On Wednesday 16 October, 2024 the Libraries hosted a reception sponsored by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Portuguese Canadian History Project, a successful collaboration between researchers from York University's Department of History, University of Toronto and archivists from the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections.
The event, which included dignitaries representing all levels of the Portuguese government in Canada, also launched a travelling exhibit, Movimento Perpétuo: The Portuguese Diaspora in Canada, curated by Dr. Gilberto Fernandes and featuring work that draws heavily from the archival holdings at York.
Dean Joseph Hafner was on hand along with fellow Dean, JJ McMurtry, and Director of Development, Tom McLagan, to welcome the Consul-General of Portugal in Toronto, Ana Luísa Riquito, the Ambassador of Portugal to Canada, António Leão Rocha, and the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, José Cesário. Invited guests came as far as Portugal, Winnipeg and Ottawa.
The event celebrated the continued success of the Libraries collaboration with three former PhD students: Dr. Gilberto Fernandes, Dr. Susana Miranda, and Dr. Raph Costa, who were recommended by Marcel Martel to approach Michael Moir, university archivist, about helping with archival records the students had found in the Portuguese-Canadian Community during their doctoral research. Through their strong community ties and trust-building arose a rich and dynamic project that has preserved knowledge and fostered community engagement.
The Portuguese Canadian History Project has been operating for 15 years now and has resulted in the acquisition of well over 100 metres of archival material that reflects the experience of Portuguese-speaking immigrants and settlers in the GTA and Canada broadly. Since 2010, Anna St.Onge has contributed to the PCHP to accession and describe many of the donated archives. These include the records of community organizations, political exiles, historians, organizers, working class poets, and labour unions who organized and represented Portuguese cleaners, textile workers, and hotel staff.
The event was held in the Digital Scholarship Centre adjacent to the Making and Media Creation Lab which lends out recording equipment and provides recording space for students and faculty, resources that the PCHP has used to build the current travelling exhibit. The evening wrapped up in the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections where visitors were able to view original documents featured in the exhibit.
The reception was facilitated by Tom McLagan, director of development, with the details and logistics led by Marijana Gmitrovic, external events coordinator at LA&PS.