Dr. Louisy.
Did you know that Dr. Greaham Eric Louisy was the first St. Lucian veterinarian?
Dr. Louisy was born in the village of Laborie on June 18, 1928 to Detcheparre Demaze Louisy and Ophelia Jane Louisy. He attended the St. Joseph’s Convent Pre-School, the Castries Roman Catholic Boys School and then the St. Mary’s College. After graduation, he worked in the family business and then taught for two terms at St. Mary’s College. However, he left teaching and along with many other St. Lucians he traveled to Curaçao, where he worked for 11 months in an oil refinery.
Upon his return to St. Lucia, he was awarded a scholarship to study Veterinary Medicine in Canada. Dr. Louisy studied science for one year at Dalhousie University, and then moved on to study Veterinary Medicine at the University of Guelph. After completing his four-year studies at Guelph, he later studied Tropical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
In 1951, Dr. Louisy returned to the island as the first St. Lucian veterinarian and he established the Veterinary Department in the Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Louisy was then promoted to chief agricultural officer, and later became the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Agriculture and Tourism and he was also Cabinet secretary until 1979.
He was the first St. Lucian manager of the Beausejour Livestock Station in Vieux-Fort in 1979. From 1990 – 1997, Dr. Louisy was employed with Stanthur and Company, where he promoted the safe use of agro-chemicals, and he also worked with the school gardening programme.
Throughout his tenure in the public service, he served on various boards of management of statutory corporations, and from 1985 – 1991 was a member of the Public Service Commission. Dr. Louisy received the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and the Queens Silver Jubilee Medal.
The administrative building located at the Castries Waterfront, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and other government offices, is named in honour of Dr. Greaham Louisy. He passed away on October 02, 1998.
This feature runs every Tuesday and Thursday. It is written by daughter of the soil Anselma Aimable, a former agricultural officer and former correspondent for Caribbean Net News, who has a deep interest in local culture and history. Send ideas and tips to doublea@candw.lc.