By Lincoln DePradine

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, says “things are looking good’’ in many aspects of life in the country, including safety and security, but he wants nationals in Canada to put aside their divide and forge greater unity.

“We are too small a country to have the serious political divide we’ve had over the years,’’ Mitchell told Grenadians in Montreal at a town hall meeting.

“We have to work for the same thing – the country’s future,’’ he said. “Montreal, I call on all concerned to drop the divide. Work for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.’’

The prime minister spent the weekend in Montreal, where he addressed the town hall meeting last Friday.

On Saturday, he attended “A Taste of the Spice’’, a Grenada event organized for the second year by Spice Island Cultural Day Association of Quebec.

God has given Grenadians “a special little country’’, Mitchell said at Friday’s meeting.

“We are lucky. God is good to us. So, please, in Montreal, drop the divide,’’ he appealed, saying “hatred and division’’ in the past have hurt Grenada.

“You can have your political views but do not take it to the length that it reaches a level of hatred and pain and hurt,’’ the Grenadian leader cautioned.

“Forget the prime minister, forget the (parliamentary) representative; think of your children, your grandchildren and the future of the country,’’ he urged. “Because sooner or later, Keith Mitchell is gone; the country remains. And whatever is good – no matter who starts it – it must be continued because the country is the one to benefit.’’

Mitchell, who now is in the United States for meetings in Washington and New York, said Grenada police, with support from churches, private sector groups and other organizations, are working to ensure that Grenada remains a safe place for nationals and visitors.

“We are fortunate that Grenada is identified as one of the safest countries in the Caribbean region. We have the lowest crime rate in the region,’’ he said.

Mitchell said only recently Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados discussed with him the possibility of utilizing the commissioner of the Royal Grenada Police Force, Edvin Martin, “who is identified as one of the excellent commissioners in the region’’.

The discussion, said Prime Minister Mitchell, was about having Martin lead a committee “to look at support and reorganization of police forces throughout the entire Caribbean, because they recognize Grenada is doing something right. Therefore, they’re asking us to help’’.

  Montreal, Quebec