Peace and solidarity: the watchwords for 11 November
The legacy entrusted to the younger generation to keep the memory of the veterans alive, and 380 years of solidarity between the north and south of the island celebrated on Saint-Martin’s Day. Two ways of looking at history, both with an eye to the future, where peace, brotherhood and unity remain, now more than ever, values worth defending.
11 November commemoration: a very lively ceremony
For once, the 11 November commemoration – which in Saint-Martin is traditionally held on 10 November – was wonderfully lively. Young people had indeed taken to the Prefecture’s courtyard to convey a message of hope, freedom, fraternity and peace, through their words and feelings. It was therefore only natural that Vice-Rector Nicole Noilhetas began her speech by paying tribute to the pupils present for keeping the memory alive – a legacy they will now pass on to future generations. Admirably organised by the National Education authorities (once again, Evelyne Fleming’s touch was evident), pupils from several schools put on a wonderful performance, both musical and oratorical. With flawless delivery and, above all, with all their hearts and talents, they honoured the lives of soldiers from Saint-Martin who fought for France. Thanks to the research carried out by Serge Gumbs, who was recognised for his work, they painted a moving portrait of four former soldiers: Jules Ernest Petit, Jean Léonidas Viotty, Nathan Elkana Cork and Louis Constant Fleming.
As Fabrice Thibier pointed out, to ensure that all the victims of this war are never reduced to mere numbers in history books, it is important to learn from past tragedies. Building a lasting peace is therefore the message conveyed by the pupils of Mont des Accords secondary school as they performed the Marseillaise, those of Clair St Maximin school as they recited a poem by Paul Éluard, the pupils in the CHAM class at Soualiga Secondary School with a cover of a Michael Jackson song, those at Aline Hanson School with the Kids United song, and the reading of the poem ‘Bleuet’ written by Sonia Fleming by the second-year pupils at Robert Weinum Sixth Form College. Thanks to them, the French cornflower was truly celebrated.
Saint-Martin’s Day: the unity of a people
For the people of Saint-Martin, 11 November is, above all, a celebration of an entire territory where the concept of a border does not exist, so closely have the fates of the north and south of the island always been intertwined. This was evident from the speeches that followed the traditional laying of wreaths at the border monument in Quartier d’Orléans before the parade, which this year featured 11 marching groups and a fire engine!
Agnès Pindi-Alexander of Neighbourhood Council No. 1, Valérie Damaseau, chair of the Collectivité’s Culture Committee, Mélissa Gumbs, Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of Sint Maarten, the President of the Collectivité, Louis Mussington, the President of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Sarah Wescott-Williams (who received a particularly warm round of applause), Governor Ajamu G. Baly and Sub-Prefect Fabrice Thibier, Secretary-General of the Prefecture, were indeed unanimous in praising the unbreakable bonds that unite the two sides, although in certain respects these bonds could be strengthened tenfold.
The ceremony provided an opportunity to award the bronze Medal of Honour for acts of courage and dedication to two extraordinary women, a mother and daughter: Mabel and Elodie Sylvester. In May 2025, risking their own lives, they came to the aid of a lady with reduced mobility who was trapped in her flat as it was engulfed in flames.
This day once again celebrated the shared history, identity and unity of the people, brought together by the values of sharing, solidarity and fraternity.
