Prominent businesswoman, community advocate, and former Director of Tourism Sharon P. Flax-Brutus delivered an impassioned plea to Virgin Gorda residents, urging the community to mobilize in masses against proposed plans that would restrict public access to The Baths. Photo: VINO/File

Speaking at Ninth District Community Meeting at the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Hall on Monday evening, August 31, 2026, during that time eletrcity had gone out,Flax-Brutus warned that closing natural landmarks for private interests sets a dangerous precedent for the entire territory. Photo: Facebook

Ninth District Representative Hon Vincent O. Wheatley is against restrictions to The Baths and Devil's Bay, and it is a also a position he has expressed years ago. Photo: Facebook/File

Speaking at the Ninth District Community Meeting at the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Hall on Monday evening, August 31, 2026, Flax-Brutus warned that closing natural landmarks for private interests sets a dangerous precedent for the entire territory. 

Flax-Brutus, who is the sister of former legislator Shereen D. Flax-Charles, who challenged unsuccessfully for the Ninth District at the last general elections, cautioned that the monetisation and exclusion of local public sites would quickly spread beyond Virgin Gorda to sister islands if left unchecked. 

“I said to somebody in Anegada, ‘Are they going to come and get you guys that you cannot go to the Conch Mounds today because we have a cruise ship coming in and they have bought us out?’” Flax-Brutus questioned.

Addressing financial justifications put forward for the proposed restrictions, Flax-Brutus strongly rejected accepting monetary payouts at the expense of public access and heritage rights. 

She questioned the government's budget

“They are selling us out for a few pieces of gold or silver—30 pieces of silver—and in this case, they are trying to wave $450,000 in our face.”

Flax-Brutus further questioned the national government budget. “What is the government’s budget? We need to fight and make sure it doesn’t happen.” 

The tourism professional issued an uncompromising call for civil action if official negotiations fail to protect local access to the national park.

“Let me tell everybody in this room: You all better be prepared. If it does not go the way that we need it to go, that it’s not going to be four of us going down to the town to protest,” Flax-Brutus declared. “We need 4,000.”

She added, “This is not a fight about The Baths. It’s not a fight about Virgin Gorda,” she concluded. “It’s a fight about the entire Virgin Islands.”

It should be noted that the Ninth District Representative Hon Vincent O. Wheatley is against restrictions to The Baths and Devil's Bay, and it is a also a position he has expressed years ago.

D9 Representative in solidarity with concerned residents

Hon Wheatley has also publicly expressed solidarity with the concerned persons.

Similarly, Deputy Premier Hon Julian Fraser, RA is also not in favour of any agreement to restrict public access to The Baths and beaches in the Virgin Islands.