“CASA de G.O.A.”
(Goans around the world are celebrating the achievement
and the celebratory opening of Casa de G.O.A in Toronto. It continues a
tradition Goans have achieved in most countries they have called home … as
early as the mid 1800s. Blessings, always.)
What an amazing feat
for the Toronto Goan Overseas Association. After half a century, our dynamic
leader, President Selwyn Collaco, his dedicated committee and an army of
volunteers have brought us to new heights, a significant and epic moment of
progress!
As a founding member,
a committee member and a volunteer in the early years, I feel a sense of deep
relief and joy. Our early most difficult
years, in the sixties and seventies, of intense effort and vision were not in
vain.
As we watched the Inaugural Opening of “CASA de
G.O.A.” from around the globe, Canada’s leaders recognized our Goan community
with such high respect, we felt a deep sense of pride and belonging, as our
ancestors did in Africa and India. The
Goan community deserve to be on the Canada Census as “GOANS” finally! This effort achieved by President Selwyn and
his committee! Canada’s leaders showed
their authentic recognition of our Goan community with words such as “…active
and engaged community that has made lasting and important contributions to our
city and region…” “Your contributions have enriched our culture and energized
the economy…” “Thank you for connecting & serving fellow Ontarians through
your community service.”
These meaningful words
have shown us how we have made significant progress in these fifty-plus years
of existence. In the early sixties and
seventies, our founding visionary father, Roque Barretto used innovative ways
to bring Goans from across Canada together, a difficult task for us new
immigrants who were trying to assimilate in a new country in the sixties. He made a significant plea, in a major Toronto
newspaper, with a key advertisement call.
In response to this call, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
telephoned Roque and inquired about the reason for the meeting, the location,
and most of all the RCMP wanted to know more about the Goans! The difference of the perception of the Goans
in the sixties, vastly differs with the perceptions of who the Goans are in
2021 – Progress indeed!
Through
Roque’s persistence, with assistance from the two other founding fathers in the
sixties, Wilfred Monteiro and Aloysius Vaz, and numerous founding members, the
quest to form the G.O.A. continued with passion. Roque Barretto personally financed and shouldered
the liability costs for initial rentals of halls (when our apartments could no
longer hold meetings). He also personally financed the Ontario Provincial and
Canadian registration fees for the flagship field hockey teams in the early
formative years. The founding Goan
Overseas Association Men’s and Women’s Field Hockey Teams provided the momentum
for the formation of the G.O.A. These
were immeasurable efforts by our founding fathers, now leading to our exquisite
“CASA de G.O.A.”. This is indeed progress.
President Selwyn, his
committee members and numerous volunteers and their families have carried the
torch with their years of sacrifice and passion. This has culminated into a major transformation
of the structure at 20 Strathearn Avenue, Unit 5, Brampton, Ontario, Canada. An
empty structure has turned into a meticulously- designed home, so magnificent
and warm, the warmth even transcending the waves across the globe.
The past presidents
and committees, the founding fathers and members, and in particular, President Selwyn’s
paternal aunt, the most dynamic first Goan Overseas Association woman leader,
President Zulema de Souza must feel ecstatic that their continued decades of personal
sacrifices and passion were not all in vain.
As my family and I
watched the hoisting of the G.O.A. flag next to the Canadian flag high above
our Province and our beautiful, adopted country, Canada, we were spellbound in
a deep sense of joy. Our early days of struggle were well-worth the effort. Progress
was indeed in the making.
We reminisced about
the first time our late father, Lazarus Fernandes, who was a most patriotic and
dynamic founding member of the Goan Overseas Association, talked with the
founding fathers about forming a Goan Association. He played a key advisory role in the sixties,
to the founding fathers (two of them being his cousins) in the formation of the
Goan Overseas Association. He had
significant expertise in Goan organizations and the formation of Goan
newspapers in Africa and India. Lazarus
Fernandes, in his vision, in the early days, proposed that our newly formed
Goan Overseas Association should have a flag, which would be a symbol of
spirit, strength, stability and progress. This resolution was eventually passed
at the founding meeting. Our father would have been supremely overjoyed at the
sight of our majestic GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION flag flying high above in our
great country, Canada! “CASA de G.O.A.” - a sure sign of progress!
Thank you to our
President, Selwyn and your family for your vision, your patriotism, your
strength, your zeal, your authenticity and acclaimed ethical values. Thank you to your highly dedicated and
hard-working committee members and their families for their numerous hours of
selfless hours of service to our G.O.A. community. Thank you to our army of
amazing volunteers who provided their esteemed expertise so spontaneously to
our organization. Your decades of effort
have led to our significant progress. You have taken us to a new highly
innovative level!
The words of our most
admired Indian Prime Minister, the late Mahatma Gandhi, resonate loudly in “CASA
de G.O.A.”.
“If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new
history. We must add to the inheritance left by our ancestors.”
Mitelia I. Paul, Ed.D, OCT, NBCT
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