The Government of Saint Lucia is saddened by news of a fire that destroyed the Folk Research Centre (FRC) headquarters at Mount Pleasant.

“The work of the Folk Research Centre is of immense importance to the people of Saint Lucia,” said Minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, Hon. Lenard Montoute. “We hope that fire officials will be able to acertain what caused this fire. However, we agree with the members of the board that the work of the FRC is more than just a building, and we are committed as a government to the rebuilding efforts of the Folk Research Centre.

“Right now we know that a lot of persons in the cultural fraternity, and in Saint Lucia as a whole, who have been dedicated to the work of the FRC, feel this loss very deeply as this structure and the cultural history contained in it is a part of all of us.”
The minister said he hopes the government can assist in finding the FRC a temporary home and added that this is a call for all to revisit how we preserve our heritage.

Since 1973, the Folk Research Centre has been devoted to preserving our cultural legacy and has been an avenue for research and promoting cultural events such as Creole Heritage Month.

The fire occurred on Sunday, March 25.