A Vice President of Dollarama, Geoffrey Robillard, is sowing discord together with his growth tasks on the base of the Gros Piton, one of many nationwide landmarks of the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia.
The Montreal chief has been the goal of on-line petitions and protest campaigns since he acquired 300,000 sq. meters of land for $8.5 million in late 2015. The property is about in lush forest close to Gros Piton and overlooks Anse L’Ivrogne, a spectacular bay.
Geoffrey Robillard’s luxurious residence on the foot of the Gros Piton overlooks Anse L’Ivrogne. Screenshot from Google Earth
Mr Robillard was given the title of “licensed actual property developer” by the federal government, which enabled him to pay solely half of the switch duties (‘welcome tax’) payable even when the property is inside a UNESCO World Heritage Website, he says in a Fb put up Letter from the then Prime Minister.
Letter from the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia to a lawyer for Geoffrey Robillard, December 2015. United Staff Get together Fb web page (Saint Lucia)
He wins in courtroom
Final month the Jap Caribbean Supreme Courtroom dominated in Mr Robillard’s favour, whereas authorities in St. Lucia rejected his plan to assemble a brand new constructing on the land, The Globe and Mail newspaper revealed on Monday.
In his ruling, Choose Shawn Harmless criticized the federal government for failing to enshrine in regulation the steerage it relied on to reject the Dollarama chief’s mission.
If the federal government doesn’t rectify the state of affairs, “St. Lucia might very nicely lose its “World Heritage Website” standing by UNESCO, the decide warned, in line with the Globe.
“Hazard”
A petition signed by greater than 20,000 folks argues that the 325 sq. meter residence constructed by Geoffrey Robillard “threatens the pure magnificence, historic significance and heritage of our folks”.
Geoffrey Robillard’s property (above left) sits on the foot of the Gros Piton in St. Lucia. Screenshot from Google Earth
The petitioners declare that entry to the general public seaside has been impeded since Mr Robillard bought the property, however certainly one of his attorneys denied this to the Globe.
Neither Geoffrey Robillard nor Dollarama responded to the journal on Monday.
Protected by UNESCO since 2004, the Petit Piton and the Gros Piton attain a peak of over 700 meters.
Gros and Petit Piton in St Lucia Wikipedia
“Excellent Pure Magnificence”
“The mix of the Pitons in opposition to a backdrop of lush, pristine and various tropical vegetation with various topography in a coastal setting offers the property an excellent pure magnificence,” says the UNESCO web site.
“Within the brief and long run, the rising strain to construct lodges and house buildings poses the best risk to the integrity of this comparatively small property,” the UN company added, specifying that “1,500 residents reside on the multifunctional land space.” the protected space.
Ian Harrison, the supervisor of Mr Robillard’s property, supplied the Globe with photographs displaying that the residence shouldn’t be seen from the ocean, consistent with authorities tips.
Geoffrey Robillard, Dollarama’s vice chairman of imports since 2004, has netted $126 million from promoting stakes within the Quebec retailer over the previous 13 years, the Globe calculated.
Letter during which a lawyer from Geoffrey Robillard is demanding a discount in switch taxes payable on the acquisition of property of the United Staff Get together’s Fb web page in Anse L’Ivrogne, St. Lucia