Dominica to honour 17 citizens with national awards during 48th Independence Celebrations

Dominica: Dominica will honor 17 citizens for their work across different fields, including professional, public, and community sectors as part of its 48th Independence anniversary celebrations on November 3, 2026. It will be held during the National Observance Ceremony at Windsor Park Sports Stadium, Roseau, starting at 5:30 pm.

The government announced the recipients on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with the awards covering four categories: the Sisserou Award of Honor, Meritorious Service Award, Long Service Award, and Services Medal of Honor.

Dominica has an award system which recognizes its citizens who have contributed to the country's development. National honors can be awarded annually to citizens on November 3 under the Meritorious Service Honors Act.

One of the honors under the category of Long Service Medal is for public officers who have worked for extended periods, usually more than 20 years in their respective fields.

Four individuals who will be presented with the Sisserou Award of Honour, which is the second-highest national award, include Vivian Trotter for engineering, Dr. Rhonda McIntyre for pediatric medicine, Janice Jean-Jacques Thomas for social security, and Francis Stewart Paris for construction.

There are seven people who have been selected for the Meritorious Service Award for their contribution to different areas of national field. The awardees include:

• Johanna John-Bertrand for education and social security

• Romualda B. Hyacinth for culture

• Cedric J. Harris for sports, education and youth development

• Colette Pauletta Prosper for disability rights

• Rawle Leslie for agriculture and education

• Colbert Pinard for youth development

• Rosalind Adora Scotland Rabess for nursing

There will be four other recipients of the Long Service Award. These include McPierreson Eric Frampton for public service, Florestine Anthea Lewis for nursing, Alice Laronde for education, and Veda George for early childhood education.

The last two honors will be given to Clayton Lawrence Jno Baptiste for public service and Ronald Jno Baptiste for community development. They will both receive the Services Medal of Honor.

This year’s ceremony is one of the many events taking place as part of the Independence programme, which is being organized under the theme “Our Journey, Our Legacy, Our Future.” The celebrations kicked off in September and will continue until November 4, which marks the National Day of Community Service.