By: CHRIS GRAEME
THE WIFE of former Portugal President Mário Soares, Maria Barroso Soares, and entrepreneur, business mogul and art collector Joe Berardo were among the guests at this year’s Canada Day embassy party in Lisbon.
The event, held at the Canadian Ambassador’s Residence in Lapa, was hosted by the Canadian ambassador to Portugal, Anne-Marie Bourcier, and her husband and career diplomat Jean-Guy St-Martin.
Canada Day, Fête du Canada, formerly Dominion Day, is Canada’s national day celebrated annually throughout the nation and abroad.
The occasion marks the joining of the former British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces on July 1, 1867.
However, although Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date, the British parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed in stages over the decades until the last vestiges were ended in 1982 with the Constitution Act.
Canada and Portugal have shared historical, political and trade links for 500 years since the time of the Discoverers when Gaspar Corte Real received a license in 1500 from King Dom Manuel I authorising him to seek out a maritime route to India. In 1501 he arrived at Terra Nova, while by 1504 Portuguese fishermen fished along the Terra Nova and Labrador coast.
This year is important for Canada which will celebrate and participate in the 400th anniversary commemorations for the founding of Quebec.
Career woman
Other important guests at the cocktail and buffet party included the Executive Director of Estoril Sol, Choi Man Hin and his wife Fong Miuleng, and Lieutenant Colonel Tim Greenwood, (J-5-50 Operational Planning) from NATO’s Joint HQ Lisbon.
Ambassador Anne-Marie Bourcier took up her post in Lisbon in 2007 after serving as Canadian Ambassador to Finland from October 2005-September 2007.
She has a Masters Degree in Social Sciences and Sociology from Ottawa University (1973) and her career has been dedicated to international events for 25 years, occupying various public service posts in Canada including the Canadian Agency for International Development.
She has also worked at the Canadian Foreign Office as Director-General of Africa Services and has been involved in Development issues in Central and West Africa, Magreb, Asia and the Americas. Anne-Marie Bourcier has two grown-up children.
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