Children diving from the jetty
TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: June 30, 2007
Posted: July 09, 2007
Saturday, on the eve of the biggest day of the St. Peter's Festival, Triniview reporters journeyed to the Carenage area in the north-west peninsula. Bordered by the Caribbean Sea, Carenage is home to a vibrant fishing community. Carenage, formerly known as Le Carenage, is one of the most popular bays located in west Trinidad. This bay, which is a famous sea-bathing and liming area, got its name out of the practice of "careening", or cleaning out the waste materials in sea vessels, which was carried out in the area for centuries.
We interviewed Ken St. Louis, a respected elder within the community and for many years one of the main organizers behind the famous St. Peters Day Festival. Although he has now passed the baton on to younger members of the community, Uncle Ken, as he is affectionately called, shared with us some of the history and activities of the St. Peter's Day Festival, and its significance to the Carenage area. He explained that St. Peter is the Patron Saint of fishermen and the festival is in honor of him. He advised us to go and visit the fishermen at the Carenage Fishing Centre. Ken St. Louis, also a recipient of a national award, the Hummingbird Medal for service to the community, also shared his experiences in the cultural arena and his love for Fancy Sailor Mas.
Boats in front of the Carenage Fishing Centre
The Carenage Fishing Centre is conveniently located close to the Carenage Bay, and for those driving past to go to Macqueripe or the other swimming bays further along the peninsular, it is easy to miss. On this Saturday afternoon, many boats were moored close to the shore, and the centre was buzzing with activity. Young children were jumping off the newly constructed pier and swimming in the water; crews were painting and preparing boats for the St. Peter's Day boat procession; persons were cleaning fish; and others were washing down the big fish containers.
Under a small shed, persons were playing cards and sheltering from the afternoon sun. The atmosphere was almost festive with members of the fishing community relaxing and liming in the boatyard. A small fire was alit as fish wrapped in foil was being roasted.
Fishing is the lifeblood of this community and during festivals such as St. Peters Day, fish would be given out freely. A fisherman shared with us the different types of fish, such as Bonito, King Fish, Carite and Cro Cro, that are caught in the ocean. As he is telling us this, a younger deftly cuts up a fish with a sharp knife as he prepares it for the pot. By this time, the fish that has been roasting on the fire is finished and members eagerly unwrap the foil to taste it.
Triniview member interviewing 'Mighty'
Triniview.com reporters talked with a member of the community known as 'Mighty', who is referred to as the 'Mayor' of the Fishing Centre. 'Mighty' told us that he grew up in the Carenage area, but spent thirty six years in the United States. Before he migrated, he was given the impression that the United States was a land paved with gold, but his experiences across there made him value Trinidad much more and as such, he decided to move back to Trinidad. Since then, he has been very active in the community.
Randy 'Santa' Quintero, a notable fisherman in the Carenage village was also interviewed about his life in the fishing village and his experiences there. Born in 1963, Quintero has lived around and has engaged in fishing from very early on in his life. In his interview, he explained several things such as the seasonal nature of fishing in Carenage, the competitive nature of the fishing industry today, and the economic factors that fishermen and fish vendors combat in today’s times.
Talking to persons at the Centre, it became clear that the Centre facilitates various participants whose activities are important to the success of the fishing community. Apart from the actual fishermen who go out to sea and catch fish, there are the persons who repair boats, there are the hostlers who haul in nets and there are the vendors, who purchase fish from the fishermen for resale. All of these elements including friends and family would be around to partake in the St. Peter's Day festivities that go well into the night.
The Eve of St. Peter's Day 2007 in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=186402
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