Though Kenya was not in turmoil, the movement to replace Asians, even native-born, with black Kenyans had already started. Bel's parents and sister had decided to move to Canada while he was still working in England. Visiting once, he made up his mind that country presented better opportunities for him and after a year he left Britain. The year was 1969 and he was 29.

Coming to Canada, Bel lost no time in qualifying for an Ontario pharmacist's licence after a course in jurisprudence. He was fortunate that Canada had a history of bias towards British education and that worked nicely for him. Other international qualifications until very recently were not recognized and the equivalencies provided were quite abominable. For example an undergrad of Bombay University was given the equivalency of high school although Indian education and indeed of all Commonwealth countries, closely mirrored that of England in those days. If you ask anyone who has completed degrees in both places for their opinion, as I asked, you would be told the Canadian education side paled in comparison.

After a six month internship on his arrival in Toronto with Shoppers Drug Mart, the biggest pharmacy chain in Canada, he served as an Associate again in various SDM outlets culminating with being given his own store in east end Toronto as an owner-pharmacist. The challenges were many and the work hard. There were shifts to manage, increases in store profit to constantly meet and this took a toll on the time he had available to indulge in the hobbies he loved. Coming to the notice of management, he was offered another outlet with good potential, one with wealthier clients but a measly bottom line. Bel was known for his turn-around expertise. A few years of his hard work and the suits in SDM were not disappointed with giving him that store.

He hung up the white apron of his own volition in 2004 but was requested to continue as a consultant until 2007 by which time he was mentally ready to cut off all work ties and pursue a different but equally full life in retirement.

Bel comes from a musical family. His father was trained in the discipline and although his mother Lena Remedios and later Nunes was not, she was a people person and sang, danced and entertained small and big crowds at every opportunity until she died a few years ago. Lena was a pillar of the community, an outstanding Konkani culture afficionado and one of the founders and active participants of the Goan Cultural Group along with Maggie Francis and her tri-generational family and a few others. Lena also taught Konkani to those enrolled for it. She is sorely missed in the city's Goan and senior citizen circles.

Bel plays the piano-accordion, his wife Melba is an accomplished pianist, a Toronto University music B.A., and his daughter Maya an excellent flautist. His son Nolan has done a TED Talk in Vancouver.

Bel loves making wine and has been doing it from his days in Boots. He makes wine from virtually any fruit, fresh or dried and a good blackcurrant wine from Ribena concentrate. At his Boots locations he would hold an in-store wine making demo that was so popular with his customers that they increased his sales in other products when they came in to see the demos. He likes drinking wine but avoids it now because of arthritis. He has always been a helpful advisor and answerer of questions of health and prevention not only to clients, but friends as well. He was a pharmacist-advisor from the days when it was not a value-added feature.

But aside from his family, his real love is photography. His first camera was a Kodak Retinette given to him by his parents which still works and which he cherishes. He recalls how he used this 'people picture' camera to take pics of landscapes which was his natural inclination. The ensuing costly waste of film was the subject of many parental upbraids. This hobby really took off when he joined the Don Mills photography club in the neighbourhood. The club exchanges ideas and goes on camera trips all over the world. I recall attending one of Bel's presentations after his Turkey trip and his pictures of the mountains for which that country is famous, were so vivid and close to reality that with his commentary, one felt Nature visiting you that evening in the hall in which we had gathered. Bel is a traveller too, combining his many global trips with his picture-taking, resulting in breath-taking digital prints that come alive on a big screen.

Along with Roque Barretto and Tony (Kenyan novelty importer) Fernandes, Bel is the founder member and past president of the Dr. Ribeiro School Alumni Association in Toronto. This was an idea that emanated from his mother Lena. He was also a founder member and Sixth President of the Toronto East Goan Seniors Association. Both these clubs are vibrant in their membership and activities and he is justifiably proud of them.

A salute not only to Bel and his kind but also to the Goan parents who mostly while not recognizing it, turned out men and women who were not only a credit to themselves but also to the Diasporas and the countries in which they resettled.