Casa do Minho of Winnipeg – 50 Years of Excellence

“When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” Helen Keller

When the founders of Casa do Minho Portuguese Centre, in Winnipeg, registered the organization with the Folk Arts Council, on May 4, 1974, they did it with the humble intention of preserving and promoting our heritage in a foreign land. That simple action triggered another fifty years of excellence in community service and representation of our culture and values in Canada. Little did the forefathers know that the modest adult folk dance group that started it all would expand across all ages, and that the organization would turn into a major cultural and social hub in the city. Above all, they could have never imagined the impact their noble idea would have on countless lives across generations.

One such life is that of Samuel Sousa, the current President of Casa do Minho. Son of one of the founders (Manuel Sousa), Sam, as he is affectionately known in Winnipeg, was elected in November of 2022 after a lifetime of dedication to the organization in various roles. He had the honour and the responsibility of leading the 50th anniversary celebrations that took place over the first weekend of May, 2024.

Lusocanada.com, which also participated in this milestone anniversary celebration, had the opportunity to speak with Samuel Sousa at the event about Casa do Minho. The following is the result of our conversation:

1. Which do you consider to be the major accomplishments of Casa do Minho over the past 50 years?

The major accomplishment that Casa do Minho has had over the past 50 years is one that occurred back in 1983 in which we were allowed to have a pavilion in the Folklorama Festival for the very first time, and we haven’t looked back since.  It was a moment that moulded who we are today. Folklorama not only is a week in August where we make financial gains for the entire year, but thousands of people visit our pavilion every year and it gets our name out there culturally as well as it helps promote our hall as we get a lot of inquiries on hall rentals after our week has come and gone.  It’s basically a week-long festival that ends our fiscal year in terms of dancing for the ranchos as well, because all groups take about 2 months off before starting up practices again in October, when we also hold our registration night for the year.

2. Do you think the founders would be proud of the organization’s current situation?

I stated in my speech how most of the founders probably didn’t envision that our Centre would become what it is today, but I’m sure that at one point they may have dreamed about what our centre has become.  When our organization first started, it was a group of people who were in a dance group who all shared the same passion for dancing.  From the instructor to the accordion players to the dancers they would all gather once a week to practice and sing, dance and socialize after. Who we are today is still based on our enjoyment of the ranchos and we try to carry on the traditions that we had in the past.  Obviously, we’ve had to adapt and experimented with other ideas to attract other people to our centre and I think if all of the founders were still here today they would be proud and supporting the Centre.  Some aren’t here physically, but are in spirit, and they have kin that still attend, from their children to now their grandchildren and even some great grandchildren.

3. As the son of one of the founding members, does it feel special to you that you had the opportunity to lead the 50th anniversary celebrations?

I think that my inspiration to be President was not just my father who is one of the founding pioneers and having the feeling of it being a legacy of sorts to lead this organization, but knowing that the 50th Anniversary would be one of the celebrations I would be able to plan.  I had dreamt up this celebration about 2 years prior and obviously things came together in the last 8 to 12 months, but I knew that for such a big milestone we would need to do it over 2 days.  I also knew that we would have to commemorate our founders and past members somehow during the celebration and showing a slideshow with old videos and pictures from the past 50 years made the event even more special.  I know that I had some of the kin from some of the founders who couldn’t be here approach me after and congratulate our board for such a great job and all of the hard work, and they told me that we made our founding fathers proud. To me those words made my heart full.

4. What are your Board’s plans to maintain Casa do Minho relevant and sustainable?

In order to maintain Casa do Minho relevant and sustainable, we need to make sure that we keep planning both larger and smaller events.  We need to maintain our traditions and culture somehow but also proceed into the future with open eyes on new ideas on how to support our hall financially. Everyone has ideas and we need to listen to these ideas and have discussions to see if they would actually work, but we also as human beings need to realize that sometimes ideas are just that and if they don’t come to fruition we need to let it go and move on.  Sometimes it’s easier to write something on paper but when it actually comes down to get the ball rolling on it, you need to check off the boxes and take both the positive impact and negative impact and see if it would actually make sense to proceed. 

 5. What are your thoughts on the celebratory weekend that just passed?

My personal thoughts were that even though it was just a dream, it actually surpassed what I had dreamt up.  It seemed like a huge party the whole entire weekend.  I saw so many old and new faces come together and just the smiles on everyone’s faces as they watched the slideshow or listened to the speeches left me with goose bumps.  From Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba being present to our worship the Mayor of Winnipeg to the Vice Presidente da Câmara de Viana do Castelo to the Presidente da Junta from Chafé being present, if you were to ask me a year ago if I would have foreseen all of these people in the same building, I would have told you it’s not possible.  Another thing that gave me butterflies was when Tiago and Bruno began to perform “Sou do Minho” and groups of people got up and started to dance with their castanets to the music, all I could think to myself is “somos do Minho, sim senhora” and I wish at that point I could get up and dance myself because that’s what was flowing through my veins at that moment.

6. We saw guests and groups from other parts of Canada at the anniversary celebrations. Do you think it’s important for Portuguese Canadians across the country to foster stronger ties for us to be able to remain relevant as a community?

Having the two groups here from Ontario, like I told all of them, it felt like it was a huge family reunion. Uncles and cousins we hadn’t seen for years or we had never met coming together and dancing and having such an awesome time.  I told Paulo from ACMT and Andrew from PCCM that we would forever be bonded, and I believe Andrew referred to us as a “Rancho Family” and that reference right there described it perfectly.  Back in 2000, 2001 and 2006 being a part of the Estrelas do Norte dance group, we travelled to Toronto to participate in the Dia de Portugal celebrations there, and even though we had been there 3 times, I don’t think we ever built a bond like we did with the dance groups that were here this past weekend. We now have our dance group who has been invited to PCCM’s 50th celebration in October, and we are committed to go and the kids from that group are so eager to go.  I think building from this bond and spreading the love and telling other organizations on how this weekend went will build a bond across the country which is important because we can rely on each other and reach out to each other if we ever need help or advice with anything.  Nelson from Arsenal do Minho was also here this weekend and he’s already asking for his group to be invited here for our 51st anniversary, so I can see that everything is aligning together. Maybe we (Portuguese Cultural Centres in Canada) will all come together one day for one of the biggest Portuguese rancho festivals ever put on in Canada. You never know.

7. We saw a lot of youth at both commemorative events. Do you feel that there’s enough interest from the younger generation of Luso Canadians to carry forward the work you’ve been doing?

I think that there is.  I think witnessing the youth not just from our organization but from the other organizations kind of sparked something.  Someone noticed how the youth from the Ontario groups spoke the language so well that some parents have approached me on the possibility of our centre starting some Portuguese classes next year.  Not just for Youth but also for anyone that would want to sign up.  The Portuguese Culture needs to be preserved in both dancing, traditions and the language.  It’s important. I’m excited with the prospect of opening up another extra curricular activity in our Centre that will maintain our culture. I feel that if these youth see these efforts, maybe it will inspire them like it’s inspired myself over all of these years!

8. What is your message to the community?

Dear Friends and Members of the Portuguese Community,

We witnessed a remarkable celebration at our 50th Anniversary event, where joy, dancing, and singing filled our Centre. We were honored to have not only our members but also friends from two wonderful organizations from Ontario joining us in this grand celebration. The unity and exuberance we experienced remind us of the timeless joy and community spirit inherent in our Portuguese culture.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 149:3, “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” Our celebration mirrored this sentiment perfectly. We came together, not just as an organization, but as a broader community, dancing and making music, embodying the vibrant spirit that defines us.

As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Let us take this to heart, ensuring that we create more opportunities to laugh, dance, and celebrate our rich heritage. These moments of joy strengthen our bonds and remind us of the beauty of our traditions.

David’s dance before the Lord, as described in 2 Samuel 6:14, symbolizes wholehearted celebration. Like David, let us continue to celebrate with all our might, embracing every chance to come together in song and dance, keeping our culture alive and thriving.

In Jeremiah 31:13, it is written, “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.” This weekend’s festivities were a beautiful testament to this, with young and old alike joining in merriment. Let us cherish these moments and strive to create more such joyous occasions.

Together, let us continue to celebrate, preserve, and promote our Portuguese culture, ensuring it remains a vibrant part of our lives and the lives of future generations. May our community gatherings be filled with the same spirit of joy, unity, and celebration that we experienced last weekend.

Thank you for your ongoing support and participation. Let us look forward to many more celebrations that bring us together in the joyous spirit of our heritage.

Anniversary Celebration – Highlights

The 50th anniversary commemorations began on Saturday, May 4, with a Gala Dinner that included the presence of distinguished guests such as the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Anita Neville, the Mayor of Winnipeg, Scott Gillingham, the Vice-President of the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, Dr. Manuel Vitorino, the Mayor of the village of Chafé (Viana do Castelo), António de Oliveira Lima, the Honorary Consul of Portugal in Winnipeg, Paulo Cabral, and our very own Paulo Pereira, Member of the Portuguese Communities Council, among others. The evening was filled with speakers, lots of great traditional food, and quality entertainment by the local band San Carlos, Paulo Pereira and Pedro Gomes from Toronto, and the renowned Tiago Maroto accompanied by Bruno de Nine from Portugal. The following day, a cultural ensemble took over the stage at Casa do Minho. First, it was Rancho Folclórico do Clube Português de Mississauga that entertained another sold out hall, followed by Rancho Folclórico da Associação Cultural do Minho de Toronto and by Casa do Minho’s very own folk-dance group. The event continued well into the evening with various other acts that marveled the audience. Sunday’s lunch was one of the highlights of the weekend. Dr. Adelino Tito de Morais and chef Paulo Santos flew in from Portugal to prepare a delicious and authentic “Arroz de Sarrabulho à moda de Ponte de Lima.” They brought along all the ingredients, which made the experience even more genuine. The writer of this piece can attest to the delectableness of the meal. Dr. Morais and chef Santos have taken the traditional dish to various parts of the world and are planning on visiting other Portuguese communities across Canada in the near future.   During the celebrations, the organizers did not forget to make mention of all the former volunteers and supporters who are no longer with us. The fifty years of service to the community was well-documented in a slideshow that presented a compressed history of the organization since its foundation. One of the great surprises occurred on Saturday evening when various renowned artists who have performed at Casa do Minho over the years appeared in a recorded video congratulating the organization on its milestone anniversary. They included Fernando Rocha, José Malhoa, Hugo Sousa, Augusto Canário and the Portuguese Kids, among others. Congratulations to Samuel Sousa and his Board of Directors for putting together such an outstanding milestone celebration.