ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica—General manager of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Robert Honeyghan, says the staging of the inaugural fireworks display in Black River represents rebirth and renewed confidence among Jamaicans as the country transitions into the new year.

Speaking to journalists during the Black River Fireworks Festival, held in St Elizabeth, on Wednesday, Honeyghan said the event formed part of the UDC’s annual national fireworks celebrations, which were staged simultaneously in five locations across the island.

“This year, we’ve gone really big and really broad… Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril, and here in Black River,” he said.

The festival was designed as a family-friendly event, featuring a children’s area, rides and a food village, while also stimulating commerce along the Black River waterfront.

Honeyghan said the strong turnout underscored the resilience of the town and the wider parish, particularly following the passage of Hurricane Melissa earlier in the year.

“In 2025, we know that we have been through a lot of challenges, and in order for us to have transcended these challenges, we’re looking around and seeing that everyone has come out in renewal and rebirth,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South West, Floyd Green, said the staging of the event was a powerful statement of resilience and hope for the parish.

“If you were to tell anybody that two months after a category-five hurricane had completely ravaged the town that we would be here today, they would say it wouldn’t have happened,” Green said.

“Nothing can stop the people of St Elizabeth… [the hurricane] might’ve taken a house, it might’ve taken a business, but it cannot take our spirits,” he added.

Green also noted that the hosting of the event in Black River symbolised optimism for the future.

For his part, the Mayor of Black River, Councillor Richard Solomon, described the festival as a deeply symbolic moment for the historic town and the wider parish.

“When you look at what is taking place in the space of Black River… we were hit hard, we were down, but we are not out. We are rising from the ash like a phoenix,” Solomon said.

He commended the partnership between the UDC, the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation and other agencies for making the event possible, noting that it had helped to restore hope and unity within the community.

Mayor Solomon also paid tribute to first responders and essential agencies for their continued service before, during and after the hurricane.

—JIS