A street in a colourful affordable housing estate in East End has been named after one of the community’s most beloved former residents.
Marvelle Norine McLaughlin, who was born in the district in 1932 and lived there until she died in 2019, was fondly remembered during a celebratory event on Saturday, 20 May.
Family and friends joined government representatives in East End Gardens to recognise her contributions to Grand Cayman and unveil the sign for Marvelle McLaughlin Drive.
Isaac Rankine, MP for East End, said McLaughlin was a “leading example of the character of our community, one of our brightest lights and a top chef, bar none”.
He described her life as covering “the full spectrum of Cayman Islands”.
“From small Caribbean islands devastated by a brutal hurricane in the year of her birth 1932, to the vibrant community with formidable global reach [of today],” the MP said.
He added that she played a “positive, visible role in that story” by holding numerous jobs such as thatch cutter, postmistress, insurance agent and grocery store manager.
But her passion was for baking and cooking. “If she wasn’t cooking for an event in East End, she was in organising it or livening it up with her vibrant personality,” Rankine said.
“She loved this community, and I’m proud to say the East End community and even the broader Cayman Islands community loved her for it.”
On her 80th birthday, then premier McKeeva Bush awarded Marvelle McLaughlin the Order of the Cayman Islands, Medal of Honour – Member Division.
Two years later, in 2014, she was recognised in the Heroes’ Day celebration as an early pioneer who made significant contributions to Cayman’s cultural heritage.
Rankine said the unveiling of the sign in her honour will help to remind everyone that “this community is a special place”.
More affordable homes
Saturday’s celebration was twofold, as it also marked the completion of seven more of the 23 homes that have been built in what will eventually be a 50-house development.
Also speaking at the event was Kendal Connor, a director of the National Housing Development Trust, which aims to provide Caymanians with affordable houses in planned communities.
The non-profit government body also offers financing opportunities for first-time homeowners with low or middle incomes.
The “born East Ender” said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust was proud to get the houses built so that people can enjoy the benefits of homeownership.
Premier Wayne Panton said the development represents an opportunity for Caymanians to be on the property ladder, to build families and “to have the best life they can have”.
He added: “Behind us and around us represents more opportunity to do further developments of affordable homes for people in the district of East End.”
The premier told potential homeowners that East End is “really not that far away” and it is “a beautiful piece of paradise”.
Rankine added that the ability of Caymanians to afford to buy homes has become a “very critical issue as the cost of residential property is skyrocketing”.
“Every Caymanian dreams of home ownership, he said, “but the demand for affordable housing is great and growing, which threatens to put the dream out of reach for too many.”
“The government is meeting this challenge by developing new solutions to develop high quality and sustainable houses and help Caymanians afford to buy them.”
Rankine, who is parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, said East End Gardens is an excellent example of this commitment.
“This East End community reflects our broader community in so many wonderful ways. We are committed to the success of our neighbours.”
He said the land for the remainder of the houses, ranging in price from $170,000 to $185,000, will be cleared “very soon”.
Several private companies donated gifts for the newest homeowners which Rankine presented during the event.
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