Gros Islet District, one of 10 first order subdivision (
districts, formerly quarters) of the
Caribbeanisland nation of Saint Lucia which includes the island's northernmost point,
Cap Point and the notable Cap Estate, where the renowned St. Lucia Golf and Country Club is located. Whilst the town of
Gros Islet is an important administrative centre,
Rodney Bay is the main financial center of the district.
History
The
Arawak and
Carib artifacts found in Gros Islet District date back to around 1000 A.D.[3]
The pirate François Le Clerc, nicknamed Jambe de Bois because of his wooden leg, used Pigeon Island as a base to attack Spanish ships in the 1550s. Peg-Leg Le Clerc was originally from Normandy and the first European to settle Saint Lucia.[4][5]
Because of the good anchorage at Gros Islet harbor, early French and British sailing ships often anchored at this port city. The French established 47 plantations for producing sugar in Gros Islet by 1775. The Marquis de Bouille captured Gros Islet in 1793 before he was forced to retreat by
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney from his base on Pigeon Island.[6]
During World War II, 221 acres of land at Gros Islet were turned into a U.S. Naval Air Station with seaplanes. All that survives today are the cement ramps used by the plane to come on land.[6]
Government
The Gros Islet District is an electoral constituency and has been represented since July 2021 in the
House of Assembly of Saint Lucia by
Kenson Casimir, Parliamentary Representative for the Gros Islet electoral constituency.[7][8]
The town of Gros Islet features a Friday Night Street Party as its major tourist attraction. Also known as the jump-up, the Friday Night Street Party encompasses several blocks, which are informally cordoned off with the stalls of street vendors. Steamed fish, barbecue chicken and St. Lucia's own
Piton beer can be purchased from these vendors. Locals and tourist both dance in a central cross section in the small streets to the sounds of
calypso,
zouk,
reggae and
R&B.[9]
The
Rodney Bay area further south differs greatly from the small, makeshift housing littering most of the town of Gros Islet. Catering mostly to the tourism populace, the areas surrounding the marina contain shops, malls, restaurants and night clubs that fall on the higher end of the spectrum compared to other local enterprises. Land development costs in Rodney Bay are extremely high. The exclusive beach front properties have almost all been purchased by small and large hoteliers, and restaurateurs, frustrating locals who continually see access to the public beaches being blocked by large construction projects.[10]
The historic
Pigeon Island is a popular place for tourists because of it peacefulness and wildlife. A man-made causeway connects it to the mainland.[11]
Sites of interest
The following sites of interest are in Gros Islet District:[1]