To the people of Moore’s Island, this is your day.
This is your story. And today, your story stands in the full light of history.
Moore’s Island was settled in the 1800s by freed Black slaves and sustained itself for generations as a fishing community.
Over time, individuals and families developed and occupied land without having formal title.
This is a vexing problem – not only for the people of Moore’s Island, but for families across the country. In many cases, people have settled on land for generations but never had the opportunity to regularize ownership.
When I was Deputy Prime Minister, I sought to address this issue.
I took the decision to acquire all of the land being occupied in the public interest, with the clear intention of issuing residents good and marketable title to the land they had long lived on.
On January 11, 2017, approximately 464 parcels of land were compulsorily acquired and vested in the Treasury of The Bahamas.
The Treasury then conveyed the land by resolution, which was approved by the House of Assembly on March 27 and by the Senate on April 3, 2017. These resolutions authorized the conveyance of the lands to the Minister responsible for Housing.
Unfortunately, we were voted out of office shortly thereafter, and the process came to a halt.
Since returning to office, we have been working to complete the regularization process — and that is where matters now stand.
Today, we are granting conveyance to families who waited patiently, often quietly, for something they always knew was rightfully theirs.
Today, the law finally meets lived reality.
This moment matters because it is about people. Real families. Real names. Real lives.
Today, more than 200 conveyances are being given out to families here.
Families like the Rolle family. The Alburys. The Saunders. The Coopers. The Russells. Families whose stories are woven into the history of this island.
Families who stayed when it would have been easier to leave.
This administration has chosen to confront land reform directly. We have chosen to move files, settle claims, and close gaps that should never have been allowed to grow so wide.
We have chosen to use the authority of the government as it was meant to be used – to resolve, to protect, to restore confidence and to empower our people.
That is why Moore’s Island is here today.
And that is why Moore’s Island is not alone.
The same work is being done in Fox Hill.
In Bozine Town.
In Marsh Harbour.
Different places.
Same promise.
Government must act where delay has done harm. That is the standard we hold ourselves to.
But Moore’s Island is not defined by what it lacked. It is defined by what it produced.
From this small island came something the country could not ignore.
There is something special about a place that produces excellence under pressure. Something rare about a community that turns limitation into discipline, and isolation into focus.
Despite its size and its distance from everything else, Moore’s Island has given this country far more than anyone could have expected, especially in sport.
On uneven ground, without a proper track, without a gym, without equipment, young people here learned how to run with purpose. They trained on an airstrip. They lifted tractor tires. They practiced on fields that were never meant to produce champions.
And yet, champions came.
It happened because a son of this island came home and chose to invest in its youth. Reverend Anthony Williams saw young people with energy and nowhere to put it. He saw raw ability without guidance. And he decided to act.
That story matters today because it tells us something deeper.
Moore’s Island produces people who finish what they start.
People who endure.
People who do not wait for perfect conditions to give their best.
That same spirit lives in the families receiving conveyance today.
They stayed.
They waited.
They believed.
And today, that belief is honoured.
Conveyance is not a reward. It is recognition. Recognition that families who live as stewards of the land deserve security.
Recognition that government exists to settle what people cannot settle on their own.
With this conveyance comes opportunity.
Families can now plan with certainty.
Build with confidence.
Pass something on without fear.
It means young people can see a future here. It means parents can invest knowing their efforts are protected. It means Moore’s Island moves forward without leaving its identity behind.
As Prime Minister, this moment is deeply personal. Not because of politics, but because it reflects what public service is supposed to be. It is about listening, remembering, and acting.
To the young people of Moore’s Island, understand this. The land beneath your feet carries history and responsibility. What you do with it will shape the next chapter of this island’s story.
To the families receiving conveyance today, know that this country recognises your patience and your contribution.
To the people of Moore’s Island, know that you were never forgotten. You were simply waiting for a system and a government to finally do right.
Today is historic because it closes a long chapter.
Today is memorable because it restores balance.
Today matters because it reminds us what government should do when it is working as it should.
Moore’s Island has always stood firm.
Today, the nation stands firmly with Moore’s Island.
This is your day.
This is your story.
And it will be remembered.