Column: Cannonier On Resilience & More
[Opinion column written by OBA candidate Sophia Cannonier]
“The stone that the builder refused shall become the chief cornerstone.”
This powerful message of transformation and resilience is more than a biblical reference; it tells the journey of the 1987 Harvard Pembroke Marsh Plan, from its auspicious beginnings with full approval of cabinet and the department of planning in 1989 to its present state of stagnation – a living reflection of the inertia that pervades Bermuda’s diminished capacity for major enhancements to our infrastructure and quality of life.
With so many environmental challenges facing Constituency 17, including soot pollution from BELCO and flooding from Mills Creek, I have chosen to focus on Marsh Folly as the rallying point for a clean energy revolution based on energy extraction from the abundance of horticultural waste that has been accumulated over decades of neglect.
The extensive wetlands ranging from Devonshire Marsh through Mills Creek to have been a major challenge to urbanization over two hundred years. A previously impenetrable ecosystem has now been treated as a dumping ground for a major industrial corridor that requires radical leadership in light of increasing concerns for the environment.
It’s time for the constituency to unify around the long standing integrity of the prestigious Harvard study that officially recognised Pembroke Marsh as the potential “crown jewel” of Bermuda’s National Park system.
For too long, we’ve heard promises for the area and seen them come and go, leaving communities around Pembroke Central feeling unheard and underserved. The words may be familiar, but action is what matters.
I understand this frustration and know that talk without action only fuels cynicism. But just as the stone rejected by builders can become the foundation of something new, Marsh Folly—once seen as an afterthought—can become the cornerstone of a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for us all.
My journey is rooted in this very principle. As a businesswoman who built her dance studio in Devonshire Marsh, I faced the devastating reality of eviction during the pandemic. But instead of being defeated, I transformed adversity into determination—fueling my passion to drive real, lasting change for the community I love. This spirit of resilience is what Pembroke Central needs.
As a candidate for Pembroke Central, I am not here to offer empty promises or political rhetoric. I am here to bring real, practical solutions to the forefront—starting with the final implementation of the findings of the Pembroke Marsh Redevelopment Committee formed back in 1983 which identified Marsh Folly as a potential gem in the making.
The plan was painstakingly put together and finalised in 1987 by a group of Harvard University landscape architects who visited Bermuda, consulted with the neighbourhoods and publicly displayed their work for input.
What we need now are not just plans but action. We will harness innovative waste-to-energy technologies, technologies that can turn the waste we’ve accumulated into renewable energy. These technologies are available now, and they hold the key to transforming Marsh Folly into a clean energy hub that powers our future, reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, and redefines how we interact with our environment.
We’re not asking for anything new. We’re asking for what’s already within our reach. Let’s not waste another moment waiting for the future to come to us. The potential of Pembroke Marsh is right here, right now—ready to be nurtured into a sustainable, thriving community that serves our needs for generations to come.
Let us move forward, not with words, but with a clear vision that values practicality over promises, action over rhetoric, and a cleaner, greener Bermuda for all. In this vision, we are reminded that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure,” and through our collective efforts, we can transform what’s been discarded into the foundation of our future.
- Sophia Cannonier, OBA Candidate for Constituency #17
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Wow, this is welcome news but in my mind there are two parts to what you are suggesting: beautifying the Marsh Folly wetlands and a waste-to-energy opportunity.
Pembroke Marsh could certainly be the site for a waste to energy plant, provided that any emissions can be contained and if the waste being considered will include food waste in addition to the horticultural waste already on that site (and brought to the site regularly). Such a system could potentially produce methane and compost as outputs… methane which could be used for the Belco North Power Station.
And then there is the beautifying of the wetlands… both great and constructive ideas. Good luck with your candidacy in the area.
Didn’t the PLP Government issue an artist’s impression about 15 years ago of what the old trash pond would like from Marsh Folly to TCD and promise to implement the plan without delay?
WE ARE IN THE TOURIST BUSIESS ~~~~~~ SO GET ON WITH IT ..
I WANT every body with social e mail only to carry a Bermuda advertisement with beac and boating Pitchures.
Bernews has the best pictures
Are we getting interest from our money loaned to Fairmont and the CARALINE BAY @ NOB project .if not why not ! We have a choice , either we hold the marble or just the tin to put them in .
Do we have one too many bars on Front Street that is what you see now .
What you dont see ? does that sends the wrong message ok ! up their license fee & reduce our TCD fees
We need a town hall on sight at Bermudiana Beach . they dont know what they want.
we know what we need Local rental will blow uon in their their face ~~~~~~~ i mean our faces .
No dancing and music as we have nothing to celebrate yet !
. Not later it got to be now. !!!!!!! it is our money !!!!!!! not later, later is too late . who has got that kind of rent monwey in a declining market ,. tourist long term min 7 days . Local rental will turn the property in tp a j physical plant construction site .
We Bermudians have been left Ten miles behind.
PAC MAN,
We priced ourselves out of the general tourism market in the 1980s. Our tourism now is what is called “business tourism”.
No, we are not getting interest on money loaned to the owners of Fairmont Southampton Princess or Caroline Bay. We did not negotiate for interest.
I do not think we have too many bars on Front Street, but we have too few with live entertainment.
We do not need anymore “town hall” meetings where people like me are threatened for asking questions the politicians in charge do not like.