Dr. Daurene E. Lewis, CM ~ Order of Canada Recipient


Canada's First Black Female Mayor

Dr. Daurene E. Lewis, CM (1943 - 2013) was a beloved and talented member of Annapolis Royal’s vibrant artists’ community. A nurse by profession, she also owned a colourful weaving shop across from Town Hall. Daurene was elected Mayor of the Town of Annapolis Royal in 1984, becoming the first Black mayor of Nova Scotia and the first Black woman to be elected mayor in Canada. Winning the election was an extraordinary achievement at that time as Annapolis Royal only had 13 Black residents. She was the first African Nova Scotian to run in a provincial election, received the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilee Medal in 2002 and was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003.

Daurene was a tireless volunteer and dedicated her time and energy to the improvement of race relations, promotion of the arts and the advancement of women in business. In Annapolis Royal she helped develop the Farmers and Traders Market, the boardwalk and the Historic Gardens. She later served as executive director of the Centre for Women in Business at Mount Saint Vincent University and then as principal of the Halifax campuses of Nova Scotia Community College.

Dr. Lewis sat on the Governor General’s Order of Canada Advisory Council, the board of directors for Canada Post and the Premier’s Ecomonic Council. She also was on the board of governors for the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts.

Daurene was a great-great-great granddaughter of Rose Fortune, an inspirationl Black Loyalist who came to Annapolis Royal as a child after the American War of Independence who is now a National Historic Person. Daurene portrayed Rose in “Ghosts of the Past”, the unique interpretive video presentation at the Sinclair Inn Museum National Historic Site.

A civic leader, entrepreneur and tireless volunteer, Daurene proudly upheld her family’s legacy of hard work and outstanding accomplishments. Be sure to visit the statue and plaza dedicated in her honour adjacent to Annapolis Royal Town Hall.

Historic ~ Scenic ~ Fun

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