The Vanishing Goan Tribe (a work in progress, documenting the greying process of the first generation pioneers from Eastern Africa)
THE HISTORY OF THE GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO: 1995
(A work in progress, update coming soon)
By John Nazareth
Goans have
traditionally been a highly socialized community, forming socio-cultural clubs
wherever we go. Our roots are social, emanating from our traditional village
system of government (or "communidades") in Goa that continued for
over 1000 years - well after similar such systems were destroyed in the rest of
India. In Ontario, this penchant for organized social lives has manifested
itself in the Goan Overseas Association (GOA), which is celebrating 25 years
since its inception. It is the vehicle through which Goans express their
collective joys and aspirations. Hence, its activities tend to be
all-encompassing: social, cultural, sporting and welfare (looking after the
unique needs of its troubled). The GOA is highly democratic association with an
elected Executive (through sometimes vigorous campaigns) and a strong tradition
of accountability to its members.
Twenty-five
years in the life of an association is a matter of pride and joy. Beginning as
a defined body in 1970 with just a few members, the Goan Overseas Association
has now grown into a full‑fledged organization of more than 1100 members
representing at least 4000 people - or over 40% of the Goan community in the
Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This is one of the highest participation rates
among non-religious cultural organizations in the country. And so it is hard to
imagine its humble beginnings.
GENESIS
When the
first Goan arrived in Ontario is unknown, but certainly, Goans began arriving
in significant numbers in the early 1960s. The migration from East Africa
followed the growing Independence movements that brought uncertainty for Goans
- and speeded up with the Expulsion of Asians by Idi Amin of Uganda; the flow
from Pakistan was a reaction to rising intolerance of Christians; from India,
perhaps it was just adventure - as it was with Goans from the beginning.
Life was not
easy for those early pioneers in the 60s. They had left places with
well-established social scenes, for the adventure of a vast Toronto where they
had not yet made friends among the local populace, and old familiar Goan faces
were not close by, and not everybody had a car. Some recall landing here with
no set place to go and ended up in a Hungarian boarding house at 1075 Yonge
Street. Canadians especially in Church were ever willing to be helpful, but the
way of life here was so different that there was an urge to find familiar faces
before adapting to the new environment. It seemed life was lonely for most
Goans in Toronto then! In order to cope socially, the few struggling,
relatively new immigrant Goan families would visit each other at their homes,
or meet for picnics in order to reminisce and support one another. However,
there was no large social functions such as Christmas and New Year's Eve
Dances, or support group in place.
In 1967 Mr.
Joe De Souza - our future first President - put an ad in the Globe & Mail,
the Toronto Star and the now defunct Toronto Telegram calling on all people of
Goan origin to come together with the purpose of forming a Goan community
centre. His first respondents were officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (RCMP). The RCMP wanted to check
out the antecedents of the advertiser, what "Goan" meant and the need
and purpose of setting up such a centre. They left reassured that this was no
revolutionary movement. The advertisement did not draw a favourable response
from the small Goan community of less than 100 families at that time. The new
immigrants were obviously devoting their time and energies in organizing their
own lives instead of pooling in their efforts with those few set to work for
the welfare of the community.
Later in
1967, when Canada was celebrating one hundred years as a Dominion, some people
of Indo-Pakistani origin ‑ including Goans ‑ organized the Pioneers Club and
held the first dance around Christmas time. The scope of the Pioneers was
limited to a single dance during the Christmas Season and there were no formal
elections. In 1968, Alvito Fernandes, Leo Lopes and Savio Barros started
organizing a few dances for Goans under no particular name and with no
particular goals except to allow people to meet. Alvito also organized a
“Bachelors versus Marrieds” sports day in 1969 (which he would repeat under the
auspices of the GOA the following year). These occasions were primarily
attended by Goans from East Africa.
Perhaps the
strongest force that brought many Goans together was the desire to form a Goan
hockey team. This may seem surprising to the uninitiated, but Hockey had
acquired cultural overtones among diasporan Goans. It became the medium we
chose to express ourselves, as colonial and third-world pressures once made
political expression difficult. No wonder that we played it with such an intensity
and hence are represented in numbers way beyond our proportions in countries
like India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda (at one time), Pakistan, and now Canada.
Back in Toronto in 1968, some like Leo Lopes would organize practices among
friends; many played for various existing teams in the Toronto area. In 1969 it
became obvious to Roque Barreto that there were sufficient Goans in other teams
to form a formidable Goan team.
Roque (Rocky)
Barreto came to Canada in 1968. Within a year and a half of being here he had
already became a member of the Parish Council of the newly opened St
Sebastian's Catholic Church at 20 Pauline Avenue, Toronto, and was President of
its St Vincent de Paul Society. (This connection would serve the GOA well
later.) He also became a regular umpire with the Ontario Field Hockey
Association (OFHA) and joined its Executive. It is from this vantage point that
Rocky was able to see the breadth of talent and the opportunity it presented.
Rocky
enlisted the help of his friends Aloysius (Al) Vaz and Wilfred (Willy) Monteiro
to see the need and organize an all Goan field hockey team in Ontario and a
Goan association to promote sports by generating funds from social functions.
Many known Goan hockey players that played in the OFHA League emanating from
various parts of the world were contacted with the idea of forming a new all
Goan field hockey team for the 1970 summer season. Several meetings were held by the trio in St. Sebastian’s Church,
but the turn-out was poor. A meeting was held in December 1969 at St. Sebastian
Church, but of all the players that agreed to play, only seven attended, namely
Roque Barreto, Al Vaz, Willy Monteiro, Tony D'Souza, Tony Fernandes
(Brunswick), Alcino Rodrigues and Armando Rodrigues. Another meeting was called
on 8 February 1970, but this time only 5 attended. As time was closing in on
the 1970 hockey season, the five elected Roque Barreto as Chairman, Al Vaz As
Secretary/Treasurer and Willy Monteiro as a Coordinator. The interim name
"EAGLES" was suggested by Tony D'Souza and adopted. Rocky vigorously
promoted the Goan team not withstanding the absence of a full and proper team,
securing an entry into the OFHA with a personal guarantee for a team and
entrance fee.
The lack of a
critical mass for the several meetings so far and inability of the new
immigrant players to pay membership dues was disheartening. Undaunted, Rocky,
Al and Willy arranged the St. Sebastian Hall for a meeting on the fateful date
of 5 April 1970, this time with an open invitations to all Goans in
Ontario. For a myriad of reasons, this
meeting would be more successful, as we shall see.
Neves
Menezes, who had come to Canada in 1964, had been also been pondering about a
Goan association, having played such a large part in the Nairobi Goan community,
and had been discussing the issue with friends, though with no particular sense
of urgency. However, he recalls reading a disturbing story in the newspapers in
February 1970 when Canada was going through a recession which convinced him
that the time had arrived. A young Goan immigrant to Toronto had found himself
without a job and with no money. Despondent and homesick., he decided to stow
away on a plane at Toronto International Airport bound for his homeland, but
only got as far as Dorval International Airport in Montreal when he was
discovered in the baggage compartment of the plane by the ground crew. In the
ensuing trial the judge upbraided the young man, but noting his sad plight,
dismissed his case with an appeal to his people ‑ the Goans ‑ to try and help
others in similar situations within their community. This spurred Neves on to
redouble his efforts, and when he heard of Rocky's call he hit the telephone
lines to round up people.
Coincidentally
the other trio of Al Fernandes, Savio Barros and Leo Lopes had organized a
dance at the Royal York Hotel on 4 April 1970. Many of the attendees spread the
word about the next day.
And word had
also got around that the Eagles team had been registered for the 1970 hockey
season which added to the excitement.
At 3.00 pm on
5 April 1970, in the basement of St. Sebastian Church, the meeting opened with
Roque Barreto at the Chair, flanked by Al Vaz and Willy Monteiro. The
attendance was a heart-warming 24[1],
namely: Roque Barreto, Savio Barros, Arthur D'Costa, Rui & Sylvia D'Cunha,
Dr. A.J. D'Mello, Anthony D'Souza, Augustine D'Souza, Joe De Souza, Peter &
Henrietta D'Souza, Walter D'Souza, Romero Dias, Anthony Fernandes, Orlando
Fernandes, Michael Lobo, Leo Lopes, Placido Madeira, Neves Menezes, Wilfred
Monteiro, Alcino Rodrigues, Jules Sequeira, Melinda Sequeira, and Aloysius Vaz[2].
Rocky opened
the meeting and Willy led off by explaining how the Eagles field hockey team
came to be registered for the 1970 season. He expressed the desire to form an
association to promote sports, but opened the floors for debate. In the ensuing
discussion the scope was broadened to encompass a general association
addressing all of the concerns of the Goan community. This expanded scope
became the mandate of the new-born association. A “Caretaker Committee” was
then elected to form a constitution for the association. Rocky was unanimously
nominated to be the first president, but he declined. The majority present then
elected Mr. Joe De Souza as first President of the association. However, the
mandate of this new Committee included breathing immediate life into the Goan
community and so the members included a comprehensive set of portfolios. An
association was born, soon to be the most dynamic Goan Association in the
world, the child of the village communidades, the Catholic Gymkhana and kudds of Bombay, the Goan Institutes of
India and East Africa, the Goan Association and Goan Union of Karachi, the St
Francis Xavier Associations around the world, and Canada.
THE NAME
At the 5 April
Meeting, the name Goan Ontario Association was proposed and accepted. However,
at the meeting of 26 April, when the Constitution was tabled for discussion,
the name Goan Overseas Association was proposed by Mr. Ladis DaSilva, seconded
by Neves Menezes and accepted by the
majority after hard politicking by Rocky and Lazarus Fernandes. At this latter
meeting the steering committee's Aims and Objectives and Rules and By‑Laws were
accepted and approved. On 25 October 1970, at a General Body meeting of the
GOA, Lazarus Fernandes and Martin A.C. Rodrigues proposed that all those Goans
joining the association between 5 April 1970 and 31 October 1970 be registered
as Founder Members of the G.O.A. Ontario. The proposal was carried unanimously.
THE EARLY YEARS
Rocky
continued to be a guardian-angel to the GOA in those early years when the
financial status of the association and its members was precarious. Through his
close association with St Sebastian’s Church, he obtained at no charge for the
next three years the use of the Church Basement Hall or Parochial Hall for all
General Body meetings, constitutional committee meetings, all executive
meetings, sports meetings, St. Francis Xavier's Feast, Children's Xmas Tree
etc.. Indeed, in gratitude to the Pastor of St Sebastian’s, Rev Fr Peter Borgi
was made the first Honorary Member of the GOA.
The new
association wasted no time in getting down to business. The first social event
organized was the Inaugural Sundowner Dance held on Saturday, 6 June 1970 at
the International Institute in Toronto, a hall obtained through Ladis DaSilva.
Romero Dias and his wife donated the cost of the first bulletin and postage,
Rui and Sylvia Da Cunha donated the bar, Neves and Mabel Menezes donated the
music, and the dance was catered by Mabel Menezes, Anna Menezes, Flora
Sequeira, Melinda Sequeira, Loretta Sequeira, Joyce Barros and Henrietta De
Souza.
The Inaugural
Dance was followed by socials every two months: the Sports Dance on 1 August
1970; the Thanksgiving Dance on 3 October; St. Francis Xavier's Feast on 5
December; the Children's Christmas Tree Party on 12 December; the Christmas
Dance on 19 December at the Lord Simcoe Hotel; the Carnival Dance on 27
February 1971, and the First Anniversary Dance on 17 April 1971 at St. Joseph's
Hall.
In the 1970
season the hockey team played under the previously registered name of Eagles,
but this was changed to GOA thereafter. The introduction of the Gold Cup Hockey
Tournament into the OFHA Tournament Schedule in 1971 was a major coup of the
young GOA. Again, Rocky’s position in the executive of the Umpires’ Association
was instrumental (and as Sports Secretary of the GOA at the time, he organized
the inaugural tournament). The trophy was named the Norbert Menezes Memorial
Gold Cup after the father of the donor, Neves Menezes - the then President of
the GOA. The tournament was won by the Tringos, with the GOA as runner-up.
The
Association’s coat-of-arms was selected on 28 May 1972 through a contest, the
winning designed being produced by Anita Lopes. The same day a letterhead
designed by John Fernandes was selected, and a flag proposed by Lazarus
Fernandes. The Blue/Yellow colours of the association had been chosen in 1970 as follows - Blue by
Rocky as Sports Secretary and Yellow by Al Vaz as Hockey Captain.
The Goan
Overseas Association was officially registered as a non-profit corporation in
the Province of Ontario on 11 May 1972. The Charter was issued by the Hon. Eric
A. Wrinkler, Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. The letters patent
for the Charter was issued to Neves Menezes, Roque Barreto, Eddie D'Souza,
Romero Dias, Norbert Lamas, Abilio De Souza, Alvito Fernandes, Pascal Gomes,
Hubert Pereira and Placido Madeira.
EXPANSION
Within two
years of striking roots on Canadian soil, the GOA was put to the test when the
Canadian government accepted more than 7000 Asians, including 800 Goans,
expelled from Uganda in 1972. The GOA
worked closely with federal agencies, sponsoring many families and helping some
families settle in Toronto. Alvaro (Al) Saldanha, who was the then Treasurer of
the GOA attended meetings of the government’s Toronto Uganda Committee
regularly, made numerous calls to Neru Rodrigues, President of the Kampala
[Goan] Institute, to collect names of people who were having difficulty getting
visas, and arrange letters of sponsorship through the Immigration Ministry.
Many arriving Goans will attest to the joy of being met by Al’s friendly face
at the airport.
This influx
of Goans increased the numerical strength of GOA. (Metalia Paul recalls the
women’s hockey team members savouring the thought of increasing the numbers of
their team as there were a half-dozen former Uganda National players among the
refugees.) But this increase also gave rise to an uneasy feeling among Goans
from the Indian sub‑continent, which may have contributed to the formation of
the Toronto Chapter of the Canorient Christian Association[3].
It would take over a decade before unity returned.
The influx of
Goans from Uganda in 1972 turned out to be part of a major movement of Goans in
response to liberalization of Canadian immigration policy in the 70s. Between
1970 and 1975 the total population of Goans in the GTA increased from
approximately 800 to 5000, with many Goans coming from Burma, India, Kenya,
Malaysia, Malawi, the Middle East, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and
Zambia among others. Today the population in the GTA stands at around 10000.
PARADIGM
SHIFT
At the very
founding meeting of the association, there was a hint that the Goans here
wanted to move away from the sports-dominated associations of their former
countries. The 1976 financial statements showed that over 50% of the funds
raised by the GOA was being used to promote sports and the proposed budgets by
the sports members was increasing exponentially with every year. The sports
members felt that this attested to the popularity of especially hockey and the
publicity that the hockey team was offering the Goans. However, others believed
that the GOA should emphasis diverse community issues. In 1976 a heated debate
began at the Annual General Meeting that in hindsight signaled a paradigm shift
in the thinking of Goans. The battle persisted at General Body Meetings through
several years between those for the status quo and those who wished to change
direction, until in 1979 agreement was reached whereby the profits from the
annual Gold Cup Dance would become the maximum overall sports budget for the
following year. Concurrently, the individual sports teams had been organizing private
social fund-raisers under the GOA name, but not informing the GOA. The feud
over the issue was settled also in 1979 by the direction that 1) if the funds
raised were flowed through the GOA, then the funds would be held in trust
specifically for the use of the specific teams,
2) the occasions must have the blessing of the Sports Secretary to
ensure no conflict with regular GOA fund-raising events. The GOA had changed
its priorities from sports to cultural and welfare.
The shift was
no accident. It probably reflected the many changes that Goan society had
undergone around the world. The ferment started as a consequence of the
liberation of Goa from the yoke of Portuguese colonialism in 1961 (a liberation
that was both physical and mental), the liberation from British colonialism of
host countries of the Goan Diaspora - be it India, Pakistan, Burma, East
Africa, and the awakening of Catholics through Vatican II (Goans in Toronto are
predominantly Catholic). This ferment mirrored the period of introspection that
Canadians were going through - the same doubts, fears, and the joys of
discovery; we were captured by the new Canadian spirit of Multiculturalism.
This change was later reflected in the improved intellectual quality of the GOA
newsletter that has served as a model for Goan organizations around the world.
The three
years of debates resulted in a number of changes:
1) the
mandate of the GOA was expanded to include cultural activities and to undertake
programs for the welfare and betterment of not only its members but of all
Goans in Ontario.
2) the term “Goan” was broadened to emphasize
people whose origins are in Goa. Thus, those people who have at least
one ancestor who was domiciled in Goa would be eligible for voting membership.
(This was resolved at the AGM of 1978 when Eric De Souza proposed and John
Nazareth seconded that if a person claims to be of Goan origin in the
Membership Application Form, that claim would not be challenged by the
Executive Committee.)
These changes
resulted in constitutional amendments after heated debates over many
contentious issues, sometimes continuing over several General Body Meetings.
The result was that a strong democratic foundation came to be laid which has
remained unshaken to this day and one that appears to reflect our Canadian
heritage.
Constitutional
changes in 1978 also introduced the Board of Trustees whose main purpose was to
safeguard the surplus funds to the GOA. The passage on this change was slow
until news reached us of a significant misappropriation of funds by the
Executive of a sister Goan organization. Since then the Board has evolved to
take on other functions; for example, it became a convenient body for the
Executive Committee to seek advice. Also in 1988 it took on the role of running
the Goan Charitable Organization.
Yet another
change that would have a major impact on the Association was incorporated with
other constitutional changes in 1981. Under the Chairmanship of Neves Menezes
the Rules & Revisions Subcommittee proposed that the spouse and dependents
over the age of 18 years of a member be accorded full membership privileges.
The prime purpose was to seek a greater participation of women in the running
of the Association. The proposal was passed without any of the great debates
that had become customary with significant changes and this signaled the
growing maturity of the Goan community with respect to the contemporary issues
of equity. The change had the desired effect and indeed benefited the GOA
immensely in that it brought in the services of talents that otherwise would
have been excluded.
CULTURAL AWAKENING
The first of
many variety concerts was organized in late 1971 by Olga Madeira, Anita Lopes
and Alvito Fernandes. Konkani Tiatr
was first staged in 1976 by [the late] Richard Fernandes, who continued for
several years. Later, members of the GOA spawned two Konkani theatrical groups:
the Goan Threatrical Group in 1978 and the Goan Konkani Troupe. The GOA gave
its wholehearted support to these two groups which proceeded to establish an
enviable record of Konkani Theatre and Goan dance.
However, the
first fruits of the paradigm shift was the Goan Festival was held in May 1978
at Toronto's Harbourfront. A debt is owed to [the late] Ladis Da Silva, artist
and writer, who through his involvement with the Canadian arts community
introduced Goans to the facilities of Harbourfront - Toronto's cultural
playground. Ladis not only introduced the idea but steered the effort as
Cultural Secretary in the Neves Menezes Presidency. The event was a major step
in giving the GOA and Goans public exposure. This day‑long cultural fest not
only met its desired objective but it also gave the younger generation of Goans
an opportunity to experience the Goan heritage through dance, food, art and
literature.
The success
of this show gave further impetus for the GOA to launch a two‑day festival at
the same venue in August 1982. This made a deeper impact on the Canadian
multicultural landscape. The Goan image was further enhanced and GOA earned
notice at the government, provincial and municipal levels.
[Exposure
does have its down side. At a special General Body Meeting held in early 1977
the President, Norbert Lamas read a letter he had received from the Nazi Party
of Canada. The letter gave the GOA until 15 June 1977 to close the association,
failing which the whole committee and their families would be assassinated. The
letter was forward to the Police, who reassured the Executive they had seen
similar letters and that it was intended as a scare tactic.]
INTERNATIONAL GOAN CONVENTION
These two
experiments in cultural festivals provided the springboard for the
International Goan Convention, the brainchild of President Zulema De Souza,
held in Toronto in August 1988. Spread over two weeks, the convention was an
organizational highpoint. The conference part covered academic and business‑related
workshops, presentation of papers on Goan history, literature and architecture.
On the
performing-arts side, a show with some top Goan singers, both local and foreign, well‑known musicians Braz Gonsalves and a
folk troupe, the Gavana Group from Goa, was held at Toronto's prestigious Roy
Thompson Hall, with a concluding two‑day cultural program at Harbourfront.
During the hectic fortnight, there was a gala dance and other minor events.
This
extravaganza was the first of its kind in Goan history. Favourable media
coverage in Canada and elsewhere, particularly Goa, put GOA (Ontario) on top of
the Goan world. Delegates and visitors were amazed at the way the event was planned
and successfully carried out. Herculan Dourado, an ex‑member of Goa's
legislative assembly was forced to remark, "Perhaps Goa is where Goans are."
CARAVAN
The GOA
became the cynosure of Canadian cultural agencies. The organizers of the
Caravan, a ten-day multicultural festival spread around Metro Toronto, invited
GOA to put up a pavilion. The GOA first accepted the challenge during the John
Noronha Presidency, and spearheaded by the Vice-President, Alpoim (Al) Andrade,
the Executive galvanized a whole strata of the Goan community to stage the
maiden appearance of the Panjim Pavilion” in 1990. Al led the repeat
performances in 1991 and 1994. Visitors were treated to a delightful array of
traditional dances such as the Dekhni, Mando, Phugdi, Kunbi Dance, Fisherfolk
Dance, Carnival, Lances, Portuguese Dances; Book Exhibitions, bazaars, and good
old Goan hospitality. The pavilion won awards for hospitality and choreography
in 1990, the Staging Award in 1991, and awards for food and hospitality in
1994. These awards were no mean achievements as many pavilions have competed
for 20 years without winning a single award.
POPE’S VISIT
Pope
John-Paul’s visit on 14 September 1984 was a highlight in the life of the GOA. Under
the Presidency of Savio Barros and spearheaded by the Vice-President Danny
Gomes, the GOA organized a group at a spot along the Papal Motorcade. The
eclectic group of a hundred singers and musician (trumpets, saxophones and
violins) enthralled the crowds and led 600 or so pilgrims into the singing of
hymns from morning to evening - to the delight of the TV crews around. Hazel
Fernandes, the Cultural Secretary, was assigned the honour of being a member of
the Offertory Procession, on behalf of the Goan community, at the Papal Mass
held at the Downview airstrip. The Pope thrilled Goans around the world with
his words “... and I bless the people of Goa...”.
STRUCTURAL CHANGE
Although the
GOA has expanded from a small membership to over 1000, many felt that it was
time to recognize that the GOA was primarily a Toronto organization, and steps
should be taken use our experience to assist other Goans in Ontario form
associations. This became apparent in 1980 with the formation of the Hamilton
Goan Association (HGA). In 1985 the new President, John Nazareth, initiated a
process, with the approval of the General Body, to change the GOA Constitution
to permit the formation of chapters in different parts of Ontario. He also
persuaded the HGA to buy into the process with a view to becoming a chapter of
the GOA. In 1986 the proposed Constitution was approved by the HGA, but
rejected by the GOA General Body because it introduced the concept of allowing
limited voting privileges for non-Goans. Although, the General Body asked the
following Committees to come up with a revised Constitution, the process has
died.
The
International Goan Convention in 1988 had two sets of working sections, one on
National Networking, and another on International Networking. This was made
possible by the attendance of at least a dozen representatives of Goan
organizations from other parts of Canadian and the world. After fruitful
discussions the Canadian associations gave a mandate to the GOA to draw up a
format and a draft constitution for a federation of Goan associations and circulate
them to each association for approval. However, after some sporadic attempts
the whole idea slipped away from the consciousness of all and the Goan
associations in Canada remain a loose confederation with no joint course of
action on national issues.
The
International Networking had a somewhat better fate. The associations likewise
gave the GOA the mandate to formulate rules for circulation to the attendant
associations for an umbrella organization that would reflect the collective
will of the Goan associations around the world. The International Goan
Organization (IGO) was born with the then President of the GOA as convening
secretary, and the Vice-President Al Matthias and Lola Vaz as members. To date
the IGO has held an Academic Conference in Toronto in 1990, and a Youth
Convention in Goa in 1991. However, it has not managed to formulate an
acceptable constitution for approval by the world-wide Goan associations and
its status remains in confusion.
But one
positive area has been unity among Goans in Toronto. In the early days of the
GOA Goans from outside East Africa did not feel a complete sense of belonging;
indeed, many truly believed that GOA stood for "Goans of Africa". It
was never clear how this alienation took place, but some speculation associated
it with the sudden influx of Goans from Uganda. Each successive Executive
Committee tried to foster unity with varying degrees of success. In the last
decade the presidents made a conscious effort to ensure that the Executive had
representation from all regions: Kenya, Bombay, Uganda, Karachi and Tanzania.
(Today this is becoming harder to maintain, because the longer we stay here,
the more we are identified as "Canadian" Goans, and perhaps therein
lies the solution.) The push met with significant success epitomized in the
much closer working relationship developed with the Canorient Christian
Association (an association of pre-dominantly Goans from Pakistan). Indeed,
since 1986 the Goan youth of both associations have been organizing social occasions
jointly, and several debates have been organized jointly. There exists a strong
desire on the part of the membership of both organizations that some unifying
relationship be worked out. It is truly gratifying to see the GOA arrive at its
twenty-fifth anniversary with Goans more united than we have been.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
Goans fill their lives with ballroom dances, family
days, picnics, plays and special functions for their youth, young adults etc..
The most popular functions for the general membership are the Carnival Dance,
Anniversary Dance, Sports Dance, Gold Cup Dance, St Francis Xavier’s Feast,
Christmas Dance, and the New Year’s Eve Ball. These occasions are attended by
the whole strata of Goan society and the turnout is normally between 400 to 1000.
The dances started out being held at various locations around Toronto, but
after the mid-1970s, most of them came to be
held at the Queensway Lions Club of Etobicoke. The trust developed by
our two organizations has significantly alleviated the burden on the GOA
Executives. The Lions Club management has come to know us so well that indeed
Bruce Chandler, the Manager, and Sergio Viglione, the Chef, have become as
important to the GOA as members of the Executive.
The most popular dance in the Association is the New
Year's Eve bash and it growth over the years has presented a real challenge to
the various Executives. In the early 1980s tables had to be numbered to be able
to accommodate the maximum number of people in the main hall. But in 1986 when
the full contingent of 1000 tickets were sold out in a week the GOA had to
think yet again. (The Executive of the day recalls receiving 200 telephone
calls from enraged members.) The Executive managed to persuade the Lions Club
to rent us the adjoining “Bingo” hall for the next year resulting in a record
attendance of 1300 in 1987 - which was exceeded the following year with 1600.
Due to the recession the number has dropped to a still respectable 1200 in 1994
Incredibly, the Goan attachment to the villages of their
ancestors is still strong several generations away from the motherland, and in
recent years the following village feasts were celebrated: Aldona, Anjuna, AVC,
Candolim, Cortalim, Mapusa, Moira, Navelim, Parra, Saligao, Salcete, Siolim and
Tivim. Although these occasions are not organized by the GOA, they have been
nurtured by our Association and it is predominantly our members that manage
them. Religion plays an important part in Goan life and indeed, every
"Village Feast" is associated with a Catholic Saint. However, for
regular worship, Goans choose to join with the society at large and support
their local parishes with the same boundless energy.
YOUTH WING
In most of
the countries that we had come from, the Goan community were blessed with
clubhouses that were used by our youth to interact with each other.
Furthermore, in the years before 1960 the races/religions did not mix as freely
as we do today. In either case, our youth got a chance to meet each other and
absorb our culture. In Canada, this changed on both counts. Thus it was now
important to find ways to get our children to meet each other or else they
would soon meet all others but our own, that they would shed our Goan culture
not because of any bad aspects, but because of a lack of opportunity to learn.
The inaugural
“Teenagers Dance” was organized by Armand Rodrigues on 29 May during the
Presidency of Martin J.C. Rodrigues. In 1978 a youth wing was started, and in
1982 it was formalized under a Youth Development Secretary. Within a short time
of taking flight, the youths showed remarkable progress - during the first two
years the average attendance for its social functions rose to 300. The success
of the youths set off another stream in 1986 ‑ the Young Adults committee. Both
groups have grown from strength to
strength.
In 1985, the
youths organized a fashion show. The show was so impressive that a wonder‑struck
Mayor Jackson of Vaughan remarked: "How do you manage to get your youths
to work together so well!". In 1987, they put up Tonight at Eight, an
entertainment programme featuring dances, music and a famous musical. In 1988
they presented several features at the International Goan Convention. In 1989
Warren Lobo spearheaded a performing arts group, under the wings of the GOA,
called Goans On Stage that has put on three successful shows at Markham
Theatre: “The King and I”, “The Sound of
Music”, and the most recent (1994) “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
SENIORS GROUP
The GOA has
been holding the annual Ladainhas for the Seniors for years. But the impact of
the GOA is much deeper than is apparent at first glance. The GOA nurtured the
activities of the Seniors to the extent that, together with the Canorient, it
was responsible for the formation of the East and West End Seniors. The strength
of these associations can be attested to by the seniors. However, the
achievement is a mixed blessing as it has resulted in the GOA’s loss of the
services of some brilliant organizers; the names of Frank De Souza and Theo
Gomes in particular come to mind.
WELFARE
Expounding
the activities of the GOA in this field is difficult as the details have always
remained discreet for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say that the association
started regularly providing help for the needy and/or troubled in the Goan community
(be they members of the GOA or not) from the mid-1970s. The help has taken the
form of financial/personal support/mental. The program is particularly helpful
in cases where people fall between the cracks in the public system. In one
instance a widowed mother of two children approached the GOA for help to assist
her buy a typewriter to keep herself employed. The GOA worked with her and she
ended up seeing her children through university. Today she is a strong
supporter of the GOA. In another instance when a couple was in trouble, several
members of the Executive and their spouses took turns cooking meals for the
family for weeks until all was well. Every Executive could give similar
examples.
In 1988
thanks to the efforts of the then Vice-President, Al Matthias, the association
finally managed to register a charitable foundation with Revenue Canada called
the Goan Charitable Organization (GCO). Today the GCO is the main body for
providing financial assistance to the needy in the Goan community. The GCO is
headed by the Board of Trustees of the GOA.
GOAN CULTURAL CENTRE
Since the
beginning of the GOA, members were keen on having their own community centre.
The first actual proposal for a Centre was made by Dr Tony Lopes at the 1973
AGM and enthusiastically approved. A Building Committee was formed and studies
begun. In 1978 a detailed study was produced by the Chairman, Percy De
Souza. In 1983-84 a pledge campaign was
begun, and offers started being placed on prospective properties. Finally in
late a 9500 sq ft building was purchased at Canmotor Avenue in Etobicoke. An
extensive campaign was launched to convert the pledges to cash; today about 40%
of the membership has contributed by the purchase of bonds or donations. The
building generated a lot of excitement, but zoning difficulties resulted in the
building being sold (at a profit) in 1987.
For the next
two years the project became stalled again. Then in 1989 a 10‑acre parcel of
land with a 2000‑sq ft house on it was purchased at Kirby Side Road, a short
distance away from the famous amusement park, Canada's Wonderland. However, in
1992 the Provincial Government exploded a bombshell by proposing a Dumpsite
close to the location. This, together with the severe recession since 1990, put
a freeze on the GOA’s development plans. Under the circumstances the GOA has
done a valiant job in maintaining the financial strength of the association in
trying times. The dumpsite plans are expected to finalized in the near future
and this will allow the GOA to progress with the project.
The GOA is
indebted to many who have served in the Building Committees through trying
times, and in particular Darrell Carvalho, Osmond Remedios and Ralph De Souza.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
It is a
common misconception that the Executive Committee (EC) consists of a ruling
clique, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, over the last
ten years, over 60% of each EC elected had never served in the EC prior to
election. This is a strength and a weakness: a strength in that it has involved
a large segment of the community in the running of the Association, a weakness
in that inexperience results in more errors made. The large number of people
involved with the EC also attests to the desire on the part of the Goan community
to perform volunteer service, and the experience gained has been used in
Canadian society at large, whether it be in local church parishes, at work, or
in charitable organizations.
The GOA has
encouraged the participation of the Youth in all parts of the organization over
the years. It has also encouraged the involvement of women, no doubt influenced
by the women’s revolution in Canada. These changes were embodied in the
rule-change in 1981 whereby dependants over 18 years and spouses of members
were accorded equal voting privileges. These changes had a exhilarating impact
on the make-up of the EC. For example, prior to 1981, the proportion of women
in the EC was on average less than 5%; in the last decade this proportion has
risen to 45%! Likewise the proportion of Youth in the EC has risen from 10% to
over 30% in the same period.
From this
large group of volunteers the membership, and indeed the Goan community at
large, has received an immeasurable benefit. A special thanks is due to a
number of individuals for their years of service: [the late] Victor Abreu -
Treasurer, Lydia Nazareth - Social Secretary, Alvito Fernandes and Anthony
Mascarenhas - several portfolios. Thanks to Anthony the primary records of the
GOA - the minutes of the General Body Meetings - are in good order, and this
was invaluable in producing the history of the Association. Ivan Araujo was
also responsible for a major change in the way the accounts of the GOA are
presented.
THE PRESIDENTS
When the GOA
was first started, the Founder Members wanted to emphasize that this was an
association for all Goans. This was reflected in the choice of the first five
presidents: Joe De Souza hailed from Pakistan, Neves Menezes - from Kenya,
Martin A. Rodrigues - from India, Romero Dias - from Tanzania, and Martin J.
Rodrigues - from Uganda. It is these first five Presidents that we thank for
the survival and growth of the Association.
Joe De Souza (1st & 2nd President):
Joe came to Canada in 1966 and soon established a Driving School that he runs to
this day. He also has been a disc-jockey and hence is known affectionately as
“Jitterbug Joe”. His daring outlook (going into private business was extremely
rare for Goans in those days), is perhaps what those founder members felt the
nascent GOA needed.
Neves Menezes (3rd & 9th President):
Neves had a major impact on the general direction of the GOA in the first dozen
years, being instrumental in several changes to the Constitution. In his
tenures the emblems of the Association were chosen, the first cultural festival
at Harbourfront was held, and thanks to him, spouses and dependent members have
been able to take part in the Committees.
Martin A. Rodrigues (4th President):
Martin’s Executive was tested with having to respond to the Uganda crisis. That
the young association was able to help many, a couple of whom immediately
joined his Sports Committee, is a testimony to the tenacity of his Executive.
Romero Dias (5th & 6th President):
Romero was the guideline light in the first constitution of the GOA. He was
also established the formats of the General Body Meetings and Executive
Committee Meetings, much of which have remained to this day.
Martin J. Rodrigues (7th President): In an unassuming way Martin’s tenure ushered
in two important events: the staging of the first Youth Dance, and the first
Konkani Thiatr.
Norbert Lamas (8th President): Norbert was
renowned as the Law and Order president; in his presidency the affairs of the
GOA were put in good stead. He has been the only one to rent an office for the
GOA, and for a while it was easy to manage the affairs of the association. This
was an important achievement as the phenomenal growth in the GOA (from 140 in
1970 to 700 in 1976) put strains on the administrative abilities of the young
organization.
Savio Barros (10th, 11th, 15th & 19th President):
Savio has been elected president more often than any other person in the first
25 years; whenever the GOA has been in dire need, Savio was always there to
offer his services. His Executive was the first to begin the pledge campaign
for the Building, and the first to start putting offers for buildings (in 1984)
after years of discussions at meetings.
Alcino Rodrigues (12th & 13th President):
Alcino, a renowned athlete, had been responsible for enhancing the stature of
the Track & Field competition in the GOA prior to his presidency. He
represents the first sports person of the Association to take the reins of
running the general affairs of the GOA; others have followed in his footsteps.
His Executive was responsible for enhancing the Scholarship and Welfare Funds.
Zulema De Souza (14th & 17th President):
Zulema, the first [and sole] female president to date, has been the most
dynamic president the GOA has had in its first twenty-five years. It is through
her energies that the first International Goan Convention was held. In her
tenure youth activities were increased substantially. Her Executive was
responsible for registering the Goan Charitable Organization and fostering the
birth of the International Goan Organization.
John Nazareth (16th President): Elected at
37, John has been one of the youngest presidents to date and perhaps for this
reason the youth felt particularly empowered in his term. In his tenure the GOA
and Canorient started the tradition of hosting joint Youth functions. His
Executive was also instrumental in purchasing the GOA’s first building and
starting the major drive of collecting funds for the project.
John Noronha (18th President): John’s
Executive spearheaded the first entry of the GOA into Caravan. In his tenure
the current building at Kirby Side Road was purchased and his Executive was
responsible for reviving the fund-raising drive. He has also been instrumental
in re-negotiating the Building mortgages on several occasions to lower the carrying
costs.
Errol Francis (19th President): Errol, the
current president, is a person with a flair and this has been reflected in all
the occasions arranged by his Executive. The major achievement of his tenure
has been raising sufficient funds to keep our building project afloat during a
severe recession and through the difficulties due to a potential dump site
which prevents us from developing the
property.
PULSE
One of the
most observable signs of progress of the GOA has been the newsletter, which has
evolved from a few typewritten sheets in the early years to the newsmagazine we
have today. The editors who shepherded the biggest changes to the newsletter
over the years have been Armand Rodrigues and Eugene Correa. An honourable
mention is due to Michael Sequeira, whose printing quality in 1975 was more
than a decade ahead of its time. In 1984 Bonny Andrade recognized that the
transformation of the newsletter called for name; through a contest he
organized that year the name “The Pulse of the GOA” was selected. The young
team currently producing the Pulse headed by Christine Gomes also deserve to be
commended for their excellence.
At one time
the newsletter used to be published monthly, but as a result of the quantum
increase in postal rates in the early 1980s and the increase in cost due to the
improvements in the printing quality, the frequency of the newsletter has been
reduced to quarterly. The Pulse has become a model for Goan associations around
the globe.
SPORTS
As borne by
the fact that the seed for the GOA was sown on the playground of field hockey,
sports continue to play an important role in the social milieu of Goans. Every
time we think that’s it for hockey. A new group of young players get
interested. The GOA has perhaps contributed more players to the Ontario
provincial teams than any other organization.
A special
mention to a few people Leo Lopes for encouraging young people to play, Charlie
De Souza who has trained several teams to produce national class players,
Astrid De Souza and Philandro Fernandes for years of time contributed to
hockey, Donat De Souza for remaining in the premier GOA team from 1970 to
today, Rocky Barretto (mentioned before), and David Nazareth for enhancing the
standing of the GOA through his refereeing.
Denis Pereira
(then VP Sports) and Anthony Braganza (Sports Secretary) are remembered with
awe for producing the most memorable Gold Cup Tournament ever in 1986. The
excitement was generated by the presence of two teams from Bombay (Tata Sports
Club, and Catholic Gymkhana) that included several India National Team players,
and Mombasa Institute, which was here on a Sports Visit. The tournament
attracted the largest number of spectators (over 2000 watched the finals) of
any field hockey tournament in Ontario to date and the associated Gold Cup
Dance was also attended by a record 1500 people.
GOANS IN THE MAINSTREAM
In
his novel Flight to Canada, the American writer Ishmael Reed alludes to Canada
as the Promised Land to many fleeing slaves in the last century. As we reflect
on the quarter-century of the association, we Goans can earnestly say that
Canada has indeed been the promised land to us. This is so because it provides
the opportunities and ideals that we as a community hold dear to ourselves. On
perusing the book The 49th Paradox - a book on the Canadian psyche by Richard
Gwyn - it becomes obvious that Canadians and Goans share an uncanny number of
strengths, weaknesses, convictions and aspirations resulting from our respective historical legacies. Consequently,
it is not surprising that we have joined the Canadian mainstream in most ways
so quickly. We have in our numbers doctors, lawyers, accountants, nurses,
teachers, engineers and proprietors of whom over 40% are in management or the
professions - a statistic above the national average. We count among our numbers in Ontario:
Fred D'Silva: owner of Bradsil, which ranks among the
top construction firms in Canada.
Errol Francis: President of Canadian Holidays, a
subsidiary of Canadian Airlines.
Eric de Souza: President of Monarch Plastics.
Joe Castellino: [former] Vice‑President, Finance, for
Beaver Lumber.
Paul Fernandes [the late]: First coloured person to be appointed an Inspector in the
Metro Police Force.
Frank Fernandes [the late]: premier fingerprinting
expert in North America. Inspector-in-charge, Peel Regional Police.
Rev. Fr. Terence de Souza: (Roman Catholic) Parish
priest and [former] Separate School Board Trustee
Ayres Couto, Q.C.: First Indian to be appointed as a
High Court Judge
Rudy Fernandes: Vice-President Marketing, Ciba-Geigi
Hubert Pereira: President, Medigas
Danny Gomes: Controller, Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto
Cellie Gonsalves: [former] Vice-President Marketing,
Royal Trust; (now Senior V-P, Hong-Kong Bank in BC)
Osmond Remedios: Vice President, Crang & Boake
Architects
Joe D'Silva: Vice-President, Richardson Greenshield
Anthony J Fernandes: [former] Assistant Vice-President,
Manufacturer’s Hanover Bank
Fiona Pinto: Director of Marketing & Communications,
Dynamic Mutual Funds
Elma Lobo: Director of Human Resources, Region of Peel
Dr. Bernard Fernandes: Head of Hematopathogy & Blood
Transfusion Services - Mount Sinai Hospital, Associate Professor and Program
Director for Laboratory Hematology - University of Toronto.
Dr. Vincent de Sa: Chief of Paediatrics, Fort MacArthur
General Hospital, Thunder Bay
Dr. Charles Luna [the late]: Chief of Psychiatry,
Queensway General Hospital
Dr. Terence D'Souza: Chief of Cytology, Henderson
General Hospital
Vincent Machado: Professor of Botany, University of
Guelph
N. Waggle: Professor of History, University of Toronto
Joe D'Cruz: Professor, Management Studies, University of
Toronto
Addriane-ann De Souza, Joe D'Souza, Nobert D'Souza,
Xavier A. Noronha, Denis Pereira, Toni Freeman, ‑ Principals (current and
former) at various schools.
Norman DaCosta: Sports Columnist, Toronto Star
Hubert de Santana: Journalist (Has had articles
published in Reader’s Digest, Maclean’s, En Route, among other.)
Andrew Cardozo: Former President of the Canadian
Ethnocultural Association, Journalist.
Dr. Colin Saldanha: President - Canadian Association of
Police Boards, Chair - Peel Police Services Board, [former] President - Peel
Multicultural Council.
Ladis da Silva [the late]: Artist and author of several
books.
Henry Lobo: Artist
Alex Tavares: Artist
Raul de Furtado (the late): Author, journalist
And
this is by no means an exhaustive list. In 1985 the Executive conferred
Honorary Membership on Lata Mangueshkar who had just performed a charity
concert to raise funds for the United Way. The award was in recognition of a
great Goan[4] performing an important charitable function
for Ontario. All this, and we have been here for just 25 years.
The
GOA is shepherding the rise of a confident
and aggressive community, and the years ahead will see us participating more
vigorously in the last frontier ‑
politics. The GOA has encouraged its members to involve themselves in all
levels of politics. We have among our models Keith Vaz - MP in the UK
Parliament, Norberto D’Costa - former Prime Minister of Portugal in the late
1970s, and [the late] Pio Gama Pinto - former MP in the Kenya Parliament, who
have shown us what Goans can accomplish in their adopted countries. The seeds
of the future tree are apparent when we see people like Milu Rodrigues - who is
Assistant Mayor in Amherst NS, Prof. Emile Carasco - who was the NDP candidate
in Windsor in the last Federal Election, Len Cardozo - who is the President of
the Federal Liberal Association in the riding of Sergio Marchi, the Federal Minister,
and some of our members who have joined with members of the Canorient to form
the CAN-GO Liberals, an association to assist various Liberal candidates on an
organized basis.
THE FUTURE
So what lies
ahead for Goans and the GOA? Like Canadians at large, we are trying to increase
the awareness of our heritage, secure in the knowledge that this will make us
good Canadians. The GOA will continue to grow as long as it continues to serve
the needs of its community. The current severe recession has hit our community
and the GOA Building Project hard. But, when we see the number of our youth
draw from the association the strength to serve the nation we know that we have
succeeded in our primary quest. In this light these struggles are only a
setback, and perhaps the harder the adversity, the sweeter will be the fruits
of success. May God bless the GOA - and Canada for giving us a place to grow.
John Nazareth
Written in 1995
[1] N.B. The minutes of the meeting state that 23
attended, but a name count of the attendance sheet indicates 24.
[2] Armand Rodrigues, one of the early promoters,
was absent from the meeting as he was expecting a birth of a different kind -
that of his son Bruce.
[4] Lata Mangueshkar hails from Manguesh in the
Goan taluka of Ponda. She is India’s most famous singer of Hindi songs, and is
regognized in the Guiness Book of Records as the recording artist with the
largest number of recordings in the world.
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