Poveiros Community Centre – Resilience and Optimism

Born and raised in Coimbra, Linda Correia is as poveira as any other, a recognition she earned through commitment and dedication that has spanned over three decades. The current president of Poveiros Community Centre has witnessed the best of times and the worst of times. Most of the latter have come recently, particularly as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic, but she has stood strong, steering the organization onto a new era in order to save it from dissolution.

“I am not a founding member, but I have been a member for over thirty years. I was part of the original Rancho Folclórico”, she began by telling us. “It was one of the best in the community. At some point, we had three Ranchos.”

Linda lived through the heyday of the folk-dance group when it marveled audiences barefoot, dressed in traditional fishermen and women attire. It was also Rancho dos Poveiros, with Correia as member, that first delivered, in Toronto, what is known as Cantar dos Reis within the Portuguese community, a tradition that brings men and women into homes and commercial establishments with songs related to the birth of Jesus. She also witnessed the glorious days of Varzim Sport Club of Toronto, a soccer team that represented the organization with distinction in various leagues and tournaments for over twenty years.

In 2007, after playing various roles within the organization, Linda Correia took its helm, becoming the first President of the Executive Board born outside Póvoa de Varzim. “When I was elected, our headquarters was on Dundas Street, near Dovercourt. One of the first decisions my Board of Directors made was to move to Symington Avenue”, she recalled. The location provided its membership with improved conditions and with plenty of free parking in its vicinity.

Within her first mandate, Linda Correia founded what was to become the most renowned fundraising event for breast cancer research within the community. It all began in 2008 at the association’s headquarters, but its popularity eventually forced Correia to move the event to LiUNA Local 183’s Gerry Gallagher Hall, a ballroom with capacity for over one thousand guests. In total, Linda’s efforts have helped raise more than half a million dollars for breast cancer research since 2008. (Editor’s note: a separate piece dedicated to the event will be published soon).

In 2011, Linda Correia gave way for other members to lead the organization, but always remained connected as member of the Board and the Rancho. Paula Alto became the new president, followed by Laurentino Esteves and Alexandre Esteves. In 2017, Correia was reelected President, a role that she maintains to this day.

At the time, the organization was experiencing serious challenges. The first consequence of this struggle was the permanent loss of the Rancho, which also became a tremendous loss to the community. “Now, it is very difficult to bring it back. Many members are now part of other ranchos, and it is difficult to get everyone back or get new members. Then, during covid, we couldn’t raise funds, but we had support from the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim and our landlord, Helder from Caldense Bakery”, Linda Correia said.

Eventually, the organization was forced to abandon its headquarters, leading some in the community to question its survival. The situation is, however, less gloomy than the optics, as Linda informed: “We continue to organize our events. We still have the support of the Mayor of Póvoa de Varzim and we have our sponsors. The organization remains active, but it doesn’t have a physical location. Currently, we are financially stable and, if we can assemble a group of people who are willing to collaborate, we may return to a physical location.”

The institutional relationship between the association and the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim is excellent and, as a consequence, so is that of the people who are part of both organizations. It has helped Poveiros Community Centre receive crucial funds from the mayor’s office and build a positive reputation in Portugal. “Mayor Aires Pereira has helped the organization immensely with annual financial contributions and with his presence at many of our events. He is always there for us, and we know we can count on him. He has also become a good friend”, Linda Correia stated.

Although Poveiros Community Centre has become one of the latest casualties in the physical landscape of Toronto’s Portuguese Community, Linda Correia is optimistic about its future, “but we need all the poveiros to get involved and show passion for the organization”, she appealed.

In 2021, Linda Correia was awarded with the Medalha de Mérito das Comunidades Portuguesas by the Government of Portugal. Poveiros Community Centre is a member of the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario (ACAPO).