Projects

The tenth edition of the PROUD TO BE PORTUGUESE CANADIAN project is being planned for TORONTO 2025.We anounced it on OMNI TV Focus Portuguese, 18 of february 2024 (photo).

Wanna be a part of it? proudtobeportuguesecanadian@gmail.com

Join us on facebook.

The plans are under way for another edition of PROUD TO BE PORTUGUESE CANADIAN...
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

- The Portuguese are Here (photography expedition from Toronto to Niagara Falls) PHOTOS

- Azores in Canada Exhibition at Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre (Oakville, Ontario)

- Trip to Montreal PHOTOS
PHOTOS

- Meets & Greets and Media Relations

The year began with promo at CHIN Radio (photo) and interviews with newspapers and Internet Sites & Blogs about the ideias for "Canada 150 - the Portuguese are here!"
The launch of the "Clube de Amizade Oakville-Madalena Friendship Club" happened in February 2016.

During 2015 the project had various meetings with artists. Photo: Toronto with Zara Diniz and Teresa Ascenção, both representing Canada at the Azores Fringe Festival 2015 on Pico island.

York University (Toronto - photo above), Concordia University (Montreal), Casa dos Açores (Winnipeg), Arts Alliance (Vancouver) were some of the stops of the Tour 2014 that took the film Atlantes and conversation about future projects about being Portuguese-Canadian. MORE PHOTOS

Photos here

Video here

Panel of Luso-Canadian actors were the focus of the afternoon conference in the Fall of 2013.L-R: Paulino Nunes, Jordan Duarte, Terry Costa, Sandy Duarte, Dulce Félix, Rick Gomes.

During the Spring of 2013, various meetings occoured across the country. Lead by Terry Costa, youth of all ages joined from North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Winnipeg (photo), Montreal, Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto.

Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Conference & Cultural Festival - Toronto 2012 On Thursday, March 22nd 2012 at Novotel Toronto Centre, Terry Costa in front of a house of about 50 media representatives from the Portuguese-Canadian and Canadian media outlets and special guests, took the opportunity to give his closing remarks for the Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Conference & Cultural Festival 2012 in Toronto. Below are his words.

"The Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Conference & Cultural Festival in Toronto this month of March 2012 has been a tremendous success. Special thanks to the team that joined me on creating this exciting festival. I am proud to say that I am the oldest of the gang; it is great to see the new generations, the descendants of the Portuguese coming out and wanting to be leaders, to have their voices heard. We need more outlets for such to happen.

48 local artists supporting the Portuguese Canadian leads, 6 artists from Portugal, 35 presenters and speakers and over 2000 people participated in the official events for Proud to Be Portuguese Canadian Conference & Cultural Festival in Toronto with special mention the presence of Secretary of State of Portugal Communities José Cesário, Consul of Portugal in Toronto Julio Vilela, Member of Canadian Parliament Andrew Cash, Ontario´s Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Charles Sousa, MPP Jonah Schein, from Regional Government of Azores Alzira Silva and a troupe of gorgeous talented descendants of the Portuguese in Canada.

What an exciting week it has been with an all day conference, a club party and a concert series at local professional venues. Over 100 newspaper, magazine and web articles, as far as I can tell, and I have a feeling I am not caught up; over 30 television stories and the disappearance of most of our giant 3feet posters and 10,000 zine programs should be telling that there is an interest in the culture of Portugal in Canada.

I would love to continue the Proud to be Portuguese Canadian project in Toronto and for that to be possible I ask for your support starting today; business community, media outlets, associations and individuals, join the movement and support Proud to be Portuguese Canadian through visiting the website www.mirateca.com, joining the facebook page, signing up to sponsor a future edition or to volunteer your time and services.

For this first festival in Toronto I would like to thank our conference partner Working Women Community Centre and the ON YOUR MARK project, funders Government of Portugal through DGACCP, Secretario das Comunidades, Government of Azores through Direccao Regional das Comunidades; the video contest sponsor The Carpenters Union Local 27; the writing contest sponsor Luso Learning Centre and the musical workshop sponsor Barrister Manuel Azevedo.

Our festival gold media partners that provided over $140,000 worth of advertising exposure: ABC Portuguese Canadian Newspaper, CiRV, FPTV, Gente da Nossa, Milenio and Nove Ilhas newspapers. Also OMNI TV News and the Canada Contacto department that have been incredible in their coverage of the festival; as well thanks to supporters I am Future, Lusocanada.com, Mundo Portugues, Senso Magazine, Voice and SOL publications, St Christophers House, Nova Era Bakery, Creative7 Inc, and our venues Hughs Room, Lula Lounge, Luso Learning Centre and Mod Club Theatre.

Our conference supporters: Centro de Lingua Portuguesa Camões, Luso Learning Centre, Lusocan Tuna, Sporting FC School Academy, University of Toronto, University of Toronto Portuguese Association, York University, York University Portuguese Association, and of course Toronto Tourism for all their support.

"A few women have been catalyst for the success of the project. I would like to set apart a trio of women that with their own resources and spirit have done so much for the project that they might not even realize.

First of all Marcie Ponte from Working Women Community Centre and the On Your Mark project, your support, tips, office space and hugs provided great comfort. And of course the On Your Mark project you run that supports hundreds of our kids through their scholling years is one of the best values within the region.

Then we have this new centre called LUSO LEARNING CENTRE run by  Ana Fernandes Iria. From teacher to Executive Director of the Luso Learning Centre, Ana has been supportive from the beginning and provided the space for our opening event as well as supporting the writing contest. You are a true jewel in the Toronto community.

And the woman I invited to be the face of this edition of Proud to be Portuguese Canadian, speak the opening address at the conference and even hosted a ladies dinner at Chiado, one of our most upscale restaurants in Toronto, Carmen Correia you are a goddesss and I am truly blessed to call you a friend..

Thank you all so much for the support. Send us a message, let´s all work together.

And now, the celebrations continue with Focus on Portugal at Canadian Music Week festival until Sunday 25th of March - check out the 7 bands from Portugal that will perform at local music venues. Go out, enjoy, support... whatever you do... participate!."
 ~Terry Costa, Founder & Producer of Proud to be Portuguese Canadian

Special thanks to all the volunteers that joined the project. It was great to see many youth that had never participated in the Portuguese-Canadian community before come out and be leaders for the new generations.

CHECK OUT VIDEO images from the Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Conference & Cultural Festival March 2012 in Toronto.

Check out photo albums on facebook:
Opening Events  Conference - part1  Conference - part2
Saturday Concert  Sunday Concert
Week2 Events  More Concerts
Pre-event Canada Tour

Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Concert included performances by Brian Melo, Diego Gomes and Exit404

Special thanks to our participants in THE BEST OF PORTUGAL session at the 2012 Toronto Proud to be Portuguese Canadian Conference:
Frank & Stein (clothing company); Guimarães, European Capital of Culture; LABjovem (youth artist project from Azores); Manjerica (hand bag designer); Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel; PicoWines.
Teresa Bettencourt from Manjerica joined us at the festival and was welcomed on stage by CiRV FPTV host Paula Almeida - see video clip. Frank & Stein clothing was used as prizes during the afternoon and the PicoWines bottles were offered to two amazing men that supported the project tremendously (see photo). All entities sent videos that were presented at the Conference.

In the Cultural Festival we had the participation of amazing talented individuals from Portugal that performed in Canada for the very first time: Alexandra Boga and her two projects, viola da terra, and club dance; the exciting duo Dead Combo; multi-guitarist Frankie Chavez; and Portuguese Guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa with Pedro Pinhal.

Thank you all so much for your participation.

The objectives of the project Proud to be Portuguese Canadian are two-fold.

- to stimulate young professional Portuguese descendants, students, their families and colleagues with the Portuguese culture of today´s Portugal; promote the integration and strengthen the link between the Portuguese residents with the social, cultural, political and economic life of Canada; promote the Portuguese culture through the presentation of artists and other cultural agents; and, to express pride of being Portuguese-Canadian in Canada.

- to encourage Portuguese-Canadians living in Portugal to uphold their roots and share their strengths creating a sinergy between the Canadian and Portuguese cultures; promote Canadian ideals and culture through presentations of artists and other cultural agents; and, to express pride of being Portuguese-Canadian in Portugal.

O projeto Orgulho de ser Português Canadiano tem como objetivos:

- incentivar jovens portugueses-canadianos profissionais, estudantes, seus familiares e colegas para com a cultura do Portugal de hoje; promover a integração e reforçar a ligação dos portugueses residentes à vida social, cultural, política e económica do Canadá; promover a cultura portuguesa através da apresentação de artistas e outros agentes culturais; expressar o orgulho de ser português-canadiano.

- incentivar canadianos a viver em Portugal a honrarem suas raízes e partilhar suas experiências criando sinergias entre Portugal e o Canadá; promover Canadá e a sua cultura através de apresentações de artistas e outros agentes culturais; expressar o orgulho de ser português e canadiano em Portugal.