Dominicans in Guadeloupe, led by the R.O.S.E.L.I.N.E ASSOCIATION under the initiative Miss Margaret Paul, on Saturday January 12 honoured Mr. Felix d’Alexis Cherdieu and his wife Catarina for their outstanding Service to Dominicans in Guadeloupe, Marie Galante and St-Martin. Mr. Cherdieu was appointed as Dominica’s honorary Consul in 1991.
Before his appointment, he was already frequenting the Island for a number of years as he said in his presentation at the function, “I can recall the first time I visited the Island in the early 70’s, I was driving along the eastern coast and took the smell of bay leaf which reminded me of my childhood. I said to myself that I must return”; and so he did over a number of years as he was instrumental in the setting up of then Banque Francaise Commercial, as a banker and Insurance broker by profession.
The Cherdieus served Dominicans from their home for a number of years, translating documents from French to English and English to French, the renewing of passports, ordering of birth, death, and marriage certificates, assisting Dominicans at the hospital the prison, when they have difficulties with their papers and immigration authorities and in many other areas and issues. Dominicans would flock at the house on Rue Gambetta in Pointe a Pitre, as he remarked some Dominicans would say, “This is not you house, it belongs to us,” to voice their concerns and seek solutions to their problems.
The Consulate got its own office in October 2009, when the government of Dominica decided to rent a place at 29 Rue Delgres in Pointe a Pitre, where Dominicans are served to this day.
Because of their advanced age, the Dominica government, in September 2017, appointed Mr. Clayton M Florent as an interim who is presently offering Consular services until the reorganization of the Consulate.
The honoring ceremony was attended by a number of Dominicans and friends of the couple who expressed their gratitude for the service rendered to both the French and Dominican population.
