‘Potential Of Ruining, Rather Than Enhancing’

[Opinion column written by Cheryl-Ann Griffin]

Dear Bermuda,

I write in response to Mr. Glenn Jones’ letter in yesterday’s Bernews. I write on behalf of those whom Mr. Jones has named as ‘dissenters’.

The BTA is, in actuality, attempting to appropriate the success of Shelly Bay, gentrify and contrive activities and events at Shelly Bay and commercialize these events and the beach areas all in the name of the new buzz words, ‘entrepreneurship/entrepreneurialism’.

This would mean, amongst other items; advertising and promoting on cruise ships and hotels and bringing tour buses of hundreds of visitors to spend each day at Shelly Bay Beach; as is done at Horseshoe Bay, Tobacco Bay and Snorkel Park, and to a lesser extent, so far, to Clearwater Beach. Its intention is to set up beach lounges and suntents/umbrellas in a ‘designated’ area of Shelly Bay Beach and to setting up Tiki Bars/Beach Bars selling beverages that would include alcohol. They plan bike rides across the beach and park, yoga classes on the beach and massage tables on the beach for our children and families to manipulate around.

The truthful reality and circumstances of Shelly Bay Beach is that it is one of the couple of remaining public beaches in Bermuda that is perfect for children, families, neighbourhood and community. Shelly Bay is the only public beach along the North Shore Road, Bermuda. Throughout the summer months Shelly Bay remains extremely popular with schools, summer camps, church groups, senior groups and families. The beach is not a large one, and is often chosen, by locals and visitors, for its safety, tranquility, convenience and freedom.

The BTA also plan 3 structures from containers to sit on the beach or on the newly acquired empty space to serve as a food and refreshment centers, rental or sale of beach sports equipment and beach sundries by these bus-loads of visitors and for storage for beach toys.

Mr. Jones stated that ‘The Bermuda Tourism Authority team has recommended concessionaires think about popsicles, ice cream and snowballs’. The truth is that that was actually a suggestion put forth by the community in disagreement with the tiki-bar and container concession idea at Shelly Bay. We suggested that they allow a summer student a moveable refreshment cart so that they can earn money towards school fees. We also suggested the lunch wagon as an addition or an alternative; but The BTA wants the gentrified version as found in some other countries.

Mr. Jones also states ‘The proposed execution is non-permanent and entirely removable. It’s cost effective and sustainable – utilising the existing power and parking infrastructure at the site.’ Mr Kevin Dallas, on another site contradicts this by continually focusing on the ‘containers on the beach’ idea; therefore, Mr. Dallas and Mr. Jones are not exactly on the same page.

What we do know, however, is that the basis for Shelly Bay being designated as one of the five for The BTA Beach Vision was that it had an existing infrastructure and was already designated as commercial. As we all can see, that infrastructure has disappeared. There is no electricity or plumbing at Shelly Bay Beach. It will not be replaced because anything placed there is subject to flood from storms as we witnessed this winter and often experience during hurricane season. Bermuda is also enjoying that new view that we have now, all the way to Dockyard. Just like the infrastructure has been eliminated so should the plan for Shelly Bay.

Mr. Jones writes: ‘The plan honours the cultural traditions of Shelly Bay and protects its family-friendly nature.’ This is not a new concept. The Shelly Bay Beach has authentically honoured Bermuda’s cultural traditions and family-friendly nature for generations. Shelly Bay has not required or does it yet require any assistance from the BTA in this aspect.

The past two weeks and weekends are just an example of how popular and successful that beach is in celebrating the Bermudian version of picnicking: utilizing the beach for summer camps, church picnics and senior picnics, birthday parties, family celebrations. It has always, also, been an enjoyable practice of welcoming our tourists who come by bike, taxi or bus…those tourists who want to see and experience an authentic Bermuda Beach event, not a contrived, overcrowded tourist trap.

The BTA Vision will only succeed in driving Bermudians away, relegating us to corners as has already happened at St. Catherine’s and Horseshoe Bay or turning away school children as has already happened at Tobacco Bay. It has the potential of ruining, rather than enhancing, the celebration of Bermudian beach culture as practiced at Shelly Bay.

It is also surprising to us that this plan has the support of BEST. With such a daily increase in traffic at Shelly Bay, the reefs and fish stocks will be significantly negatively affected, making snorkeling mundane. The following statement from The Bermudian Magazine explains what will happen at Shelly Bay – ‘Tobacco Bay proper has become overrun with tourists, and the Bay contains a lot of trash, making for a less pleasant snorkeling experience and diminishing the number of fish and corals’. The one day BHW Raft UP is more proof, with the amount of trash found underwater after this event.

It must be added that entrepreneurship and economy recovery also happens when we picnic. In our picnicking practice we don’t just use the entrepreneurs that they think that they must select. We are already using them. We buy the needed goods, from food to barbeques. We employ entrepreneurs and encourage entrepreneurship by having small business supply us with i.e.cakes, pies, fishcakes, planned scavenger hunt experts, celebration supplies etc. The BTA cannot be so arrogant to believe that this does not happen without their insistence. They underestimate the power of the community support for all business. We are proud to claim that Bermudians must be among the best beach picnickers in the world.

‘A culinary expert wants to do a once monthly family fish fry.’ There are lots of ongoing events put on by the community that happen at Shelly Bay. A fish fry is not something new or out of the ordinary and can also occur without the commercialization or gentrification of the beach.

‘There’s a massage therapist who’d like to try a twice-weekly experience at the beach under a pop-up tent at dusk’ When this gentrified activity was questioned, there was no intention of having massage tables set up at dusk. This was one of the events, along with yoga, planned for peak hours when our summer camp children are at Shelly Bay. It is disingenuous of Mr. Jones to slip in ‘at dusk’ to try to make it more acceptable to persons stuck on the word ‘entrepreneurship’, rather than the ideal of ‘community’.

We would also remind you that most cruise ship passengers and hotel visitors return to their ship or hotel or AirBnB at dusk to prepare for dinner and we do not think will not return to Shelly Bay for massages, S’mores or floating movies. For Bermudians these events are not offered free of charge; or without, once again, restricting areas of this public beach. We have had community movies and concerts on the field.

“A food truck operator who has been parked for more than a year without serving a single customer is optimistic about hitting the restart button at Shelly Bay’ states Mr. Jones in his letter. As stated before, we have no disagreement with a food truck. We hear that an agreement for a food truck at Shelly Bay has already been signed. We hope it is this young man.

Mr. Jones waxes eloquently about ‘opportunity’ ‘being hit in the face with a wall of bureaucracy’ ‘resistance to change’ ‘the little guy’ ‘the little guy’s ally’; all in an effort to blame and shame the Shelly Bay Beachgoing community for the challenges facing Bermuda and to insinuate that we are not aiding economic recovery as we should.

He and Mr. Kevin Dallas are demonstrating that the boxes that they so want to tick on their BTA Beach Vision mean more to them than the genuine and truthful communication and collaboration that they profess to have had with all stakeholders .

We feel that the BTA Beach Vision Plan looks good on paper and can work at other venues. In this small 21 square miles there are several public and more hotel beaches where the visitor and local can be fully serviced, if that is their preference. There are numerous established watersports and tourism activities that The BTA can spend more of its focus supporting, for tourists of all ages.

This ‘Shelly Bay energy’ can be expended to ensure that Bermudian students are employed over overseas ‘interns’ that some companies prefer to engage; and that the Bermudian students are compensated and treated fairly, and that Bermudians can participate more fully in the tourism business as a whole.

In the case of Shelly Bay; the BTA Vision Plan, as well as Mr. Jones and Mr. Dallas, ignore the appreciation that should be acknowledged for Bermudians and for visitors who wish to go to just a regular ‘real Bermuda Beach’ for a regular ‘real’ Bermudian picnic. Together, Mr. Dallas and Mr. Jones undervalue the community spirit, the family traditions, the cultural practice and ambassadorship already established at Shelly Bay as they aim to appropriate, gentrify and commercialize that venue.

The concerns of the regular attendees at Shelly Bay are falling on deaf and unempathetic ears and there seems to be a disconnect from and disrespect, by The BTA, for experienced residents from all walks of life who love Shelly Bay just the way it is.

The community, however, in the spirit of progress and change and; in respect for residents and visitors and potential visitors of Shelly Bay do request, from The Bermuda Government, a plan to provide and maintain toilet and shower facilities, re-establish the access to the beach for the physically challenged and regular maintenance of the playground equipment. All of these will provide jobs and are not in the gentrified and commercialized BTA Vision.

The community of Shelly Bay beachgoers have no problem with The BTAs Beach Vision Plan. We do, however have a major problem with the designation of Shelly Bay Beach as one of the 5 beaches to be used for this plan and feel that Shelly Bay Beach, because of its unique status, should be removed from their designation.

Is it too much to ask for one popular, free, safe, convenient, enjoyable beach…the only option some persons have and the option that some people prefer… to be left alone?

Sincerely,

- Cheryl-Ann Griffin on behalf of Shelly Bay ‘Dissenters’

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