CAY BAY--The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, VROMI, in collaboration with the Cay Bay Community Council and SOL, commenced cleanup and rehabilitation works at the Cay Bay Cemetery on August 11.
The works follow more than 13 years of concerns raised by the Cay Bay Community Council after the cemetery was severely damaged in 2013.
The Community Council formally approached Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs in 2024 regarding the condition of the cemetery, following renewed efforts by the Council to have residents identify the gravesites of their loved ones.
As part of the Ministry's broader efforts to address burial space shortages and improve cemetery management, Minister Gumbs supported the community's call for action and brought SOL into the discussions to jointly facilitate the works now being carried out.
The cleanup and rehabilitation project will be executed in three phases.
Phase 1 involves sifting the large sand pile located on the western half of the cemetery. The material is believed to contain human remains as well as displaced and damaged headstones. Should remains be discovered during the process, they will be identified where possible, categorized and reinterred appropriately within the cemetery.
Phase 2 will involve the completion of the new SOL jetty, while Phase 3 will focus on the restoration of the eastern section of the cemetery.
The overall objective is to restore the cemetery for the communities of Cay Bay and Cole Bay while also using the project as a pilot for Government's wider efforts to improve the regulation, maintenance and management of cemeteries across St. Maarten.
The Ministry said the project represents an important step toward addressing longstanding community concerns while ensuring that burial grounds are treated with the dignity, care and proper oversight they require.
