Independence Day in Tobago was marked by a grand celebration, beginning with a military parade in Bacolet that showcased the island’s protective services, alongside horses from the Healing With Horses Foundation and Pathfinders from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The parade began uncharacteristically late due to the delayed arrival of Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, who later revealed that he had encountered engine trouble on his way to the event.
He used that experience as a fitting metaphor in his Independence Day address.
“The vehicle may stall but the journey must not. That is the spirit I wish for Trinidad and Tobago on this Independence Day. A country that keeps moving. A people who refuse to surrender hope. Two islands confident enough in themselves to stand proudly together.”
While reaffirming Tobago’s pursuit of greater autonomy, Mr Augustine stressed that the island has no intention of separating from the nation.
“It strengthens it; it is the belief that Tobago having greater responsibility for Tobago does not mean walking away from Trinidad. It means bringing a stronger, more confident and more productive Tobago to the national partnership.”
The Chief Secretary also urged citizens to recognise that the nation’s diversity remains one of its greatest strengths.
He further called on leaders to focus on the needs of citizens long after the celebration of unity and patriotism on Independence Day.
“Our people must still wake up tomorrow and live in a country where they must find jobs outside of the Government service, where they must raise families, they must feel safe, they must be able to afford a home, they must believe that their children can do better than they did.”
Following the official toast to the nation, Tobago’s Independence Day celebrations continued with a packed schedule of activities, including marathons and cycling races in Scarborough. Spectators also gathered along the Esplanade to enjoy a motorboat regatta.
Later in the evening, thousands turned out for the annual Independence Day cultural show before the celebrations culminated in a 30-minute fireworks display that illuminated the island’s skyline.