Canada's 1st black female mayor honoured in Annapolis Royal
Canada's first black female mayor was honoured with a town hall dedication and the unveiling of a bronze bust in Annapolis Royal Sunday afternoon.
Daurene Lewis was elected to the position in 1984. She died in 2013, but would have been 75 this year.
Bill MacDonald, who is the current mayor, said people who lived in the area at the time Lewis was in power always speak highly of her.
'She raised the bar'
"She raised the bar, she brought an attitude and polish to town hall that's probably been unmatched since then and I think that she deserves a due regard the town is going to pay her today," said MacDonald.
Lewis was a major figure in Nova Scotia and the African Nova Scotian community.
She was an Order of Canada recipient and was also the first black woman to run in a provincial election.
She was a nurse and held a PhD. She was also principal at the Leeds Street campus of the Nova Scotia Community College.
Lewis also chaired the Africville Heritage Trust when it was establishing the rebuilt Seaview United Baptist Church.
