The Portuguese flag was raised at the Bradford West Gwillimbury courthouse, celebrating Portugal Week and recognizing the contributions of its citizens of Portuguese heritage.
“The Portuguese have been tremendous literal builders of this country,” said York-Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan at a flag-raising event Saturday. “We’re very proud of that entrepreneurialism, that hard work and sense of family.”
His words were echoed by BWG Mayor Rob Keffer, who acknowledged “how important the Portuguese community has been to Bradford,” and how it has shared its culture, through community events, religious festivals, and the Portuguese Cultural Centre of Bradford, which was established in 1983.
The crowd, dressed in the red and green colours of Portugal and waving flags, sang both the Canadian and Portuguese national anthems, as the mayor, joined by BWG councillors Ron Orr, Raj Sandhu, Peter Dykie Jr. and Gary Lamb, proclaimed June 9-16 as Portugal Week in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Emceeing the event was Danny Viveiros, who spoke of the honour of raising the Portuguese flag in the town and “celebrating everyone’s nationalities here.”
Viveiros dedicated the flag raising to three members of the Portuguese community currently in hospital and unable to attend in person — Feliciano Fereira, Marco Fernandes and Luis Reis.
After the flag raising, organizers invited everyone to enjoy refreshments, hot dogs, bifanas, or pork sandwiches, and cake.