The 24-year-old former student of The Berkeley Institute believes many have an outdated impression of the industry, as they seek fields perceived as more cutting-edge to make their mark.

In the three-and-a-half years since he joined international insurer Relm, which specialises in insurance solutions for emerging industries, Mr Baia has seen how the industry is not only at the forefront of addressing humanity’s greatest challenges, but also that people from his own “digital native” generation are playing a key role in the industry’s innovation.

“I think insurance is sometimes seen as an old industry,” Mr Baia said. “But in reality, insurance is transformational and relevant in our day-to-day lives, whether it is climate change or technology, the evidence of its importance is only continuing to grow.

“By working in this industry, young people effectively become a part of this change. My sense is that the roadblocks of old are starting to diminish, and young people’s voices are starting to have a greater impact within these organisations.

“And when you do have the ability to contribute on ways to innovate, whether it’s finding efficiencies, whether it’s improving products, that helps you to push yourself and raise your voice. Companies notice it, support it, and the companies will enable it. So, in enabling yourself, you will enable great change.”

On its website, Relm states its purpose as “making innovation resilient”. To live up to that, Mr Baia, as a senior underwriter of digital assets, cyber and professional lines, has to stay abreast of the latest developments in leading-edge industries, something he truly enjoys.

“Working at Relm puts me at the forefront of innovation across different sectors, understanding the way technology touches each of them, getting to sit down with clients, representatives, regulators across the world, to really understand the frameworks that are being developed, along with the technologies themselves.

“That’s one of the most exciting things — just being where the future is, because the future is not tomorrow, it’s today.”

Mr Baia has been based in Relm’s Dubai office for the past eight months. He started out as an underwriting analyst in November 2021 and made the step up to an underwriter a year later.

He speaks with greater maturity and wisdom that one might expect from someone in their mid-20s. His substantial debating experience helped him develop those exceptional communication skills.

“I have to thank Gladstone Thompson, who used to be the principal at Dalton E Tucker. He saw that I was a talkative student, and he figured it might be good to apply those skills. So, I started debating when I was eight years old, up until my last year of high school and was even a part of the Bermuda national debate team as well.

“The ability to articulate yourself — not only to speak but to be understood — is a critical attribute that has helped me both personally and professionally.”

At Berkeley, he was Head Male Student and chief officer of a virtual business run within the school. He also represented Bermuda at the Regional Commonwealth Youth Parliament Summit and at the Global Young Leaders’ Conference and Presidential Inauguration Delegation for Change. Such activities earned him Bermuda’s Outstanding Teen Leadership Award in 2018.

Mr Baia was the recipient of an Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) Education Award, which supported him as he earned a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Kent.

He gained work experience during internships with several international businesses, including Nephila Capital, BF&M and PwC Bermuda, which helped him on his path into the insurance industry, with further assistance from the Bermuda Foundation for Insurance Studies.

“Growing up in Bermuda, you’re surrounded by some of the largest multinational companies in the industry and they back these wonderful programmes that provide opportunities,” Mr Baia said.

“Being able to get involved with ABIC and BFIS really opened my eyes into how impactful insurance is to our small island.”

When he returned home from university, Jane Bielby and Donna Smith at BFIS suggested Mr Baia could be a good fit at Relm, because of his passion for technology and innovation. Their instincts proved correct.

His career has got off to a flying start, despite his young age and limited experience.

“One of the interesting things about being in Bermuda and in this sector, is that the stereotypes, or the barriers to entry of old, almost don’t exist,” Mr Baia said.

“If you show the drive, the dedication, willingness to learn, and willingness to implement what you learn, the playing field effectively becomes evened out, allowing you to establish yourself and to show the value you add.”

He said he’s grateful for the internships, networking event access, educational opportunities and professional guidance afforded to him in Bermuda by many companies and mentors.

In Dubai, Mr Baia appreciates the leadership of Relm’s Middle East and North Africa CEO, Bruno Bertucci.

“He has decades of experience in the insurance industry and has seen it evolve over time,” Mr Baia says. “And yet, he still has this passion like it’s his first day in the office.

“This bright-eyed enthusiasm and to keep coming to work with a mind that’s open and willing to learn, and to push boundaries, that’s something I want to reflect during my own personal growth.”

Mr Baia’s success is a prime example of the success a young man from Bermuda can achieve in the insurance industry. He is happy working in Dubai, which he considers a similar to Bermuda in terms of its vibrancy as an international business centre.

However, working in the desert city has led to him to miss Bermuda rain, something he hopes to experience on his next trip home.

The post At the leading edge appeared first on RG Magazines.

Mr Ephraim, 44, is the father of Preston James III, 18, who is to graduate from The Berkeley Institute this month, and begin biology studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in the autumn, and Christopher, 13, and Liliana, seven, both of whom are home-schooled.

He said: “I think the first value is to instil a sense of belief and trust in themselves that they can do and accomplish anything if they put their mind to it and that the only person who will ever say no is the no that comes from the inside. That’s how I’ve always raised them.

“The second thing is to expose them to everything too so they can understand that we’re just all one expression, like one big flower blooming and that no one is right or wrong.

“So, I take them travelling to other countries and other experiences and expose them to multiple ethnic foods and people and cultures so they can embrace all of it and then deduce or come up with their own way of living and being and also have this sense of peace and patience and acceptance with people.”

Mr Ephraim said he encourages his children to forge their own identity.

“I remember my son Preston said, ‘You know, dad, I want to be like you.’ I said, ‘Well, no, if anything, I would want you to be the best version of you, whatever it is that you came here to do, and I will gladly support you in that.’”

He added: “Do what you love. There are so many people that aren’t doing what they love, they’re doing what they do to survive. If I could pass on anything, when you do what you love, it’s not hard work. And then when once you love it, once you’re invested in the love, then that’s reciprocated in the people that you interact with, and then it comes back to you monetarily.

“People aren’t so hard-pressed on trying to make it work because they’re automatically coming from a space of openness, of expansiveness, of the piece of the puzzle that they came to this planet to give and offer. Move from your heart space. Do what you love.”

He said: “Just be courageous in your life and do what sparks your heart and in that turn you will spark other people’s hearts and then that’s how you live a fulfilled life.”

An example of that ethos from Mr Ephraim’s own life involves the origin of the OM Juicery business.

He had a practice in Bermuda as a US board-certified nutritional counsellor when a client who worked a busy job in international business fell ill. Mr Ephraim advised the client to eat more living foods, juices and smoothies before taking him on as a client.

Soon, Mr Ephraim took on a second juicing client – and a business was born.

“Between those two clients, they referred me out. I had no idea we were going to start a cold-pressed juicery.

“I’ve been making smoothies and juices from the age of 13 – that’s when I started. I didn’t have an idea that I wanted to do a business, it’s just what I love to do.”

Mr Ephraim and his wife, Megan, launched the business on a kitchen counter in 2016, and now have a store on Queen Street in Hamilton.

Their cold-pressed juices and immunity-boosting fire tonic elixirs are available in supermarkets, gas stations and on the Sargasso Sea platform.

Mr Ephraim said cold-pressed juices are “completely living juices – they have no additives, no water, no sugar. You drink between two and three pounds of food per bottle”.

He said the nutritionally dense juices boost the immune system, help cognitive function, and improve motivation and energy levels.

Mr Ephraim and his family embrace those healthy living values at home.

“How I’ve raised my children when it comes to food is I lead by example. You won’t find candy in our house; you won’t find processed sugars. However, what I’ve always said to them is this: ‘If it’s something that you want, you have aunties, you have uncles, you go ask them for it.’

“Now, they have a resting place inside the home where it’s not allowed or it’s not occurring and then they get to have now a place of choice, a choice point – when I go to my uncle’s house or I go to my auntie’s house or my best friend’s house I eat this, and this is how I feel. But when I come home, this is how I feel.

“So now they can have discernment between the choice, and I think that’s absolutely powerful as opposed to telling them ‘Just don’t eat it.’ Because then it’s like, well, why?

“Typically, what I’ve noticed with all these years of working with children and working with adults, with counselling, is that as soon as someone says ‘don’t’, what’s the first thing they want to do? They want to go against what you told them not to do.

“So we leave it open, my wife and I, we leave it open. In our home, we just don’t have it, but we’re not going to say, ‘You don’t have it’. If you want to have it, go have it. It’s just not going to be here.”

That philosophy is leading to healthy outcomes.

When he was 12, Preston said that he wasn’t going to drink sodas or eat candies anymore because of the way they made him feel.

Mr Ephraim said: “If I had told him ‘You’re not going to have it’, then he may not have had that discernment and power of choice to notice the cause-and-effect relationship of it. I think that that’s powerful when people can have that for themselves.”

The post Setting a good example appeared first on RG Magazines.

Ki-Juan Minors: Riding against the tide

Ki-Juan Minors, a professional equestrian from Bermuda, didn’t choose his career based on demographics. From a young age, his passion for horses was the driving force behind his decision to enter this female-dominated sport. “I always wanted to be the change,” Mr Minors stated, reflecting on his desire to stand out and pursue his love for equestrian activities, despite it being seen as unconventional for men in our community.

The journey wasn’t without its hurdles. Mr Minors faced scepticism and discouragement from peers and the broader community, who questioned the viability of his career choice. “I heard people say things like: ‘Why do you want to ride horses?’ And ‘Who sells horses. That’s not a real sport or career’. It makes me laugh looking back at it now. But of course, in the moment the negative feedback made me doubt myself, especially while starting out in my career.”

Mr Minors now understands that when you are new to something, people can perceive you as a threat. This can cause you to feel like the literal ‘odd man out’ in the group, he said. “Despite the criticisms, I knew what I wanted so I took the chance and risk to get there,” he explained. Instead of giving up, he said these challenges fuelled his resolve.

For men hesitant to follow a similar path, Mr Minors admitted that passion and perseverance are key to overcoming stereotypes and succeeding in any chosen field. “Take the risk, if you believe in it,” he advised. “Don’t allow people to block your blessing because they don’t have the mindset to get that step ahead.”

James Lee: Painting new norms

James Lee’s entry into the world of make-up artistry was not a planned conquest into a female-dominated field but a natural progression of his passion for art. Originally interested in graphic design, Mr Lee found there were limited opportunities in that field and instead turned to make-up as a means of expressing himself. Finding his niche in beauty, he transformed his self-taught skills through YouTube into professional mastery, working at local salons, the Bermuda Fashion Festival, and with prominent global brands like MAC Cosmetics.

For the most part, he’s received positive feedback on his artistry and professionalism. However, he has noticed some cultural resistance and moments of hesitation from clients surprised or unsure about a man in the role. “Some women have declined my services in favour of a female artist, and in one rare instance, a customer requested I leave the sales floor for religious reasons,” Mr Lee recalled. “Yet, these experiences never discouraged me. Instead, I handled them with professionalism and grace, understanding that perceptions take time to shift.” He admitted he takes pride in the moments when clients are pleasantly surprised by his work or obviously feel relaxed and comfortable, as if in a spa.

“Interestingly enough, many iconic beauty brands, including the one I work for (MAC), were founded by men—highlighting how deeply rooted men actually are in the history of beauty and cosmetics,” he said.

Mr Lee encouraged other men to ignore societal expectations and embrace their talents. “The face is just another canvas,” he said, urging men to see the beauty industry as a realm of artistic and professional opportunity, regardless of gender.

Keenan Van Putten: A nurse with vision

Keenan Van Putten’s journey into nursing began in a seemingly unlikely place—the sterilisation department of a hospital. Intrigued by the direct impact nurses had on patient care, particularly in surgical settings, Mr Van Putten pursued nursing with a desire to contribute significantly to patient health. “I attended Bermuda College where I got my associate’s in science, then matriculated to Hampton University’s School of Nursing in Virginia where I got my bachelor’s degree,” he said. “I came back to [King Edward VII Memorial Hospital] in Bermuda in 2012 after completing the nursing internship programme and during that time I got to see different departments within the hospital and settled on Cooper Ward, which was a medical and surgical unit.” Since then, his career has spanned various roles from community health nurse to entrepreneurship, as he opened a rest home, Caring Hands Ltd, with his fiancé, Christina Belboda, a fellow nurse, in May 2024.

Mr Van Putten acknowledged he has experienced mixed reactions in his career, with one or two older nurses questioning his place in the field. However, he focuses on the positive impact and the unique perspectives he brings, particularly in surgical and community settings. “The career path is a good one,” he said. “It is very rewarding to be able to give back to the people that we serve.”

His advice to males considering nursing is to gain as much experience as possible, particularly internationally, where a broader range of challenges and illnesses might provide deeper insights and skills. Mr Van Putten admitted he was proud of his pioneering roles in Bermuda’s nursing industry and he continues to champion nursing as a profoundly rewarding and essential service.
“I’ve been able to make history so far in my career – not only as the first Black male Bermudian in the operating room as a surgical nurse, but also as the first male district nurse in Bermuda.”

While these three men come from different backgrounds and careers, they share a common thread in their stories: a determination to pursue their passions and a commitment to excellence in their professions. They not only challenge the gender norms within their fields but also inspire others to follow their dreams, regardless of societal expectations.

The post Breaking the mold appeared first on RG Magazines.

Jordan Carey, Loquat

Dominated by bright colours and bold Bermudian prints, Jordan Carey’s shop, Loquat, opened in the Washington Mall in April. So far, he said, things are going “great”.

While this latest store may be new, Mr Carey, 29, is already a seasoned designer. He graduated from the Maine College of Art in 2019 with a BFA in Textile and Fashion Design and it was during this time that Loquat emerged: “What has snowballed into Loquat was originally a conceptual art project about how to take my fine art themes and put them through a medium that I thought Bermudians would be inclined to attach to and that ended up being fashion,” he explained. Soon after, he opened his physical and online business, Loquat Shop, in Portland, Maine.

His business ethos stems from his community connections and beliefs. Everything is designed and selected “to directly benefit and empower marginalised people, causes and aesthetics”, his textiles are naturally dyed or screen-printed cotton; his first product was a “menstrual products should be free” T-shirt, whereby 50 per cent of the proceeds went towards providing free menstrual products to anyone needing them.

The T-shirt design, he explained, was inspired by “friends who have to pay for menstrual products; artists who couldn’t afford it all the time”.

Mr Carey’s friends and family are often his design inspiration: “I think about: ‘What would my uncles wear? What would my cousins wear?’ And then I think what would the artists in my community wear? What research would they be excited about? And I feel like in taking care of my immediate community in that way, it naturally grows to reach the right people.”

His products include shirts, socks, bags, wallets and upcycled cotton notebooks with prints such as Mobylettes and gombeys. His skirts have elastic or wrap waists to be “considerate of how women’s bodies change on a daily basis”. Home goods include “organic black soap that has its own Loquat packaging that we worked with a farm in Ghana to get” and incense “hand rolled from a farm in Peru that we work with”.

He prioritises “whole relationships” with everyone he works with: “It’s an incredibly collaborative industry,” he said. “You need to include other people and that’s like who’s growing the cotton. It goes all the way to that level and I find that incredibly powerful.

“I’m interested in bonding with people who care about what they’re doing and care about what they’re making. People who are inspired by craft history and what that means to the vulnerable people that have made craft history possible, especially women of colour in a historical sense, and in a contemporary sense.”

While Mr Carey is currently focused on his new store in Bermuda, he hopes that in the future, Loquat will “show up in more places and look for ways to engage those local communities in art and craft”.

Loquat is on the ground floor of the Washington Mall or online at loquatshop.com

Omejae Goater, Yaya Apparel

Named after his daughter, Yhari, Yaya Apparel is the brainchild of graphic designer, Omejae Goater, 40.

Specialising in athleisure and swimwear, Mr Goater started his own fashion brand after his former boss asked him to design and print a T-shirt for a party. He expanded from there, and now has his own store on Old Cellar Lane.

When creating his fashion pieces, he has Bermuda’s women in mind: “I have a lot more women, only because they tend to buy a lot more swimsuits. They actually need a swimsuit for every event that they go to,” he laughed. “Guys are a little bit more relaxed unless it’s something special.”

Even when designing for men, he is still mindful that women may wear it too: “If I’m designing a T-shirt for a guy, I know a female’s going to put that on as well because they will just take the T-shirt, wear it as something. The baggy look is in as well.”

His athleisure pieces are designed to be versatile as well as on trend. His two-piece tennis outfit, for example, can be worn on the court, a golf course or even dressed up for lunch. Other pieces include stylish all-in-ones that are comfortable for yoga but can be made smart for dinner, a variety of brightly coloured and neutral workout clothes, and jackets.

He also does custom-designed orders, such as T-shirts for events and celebrations.

At the time of writing, Yaya Apparel’s eagerly anticipated summer swimwear collection is about to arrive, which, in the past, has proved popular on social media: “My ice-cream line, it was shot at Bailey’s. That was a very memorable one. I had people stopping along the road. It was a big thing that I didn’t expect,” he said. “It blew up” on Instagram.

While Yaya Apparel is a team of one, Mr Goater enjoys collaborating with local designers as well as other Bermudian businesses to promote and support each other, and no event epitomises this more than his fashion shows, which he tries to do every year: “I invite other local designers to be a part of it, so they can showcase their products. It helps get it out there,” he said.

Another popular event is his golf tournament, where each hole is supported by a local business promoting their products. This year included tasty baked goods for all the players and a demonstration from Aerial Therapy.

While Mr Goater admits that owning your own business can be hard work, his advice for anyone considering a career in fashion or design is: “You have to be into it and you have to follow what’s happening.”

He added: “People, if they like something, they’re going to support.”

Yaya Apparel is on Old Cellar Lane. For more information follow on Instagram: @yayaapparel

The post Fashionably male appeared first on RG Magazines.

The result is the DailyMale Clinic, a charity providing free health screenings to men over 40, targeting the uninsured and underinsured. Since its launch two years ago, DailyMale has screened over 300 men and diagnosed ten cases of prostate cancer, most of which would have otherwise gone undetected until it was too late.

The co-executive directors and co-founders are Jonathan Makanjuola, consultant urologist at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, and K Jade Robinson, a Master of Public Health.

A series of monthly, four-hour, pop-up clinics at venues including sports clubs, workmen’s clubs and the Bermuda Industrial Union, have been a powerful draw. Supported by a pool of 100 volunteers, including nurses and doctors from across Bermuda’s healthcare services, the clinics have seen an average of six men per hour.

The next clinic is scheduled for June 14, from 9am to 1pm, at the Freemasons’ Hall in Hamilton. Visitors will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Having registered as a charity in 2024, the DailyMale raised money for a fully outfitted mobile clinic, which cost about $150,000, funded by generous contributions from organisations including pharmaceutical company Roche, Argus, and the Lahey Clinic in the US. The vehicle will overcome many of the heavy labour and logistical demands of pop-up clinics.

Dr Makanjuola, who moved to Bermuda from the UK three years ago with his Bermudian wife, realised the need for this service soon after he arrived.

“In my first week at work, I saw three cases of prostate cancer that had spread to the bones,” he said. “In the UK, I might see one such case every six months, but here it was three in a single week.”

All three cases were uninsured men, who had not been screened. It highlighted an alarming gap in preventive care for prostate cancer — a condition disproportionately affecting Black men.

“It wasn’t just a medical concern,” he said. “It was a health equity issue. The men who couldn’t afford insurance were also the ones most at risk.”

Prostate cancer is the number one cancer affecting males and accounts for 33 per cent of cancer diagnoses in men in Bermuda. The prostate gland, which is at the base of the bladder, tends to swell up as men get older. Sometimes, the cells can become cancerous and spread to other parts of the body.

“Men have no symptoms in the early stages, but symptoms like blood in the urine or difficulty in urinating happen at a later stage,” Dr Makanjuola said. “If you catch it early, prostate cancer can be cured.”

The mortality rate for prostate cancer in Bermuda is twice that of the average in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Too many cases are being detected too late.

Regular screening is a key part of the solution. This can be done through a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Elevated levels of PSA may be an indication of prostate cancer.

Visitors to the DailyMale Clinic take a finger-prick blood test. Thanks to the point-of-care machines, PSA results are available in just ten minutes.

The Bermuda Hospitals Board launched new guidelines on prostate health and PSA testing in February this year. They recommend screening should start at age 40 for Black men or those with a family history, and from age 50 for all others. Bermuda is the first country in the northern hemisphere to adopt this proactive stance on prostate cancer, Dr Makanjuola said.

There has been a change of approach, moving away from the traditional digital rectal examination, avoided by many men through fear or embarrassment, and “one of the biggest barriers to screening”, according to Dr Makanjuola.

“Instead, we start with the PSA blood test and, if it’s elevated, then see your doctor or specialist, and we can then do an MRI scan, which is the gold standard now,” he added. “That change of approach is helping to increase the number of men being screened.”

Already, DailyMale’s impact has been considerable. Men who had not seen a doctor in years have visited for screening. Some walked away with peace of mind, others received life-saving early diagnoses. Scott Pearman, CEO of the BHB, has said the impact of DailyMale has “exceeded all expectations” and “helped to remove barriers to care for men in Bermuda”.

The clinic has tried to break down some of the barriers to healthcare that it has recognised: lack of coverage for uninsured seniors, high insurance costs, mistrust in healthcare and the fear of unwelcome test results. Its response has been to build trust through partnerships and a focus on compassionate, free healthcare access.

Clinic visitors who feature in a video on the DailyMale website give glowing reviews, praising the efficiency and ease of the screening process, and the “inspirational” and knowledgeable staff.

The new mobile clinic will enable the charity to be opportunistic, bringing healthcare to events like football matches and golf tournaments, reaching men in environments where they feel comfortable.

In addition to prostate screening, the DailyMale Clinic also offers heart health exams, blood pressure checks, and advice on matters including diet, giving up smoking, and getting further support and referrals. The clinic’s data shows visitors have an average age of 64, the majority are uninsured and 95 per cent are Black. Test results found 17 per cent had abnormal PSA levels and 58 per cent had high blood pressure.

Dr Makanjuola sees expanded potential for the van, and perhaps others like it, to be used for diabetes screening, mental health check-ups, and other types of healthcare outreach. His hope is that the DailyMale model will may also one day be adopted across the Caribbean region.

“Around the world we’re moving away from the model of going to a hospital or doctor’s office for healthcare,” he added. “I think Bermuda has to catch up and understand that people can access healthcare in a variety of different ways.”

• For more information, visit the DailyMale website at www.dailymaleclinic.com

The post Bringing healthcare to men appeared first on RG Magazines.

From the dolphin show that used to be held at Blue Hole to the discovery of cave-dwelling misophrioids, this Hamilton Parish attraction has been a place of imagination, enchantment and mystery.

Discovered somewhere between 1905 and 1907, the Crystal Caves was the inspiration of the classic Fraggle Rock TV show (remember the Doozers?) and the backdrop of silent movie Neptune’s Daughter (and that scandalous one-pieced swimsuit). Crystal Caves continues to awe and inspire us today.

Boasting 1½ miles of chambers and a max depth of 70ft – with a total of more than 200 caves – it’s an extensive and complex cave system, with underwater passages, air-filled rooms and chambers.

Most of us were taught that the Crystal Caves were discovered when a game of cricket between two young boys, Carl Gibbon and Edgar Hollis, went awry due to a lost ball.

David Roberts, in an article entitled ‘Bermuda’s Secrets’ published in September 1984, provided more meat to the bones.

“A more reliable contemporary account indicates that a 14-year-old native named Carl Gibbon had discovered a cool breeze emanating from some rocks,” Mr Roberts wrote.

“He had pulled the rocks aside and, without hesitation, explored downward until he came to the huge main chamber filled with a lake, which he duly swam across.

“Gibbon’s father owned the land on which the entrance lay. A greedy neighbour walled shut the Gibbon entrance where it crossed his boundary, blasted a tunnel open on his own land, and began showing the cave to tourists.”

That “blasted tunnel” is the entrance we still use today.

Scientists have pointed to the rare nature of the caves – noting that the total volume of all the limestone caverns in the world may be no more than 10 cubic miles.

They have called for their beauty to be preserved due to its significant geological and historical importance.

Robert Power, a certified cave-diving instructor when a survey of the caves was carried out in the 1980s, noted it had “one of the highest densities of caves in the world”.

Mr Power chronicled caves through maps and photography for decades, resulting in stills that seem otherworldly in beauty.

He argued we should be proud of our ability to both preserve the caves and show them off to our visiting friends.

The Crystal Caves are a fine example of why we should take pride and care over our natural resources. Let’s revel in their glitz and glamour – but let’s also celebrate their science and history, so that their dark secrets can be enjoyed for generations to come.

The post Glitz, glamour, science and history appeared first on RG Magazines.

It was this Spanish explorer who happened upon our uninhabited paradise as he sailed from the Caribbean to Spain in the early 16th Century.

He never set foot on dry land on that first accidental visit but reported his finding to the Spanish when he got home. It turned out the Spanish didn’t think these little rocks in the ocean were worth the time and effort; they left them mainly untouched for the next hundred years.

Yet the name Bermuda stuck – meaning Juan de Bermudez boasts the longest running Bermuda legacy of all.

Born into a family of sailors in southern Spain in about 1450, de Bermudez was one of the first mariners to cross the Atlantic, shortly after Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage of discovery in 1492.

He helped form a European settlement on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Known for his sailing expertise, de Bermudez made numerous trips transporting goods – as well as slaves, according to some sources – from Spain to its new colonies over the next couple of decades.

On the way home from one of these voyages in 1505, de Bermudez’s ship, La Garza, was blown north by a storm towards an isolated archipelago that nobody knew about.

He approached the islands but was unable to land due to their dangerous ring of reefs. Further alarmed by screeching noises which he thought were spirits and demons, he beat a hasty retreat to Europe.

Those eerie sounds, we now know, were probably the shrill call of the Bermuda petrel, but in our early years de Bermudez’s story gave rise to the nickname ‘Isle of Devils’.

De Bermudez insisted the islands should be named ‘Garza’, after his boat, and that name is adorned on some maps from the early 16th Century.

Ultimately, however, the more exotic name Bermuda won out; perhaps they felt the ‘Garza Triangle’ didn’t have quite the same ring.

Historical details of De Bermudez’s life are inconsistent because he never kept a log. According to some documents, he returned to Bermuda in 1515 and left a dozen pigs for the benefit of anyone who might get stranded here in future. Other sources suggest he failed in that mission because those daunting reefs once again proved impossible to navigate.

Whether it was de Bermudez or someone else, though, pigs were indeed deposited here, and they played a key role in the early days of Bermuda’s first settlement.

In 1609, after Sir George Somers’s Sea Venture was shipwrecked a few hundred yards off the shore, the people on board became our earliest inhabitants.

The descendants of those hogs became a vital source of food for the new settlers, making such an impact that Bermuda’s first currency contained an image of a hogge and the coins were labelled ‘Hog Money’. The Hog Penny on Burnaby Street remains a lasting tribute to this day.

De Bermudez died in Cuba in about 1520.

SIDEBAR

Bermuda: What’s in a name?

A few of the things that Juan de Bermudez inadvertently gave his name to:

Bermuda

The world-renowned Bermuda Triangle

Our iconic Bermuda shorts

Bermuda grass

Our Bermuda sunset, our Bermuda beaches and our Bermuda culture

Have a Bermudaful day!

• Sources for this article include Huelva Buenas Noticias, The European Discovery of America, and archives of The Royal Gazette and Mid-Ocean News.

The post Our oldest legacy appeared first on RG Magazines.

It’s hard to argue with that. Wherever you go in Bermuda, be it a fancy restaurant, a bar overlooking the water, or the porch of someone’s home, you come across the enticing smells of delicious island cuisine.

Perhaps the most evocative scent – and the most hard-wired taste of home for locals – is freshly fried fish.

Its most famous iteration is in the much-lauded fish sandwich, a Friday lunchtime staple, and, for many, the true national dish of Bermuda.

The fish must be crispy, with a dash of both tartar and hot sauce. And the bread? It has to be raisin toast to be truly authentic, a quirk that surprises and – usually – delights visitors.

Cheese, tomato, lettuce and coleslaw are optional.

Opinions vary on where to get the best fish sandwich, with cruise ship visitors often making a pilgrimage to two of the main contenders: Art Mel’s Spicy Dicy in Pembroke and Woody’s in Somerset.

For locals, fresh fish bought roadside – or, better yet, caught yourself – and fried at home, can ensure the most satisfying sandwich of all.

Fish is the main character in another weekend dish loved by locals, but this time it’s salted, rather than fresh.

Codfish and potatoes is the perfect Sunday soul food to set you up for the day, a uniquely Bermudian dish that harks back to the days when the island was part of a trading route that ran from Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean up to Newfoundland, Canada.

The flaky fish at the heart of this dish, also popular in the Caribbean, can be an acquired taste, but it’s offset perfectly by the additional ingredients: fresh avocado, banana, boiled potatoes, and a sauce of your choosing.

Aficionados debate whether it’s best to have a piquant tomato sauce, a white roux with or without chopped eggs, or simply melted butter with chopped eggs.

Whichever you plump for – and whether you enjoy this at home or at a neighbourhood eatery – the end result will make for a beautiful, bright breakfast plate, packed with contrasting flavours.

Freshly baked johnny bread is a perfect accompaniment to codfish and potatoes, but if fish isn’t your bag, it goes well with plenty of other foods.

It falls somewhere between a bread roll and a scone, with sweet and savoury notes, and a lovely, dense, chewy texture.

Peanut butter and bacon between two pieces of johnny bread is a winning combination, but it’s just as nice toasted, with lashings of local loquat or cherry jam.

Mair Harris, in Bermuda’s Tea Time Treats, describes johnny bread – or “journey bread” – as an “old standby from way back” and a “time-honoured Bermudian favourite”.

However, don’t serve it with fish chowder, another much-loved local dish. Bermudians far prefer to crumble saltine crackers into this dark, flavourful soup instead.

Most fish works as the main ingredient here, be it rockfish, wahoo, or any reef fish, with offcuts likely to feature. Dashes of black rum and sherry peppers are mandatory.

Fish chowder is served all year round, for lunch or dinner.

Another seafood staple, mussel pie, is highly associated with Cup Match, Bermuda’s four-day national holiday in celebration of the emancipation of slaves.

If you go to the annual cricket game between Somerset and St George’s, which is played on the Thursday and Friday of the Cup Match summer holiday, you’ll find this aromatic delicacy for sale at stalls throughout the ground.

The freshly caught mussels are curried, as is the pastry crust, giving the pie an intense flavour which is not for the fainthearted, but which is Bermudian through and through.

That can also be said for shark hash, a pungent stew that is spicy, fishy, oily, savoury, and yet, given all that, surprisingly light.

Another Cup Match favourite, this dish is said to hail from St David’s, where it once featured heavily at Dennis’s Hideaway, a much-missed dining experience in the home of its titular chef, Dennis Lamb.

To make the hash, you have to boil the cream-coloured shark liver, which means you’ll be smelling it for days to come.

As Fred Ming helpfully puts it in his cookbook Island Thyme: “This is best done in a well-ventilated room, because of the odours released.”

Fans insist it’s worth the lingering aroma (or stench, depending on your viewpoint) for the amazing taste.

Herby or curried fishcakes, made from salt cod and potato, are a Bermuda Good Friday tradition, and are served on a hot cross bun, with bananas and beans on the side.

Whether you eat them before you fly kites on Horseshoe Bay, or after the fun, be sure to add a dollop of tartare sauce.

Just as fishcakes are always associated with Easter in Bermuda, cassava pie is essential at Christmas.

In Island Thyme, Ming makes his with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, pork and two whole cups of sugar. There’s nutmeg, thyme and even rum in there, resulting in an attention-grabbing side dish.

Ming explains that the use of cassava in Bermuda dates back to when the first settlers from England grew the root. He writes: “The largest supplier of cassava today is Africa, where it remains a staple.”

All that food requires a drink to wash it down and Bermudians have several favourites, with rum swizzle arguably number one.

Island Thyme includes a recipe for budding bartenders, which Ming optimistically says “serves 36”.

It has five cups of Barbados rum and five cups of Goslings Black Seal Rum or other dark rum, plus sugar, brandy, pineapple and orange juice, lemons, limes, and Angostura bitters.

Sweet and syrupy, this is the perfect cocktail for happy hour or a summer barbecue in your back yard – just don’t expect a clear head the next day.

The post A bite of Bermuda appeared first on RG Magazines.

But according to Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone, Bermuda’s honorary consul of Canada, it’s very much a two-way relationship.

Today, roughly 10,000 Canadians call our island home — a connection rooted in more than four centuries of shared history between Bermuda, Halifax, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United Kingdom.

“Bermuda was always a transit hub between Canada and the Caribbean,” Ms Ramsay-Brackstone explained, pointing to the island’s long-standing maritime connections.

“The [cargo] line that used to feed Bermuda for the longest time came from Halifax. Only in 1981 did it move to Port Elizabeth in New Jersey.”

That a significant number of Bermudian students pursue higher education in Canada, and that the two countries share His Majesty King Charles III as their head of state, has strengthened the ties.

Cultural ties

Ms Ramsay-Brackstone believes it’s these deep-rooted connections and familial connections that continue to draw Canadians to the island.

“Because their parents went to school in Canada, because their family is in Canada; the ties are much more than academic — a lot of Bermudians have property in Canada; their father went to study in Canada and brought back a Canadian wife. There’s a lot of that in Bermuda. I have a ton of ‘Canadian babies’ who were born in Bermuda because of that.”

Her late husband, Kirby Brackstone, was a banker in Montreal, where they met.

“He came to Canada, found a nice French-Canadian bride and brought her back,” she said.

Still, she acknowledges that Bermuda isn’t the right fit for everyone.

“Bermuda does not cater to all talents. If you are an astrophysicist, you’re not going to be happy in Bermuda. But if you are a mathematician, yes; if you like to build trains, maybe not.

“What brought me to Bermuda when I started building a family is the lifestyle that it offered: it’s safe, the weather is certainly a huge factor and there’s a gentle way of life in Bermuda that you don’t find anywhere in the world. And when you can offer that to a young family, it’s the most wonderful thing on the planet.”

Common traits

Beyond all that, there is a deeper connection.

Ms Ramsay-Brackstone explained: “Bermudians and Canadians are peaceful, kind, generous people. Canadians and Bermudians are extremely welcoming. Canadians accept a lot of people from around the world, so does Bermuda, and we embrace how they enhance the fabric of our community.

“You see it on our restaurant menus, in our choice of music and garments. I think Canadians add a lot of diversity to our cultural fibre.

“Canadians go around the world, not necessarily fighting wars, but ensuring that processes happen in peace. And Bermudians are like that too.”

The Canadian presence in Bermuda is perhaps most obvious during Canada Day celebrations in July, hosted by the Association of Canadians in Bermuda at Warwick Long Bay, but smaller signs of that influence show up year-round.

“It’s putting gravy on French fries, singing [songs by] Celine Dion and Barenaked Ladies and Bryan Adams and celebrating our wonderful wealth of cultural icons,” said Ms Ramsay-Brackstone, whose company, Lili Bermuda Perfumery, creates and manufactures fragrances.

“Certainly, in my business, I still have quite a few suppliers in Canada. Canadians do very good quality things. The exchange rate for many years has been extremely advantageous from a business point of view.”

That influence is easy to spot, she added.

“You go around the shelves at your supermarket or at your drug store, there’s a lot of things that are made in Canada.”

The post Canada and Bermuda: A lasting connection appeared first on RG Magazines.

The management committee of the West Indian Association (Bermuda) proudly trace their roots to Trinidad, Jamaica, Dominica, St Lucia and, of course, Bermuda, and insist that every single one of the Caribbean islands is represented here.

Job opportunities have certainly been a draw — West Indians in Bermuda work as nurses, teachers and accountants, and can be found in policing, hospitality and many other fields.

Personal connections have also led them here. Members of the Association explained that many couples met while studying at university and returned to Bermuda together.

Their presence has left a lasting cultural impact.

“Caribbean nationals have woven their contributions into the fabric of Bermuda’s history and culture,” one member said, adding that a single article could never fully capture the scope of that influence here.

The contributions of Caribbean leaders in Bermuda are significant. Sir Edward Richards, originally from Guyana, became the first Black Premier. Dr Clarence James, whose father hailed from St Kitts, was Deputy Premier, a general surgeon and the first Black Minister of Finance.

From Trinidad came Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon, a National Hero of Bermuda, member of parliament and the founder of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

Dr EF Gordon’s leadership of the Bermuda Workers Association led to legislation in 1946 that allowed for the formation of trade unions.

Another Trinidadian, Choy Aming Sr, was instrumental in launching the Clayhouse Inn and co-organised the first Bermuda Day Parade in 1979. His Carnival-styled parade helped pave the way for Jason Sukdeo (Bermudian-Guyanese) and the eventual launch of Bermuda’s Carnival in 2015.

Jamaica is also strongly represented in Bermuda’s historical record. James “Dick” Richards arrived in 1903 with the Third Battalion of the West India Regiment and became the first Black man in Bermuda to own a hotel licence.

He also helped bring the first West Indies cricket team here in 1939. Victor Fitzgerald Scott, another Jamaican, led the then-Central School, which was later renamed in his honour. His son, Dr Victor Scott, was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of Bermuda College in 2013.

Women have played a pivotal role as well. Dame Pamela Gordon, daughter of EF Gordon, became Bermuda’s first female Premier in 1997. Hazel Christopher, originally from Jamaica, was instrumental in forming the Jamaican Association (Bermuda) and was honoured with a star on the City of Hamilton’s Walkway of Fame for her work as a champion of underdogs.

Retired Justice Norma Wade-Miller spent more than 25 years in Bermuda’s judiciary and was the first woman appointed as a permanent magistrate and Supreme Court Justice, later becoming Acting Chief Justice. She was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2016.

Other key figures include Shurnett Caines, a Jamaican who helped found the West Indian Association (Bermuda) alongside John Evans of Trinidad. Ms Caines has worked on residency rights, offender treatment, and was honoured with Her Majesty the Queen’s Certificate of Honour and as a Bermuda Day Grand Marshal.

The historical connection goes beyond people. In 1902, CH Walker and Company brought 230 skilled Caribbean workers to Bermuda under indentureship to support the expansion of HM Dockyard.

Even Bermuda’s cultural traditions reflect this connection. Cassava, a staple of our traditional cassava pie, was introduced from the West Indies in the 1600s. The island’s iconic Gombey performance style blends African, British, Native American and Caribbean influences. Similar rhythms and pageantry are found in the Bahamas’ Junkanoo and St Kitts’ Moko Jumbie stilt walkers, who have performed at Bermuda’s Gombey Festival.

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