As part of Saint Lucia Independence Day honours last month, Governor General Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy, as Chancellor of the National Societies of Honour, awarded The Saint Lucia Medal of Honour (Gold) to Nick Peter Troubetzkoy for his outstanding contribution to the development of the tourism industry in St. Lucia. Troubetzkoy is owner of the storied resorts, Jade Mountain and neighboring Anse Chastanet. The twin resorts often appear on lists of the world’s leading properties. Troubetzkoy aims to keep the economic benefits of his endeavors on island by investing in the community and by providing training for St. Lucians. Since 1974, Troubetzkoy has been a deeply engaged member of the St. Lucian community. Originally from British Columbia, Canada he eventually became a St. Lucian citizen. Throughout the daily operations of the resorts, Troubetzkoy’s teams emphasize the importance of the resorts’ kitchens using organic produce grown at the neighboring Anse Mamin and Emerald estates. More than a thousand local craftsmen and laborers helped to create Jade Mountain, which opened in 2006 and had an enormous impact on the community of Soufrière, providing long-term economic stability in one of the lesser developed areas of St. Lucia. The combined staff of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain is in excess of 500 people, and many hundreds more have worked for varying periods of time over the decades, especially during construction and property enhancement phases. For more information about Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain, visit ansechastanet.com and jademountain.com.