About Grenada
Grenada is called The Spice Isle because it is a leading producer of several different spices.
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, allspice, orange/citrus peels, wild coffee used by the locals, and espicially nutmeg, providing 20% of the world supply, are all important exports. The nutmeg on the nation's flag represents the economic crop of Grenada; the nation is the world's second largest producer of nutmeg (after Indonesia).
Tourism is Grenada's main economic force. Conventional beach and water-sports tourism is largely focused in the southwest region around the airport and the costal strip; however, ecotourism is growing in significance.
Click here for to read more | Repairs & Restoration
Post Hurricane Ivan
There have been many natural disasters affecting our world during the past decade. Just as we all recover from the impact of one, another one occurs and the impact of the first is overshadowed. Such has been the case for the tiny Caribbean Island of Grenada which has struggled to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Ivan since 2004. 80% of the island was affected which impacted its 100,000 residents. Relief organisations and countries pledged aid to rebuild the essentials as quickly as possible -- i.e. hospitals, homes, schools and police stations. However, that financial aid has not stretched to rebuilding an important part of the history of this Commonwealth country.
World Aid has (United Nations, etc) been provided to help rebuild the main parts of the island. Please read the details in the links provided below.
Web Link - http://www.un.org/events/tenstories_2006/story.asp?storyID=1700
 – World Bank Assessment of Disaster Damage
– United Nations Appeal for Grenada
The GIFT Rebuild Proposal
Repairs and Restoration of Government House
(Extract from information provided by Norris Mitchell Associates, Chartered Architects (Grenada)
Before it was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Government House had existed for over 300 years. It says a great deal about the lifestyle of Grenada and its structure to have enjoyed such fine architecture during the 18th century. From drawings on file dated May 1790 entitled “View of Government House” this gives an indication that the date of construction would be circa 1789-90, with major remodelling undertaken in 1901.
Government House was extended a few times from 1901 onwards and the complex can be divided generally into three building periods, namely:-
- Main Building of 1801 to 1807
- The Administrative Building of 1902; and
- A group of ancillary buildings towards the rear of the site constructed from all indications between 1902 to 1980
The passing of hurricanes Ivan and Emily in September 2004 and July 2005, respectively, left untold damage to the entire complex and the repairs and restoration of these buildings together with adjoining infrastructure would be an extensive operation requiring the services of a professional historic architect(s) and a highly skilled labour force – experience in the restoration of historic structures.
Governor Generals’ residences in the English speaking Caribbean and especially those of the Eastern Caribbean have been recognised by historians and have been accorded the designation as “symbols of democracy.” It would be of great significance if, in the case of Grenada, this national symbol could be restored to former glory.
That is why this fund, is so important to GIFT.
Launched on 19th December 2007, GIFT hopes to galvanise ordinary people into supporting the rebuilding of this important site and in order to celebrate another 300 years of “What We Built” as a global community.
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