The Okum/Retrieve area on Leguan Island in the Essequibo River is being transformed and four new projects are underway to upgrade the ‘Canefield Beach’ further.
The authorities there are now working on a concrete strip, steps leading down to the beach, washroom facilities for those who wish to shower after swimming, and concrete poles with lights on them for those who want to visit the location at night.
With very limited opportunities for recreation on the island, the Canefield Beach has been increasingly frequented with residents opting to picnic or swim there. Persons are even going to the location in the evening, enjoying the cool breeze and night scenery.
Sheik Ayube, the Regional Chariman for Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), told the News Room that they are continuing to plant trees at the location and will eventually install benches.
He commented that the facility is not just benefitting residents, but foreigners and other visitors as well.
“When we finish all of the work there, it will be a hotspot,” Ayube told the News Room on Sunday, noting that the ultimate plan is to have a hotel there and a better presentation of the beach.
Three years ago, when the government embarked on rip rap works there, few could have predicted the transformation that would unfold.
What started as a modest project focused on river defense has given rise to a breathtaking beach, now delighting both residents and tourists.
“The beach was always there; it just was a clump of bushes. But with the Regional Chairman’s input and the Ministry of Public Works, they cleared the shrubs under the tree. So we left the trees but cleared the bushes under them,” said Fajina Khan, a beach committee member, sharing the beach’s transformation story.
What sets Canefield Beach apart is its unique construction.
“Instead of using modern stuff to build the dam, they used sand so we ended up with a beach at the top and a river at the bottom. We have the beach above the rip rap and then you still have a beach and water at the bottom. So at no point in time, high tide affects you. Even if water comes in very high, you can still be at the beach hanging out,” Khan explained.
Khan believes the beach’s success could shift Leguan’s economic focus from traditional agriculture to tourism.
“If we nip it in the bud and it kicks off, it would move away from Leguan’s traditional means of income like rice farming and cattle farming and cash crops. It provides a different avenue for the residents to earn money,” Khan noted.
