By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
The once-celebrated McKenzie Swimming Pool in Linden—long regarded as a cradle of local swimming talent—has been reduced to complete destruction, prompting strong demands for accountability from Region Ten Member of Parliament, Sharma Solomon.
Solomon said he has “instructed the clerk several times” to engage the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for a cease-and-desist order while seeking clarity on what led to the demolition of the community-owned facility. Despite these efforts, he said the municipality has received no explanation from the Ministry.
The MP reminded that nearly two years ago, access to the swimming pool was abruptly cut off without consultation with its lawful owner, the Linden Mayor and Town Council. Since then, no updates have been provided on the future of the facility or plans for redevelopment.
“This council, this APNU movement, is not against development. We are not anti-development,” Solomon said. “What we are for is proper development — and proper development comes with a proper plan.”
He is now demanding that the Ministry disclose where a new swimming pool is expected to be constructed and how the future facility will be managed, given the historical significance of the demolished pool.
Adding to his concerns, Solomon noted that critical assets belonging to the pool—including the water pump and other infrastructure—have not been accounted for.
“All of the materials and resources that belonged to the pool have now been left to wander,” he said. “These are assets that belong to the people of this town.”
The Region Ten MP is calling for all remaining assets to be protected, insisting they must not be discarded or redistributed without transparency, since they represent public property acquired over decades.
As residents continue to question the rationale behind the demolition, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has not yet publicly addressed the matter.
