May 13th the Portuguese community of Oshawa will be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Portuguese Immigration to Canada and we’d like you to participate.
A few months back I invited Mr. Antonio Galvão to shed some light on a conversation we were having – who were the first portuguese immigrants to arrive in Oshawa. We had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Galvão tell us stories about those first few years which we all found very interesting. I asked Mr. Galvão if he would re-tell these stories for me in front of a video camera, so we could capture them for future generation and he responded, “Yes, but you have to call the other guys too.” Since then, I’ve toyed with the idea of creating a short video with a few of the stories of our founding fathers. Last Saturday, we gathered at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and filmed seven of their stories. The project has been so well received that I’ve decided to take it a few steps further, and that’s why I’m asking for everyone’s involvement.
1. Video – As of right now the video will be concentrating on the first 10 years 1953 to 1963 I would like anyone with photos of our founding fathers from that period that you’re willing to include, to please contact me asap.
2. Booklet – It was suggested that we include stories and photos of immigration throughout the years – great idea. Whether you arrived in 1953 or 2003 I’m sure you have a story to tell and it should be heard. Tell us your story or the story of your family – parents, grandparents, etc. Deadline for submissions is May 1st.
3 Flag Raising – To kick off our celebration, Oshawa’s two Luso-Canadian Associations – Northern Portugal Cultural Centre (NPCC) and Oshawa Portuguese Club (OPC) have submitted an application for permission to officially raise the Portuguese Flag at Oshawa City Hall on Monday May 13th at 4pm. This request is currently in the approval process, and am confident Mayor Henry and Oshawa City Council will support our Luso-Canadian Community request. On this day I would like to have our Luso-Canadian youth sing both national anthems. To prepare for this I have set a tentative practice date of Friday, May 10th at 7:30 pm at the NPCC. All Luso-Canadian youth currently attend school is encouraged to please participate. To keep it fun, the youth will be making pita pizzas and watching a movie after the practice. Here is a link to the Portuguese national anthem “Herois do Mar” with lyrics. Please let me know if you (or your child) will be singing.
4. Celebration – After the flag raising, we will return to the NPCC to watch the video and snack – it wouldn’t be a Portuguese celebration without food!
This event is very important and will be included in ACAPO’s official schedule of anniversary celebrations. This event is about who we are – Proud Luso-Canadians, and I invite everyone to participate. I’m very happy to have ACAPO, the NPCC and the OPC involved in this initiative, this celebration wouldn’t happen without their support.
Thank you for your time and please forward a link to this blog to every Luso-Canadian in your address book.
David Ganhão
Date: 2013-05-13