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OVER THREE DECADES OF HERITAGE EXCELLENCE

Other articles: The three lives of Jornal da Aliança

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The idea of forming ACAPO came from Martinho Silva who, in 1987, launched the project. A meeting was held at the defunct Casa do Algarve to define the parameters of the association and, weeks later, eight community organizations joined the movement and formed the original group.   Manuel de Almeida Melo, Manuel Brito Fialho, Florival Torres da Silva, Arlindo Alberto Fernandes, Victor Manuel S. Pereira, Adelino Figueiredo Pereira, Salome Mendes Gonçalves, Lucia Jesus Leite Cardoso, and Manuel Gilberto Moniz, signed the incorporation documents and registered the organization in the Province of Ontario.

Before the ACAPO was formed, the Portugal Day festivities were organized by the Communities Council and the Consulate of Portugal in Toronto.  However, it seems that Father Cunha was the pioneer of these celebrations in the region, but in a much smaller scale.

The first event coordinated by the ACAPO occurred in 1987, when it celebrated June 10 with a small parade on Dundas Street, from Bathurst to Bellwoods Park.  For some time, the parade route had been changed to Dufferin Street, beginning at Dufferin Mall and ending at the Ontario Place, before permanently taking the traditional route of Dundas Street from Lansdowne Avenue to Bellwoods Park.   

Laurentino Esteves, a former President of the Council of Presidents for well over a decade, recalls a time in which tens of thousands of people would occupy Bellwoods Park to watch their favourite acts who arrived from Portugal. He recalls a year in particular when Jorge Ferreira performed here. “We must have had 100,000 people there”, he recounts.

For the first 10 years of existence, ACAPO proved to be extremely efficient in the maintenance and promotion of the Portuguese culture. Its focus was mainly geared toward the older generations with much success, judging by the numbers of participants in the events held at Bellwoods Park. In 1997, with the election of Jose Eustaquio as President, the focus shifted to the younger generation with equal results in terms of participation.

Jose Eustaquio, the longest standing president in the history of the association, spoke at length about the evolution of the ACAPO during an interview with Luso-Ontario Magazine, in 2008.  According to Eustaquio, 1990 proved to be a trying year for the organization due to a well-intentioned and ambitious plan that resulted in financial turmoil.   “A  telethon had been launched to raise funds for Camoes Park.  ACAPO had decided to hold the June 10 celebrations at the old Exhibition stadium where Linda de  Suza was supposed to perform, but  she  eventually canceled.  The Alliance lost about $80,000 back then.  This group, led by Martinho Silva, Manuel Carvalho, and Jorge Ribeiro among others, asked community businesses to donate $5,000 each in order to pay the Alliance’s debts and raise funds for a down payment toward the purchase of  Camões Park.  They had pledges of $190,000 but received $178, 000”, Eustaquio explained. 

The idea of Camoes Park would greatly benefit the community but the project was never completed. 

 “In 1990, when the financial storm happened, Labatt decided to aggressively sponsor the 10th of June.  When I joined Labatt on that same year, the deal was already in place”, Jose Eustaquio recalled.    

During its first decade, the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario quickly established itself as the main promoter of the Portuguese heritage in the Greater Toronto Area, but the election of Jose Eustaquio as Chair of the Board, in 1997, elevated the organization to a whole new level.  The greater involvement of youth was one of the refreshing changes introduced by Eustaquio when he promoted the idea of a Youth Alliance.  The group helped organize youth nights and concerts in various community establishments.  The University of Toronto and the University of York student associations joined the Alliance and became more involved in community life.   It led to a new era in the way the Portuguese youth celebrated their heritage.

Ambitious by nature, Jose Eustaquio further united the community when he began bringing over Portuguese artists that appealed to the younger crowds.  If you can name a famous Portuguese band or artist, they have probably been in Toronto for either the Portugal Week celebrations or for other events organized by the ACAPO. 

When he took over leadership of ACAPO, José Eustáquio had big plans.  “In 1997, it was the tenth anniversary and we had to have a great celebration of June 10th.  At that time, the Alliance had around 17 members.  The idea was to create greater participation.  The old guard of the Alliance did not agree with some of my proposals and some left”, Eustaquio recalled in a 2008 interview with Luso-Ontario Magazine.  “It went well, we had artists here that the community never had the opportunity to have here again.  In that first year we had Pedro Abrunhosa, Luís Represas, Santos e Pecadores, Trio Odemira.   Expenses were high but the idea was to attract more youth.  I think it was the best crowd we have ever had.   Pedro Abrunhosa’s night was fantastic.  There is still a certain criticism that my time in the Alliance was  concentrated on youth and not on the older population”, he reflected.

The visit of President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, in 2001, marked a milestone in the history of the ACAPO when the organization was financially solid.  However, it all changed in 2002.  In that same interview, Jose Eustaquio recalled a year in which there was great division among community leaders, which led to membership and financial losses by the ACAPO.  “Many clubs left the Alliance, there were other members who became less active in the Alliance, and then the financial situation itself because there were businesses that were approached not to  sponsor Portugal Week”, he lamented. 

Over time, the ACAPO gained and lost members, and even though its evolution is undeniable, it is also a victim of the natural integration of Portuguese-Canadians into the general society.  Heritage always takes a toll. 

Membership has fluctuated throughout the past three decades, but current numbers show that ACAPO is as strong as it ever was. It stands at 38 members. According to community leader Laurentino Esteves, “the organization is healthy.”

Decades later, the main mission remains intact: celebrate Portugal Day. However, the Day has turned into a few weeks of events that culminate with one particular week full of activities celebrating the Portuguese presence in Canada. The Parade, the performances from artists who come from Portugal, and the Folklore Festival remain as the main events throughout the celebrations of Portugal Week.

Jose Eustaquio voluntarily stepped aside from the role of President and was replaced by Katia Caramujo in 2018, marking the first time ACAPO elected a new President in 21 years, although Eustaquio remained as the Chair for Portugal Week.

Portugal Week, although a fantastic celebration for the thousands who attend each year, is a major undertaking for the organizers.  The whole event costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Add the tremendous amount of manpower necessary to coordinate all of the events, it is unbelievable that this feat has been undertaken by volunteers. 

The June 10th parade and the adjoining Portugal Week celebrations have been ACAPO’s trademark for the past three decades.  Every year, thousands of spectators line-up on the sidewalks of Dundas Street to watch floats and other cultural elements that reflect the Portuguese heritage.  Thousands more have attended concerts, exhibitions, and other events promoted by the organization, every year, during the month of June. 

ACAPO will forever be in the history of the Portuguese presence and cultural preservation in Canada.

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008

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Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com.

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The three lives of Jornal da Aliança

February 25, 2024

Jornal da Aliança was given three lives but, unfortunately, survived none. The newspaper was published in spurts over three distinct decades, but each time succumbed to doom, leaving behind traces of great intentions and countless pieces of information that have become part of our collective history as a community.

Founded in 1988 to become the voice of the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario (ACAPO), the publication was essentially a great idea that came up against numerous challenges. One such was the constant change of directors at ACAPO, which naturally caused disruptions and lack of continuity. The other was the considerable competition it faced within the community print media landscape each time it attempted to become prominent. Although each attempt proved unsuccessful in the long term, it also proved rewarding in terms of content that captured crucial elements of our presence in Canada, and particularly in the Province of Ontario.

The first edition, published in early 1988, was followed by the inaugural publication of Revista da Semana de Portugal (Portugal Week Magazine), an annual magazine that continues to be released. Jornal da Aliança eventually ceased to be published but returned for a second stint in 1995. However, it soon came to experience another period of hiatus.

After José Eustáquio took the leadership of ACAPO, the organization became increasingly dynamic, growing gradually but considerably. In 2003, on the year the Portuguese community celebrated 50 years of its official presence in Canada, Eustáquio made an effort to further highlight the role of our clubs and associations in the development of our community in Canada. One measure was to offer news about the ACAPO members, and the Alliance itself, by utilizing print media already established. As preparations for the big celebration began to occur, Jornal Team Desportivo began publishing a number of pages called Notícias da Aliança, which became popular among the Portuguese community in the Greater Toronto Area. Given the success of the segment and the growing interest for more similar content, Eustáquio felt that there was enough support to revive the publication, this time called Notícias da Aliança. The newspaper continued to focus on ACAPO’s members, but it also began to publish pieces on many of our pioneers in Canada.

However, the challenges the publication had faced previously proved once again fatal. At that time, the Portuguese community in Toronto was bombarded with a large number of weekly newspapers, a list that included Sol Português, The Voice, Team Desportivo, Família Portuguesa, Milénio and Nove Ilhas among others. Notícias da Aliança, although a crucial alternative because it focused solely on local issues and particularly on our associations, faced multiple obstacles, mainly related to a highly saturated advertising market.  

I was the proud editor of that last attempt and worked hard to make the newspaper an interesting read. I believe that my team was able to accomplish that objective. When I pick up copies of those editions, I marvel at the content we were able to create in collaboration with our community members and associations. On the other side, there was José Eustáquio working hard to make it all possible. Although we were unable to keep it alive, I am honoured to have had the opportunity to bask in that experience, which remains one of the most rewarding in my years of involvement in community print media.

Jornal da Aliança came to life on three separate occasions, and three times it perished. Will it ever see another life?

If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com

Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com.