Honourable Delano Velasquez Europa – Justice of the Peace
Delano Europa is a graduate of Bachelor of Law degree at San Beda college Philippines in 1970. Before immigrating to Canada Delano Europa is a law practitioner for 13 years in the Philippines. He is a municipal trial Court Judge. He was recognized and awarded a plaque as one of the top ten fastest deciding judge in the Philippines. He is also a law instructor for 17 years at St. Mary’s University in the province of Nueva Vizcaya.
Believing on the motto of the boys scout “Be Prepared” Delano took up computer coarse and auto mechanics at Manila technical Institute before migrating to Canada. Little did he know that cobol and word processing had been obsolete. And the combustion engine he studied and have working knowledge had given way to computerized engine. So no matter how you prepare yourself migrating to a new country like Canada, no one says that it’s that easy.
Just like everybody who are new in Canada he had encounter difficulties in landing to a job that conform to his expertise. His dreams dashed into pieces for he could not even be considered as a law clerk. It’s either he is over qualified or not qualified for lacking Canadian experience. It was humbling experience for him trying to secure any decent jobs. Frustrating as it may be, with patience and resilience he tried everything. There were times wherein he contemplated of returning back to the old country and reclaim his lucrative career. But somehow, there were signs that tells him to stick with Canada, so he keep on changing his mind about going back.
For Delano it’s always good to develop friendship among co-workers. In 1992 while working in the ministry of attorney general of Ontario as a law officer intern, he was encourage by a lawyer friend to apply as Justice of the Peace which he did and made it. He was not a Canadian lawyer then. He give credit for his successful application for being a municipal judge in the Philippines.
In the pic by Ricky Castellvi, Delano Europa, Justice of Peace of Ontario presiding at Toronto receives an award from the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the National Ethnic Presso and Media Council of Canada for community service, social justice advocacy and humanities on November 4, 2016