He may not be as famous as Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, global explorers Vasco de Gama and Magellan, or renown author Luís de Camões, but this Portuguese-Canadian from Chatham certainly made a remarkable impression in Southwestern Ontario.
António Joaquim Pereira Alves do Forno was posthumously inducted into the Portuguese-Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto at the end of May.
Do Forno died in October.
Walk of Fame officials said he was a pioneering community leader whose tireless service shaped the Portuguese community of Southwestern Ontario for over four decades.
"António built a legacy of leadership, entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation," said Walk of Fame officials.
Do Forno was born in Portugal in 1935 and emigrated to Canada in 1966.
Do Forno co-founded the Portuguese Canadian Social Club of Chatham in 1971 and served as its first president, represented Portuguese Canadians for over 20 years on the the Portuguese government's advisory body on policies relating to emigration and the Portuguese communities abroad, and was appointed Honorary Consul of Portugal in Canada in 1998.
He also established Portuguese language programs across Chatham and surrounding communities and secured funding from both the Portuguese and Canadian governments to preserve Portuguese heritage in Chatham and Leamington.
He founded and operated Forno’s Travel Agency for over 30 years, served as a provincially appointed Notary Public for four decades, volunteered with the Knight of Columbus for over 40 years, and helped establish the annual Nossa Senhora de Fátima festivities in Chatham.
His contributions were widely recognized in Portugal, Canada, and Ontario.
"Words cannot express how proud and happy I am for my father to receive this acknowledgement. While I wish he could have been here to receive it himself, this is an acknowledgement of the amazing life of community that he did for over 40 years for the Portuguese community in Southwestern Ontario," said his son Paul do Forno.
June 10 is Portugal Day.
