Times of the Islands Spring 2017

35Years
Assisting domestic and international clients for 35 years
Tel + 1 649 946 4602 • Fax + 1 649 946 4848
Email reception@savory-co.com • Website www.savory-co.com
Hon. Paul Higgs was a warrior. He was a champion
for people’s rights, justice and equality. He felt the pain
that the people in the Caicos Islands were experiencing.
He experienced their struggle first-hand. He knew about
the rejection Caicos people encountered. He experienced
it first-hand. He knew of their unfair treatment and degradation.
He experienced it first-hand.
Despite being unpopular in certain circles, Hon. Paul
Higgs was a man of passion, a man of substance, a man
who cared. He placed country above self, a concept that
is desperately lacking among some politicians in the TCI
today. This is what is required of leaders. Hon. Paul Higgs
led by example.
The TCI has since seen the closure of the salt and
sisal industries and the growth and expansion of tourism
with flights from North America, the Caribbean and
Europe. This is undoubtedly Paul Higgs’ vision being
realized. What has made his vision so significant is that
tourism is now the focus of the Caicos Islands—the very
islands that Hon. Higgs knew needed to grow and develop
in that direction. Some of his family members, including
two of his sons and one of his grandsons, have been
actively involved in the tourist industry in the TCI and the
Bahamas.
Interestingly, Hon. Higgs himself was not a supporter
of the Black Power Boys’ new party, the PDM. He
obviously did not endorse some of the activities that the
group allegedly were engaged in. He obviously would
have supported their position on making Turks & Caicos
Islanders first in their country. This is what he wanted
to see. However, during the December 15, 2016 general
elections one of his grandsons, Hon. Ralph Higgs, who
resigned his post as the Director of Tourism to contest
a seat, on a PDM ticket in North and Middle Caicos won
convincingly and was appointed as the new Minister of
Tourism. Hon. Paul Higgs’ dream for TCI seems to have
come full circle.
At the age of 83, Paul Stephenson Higgs died suddenly
(without illness) on May 12, 1980 in Nassau,
Bahamas while visiting his children. He was buried in
Old Trail Cemetery there. TCI Chief Minister Hon. JAGS
McCartney was buried on that same day. Hon Higgs is
survived by two sons and one daughter. From the records,
his political career in the TCI spans from 1955 to 1962.
The 2016 TCI election day would obviously have been
a proud, joyous and exceptional one for Hon. Paul Higgs if
he were alive to see his bloodline following in his political
footsteps and spearheading the tourist industry which he
envisioned so long ago as being the lifeline of the TCI. a
18 www.timespub.tc