La Plaine, an agricultural village on the Southeastern Windward coast of Dominica, nestles between the Atlantic Ocean and Morne Gouveneur. Many have regrettably left this beautiful and idyllic village for greener pastures. If you know and meet La Plaine folks, you will understand the love we have for the homestead where we were born and raised – its landscape, residents, history, and environs.
Anyone who travels and spends some time in our ancestral village (the anchor and gateway of the southeast), will quickly discover that it is a very interesting and enchanting place. Our humour, warmth and hospitality exude pleasant feelings of happiness and love. The warm gentle breeze of the Taberi, Sari -Sari and Laronde rivers will smooth your soul.
The majestic Sari-Sari waterfalls with its hypnotizing powers and the cycling waves of the scenic Boute Sabre beach will fascinate anyone. Case’ O Gowrie and Laronde represent the varied ethnic backgrounds which colour the tapestry of our humanity. There is a certain felling and ambience in the air that makes one feel always welcome.
Growing up in La Plaine gave us a sense of security, identity, belonging and responsibility. Our upbringing emphasized the importance of balance, self-reliance, hard work, patience, tolerance, generosity and caring for our neighbours. Despite our skirmishes and short-term disputes which dissipated after a short time, we learned to commune with each other. We learned to take pride in in our community and people and cultivated a reverence for all God’s creation. We were encouraged and pushed to love learning as it a foundation of personal and collective progress.
Despite all these positive attributes, La Plaine has a rich and painful history. Before motorable roads reached the village in the mid-60s, there was the challenging and tiresome two-day journey on foot through the Grand Fond mountains to the Laudat Lakes (Chemin Letang- Jea Au vent) to trade in Roseau. We listened intently to our folks as they told stories of arriving in Roseau in the early morning hours to find the city still asleep.
Also, they related stories of the humiliation and unfair treatment they endured from Roseau merchants and many indifferent town folks. They recounted having to take another alternative and dangerous route to the capital which often resulted in loss of life, merchandise, and agricultural produce. That water route was traveling the southern coast and negotiating the rough waves of the unforgiving Atlantic Ocean in dugout rowing canoes.
Today we stand very proudly on the shoulders of Mr. Pierre Colaire and his band of bare-footed and shirtless peasants who confronted the island’s Colonial Governor in April 1893 on a hillside in Case O’ Gowrie where the rolling hills meet Morne Gouveneur. Mr. Colaire challenged the Crown due to unfair taxes which were levied on the village. During that confrontation, (La Plaine uprising) four (4) peasants were shot dead by British Marines. The brave Colaire and several injured villagers escaped into the thick canopy of the nearby Jungle. Some of the marines were disciplined and the British Government altered the taxation scheme and collection system it imposed on residents of the colonies.
Today, we, the descendants of the once humiliated peasants, are rewriting our history by venturing into very highly visible and professional areas all over the world and making invaluable contributions to the development of Dominica. We are very proud that our rural community has produced two police commissioners. Our progenies continue to excel and make meaningful contributions in the shaping and completion of the collective agenda of Dominica progress at home and in the diaspora.
In the not-too-distant future, we envision and will work towards the goal of our community developing and transitioning to be become a progressive town with a vibrant down area lined with environmentally friendly businesses and organic restaurants. We will encourage investments so that residents can own operate small guest houses along the three river banks, Boute Sabre and in the rain forests.
We will strive to operate a large child day care and elderly home to take care of very young and very old and build a hospital, community college and trade school a library/museum. We will ensure that our school age children and pre-teens gets classical music training and participate in Boy Scouts and Girl Guides troops. We will resurrect the Agricultural station and use it as an outside classroom for future farmers. The taxes and revenues derived from these entities will generate employment, trade and commerce, modernization, and an improved standard of living and dignity of our people.
The plans and nostalgic memories of La Plaine compel us to return to the place where it all began for a reunion/vacation this summer. La Plaine’s sons and daughters from far and near will reunite with those on the ground for a week of fun and meaningful memories from July 28th to August 5th. We will certainly demonstrate in emphatic and unapologetic ways that regardless of how long we stay away from Dominica or our stations in life, our real home will always be somewhere not too far from the foothills of Morne Gouveneur and the banks of the Taberi, Sari- Sai and Laronde rivers.
Note: The co-authors are first cousins.
According to my late father, Star Lestrade, the only Port of Call in the early days, was Plaisance Bay, where commercial and medical trips to Roseau began. But because the sea was usually very rough, trips were either delayed or were made on foot.
Thank’s Mr Finn and Co for this important piece of our past. Those with roots in the Laplaine ,Delice, Larone and the other EastCoast villages should forever be proud of our Ancestors struggles. We must, and continue to write our very own stories and not depend on the one that doesn’t look like us.
Well written article. Love the detail and history of the Village.
Another reason to be proud of our Island overall
Wow. Thanks for the historical info. quite interesting…so much we don’t know about our little island and tiny villages. mighty, mighty la plaine!
Exquisitely written article bursting with nostalgia!
Thanks for sharing the brave and vibrant history of Laplaine. I knew the water route to Roseau was option. But when you remind us that they had to row all the way through those Atlantic waves, it really boggles the imagination.
Who are the two police commissioners? The bold vision you outline truly makes one aspire to that future of development! I can see it – and it shall come to pass…
Don’t forget Chief Lincoln Corbette. Chronicling the contributors and personalities who have emerged from or shaped La Plaine’s character may make for good reading and use in Civics at the village school.. Cultural stalwarts like Tains, Aldrick and Clayton;, farmers like Conrad, businessmen like Flobelle Bertrand, Kenneth Carbon, Eddie “Element” Beaupierre, Bam the Baker, and Jerome. Fisherfolk like Tickie Barry and Bently, Pioneers in essential services of transportation like Telemaque Allan, Charlie, Jerome and John Rose Barry. Stalwarts of education such as Jones Beaupierre, Osmond Georges and Vanya Eloi. Senior health professionals like Dentist Christopher Williams, Dr. Peter St. Jean, Pharmacist Kent Williams, Veteran Nurse Joyceline Green, Hospital Matron and current PS Letitia Lestrade-Guye. Public administrators like Dir. of Surveys Marcus Lestrade, Former High Commissioner Georges Williams, former PS Raymond Austrie. In accounts, Austin Winston.. and more.
@Plaisance I From, I know you said and more, but permit me to add the well accomplished Stafford (Star) Lestrade (deceased) whom I believe hailed from La Plaine as well.
Ma Paten the very important mid-wife. My grandmother
Wonderful story, but hope and wish is doesn’t remain a story.
Couldn’t help feel a great sense of lover and affection for country/home village as I read of all the developmental ideas, but was looking forward to learning of the timeframe for the realization of all these ideas / plans because these are huge projects, massive undertakings.
I sincerely hope that these are not just words, I truly do hope that most of your ideas / plans will materialize.
Wish you all and your home village every success.
Great read. Each community should do something similar, recalling and writing the true history of their village/town themselves and not rely on outsiders to do so.
A people without knowledge of their past is like a tree without roots. Enlightening commentary.
@Ibo France, I thought the same when I read the article and thought further that our authorities should even think of erecting monuments of our local heroes in the villages from which they hailed.
Absolutely excellent idea. We must honour our own who have made invaluable contributions in the development of this country. It always baffles me as to the reason we are so unwilling to do this.
It truly hurts and damn embarrassing that the main health facility in Dominica has China on it and not the name of a native who has done yeoman’s wrk in the medical field. It’s A painful pill to swallow. Princess Margaret then Dominican China Hospital – How ludicrous!