Felix Douma
Encyclopedia
Felix Douma was a Dutch
-born Canadian
scholar, writer, teacher, cellist
, and translator who once served as Canada's Third Secretary and Vice-Consul to the Dominican Republic
.
, Friesland
, Netherlands
, to Sjoeke Tjerk (George) and Johanna Douma. After World War II
, at the age of 12, Douma immigrated with his parents and two younger brothers, Alex and Ed, to Otterville, Ontario
, Canada
where he became a Canadian citizen. He attended South Norwich Public School, and later earned his high school diploma
with honors as Valedictorian
from Norwich District High School in nearby Norwich, Ontario
.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Western Ontario
and his Master of Arts
from the University of Toronto
, Douma was hired as an officer with Canada's Department of External Affairs. He was posted to the Dominican Republic
as Third Secretary and Vice-Consul from 1966 to 1968.
Douma earned the distinction of Canada Council
doctoral fellow
from 1968 to 1973.
Douma was frequent lecturer in English at Huron University College
and the University of Western Ontario
in 1973 and 1974.
In 1975, Douma began his teaching career at Big River Indian reserve
(Cree
), a primary school near Victoire Saskatchewan
. This experience inspired Douma's first book, "MOONYASS", in which he describes what life was like in and around an Indian school during a year on the reserve. During this time, Douma earned a citation for bravery from the Canadian Red Cross Society in Regina, Saskatchewan
for an incident in which he came to the aid of some children in peril at a nearby lake.
For most of the 1980s Douma taught English and French at Orchard Park Secondary School, Stoney Creek, Ontario
, and Winona High School, Wentworth County, Ontario
. During this time, he played third cello
with the Mississauga Symphony
Orchestra
in Mississauga Ontario
.
In the mid-1990s Douma opened a cultural center for Port Rowan, which he affectionately named "The Hobby Palace". He would often host concerts, art exhibitions and other cultural pursuits. In addition, he ran a small publishing company named "Leeboard Press". The press published some of his own works, the final works of Robert Finch (poet)
, and some postcards and other printed material.
Douma retired from teaching in 1990 after a twelve year leg instructing English, and English as a Second Language at Valley Heights Secondary School
in Norfolk County, Ontario
.
In 1992, Douma wrote his second book "The Magic Fish". This book contains six stories for children, inspired by his time almost 20 years earlier at the Little Creek Indian Reserve
in northern Saskatchewan
.
Douma continued to publish papers, articles and essays and was a frequent contributor to the "Port Rowan Good News" during his retirement.
On January 23, 2008, Douma died at his home in Port Rowan Ontario at 66 years of age.
in English
and Philosophy
at the University of Western Ontario
in 1960.
He attained a Master of Arts
in Philosophy
at the University of Toronto
in 1964.
Douma returned to his birth country of the Netherlands
, where he earned a Doctorandus
in Letters, Comparative Literature and Translation Studies at the University of Amsterdam in 1972.
Douma returned to the University of Toronto for further qualifications for instructing English as a Second Language, French and Music. He earned the OSSTF Rating of IV, and a Bachelor of Education
degree in 1979
Several dozen book and concert reviews and articles by Felix Douma have appeared in The Simcoe Reformer
and The Port Rowan Good News in the period 1988-2008. Douma read many stories such as "The White Woman," "The Terrible Stranger," "The Bear and the Raven," and "The Magic Fish" on CJRT-FM
(Toronto's) programming "Stories and Music for Children."
Felix Douma has also prepared a translation of the second edition of G. Hulshoff, "The Six Suites for Violoncello Solo by Johann Sebastian Bach
: A Handbook on Bach's Music for Violoncello Solo," originally published by Van Loghum Slaterus, Arnhem, The Netherlands, in 1962. Translation published and available from Leeboard Press, Hockley Valley Ontario.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-born Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
scholar, writer, teacher, cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, and translator who once served as Canada's Third Secretary and Vice-Consul to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Biography
Douma was born in HeerenveenHeerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, to Sjoeke Tjerk (George) and Johanna Douma. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, at the age of 12, Douma immigrated with his parents and two younger brothers, Alex and Ed, to Otterville, Ontario
Otterville, Ontario
Otterville is a village in rural Ontario, Canada. Encouraged by local Quakers, free blacks and escaped slaves fled persecution in the United States and found homes in the Otterville area beginning in 1829...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he became a Canadian citizen. He attended South Norwich Public School, and later earned his high school diploma
Ontario Academic Credit
The Ontario Academic Credit or OAC was part of the curriculum codified by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior and its revisions. In common parlance, the term is used to describe the fifth high school year that used to exist in the province of...
with honors as Valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
from Norwich District High School in nearby Norwich, Ontario
Norwich, Ontario
The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' , different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the...
.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Douma was hired as an officer with Canada's Department of External Affairs. He was posted to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
as Third Secretary and Vice-Consul from 1966 to 1968.
Douma earned the distinction of Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
doctoral fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
from 1968 to 1973.
Douma was frequent lecturer in English at Huron University College
Huron University College
Huron University College, referred to locally as Huron College is one of the affiliated colleges of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
and the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in 1973 and 1974.
In 1975, Douma began his teaching career at Big River Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
(Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
), a primary school near Victoire Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. This experience inspired Douma's first book, "MOONYASS", in which he describes what life was like in and around an Indian school during a year on the reserve. During this time, Douma earned a citation for bravery from the Canadian Red Cross Society in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
for an incident in which he came to the aid of some children in peril at a nearby lake.
For most of the 1980s Douma taught English and French at Orchard Park Secondary School, Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
, and Winona High School, Wentworth County, Ontario
Wentworth County, Ontario
Wentworth County, area , is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.It was created in 1816 as part of the Gore District in what was then Upper Canada and later Canada West...
. During this time, he played third cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
with the Mississauga Symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in Mississauga Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
In the mid-1990s Douma opened a cultural center for Port Rowan, which he affectionately named "The Hobby Palace". He would often host concerts, art exhibitions and other cultural pursuits. In addition, he ran a small publishing company named "Leeboard Press". The press published some of his own works, the final works of Robert Finch (poet)
Robert Finch (poet)
Robert Duer Claydon Finch was a Canadian poet and academic. He twice won Canada's top literary honor, the Governor General's Award, for his poetry.-Life:...
, and some postcards and other printed material.
Douma retired from teaching in 1990 after a twelve year leg instructing English, and English as a Second Language at Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School is a two-story rural high school located near Langton, Ontario, Canada.-General information:...
in Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
.
In 1992, Douma wrote his second book "The Magic Fish". This book contains six stories for children, inspired by his time almost 20 years earlier at the Little Creek Indian Reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
in northern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
.
Douma continued to publish papers, articles and essays and was a frequent contributor to the "Port Rowan Good News" during his retirement.
On January 23, 2008, Douma died at his home in Port Rowan Ontario at 66 years of age.
Education
Douma earned his first post secondary degree with a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in 1960.
He attained a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1964.
Douma returned to his birth country of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he earned a Doctorandus
Doctorandus
Doctorandus is a Dutch academic title according to the pre-bachelor-master system. The title is acquired by passing the doctoraalexamen, traditionally a matriculation exam for admission to study at doctoral level....
in Letters, Comparative Literature and Translation Studies at the University of Amsterdam in 1972.
Douma returned to the University of Toronto for further qualifications for instructing English as a Second Language, French and Music. He earned the OSSTF Rating of IV, and a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree in 1979
Distinctions
- Citation for Bravery, Canadian Red Cross Society Regina Saskatchewan, 1975
- Canada CouncilCanada CouncilThe Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
Doctoral Fellow 1968-73 - Massey CollegeMassey CollegeMassey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
Junior Fellow 1965-66 - Gold Medal in English and Philosophy, University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western OntarioThe University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, 1964 - Ontario Scholarship, 1960
Publications
- "Grammar in the Later Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein", University of Toronto, 1965 (Thesis)
- "The Profile of Death: A Study in Contemporary Dutch Literature", University of Amsterdam, 1970 (Thesis)
- "F.Sparshott, The Concept of Criticism", Dutch Quarterly Review, Vol. 1, 1971 (Review)
- "On Reviewing a Translation: A Practical Problem in Literary Criticism". Meta Translators' Journal, Presses du l'Université de MontréalUniversité de MontréalThe Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
, Vol 17 No 2, Juin 1972 (Article) - O.B. Hardison Jr. (ed.), "The Quest for Imagination", Dutch Quarterly Review, Vol. IV, 1972 (Review)
- "'Serpentina's Petticoat' by Jan WolkersJan WolkersJan Hendrik Wolkers was a Dutch author, sculptor and painter.Wolkers is considered one of the "Great Four" writers of post-World War II Dutch literature, along with Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch and Gerard Reve...
", The Malahat ReviewThe Malahat ReviewThe Malahat Review is a Canadian quarterly literary magazine established in 1967. It features contemporary Canadian and international works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction as well as reviews of recently published Canadian literature...
, University of Victoria, No. 27. July 1973 (Translation) - "G.K. Van Het Reve's English Prose Style", Spektator, University of Amsterdam, Vol.III No. 1, November 1973 (Article)
- "An Afternoon with Dad" by Willy Lauwens, Delta, Amsterdam, Fall Issue, 1973 (Translation)
- "The Pointing Game", Query, Saskatchewan Reading Council, Vol. 6 No. 1 Summer 1975 (Article)
- "Young Bucks" by NescioNescio"Nescio", Latin for "I don't know", was the pseudonym of the Dutch writer Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh, born June 22, 1882 in Amsterdam and died July 25, 1961 in Hilversum, both in the Netherlands. Grönloh was a businessman by profession; as Nescio he is mainly remembered for the three novellas De...
, The Malahat Review, University of Victoria, No. 40, October 1976 - "The House Without a Chimney" Inside Outside, ed. Jack Booth, Holt Rinehart & Winston, Toronto 1978 pp. 346–351 (Short Story)
- "A Lesson in English Pronunciation," Query, Saskatchewan Reading Council, Vol. 8, No. 4, December 1978, pp 9–11 (Article)
- "The Mooch" by NescioNescio"Nescio", Latin for "I don't know", was the pseudonym of the Dutch writer Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh, born June 22, 1882 in Amsterdam and died July 25, 1961 in Hilversum, both in the Netherlands. Grönloh was a businessman by profession; as Nescio he is mainly remembered for the three novellas De...
, The Malahat Review, University of Victoria, No. 54, March 1980 (translation) - "The Big Boulder", Time Enough... ed. Jack Booth, Holt Rinehart & Winston, Toronto 1979, pp 300–307 (Short Story)
- "Secrecy in the Schools", Comment on Education, Vol. 10, No. 2 (December, 1979) pp. 15–15 (article)
- "Moonyass", Leeboard Press, 1990 (Novel)
- "The Magic Fish and Other Stories From the Little Creek Reserve", Leeboard Press, 1992 (Short Stories)
Several dozen book and concert reviews and articles by Felix Douma have appeared in The Simcoe Reformer
The Simcoe Reformer
The Simcoe Reformer is a newspaper circulating in Norfolk County, Ontario and Haldimand County, Ontario, both in Canada. The Reformer is published weekdays by Bowes Publishers Limited, a subsidiary of Sun Media.-History:In 1858, Dr William H...
and The Port Rowan Good News in the period 1988-2008. Douma read many stories such as "The White Woman," "The Terrible Stranger," "The Bear and the Raven," and "The Magic Fish" on CJRT-FM
CJRT-FM
CJRT-FM is a Canadian public radio station, which broadcasts at 91.1 on the FM dial in Toronto, Ontario. CJRT currently operates as JAZZ.FM91.The station transmits at a strength of 40,000 watts; as its transmitter facilities are at the CN Tower...
(Toronto's) programming "Stories and Music for Children."
Felix Douma has also prepared a translation of the second edition of G. Hulshoff, "The Six Suites for Violoncello Solo by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
: A Handbook on Bach's Music for Violoncello Solo," originally published by Van Loghum Slaterus, Arnhem, The Netherlands, in 1962. Translation published and available from Leeboard Press, Hockley Valley Ontario.