[The Guyana-born Viera recently passed away having served as a Toronto & District Cricket Association president, a Cricket Canada vice president and the first ICC Americas regional manager.]
by Ron Fanfair
When Dominican-born Victoria Park Cricket Club player Michael Burke died nearly five decades ago, close friend Martin Vieira became the son’s father figure.
“Uncle Martin was an integral part of my life,” recalled Patrick Burke who is a retired Toronto Police Service Detective Constable. “Though living in the Victoria Park Ave. and Danforth Ave. area at the time, he drove to Bowmanville to take me to and from cricket practice during the week and on weekends for games. He did that for other kids as well. When I was 15, he gave me my first job at Wallace Sporting Goods store he co-owned with Austin Ward (retired Canadian cricket administrator). He did that for many other youths at places he worked, including Matel, Borisco Brothers that was a moving and storage company and Gibson Textile. He made sure a lot of people were comfortable by giving them jobs.”
The selfless Vieira, who went on to be a key figure in the development of cricket in Canada and the Americas, passed away on February 13.