Yesterday evening, we had the honour of hosting the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, José Cesário, the Ambassador of Portugal to Canada, António Leão Rocha, and the Consul-General of Portugal in Toronto, Ana Luísa Riquito, along with about forty other friends and partners at a reception held at Scott Library on York University’s Keele Campus, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the PCHP’s partnership with the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections.

The Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Professional Studies, J.J. McMurtry, and the Dean of Libraries, Joseph Hafner, welcomed the guests to the library. They were followed by interventions from the Secretary of State, the Ambassador, the Consul-General, and the PCHP’s Gilberto Fernandes.

After the reception, the guests were offered a visit to the CTASC, where they saw a sample of the PCHP’s collections, and were able to see the Movimento Perpétuo: The Portuguese Diaspora in Canada, currently on display at the atrium of Scott Library.

The PCHP deeply appreciates the presence of all our guests, especially those coming from Portugal, Ottawa, and Winnipeg, who took time off of their schedules to come celebrate this milestone anniversary with us. We are very humbled and honoured by the very kind words of praise and encouragement from our illustrious guests who spoke at the reception, and all of the individuals who expressed them directly to our director throughout the event.

We are also grateful for the exceptional support that we received from various York University staff and volunteers on the days leading up to and during the reception, with a special thank you to Tom Mclagan, Marijana Gmitrovic, and Anna St. Onge. We are also grateful to Consul-General Riquito for sponsoring the catered reception.

Muito obrigado!