THE Portmore Municipal Council yesterday began clearing land for the construction of its Labour Day project – a monument that is expected to cost almost $800,000.

The monument, which will be erected at the entrance to the Passagefort community, will consist of a raised platform of cut-stone surrounded by brass plates outlining the history of Passagefort.

According to the council, the community was one of the first Spanish settlements in the island and is believed to have been the main port of entry for the English when they captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655.

Financed by the municipal council, the historical monument will sit at the end of a short walkway in the middle of a miniature park complete with trees and benches. Technical assistance is being rendered by students from the Portmore Heart Academy.

Mayor of Portmore George Lee told the Observer that the structure will help create cultural awareness among Portmore residents.

“Modern Portmore is a new community and a lot of (its) history is not known to adults, much less children so we’re trying to make the history available…Our community needs these symbols and these places of interest that our people can know our history,” he said.

In order to further promote the municipality’s history, Lee said there were plans to develop Rodney’s Arms as well as “historical sites” in the Hellshire area, which he said would be a collaborative effort between the council and the Urban Development Corporation, the state agency that has responsibility for development in Hellshire.

Portmore’s project is in keeping with the theme for National Labour Day – ‘Honouring our Ancestors.Strengthening Communities’. The national project this year will be the restoration of the Bath Botanical Gardens in St Thomas.