A DGS Graduate and former General Motors USA senior economist and manager of Truck Competitor Analysis.
When and where were you born
I was born on December 19, 1940, in Roseau, at home in Bath Road. My parents were Abbott Shillingford from Colihaut, accountant at A.C. Shillingford & Co, and Aileen Shillingford nee Tavernier from Scotshead, Head Mistress at the Roseau Mixed School and Roseau Girls School. I have one brother, Conrad, and five sisters Lola, Vashti, Deborah, Jennifer and Leona.
Early days
I went to the Convent Montessori School at Casse O’Reilly next to the St Gereard’s Hall. It was Dominica’s first Montessori School that I know of. Some of my classmates were Thomas Wyke related to the famous butcher near the mouth of the Roseau River (Boucherie), Colin Bully and Joey Lartigue.
I then went to the Roseau Mixed School where my mother was Head Mistress and my teacher was Mrs Agatha Robinson nee Mitchell. There I remember some very smart girls like Imelda Thompson, Ockie and Deravariere. From the Mixed School, I went to the Dominica Grammar School (DGS).
Clayton Shillingford also went to Mixed School when my mother was there. Joffre Robinson also taught me at the DGS – in the old school at the corner of Great George Street and Hillsborough Street.
The DGS Principal was Victor Archer from St Lucia and he would have Dover, the messenger, take switches from the big tamarind tree in the school yard to flog those of us who were so wayward that they had to be entered in the Black Book.
DGS Days
My DGS days were some of my most memorable. I did fairly well in academics. But we had many extra curricular activities. There were scouts, the Army Cadets, the debating society, cricket, soccer and athletics.
And we participated in all of these on various afternoons. We would go camping under scout master Wendell Lawrence. We would go marching every Thursday at 3.00 in the afternoon, and would do target shooting with .22 rifles on the school firing range.
These were modern rifles with proper sights; we did shooting under Range Master Cecil Goodridge, a Bajan (Barbadian). We competed against the Dominica Rifle Club and the Police Team.
One notable police marksman was the legendary Oliver N Phillip who later became Police Chief and a hero in defeating the attempted Defence Force Coup against Prime Minister Eugenia Charles in December 1981.
These extra-curricular activities taught me discipline, teamwork, leadership and organization. In 1957, in fifth form, I got a Grade 1 Senior School Certificate, the only boy in the island to achieve this – it was equivalent to the Cambridge General Certificate of Education “O” Level. Clayton Shillingford taught me Botany then.
Clayton and Raglan Riviere, who co-founded the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences, were four or five years ahead of me. DGS was all boys in those days and Clayton was Head Boy and Senior prefect, captain of the DGS cricket team and Raglan was a prefect and star athlete.
Raglan later went to the UK, joined the RAF and blazed a path forward in academia. In 1959, I became a Prefect and in 1960 Headboy and Senior Prefect, following on the heels of the headboy before me, Franklin Watty, and Clayton some years earlier. Also in 1960, the DGS team went to Grenada for the Windward Islands Inter School Tournament.
We played hard but won no accolades. However, some of our boys, like Osie Lewis, Ronald Osborne and Rosie Douglas, won the hearts of the prettiest girls.
Rosie Douglas had left St Mary’s Academy and came on Tour with us; he was also a cadet. Rosie was always giving jokes. Nobody could give jokes like him. (Author’s note: Roosevelt “Rosie” Douglas became a civil rights hero in Canada and Prime Minister of Dominica.)
In sixth form, I did Mathematics, Botany, Geography and General Paper. On graduation, I taught briefly at the DGS, then got a scholarship to study agriculture at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad, originally the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA).
This school was highly regarded and hosted students from all corners of the old British Empire, such as Fiji, Malaysia, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK. It was an excellent institution. I did a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics, and graduated in 1966 with Upper Second Class Honors – no one got a First Class that year.
How was life in Trinidad?
Life in Trinidad was about balancing school work and parties. There were lots of guys on campus who were all out for a good time and partied heartily. Others were more serious, and took to their books. I was a centrist; not too much partying; “the theory of the mean” was my guide.
The students were a quite mixed group. There was a wide range of ethnicities and nationalities. Many students from Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados came to campus with all A’s. At first I was a bit intimidated – all A’s !!!
Then after some surreptitious investigation, I realized that this was largely due to superb teaching in high school. On weekends, we had our fair share of parties or socialized at the bar on campus.
It must be noted that there were many older expatriate students, and the old ICTA’s campus facilities and traditions we inherited were designed for these expatriates. At dinner, for example, we had to put on our student gown; everybody had to wear it. No gown no dinner.
The Trinidadians were a happy and generous people, and I have very fond memories of the friends I made there. Some would take us to their homes for dinner on holidays or weekends. Some would invite us to join them to watch carnival in the stands or to parties at their homes. They were a gracious lot.
Early Heroes
My early heroes were the senior school boys. They were all cadets such as Michael Garraway, Clayton Shillingford, Wendell Lawrence, Sidney Jones, Simon Richards, and Ralph St. Luce.
These were all outstanding cadets whose demeanor and leadership impressed me as a boy; as a group, they were a significant influence in my life. I admired them on parade and looked forward to the day I would join the cadets.
Above all, however, to me as a little mite, they were intellectual giants who marched up to get the prizes on speech day. (Authors note: Dr. Michael Garraway became a leading plant pathologist at Ohio State University; Dr Clayton Shillingford, a botanist, became Research Director at the Jamaica Banana Board, was Global Product Development of the Dupont Co Agricultural Products Division and became first Dominica Academy of Arts & Scoences (DAAS) President; Wendell Lawrence became Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry of Communications and Works, Dr Sidney Jones attended Howard Medical School and became a respected OBGYN, Simon Richards became a New York attorney and Dominica’s Ambassador to the United Nations; Dr. Ralph St Luce became a well known physician in the US).
In the wider world, my parents introduced us to the likes of Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur. At home in Dominica, it was the Boyd brothers, Dr Watty and Dr Dorian Shillingford, all of whom won island scholarships and went away to study medicine.
My mother would say, “They all studied hard. Study like them and you’ll win a scholarship to go to college.” Other successes to be emulated were Professor Thomas Henderson of Grandbay who did a PhD in Agriculture and was a lecturer at UWI in Trinidad; and Justice Keith Alleyne, who was an Island Scholar and became Dominica’s first Queen’s Counsel.
His brother Osmund St Claire Alleyne, a former DGS Cadet, became a war hero, and perished in air combat in the Royal Air Force.
What did you read in those days?
I read voraciously at home and in school. In Sixth Form, Leo Austin from British Guiana was my English teacher. He introduced us to writers like Sam Selvon, VS Naipaul, CLR James, Shakespeare, Dante and Boccaccio (Decameron).
At home, reading was more action oriented. There was Tarzan, Ryder Haggard, Alexander Dumas, Sabatini and H G Wells. Austin later became attorney general under Prime Minister Patrick John.
Back to Dominica and the Botanic Gardens
On graduation I went back to Dominica to work as land use officer in the Ministry of Agriculture under Dr. J.B Yankey, one of the first locals to get a PhD in agriculture. In those days, we were in the midst of the banana boom which built our middle class and lifted many rural folk out of poverty.
The banana fields were so plentiful that we had planes flying from Melville Hall doing crop spraying against banana diseases. I worked with people like Allan Guy, GHC Grell, and Errol Harris. Colin Bully came to the department a year after me.
In the Gardens, apart from the cocoa nurseries, there were plots of various economic crops, including cocoa, avocado, sugar cane, allspice, coffee, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines mandarins, rubber trees and cinnamon. It was after Hurricane David of 1979 that things plummeted and the Garden plots began deteriorating.
The Botanic Gardens can be rehabilitated to make it a first class tourist attraction and a catalyst to propagate new and productive plant types to boost food security. As a kid, I spent many happy days playing in the Gardens; and it is my hope that with the DAAS Gardens website, we have built a vehicle that spotlights the Gardens and can help us find resources to revive it.
The Botanic Gardens is a worthy colonial legacy that we need to maintain for the education and health of our people, for its economic potential, and for posterity; as Singapore has done, and as Jamaica is now doing with its Hope Gardens.
Away Again
In January 1967, I went on a UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) course in the Netherlands and Rome. Flushed with new ideas and possibilities, I came back to Dominica to promote pig farming based on reject bananas and local coconut meal.
The experimental results were successful but before I could implement them I got an assistantship to study Development Planning at Cornell University. While there the experimental results were published in the Journal of Tropical Agriculture in London. At Cornell, I did my MS on the Agricultural Performance of Dominican Land Types, passing in the top 10% of the class.
Then I went on to my PhD, doing my thesis on Sugar Cane Harvest Mechanization in Jamaica. As a graduate student, one had close relationships with the professors, and we were particularly grateful to those professors who would take students home at holiday times when they would otherwise have been alone on campus.
After graduation, I had plans of returning to work at home. However, no positions were available and I accepted a position at the Caricom Secretarial in Guyana where I stayed for three years then returned to N. America. Because I had no “N. American experience”, getting a job proved more elusive than expected.
But the work ethics I had learned at home and at the DGS allowed me to quickly get that experience, and after two part time teaching jobs, I landed a job at General Motors doing automobile forecasting, not unlike the food forecasting I had been doing at Caricom.
Work Life at General Motors
I worked at GM as an economist for 25 years until I retired. Work was interesting and challenging and I enjoyed it tremendously. The routine part – monthly reports and presentations – was pretty standard.
You always gave your best using international levels of performance as your benchmarks. I built auto demand models to forecast auto sales; I attended auto shows in the US and Japan to report on competitive products. As Manager of Competitor Analysis we studied competitor performance and quality, and reported on this to top management.
Our work is seen today in better GM trucks and cars. That sort of process could be replicated where our government partnered with our skilled people overseas to improve our products, health conditions and management techniques. I also worked on the economic and marketing aspects of a US Automated Highway System. For this I was awarded GM President’s Honors for superior originality and creativity.
What of the race issue?
Well, for West Indians in N. America, this issue crops up not infrequently. For me, it rarely occurred, I think largely because of my technical training. Similarly, trained Asians, like those I worked with, report the same experience.
However, on the occasions when the race issue was evident, I dealt with it head on — the first “manifestation” was a mistake; the second can be no error; and on the third, I now have three pieces of evidence, and I say something, …. like, “Cut this nonsense out; I know you didn’t mean it, but here is the evidence.”
Apart from that, I do good work, and more than my fair share. This generally preempts the issue. This is my approach.
Family Life
I got married in September 1969 to Margaret Kerr of Jamaica. I met her in Jamaica during a summer job stint. She was a nurse at the UWI Hospital and lived on campus. We have three kids: one girl, Saidia, and two boys, Kahlil, and Michael. What do they do, you ask? Well, all three are medical doctors.
Saidia is an internist and Associate Chief at the VA Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida, Khalil is a general and laparoscopic surgeon in Boca Raton, Florida, and Michael is a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon at the University of Florida in Jacksonville.
As my parents did for me, I always held out images of success to them; and failure too. As 9-12 year olds, I once took them to a part of NY with garbage-strewn streets and crumbling houses. “This is where we will have to live if you do not work hard.” I told them. “No, no, Daddy, not here.” They said.
I smiled and said, “Well then, you must work and study harder”. To encourage them in middle and high school, I paid them for good work at semester’s end: $20 for an “A”, $10 for a “B”, and $5 for a “C”. This was for hard subjects like math, chemistry and physics.
For soft subjects like Phys Ed or Typing, they got half as much. It is not that the soft subjects were not important, but in a world dominated by science and technology, one must master, above all, the basic subjects of science and technology. We stressed excellence, not second-class performance.
You have been a leader in the DAAS and organizer of its Botanic Gardens Website and Island Scholars list, among other initiatives. We thank you for your work. Any final words?
On the issue of Dominica’s development, we are going to have substantial difficulty because too many of our people, especially our trained people, leave the country.
The USA is the converse of this; and it has benefited tremendously from in-migration. It attracts the best brains from around the world, because it is an organized, rule of law country, merit-based society. We must do the same. We must create an environment that will keep our trained people at home and bring home those who have left.
We created the Dominica Academy of Art & Sciences (DAAS) as an internet platform to aid in that process, to help provide the critical mass of human capital to propel development.
With respect to DAAS, it can be an effective vehicle to help development at home. But its future will have to be based on more work stateside. While DAAS was built on the internet, we need more face-to-face time.
We need to set up local chapters, where members can sit, break bread, and focus not only on issues facing Dominica, but equally on the issues facing them stateside, personal and family issues such as jobs, scholarships, how to finance a home or business, health care, real estate, insurance, immigration, and education for the kids.
In terms of balance, we need more focus on the welfare of the stateside members of the organization; this is essentially nil now. We cannot focus only on Dominica. Members will continue to ask, subliminally or otherwise, what’s in it for me. And for the child born in the US, Dominica is only a vague reality.
Still, we need the contribution of such children as active participants in Dominica’s development. In order to do this, we also have to first take care of the parent members and their needs. It is only after this is done, we can then better aid Dominica.
The Jews did the same thing. They built their strength in the Diaspora first. The Chinese in N. America do the same. A focus on Dominica alone, as we did in the first years of DAAS, was then OK. Now, this is not sustainable.
We need to better feed the roots in the overseas communities, where we are, at the same time that we call on them to feed the needs on the ground at home. Dominica has enough potential in its tourism and agriculture, and in its people, for it to become the Singapore of the Caribbean.
Very impressive and educational. A good read for the present youngsters , wome of whom could learn something from perseverance and hard work . To get somewhere you must push the envelope and never give up/ excellent article
Tony, instead of denigrating Dr Sford and the Sford family, you should recognize the contribution the family has made to Dca since they came to the island as blacksmiths 300 years ago (see Honychurch’s Dca A-Z). They were pioneers, with others, in our lime and banana industries, and built factories at Newtown and Soufriere that provided jobs to thousands of our people. And today, it is Sford Estates that is the only local producer of rum in Dca. As far as giving back is concerned, Sfords came back from college and built roads, were medical officers, high school teachers and lawyers. That’s what the Sford family was about, they worked hard and earned their prominence. With respect to Dr Sford himself, yes he got a government scholarship, but he won it by hard work; the hard work that has won his family the success it deserves. And in fact, Dr Sford did return to make his contribution in the Agric Dept and at CARICOM. When he got his PhD and applied to make further contribution in Dca, no job was avIlable. But Dr Sford still made Dca proud by carrying our flag at General Motors with honor, and raising a successful family. He wasn’t selling drugs or running women. We must also thank Gabe for recognizing the lessons that can be learned from Dr Sford’s experience, and hope he will bring us more of these success stories of our people at home or abroad. Now, Tony, tell us YOUR story and what YOU have done for Dca.
Excellent article on the sterling example set by Dr Shillingford. Indeed if the haters spent some time educating themselves they would realize the contribution the Shillingford family made to the development of Dominica over the years and continue to make today.
If Dominicans at home and abroad focus on working hard supporting each other instead of denigrating those who do well then Dominica would begin to move forward. It is attitudes like those haters who are keeping us back.
True, Anon; It is the few haters among us who want to confuse and sell us out. Like all haters and “sowers of discord,” Satan and the 8th Ring of Hell await them all.
GREAT JOB! Gaibu. We need more of these both in the newspaper and in book form. We appreciate your gift(Messenger)my brother. One day you will be recognized for your contribution to, and documentation of our people and our history. Thank you Sir.
Interesting and ver goood article, I wish that i could read more about other older Dominicans .
Mr. Shillingford dont let negative comments prevent you from contributing.
I have never heard bout the DAAS gardens website, where can I learn about it? what are they doing?
Tony… this is wonderful story not a story of privelege. This is truly a remarkable story about one man’s struggles to succeed. Furthermore how someone from Dominica can succeed in the larger Caribbean and the United States. Dr. Shillingford has clear dedication to work, family and to Dominica. Not only has he given back in terms of DAS, but he has been an integral partner in the management of the Dominica Botanical Gardens website.
CsGambino.
Hello and good evening to you. It’s a wonderful story but why would the Government give Mr Shillingford a scholarship when his family can afford to pay his college tuition. Both parent were professional, one a Teacher and the other an Accountant while both received middle class salaries. There should be two criterias for any student to received a Government scholarship. One should be the student grades and the other should be the income of the student parents to determine if they can pay their child college tuition. We can’t just read and accept such glowing article without looking at how Mr Shillingford received such scholarship when he came from an upper middle class family. His parents should have paid for his college education because they can afford it and this was tax payers money.
great story
Fantastic article !. We should have more of these. It takes perseverance and discipline to succeed in this world.
Amazing story, as one said we are ready to come back home to build our country under new leadership and experienced, professionals like lennox and his team. Also the tax on building materials should be reduce.
Hello and good evening my people. Well what I learned from this article is that. Mr Shillingford came from a prominent family and he received a good education but them he left and married a Jamaican. I guess he couldn’t find a wife in Dominica. Also he has three children who are doctors but have they ever held a free clinic in Dominica and provide medical care to our people. Mr Shillingford can you, yes you tell me what specifically have you done to help our people. I see this article as just praising yourself and your children.
I think we are praising a Proud and successful Dominican who has made Dominica proud worldwide, worked in the Caribbean for many years where Dominica benefited from his research and service and has helped maintained its credibility, unlike our government elected ministers whose actions and goverance constantly are questionable and before the Courts…..
Good evening Tony. You and your ‘woe is me’ attitude is what’s wrong with Dominica. Too bad dominicanewsonline doesn’t write articles praising haters, then you could get your own writeup.
Andrew.
Hello and good afternoon to you. Well it’s not about my attitude but rather it’s about how certain families repeatedly abuse the system. Am not hating on Mr Shillingford but am bring to attention how certain families repeatedly abuse the awarding of scholarships in Dominica. He received an education scholarship but no where in the articles does it say he did anything for Dominica to repay our citizens tax money that helped him attend college. Although he came from a family who have the financial means to pay for his college education.
That is his right to praise himself and his children. People leave Dominica and never return for various reasons. Please, Dominica did not do good for everyone. In many instances it was “survival of the fittest. Don’t question me. I am Dominican, and I know. “I must speak my mind” Everyone should speak for themselves. Please do not pass judgement. Dominica is not the world. Seriously, so if you are a Dominican, you cannot marry someone from another country. Wow, such petty/small thinking. If all the “brains” who left return, what will happen? Do you realize that they had to leave to better themselves and the same Dominica. Do you have to be present to contribute? What about “do not let your right hand knows what your left hand is doing and vice versa”. Think about it. Migration/immigration will never stop.
Voixmoimeme.
Hello and good evening to you. Well Mr Shillingford have a right to marry anyone but no where in the article does it say he did anything for our people or country. He and his family continue to receive scholarships and they go on to higher education on the backs of our citizens. He is an Economist but no where in the article does it say he used any of his knowledge and time to be an unpaid advisor to our Government on budget issues regardless of Political Affliation . I am tired of such families with name recognition receiving all the benefits on the back of the poor or working class. Open your mind and eyes and understand the strangle hold such individuals have on our country either in educational scholarships or business.
Hello and good morning my people. I see that I received Seven Thumbs Down but I can’t respond it you don’t tell what you disagree with . I read the article which document that Mr Shillingford is an educated man, He marry a Jamaican Woman, He has three children who are Doctors but I don’t see where his immediate family contribute anything to our Country or citizens. He said he took his children to a run down area of New York City and he asked them if they want to live in such condition. They said “No Daddy” but this shouldn’t be a motivation factor as to if any of our children should be motivated to learn. Many of our citizens left Dominica and we always strive to provide for our children to do better than us. So Mr Shillingford can you please tell me what have you or your children done for our people. It’s a very informative article about you.
He did for his people. Himself and his children. Charity begins at home. Mark you, I do not know Dr. Shilligford. I just read this article. However, he emulates the majority of the Diaspora. Some were more privileged than others. It a wide, wide, wide world. Since slavery is no more, we are free to live and do whatever we want. On island or off island, you can contribute to your country. I will never take issue with someone marrying someone from another country. That is just pure ignorance. Please,,,don’t get me started. Life experience…
I don’t think it is right to attack the gentleman for the choices he made. You can only do so much when you stay in small islands like Dominica. But you make an interesting observation. Most of our successful men and some women are married to Jamaicans, Barbadian,Trinidadian or Guyanese because those are the campus territories of the UWI. In those countries they have the benefit of mingling with and choosing from the brightest. On the other hand, it promotes regional unity
Sam.
Hello and good morning to you. Well I don’t have any problem with who Mr Shillingford marry but this type of brain drain has been a problem for our country. It reminds me of what the British did to India where they sent their citizens to marry the educated Indians and brought them back to build England. I repeatedly see the Shillingfords receiving scholarships that should go to needy families who don’t have the financial means to send their children to college. I have seen where the Shillingfords received scholarships even though they didn’t have the highest grades. Also don’t you all remember what happened in the late seventies when the Shillingfords received two scholarships in one year. Then three months later we found out that it was based on Political Affliations rather than academic scores. We can’t just read such articles and don’t understand and question the past history of such people with family name recognition who repeatedly take advantage of our Government. What about the many children who work hard but don’t know or don’t have any connections within the Government therefore they are unable to get a scholarship even though they have the grades. This article reads and sound like a conversation between two friend on a street corner rather than an interview of an academic and a specially someone with a PhD. I respect the gentleman education but am disappointed in the presentation of his achievements.
Tony a man have a right to marry whomsoever he love, be the woman or man from out of space, the connection is what matters, what attracts each other.
I left Dominica, when I was fourteen years old, I never had a chance to really know the women in Wesley very well: I lived in England, and Germany too, I met plenty of women; one woman in Germany literally begged me to marry her, she told me if I marry her I would never have to work one day in my life for the rest of my life.
I simply laugh, when I came to America, I had another woman who became fascinated with my name, and she offered me a house and a car, if only I would marry her. The kid once again refused. My choice was an Antiguan I had three children with at the time. I sent for her and my children and marry her here.
Marring to a Dominican does no mean life will be better or worst off, people should always marry to the person love, and when I say love I am not talking about an infatuating feeling, or marrying to someone simply because of what one can get from them.
My last daughter was born on the island of Antigua, they returned there several times, all of my children went to primary, high school, and college here, the youngest chose to marry a white boy from Russia, my older son chose a woman from Panama, my older daughter, and younger son chose to marry Americans.
Tome what matters is the comfort, one should worry about; one could be marry to a Dominican and go through hell as well as they could be marry to a Jamaican,and go through hell also!
We all operate by our God given free will!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Mr Telemaque .
Well Mr Shillingford have a right to marry who ever he wants but don’t put this self serving article in our face like we are just stupid. This family have being receiving scholarships forever and they are being educated on the backs of the poor and the working class in Dominica even though they can afford to pay for their education. Also Mr Telemaque you don’t have family name recognition like the Shillingfords. We need a different criteria as to who should get scholarships a specially when their family can pay for their education like the Shillingfords.
I agree with you.
I agree with you Telemaque. Tony seems to have another issue on his mind. Just spill it and let us enjoy this beautiful of writing. Tony may be a PHD. No personl attack. However, everyone who reads and comments on DNO is not illiterate.
Tony…I gave you a thumbs-up because I think you raised one or two good points. However, you are making too much out of it, let it go man. You see, it’s old school thinking back in da days D/can intellectuals married Jamaicans, Bajans etc instead of grassroots D/can women, as trophy-like thing to do,,,woosh lol. Much like the African-Americans still marry White women as a feather-in-the hat type thing, not out of love which is understandable.
However, I agree it is a negative as to how it makes our women feel. I am sure Mr. S’Ford meant it to be a big deal, but it is what it is. Let it go man. … In the end many are not impressed, but he is our man, although we may feel he should have kept it grassroots back in da days. Respect to all achievers!
We the Diasporas come home after all this years away, to a cold reception, it”s like the American soldiers coming back from Vietnam, building materials are so high, making it impossible to build, when we come home and build we create jobs, the government say they want to create jobs, give the hard ware stores who sell building materials a tax break, and make them pass it on to the people who are building there houses and that will stimulate the economy, it will create jobs for all.[cement, bricks, plywood nails excreta, lower the prices, and tell the Diasporas, and the locals to come shop and build a better Dominica, I have my ticket ready to come home and build.
I feel your pain bro. I am no stranger to these sentiments. You feel worst than being in a foreign country and at times you swear you are looked upon as a prodigal. My advise to you is, speak a little kweyol often, otherwise you pay a foreigners fee for a goat or an exorbitant absentee fee for a bunch of carrots.
I came down and build and did not complain.
I guess you don’t get it…donoe how u get your money but you and even your dog know customs duties are too too high. By all appearances the gov’t is made up of communist minded dudes that just don’t understand business and how to stimulate it.
Interested piece..Enjoy reading about Dr. Shillingsford’s success. We need to continue to talk and dialog with educated individuals like Dr. Shilligford to generate ideas to move Dominica’s forward economically.
This is an excellent piece so where are the comments. I guess people comment only when it’s based on politics.
Prisca,….all that is politics……..I like it…its good
My God , Dr, Davison Shillingford many hanks for this reading. We need calibre of discipline in education and development to take this country forward, we are so behind…..
We have people still in short pants mentality running this country and have killed it, but we have potential…….change is a must…..it is coming.
You are so right, our educated ones do not return home, those who are have gone back to USA etc, some planning on migration again. The political climate is corrupt, the development focus is one of begging and our leaders and their leadership in childish and poor and with no vision…
Thank you Doc, and all the others you have mentioned, thanks for your leadership and example that you have set for your children, mine will be focussed also as you have given me more inspiration to stay focus, but disciplined and educated.
Interesting. Highlights the importance of “History” in our daily lives. Montessori school in the 1940’s!!!Begs the question though “what is missing in our education and socialisation processes that doesn’t allow for present generations to benefit from such high achievers that they by way of their foreparents produced?”
It’s always a pleasure to read and learn of the experience of those who have gone before, especially as it pertains to Dominica’s socio-economic history.
Thanks, Gabe, for the article.
Is this article coming “directly” from Mr. Shillingford? If so , all praises due to him. Gabe if you are the one selling this to “us”, do a little soul searching. Think a little. You’ll find out what I mean.
One word “Inspirational”.
Dominica has a solid educational system. It continues to produce intellects and achievers of the highest level internationally. Dr. Davison Shillingford is a spectacular example.
Thanks Gaibu for always promoting the positive about Dominica. The time is at hand when we will be able to respect each other more. The time is at hand when we will be able to work closer together to maximize development.
Too much unnecessary information.
Very informative,The young ones should learn from the life of Dr.Shillingford
Don’t know you sir, but I learn a great deal from your life pages.
What is the Purpose of this write up.
Mr Shillingford,what have you contributed to Dominica?
Dominician Abroad.
Hello and good evening to you. I agree with your post. He is old so I guess he is coming back home. He can’t even tell us anything about our budget.
“Dominican Abroad” He has contributed: hard work, invest in education and his children and family, stayed focus, no short cuts, no easy gains, no bobol.
Integrity, sincere, service with honour, worked hard, gave Dominica a good name
Views Expressed.
Hello and good evening to you. Please show me any where in this specific article where he said he contributed to Dominica. Where did he repay the tax payers for the scholarship which made his education possible.
Great story it was indeed very interest to know this information to know that how much the parents before push there children through it all that education is the key to success and a life of comfort, i wish this can be share at all the schools from kindergarden to grammar school i enjoy reading this article and share it also with my coworkers.
Dr Shillingford thank you for such great insight. How refreshing to read and very inspiring.
Well written sir. A reference of respect you deserve. I’ve never met you but you brought back memories of many who shaped my early education. Especially your sister Vashti who taught me math at the old Convent school. My palms had many an encounter with her ruler! It would be nice to read similar narratives from those who followed you; Dr. Hendrix Paul, Lester McIntyre and those of that time. Then maybe I could add a later generation of memoirs.
Ronald Volney, Massachusetts.
I actually enjoyed reading this man life story. It encourages me to work harder in life. Thanks DNO for sharing such a wonderful story with us and also special thanks to Dr. Davison Shillingford.
This is a very inspiring piece. This should be read by all our parent, teachers end students at all level. Congrats sir. You have worked well.
Thanks Mr. Shillingford for your historical (autobiography-like) background. This is a very inspirational and well written piece. Your discourse is on point and very refreshing to me. Your level of education is obvious in your writing. Thanks for raising the intellect on this sight. I see a better future for Dominicans at home and abroad with your vision.
What an excellent contribution. Thank you so very much DNO for this article.
I particularly like what Dr. Shillingford stated in the closing statements:
“We need to better feed the roots in the overseas communities, where we are, at the same time that we call on them to feed the needs on the ground at home. Dominica has enough potential in its tourism and agriculture, and in its people, for it to become the Singapore of the Caribbean.”
Not everyone in the Diaspora is able to focus on Dominica and what is needed, when they themselves are struggling to survive, pay bills, keep children focused on what is important and not get caught up in drugs, etc. Diasporans also need a sense of hope and connection.
Hi Dave! I truly enjoyed reading the detail account of you live.
I must say, it was thorough, you didn’t leave out not one iota of your existence.
It was great reading about our old DGS days and the names of individuals we often forget as time go by.
I have tasted many a caning from Mr.Victor Archer and Mr. Leo Austin from the tarmaind tree you spoke of; Having been black-booked by Clayton Shillingford and others. i can feel the stinging sensation right now just talking about those six strokes per canning, unlike other students like Wrex Harney, Mally McIntyre and others who would come all padded and prepared in anticipation for such occasions.
My sincere congratulations on an exemplary career. God Bless, Care yourself.
“Author’s note: Roosevelt “Rosie” Douglas became a civil rights hero in Canada and Prime Minister of Dominica.”
Indeed I appreciate, and enjoyed almost all of what you wrote, it appears to be a theses; nonetheless, that part about “Roosevelt Rosie Douglas became a civil rights hero in Canada” that is not actually accurate! History will remember Rosie Douglas for the uprising, and violence which led to the burning of the former Sir George Williams University in Canada.
Many of us remember his activity at Sir George Williams University, and certainly we know that he is not considered a hero by any Canadian by birth; all due to his conduct on the campus and his instigating of a riot which led to the fire which consumed the laboratory, and a certain section of the university.
We remember my friend; and when I say my friend, let it be understood that he was a personal friend of mine, I have no intention of adding any blemishes to his name at this time, politically we disagreed, however, that had nothing to do with friendship; and so I must remind you that if he was a hero in Canada, when he was let out of jail in Canada, and deported to Dominica, the police would not have escorted him all the way from Canada to Dominica shackled hands and feet.
He arrived in Dominica in handcuffs and shackles on his feet. Let that become part of our Dominica history also!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Francisco you are dead wrong on this, please do just a little research on it. Rosie was actually a champ of civil rights in Canada, right before he was shackled by the people you seem to praise for shackling and deporting him all the way to our shores. They did similar things to all civil rights champs who dared challenge racism and not turn-the-other-cheek. Do simple litle research, big guy!
Joe, I know the history very, very well; Rosie may be considered a champion by the all the failing students which were the cause of his rebellion, he himself was in the failing category.
Make no mistake about it the some of the professors may have had a personal vendetta or a grudge against some black students, as a result many got bad score or no credit at all, that way the issue and what transpires from there on had nothing to do with civil rights.
When we do not know we believe anything, time does not permit it otherwise I would give you details of the true story of what actually happened, they do not simply arrest and try and jail foreigners in Canada, and after they serve their sentence they are deported to their native country in shackles!
I know the full story, and I iterate; Rosie was never, ever considered a hero in Canada by Canadians!
If he was such a hero, they would not try to erase the name Sir George Williams University to something else only so that people can forget the events which took place on campus that day. I cannot comment on it any further since the Shillingford epitasis is not about Rosie Douglas life in particular.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Inspiring
that’s good
Amazing story…