A lunch with Canada’s Honorary Consul in Malta – September 24, 2008
Old professional deformation you will say, but had to call on the local Canadian Government representative, in this case an honorary consul, rather than an assigned envoy from Canada, usually chosen for his/her influence locally, and capacity to provide some services on behalf of the Government, for instance consular support to resident or visiting Canadians. His name is Joseph M Demajo. Had a half-hour rendez-vous scheduled with him; ended up to be a lunch at a restaurant nearby he took us to! Mr Demajo is Head of a large diversified commercial group. His office in an ancient spacious house, a converted palazzo, in the heart of Valetta, close to the Palace, filled with antique furniture, paintings and drawings of knights of St-John. Well served by very efficient assistant, Morena, and consular officer Alfred. Turned out M. Demajo cuts quite a figure: very dapper at 72 years old, lively piercing eyes, quick-minded, interested and knowledgeable in every subject we touched on, aand by all evidence, a successful businessman; he is head of a company he grew with his brother, inherited from his father, Michel, the founder. Interests in shipping, foreign trade, printing, real estate, etc (see http://www.demajo.com/) World traveller, avid fisherman – he regaled us with his story of fishing salmon off the coast of British Columbia with his wife who caught a 12-pound one, which he had the chef at the Pan Pacific hotel prepared in every possible way and served to them that night, and every other guest in the restaurant, to everyone’s delight! –; you should have heard him disputing with the waiter at the restaurant whether the local sea bass we were about to eat was wild, “semi-wild” or farmed!
Loves walking in nature – that is why he goes to Gozo over the weekends where he has a house and an apartment (he used to live there actually, commuting by helicopter everyday) spent the summer in the Alps in Switzerland. Cynthia understood that he was one of the knights; if he is not, he comes from a family that came to Malta in the early 16th century, originating from Spain, after a short stay in Italy. His ancestor, who became the curator of St-John’s cathedral, is buried in the cathedral’s cemetery, a few streets away: quite something to think that the family has been here for 4 centuries and never moved around more than a few blocks!
Learned quite a bit about Malta and Canada: 4000 Canadians live on the island, many returnees from previous waves of emigrants to Canada, the latest being in the 60’s and 70’s when the Maltese government paid people to leave the islands – out of fear of over-population. Dimajo was appointed Hon Consul in 1982, having proved himself quite useful to the Canadian Trade Commissioner and the Ambassador of the day; he was actually an importer of Canadian goods, Philips Cable, and pipe manufacturer Canron, to fulfill contracts he had secured to outfit the island. Not as much in business with Canada anymore, although he is representing Bombardier (aircraft division I presume)
Curious as he is, enquired about Stratford Festival, Cynthia’s role, its financing; lead to Montserrat who wrote about the Festival in 1963 while living in Ottawa, and who also lived for a few years in Gozo where he wrote one of his most celebrated books, The Kapillan of Malta, which Cynthia is reading. Remarkable coincidence: Montserrat’s widow, Anne, who still lives here is a very close friend of Dimajo; he would have liked us to meet her, had we stayed in Malta over this weekend! Full of advice: real estate, what to see – went to see The Malta Experience at his suggestion, a 45 minute video on the history of Malta, quite a tourist attraction (that is "his baby" as he put it!) – and where to eat (2 recommendations for Gozo: Ta’ Frenc’ and It Tmun (“say hello to Patrick for us”, the owner of It Tmun who happens to be Canadian-born – but that is another story!)
