A Vice President of Dollarama, Geoffrey Robillard, is sowing discord with his development projects at the base of the Gros Piton, one of the national landmarks of the Caribbean country of St. Lucia.
The Montreal leader has been the target of online petitions and protest campaigns since he acquired 300,000 square meters of land for $8.5 million in late 2015. The property is set in lush forest near Gros Piton and overlooks Anse L’Ivrogne, a spectacular bay.
Geoffrey Robillard’s luxurious residence at the foot of the Gros Piton overlooks Anse L’Ivrogne. Screenshot from Google Earth
Mr Robillard was given the title of “licensed real estate developer” by the government, which enabled him to pay only half of the transfer duties (‘welcome tax’) payable even if the property is within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he says in a Facebook post Letter from the then Prime Minister.
Letter from the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia to a lawyer for Geoffrey Robillard, December 2015. United Workers Party Facebook page (Saint Lucia)
He wins in court
Last month the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court ruled in Mr Robillard’s favour, while authorities in St. Lucia rejected his plan to construct a new building on the land, The Globe and Mail newspaper revealed on Monday.
In his ruling, Judge Shawn Innocent criticized the government for failing to enshrine in law the guidance it relied on to reject the Dollarama leader’s project.
If the government does not rectify the situation, “St. Lucia may very well lose its “World Heritage Site” status by UNESCO, the judge warned, according to the Globe.
“Danger”
A petition signed by more than 20,000 people argues that the 325 square meter residence built by Geoffrey Robillard “threatens the natural beauty, historical importance and heritage of our people”.
Geoffrey Robillard’s estate (above left) sits at the foot of the Gros Piton in St. Lucia. Screenshot from Google Earth
The petitioners claim that access to the public beach has been impeded since Mr Robillard purchased the property, but one of his lawyers 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 reach a height of over 700 meters.
Gros and Petit Piton in St Lucia Wikipedia
“Outstanding Natural Beauty”
“The combination of the Pitons against a backdrop of lush, pristine and diverse tropical vegetation with varied topography in a coastal setting gives the property an outstanding natural beauty,” says the UNESCO website.
“In the short and long term, the growing pressure to build hotels and apartment buildings poses the greatest threat to the integrity of this relatively small property,” the UN agency added, specifying that “1,500 residents live on the multifunctional land area.” the protected area.
Ian Harrison, the manager of Mr Robillard’s estate, provided the Globe with photos showing that the residence is not visible from the sea, in line with government guidelines.
Geoffrey Robillard, Dollarama’s vice president of imports since 2004, has netted $126 million from selling stakes in the Quebec retailer over the past 13 years, the Globe calculated.
Letter in which a lawyer from Geoffrey Robillard is demanding a reduction in transfer taxes payable on the purchase of property of the United Workers Party’s Facebook page in Anse L’Ivrogne, St. Lucia