The Daily Herald

MARIGOT--The long-awaited inauguration of the Post Office (La Poste) branch in French Quarter took place in Les Hirondelles Residence on Wednesday morning with a ribbon-cutting performed by elected officials and representatives of La Poste.

President of the Collectivité Louis Mussington, First Vice-President and Semsamar Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alain Richardson, Third Vice-President Dominique Louisy, Préfet Vincent Berton, and La Poste Regional Director Anne Berthy-Boudon, were present for the ceremony. Representatives of other Collectivité public service agencies and various associations were also present

Opening of the branch is a welcome convenience for residents in French Quarter and Oyster Pond, particularly for the elderly, and removes the necessity of travelling to Marigot.

"This is an important day for the inhabitants of Quartier d’Orléans," said Mussington. "We know how troubling it has been to have to go all the way to Marigot to buy some stamps. It is our hope that the residents of this district make full use of the services we are providing."

Berton applauded the opening of the Post Office, noting it was "real progress" for the district, not "as a favour for inhabitants but something they rightfully deserved."

However, remarking on the adjacent Gendarmerie substation which was also opened last year for three half-days a week, he said this was insufficient.

"French Quarter needs to have a permanent station and full brigade again (the former station was destroyed in Hurricane Irma and never rebuilt). Gendarmes and their families need to live in close proximity with residents; this is more conducive to social cohesion and is effective against delinquency," he said.

The Post Office is located on the ground floor of the Les Hirondelles Residence. Its opening has been made possible by financial support from the Collectivité and Semsamar. The Collectivité contributed 39,000 euros and Semsamar (the landlord of the building) 24,600 euros for a total 63,648 euros.

The Collectivité also contributes to the payment of the rent of the premises for 5,558 euros per year and provides two salaried Post Office employees.

Local resident of French Quarter Patricia Helliger, who has been critical in the past through the association "Together we’re stronger" about the absence of a post office and gendarmerie, and "over-abundance" of cell phone towers in French Quarter, said she was pleased to hear a Post Office branch had finally opened.

"I’m happy to hear that, but I have not seen it yet so I need to know if it is adequate for the community. Does it have an ATM machine so people can draw money after hours? And are the opening hours convenient?" she questioned.

Semsamar CEO Richardson said the neighbourhoods of St. Martin are the focus of local institutions’ attention and that local projects are gradually being implemented.

The Maison France Services (MFS), which until now has offered administrative support in prefabricated offices in the Thelbert Carti Stadium parking lot, has now moved into Les Hirondelles, providing local staff with additional comfort to carry out administrative procedures for users in the neighbourhood and its surroundings.

Following the ribbon-cutting, attendees were invited to inspect the Post Office and the two offices of Maison France Services.

Opening hours of the Post Office: Monday, 7:30am to 1:15 pm; Tuesday, 9:00am to 4:00pm; Wednesday, 7:30am to 1:15pm; Thursday, 9:00am to 4:00pm; and Friday, 7:30am to 1:15pm.

Maison France Services opening hours: Monday and Tuesday, 8:30am to 1:30pm; Wednesday, 8:30am to 1:00pm; Thursday, 8:30am to 1:30pm; and Friday, 8:30am to 1:00pm. Email:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36 = 'maisonfranceservices' + '@'; addy4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36 = addy4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36 + 'com-saint-martin' + '.' + 'fr'; var addy_text4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36 = 'maisonfranceservices' + '@' + 'com-saint-martin' + '.' + 'fr';document.getElementById('cloak4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4ffafb270695f8521e40ffbe93245d36+''; or tel. (0690) 66.33.66