Magellan Community Charities – FOUNDING MEMBERS
Manuel DaCosta
Manuel founded Viana Roofing and Sheet Metal in 1984 and currently employs over 100 staff mostly from Portuguese background, which is a construction and restoration company undertaking industrial, commercial and residential work. He has also founded JDC Property management group in 2001, which is a development and property management company, in construction and management of commercial and residential buildings, including condominium and residential properties. In 2011 he founded SIT Properties to develop and manage commercial and residential properties, with emphasis, also in the entertainment industry. Manuel is the original founder and builder of the Portuguese-Canadian Walk of Fame, which was created to recognize Portuguese-Canadians who have made substantial contributions to the enhancement of Portuguese culture within Canada. The Portuguese -Canadian Walk of Fame just celebrated its 7th year.
Jack A. Prazeres
Jack started in the Masonry industry in 1983 and from 2008 to 2014 he was President and/or director of Masonry Contractors Association of Toronto. From 2011 to the present he was Chair and/or director of Masonry Worx. In 2011 he founded Senso Group Building Supplies, a supplier of masonry, landscaping and drywall materials servicing the GTA. Jack was the Publisher of the Portuguese Post Newspaper and is currently publisher of Senso Magazine. From 2006 to 2007, he was a Director of Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Jack was also a Member of the Peel Police Services Board from 2017 to 2019. He was on the board of MPAC from 2015 to 2017. Jack is Chair of Community Living Mississauga’s Tribute Dinner and President of Luso Canadian Charitable Society. Jack is a recipient of both the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Award and the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. Jack was also awarded the Order of Portugal- Commendador in 2010.
John P. Ferreira
John is a real estate lawyer in Toronto whose practice involves real estate acquisitions, dispositions and financings. He has been a director of the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals, the Portuguese Canadian Lawyers Association, and a number of other community organizations. Most recently, John served as a director on the board of the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario, until its merger with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. John is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Oxford University.