Bryant Brouet
 
Life in Saskatchewan
Immigrated in 1957

Contributions:
Health
Education
Performing Arts

Ancestry: Born 28 June 1928 in Bridgetown, Barbados

Biography
Bryant Brouet is a mild mannered, soft spoken man, who is generally not one to talk about himself. However, his story is one of adventure and opportunity. His father passed away when he was very young and his mother moved the family to St. Lucia to be near her own mother. When he was old enough he got a trip back to Barbados on a schooner, stayed with friends and got a job in a pharmacy. He also worked for the Dutch Shell Oil Company on an oil tanker as a greaser for some time. But it was while working as a Customs Clerk in a store that he saw an article in the paper, “Psychiatric Nurses Needed in Saskatchewan.” He was one of the first from Barbados to graduate from the Saskatchewan Hospital – Moose Jaw in 1960. He married Bonnie Atwell in 1959 and raised a family of three children.

His first job in Saskatchewan brought him to Regina and the Munroe Clinic at the Regina General Hospital. In 1966 he got a position with the Regina Correction Centre. As the only nurse on staff at the time, he found the work both challenging and interesting. He was the initiator of the forensic unit within the jail. While employed at the Regina Correctional Centre he earned his arts degree from the University of Regina. In 1973 he decided to accept a position as Instructor of Psychiatric Nursing at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences Technology where he taught until 1987 when he retired. In 1984 he married Beverly.

Bryant has been involved with the multicultural community in Regina for many years. His term as President of the Saskatchewan Caribbean Canadian Association, 1988 – 1990, led to a term as a Board Member of the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, 2000 – 2004. Bryant and his friend John Sealy, (President of the Saskatchewan Afro-Caribbean Canadian Association at the time), another graduate of Psychiatric Nursing, initiated Black Awareness month in Saskatchewan with activities in Saskatoon, Regina, and Moose Jaw in its first year, c1989

He is also active on the Board of Help Homes, an organization that oversees the operation of a number of group homes for mentally challenged adults

On the lighter side, and just for fun, he also sang with the Caribbean Choir in Regina from about 1986 – 1990. The group performed at Mosaic, the annual multicultural festival in Regina, and senior care homes.

Bryant maintains what he calls ‘old-fashioned’ values and shows a respect for himself and others. Although not gregarious by nature, he does enjoy music and dancing. He believes these values should be shared with young families coming up in the community and that the ethnic associations are a means to this end.



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