Carlos César stressed on Monday the importance of the tribute paid by the Toronto City Hall to the Azorean Community of Ontario which named the street where the House of the Azores is located as “House of the Azores Way.”

The President of the Regional Government presided over the ceremony, which was attended by the Mayor of Toronto City Hall, Rob Ford, several personalities from local and provincial political sectors as well as by dozens of people who were not intimidated by pouring rain and some snow, and urged the community for the need to demonstrate that it is worthy of such distinctions.

“We need that others say that the Portuguese are an active community, that the Portuguese defend themselves and that the Portuguese have built something new and dynamic in a society that encompasses different backgrounds and nationalities, which have made the city of Toronto into the capital of multiculturalism,” stated Carlos César.

Reiterating his belief that it was a deserved tribute that also honours the Azoreans living in the archipelago, Carlos César said that “it is good that younger generations do everything possible to deserve and honour it in the future.”

Furthermore, the President of the Government also left words of encouragement to a community that, like the others around the world, gives him great joy whenever he visits it.

“All these moments give meaning to my duties; they give me the certainty that, in addition to the Government duties in the Azores, our responsibilities go beyond them and those who live there.” 

Hence, in difficult moments, such as the one the world is facing, “we have to spend less time complaining about what is right and to waste no more time on creating our beliefs and envisaging how everything should be,” stressed Carlos César.

Despite explaining that it was not his intention to interfere in local politics, the President of the Government reiterated his call, urging those attending to participate in local and provincial elections taking place on May 2 “because the act of voting is not only in self-defence - which is already very good and very important - but it is also an act of citizenship that will honour and strength the community.”

In addition, Carlos César also warned of the possibility that some politicians may not give due attention to the Portuguese community as they might think that the Portuguese do not vote and for that reason, as he suggested, they should make themselves heard and, therefore, becoming active Canadian citizens.
 
This last act of Carlos César’s two-day visit to Toronto also marked the unofficial presentation of the recently created Folklore Group of the House of the Azores of Ontario which is composed by musicians and dancers aged between 16 and 60 years.