The PCHP | PHLC has come a long way since it was founded by young scholars with few resources other than their passion for history and public education, their advanced knowledge of history, and their willingness to dedicate a large amount of volunteer hours towards making the diverse stories of Portuguese Canadians known to the general public. The vision, dedication and resourcefulness that got us to this point continue to drive us into the future. We are now seeking more ambitious goals, form new collaborations, and continue developing innovative ways to fulfill our mission. The PCHP | PHLC already is a leader in archival and public history outreach with immigrant and ethnic communities. We have spurred the creation of the Greek Canadian History Project (GCHP), which has generated a great deal of interest in that ethnic community. Other groups and institutions are looking at us for inspiration and guidance. Our long-term vision is to become one of the main centres of Portuguese/Lusophone diaspora studies in North America, and expand our model of bridge building to other immigrant/ethnic groups. We will also consult with various immigrant communities and other stakeholder in Toronto and aim to mobilize them towards advocating for the creation of a Toronto museum of immigration.
Below is a list of projects and goals we expect to accomplish over the next five years (2015-2010).
Preserve (Archival)
- Expand archival outreach to other Portuguese-Canadian communities in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia; and to other ethnic groups.
- Build bridges between Portuguese-Canadian communities outside of Toronto and their local public archives.
- Become the central nucleus in a network of partnerships with other archives, museums and community-level public history projects in Canada, the United States, and Portugal.
- Grow the CTASC’s digital storage capacity and provide it with the means necessary to process and digitize our archival donations, and make
them accessible online. - Provide opportunities for high school and university students to develop Portuguese-language, archival, public history, research and other transferable skills.
- Advocate with different levels of government on the need to support the work of public archives.
Share (Public history)
- Create oral history/ digital storytelling content
- Produce documentary on the Portuguese in Canada.
- Develop new online exhibits, including an interactive digital map and timeline of Toronto’s Portuguese neighbourhoods.
- Create a mobile device application for an augmented-reality-based virtual eco museum of Kensington Market, Portugal Village and Little Portugal.
- Offer heritage tours.
- Curate travelling exhibits and take them on the road across Canada.
- Create illustrated coffee table book or graphic novel on the experiences of Portuguese immigrants in Canada.
- Consult with various ethnic groups and other stakeholders, and mobilize them towards advocating for a Toronto Museum of Immigration.
Explore (Academic)
- Conduct research on the Portuguese in North America
- Teach 1 full course at York University on Portuguese/Lusophone topics.
- Develop educational resources for high school teachers about Portuguese immigration history.
- Advertise our archival collections with researchers in Canada and Portugal.
- Offer undergraduate and graduate level scholarships to students who commit to doing research on our collections.
- Organize Southern European diaspora studies conference
- Publish edited volume on Southern European diaspora studies.
- Join the editorial board of a leading Portuguese studies journal.
- Participate in academic conferences.
- Deliver public lectures.
A print-ready version of our strategic plan Preserve-Share-Explore is available here.
Portuguese Canadian History Project | Projeto de História Luso Canadiana 