The unique story of Dr. Dominique François Gaspard sheds light on the religious, linguistic, and ethnocultural diversity of the people of African descent in early 20th century Canada.
Historical language advisory: the following text contains historical language and content, including terms commonly used in 19th and 20th century Canada to refer to people of African descent, that some may find offensive and are now widely considered to be derogatory.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Dr. Dominique François Gaspard as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration.
Unlike most African Canadians in Quebec at the time, Dr. Gaspard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to an Afro-French Creole family. In 1905, Dominique Gaspard left New Orleans to study at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. After he completed his studies in 1911, he enrolled as a medical student at Université Laval in Montréal in 1912.
During the First World War, Gaspard suspended his studies to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. From March 1915 to July 1917, he served with No. 4 Stationary Hospital (later No. 8 General Hospital), which was part of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He was among the 103 members of No. 4 Stationary Hospital who travelled to France in November 1915 aboard SS Victoria. Gaspard was promoted to corporal,then sergeant and received La Médaille des épidémies du ministère de la Guerre from France in April 1917. He served with No. 8 General Hospital until July 1917, when he returned to Canada to complete his medical studies.
Gaspard graduated from Université Laval in the spring of 1918 and lived the rest of his life in the Montréal area as part of a trailblazing first generation of doctors of African descent. He played an active role in the community, joining the congregation of the Union United Church and the local division of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1920.
The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present.
