Canouan

Canouan is one of the Grenadines Islands belonging to St Vincent. It is a tiny, arid island measuring 3.5 miles by 1.25 miles.

A barrier reef runs along the Atlantic side of the island. The highest point on the island is Mount Royal. Two bays, Glossy and Friendship, separate the southern side of the Canouan Island.

Canouan lies approximately 25 miles south of St. Vincent which, from 1871 to 1969, was part of the British colony of the Windward Islands. Locals in need of supplies beyond basic staples routinely board cargo ships to make the two-to-three-hour passage to the main Island of St. Vincent.

In 1979, the island became independent with a secure democratic government based on the British system. History marks more than 200 years before Christ; a cultivated tribe called the Arawaks arrived on bunker canoes to the island. These new residents brought fire-burners, plants and animals, basic farming and fishing skills with them. They lived in peace for 1500 years until a tribe of fierce fighters called the Caribs, invaded and killed the Arawak men and took off with their women.

More than 200 years after Columbus laid eyes on St. Vincent, the Europeans established a kind of permanent settlement. Its mountainous and heavily forested geography allowed the Caribs to defend against European settlement here longer than on almost any other island in the Caribbean.

After the Caribs were defeated on other islands they joined slaves who had escaped repression on Barbados by following the current of trade winds westward to St. Vincent, as well as those who had survived shipwrecks near St. Vincent and Bequia.

The mixed descendants of the island warriors and the freed Africans (who became known as the Black Caribs), with their common distrust and disgust for the Europeans, proved to be a fearsome foe.

The Caribs feared complete domination so they allowed the French to construct a settlement on the island in 1719. The French brought slaves to work their plantations. By 1748, St. Vincent a Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle officially declared impartial by Britain and France.

In the early 1990's the CRDltd company was formed and secured lease for areas of the island to build 2 hotels - the current Raffles Resort site and Tamarind Hotel site. At this point the building arm of CRD ltd built roads throughout Canouan (previously only dirt tracks), installed electricity to the island and residents houses and provided desalinated water for the first time. Locals who are not employed by the resort, however, are forbidden admittance to the property nowadays as it is private property. However the beaches remain public property and locals are allowed to use the beaches and can use access either through the resort or by boat.

In 2004 Raffles began managing the Raffles Resort, which occupies 1/3 of the island. The resort has a golf course, casino and 150 room hotel. The Golf Course won the Robb Reports best of the best Golf Courses in the World 2005 and consistently voted top course in the Caribbean.

The two major resorts on Canouan, Raffles and the Tamarind, provide a stark contrast to life on the rest of the island. Outside the two resorts, wild dogs roam freely, along with chickens, goats, turtles, lizards, and the occasional bat.

There are 2 schools on Canouan - the Government Primary school and the independent Pelican school used mainly - but not exclusively - by expat children. There is also an official Canouan Pre-school located close to the primary school.

The runway at Canouan's only airport, has recently been lengthened to accommodate larger aircraft. It is now the jet port for the Grenadines.

Moorings yacht charter company have their Grenadines base in Canouan in Grand Bay.

Trivia

NBA player and political activist Adonal Foyle hails from Canouan.

Former Prime Minister of St. Lucia Sir John Compton was born in Canouan.

* [http://www.CanouanIsland.com Raffles Ressort]