Honouring the Navy & Armed Forces
The Portuguese Canadian Seniors Foundation is honouring those who served in the Navy and Armed Forces with a Festa da Marinha & Forças Armadas. This is a wonderful way to support those who fought for our safety and freedom. If you would like to attend this festa and/or have a family member who served in Portugal’s Navy and Armed Forces, see below for contact information to purchase tickets.
Contact: For tickets & to reserve seating call Maria Viegas at 604.327.1010 during the week between the hours of 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm.
Address: 5455 Imperial St, Burnaby, BC
Website: PCSF
A Little History Lesson
Did you know that the Portuguese Navy has a long history going all the way back to the 12th century? It is one of the oldest and still active navies in all the world. The Portuguese Navy was influential during voyages such as the Age of Discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries. As a result, Portugal led many explorations and discoveries that gave our country its strong presence on the world stage. It also resulted in the production of sophisticated ships such as the caravel, carracks and galleon that made Portugal the envy of other countries.
More recently, the Navy was involved in both World Wars. In World War I, its main roles were “to defend the ports of Mainland Portugal and of the Portuguese North Atlantic Isles (the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde), [especially] against naval mines and U-boat attacks.” During World War II, the Portuguese Navy remained mostly neutral and defended Portugal’s neutrality at sea and air as well as participating in a number of humanitarian missions. However, this neutral stance did not prevent Portugal from submarine attacks from the Germans or the bombing of the Macau Naval Air Station by the Americans.
Today, the Portuguese Navy fulfils a dual role. They conduct naval combat missions and perform necessary coast guard operations. In addition, the Portuguese Navy partakes in missions as part of their international commitments mainly with NATO.
Source: Wikipedia