeled on these digital innovations that are going to come very shortly.
There was a question . . . what’s that?
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: Yes. Permission , permission. Yes,
I have to make sure I go through the Minister of Innovation .

[Laughter]

Hon. Owen Darrell: And the question on page B-242.
It was mentioned that there's an increase in
camping, w hich is now close to 6 ,000 and reaching capacity . Is there any potential avenue for growth that we
can look at next? Maybe an empty venue that we could
consider for camping, the camping that we are considering are on our G overnment Islands. I believe that the
camping permits for beaches and parks will fall under a different Ministry and that is the . . . I think that comes
under the Minister responsible for Parks and Environment . So, we are specifically talking about camps on
islands, and I don't think there's many spaces because
those camping spots fill up very quickly, just like our
Summer Day C amp Programme —when registration
opens , I think for this one it was 1 April.
I inevitably always get emails and calls and
texts asking , Minister, what can you do? My family is looking to camp over Cup Match. And I can tell you . . .
it is a foreign concept to me because at Cup Match,
there's only one place I go and that's to the game to
watch cricket. But there are individuals who have been
camping on these islands for C up Match as long as
they can remember. So, we have limited space on our
Islands , and we do the best we can to not only upgrade
those facilities but to accommodate all campers and all
families as they request.
Page B-237, there was a question about our
mission statement with an increased participation in
sports. We also have equitable access while private
programmes have expanded to be less cost prohibitive.
Does the M inistry have plans or thoughts or an inclination to support a programme like the W hite’s Island sailing programme ? As I did say I had a short stint in the
sailing programme. I wasn't very good. They used to
stick me on the side of the boat and tell me hold the
rope. I didn't really have much of a . . . much of a role,
you know, Honourable Member from the other side.
But this programme was taken over by the private sailing clubs many years ago as they have the means, the instructors and the vessels , to carry on the
sailing programmes . Maybe in the near future there will
be a partnership with the sailing programmes. But I
mean if anybody's looking to see my skills as soon as
Whitney gets that boat done, I'll be down at the Flatts area to sail the fitted dinghy that comes out of the apprenticeship programme.
But with that said, Mr. Chairman, I have gone
through every single question that was asked by the Shadow Minister of Sport. And now I will turn my attention in the time that I have remaining to go through the questions that were asked by the Shadow Minister with
responsibility for Culture.

And that would be 25 minutes. You
have 25 minutes remaining as this will end at eight o’clock.
Minister, you have the floor.

Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, thank you. And I
will make sure that I get through these questions. By
the looks of it, it looks like I will get through it in about
24-and-a-half minutes.

[Laughter]

Hon. Owen Darrell: So, I would just like to just go
through it and go through the questions so that the public get the detailed answers [to the questions] asked by
the Shadow Minister and his colleagues.
So, the department objective, the first one was
on page B -258, and it was a suggestion to add creative
industry so that people can make a living off their crea-tive contributions. How are we cultivating the next generation of creatives? And I would say this question does
make me smile because I do recognise that as one of
the younger Members of this place the Honourable
816 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Shadow Minister is very much engaged in creative. I
think that he would consider himself a creative, I be-lieve.
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: So, you know I am happy to give
the details of these.
While the budget may not label a single line
item as “Building a Creative Industry,” the funding is ab-solutely there. It is being currently used strategically. This year we increased the Grants and Contributions
by 36 per cent, which is no small feat in these times,
Mr. Chairman, allowing us to fund more creatives
across a variety of disciplines.
We have expanded the Cultural Apprenticeship programme to support hands -on training in areas
that may be at risk of being lost. That also has the opportunity to employ our future employment opportunities. And in 2024/25 it looked like two different tradi-tional Bermudian masonry approaches and scientific
research.
Going along with that, with the answer to the
question, the MakerSpace is functioning. And it is a functioning creative hub. It is used for workshops. It is used for preparation to shows. It is used to film produc-tions. It is used for rehearsals and if the Shadow Minister, with responsibility for Culture has not gotten up to MakerSpace, I would encourage him to go up. Have a
look. Just make an appointment, I guess with the Acting
Director of Culture and go up and have a look at what is up there.
Just recently one of my constituents who goes
by the name of Wayne Raynor, also stage name “Fire Rain,” has put some videos online of him actually using
the MakerSpace for various rehearsals. So, creatives
across disciplines use this resource to build. They use it to collaborate, and they use it to earn money in this creative field. This approach may not be flashy. I know everybody would have liked for us to get a brand- new
building and kit it out and fit it out with all the newest and fancy creative innovations, but it works and it is working.
We are actively funding artists. We are actively
supporting the infrastructure. We are actively investing in programmes that make the arts a viable path, not just
a passion, but a path for all Bermudians. And, Mr.
Chairman, I would say that that is service at its finest.
So, the next question, will we be seeing a more
concerted effort to weave creatives into the Bermuda tourism product through marketing and advertising? And I'm glad that question was asked, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Culture is reintroducing, as I said in the brief, the Rendezvous Gombey plans, as it was detailed in the budget brief. And that is specifically geared towards visitors. Right? Because right about now we know that Harbour Nights is hap-pening and that is one opportunity for our visitors, for
the most part, to see our Gombeys performing. But if they are unable to get down to Harbour Nights, if they are indulging in some of the wonderful restaurants that we have for our tourists, you will see that they may not have the opportunity to see a Gombey performance.
They may not have the opportunity to get to the
24 May parade or the Heritage Day parade on Friday
where we have nine local Gombey troupes performing.
They may not have the opportunity to get to the Gom-bey Festival, which we have at the Botanical Gardens that brings hundreds and hundreds of people out to engage in this. So that is why we have put this Gombey Rendezvous in place. It will definitely align with the Bermuda tourism product and this programme is being
shared with the Bermuda Tourism Authority. I t's being
shared with our hotel partners at the Bermuda Hotel Association and visitors are all very welcome.
The Department of Culture Works with the BTA
often. There's this narrative that the Government does
not work with the BTA. But here we have it. An example
of how the Department of Culture works regularly with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, and we recommend
Bermudians for their advertising and for their promo-tions.
When it comes to animation. Where is the support level? How does the department intend to imple-ment support into those objectives? The department had a film (as I did mention) in the Gold Bermudian se-ries on Michael Frith and by a very, very talented ani-mator, Mr. Kyle Simmons. There is a well -equipped
computer in the department’s MakerSpace there at Ce-darBridge and we are eager to have any aspiring ani-mators come to us and use the facilities.
You can reach out to the Department of Culture
at www.culture.bm because . . . animators are also welcome to apply to the Bermuda Arts Council for funding
for any project that they would like to have. So, I thank
the Shadow Minister responsible for Culture for raising that and helping me to highlight the great things that we are doing and the potential that we have in the area of animation.
It was mentioned that a tradition- bearer programme was coming back in 62030, Cultural Educa-tion. The Shadow Minister has asked me to provide clarity on how one becomes a tradition- bearer and what
are the requirements? What are the criteria? The De-partment of Culture works with a range of community
advisors, educators, cultural stakeholders to identify tradition- bearers. While there isn't a formal application
process, individuals are typically selected based on their recognised expertise, their cultural know ledge and
ability to teach or demonstrate traditional practices. The focus is on those who are actively engaged and preserving and sharing aspects of Bermuda's heritage.
So, what that means is, you know, there are
many people who will sit down around Cup Match or a
parade and you may have an uncle who will tell you how great he was as a carpenter. Who will tell you how great he was as a mason, but he may not be, you know,
actively engaging in the trade. And although we


Bermuda House of Assembly appreciate and we recognise the contributions of all
Bermudians, when we want to put these tradition- bears
in schools, we want someone who is still working in the trades and has the modern and local knowledge so that
our students can get the best tradition- bearer experience possible.
Can you give a sneak peek on the fancy floats
regarding this year's theme? Well, I don't know. I'm getting pretty good. I can tell you where most people sit off
at the parade, but I do not know where the Honourable
Shadow Minister does watch the parade wit h his family.
But I will say this. I'm sure that he will be at the parade.
And it is designed by a Bermudian artisan, Mr. Ian
Tucker, who is born and raised in Bermuda. Ian studied
at the Ontario College of Art and Design and went on
to build a decades long career in animation, film and
immersive digital experiences.
Although this Bermudian is based in Toronto,
he remains deeply connected to the Island and continues to find ways to contribute creatively to Bermuda,
including coming home to build the Department of Cul-ture’s float for the parade. Our team is going to hav e a
look at it, as soon as the debate finishes. I will tell you
this. They were more than happy to put down their parade preparations to make sure that you got the answers that you needed for this cultural debate. They
may have liked a different day, but t hey were more than
happy to serve the community and giving the answers
to this. But right after I finish and I think I have, what 14
minutes? So right after that, Mr. Chairman, they will go.
They will check out this parade and I'll make sure that
someone f rom the department gets a picture when it is
done.
But at this time, I do want to take a moment to
thank all the parade participants who have spent late
nights from February —late nights putting the finishing
touches on their floats this week. Costumes, regalia. I talked to someone, Mr. Chairman, a leader of a particular majorette group —and I will not name them —but
they told me that there are appointments as early as
5:30 am to get their makeup done so that they can
come out on Front Street and perform for us.
So, I would just like to say, as we are debating
Culture, that there are some individuals who may not
appreciate the work that goes into preparing for the
Bermuda Day parade. And while the gaps in the parade
may be 15 minutes, they may be 5 minutes. They may
be 20 minutes. I want everyone this year to remember
the preparation that our creatives have put in their re-galia, their floats, their costumes. Because just as we are excited to see this float and just like the Shadow
Minister is excited to see the Department of Culture’s
new digital float, these participants —60- plus, Mr.
Chairman, are excited for Friday and excited to share
what they have been working on for many months.
There was a mention of a Cultural AGM. Can
we hear some information of what are some of the things that the cultural stakeholders throughout the department will do, what we do well or do not do well to support them and the work that they do? Based on the
feedback received during the Cultural AGM, we are do-ing certain things well. And I will tell you what they are.
The Department of Culture has gotten feedback that we
have great visibility during Heritage Month. We are celebrating local artists in multidisci plinary fields. We are
providing inclusivity. We are promoting cultural heritage through lectures. And the things that we can improve on, like was mentioned in this debate, we can improve
on funding. We can improve on areas of cultural initiatives. We can improve on creatives focused on their job
board, creative- focused job board. And we can do a little bit more in full opportunities. But I would say to the Shadow Minister responsible for Culture to watch this space because there will be some movement in th e
area, finally of a films commission. So please watch this space.
Has the Minister or department ever considered a film studio to cultivate the film industry in Ber-muda? I will tell you this: recently Hustlerz Entertain-ment filmed some of their shows in the MakerSpace for
an upcoming film production, with an original twi st on a
Bermudian storyline. They gave fantastic feedback on
the versatility of the MakerSpace and how grateful they
were for having a free creative space for them to work in. And I will tell you it's this type of feedback, Mr. Chairman, of why the Department of Culture are happy to serve the people that they do in this space.
The department's current focus is building on
foundational support through funding, creative space
access through MakerSpace and initiatives such as the
mentioned Gold Bermudians film series. And this will
continue to grow local capacity first before we pass that
over to what's to come of the eventual film commission. And I think that there are some very eager creators
ready to get that up and going with the support of Government and other entities.
There was a question regarding 799 Culture
and Entertainment Support. People mentioned that
training on their craft can be expensive. Absolutely. Is
there anything included in that line item regarding affordable training or courses that can be offered to local artists for their development? And just like we talk about
the long- term athletic sports development which we
talked about a little earlier, the Bermuda Arts Council
again led by the amazing Shanna Hollis offers semi -
annual education and experience gr ants that awards
$2,000 for workshops, certificate programmes, resi-dency fees and travel costs associated with achieving
these goals. All Arts Council opportunities are available
at www.artscouncil.bm. The Department of Culture also
offers creative culture labs, professional development
series throughout the year.
They asked for a breakdown on 6881, a breakdown of what these cultural activities were under this
line item. The contributions under object code 6881
support a range of culture activities that align with the
department's mandate to promote Bermuda’s heritage
and creative sector. To illustrate this in 2024/25 these
818 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly included sponsorship of public lectures, such as the
Masked Freedom Gombey Emancipation event with Doctor Chapman, which I mentioned in the brief, sup-port of heritage events like Heritage Month, Yoga, Cup Match films, the Chewstick Open Mic, Bermuda Day fun, support of Gombey troupes. These activities all
varied in scale but were selected for their cultural value, accessibility to the public and alignment with the de-partment's policy goals.
On page B -259—National Cultural Policy was
mentioned. Can you give details? In May 2021, the De-partment of Culture officially launched the National Cultural Heritage Policy for Bermuda. So that's the policy
of which I was speaking of. It is not one to come . It is
one that we've had for four years now. The overarching goal of this policy —the overall goal of this policy is to
inspire national pride and to support the deepening of our shared identity. The policy also aims to ensure that
Bermuda culture is embedded in every level of everyday life.
You can view it at www.culture.bm and there
are six primary goals for this National Cultural Heritage policy. They are to promote culture and develop our
creatives, to preserve and protect our cultural heritage.
And I will tell you, Mr. Chairman, when I was an educa-tor there was a course, and I think Minister Alexa Lightbourne may have been one of the first to do it, and it was called Preserving Our Heritage. I do not know if she was a part of that, but as a former Miss Teen Bermuda, I am sure that that course was beneficial. As she
wore her crown. But that was the second one. Also to include culture in our national development plans, to establish cultural connections, to assist in cultural ad-ministration and to implement and review the policy.
Mr. Chairman, as I have gone through those, I
would just like to point out that the Department of Cul-ture are so excited, Mr. Chairman, to have Head 52 fully debated and discussed, because the work that they do, while it may not be something that everyone is interested in—
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: —and something that everyone is
a part of . . . well there’s a lot happening in here tonight,
Mr. Chairman.
I see pictures. I see jerseys, man. A lot happening. But it must be that time of the month, Mr. Chair-man. It must be Heritage Month in Bermuda. And I would like to take this opportunity, Mr. Chairman, as I have been doing so over the last couple of days to remind our Bermudians that our culture and our heritage
is very unique. And a part of that (as we are debating
in the other head) includes our sporting culture and our sporting heritage. And it is very important.
One thing that I did notice and this kind of ties
to both, Mr. Chairman, is that a couple of months ago, when a team that is very, very close to the constituents
of the area I represent and a team that Minister Haywood has very close ties to. I think his family members play on that team as he used to play and be on the executive. But I say that to say this: that in 2025, Mr.
Chairman, when the North Village community or the North Village Community Club won the Premier League, and they also went on to win the FA Cup title.
As we are debating culture and we are debating sport, I would like to point out that there were North Village legends that were at that field, Mr. Chairman. And the club took the time to recognise those sporting legends because in this particular instance—and it's not just the North Village Community Club that originally came from constituency 15, Pembroke Eas t. But
it is those clubs and clubs throughout Bermuda that recognised that the sporting history and the sporting leg-acy that comes through their clubs and permeates
through communities like the Harris’s Bay and like Bai-ley’s Bay and like St. David’s and others, is a major part
of Bermuda's culture.
And I would go so far to say that as we sit on
the sidelines and see our cultural parade on Friday, that
there will be examples of creatives who have been part of this parade. There will be sporting organisations and
the like. And it is important for us as Bermudians to
make sure that we keep these traditions alive.
One of the first things that someone took a shot
at me on, I think it was Twitter. Somebody took a shot
at me years ago that they said —

Who are you?
Hon. Owen Darrell: They said, Minister D arrell, what
does he know about cultural traditions like sport? What does he know about making kites? What does he know about Gombeys ? And I was happy at the time to, as
they say, “share my credentials” in these areas, through that wonderful app. And this just goes to show —
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Owen Darrell: No, no, no, no. It was not. It was
not. Sorry. Yes, be sure . . . it was not the Shadow Minister responsible for Culture.
But I say that to say that it is important for all
Bermudians to make sure that they recognise, honour
and know their traditions. I make a kite every year, Mr.
Chairman. Whether I fly it, that might be a different story. But I make one every year to make s ure that
these traditions are held alive.
So Mr. Chairman, with that said, I hope that the
answers that have been provided through the technical
officers —and I would just like to recognise my Permanent Secretary, Mr. Shivon Washington, the Financial
Controller Mr. Mannard Packwood and others who are not here. The first female director of Sport, Ms. K. Char-ryse Bean. I would like to also recognise her technical officers, the Acting Director of Culture Ms. Carlita
Lodge, who everyone will see on Friday. Also, I have to


Bermuda House of Assembly recognise, as she did depart in this fiscal year, the former Director of Culture Dr. Kim Dismont -Robinson, I'd
like to acknowledge her as well.
So, with that said, Mr. Chairman. We are
pleased to give these responses on Heads 52 and Head . . .

Are there any objections?
No objections.
So approved.
[Gavel]
[Motions carried: The Ministry of Culture and Sport,
Heads 20 and 52 were approved and stand part of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2025/26; and t he Committee of Supply rose and reported progress and asked for leave to sit again.]

House resumed at 8:00 pm

[Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair]

REPORT OF COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR 2025/26

Members, it has been moved
that the Committee rose and reported progress and sought leave to sit again. And it is reported that that was
approved.
Any objections? There being none, we shall
move on.
Members, I understand that there is only one
item that we are doing today and that is a motion that
is being led by the Minister of the Cabinet Office.
Minister, you may now take the floor.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Hello, Madam Deputy
Speaker.

Good evening.
MOTION

CITY OF HAMILTON PLAN 2025

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Madam Deputy Speaker, I
move that the House now take under consideration the following motion, notice which was given on the 14
th of
May 2025:
BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House
approves the City of Hamilton Plan 2025, pursuant to
the provisions of section 11 of the Development and
Planning Act 1974.

Members, it has been moved
that this House take into consideration the City of Ham-ilton Plan 2025 motion.
Are there any objections to that?
There being none, Minister.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Madam Deputy Speaker, we
stand at a critical junction for Bermuda's capital city.
Today, I rise to speak not merely about a document of policies and maps, but about a vision; a new
framework to guide the growth and identity of the City
of Hamilton through the City of Hamilton Plan 2025.
This plan represents a departure from the outdated prescriptive planning policies and propels us boldly into a
more sustainable, adaptable, and human- centred approach of urban development.
Madam Deputy Speaker, what we present to
this House is the result of years of consultation, re-search, and careful deliberation. It has been shaped by
the voices of stakeholders, guided by the expertise of
planning professionals, and inspired by the success ful
global models tailored to Bermuda's unique context.
Madam Deputy Speaker, one of the most frequently asked questions I have received throughout this process has been, What is the maximum height a
building can be under this new plan? Let me be clear.
There is no fixed numerical height limit within the City
of Hamilton Plan 2025.

Aah.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Madam Deputy Speaker, we
have moved away from the rigid, prescriptive model
that imposed a cap of 138 feet OD, an approach historically tied to retaining a coordinated approach to sensitively managing building heights across the city thereby preserving th e Cathedral's visual dominance. That approach may have served an architectural function in the
past, but , in practice, it has often stifled investment, innovation, and urban vitality. Instead, this plan introduces a responsive, dis cretion- based framework.
Height will be assessed based on location, design quality, context, and the proposal's overall contribution to
the city. Proposals for tall buildings, whether 15- , 20- ,
or even 30- stories, will not automatically be rejected,
820 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly nor will they be rubber -stamped. They must earn their
height.
Madam Deputy Speaker, each project must
demonstrate that it enhances the skyline, protects key
views, improves the public realm, and integrates with its surroundings. It must also be assessed by submitting a visual impact assessment, be sustainable, and
demonstrate public value. This approach is not unique to this plan. We have already successfully adopted the North East Hamilton Local Plan 2022. That plan, de-bated and approved in this House, has approved that discretion -based planning allows for quality urban regeneration without sacrificing character or coherence.
Madam Deputy Speaker, however, the significance of the City of Hamilton plan extends far beyond building heights. This plan reflects a profound strategic thinking of how a modern capital city should function. The former 2015 plan, while valuable in its time, was
based on conventional, rigid zoning approaches that
separated uses, fixed parameters, and often resulted in delays, appeals, and frustration among investors and developers.
Madam Deputy Speaker, in contrast, the 2025
plan embraces placemaking as its guiding principle. It prioritises how people experience the city over rigid de-sign parameters. This means developments will be evaluated on how they contribute to a vibrant, walka ble,
safe, and welcoming environment, not merely whether they tick a box on a list. The aim is to create a city that
people live in, not just work in. A city where housing is
accessible, culture and commerce coexist, open spaces invite community life, and streets feel alive after 5:00 pm.
Madam Deputy Speaker, another transformative element of this plan is its integration of climate
change considerations into core planning policies. Sustainability is no longer an afterthought. It is embedded from the outset. The plan encourages energy effi-ciency, use of renewable energy, sustainable drainage
solutions, climate resilient materials, and design. This
is particularly vital given Bermuda's vulnerability to hurricanes, rising temperatures, and ageing infrastructure. We must plan for the city we need in 2050, not the city we inherited from 1950.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this plan also adopts
principle- based zoning systems. Instead of an arbitrary
distinction between zones that limit innovation, the plan outlines broad land use districts and allows for more flexibility. This gives planners the tools to make judg-ments based on merit, impact, and alignment with the plan's objectives. This reform will lead to fewer unnec-essary planning appeals, shorter decision timelines,
greater scope for investment opportunities, and more
agile and responsive system of urban development.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I must also address
the economic rationale. The City of Hamilton has en-countered significant challenges in recent years. Office space vacancies are high. The demand for traditional
retail has declined, reflecting global trends. E -commerce and evolving work patterns mean the city
must reinvent itsel f; not merely survive but thrive. The
2025 plan facilitates this reinvention. It permits mixed-use development, promotes cultural and creative in-dustries, introduces new housing options to intercity,
and encourages greater integration of technology,
green space, and inclusive design.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the pedestrian experience is paramount. While parking is necessary to support the functionality of the city, the plan (under the ban-ner of placemaking) seeks to prioritise pedestrian mov-ing over vehicular movement. This approach aims to
restore the balance towards walkability, accessibility, and quality public spaces. The city that is appealing to pedestrians is appealing to people, and people are the lifeblood of economic revitalisation.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is not simply
about buildings. This concerns a vision for Bermuda's
capital that we can take pride in, a city that fulfils the
needs of today with aspirations of tomorrow ; a city that
encourages residents to live downtown; a city where
tourists discover it's not just a business district, but a
vibrant urban experience. A city that embraces height,
yes, but also humanity.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I urge all Honourable
Members to support the City of Hamilton Plan 2025. It
is bold, flexible, and forward- looking. It represents our
heritage while preparing for our future. Let us not tether Hamilton's potential to the constraints of the past. Let
us elevate our sights, both literally and figuratively. Let
us approve this plan, and with it, affirm our commitment to a capital city that serves everyone.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
We on this side of the aisle definitely support
this initiative to revitalise the city, given its current state and what it can become. Absolutely, we are in full sup-port. Creating a city that's innovative, where commerce supports the community, 100 per c ent.
We are also mindful of the fact that we have an
opportunity to basically become the benchmark that other jurisdictions will follow. So, if we do this correctly, this can have a profound and lasting effect, basically a legacy project. I am also reminded of the fact that in the city, in its current form, there are a few problems that
need to be addressed that I'm sure the City of Hamilton
Plan has considered.
Absolutely, when you are considering pedestrianising the city, there's going to be a reliance on park-ing, and then we have to collect the parking to the city. Perhaps consideration is being given to a renewable
electric vehicle shuttle service to get persons from the


Bermuda House of Assembly outskirts into the city itself —similar to what you would
have in other jurisdictions as a hop- on hop- off, which
will take you to the points of interest, historical and otherwise.
I am also hopeful that in the City of Hamilton
Plan there will be a city centre, a community centre,
something where the youth can go to get the support
that they need, where it's safe, homework support and families can be nurtured.
I am also hopeful as well that the issues that
currently exist in terms of loitering and aggressive be-haviour and panhandling that currently exists will be addressed in a strategic and meaningful way. And also, in
the process of developing and designing the city, that
there will be an opportunity for young persons to receive scholarships and perhaps apprenticeship opportunities as part of the design process. I would also hope that as part of the city plan that Sessions House —
where this Honourable House is meant to sit —will be
considered an area of priority to be repaired so that we
can take our rightful place and run this country.
Those are essentially my submissions. Thank
you.

Thank you, Member.
Are there any other Members who wish to
speak to the motion?
I recognise the Member from constituency 17.
Member, you have the floor.
Hon. Jason Hayward: Good evening, Madam Deputy
Speaker.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on my feet today pleased to support the City [of Hamilton] Plan 2025.
As the Minister responsible for Economy and Labour,
governing or presiding over a Ministry which is responsible for economic growth, economic development, and
the expansion of jobs, the city is a vital economic hub
to Bermuda's sustainability.
I think what you will find in this plan, Madam
Deputy Speaker, is that this plan is transformative. It is
focused on the future, it is focused on change, and it's
focused on ensuring that it is inclusive of residents, vis-itors, and workers. It ensures that we have the infrastructure in place to have a sound economic hub. It is poised to ensure that we remain a bustling, sophisticated, blue- chip business jurisdiction.
Our city is safe, our city is clean, but our city is
in need of modernisation. And this plan allows for a
platform to modernise, to move forward, to embrace the past but understand that we are progressing into the
future. There are some areas of this plan that intersect
directly with the policy initiatives set out in the Ministry
of Economy and Labour.
One of which is the work we're doing around
entrepreneurship. It is no doubt that the City of Hamil-ton is a retail core. And in order for our entrepreneurs
and business community to thrive, they need the appropriate commercial space to operate. And this pl an embraces that. This plan ensures that we have areas
dedicated for retail and commercial activities. I appre-ciate the way in which the plan looks at mixed- use areas—not just mixed- use sites, but mixed- use areas
within the plan. Because the plan embraces two things. One, that we want to encourage more residential development in the city, but we can't lose our commercial
and retail footprint within the city as well.
And so, this plan works hand in hand to
achieve those two items. And I think the plan appropri-ately calls them mixed- use districts. And you will find
set out in the plan the level of development that can
take place in each portion of the city, creating uni que
communities or subcities within a city.
I am generally interested in the plans for North
East Hamilton. While we do have a Minister responsible for our Municipalities, I am the Minister responsible for Economic Empowerment Zones. And we do have a
carve out within the city of two Economic Empowerment Zones now. One would be the South East Hamil-ton Economic Empowerment Zone, and one would be
the North East Hamilton Economic Empowerment
Zone.
While this plan did not envision that the Ministry of Economy and Labour would move at the speed of
light in terms of creating a South East Hamilton Economic Empowerment Zone, it certainly embraces our historic North East Hamilton Economic Empowerment Zone. And so, what the team underneath the Cabinet
Office have actually done is they have ensured that the
City of Hamilton Plan coincides with the North East
Hamilton Local Plan that was developed in 2022.
And so, the plan complements the plan that
has already been established to create our economic bustling hub in North East Hamilton. I like how the general principle of this plan is to ensure that we create
greater levels of economic activity and growth wit hin
the local community within North East Hamilton. And
so, I'm pleased that planning permission for developments within North East Hamilton will be in alignment
with the North East Hamilton Local Plan.
Many may or may not know that we have an
Urban Development Agency. The Urban Development
Agency's primary responsibility is to facilitate investment in North East Hamilton. You know that we have what we consider to be approved residential schemes.
And the Urban Development Agency facilitates the se
approved residential schemes. But those schemes
have to be in alignment with the North East Hamilton
Local Plan. While two separate documents, I'm pleased
with the merger because oftentimes we call things ap-ples and oranges. With not understanding that we can
put the two together and make a fruit salad.

[Laughter and inaudible interjections]
Hon. Jason Hayward: So, they do not work in isolation, and it is compl ementary.
822 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly But the aim also is to look at specific areas in
our city that are poised for economic revitalisation. Embrace that more can be done and have a future focused approach to how development happens in those partic-ular areas.
The other area of critical focus that this plan
touches on is increasing the residential population in the City of Hamilton. The housing capacity is a major impediment to economic growth and development within Bermuda currently. And we believe that the cit y
has the potential to unlock and expand our housing in-ventory. We are encouraging residential development
in the City of Hamilton. And so, we have also a scheme
called the approved residential Hamilton scheme which looks to encourage development in the City of Hamil-ton.
We want to ensure that the city is a vibrant city
where persons can work, live and play. We want to ensure that our city transcends beyond some of the dormancy that you find after 5:00 pm in the evening. And
that there can be more activities carried out in the city.
We want to increase the residential population
of the city. We believe that more people living in the city
closer to where they work cuts down on traffic congestion. It also allows the country to realign itself as it per-tains to freeing up housing inventory outside of the city proper. I believe this plan recognises that there is great potential for the city.
I'm pleased with what the Minister has articulated in terms of building heights. Often that has been a restriction for developers as it pertains to them getting the return from developing. It's very expensive to build in the city. And so, they want to ensure that they can have a building size that can allow them to get the re-turn on their investment. And as a result of that, I'm glad
that the Minister indicated that there will be a greater
level of flexibility as it pertains to developing in the city.
I like how the policy objectives are written.
They are not written in a concrete fashion. They are written in a fashion that is flexible, which allows the City
Plan to remain a living, breathing document that is extremely flexible for us to work around.
I believe the city calls the specific areas and
regions within the city “districts.” And that would allow for there to be layers of focused activity from an eco-nomic development standpoint and a development
standpoint within the city proper so we can focus on
different priorities in different areas. For some areas we
will require additional commercial real estate, and we will welcome greater levels of commercial develop-ment.
I like the whole process of looking to see
whether or not we can turn some areas within the city to pedestrian areas. Maybe even have greater levels of vendors in the city, not just at Harbour Nights. We see the vendor potential being unlocked on Harbour N ights
and when special events are held in Bermuda. But im-agine if we can have city districts that have vendor
space built within those districts that allows for greater levels of economic activity for our small - and mediumsized businesses.
The Ministry of Economy and Labour will be
engaged in a process of building a national entrepreneurship strategy. Part of that is ensuring that we have an entrepreneurial ecosystem that allows businesses
to grow, develop and thrive. The city plays and will play
a critical part of that plan.
And so you can see where the city is poised to
be the foundation or the cornerstone for whether it be
housing plans, whether it be economic empowerment zone plans, whether it be national entrepreneurship
strategy and increasing the level of entrepreneurs i n
the city, whether it be to alleviate some of our pressures
on our housing market, this city is vital. And in order for us to operate in alignment and on the same page and not have persons complain about restriction, the plan for the city is appropriate as to lay the foundation to unlock greater levels of success in the future.
I am of the notion that the approach that is
taken regarding mixed- use developments is the best
approach for any economic hub. I think that we do not
want the city saturated with one type of building. We do
not want the city saturated with just residential buildings. I think that there needs to be an appropriate mix,
and I think that this plan looks at what that appropriate mix is. To the extent that the plan also has minimum standards as it pertains to floor sizes, when we are talk-ing about building in the city as well. What we do not
want to see is dormitory -style developments within the
city that does not meet the mark of the type of city that
we have.
Bermuda is a blue- chip business jurisdiction as
I mentioned earlier. And all that we do, whether it's our regulatory environment, whether it's our legal framework, whether it's the planning requirements within the
city, all need to be in alignment with that standard. And
so, we do see now a shift as it pertains to commercial developments on Front Street and we see that the building that's going up now looks a little bit different.
But what it does is embrac e a future Bermuda. It's also
embracing the reality that we have an expanding business sector that is looking for premium spaces to rent
out as well. What was premium years ago is no longer
premium now. And so, we are setting a new standard of what that is. And this plan allows for more development in the City of Hamilton that actually complements
who we are from a Bermuda- brand standpoint.
It has a good mix of preservation and forwardthinking approaches. And so, when speaking to the Minister when this plan came forward, there was a high level of consultation. There are some areas where we
can say there certainly needs to be improvement. Lik e
it continues to baffle me why we would have parking on
our waterfront. When that can be—
[
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Jason Hayward: Hold on, hold on—


Bermuda House of Assembly [Laughter]

Hon. Jason Hayward: Well, we did have a waterfront
plan and then—
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. Jason Hayward: So, hold on.
But it tells you that we can unlock opportunity
and we can find places to ensure that persons who commute to work in the city via private transportation have areas in which they can store their vehicles while
we can maximise capacity on the waterfront as well.
And so those are my comments, Madam Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister and his team for the
thoughtful development of the plan. I know there was
widespread consultation. I know that members of the Government engaged in that consultation. The feedback was taken on and changes were reflected in the
final document.
So, kudos to the team. Thank you.

Yes.

Hon. Michael Fahy: Thank you for bringing this to the
House. I know that the Department of Planning has
been anxious to get this put into place.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I attended a very
good conference last week, put on by the Urban Development Authority. And I know a number of Ministers were there as well throughout the course of the day.
And there were a number of interesting statistics that
came out of that conference. I am just going to . . .
these are the ones that I wrote down quickly as they
went. And that is the cost of building can be anywhere
between $400 and $2,500 a square foot. That was from a developer who was there, as someone who is i n the
construction industry. If my numbers that I heard are
way off, I am sure the others in this House who are engaged in construction can say differently. But that is
obviously a large sum. We keep that in mind when we think about development. And in the City of Hamilton
that may very well be higher, I do not know.
As well we heard a number of different figures
throughout the course of the day based on assessments of houses that are on the land valuation registry.
Other data that people have in different areas from the Chamber of Commerce have pulled down from various
sources to say that we need about 2,500 units in Bermuda to start ensuring that we have adequate housing. And, of course, we also have the Home survey that said
there are about 1,100 people facing homelessness in
Bermuda.
Those are sobering numbers and as has been
pointed out by a number of speakers already, this plan does make reference to the necessity for residential building in the City of Hamilton. Now that is something
all of us can support. I wrote about it a number of years
ago saying how important it is to have residential de-velopments in the City of Hamilton and make the city a
vibrant place to be. I think there's never going to be a
disagreement on that.
But this plan does lay out a number of things
that developers, whether it's housing, residential . . .
sorry, retail or international business or other types
need to be considering. And one of them is pedestria-nisation. But a lot of them are different reports that need to be put forward.
And with that said, one of the statistics that was
said by the Director of Planning at the conference from last week was that 60 [per cent] to 75 per cent of planning applications are deficient. And she encouraged developers to engage in a pre- consultation process before even purchasing property. And that is going to become all the more important when you look at the City
of Hamilton Plan. Because there are a number of reports that are required for development in the City of Hamilton. And if 60 [per cent] to 75 per cent of planning
applications are deficient, do not blame the Department
of Planning. In other words, if you are not getting your
applications in the correct manner . . . so they were
very clear about that. And I think the Minister will no
doubt agree that it's important for those types of preconsultations.
The other sobering statistic was that 90 per
cent of building permits are incomplete. So again, if you engage in the proper pre- consultation and pay attention
to these plans and actually spend the time to read
them, maybe those putting in applications can get them
correct. I just think those are important things to take note of.
Now, more substantive comments on the actual document itself. Just a few things and maybe the Minister can answer them when he does his wrap- up
this evening. I am just going to take you to a few pages and refer to some notes that I had made on them.
One of the primary items in the City of Hamilton
Plan is to create a pedestrian- friendly environment.
824 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Again, we can all get on board with that. It's disappointing that in all the years that we have talked about pe-destrianising the city, it has never really been done. I would encourage the City of Hamilton and . . . whatever
the result is going forward and how that corporation is made- up, whomever is in the positions to make the decisions about pedestrianisation that they actually take this plan into consideration and really, really think hard about it.
There are any number of areas that can be pedestrianised. We have heard for years about lower parts of Reid Street to be pedestrianised. In fact, I wrote
a couple of years ago to the Corporation to ask them to
consider the part of Burnaby Street with a number of restaurants that are now on that street to be pedestri-anised, as ideas to try and make the city more vibrant and encourage people to spend time in the city, if they feel safe that they can walk around.
The plan makes reference to any number of different cities. We have got Lancaster, California, we have seen in other instances . . . and if any of you
spend any time looking into it, you will see that Spain has made massive investment in pedestrianising cities,
and some are in fact almost fully pedestrianised. And
again, the figures speak for themselves that it does ac-tually encourage use in a city. It encourages people to move into a city centre. It encourages retail. It encour-ages cafes and restaurants. Because obviously people are happy to walk around in a safe environment.
So, if —
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Michael Fahy: Barcelona— I hear an interjection.
But absolutely, Barcelona has made a massive investment. There is a city in fact called Pontevedra. If you
look that up, you will see as well that is a very big ex-ample of how to pedestrianise a city. And here we are . . . I heard the Minister of Labour and Economy make
reference again to pedestrianisation. I agree. I cannot
believe, notwithstanding comments about the waterfront and things like that, that at the very least, I cannot believe to this day that we do not just have a nice green pathway that goes along the front of Hamilton that ac-tually brings vibrancy to the city.
To me, it must be a revenue issue. Maybe that
is what it is. But this is a plan. It is not a must for the city to do. But the city has to lead by example. If we are going to be asking developers to follow the number of things that they have to consider, or that the Planning
Board has to consider, I should say the Technical Of-ficers, before they allow it to go to the [Planning] Board,
the city needs to lead by example. And for that matter,
so does the government.
And I think of the old police station building that
is sitting there on the corner of Burnaby and Reid, as an empty lot, overgrown with trees and all the rest of it. That's — [
Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Michael Fahy: Did I say —
[
Inaudible interjections]

Yes, you said Burnaby instead
of Front.
Hon. Michael Fahy: Sorry, my mistake. I think we all
know it —the old police station.
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Michael Fahy: We can all accept that. But if I
have got my mind set, I mean, I can say that slowly be-cause we have heard that a lot this week . . . the old
police station building lot. Okay?
The Government should really think about at
least taking down the hoardings and making open space pursuant to what this plan says. Lead by exam-ple . . . and then others can get on board with that.
I think that is very important. We cannot put
plans forward and have nothing that is showing and demonstrating that throughout.
A few other points, Madam Deputy Speaker.
When you look at . . . a lot of the recommendations that
are in here, again rethinking the city, the community benefits, all amazing things. In a number of instances,
what we see is the Planning Board may ask, for example, for a traffic assessment, as an example. Again, when you use the word may and then in other instances
you use the word shall or will, it may lead to some confusion.
Again, I would encourage those who are in the
development field to engage in that pre- consultation
process so that they know exactly what is likely to be
required before they go down that road of further devel-opment. If it is a may then, surely . . . and I assume the
Department of Planning will say to those developers:
You are going to need a traffic impact statement in this
particular develop ment . Do not ask for it later. These
things need to be asked for upfront. And notwithstand-ing that it is a holistic approach to development, it is very important that the developers who are going to spend a significant sum understand fully the requirements.
In this plan as well, we see references to requirements for renewable energy. And we have had a
debate on that already in the budget. But again, we need to tie requirements back to the integrated re-sources plan, which again is late. So, we have to have
some good cross -referencing between the integrated
resources plan and what it is that the city is requiring—
keeping in mind the issue of redundancy for BELCO.
And I raise these issues because some of
those issues are outstanding in terms of that overall plan for renewable energy and how we get ourselves
off of using heavy fuel oil and light fuel oil at the BELCO


Bermuda House of Assembly plant. Notwithstanding the desire to have good renewable energy in buildings.
A couple of other items . . . I was a little concerned . . . and again it is just thoughts and maybe the
Minister can shed some light on it. There's a reference in the plan to minimum square footage for residential
development . And I just query where the figures came
from for that suggested minimum square footage.
The Minister of Labour and Economy made the
point, with which I agree. Ideally, you do not just want dormitory -style residences in the city —275 square feet
for a studio seems rather small to me. I was just looking
at some numbers in Manhattan, which is a highly dense
city with terribly tiny apartments. It is kind of on average
about 350 square feet. So, I just wonder where the
number came from. And it also actually says in here
(and we have got to be careful), it says that number can be reduced under certai n circumstances . That sounds
to me like dormitories.
And I would suppose again that is as a result
of the development that was at the old LPG building for the Princess Hotel, where they have dormitory -style
housing there—for good economic reasons. I am not
going to criticise that.

[Inaudible interjections]

Talk to the Chair, please. Thank
you.
Hon. Michael Fahy: I don’t think it makes any difference. That was where it was originally. It is an old build-ing. It’s an old building.
But either way it is dormitory style housing. And
I did not actually realise the extent of it (to be blunt) until
I went to the Urban Development Conference where the architect laid out how that was designed, the purposing for it. And again, the reason that is of interest is
if you want a vibrant city where people are participating and using the facilities, essentially, that housing is for
the workers to go to and from the hotel where they eat,
basically work all the time and they are not there at the
dormi tory full -time because they are coming in and then
they are going back to where they have originally come
from in the off -season. Store their things there and then
disappear. That's not encouraging (in my opinion) a vibrant residential sector in the City of Hamilton, so we
have to really be careful about those kinds of developments, I would say.
So again, I would urge the planners when they
are accepting submissions to really think as to, yes, it
might very well be good to have the numbers. But does
it actually then fulfil the desires in this plan for true economic growth? I don't see it. I just . . . I park that there.
Again, this plan is holistic enough that that can be worked around because it's not overly prescriptive. Which is, again, welcome.
In terms of the issue of building heights that the
Minister made mention of in his opening remarks. I mean that can only be applauded, in terms of what the plan is envisaging. Again, I make no bones about it. I have spoken of it, for a while before I came back into
politics, saying we need to build higher. The message
from the Government is, and we have he ard it a few
times now, that, yes, it's important to have more people
on the Island, but there has to be housing for those people on the Island. So, it's a kind of a chicken- and-egg
situation. You can have the housing, but people need
to know what the plans are to encourage the housing
to be built in the first place. When you are looking at $400 a square foot, you need to know what you're doing. And then the question comes up from many people
is: we don't have much of a land- mass. So it absolutely
makes sense to build higher, without any doubt at all.
Again, the holistic approach that's envisaged
within this plan certainly will allow for that to happen and for that, I applaud the Department of Planning for
taking away some of those restrictions. Now whether
we have a 50- storey building or not, that's for the Planning Department to make those determinations —and
the Board. But let's also be clear what this does not do. So that no one is under any illusions, it doesn't circumvent the regular planning process.
Still, planning officers will make the submission
space and everything that they receive all the pre- consultation process . . . they will pay attention to this plan.
They will have the discussions and designs will be
forthcoming. There are ideas in here for public art, pedestrianisation . . . there's things in here about possible
work with the Corporation to improve public spaces if
there's not enough communal space. Great ideas.
Again, not overly prescriptive as suggestions.
But again, we have to make sure that we understand that at the end of the day, if the Board rejects
the plans, it can be appealed and it is still ministerial
discretion. And again, that's not a bad thing. But maybe
it's dependent on who the Minister is of the day and
sometimes those things are dangerous. One Minister
may make a very different decision than another Minister. But there's a comprehensive plan here for the Minister, whoever that may be, over time, to look at these and also put consideration int o it.
As well, just for the listening public to understand a little further, the Minister's determination would still be based upon an independent inspector's report,
once an appeal is lodged for a building that may have
been rejected by the Board. What is of interest here is that the Board . . . and again, the Minister made mention of it in his opening remarks. There's a lot more op-portunity for the Board to say yes. Right? A lot of the problems that you see with buildings when people see
they're rejected, they say, how can that be rejected?
And then we blame the Board. And then you blame the
planners when in fact, if the Planning Act says “X,” the
Board can't approve certain things. The Minister can.
And that power shall be used in an appropriate way in all circumstances. I think that's usef ul to keep in mind
as well, and notwithstanding what this plan says.
826 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly A few more points if I may. In relation to Consultations, page 27 (it is reading like a Budget Book)
4.6, paragraph 3.2.
[
Laughter]
Hon. Michael Fahy: It lays out there in the consultation
list the number of potential consultations that may have to happen. And it's a lengthy list. There are (what?) maybe seven or eight here of different government de-partments, historical building societies and the like.
We need to ensure that those timelines are
kept tight because time is money with developers. And what you can't have is, we buy the property and say now we're going to develop it and now we're still waiting for a report from whomever it is on this list. They are the Advisory Architectural Panel, the Bermuda Arts Council might have to be consulted, I presume because
there's wording in here that suggests that there may be
a request of a developer to put in public art.
But again, who makes that decision? I presume it's the Bermuda Arts Council says [whether] that art is suitable or not. But again, one would hope that
the Department of Planning is cognisant of timelines
and says, If you don't come back with us within 14 days, your opinion is not going to be taken on board. Notwith-standing the desire to ensure broad consultation. But again, if it is too burdensome, it is too much bureau-cracy, developers simply will not develop, they will not
be interested in participating.
In relation to the issue of open space, I see in
the policy that there's a desire to make sure, if possible,
or . . . I think it's something that says there has to be
private open space within residential developments. I
think that's how it's couched. I'm sure the Minister can
correct me if I'm incorrect. Seems burdensome. To a
developer, these are lovely things sometimes, but again $400 a square foot, with a bit of open space, I don't know. It may be a lovely thing to have, but again, are we asking too much? And I just flag that and place
that there.
In relation to communal space, the plan does
envisage t hat there can be c onsultation with the C ity
and Planning to perhaps enhance existing public
spaces through work with the developers .
Parking lots. It's a shame almost that we didn't
get this out six or seven months ago to prevent the rise
of some of the parking lots in Hamilton, where there are empty lots. I would submit that going forward what the City and what the Planning Department should be looking at is in the event that there is an empty lot (as I have made mention of the old police station building), that it
becomes communal open space. At least on an interim
basis.
If there is intended development, which may
take a year or two years before the ground is broken, if you want a safe city and people feeling like they want to walk around—which is what this p lan is envisaging—
heavy residential use, people using the city , not parking in Hamilton . . . then don't have any parking lots at all
on these empty lots. And I think that's what this plan is
envisaging. So that's a good thing. No more parking lots, I think, in the retail sector. But that should extend elsewhere as well .
Again, I think that's . . . I might not be totally
accurate about the sections, but either way, it would be fantastic rather than leaving a lot empty, that it might be converted to some other space on an interim basis. Maintained by the City of Hamilton, i f that's what it
takes —to cut grass, whatever, just to make something
aesthetically pleasing and fulfil the desire for open
space in the city.
I just note on the plan as well . . . for those of
you who did not look, if you look at the map of historic
areas, it takes in quite a large area of . . . basically all
of Front Street. Now the issue with historical designa-tions is that it can lead to higher costs. And I put tha t
there because of the level of consultation here with his-torical societies, others wish to opine and the number of listed buildings. I think, believe it or not in Bermuda on the list are 791 across the Island of listed historical buildings of various grades. And I think the number that
I heard the other day is 61 of those are in the City of
Hamilton.
And again, yes, we like to retain our building
heritage. We like to retain Bermuda design and, cor-rect, we do not want to just see a carbon copy building to building. But again, we have to be cognisant of the
costs. Especially if we are going to build higher. And
that remains my concern. If we are going to attract in-vestors and attract the ability to build higher and have residential buildings, then sometimes there is a trade off in terms of cost. I put that there.
A couple of other points. I was very pleased to
see a desire in the plan to see the end of the City Hall car park eventually. That's fantastic. We are just going to have to start getting used to walking, even in the heat. Notwithstanding my colleague’s remarks, with which I agree, about the City of Hamilton taking on
board this plan and putting in place some form of transportation to get people to and from the car park, some people may say it's only a few blocks. But we know in August, when it is at the height of heat, nobody really likes to walk that. It's a hard . . . it is a hot walk for people.
So again, this has to be led . . . it is not within
the plan itself, but the City of Hamilton has to keep this in mind now, since I do not think they objected. They have obviously been heavily involved in the process. They have to put their money where their mouth is in respect of these things.
Let's see . . . if you bear with me for one moment.
Again, we have touched on the pedestrian
zones.
Oh, a practical point. And it is essentially putting a ban, almost a ban, on roller shutters. And there
would have to be very good reasons for that. Well, that


Bermuda House of Assembly has to align with the guidance from the police. And it
has to align with the guidance that we are getting from the security companies that say exactly the opposite. If you talk to your local parish constable, he is going to
tell you, put your roller blinds on if you want to stop your
windows getting bashed in. And if we really do not want
to do that, we have to make sure that other agencies
are aligned to say, look, that's not actually what we're looking at.
I think what the plan is envisaging is roller
blinds and security blinds put on the inside of windows
for all the obvious reasons. For anyone who goes away,
and you see roller blinds, they instantly become covered in graffiti, and it becomes very unpleasant. It
makes the place look like it's unwelcoming. So, no
doubt that's the reason behind that potential plan.
In relation to parking . . . we have dealt with
that.
And finally, yes. Is the ageing infrastructure
within the City of Hamilton? And of course, with more
residential developments anticipated, with further and higher buildings, the issue that you have is an ageing
physical plant. Will it be able to keep up? A nd how
much investment is the city going to have to make to
fulfil this plan? When we are envisaging to make sure
that wastewater is dealt with properly, the sewage issues that need to be dealt with, and we all know very well what happens if that is not handled in the correct
manner.
If too much fat, oil and grease are put down the
drains and those kinds of things from numerous restau-rants, you end up with issues that I will not talk about at
the moment, but we all know what an ageing physical plant means. So, there is going to be needed massive
investment to get this off the ground in terms of that
physical plant.
Overall, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, great, great work. I know the planners spent a good couple of years (at least) on this. And, again, let us lead by example and do the things that we can, or
that the G overnment can do and the city can do to
demonstrate effectiveness.
Thank you.

Thank you, Member.
Are there any other Members who wish to
speak to the motion?
I recognise the Deputy Premier and Member
from constituency 29.
Member, you have the floor.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Madam Deputy
Speaker.
Let us hope that tonight is a precursor for the
rest of the years to come.

[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Because it was very good to
see Members on the other side in full support of this plan.
But I will say, before I touch on some of the
things that I want to touch on, that I am not in much disagreement with what the Shadow Minister of Housing and Municipalities had to say. I think a lot of the
things he said make sense. And the good thing about it is that us, in this House, we have the power to change
things —and change things quickly if we so desire. I am
sure that as the Member said, there is a lot of work that
has been put into this plan. But I would suspect that
there are going to be many tw eaks to come.
I would like to say to Minister Rabain, You have
made history tonight, Minister . You should be proud of
it. We have been talking about building up in this country for years. And, Madam Deputy Speaker, my first week as Minister of Housing and Municipalities, I met
with the Housing Corporation, Bermuda Land Management Company and the C orporation of Hamilton, within
that first seven days. And it is funny, because I said to
all three of them that my task is to build housing in this
country for our people. And I told each and every one
of them that I want them to start thinking up, not out.
You would probably be aware, Madam Deputy
Speaker, that in the country we have about 181 acres
that is zoned residential 1, 2, or rural land —182 acres.
So, we have space in this country to build out, but a lot of that space is not all government space. So, I can tell
you that we have had serious conversat ions within the
Ministry about how we are going to build housing in the
country. And whilst this House has been informed of
the plans that we have— and you will hear more about
that on Monday, so I will not give too much away —I can
tell you that everyone as sociated with my Ministry
knows that I want to go up.
And it is not only in the city. You will know that
. . . You would know, Madam Deputy Speaker, there is
a complex called Harbour View down at Southside. Only the first phase has been done. That is another
task that I will put to our people. They said, Listen, pull
out the plans, dust them off, and let’s start doing some pricing because that was a project that I think having
not run on to the times that we did (and you can talk about COVID -19 and everything or the other challenges) . . . But I have already ( and I will put it on public
record) told the Premier You want housing ? I am going
to need money. Whether it is inside the city or outside
the city, we are going to need money, and we need it
quickly. So, everyone that I have talked to within my
Ministry and within the quangos knows exactly where I am heading.
The good thing [about] this plan is now we will
hear no more complaints from developers, construction owners, individuals, [or] organisations. You will not
hear the word No anymore. Now we need to start putting visions into actions. And I am really, really excited
about this. And some of the things that . . . Lord willing,
if I live long enough, we are going to see it to fruition.
828 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly The great thing about this, Madam Deputy
Speaker, is that this is going to create short -term opportunities [and] employment opportunities (Minister of
Economy) and it is going to have long- term employment opportunities. It is going to cut down (hopefully, if we can get to the pedestrian dreams that we have) on
traffic in the city. But one thing it will do, it will add a
buzz to the city. The more and more of these develop-ments that we can get up and as quickly as we can get them up, [the more] it is going to add buzz to the city. We all know what it is like —
[
Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, we do have buzz. A lot
of buzz, too.
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Hats off to him. I will tell you
what; Mr. Buzz himself will be happy, I am sure. He seems to get his fingers in a lot of pies. But hats off to him. He is a hustler. That is for sure.
So, I think that this will be great. If you think
what this Government has done with this plan, with the creation of the economic zones that we have created under this Government, we know that we have reduced the importation duty on construction materials. All these things that this Government is doing is going to create
economic activity in the country.
We know that Brookfield is building down on
Front Street. Hopefully, this, along with some of the
other things that this Government has done, is going to encourage more overseas investors to look at Bermuda seriously. And I have to believe that as the concrete
gets poured, as we sit here tonight, on that building on
Front Street that there are other developers and other overseas investors looking at doing the same.
The other good thing that I am really hoping
that this creates . . . and as the Minister of Culture . . . I
do not see him. Oh, he is still here, the Minister of Cul-ture. This gives us the opportunity to create a culture, a mix of cultures. And it does. It gives us that opportunity to give a mix of cultures in the city, living together, mix-ing together, and really making this Island a buzz of mixture of culture that could be great for us. So, I think
that is another great opportunity that this will create.
With regard to some of the things that the
Shadow Minister said . . . and he will be happy to know
that I have the ear of the Minister responsible for Planning quite often. He would know that a lot of these con-versations we have had . . . So, as you spoke, I said:
Man. Everything that MP Fahy is saying, he is right on point.
And you are. And as a developer in this country, I can tell
you that for one of the buildings that I built a few years back, Madam Deputy Speaker, I waited eight months —
eight months! —after I purchased property. I came to find out (you talk about consultation!) . . . I found out
that you have to have an artifact of some kind if you built a building on Front Street. So, you can imagine, right? You look at the little artifact that Sir John Swan has in front of his building. Ask him why it is there. He had to put it there. And some of the laws that we have
on our books (I am sure because I have had conversations with the Minister) we just have to get rid of.
And as the Shadow Minister said, whether it is
the arts [or] whether it is the architectural features, these are the things that just discourage folk from want-ing to develop. At one stage, I can tell you before I even
dug a hole down on Front Street, I sai d, You know
what? Do we want to go through this? We have been
waiting six months. Do we want to continue? But those are the types of things that I know that this Minister is going look at like he is looking at everything else.
Now, the other thing that the Shadow Minister
talked about and he was concerned about was the size of a studio of 275. I am surprised that he did not men-tion the size of the ones, twos, threes, and fours be-cause they are small, too, in my view. Right? So, I would think . . . and again we are the Government; in
this House, we make laws. We can change things.
So, whilst a lot of work went into this document
and a lot of good work and a lot of good things are in this document, I foresee that a lot of things will have to be changed and tweaked because the world is chang-ing. And one of the Members that spoke (I do not know
if it was this side or that side) spoke about the historical labelling of buildings in the country.
I do not know if anyone is familiar with the Chelsea Apartments down in St. George’s. I mean, they look like they have been there for 800 years, and if the ter-mites stop holding hands, they are going to fall down. It
is a listed building.
Anyway, the Minister and I have had this chat,
so he knows where I am going on that. I remember . . .
some folks might remember there was a building on
Front Street called the Queen of the East —
[
Inaudible interjection and laughter ]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Right? Members, the building called Queen of the East . . . What is there now?
Right? It is an apartment complex.
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Right? Well, I did not buy
that, and I did not develop it. I got there too late.
[
Laughter]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But it is things like that,
though, that I think that as a Government (no matter who is in Government), it is things like that we need to look at. There are a lot of old rules that you cannot
blame the Department of Planning for 100 per cent. A


Bermuda House of Assembly lot of times, you cannot blame them at all because they
have criteria by which they have to make decisions. And if the book says they have to turn this down be-cause, you know, that wall has to be blue and not pink,
they are going to turn it down. Those are the types of
things that we need to change, and we need to change
quickly.
So, Minister, thank you for making history tonight. Let’s just hope that your children know that you
made this history because in 30, 40, 50, 60 years from
now, I hope that we have many, many buildings in the city that are very, very high and that many of our people
have places to stay —affordable places to stay.
And you have other folks that want to . . .
Whether they work in international business or otherwise, they want to stay in maybe a 2,500 square foot
penthouse, that they have the opportunity to do so, and I think this is the springboard for that.
Thank you, Minister for bringing it to this
House, and we look forward to tall buildings in the city in the future.

Yes. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker . And before I get into this, it is public information, but I do have the benefit of some commercial real estate in Hamilton. And for those listening, you can
look information up on the parliament.bm website. It says it is not new information, but I think people ought
to understand it.

Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: It is always good to be clear.

Yes. So, I urge them. I urge
members of the public to go to that website and take a
look.
I will try to keep it tied to things that have not
already been said. If we want things to change, we
have to change how we do things, Madam Deputy
Speaker. So, this plan is a great step in that direction,
and I join in saluting the department for producing it.
I do want to preface my remarks. I am a big fan
of the traditional Bermuda architecture. It evolved in a way that was suited to our climate, to our geography, to our places. I am a huge fan of green space. In fact, that is why this plan is very important, so we do not have to
encroach upon our open spaces.
So, let’s use the spaces that we have such as
in Hamilton. And that is something that the OBA has talked about before. And like I said, although I love that
traditional Bermuda architecture, and you know, all else being equal, it is what I would prefer.
You know, people say, Why? Why did they
knock that building down in Hamilton? Why is that building empty? Those are clearly people who have
never had to break out the chequebook to renovate that
building or find a tenant who wants to rent that building.
They do not work. They do not work anymore. Technology has changed. What people want has changed, and therefore we must change.
So [I am] very pleased to see this plan. And I
think there was a line in there that I wanted to quote which is, “The city needs to become a destination.” And
so, we can look forward to that.
And another way of thinking about it is if a developer would not develop in Hamilton, where would
they develop in Bermuda?

And the plan also talked about
a cyclical process of getting the energy and develop-ment going in Hamilton. And often when I talk to people,
and they say, Well, what are your plans? How can we
grow the economy? How can we get things going? And
it looks like nothing will work. No one wants to come here; there is no economic activity. Because no one
wants to come here, there is no economic activity. What do you do? It is a chicken- and-the-egg problem. And
that is why I liked that I saw in the plan it talked a bout
that cyclical process. So, you can get one project going, and it gets a little attention. Then you can get that next project.
And I was so glad to hear that the Minister of
Housing talk about —I am going to paraphrase but he
used the words —mix of cultures. And we—

Yes.
And then it makes me reflect, Madam Deputy
Speaker, on, If you build it will they come? So, how do
we attract people? We have to build housing for people
830 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly we have here now. But we probably have to build housing to attract new people.
This is not really the venue for this discussion,
but I hope that the Government will think about its im-migration plans as it considers how that may interact with this plan and what we want to do here because—
[Crosstalk ]

I will now turn to a couple of
specific points. Many have been covered. I did read this last night. It was pretty thrilling reading after my dinner.
Climate change. Definitely we have to plan our
buildings to deal with climate change, heat, islands . [I
am] very supportive of that. I do not think Bermuda needs to worry about its impact on climate change in the sense that, yes, in a perfect world we would make our decisions so that we are minimising our impact on
the climate, but that is not where we are. Our impact on
that is low.
Where we are now is, Madam Deputy Speaker,
we have cost -of living -issues. We have investors trying
to figure out how to make projects work, which we have heard some aspects of that. And I will talk about a few
others. So, I would humbly suggest that perhaps the
climate change impact should be less about making
sure projects do not contribute to climate change and focus [more] on how projects can be adaptable or han-dle climate change.
And when we think about renewable energy,
you know, if it works for the project, if it works for the developer, if it is an amenity for the people in that build-ing, if it checks a box for an investor, go for it. But I do not think forcing people to include it because of a contribution or no contribution to climate change is particularly suitable for us right now where we are today in
Bermuda where costs are very important.
Speaking of cost, I saw the reference to development viability statements, and I think we also have heard here from the prior speakers, Madam Deputy Speaker, about difficulties perhaps in making some
projects work. So, I think that could be an important component for developers or people sponsoring pro-jects to take their information to the department and ex-plain what the issues are that they need to make a pro-ject work.
I was a little concerned because the way I read
the plan, I found a couple of things very specific. Well, if you did a building on this lot here, it ought to have this feature. It ought to have that feature. And I am sort of
like, you know —again, I am not a Planning expert, but
it is going to be hard enough to get some of these pro-jects to work, and be nice, and be attractive and get
residents, and tenants, and investors. And perhaps, you know, maybe the Planning Department might reserve its judgment until it sees what people come up
with. Not that they are wrong, but like I said, we might not want to put up roadblocks just yet.
And one of my colleagues alluded to sort of
process issues. And I like, you know . . . We have
talked about what is positive about this being not too rule based. But of course, when you need to do a de-sign, you need to know ahead of time, is this design going to get passed? Because it is very expensive to spin up designs —architects, engineers, you know, you
are printing money at that point, Madam Deputy
Speaker. So, I was heartened to see that there will be
Guidance Notes coming.
And I was heartened to hear the comments
about you [being able to] go for pre- consultation. So
that will be important, that people can get a cost -effective process in trying to decide like, Can I even . . .
Could we purchase this lot? Could we put together a
building that we could rent out that people want to live
in?
And I think probably the last comment I want to
make is [about] parking. I am a big fan of the residential
aspect, the pedestrian aspect. I think we all are. When
I was reading in the retail core . . . I am a big fan of the
mixed- use. I was surprised to see, though, it did not
seem like this plan would allow buildings that are in the retail core to have residences that could get an assess-ment number for a car, while at the same time the plan
says there is an abundance of parking in the city. And
the reality is, Madam Deputy Speaker, that is just one
more thing that is going to get in the way of, say, mar-keting a project or take away some options from devel-opers.
So, I bring these points up not to be negative
about this plan but just to highlight some issues be-cause I think we have already heard about all the good things about the plan and our general support for it. So, we certainly are looking forward to seeing this plan cre-ate many successes in Hamilton and to become that
vibrant place for Bermuda that we all want it to be.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
[
Desk thumping]

I heard someone interpolate this is not a St. George’s plan. It is the City of Ham-ilton plan. And I declare my interest. I am a Member of

B ermuda House of Assembly Parliament representing the parish that hosts the historic first capital of Bermuda. And I think we have some experience on the balance that is required between be-ing a residential city and a working town.
And I did not invent that saying working town.
It was told to me by a former resident who I used to
canvass way back in 1998, the late David White. The
editor of The Royal Gazette used to say, You know,
there is an important thing that you need to have in a town like St. George ’s. You have to be a working town
as well. It is important to provide jobs for those resi-dents.
I think Hamilton at one time embraced that and
embodied that. If you walk around the city of Hamiton, if you go to North Hamilton as it is referred to now, I remember when Cleve Wassy used to always refer to
it as North Hamilton back in the 1990s, and I believe that that saying took hold in that.
And as I reflect on the historical environment
that is contained in this particular plan, . . . But anyway,
let me just reflect on one historical spot that is just out-side the boundary of the City of Hamilton. Because the City of Hamilton, as we move towards getting more residential again, will not have per capita, the number of
open spaces that would make it as viable as I would like to envision it. But I do know an area from a histori-cal point of view . . . I am no pond dog, and I do not play
one on the radio on a Wednesday. But I will tell you this, that in the back of Hamilton there is [what is] respectfully referred to as the Pembroke Marsh. And if you
want to have the Central Park of Bermuda, there it is. There it is.
I remember 40 years ago in this very House
when I used to come. I used to listen, and I used to read budget debates that included much of what would be
done with that particular area. That is an opportunity
that maybe we need to wrap our minds around because it will provide opportunity for us to make the City of Hamilton even far more dynamic and vibrant when it comes to having outdoor activity for persons who are
residents, to encourage families to live there as well.
You know, I heard someone say golf. Geoff
Parker on Parson’s Road had a golf driving range. My
friend Nick Mansell who lives in Durham, England to-day used to be there. He learned golf there working for Geoff Parker. Geoff Parker’s parents, [were some] of
the greatest people in golf development in Bermuda at
one particular time.
So let us not lose sight of how important it is to
put back on the radar screen a very important part, and
not for the reason of those persons who had to endure the smell, but to be able to of the pond . . . as the wind,
[as] the southern wind blew north. But let them look
over those houses at Government Gate and look down and see a vibrant Bermuda- version of Central Park,
right there to the north of Middletown and to the south of Government Gate.
You know, in 1992, 1993, thereabouts, I visited
Hong Kong to represent Bermuda, and driving from the city out to Fanling where we were playing at Royal Hong Kong Golf Club as it was called then, it was very depressing passing through all those high- rises and the
like. I never thought I would live to see the day sitting in this House where I would be in favour of the fact that we have to go up. But as we go up, let us be mindful
that there are many young professionals in Bermuda
who on the other side of the recession and on the other side of the pandemic would like, in the cellars that they
are in today, to be able to afford a piece of Bermuda. Who, if you encourage . . . find ways to encourage them
to buy a property, maybe a condominium and the like,
they would be the ones who would then enjoy living in
Hamilton.
And when buildings come up with mixed- use,
make it be an economic benefit. A developer under-stands concessions. Let it be a concession that if you put X amount of housing in there according to your ARV
(and the folks that you pitch to) that you will get some
concessions to put the onus on them. You know, eve-rybody looks to the Government to build houses, but I am old enough to remember when it was Benny Rego, and after him John Swan, and during that time Dorchester Realty. You pick up your paper, and you see
houses that you can purchase up and down this land-scape.
And in addition to that when the need came,
housing was bult through Government to supplement. You see them in St. George’s in the day. And you see
them at Loughlands. I remember when Loughlands
was coming up and the like was very controversial but look what it is today.
So, as we look towards the City of Hamilton, let
us look . . . It is all right for us to want those things, but
we have to . . . Look, I declare my interest. When I was
a younger man, social science was one of my majors when I was playing golf representing a major United
States university back in the 1970s.
You have to appreciate what the impact socially is in this country. Now, if we have more people
living in the city, if we have more mixed- use responsibilities in those particular buildings that we are encouraging to go up, there is a natural synergy to make sure people are not sleeping in the fronts of buildings —that
they have got to go . . . Nobody [is] going to police an
area more than a landowner or a household resident.
They are going to get that person up and moving
skippy.
We need to appreciate the value of having
some of those young professionals in Hamilton, but you cannot have them living there unless you have some things to keep the city vibrant as well. Bermuda is
known to appreciate the arts and the theatre. We have
many Bermudians who go overseas today and do very well in the arts. You know, we can sort of be . . . Do not
have the dramatic society all the way over . . . I thank
them for where they are over by Mount Saint Agnes . It
could very well be that these plays are right in the heart
so that locals are encouraged to come into the city to
832 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
Ber muda House of Assembly see a play and then have a meal either before or after,
depending on the age that they are. Those of us a little older tend to go home earlier, so we come and get our meal before they play. You know, those are some of the things that we have to consider.
And you cannot talk about having parking in
town and stuff and look at the real elephant in the room. We have got to get people off of the roads, period. We have got to get people commuting to Hamilton by fer-ries. Let me say that again. We have got the best wa-terways in the world. We need to move the needle to be able to get people, transportation management, to
be commuting into the city. We see businesses. I know
one in particular. I declare my interest. You know. I teach on a freelance basis at Newstead Belmont Hills, and for selected times, they commute their guests to the City of Hamilton on a daily basis, Monday through Sunday, to the City of Hamilton and back. And with
some cooperation with business and residents there
are opportunities for more commuting by water to get people to the City of Hamilton.
We need to, you know, we talk about whether
or not on the waterfront . . . You know. We have not
talked about really ever since . . .
[Lau
ghter]

A former speaker that was
there, the Shadow Minis ter came to this House and reversed
the plan. But the waterfront houses the container
docks. Do we want the container docks
there? And if not, where? That conversation needs to
be had and needs to be had in a real way for the
future of this town.
And
while we are on down that area, I have
said this . . . and I know we are not supposed to reflect
on another debate, but this was another debate in an-other House. And it was a couple of decades ago. It is criminal that we are sending greaseballs off of Grape
Bay. Most beautiful . . . most beautiful . . . And [given]
the amount of money that the Corporation of Hamilton has spent on building sewage plants that are not afflu-ent plants, we should be taking that sewage and turning it into at least water that we can irrigate with. But no! We break it down and we pump it out to sea. That is the type of sustainable Bermuda that we need to ensure
happens.
[Inaudible interjection]
Mr
. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan: And it is a serious thing.
You cannot sit up here and quip at things like that and then in the next breath say you want a sustainable Bermuda. The whales are coming back. They are not com-ing back for those greaseballs. They are coming back because are not doggone hunting them anymore. A
hundred years ago they used to. So, the environment, the climate, changed towards them in the Bermuda waters. We need to change the way we look at the city as we are doing. And I want to commend the Minister because you heard the tone. He set the tone from the very beginning, and it followed.
In the City of Hamilton, we need to have opportunities for those persons who we are going to encour-age to live there to be able to walk to their recreation
whether or not it be indoor tennis, whether it be indoor
pickleball, whether or not it be bowling allies and things like that. We need to go there. We need to go to places.
I remember (boy, I’m getting old now) back in
1979, going to the national championships in Davis, California, and seeing at UC Davis an entire university
campus that was completely devoid of motor vehicles.
Unbelievable! But the will to have that existed b ecause
the mind- set was different. And you know in California
they are a little bit more laid back, and you know, they are a little bit more liberal in some respects. It is not too far, and if they did not like to get it in the air, they could
go not too far and get it with a glass of wine. But such was that they knew the importance of having a little bit more laid- back community.
As we look at this bold initiative, I feel that there
are still things that we must do. As I speak to that important green belt out there that has been a challenge
to us for decades now. We must look at the waterfront and the container port and really come up with a solution.
And you know, things are happening in St.
George’s with that original capital. And some of these
very things are some of the things on a smaller scale
that I believe that we can get on and do as well. And I am sure those of us responsible that . . . there we will
be keeping a watching brief and looking to see how we can incorporate that.
But people make a city. But the people who invest in a city need to be encouraged to be able to have things that incentivise them to achieve some of the things that we need to have happen. And you know, there is a school of thought: build it and they will come. I do feel that we have enough people in Bermuda in
need of housing right now. We have enough young professionals who could afford to be able to take up some of the economic investment that a person would make outlay if part of their floors were for . . . This very building here is a prime example. This building here could very easily be . . . each floor be . . . the five floors could
have been made into condominiums and sold to five different business owners. Those are the models that we need to look at, but not from a government, you know. As long as the legislation . . . and I know the Minister is very much versed in this because you know his field is akin . So, he will definitely get it . But you know
Ministers change. And so, the legislation must ref lect
the type of sensitivity that he brings to it.
But I am here to say that if you can incentivise
for a potential investor . . . And I say that this country
survives economically on inward investment from over-seas. Not necessarily . . . inward investment that can
be multifaceted because in the City of Hamilton over


Bermuda House of Assembly 100 years ago had several hotels scattered around
Bermuda.

[Inaudible interjection]

I read about them. I appreciate them. Presidents of the United States used to come here and enjoy them. And they will come again too and the people who follow what they do —influencers. Influencers have been coming to this country for over a century, and I appreciate that. And so, in the City
of Hamilton . . . And I would venture to say that additional hotels would also look to occupy here as well,
which would provide . . .
And one final point. I hear folks talking all the
time about the need to get greater inward investment
through people. I am going to say this. I have said it once; I will say it again. The Bermuda College presents
an opportunity like the university in Grenada, St.
George’s University, to cause folks to come to this Island to study for one, two, three years a couple of dif-ferent disciplines that are generic to Bermuda, that are
very significant in Bermuda, one being hospitality because with the Princess coming on and other properties
(right?) you are going to need persons. There might be
young people willing to learn in that field. And insurance—they could come to Bermuda and learn insur-ance in the City of Hamilton because you have already
got in the City of Hamilton housing on Par -La-Ville
Road for a hotel over on Pitts Bay Road.
And I just finished saying that 100 years ago,
you had hotels scattered around this city, and there is
no reason why it could not happen again. And you could educate people from afar who would come here
and learn and get a synergy for the country, and then
after their two or three years they go. Educational tourism has brought many people to many countries, ( e.g.,
Saint Martin where they are going to live). And we just
finished talking about the need to give mixed- use housing incentives to persons who are going to build.
Man, I . . . Anyway, Madam [Deputy Speaker],
I am happy to support this, but you have to have a vision beyond. And that vision, I tried to share some of that today as it relates to open space, which goes a
begging in the north of Hamilton, as it relates to how we
can through education cause people to come to Bermuda and study, as it relates to mixed- use of buildings
that are going to be built higher. Some of it could be
incentivised for entrepreneurs because the Govern-ment cannot do it all. You have got to find a way to ex-cite inward investment.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Thank you, Member.
Are there any other Members who wish to
speak to the motion?
No other Members. Minister?
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Members, for
that robust debate. I want to thank you all for your thoughtful contributions. It is heartening to hear support
for the City of Hamilton Plan. As we encourage . . . I am
encouraged by the shared vision that all of us have spoken to. This will emerge as a more dynamic, liveable,
and forward- looking capital once this plan comes into
place and we start to put the things in place. Many of
the comments today reflected a genuine care for our
community and our city . And I want to thank everyone
that did speak.
Whether they touched on vagrancy, transport
infrastructure, or the appearance of vacant sites, all
these matters are critically important and necessary. To reiterate, the City of Hamilton Plan is a development
plan, and it focuses on the land use. It does not determine bus routes or security enforcement. It does not
control when a government building is renovated, nor
does it set policy for loitering, or the placement of bike
racks. But however, Madam Deputy Speaker, this plan
does provide the strategic foundation upon which this
city can be renewed, block by block, site by site, project
by project.
And now, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like
to reply to some of the questions that were put forth.
On building height, yes, I am happy to see we
all support building higher, but where appropriate. That does not mean that height is unchecked, and we will have [a] 100- storey building floating around here somewhere. All proposals will be addressed using robust criteria—design quality, visual impact in an urban context.
Discretion lies with the Development Applications Board guided by the plan, not the whim or persons’ personal preference.
On dwelling type . . . And that was interesting.
Thank you for bringing it up, Member from constituency 20 and reiterated by my Deputy Premier. But on
the question of size of units, the figures referenced are
based on the current building code requirements . And
I will say that we are in the process of revising the building code requirements as we speak as well. So that is
another thing you will be seeing me come here to get approval from Members to move forward. But in reality,
the department seldom receives units of that scale. And
for clarity, those figures do not relate to the former LPG building conversion, which was amassed as a dormitory-style conversion, meaning those sizes were just for
rooms and the other amenities were shared —so
shared bathroom, shared communal areas, shared
kitchens, and the like.

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: On residential growth, the
plan strongly encourages the creation of homes within
the city. An increased residential population means a
larger customer base for city businesses, more vibrant streetscapes, [a] more viable future for Hamilton’s economic core. We must build for those who are here now
834 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly and for those we want to come. The plan anticipates
growth and prepares us for it.
On private open space, we have removed the
burdensome communal space requirements from the 2015 plan to improve developmental viability, but we do encourage balconies and similar private outdoor areas
recognising their proven mental health and liveability
benefits —lessons made abundantly clear during the
pandemic.
On Heritage concerns, I almost heard the
ghost of Colonel Burch speaking when I listened to the
Member from [constituency] 20 speak about this.
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: While it is true Chelsea
Apartments for instance is a listed building, there are fewer than 10 listed buildings in the city, and all are
public owned. The plan supports sensitive development around these assets and actively encourages in-novative architecture that draws from Bermuda’s tradi-tions without replicating them. We are not demanding carbon copies but thoughtful integration. And I will
agree with the Member from next to me (constituency 10) that I do hope that we get back into the House.
As a matter of fact, it is something we were discussing
upstairs just earlier today when I noted that I was there with (I think it was) about six other MPs that have never stepped foot in that House.
[
Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: So, it was interesting to say,
to actually know, that there are MPs who have been MPs have never stepped foot in that House, and there
probably will be more. But we cannot . . . Because this
plan does not speak to whether properties are developed or not, it just helps to guide the development of those properties.
On pedestrianisation and parking, the plan provides [a] strong foundation to improve walkability and active areas within areas like the waterfront, City Hall parking lot, [and] the parks of Reid and Burnaby Streets. Within the retail core, the plan intent ionally prioritises pedestrian movement. This area is critical to Bermuda’s retail economy, and in the face of global ecommerce competition, we must protect it. Encouraging a high -quality pedestrian experience helps retail
businesses stay viable, and in this context, it is not con-sidered unreasonable to limit residential parking in this area.
On preapproval, clarity, and investor confidence, I echo the comments that developers need clar-ity up front. That is precisely why we continue to pro-mote preconsultation. And yes, we are developing guiding notes and assist with understanding expecta-tions especially on strategic development sites. These
sites are governed by design principles not rigid requirements, giving architects flexibility when aiming for excellence.
On adapting to climate change, the plan embeds sustainability from the outset. We are less fo-cused on Bermuda’s contribution on global emissions and more on resilience ensuring buildings are ready for
increased heat, stronger storms, and higher insurance
costs. This is not theoretical; it is essential for our sur-vival.
On changing how we operate, I could not agree
any more. This plan is one piece of a broader shift. In coming weeks, I will bring forward statements, ministerial directives, and legislative amendments to address
the very barriers of outdated processes that cause frustration for those trying to get projects off the ground. We are speaking with data. We are acting with purpose. And this speaks specifically to the Member from con-stituency 20 when he mentioned some of the statistics
that we heard in the conference last week.
I only received on Monday in preparation for
some other things a listing of all of the outstanding building permits because I wanted to know what is hap-pening there. I was dismayed to see that currently there
are 372 building permits being worked on. Fifty -two of
those applications are still awaiting information from the
agent because they were deficient. And the average age of those applications that are awaiting information is 171 days old.

Wow! Wow!
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: That is the things that we are
facing. And so, when people say, Why is my plan not
coming out? sometimes it is the fault of the officers;
sometimes it is the fault of the agents who are just not
submitting the information even when asked for the information. I am thankful that we are looking at AI pro-cesses to kind of catch some of these things at the front end. So, what happens now [is] they have to wait. They are processed by a human, and then there is a process.
They are processing it and then sending that information out. And that process has to wait to come back. So, we are looking at how we can streamline some of those processes.
And finally on design quality, the plan requires
design statements for many applications ensuring that
proposals align with place- making goals. This is not red
tape. This is a signal that design matters and that quality development is worth doing it right .
So, Madam Deputy Speaker, Plan 2025 will not
solve every problem, but it unlocks potential. It removes unnecessary red tape. And it sends a clear message
that this Government in partnership with the Corporation and with the people of Bermuda is ready to deliver a city worthy of Bermuda. Let’s adopt this plan not just for the policies it contains but for the possibilities it en-ables. Let Hamilton rise. Let it flourish. Let it be a place that we not only work but live, gather, innovate, and
thrive.


Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Members, for
your support, and I look forward to seeing the City of
Hamilton move forward and thrive with your approval of
this City of Hamilton Plan 2025.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
[Desk thumping]

That is it! That is the motion. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Madam Deputy
Speaker .

BERMUDA DAY —SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR
PUBLIC SAFETY

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Madam Deput y Speaker, I
rise today with a heartfelt message to the people of Ber-muda. In the world that I currently occupy every chance
I get, especially before we get to a holiday, I feel it is necessary for me to get up and say something. But as
we approach one of our beloved holidays —which is
Bermuda Day —I am always compelled to speak not
just as a Member of this Honourable House but as a
proud Bermudian.
Bermuda Day for me is not just a holiday. Like
most of us, it is the celebration of our identity, our cul-ture, and our community spirit. So, what began . . . I will
give a little history. I cannot give too much because the Minister of Culture will be speak ing himself. But what
began as Empire Day and then Commonwealth Day was reshaped on the 24
th of May, and eventually it became Bermuda Day.
And I smile when I talk about this here because
I know that the 24th of May will always be referred to
until a certain generation, age- wise, of people pass on.
You know they are stuck on different names and iden-tifications for what we now refer to Bermuda Day. And that is something that we have to really . . . It is time f or
us to start to really own it, because that is an acknowl-edgement of who we are.
So, in 1979, we know that Bermuda Day, the
title, became official. After the riots of 1977, we had to do something to try to bring us all together, and hence we came up with Bermuda Day.
And that, Madam Deputy Speaker, is supposed to be a reflection of our pride and unity and our cultural expression Things like when we are out there,
we see the half marathon making their way through dif-ferent parishes, and if other people are like me every
year (not so quite much these last few years but before)
when I get caught up in the excitement of the marathon
I would always say I am going to run next year. But that
has never materialised. But it is never too late, you know, for me or anyone else.
And I take note of our parade that goes up and
down Front Street, the families lining the roadsides in tents and flags, and the aroma of different flavours like fish cakes and chicken and the like. So, Bermuda Day
reminds us of who we are and all that we s hare.
But the reason I am on my feet, having said all
that, . . . I have to shift gears for a minute because it is
my duty to speak of a word of caution. While we celebrate, we must also take care. We must be safe. We must be responsible, Madam Deputy Speaker. And we
must be aware.
So, I must implore people, Do not drink and
drive. And I need to say this with absolute clarity. We
should not drink and drive. We say it every year. I have
836 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly been saying it ever since I have been privileged to be
in this role. But we must start to live it this year and every year. If we are going to drink, plan a ride, use a designated driver, call a taxi. And walk if you must. Our roads are too narrow. Our Island is too small. And our people are too precious to lose a life to a preventable
tragedy. One life lost, Madam Deputy Speaker, is one
too many.
And I cannot get on my feet and not reiterate if
you see something, say something. Madam Deputy
Speaker, to everyone out there, If you see something,
say something. If you see reckless driving, if you see
violence, or potential violence, if you see someone in
need, you see that senior or vulnerable person who needs assistance, do not look away. We must call the authorities or step in safely, but we must say some-thing . I have given the numbers before about crime
stoppers: 800- 8477, or you call 911. Because here in
Bermuda, we have to move past the habit of saying t hat
it is not my business because here in Bermuda we are
each other’s business.
So, Madam Deputy Speaker , our shared responsibility starts with our parents. I implore the parents to guide and look out for their children. I implore
friends, Look out for one another. And when a stranger
is coming by, offer kindness and care.
And I am reminded of an experience that we
had last year. I was walking on Front Street with my wife, and I remember stopping to see another float. And
I happened to stand on the sidewalk in front of a camp.
And somebody said, Hey, Minister, you know I like you, but how long are you going to stand there because I have been in this spot for 20 years ? And I am reminded
of that because we do these things, like we have spots. There has been tape outside my office for the last
month.

Oh no, no. That is not why. I am
listening. I am focused on you.
[
Laughter and inaudible interjections ]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Okay. Yes. You know?
So, I am here to say that public safety is not
just the responsibility of the police or the emergency services. It starts with each and every one of us.
So, Madam Deputy Speaker, let this holiday be
different. Let this Bermuda Day be remembered for
laughter and not loss, for music and not sirens, for memories and not mourning. Let’s celebrate without regret. Let’s ensure we all make it through the weekend together whole, safe, and proud.
So, Madam Deputy Speaker, let the spirit of
Bermuda shine. Let the beat of the Gombeys, the col-our of the costumes, the rhythm of the floats, and the
respect for our culture remind us of what we are here
to protect and to celebrate on this Bermuda Day —celebrate each other .
So, in closing, Madam Deputy Speaker , let’s all
be safe, be responsible, and be kind, be Bermuda. So, as I take my seat, I wish everyone across this country
and in this Honourable House, a joyful, meaningful, and
a safe Bermuda Day weekend.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Thank you, Member.
Are there any other Members who wish to
speak to the motion?
I recognise the Member from constituency 15.
Minister, you have the floor.
BERMUDA DAY —FROM THE STREETS TO THE
SOUL , WHY BERMUDA DAY MATTERS
Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Madam Deputy
Speaker. And as we go closer to Friday’s main
events —as they call it the Heritage Day or Bermuda
Day, or even though it is not May 24th there are people
that still will always refer to this holiday as May 24th—I
want to just align myself with the remarks given from my colleague the Minister of National Security. And while he [is], as he likes to call himself and he is, a pond dog, and as he represents a constituency right next to the constituency that I represent, I think it is fitting that
I come behind my colleague. And I speak to the topic this evening, Madam Deputy , From the Streets to the
Soul—Why Bermuda Day Matters.
[
Laughter]
Hon. Owen Darrell: I see Minister Hayward likes that
one. But in all seriousness, Madam Deputy Speaker, I
chose this year not to give a traditional press confer-ence. And I felt that with this being (I guess) the first time that I am in this place, in this role, I would use my
20 minutes in Motion to Adjourn to speak to what it
means to actually celebrate Heritage Day in Bermuda. Or as individuals would say, Bermuda Day.
Just a year ago, Madam Deputy Speaker, I invited two parliamentary colleagues from other jurisdic-tions to join us here for Bermuda Day. And while they
graciously accepted the invitation (one was a Minster
from the Cayman Islands, and the other was a Minister from Saint Kitts and Nevis), they s aid, Well sure, we will
come to Bermuda, and we will celebrate Bermuda Day.
But for the three days that they were here, Madam Dep-uty Speaker, they could not imagine what it actually


Bermuda House of Assembly meant to be in Bermuda for a celebration of our heritage.
You would think that we were just a small island, 21 square miles. And you would think that our celebrations are small in nature. But what we heard from
these visiting legislators from other jurisdictions was
that they had never been a part of a celebration of heritage like they witnessed in Bermuda. And that is a big comment coming from especially the Minister there responsible for culture in Saint Kitts and Nevis, because
you know they have their jazz, and they have, you know, their version of Gombeys on stilts and everything
else. But they were blown away by the way that we celebrate our culture. So that brings me back to where I
am this evening, and it reminds us from streets to the
soul and why Bermuda Day matters.
The streets on Friday, Madam Deputy
Speaker, will be full of colour. They will be full of music.
They will be full of laughter. And yes, as I just looked at
a chat group, [there will be] plenty of tape on the sidewalks. And Madam Deputy Speaker, let me just say
that for me, although I am not part of the Corporation of
Hamilton who have to go and clean that up if you do not
remove it, I do not actually mind the tape on the sidewalks. And I will tell you why, because it is a representation of famil ies saying, This is where we would like to
be, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is representative of our
tradition. It is a representation that says [that] this is our spot and it is our community that is claiming their space
year after year.
Now some may complain about various aspects of the parade, Madam Deputy Speaker, like the
gaps or when you hear people shouting, Where is the
next group? That is not just impatience, Madam Deputy
Speaker, that is passion. That is Bermudians caring
enough to want to see the next majorette group
whether it be Hamilton Parish Hot Peppers, whether it
be PHC Majorettes, whether it be Dust who have been
practicing weeks and months at Devonshire Rec. That is Berm udians saying, This is what I came for, and this
is what I am waiting for. Whether it be your favourite
Gombey troupe— H&H, Place’s, SMS, Evolution,
Gumby Warriors —whether it be your church group,
your school group who are waiting to proudly make
their way through Hamilton, it brings us back to what it
means to celebrate heritage in Bermuda where you
take it from the streets to the soul, Madam Deputy
Speaker .
Let’s talk about what some people wake up
early in the morning to do, and that is watch the Bermuda Day Derby, the half marathon. We know it started
way back on Empire Day, but only in this country, only
in Bermuda do individuals wake up a week before the
event . . . I heard my colleague say that he says every
year, I am going to run this next year . But people wake
up. I know the great Skolachy, if I may, has done this
race. And there are people who wake up a week before,
two weeks before, and say, I am coming down. That
was the terminology. And do you know why they do it, Madam Deputy Speaker ? They only do it to hear people say, Looking good! Looking good! from the roadside. Because that is what it means to take it from the
streets to the soul, Madam Deputy Speaker. We do it
because we wish to affirm each other. We do it because
that, Madam Deputy Speaker, is the soul of Bermuda
Day.
I want to go a little deeper in the time that I have
left because Bermuda Day for some is a little bit more
important. And Bermuda Day has never been just
about a parade, Madam Deputy Speaker. Bermuda
Day is about people. It is about how we celebrate people and why we celebrate in the first instance. As my
honourable colleague, the Minister of National Security quite rightly pointed out, because of the civil unrest that
we saw in the 1960s and 1970s, the Pitt Report in 1978
gave us the truth. It told us what many people did not
want to stand up and say. Our country was divided. Unfortunately, some may say it still is, Madam Deputy
Speaker.
People were hurting at the time of the Pitt Report, and Bermudians themselves called for a new day. Bermudians themselves called for this holiday so that it
[would] bring us together. A day for us to reflect what it
means to be Bermudian. And that takes us back to the
point of why I am making this appeal. I want individuals
to remember that it comes from the streets to the soul, Madam Deputy Speaker.
So, for too long we were told that Bermuda
does not have any culture. For too long we were told
that, you know, we are just a small 21- square mile[s]
out in the middle of the Atlantic. But this, Madam Deputy Speaker, is why culture matters. This is why, as I
said in an earlier debate, culture and investing in our
culture matters. And that is why the theme for this year
is very fitting . . . The Future Is Now.
We have got rhythms of the Gombey. We have
got [the] poetry of our storytellers. We have got pride in
our parade groups. We have got the joy of our dance
groups and the talent of our athletes and artists. So, no
one can tell me, Madam Deputy Speaker, that Bermudians have no culture. We reject the idea that culture is
something that is nice to have. We believe in this Island
that culture is essential. And I am proud, Madam Deputy Speaker, to be a part of a Government, the Progressive Labour Party Government, that is backing the belief in what real investment in its people actually looks
like, Madam Deputy Speaker.
As we heard earlier, this Government is funding MakerSpace. It is funding cultural entertainment events. It is funding more investment into the Bermuda National Library, youth service, elite athletes, sports
clubs, [and] community hubs because this country , this
Island, is built on discipline. This Island is built on unity.
And this Island is built on dreams. See, Madam Deputy
Speaker, I will remind you that Bermuda Day matters,
and culture matters because we take it from the streets to the soul, Madam Deputy Speaker.
838 21 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Every dollar that we take from government and
we put into Bermudian talent, it matters. It shows us
that the same respect that the actuary on Pitts Bay Road will get should be given to the creative. The dancer from UDP, or [United] Dance Productions mat-ters just as much as the developers who we were talking about earlier. Let me say this very clearly, Madam
Deputy Speaker, culture builds community. It creates
jobs. Culture can heal trauma, Madam Deputy
Speaker. Culture can fuel joy. And when we choose,
like this Government has done, to fund culture, quite
simply, Madam Deputy Speaker, we are choosing us.
We are taking it from the streets to the soul.
So to every parent on this Wednesday evening
who is up and they are gluing sequins together for that costume, Madam Deputy Speaker (you may have done
this at once or twice in your life before for some little people in your life), to every individual who is going to
be marching on Friday whether it be sunshine or
whether it be raindrops, to every Bermudian who holds this day, Bermuda Day, in their heart, Madam Deputy
Speaker, the Minister responsible for Culture just wants
to get up this evening and say, Thank you.
We are proud of you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
We see you. And together we are writing the next chap-ter of Bermuda’s story, a story rooted in resilience, a story filled with creativity, and a story driven, Madam
Deputy Speaker, by pride.
And I will close here. I wish all Bermudians to
have a safe, joyful, and love- filled Bermuda Day,
Madam Deputy Speaker. Enjoy it whether you get up
early, whether you get up halfway through the day, or whether you stay home and watch it on television. Re-member, Madam Deputy Speaker, the future is now.
And Bermuda Day matters because here in these islands we take it from the streets to the soul.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.