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(October 2003) By Adiaspora.com
On October 25 and 26 the Speaker of the Portuguese Parliament, Dr. João Bosco Mota Amaral was once more in our midst in the ambit of his official visit to Canada as a guest of his Canadian counterpart, Peter Miliken, Speaker of the House of Commons in Ottawa. He dedicated this first leg of his tour to the Portuguese community of Toronto where the majority are of Azorean origin as is Dr. Mota Amaral. This is not the first time this dignitary is among us, having visited this city when he was the President of the Regional Government of the Azores. Dr. Amaral is very popular and well liked by our community, particularly by the Azoreans who in the public projection this well-known statesman has attained, have seen all the potential of this island people achieve success.
Maria Ofélia Santos Moleiro (PSD), the Member of the Portuguese Parliament for Circle of Europe, Dr. Carlos Luís (PS), Narana Coissorá (CDS-PP), and two elements of the Portuguese Speaker's Office were among the retinue that accompanied Dr. Mota Amaral on this North American tour. On Saturday, October 25, the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals and the Alliance of the Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario (ACAPO), held a gala dinner in his honour at the Mississauga Convention Centre on the outskirts of the GTA attended by some two hundred and fifty guests. The event mirrored the spirit of the 50 Year Commemorations of the First Official Portuguese Immigration to Canada that currently pervades all our communities. Present at the dinner were several representatives of the Portuguese community clubs and associations members of the Alliance of the Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario and some of the Portuguese-Canadian candidates in the forthcoming municipal elections such as Luís Silva and Ana Bailão, both running for Toronto City Hall, Manuel Alexandre, running for city councillor in Brampton and Peter Ferreira, in the running for councillor in Mississauga. At the main table, besides the evening's guest of honour, Dr. Mota Amaral, were seated the Ambassador of Portugal in Canada, Dr. José Luíz Gomes, the recently arrived Portuguese Consul-General in Toronto, Dr. Artur de Magalhães, Prof. Dr. Fernando Nunes representing the Portuguese-Canadian Congress, the parish priest of the Portuguese Church of Christ the King in Mississauga, Monsignor Eduardo Resendes, the president of the Alliance of the Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario, José Eustáquio and last but not least the president of the Federation, Ermídio Alves. Dinner began with renditions of the Canadian and Portuguese national anthems in the beautiful voice one of our local musical talents, Isabel Sinde. Monsignor Eduardo Resendes proffered a blessing that reflected the religiousness of our people. After dinner, the host organization and the Alliance of the Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario presented the Drs. Mota Amaral, José Luíz Gomes and Artur de Magalhães with commemorative gifts.
José Eustáquio of the Alliance of the Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario Ermídio Alves of the Federation started off the customary speeches by welcoming their guests. The latter went on to trace a brief history of the Portuguese-Canadian Federation of Business and Professionals in which he alluded to some of the Federation's initiatives such as the attribution of thousands of dollars in scholarships in an effort to encourage Portuguese-Canadian youth to invest in higher education, thereby securing the future of our next generations in this country. Speeches by Drs. Artur de Magalhães and Jose Luiz Gomes ensued wherein Dr. Jose Luiz Gomes announced that this would be his last time among us as his term as Ambassador of Portugal to Canada is now drawing to a close. Drs. Mota Amaral, José Luíz Gomes and Artur de Magalhães in their capacity as representatives of the Portuguese State awarded Prof. Manuela Marujo the "Ordem do Infante D. Henrique - comenda" (Commander of The Order of Prince Henry, the Navigator). City Councillor Mario Silva, Arlindo Frazão Vieira and Captain Robert Piché, the latter two from Montreal, were distinguished with the "Ordem de Mérito - comenda" (Commander of The Order of Merit -). Jose Maria Petinga Eustáquio received the "Ordem de Mérito - grau oficial" (Officer of The Order of Merit).
Captain Robert Piché made aviation history on August 24, 2001 when during a transatlantic flight of an Airbus-330 with 304 passengers on board he managed, in the face of serious technical difficulties (total loss of fuel), to successfully land at Lajes Airport on the Island of Terceira after having glided the powerless aircraft for over twenty minutes.
In his speech upon receiving his award, City Councillor Mário Silva encouraged people to pursue their dreams, stating that we owe all to our pioneers who have paved the way to the reality that we now live in the country that has so generously taken us in. The main speaker of the evening was Dr. Mota Amaral. In his allocution he stated the current 50 Years Commemorations to be an important milestone in the relations between Portugal and Canada. He went on to say that the Portuguese with their initiative and hard work have contributed greatly to Canada's greatness.
Sunday, October 26, saw Dr. Mota Amaral assisting Sunday Mass celebrated by Father Libório Tavares at St. Mary's, one of the oldest churches serving the local Portuguese community. After Mass, Dr. Mota Amaral and his retinue left for Kingston and Ottawa. Free translation of the original Portuguese
text by Adiaspora.com
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