Sisserou Award of Honor biographies

Several of Dominica’s stalwarts will be recognized tomorrow for their contribution to nation building when the Parade of Uniformed Groups takes place at the National Sports Stadium.

This will be done as Dominica celebrates 34 years of Independence.

The Sisserou Award of Honor will be given to two individuals: Leo Jules Bernard Nicholas and George Alexander Royer.

Below are brief biographies of the two who will be recieving this high award.

LEO JULES BERNARD NICHOLAS

Mr. Nicholas has been involved in the Trade Union movement for over sixty (60) years. He became involved in the Dominica trade Union (DTU) from the tender age of 9 to 10 years in 1948. He has been a trade union activist to this very day.

He became a member of the Dominica Trade Union in November 1957.

In 1968 he was elected 1st Vice President of the Union.

He was c-opted on the Executive Board of the DTU as Chief Spokesman. He served as a member of the Industrial Relations Tribunal. He has been serving as General Secretary of the Dominica Trade Union over a period of 29 years.

He attended:  the Barrett Street Technical College in London, London College of Fashion, Hammersmith College for Further Education (London).

Certificates:  Training Methodology for Trade Union Instructors
International Labour Standards for Judges, Lawyers and Legal Educators
ILO International Training Centre for Turin Course in Trinidad.

GEORGE ALEXANDER ROYER

Mr. Royer began working with environmental health in 1945 and was one of the pioneers in this field.
Because it was new to most of the population there were suspicions about officers visiting homes and the spraying of properties. This Mr. Royer had to overcome.

Mr. Royer and his team therefore had to embark on widespread public education in the days before mass communication. He relied on lectures to schools and community meetings. During his stewardship lessons in relation to preventing communicable diseases were part of his program so that he participated in an early form of primary health care. He participated in widespread drainage of swamps and chemical control which helped to eradicate a number of diseases which had been a major source of death and ill health in previous centuries.

Thanks to his work the scourge of malaria and other insect born diseases was checked.

Supervised Sanitation and Health Education programs all over the country.

Serve on the Police Service Commission for the past eleven (11) years as a Member and Deputy Chairman.
Given additional service in the area of cooperatives by playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the Vieille Case Credit Union.