PORTUGUESE IN CANADA

There is evidence of the Portuguese presence off the Canadian Atlantic coast even before explorers from France and England arrived here. There is suspicion that Miguel and Gaspar Corte-Real founded Conception Bay after getting lost off the coast of Newfoundland (Terra Nova) between 1501 and 1502. However, it is believed that Diogo de Teive had already been there in 1452. The presence of the Portuguese in Newfoundland is obvious in the names of different towns such as Portugal Cove and Bay of Fundy (Baía Funda). Although there are many historical claims to the presence of the Portuguese in Newfoundland, there are also as many disputes to the contrary. However, it is undeniable that our peoples have been fishing here for close to 500 years, which makes Portugal’s relationship with Canada indeed special. After taking all of this into consideration, it is somewhat interesting that the Portuguese only began immigrating to Canada in significant numbers in the 1950’s.

Until the middle of the 20th Century, about 200 Portuguese had claimed Canada as their new home. It all changed in 1953 when the ship Saturnia docked at Pier 1, in Halifax, with 69 immigrants from Portugal. Between 1953 and 1957, another 8,115 arrived and then 16,731 more between 1958 and 1962. The next ten years witnessed the arrival of nearly 100,000 Portuguese immigrants in Canada. The trend continued during the 1970’s but a decade later, in the 1980’s, the number of newcomers from Portugal grew considerably. However, because many came and went as tourists, there are no concrete numbers on record, but unofficial reports point to tens of thousands.

The first Portuguese here experienced extremely difficult times. After their arrival, they were arbitrarily sent to different parts of Canada to work mainly as farmhands. However, once the community began to grow, many left the farm for the city – and especially Toronto and Montreal – where they began a new and more prosperous life. Places like Augusta Avenue, in Toronto, and O Bairro, in Montreal, became important meetings points for new and established immigrants from Portugal. It was at locations such as these that many found a place to stay, a job, made new friends and reconnected with old acquaintances.

It is thankful to the pioneers who, through immense sacrifice, paved the way for this new generation of Portuguese descendants and new immigrants to enjoy a more satisfying and prosperous life in Canada. These pioneers arrived here without knowing the language or the culture, far from family and friends, but found a way to adapt and prosper. As we continue in their footsteps, it is important that we do not forget the trail that they have left behind.

Nowadays, the Portuguese in Canada are not only the construction worker who built someone’s house or the cleaning lady who cleaned the dwelling of a better-off Canadian. Now, they are also the doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, judges, entrepreneurs and the politicians who shape the present and the future of this country.

That is the reason for lusocanada.com, to record these stories so we may never forget. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, we are attempting to tell the story of a whole community that started with a brave 200 and then with another 58 who paved the way to the wave of immigration that connects us all, Portuguese by blood, as established Canadians. Please come along with us. Peruse through the website and read the stories. Then, if you feel that you are able to contribute with your story or experience, we welcome you to do so by sending us an email to contact@lusocanada.com. If you prefer to leave a comment below, please feel free to do so.

Let’s write History together!

References:

www.nationsencyclopedia.com, www.histori.ca, www.infoplease.com, Statistics Canada