KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Olivia Grange, is lobbying stakeholder support for the ministry’s programme of maintenance for heritage sites, being developed for implementation shortly.

She extended the invitation while addressing a ceremony marking the 110th anniversary of the 1907 Kingston earthquake, at the commemorative monument in Bumper Hall, St Andrew, last Friday.

Grange said the project, to be spearheaded by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), which falls under the ministry, aims to ensure that the country’s heritage sites and monuments are kept in pristine condition.

“It is extremely important that, for our history, we preserve what is there and show the respect that we have for our heritage,” she emphasised.

The minister advised that the 1907 Earthquake Monument, and the Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston, are among the heritage sites which will be targeted.

In this regard, Grange invited the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation and other entities “to partner with us on these and other monuments for which you are responsible”.

Meanwhile,Grange underscored the importance of preserving the 1907 Earthquake Monument.

She said although the January 14, 1907 disaster, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 residents of Kingston, occurred more than 100 years ago, “we have to ensure that this monument is preserved in a manner which shows respect for the memory of those who perished”.

The minister also commended the ongoing work of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), which organised the ceremony, “in educating the public on earthquake awareness, as it is important that we include young people, in particular, in understanding its importance”.