Dominica Council on Ageing celebrates Dominica’s 15 centenarians as ‘living treasures’

On the Caribbean island of Dominica, a special annual observance is turning the nation’s attention to its oldest residents, as the Dominica Council on Ageing honors the country’s centenarians as irreplaceable pillars of national and community life. President Josephine Dublin-Prince, leading the celebration of Centenarian Day, has framed these 100-year-plus residents as walking national archives, their lifetimes weaving together 100 years of the island’s history, quiet wisdom, and remarkable perseverance through change and challenge.\n\nDublin-Prince shared in her official address this Tuesday that 15 people across Dominica currently hold the distinction of being a centenarian: 11 women and 4 men who have reached the rare milestone of 100 years of age or more. She called on the entire country to pause and acknowledge the foundational contributions these elders have made to their families, local communities, and the nation as a whole, noting that the day of celebration carries deeper meaning beyond marking extraordinary longevity.\n\nBeyond marking how long these residents have lived, the occasion serves to honor the full breadth of knowledge, love, spiritual grounding, resilience, and hard-won experience that each centenarian has accumulated across a century of life. Among the honorees, Dublin-Prince highlighted the island’s oldest living centenarian, 105-year-old Eldira Anatole from the community of Penville. The oldest male centenarian is 102-year-old James Riley, known affectionately to many as “Babby,” who hails from Canefield and currently resides at the Mahaut Seniors Home.\n\nOver their lifetimes, these 15 elders have witnessed Dominica’s profound transformation, from a traditional, early 20th-century way of life to the interconnected, modern society the island is today. Their personal journeys, Dublin-Prince emphasized, hold timeless lessons for younger generations across core values: the importance of strong family and community ties, consistent hard work, spiritual well-being, healthy lifestyle habits, compassion, resilience in the face of hardship, and maintaining a deep, reciprocal connection to Dominica’s natural landscape.\n\nThe president also used the occasion to issue a urgent call for expanded care and protection for all older Dominicans, stating that centenarians deserve to spend their final years surrounded by dignity, financial and personal security, and consistent, reliable support from both families and public institutions. She encouraged households and local communities to prioritize listening to the stories of elder residents, work to preserve their life experiences to pass down to coming generations, and create ongoing spaces that allow older people to stay active, engaged, and connected to wider community life.\n\n“We must therefore never take our centenarians for granted,” Dublin-Prince stressed, adding that the respect and appreciation shown during Centenarian Day should not be a one-time gesture, but reflected in small, daily interactions and actions year-round. She argued that these 15 remarkable residents deserve recognition and celebration not just on their designated holiday, but in every month of the year.\n\n“To each of our centenarians, we say we see you, we honour you, we respect you, we celebrate you, and we thank you,” she said, closing her address with a wish that each honoree continues to experience a life defined by consistent dignity, unconditional love, quality care, and widespread respect from across the nation.\n\nThe full list of 2026 honorees includes: 105-year-old Edvira Anatole of Penville; Iona Wiltshire of Castle Bruce; 102-year-old James Riley of Canefield; 101-year-old Andrew Anatole of Roger; 101-year-old Pearly Eusebe Goodwill, a resident of the Goodwill Care Home; 102-year-old Josephine Pascal of Grand Fond; 100-year-old Lucille Pascal of Grand Fond; 101-year-old Julianna Scotland of Roseau; 101-year-old Christine White of Castle Comfort; 101-year-old Elaine LeBlanc of Penville; 101-year-old May Jerome Cochrane; 101-year-old Margaret Andre of Goodwill; 100-year-old Clarina Bunt Joseph of Morne Prosper; 100-year-old Auguiste George of Grand Bay; and 100-year-old Matthew St. Rose of Kingshill.