Guyana Cultural Association of Montreal

IT ALL STARTED HERE

In 1966 a number of Guyanese had an idea; bring together all Guyanese who live in Montreal to protect and maintain their culture.

During a conversation with the High Commissioner of Guyana to Canada, the Hon. Neville Selman, the idea of forming an Association to promote the interests of Guyanese was discussed.

A few weeks after that conversation, fourteen people who shared the same idea met for the first time, elections were held and Willie Wright became the interim chairman.

Another meeting was held to discuss the process of forming the Association, and a constitution committee was appointed. It included Erwin Stewart, Patrick Machley, Wilfred Lee and Claude Ferdinand.

In the spring of 1967, Guyanese assembled at a hall in Little Burgundy where they held an election, and the birth of Guyana Cultural Association of Montreal was celebrated.

The persons who were elected to run the Association were Erwin Stewart, the first president of GCAM, Vashty Cramer, Secretary and Wilfred Lee, treasurer. And the Association has thrived. Today, GCAM is still as strong as ever.

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana Is a country on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana has been a former colony of the British, Dutch and for a brief period, the French. It is the only country of the Commonwealth of Nations on mainland South America, and is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which has its secretariat headquarters in Guyana's capital, Georgetown. Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966 and became a Republic on 23 February 1970.

Historically, the region known as "Guayana" was the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and East of the Orinoco River. Five sub-regions were carved out of the landmass by colonial powers in the late 17th and early 18th century: Spanish Guiana, Portuguese Guiana, British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and the present French overseas department of French Guiana. Historic Guyana is made up of three Dutch colonies: Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. Modern Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean.

Area 83,012 sp mi (215,000 km2), Guyana is the third-smallest independent country on the mainland of South America (after Uruguay and Suriname). Its population is approximately 770,000. It is one of the five non-Spanish-speaking countries on the continent, along with Brazil (Portuguese), Suriname (Dutch), the Falkland Islands (English) and French Guiana (French).


	web page by cedric@cedbec.com © 2004 Guyanese Community Contact-Sponsored by Guyana Cultural Association of Montreal.