Good day Bermuda, good day One Bermuda Alliance colleagues and good day to the media,
I am Antoine Cannonier of the One Bermuda Alliance.
This is a new and exciting experience for me, and I want to thank the OBA and Mr Cannonier for selecting me as a candidate in constituency 3 – my home.
I have worked with Cable & Wireless as a Technical Operations Center technician, the Bermuda Police Service as a Constable and Network Coordinator having the responsibility of supporting 800 officers and support staff.
I received a commendation for my hard work and dedication to the service.
I left police and volunteered for the America’s Cup which was truly a blessing seeing an efficiently organized event up close.
Currently I work with TLC as a Cybersecurity consultant and conduct preparatory courses for CompTIA A+ and Sec+ as well as online background checks and Digital footprints
I have assisted as a Pastor and teacher in the Ministry for new converts and special courses for spiritual growth.
Al these experiences have helped prepare for what I believe I have been chosen to do: represent Bermuda for the OBA as a candidate for constituency 3.
I often take my children for drives to St. David’s and share all the stories about my youth – the picnics at Cashew City and Dennis’ Hideaway which sadly isn’t there anymore.
How we would swim to St. George’s as a shortcut. Fishing off the rocks and catching our lunch meat.
What a time as we roamed all over St. David’s.
I say these things because I remember when we were a friendly and loving community that looked out for each other.
Parents worked late and the neighbor would come over and make sure we ate, did our homework and were in our beds on time.
I also remember the respect we had. You couldn’t walk across Mrs. Smith’s house without saying ‘good afternoon’.
If you didn’t, you got corrected with some soreness and had to go and apologize.
It was an example of the age-old adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.
What does this have to do with now?
We need to understand these are the things that were the treasure behind tourism and Bermuda’s reputation as a place to be.
Tourism wasn’t just the beaches and sights. It was mostly the people – Bermudians.
We have to get back to this model.
When was the last time you saw a lemonade stand on the corner of a yard where people would stop and buy from a child who was showing entrepreneurship?
When was the last time you saw a young man walking with a mower stopping at your door asking if you want your lawn cut?
Everything is commercialized now, and no one has time to stop to support a child because we are always racing to and fro.
We are just too busy. We can do better.
Let’s stop acting like gangs and more like family.
During lockdown, we got to act like family again. We got to stop and know our neighbours better.
Let’s not lose that. Let’s return to our better ways.
Join me and let’s make a better St. David’s and inspire a better Bermuda.