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hospital. This was also where she earned her post graduate midwifery diploma from Colony
Hospital in Grenada, West Indies. By 1967, Coward Douglas moved back to Canada and accepted a position as Staff Nurse at the Sydney City Hospital. A few years later, she became the first black person to be elected president of the Registered Nurses Association of Nova Scotia. She encountered racial barriers, as after winning the election, a white woman, who was the runner-up asked Clotilda to move aside so she could be the president instead, but Clotilda refused to move aside. During this time, Douglas-Yakimchuk also founded the Black Community Development Organization (BCDO) and advocated for Cape Breton University to create a nursing degree program. The BCDO helped to provide housing for seniors and low-income families. She retired as director of education services at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney in 1994. In addition to the racial barrier she faced during the presidency election, Clotilda also recalls an incident when one of her patients, believed that she was incapable of caring for her due to the colour of her skin.
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because she noticed that many Black
Canadians were not involved in environmentalism, despite the environmentally related illness existing within her community. Clotilda’s protests and demanding to the federal and provincial government that the ponds be cleaned, resulted in the government dedicating
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After graduating from the NSHSN, Coward
Douglas met and married Grenadian-born Benson T. Douglas in 1955, who wanted to return home to make a contribution after graduating at the top of his class in 1954 from Dalhousie University with an undergraduate degree in law. Together they had 5 children,
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After earning her nursing qualifications, Coward
Douglas began her career at the Nova Scotia Hospital as Head Nurse of the Admission/Discharge Unit. Shortly thereafter, Coward and her first husband Benson Douglas moved to Grenada, West Indies, where she served as a Director in a mental health
219:; January 11, 1932 – April 15, 2021) was a Canadian nurse. She was the first African-Canadian to graduate from the Nova Scotia Hospital School of Nursing and the first black president of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Nova Scotia.
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In
Whitney Pier, Clotilda noticed the Black community was mainly living in poor conditions next to the steel plant, causing air pollution and tar ponds to form, which resulted in community members getting sick with cancer. She joined the
235:, to Arthur and Lillian (Blackman) Coward. Growing up, her family dealt with racism while living in Whitney Pier. Her father was forced to quit his job at the steel plant due to discrimination, and her sister was unable to find a job.
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In the early 1950s, Clotilda applied to various nursing schools, but never heard back and was never given a reason for her rejections. Clotilda believed that "they were not open readily, I think, to Black students at the time."
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In 1991, Douglas-Yakimchuk was the recipient of the Harry Jerome Award for her cultural and community achievements. In 2003, she was appointed a Member of the
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their money towards the cleaning of these ponds. Her campaigning also led her to meetings with ministers of the environment from Mexico and the United States.
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The couple later separated and
Douglas went back to Grenada and became a judge before his death in January 1975.
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579:"'She Was a Visionary': N.S. Pioneer Nurse Overcame Racial Discrimination to Pave Path for Generations"
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In 1984 she married Dan
Yakimchuk. They were married for 27 years until his death in March 2011.
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393:"One of Nova Scotia's First Black Nurses Recalls Struggles and Triumphs"
470:"Two CBU Honorary Degree Recipients Inducted into Order of Nova Scotia"
607:. Victoria, British Columbia: Orca Book Publishers. pp. 106–110.
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Clotilda Adessa
Douglas-Yakimchuk was born Clotilda Adessa Coward in
334:"Whitney Pier woman recognized for lifetime of community service"
530:"Debates - Issue 33 - November 24, 2011 - Senate of Canada"
361:"Racism 'still happening' say pioneering Cape Breton women"
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in
Halifax on April 15, 2021, at the age of 89, during the
620:"Clotilda Douglas-Yakimchuk, Pioneering Nurse, Dies at 89"
557:"Clotilda Douglas-Yakimchuk, Pioneering Nurse, Dies at 89"
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In 1954, Coward became the first black graduate of the
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751:People from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
605:One Earth: People of Colour Protecting Our Planet
679:"2018 Order of Nova Scotia Recipients Announced"
278:Carl, Valerie, Kendrick, Sharon, and Leslie.
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444:"Order of Nova Scotia is best birthday gift"
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756:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
287:After retiring, Douglas-Yakimchuk moved to
499:"Clotilda Adessa Coward Douglas Yakimchuk"
417:Borden Colley, Sherri (February 1, 2018).
391:Colley, Sherri Borden (February 1, 2018).
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332:Jala, David (October 8, 2018).
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16:Canadian nurse (1932–2021)
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40:Clotilda Adessa Coward
746:Canadian women nurses
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741:Black Canadian women
505:. September 18, 2019
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721:Black Nova Scotians
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450:. January 24, 2018
303:Awards and honours
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233:Nova Scotia
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705:Categories
319:References
46:1932-01-11
634:0362-4331
115:1954–1994
85:Education
583:CTV News
397:CBC News
293:COVID-19
259:Activism
177:Children
79:, Canada
60:, Canada
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120:Spouses
639:May 1,
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503:cbu.ca
423:cbc.ca
250:Career
217:Coward
185:Awards
658:gg.ca
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691:2019
665:2019
641:2021
630:ISSN
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66:Died
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205:ONS
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