President of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Dr Godwin Friday met last Thursday, September 29 with Vincentians residing in Toronto, Canada.

A release from the party said the Opposition leader capitalised on his visit to Toronto to host the town hall meeting.

Dr Friday is said to have spoken movingly about the outstanding assistance mobilized by the Vincentian community in Toronto in response to the eruption of La Soufriere volcano last year and thanked those present for their contributions, the release states. He assured them that their efforts were well-received and helped many people make it through a difficult time.

Additionally, Dr. Friday spoke about current conditions in SVG, including the rising cost of living, the economic conditions generally, the concerns about violent crime, and the state of the country’s education system. A lively discussion followed in which several persons gave their views on education and urged various measures to improve the failing system.

Dr. Friday also assured those present that the NDP takes the role and interest of members of the Diaspora extremely seriously and urged that a more structured relationship be established between the party and the Vincentian community there. He noted that “In the same way that other members of the party and I conduct walkabouts and other events to meet people in SVG, it is equally important that we make every effort to reach out to Vincentians in Toronto and other communities in our Diaspora.”

An organizer of the event, Kenneth Farrell, welcomed that approach and encouraged those present to become involved.
Afterwards, Dr. Friday had informal conversations with many of the persons present as they shared refreshments and photo opportunities,the release concludes.