CAIXA PORTUGUESA DESJARDINS

Nº OF MEETING: XVIII

YEAR OF 2015

The Caixa Portuguesa Desjardins was founded on 8th January, 1969, by a group of Portuguese people living in Montreal, led by José das Neves Rodrigues, Jorge Trindade and later, Carlos Silva.

In order to operate, the Caixa had to contract a loan of $25,000 from the Federação das Caixas de Economia Desjardins in Quebec, and today has assets of about $167.000.000 and close to 5,500 members.

The Caixa occupied two different premises before its current installations were inaugurated in June, 1980, in the centre of the Portuguese neighbourhood. Over the years, the Caixa has supported associations, clubs, schools, folk groups, philharmonic bands, and, in recent years, has provided university and college scholarships to its members. It is an unrivalled organisation in Canada, as an economic and social cooperative, accomplishing its objectives and carrying out its operations so as to favour its members in the management of their savings and application of credit.

It is within this context that the Casa dos Açores do Quebec (CAQ) [the Azores Cultural Centre in Quebec] has had the privilege of being the target of financial support, numerous times and in many different ways.

This is the reason why the Conselho Mundial das Casas dos Açores (CMCA) [the World Council of the Azores Cultural Centres], as proposed by the current presidency, the CAQ, has decided to award the Caixa Portuguesa Desjardins with the Institutional Medal of Merit, for the continuous contribution it has made to the Portuguese community in Montreal, and the Azorean community in particular, of which the CAQ is part.

The Medal of Merit was received, in the name of the Caixa Portuguesa Desjardins, by the President of the Administrative Board, Emanuel Linhares.