Firmin Monestime

Saint-Firmin Monestime (December 16, 1909 - October 27, 1977) was a Haitian-Canadian politician and medical doctor, who was the first Black Canadian ever elected mayor of a Canadian municipality. [ [http://www.pastforward.ca/perspectives/columns/07_10_26.htm "Mattawa's Dr. Firmin Monestime Remembered"] , "North Bay Nugget", October 26, 2007.]

Born in Port-au-Prince in 1909, Monestime studied rural medicine and wrote three books on the subject. [ [http://openlibrary.org/b/OL6492780M] ] In 1937, he was one of the only doctors on duty during the Parsley Massacre, and was subsequently awarded the Haitian Legion of Merit for his work during that crisis.

He moved to Quebec City in the 1940s. After upgrading his medical training he planned a move to Timmins, Ontario to set up a medical practice, but when he stopped in Mattawa en route, he was convinced by a restaurant owner to stay in that town and set up practice there instead. He married Zena Petschersky, an Eastern European immigrant whom he met in Ottawa, in 1953.

Monestime practiced medicine in Mattawa until 1964, when he was elected the town's mayor. Except for one year that he took off for personal reasons, he remained the town's mayor until his death.

Monestime established a nursing home in Mattawa in 1975. His daughter Vala Monestime Belter continues to run the home today, and has served on the boards of Ontario Northland [ [http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/news/NRView.asp?NRNUM=123&NRYear=1996&NRLAN=EN&NRID=2036 Hodgson Announces New ONTC Board of Directors] , June 20, 1996.] and TVOntario. [ [http://www.tvo.org/about/AnnualReports/AR_TVO_03_04_EN.pdf TVOntario Annual Report 2003-04] ]

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