Casa dos Açores do Quebec
| Founding Date: | July 18, 1978 |
| Address: | 229, Rue Fleury Ouest Montréal, Quebéc H3L 1T8 Canada |
| Telephone: | 514-388-4129 |
| Email: | casadosacoresdoquebeque@hotmail.com |
Brief History
Audio Version:
Casa dos Açores do Quebec (CAQ) was founded on July 18, 1978 by five açorianos: Tadeu Rocha, Manuel Contente, Carlos Saldanha, Maria Elvira Saldanha and Joviano Vaz. It is one of seventeen affiliated houses spread over three continents. According to the Portal of the World Council of the Houses of the Azores (http://casasdosacores.org/en/), its mission is “to divulge the Azores, the Azoreans and their culture on their respective areas of influence; to defend the interests of the Azores and of the Azoreans and their descendants […].”
For the first thirteen years, CAQ’s leadership was composed of a temporary Administrative Commission that held meetings at either the former Clube Micaelense, Predial, or at the homes of Tadeu Rocha and Carlos Saldanha. This administration held its first public event on December 16, 1990, at the Santa Cruz Church’s community hall with a dinner-dance that included many attendees and the performances of local fado singer, Jordelina Benfeito, who was accompanied by Artur Gaipo, and the band Impacto. Also during the leadership of the commission, then President of the Regional Government of the of Azores, Dr. Mota Amaral, was a guest of the organization in May of 1991 and remained in Montreal for four days to participate in various events.
On November 18, 1991, the organization’s members were called to 4179 Rue St. Dominique to select CAQ’s first elected executive board. Guilherme Cabral became President, António Tavares Vice-President, Manuel António Pereira, Secretary, and Benjamin Moniz, Treasurer. The remaining board members were Carlos Saldanha, Norberto Aguiar, Alfredo Ponte, Vitor Puím and José Coelho.
Following this significant event, other presidents were elected but the late Manuel António Pereira, who led the executive board from 1993 to 2000, is still considered the most notable member of CAQ. In 1997, he helped found “Rancho Folclórico Ilhas de Encanto” and, in 2004, the seniors “Grupo Reviver” of which he was the coordinator for some time. During his leadership, he was a pioneer in the organization of golf tournaments for the Portuguese community of Montreal under CAQ’s banner, which became annual popular events in the region. The first of its kind occurred on September 24, 1995 – then Royal Bank of Canada’s Vice-President of Commercial Accounts, Duarte Miranda, was the tournament’s Honorary President and responsible for the organization of the event along with Manuel Puga. The tournament, held at Bonniebrook Golf Club, counted with the participation of 144 players and another 300 people who attended the fundraising dinner in the evening. In total, Casa dos Açores do Quebec raised $4,700. The second tournament, held in 1996, had the presence of Luis Mota, then Secretary of Tourism Azores, who was appointed the event’s Honorary President.
It was also during Manuel António Pereira’s leadership that Orfeão Edmundo Machado de Oliveira, which had traveled to Toronto from the island of Sao Miguel with a group composed of one hundred people, was invited by CAQ to visit the province of Quebec. The choir performed separately for the Portuguese communities of Montreal and Laval. It was a daring undertaking that ended up becoming not only successful but also a significant point in the organization’s history.
Other notable guests of Casa dos Açores do Quebec include secretaries of state Ricardo Serrão Santos and José Luís Carneiro, presidents of Regional Government of the Azores Carlos César, Vasco Cordeiro and José Manuel Bolieiro (Mayor of Ponta Delgada at the time) and then President of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores, Alberto R. Madruga da Costa. The organization also welcomed theatre groups, art exhibitions, book launches and concerts, among many other events.
Some of CAQ’s annual activities include the religious Feast in Honour of the Holy Spirit, the Slaughter of the Pig, the Cultural Week, celebrations of important dates such as Portugal, Azores, and Canada days, the Feast of Saint John, collaboration with other community organizations, excursions and social events.
The organization’s current headquarters were inaugurated on March 22, 1997, in the presence of Dr. Alzira Silva, then director of the Office for Emigration and Support to Azorean Communities. On August 28 of the same year, then President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Carlos César, along with his wife, visited the organization and presented it with a monetary donation to help with the purchase of the new building.
Note: this article was written with references from files submitted by Casa dos Açores do Quebec to lusocanada.com. These references include a letter from the late Manuel António Pereira (April 25, 1942 – July 25, 2021) for the occasion of CAQ’s 40th anniversary, in 2018, and a document entitled HISTORIAL which, according to the organization’s Secretary, Paula Ferreira, has been updated over the years by different members of the Board.
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