Over the years and especially since his death, great things has been said, written, and awarded to Montreal’s Black Community leader and Activist, Mr. Dan Philip.
All of which were fitting and proper, for an unselfish individual, whose mission was justice and unity of all races, religions and communities of Montreal Quebec.
As a boy growing up in Castries St. Lucia, I knew Dan as a tall, serious person, reminiscing of a Police officer, of which he was.
In the late seventies, I move from New York City to Montreal, where are our paths once again crossed in his capacity as the President of The St. Lucia Cultural Association of Montreal.
In those days of the Association under his leadership, we enjoyed some wonderful periods.
The average attendance of an event, a dance for example, would be 500 plus.
How do I know all of this? Because I would sometimes sell over 80 plus tickets, while a fellow St. Lucian name Mike, would be selling over a hundred.
I don’t recall Dan making an announcement of going into the political arena; I just remember seeing him on TV fighting for the different causes, to right the wrongs and laws of the society that were present at the time in Montreal Quebec.
There was a fellow St. Lucian named Leroy Butcher whose political stance I had a greater admiration for in those days.
Dan’s approach was, “let’s try and work within the system“, where as in my view; Leroy’s was, “We are not asking, we are demanding”, which was more appealing to me, at that stage of my life.
Dan Philip and I were fellow St. Lucians who didn’t always agree on everything.
I remember him calling me to a meeting at his office at the Black Coalition to discuss the different government’s grants that were available to the community organization in Montreal, but he wasn’t too please when I told him that, in my role as the president of The St. Lucian Cultural Association of Montreal, my goal was to be more self reliant than apply for government monies, because we didn’t want to be dictated to by bureaucracy.
There were many times when I was invited to attend the different events that his organization would be having at City Hall.
Unfortunately, in those days, I was working the evening shift, or didn’t like the Mayor in place, so I wasn’t able to attend, or simply decline the invitation, politely.
The one time that I did make an effort to attend, Egbert Gaye and his son Emar were also in attendance. And as much as both Egbert and I respected Mayor Denis Coderre, we gave Dan an earful for the Mayor keeping us waiting for over twenty minutes, while he spoke to the press, in another room.
I don’t know about Egbert, but I was never again invited to City Hall by the Black Coalition.
But in all fairness to Dan, he did invite me to perform at Theatre St- Denis, unfortunately, I was already booked elsewhere.
The two places that I saw Dan at his most ease, was at his office, or when playing the game of dominoes.
Some of my most memorable times that comes to mind, are, when Mr. Noel Alexander, Dan Philip and myself would meet at a local hang out in Cote des Neiges.
Noel the Conservative, with Dan the Community Leader and myself the instigator.
I would simple ask a particular question affecting the community and sit back and listen as they both gave their honest opinions to the question asked. It would be animated and fun, because we always ended up laughing until the next time we met.
Mr. Dan Philip and I shared a country of birth. We were acquaintances not personnel or best friends.
Whenever we met, the greeting was one in Creole, “Sa ca fete Gasçon”.
Meaning , “What’s happening”.
There are those who knew Dan Philip much better than I did, so I am rather grateful to the Community Contact of Montreal for affording me the opportunity to pen these words to a fellow St. Lucian.
Thanks
Pete Douglas
