Quebec – The Second Largest Portuguese Province in Canada

The Portuguese pioneers who arrived in Canada in the 1950s began to scatter across the country but settled mainly in Quebec and in Ontario. Therefore, there is no surprise that these provinces are still ranked top two when it comes to the size of our communities throughout the country. In Quebec, most settled in the region of Montreal. However, as assimilation occurred, they began to scatter to the city’s suburbs but mainly to Laval. There is also another large community of Luso-Canadians in Gatineau, a city somewhat distant from Montreal, located across the river from Ottawa.

The 2016 Census shows that there are nearly 70,000 residents of Quebec who consider Portugal their ethnic origin, of which 18,985 were born in the old country. This places the province as the second largest Portuguese community in Canada, well ahead of British Columbia but far behind Ontario.

Although second choice for most newcomers, Quebec was first in many other aspects. It was in Montreal that, in 1956, the pioneering Portuguese community organization was founded in Canada when a group of men formed Associação Portuguesa do Canadá (APC). APC also created the first folk-dance group, the first marching band, the first Portuguese language newspaper, and the first Portuguese school in Canada. This remarkable organization has had its fair share of challenges over the years, but it has been able to remain an important cultural, social, and sporting centre in the region.

It took Quebec a whole decade to form another organization. Usually, they say that good things come in threes, but here it was in twos: In 1963, both Centro Comunitário Missão Santa Cruz – mainly a religious organization – and Movimento Democrático Português de Montréal – a political movement that arose to fight the Salazar regime back in Portugal – were founded. Although the religious organization has not only lasted but grown into a crucial part of the Portuguese community of Montreal, the same cannot be said for its political counterpart which has been relegated to the realms of History.

In 1965, Clube Portugal de Montreal was founded. Through the dedication of its executive and the unreserved support of its members, it grew into one of the most successful and dynamic organizations in the country. Over the years, it has offered cultural events and groups such as theatre productions and the folk-dance group “Praias de Portugal”, numerous social events that have included special guests from both Portugal and Canada, and a soccer team – the famous Lusitano Futebol Clube – that continues to represent the Portuguese community in the province, now in Quebec’s major futsal league.

The first folk-dance group that has been able to remain active until today was founded in 1966 under the name of Grupo Folclórico Português de Montréal. Throughout its first four decades, it was a children’s only group, but it later began to incorporate adults. After its founder, the late António Lourenço, handed over the group to Missão Santa Cruz, it took on a whole new dimension and, in 2019, a new name: Grupo Folclórico e Etnográfico Português de Montréal. Currently, the group not only boasts participants of all ages, but it is also composed of three distinct ranchos folclóricos: Coração do Minho, Brisas da Nazaré, and Lembranças do Ribatejo. It is also a member of the Federação Portuguesa de Folclore.

The 1970s witnessed the formation of a number of organizations of which most have now been relegated to memory. It is the case of Centro de Acção Sócio-Comunitária de Montréal (1972) and Clube Oriental Português de Montréal (1979). Others have remained active. They include Grupo Cultural Cana Verde (1979), the first adult folk-dance group in Montreal that has been able to withstand the test of time, and Filarmónica Portuguesa de Montréal (1979). Casa dos Açores do Québec (1978) has also remained active and has become famous for its annual golf tournament, among many other cultural and social activities that it offers its members and supporters.

The formation of new associations during this decade also occurred outside Montréal, until then the only city with formally organized communities. The first occurred in Saint-Thérèse, in 1974, with the formation of the local Portuguese Association (now officially called Associação Cultural de Saint-Thérèse). That same year, in Laval, the Associação de Nossa Senhora de Fátima was also founded. Further southwest, in Gatineau, Centro Comunitário Português Amigos Unidos was founded, in 1975, after the community rallied to construct one of the most impressive buildings in the Portuguese community of Canada. The name Amigos Unidos was chosen because it relied on the sacrifice and courage of its founders, some of whom mortgaged their homes to ascertain that the building could be constructed.

The Portuguese community in Canada solidified during the 1980s with the arrival of thousands of newcomers and the integration of those who came here during the previous three decades. It is no surprise that a large number of organizations were formed during this decade. The first was Sporting Clube Português de Montréal (1982), an organization that was pioneer in showing live games in the city after it installed a gigantic satellite dish at its headquarters. Unfortunately, it closed its doors in 2010 due to lack of interest from its members. Also in 1982, Filarmónica Divino Espírito Santo was founded in Laval, and Portugália, Tradição e Cultura was formed in Brossard. In 1983, Hochelaga witnessed the formation of its first Portuguese organization with the religious Associação Portuguesa and, a year later, LaSalle saw the founding of its own Associação Portuguesa. Sport Montreal e Benfica was founded in 1985 by a group of over 30 friends who gathered at the restaurant Pavilhao Espanhol. This organization, who is officially an affiliate of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, has suffered major changes recently that are necessary to guarantee its survival. Also in the 1980s, Instituto Cultural Açoriano (1986) and Circulo Socialista Antero de Quintal (1988) were formed in Montreal, followed by Centro Comunitário Divino Espírito Santo de Anjou in 1989. There was also a large movement surrounding the creation of a number of cultural groups during this decade. In 1980, Grupo Coral Alentejano was founded. In 1983, Clube Portugal de Montreal formed Grupo Folclórico Praias de Portugal and, two years later, Grupo Folclórico Estrelas do Atlântico was founded in Laval.

The decade that followed continued to witness the arrival of new cultural and social organizations, many of which are no longer active. Such is the case of Casa do Ribatejo, founded in 1993, and Associação Portuguesa do West Island, formed in 1997. One organization that has stood the test of time is Saudades da Terra Quebequente. Founded in 1997 to provide aid to the victims of the floods in the Azorean island of Sao Miguel, it turned into a major association that celebrates the culture of the archipelago with particular focus on the locality of Ribeira Quente. Recently, the association has also taken on the responsibility of organizing the festivities to Senhor Santo Cristo in Montreal. Several folk-dance groups were also formed during this decade. They include Rancho Folclórico Cantares e Bailares dos Açores (1992), Grupo Folclórico Campinos do Ribatejo (1994), Grupo Folclórico Ilhas de Encanto da Casa dos Açores do Québec (1997), and Rancho Folclórico Verde Minho (1997).

Immigration to Quebec from Portugal halted in the last three decades. However, it did not stop the community from continuing to evolve with the formation of new organizations to serve the changing needs of the Portuguese residents and its descendants in the province. Círculo de Amigos de Rabo de Peixe (2000), Carrefour dos Jovens Lusófonos do Québec (2001), Festival Portugal International de Montréal (2014), Centro Luís de Camões (2015), and Centre d’Intégration et de Culture Lusophone (2016) are examples of that.

The Portuguese community in Quebec continues to concentrate mainly in the region of Montreal and its suburbs, and then in the region of Gatineau, further southwest. As is the case with other communities across the country, the Portuguese in Quebec continue to assimilate into the general culture which makes the survival of our cultural and social associations that much more vulnerable. However, through adaptation and reinvention, they have been able to survive. They count on the dedication and commitment of the new generation of Portuguese-Canadians to help them stand the test of time.

There is a lot more to write and tell about the Portuguese-Canadian organizations in Quebec. We know that we are missing a few organizations and we need your help. Please contact us if we did not yet profile an association of which you are part or know someone who is. Our goal is to present the complete picture.

References:

https://ville.montreal.qc.ca/memoiresdesmontrealais/les-associations-socioculturelles-de-la-communaute-portugaise, accessed on July 25, 2022