Mr. Cecil Simon started his service to the potable water sector in the Nineteen Fifties (1950’s) as a fifteen (15) year old young man and finally ended his service in 2012 at the age of seventy (70) years.
He might be the only worker who worked through four (4) changes of names of the state water service provider. He worked at the Castries Town Board as a Plumber from the Fifties to nineteen sixty-five (1965). In nineteen sixty-five (1965) the state-owned water service department had a name change to the Central Water Authority (CWA) where he worked as the Daily-paid Maintenance Supervisor for Castries. In nineteen eighty-six (1986) there was another name change to The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). Mr. Simon was promoted to Monthly Supervisor. In 1999 there was the fourth name change to the current Water and Sewerage Company Incorporated (WASCO Inc.). He was assigned to a new position within the Quick Response Crew where he ended his long service of over fifty (50) years of service to country and the people of Saint Lucia. He was there Day and Night to ensure that water was flowing in the mains and not going to waste on the ground.

Cecil Simon did some remarkable work over the years:

• The removal of the 4” main under the then Vigie Airport and laying a new 6” PVC main on the side of the Airport.
• The removal of the 3” asbestos main at La Pansee and replacing it with 4” PVC pipes.
• The removal of the 3” Asbestos main at Pavee and replacing it with 4” PVC pipes.
• The removal of 2” GI corroded pipe in the La Clery lanes and replacing it with 2” PVC pipes.
• The removal of 4” GI corroded pipe in the San Souci area and replacing with 4” PVC pipes.
• The removal of 2” GI corroded pipe in the Rose Hill lanes and replacing it with 2” PVC pipes.
• The removal of 2” GI corroded pipe in the New Village lanes and replacing it with 2” PVC pipes.

Those processes of changing corroded and leaking water mains and service lines are ongoing problems that need attention on a daily basis. Mr Simon and his crew did that in every street and road from the north of the island to Anse La Raye in the west and to Ravine Poison in the east. It was always hard work but the hardest works came about when there was a major Storm like Hurricane Allen, Hurricane Thomas, Tropical Storm Debby and the entire water system got damaged due to land slippage, high winds and river damage. The water system at that time had to be repaired from ground up. It is at times like these, when all the experience, skills and know how need to come into play to rebuild the system as quickly as possible, that Mr Cecil Simon put all his tools on the table to recreate the system in the shortest space of time. He with his men would work Day and night to put water back in the homes of the consumers.

What was very clear is that Mr. Cecil Simon was an extremely hard worker, productive and disciplined. He was well respected. He always found a way to laugh even when he was annoyed. He served his fellow workers in the capacity as Shop Steward for the National Workers Union NWU) but also for St. Lucia Workers Union and the Civil Service Association.

Cecil Simon worked on many collective bargaining agreements from the 1970’s to 2009. The workers derived great benefits from the changes that were made over the years that he served, like Length of service premium, Reclassification, Drivers Allowance, Meal allowance, Termination pay, Improvement in transportation, Uniforms, Tool allowance, Dinner allowance, Annual Wage increases and Protection/Safety gear. Many other areas were improved during the time he was a Shop Steward and Senior Shop Steward at C.W.A., W.A.S.A. and WASCO Inc.

Mr Cecil Simon had hobbies too:

• He enjoyed dancing 🕺. He said that he danced because it helped him to rebalance his muscles and his bones after he worked for a week in confined spaces and awkward positions. He said his brain gets relaxed at that time.
• He liked Rooster fighting, breeding roosters and improving their blood line.
• He loved hunting wild duck 🦆 at wetlands with Mr. Yorke.
• He played football for CWA and WASA at the CSA football tournaments and for Maynard Hill football team.
• He had some nicknames given to him by his co-workers: (CS), (SI), (BOOSI) and (PAPA WASCO).

WASCO can be described as a construction site where the works have been ongoing for a hundred and seventy-eight (178) years, where it is still expanding day by day and will only stop when there are no persons left. Cecil Simon did his part on that big construction site. He was unexpectedly called on Friday October 21, 2022 to go to another part of the universe to continue his duties in a new life form. He was always there and will always be there.

REST IN PEACE CECIL, REST IN PEACE.