Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago:  The Borough of Point Fortin hosted the final site visit of Councillor Michael Thompson, a Program Steering Committee member for the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED).  Councillor Thompson concluded a one week monitoring mission that began in Guyana on July 20, 2014.

His three day mission to Guyana included site visits to two regions and a one day seminar of local economic development.  In Trinidad and Tobago, Councillor Thompson focused on briefings with CARILED Headquarters staff, followed by a site visit to a local development project at the Clifton Hill Beach Development.  The Development is one of several initiatives being led by the Point Fortin Borough Corporation and aims at stimulating downstream energy services, tourism and SME activity in a traditionally oil and gas focused community.  

As a Board Member with CARILED’s implementing body, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Councillor Thompson views the mission as a mid-project review since CARILED entered its third project year in April 2014.  He said, “I am extremely delighted to see the progress that CARILED is making with its work in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago in all the demonstration projects, and the levels of acceptance with partners and stakeholders”.  Councillor Thompson is one of several Canadian municipal volunteers who support the work of local economic development through the CARILED project.

CARILED is funded by the Government of Canada, through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada.  The program, focused on local economic development, currently works in Caribbean countries to develop models of LED that can be shared throughout the region. It aims to partner with local government authorities to support the growth and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

For more information on CARILED, please contact cariled@fcm.ca or visit http://www.cariled.org.