Art T. Viola is not an average retiree. There is a man who has spent his life in service of the people and lovingly caring for his family in a foreign land that he now calls home.
Art T. Viola is an epitome of the merging of two cultures that have produced a personality that Filipino immigrants anywhere in the world can be proud of. He is a member of the visible minority but that has not been a barrier in his career. To this day, he stands an equal to any member of the various ethnocultural groups ready to participate in the issues of the day, with equanimity, respect and dignity as well as concern for those who may need help that he can and willing to give.
This is a man whom you will readily respect upon meeting him. Talking with him, one at once senses his sincerity and wide experience in dealing with all strata of society regardless of race, sex, religion, education, occupation or any other factor that divides people. He is very friendly and unassuming, well-informed on various issues of interest, local or international. It is no surprise that his personal qualities have endeared him to the multicultural community of Niagara on the Lake to which he belongs.
Art T. Viola is now a highly respected former Deputy Mayor of Niagara on the Lake, one of the few Filipino Canadians who successfully ran for political position in Canada. But he started in Canada just like most immigrants. He worked hard to obtain a kind of work in line with his professional training.
Like most Filipino immigrants, he remitted money to the Philippines t o help his family. He worked hard to send two children to university here in Canada. One of them is now a practicing lawyer.
As Art T. Viola looks back to his long life here in Canada, he remembers with amusement that he only decided to enter politics after his retirement from his profession. But even before running for the Council of Niagara on the Lake, his interest in community work has always been there. He served 20 years with the International Child Care, 35 years with the Niagara Lions Club, 43 years with the Filipino Canadian Association of Niagara as well as serving with the Cancer and Diabetes Societies. He is always ready to host guests from the Philippines and other parts of the world to showcase the internationally known nature spots of Niagara. His untiring volunteer work for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society will never be forgotten.
He credits his wide circle of friends to his connections with all the volunteer work he has dedicated to pursue with tireless and caring enthusiasm through all these years.
To many, retiring means resting from work and undertaking activities for self-pleasure. Art T. Viola gives another meaning to the word. Re tire means changing tires, achieving renewed vigor to undertake other lines of endeavor. When he got elected to the council of Niagara-on-the-Lake for the first time in 1994, he promised that he would perform the office to the best of his ability, with honesty, integrity and dedication. And he did. He plunged into the demands of the task with vigor and enthusiasm dedicating more time than he used to spend in his job before he retired. There were no fixed hours, morning, noon and night. The needs of the community took precedence. He had in mind and heart his true calling – the servant of his fellow human beings. He utilized power to obtain what his community needed, not for his own selfish aggrandizement.
All his accomplishments were not left unnoticed by the people of Niagara-on-the-Lake. His strings of awards attest to these. In 2003, he received “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Award”. In November of the same year, he was awarded a plaque of appreciation by the “Order of the Knights of Rizal”. Most significant to him was his election as Deputy Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake in the same month.
The year 2011 was very significant for Art T. Viola. He was one of the 32 recipients of distinguished awards from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, hosted by Ontario Lieutenant Governor D. Onley.
Art T. Viola has indeed mainstreamed in Canada. He has achieved positions and honours not very many visible minority immigrants have in this country. He had actively participated in policy making and even in his retirement, has kept his voice heard in important issues as well as his hands in helping the needy in times of natural and man-made disasters.
The Filipino spirit of love for the extended family is very strong in Art T. Viola. He is very proud that he can help baby-sit his grandchildren who are a source of joy for him. He is very close to his family in the Philippines and keeps close contact with them. He and his dear wife often visit their country of origin.
Another strong Filipino trait that could be gleaned from talking with Art T. Viola is his very strong sense of gratitude – “utang na loob”. Here is a self-made man with his head high and two feet firm on the ground, looking back to his family and friends giving them the credit for his accomplishments.
The spirit of “Bayanihan” remains alive with Art T. Viola. The ability to draw people together for a task that will assist a member is second nature to him. To him, his wealth is his countless friends.
To be able to succeed in a foreign land and remain true to the beautiful traditions of one’s own culture is an accomplishment not easy to emulate. The Filipinos in Canada are indeed very proud of Art T. Viola.*****
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