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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED IN POLITICS IN CELEBATORY YEAR (2003)
THE PROVINCE WITH THE MOST PORTUGUESE IN CANADA
ONTARIO’S POPULATION: 14,900,000
STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN ONTARIO:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | AS ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 150,000 1% of Population | 67,415 0.4% of population | 193,520 1.3% of population | 103,025 0.7% of population | 324,930 2.2% of population |
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The Province with the largest number of Portuguese in Canada is also the one with the most community organizations. In total, there are twenty-three (23) cities in Ontario with established clubs or associations, and a dozen others with significant numbers of Luso-Canadians without a formal community organization.
According to the 2016 Canada Census, there are 150,000 residents here who consider Portuguese their mother tongue, of whom 67,415 speak it most at home. A total of 103,025 were born in Portugal and a whopping 324,930 consider Portuguese their ethnic origin, which represents 2.2% of the Province’s population.
On the top of this page, you can browse through all the cities in Ontario that have significant Portuguese community organizations. Some have been around for decades while others are fairly recent. Regardless, they all serve the purpose of providing its Luso-Canadian residents the opportunity to celebrate and maintain the culture and the language of the motherland.
The oldest organization in Ontario is First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre, founded in Toronto in the distant year of 1956. The year after, also in Toronto, Associação Democrática Portuguesa de Toronto was formed, followed by Rancho Folclórico da Nazaré in 1958.
The decade that followed saw a further nine (9) organizations being formed. Clube Português de Cambridge (1960) was the first association founded outside Toronto, followed by Lusitânia Portuguese Recreation Centre of Ottawa-Hull, in 1963. Casa da Madeira Community Centre (1963), Portuguese Oriental Sports Club of Cambridge (1965), Portuguese Club of London (1968), Vasca da Gama F.C. de Hamilton, Clube Português de Kitchener, Casa do Benfica de Toronto and Filarmónica Lira do Bom Jesus de Oakville (1969) round off the associations formed in the 1960s.
The 1970’s saw fourteen (14) more organizations being formed across the province. The first of this decade was Camoes Portuguese Club of Harrow, in 1970, followed by Amor da Pátria (Toronto, 1971), the defunct Clube Recreativo Cultural e Desportivo Os Lusiadas (Hamilton, 1973), Asas do Atlântico Sports & Social Club (Toronto, 1973), the extinct Vitória de Setúbal Club of Toronto (1973), Centro Cultural Português de Mississauga (1974), Sport Club Angrense (Toronto, 1974), Portuguese Canadian Social Club of Chatham (1977), Portuguese Community Association of Listowel e Arredores (1977), Portuguese Canadian Club of Strathroy (1977), Associação Cultural do Minho (1977), Oshawa Portuguese Club (1978), the extinct Clube Português de Sudbury (1978), Associação Portuguesa de Thunder Bay (1978), and Paróquia de Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Kingston) in 1979.
The 1980’s witnessed the largest associative engagement by a Portuguese community that was not only growing in numbers but also in strength. In total, twenty (20) organizations were founded in this decade, starting with Clube Português de Sarnia, Graciosa Community Centre (Toronto) and Sporting Clube Português de Toronto in 1980, Peniche Cultural Club of Toronto in 1981, Vasco da Gama de Brampton, the defunct Clube Português de Brantford and York University Portuguese Association in 1982, Northern Portugal Cultural Centre (Oshawa) and Casa do Alentejo (Toronto) in 1983, Comunidade Portuguesa de Leamington in 1984, Centro Cultural Português de Kingston and Casa dos Açores do Ontário (Toronto) in 1985, Casa dos Poveiros – Varzim Sport Club of Toronto and Sporting Clube de Braga – Arsenal do Minho de Toronto in 1986, the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario (ACAPO) and Futebol Clube do Porto de Toronto in 1987, Comunidade Paróquia de Senhor Santo Cristo (Ottawa) and Luso-Cantuna (Toronto) in 1988 and Clube Académico de Viseu in 1989.
The 1990’s mirrored the numbers of three decades prior with nine new associations being formed. Southern Ontario was home to the first four organizations founded during this decade: Núcleo Sporting London (1992), Sport London e Benfica and Portuguese Community of Windsor – Casa do Espírito Santo (1993), and Núcleo Futebol Clube do Porto London – Ontario – Canada in 1994. Also in 1994, the Associação Luso-Canadiana de Sault Ste. Marie was formed. In 1996, Arco-Íris (Toronto) was founded, followed by the extinct Casa Cultural de Vila do Conde (Toronto, 1997), Associação Migrante de Barcelos Community Centre (Toronto, 1998) and Rancho Folclórico Nazareno de Leamington (1999).
The turn of the millennium saw a decline in the formation of new community organizations as the influx of new immigrants from Portugal to Canada declined. In the year 2000, Casa das Beiras Cultural Community Centre of Toronto was formed to substitute the former Clube Académico de Viseu. Following the migration of many Portuguese-Canadians from Toronto to Vaughan, it was without surprise the “City Above Toronto” began to formally organize, first in 2005 with the foundation of Comunidade Portuguesa de Vaughan and later, in 2011, with the formation of the Portuguese Cultural Club of Vaughan. In 2007, the now defunct Comunidade Portuguesa de Barrie was founded.
Since then, the associative movement in the Luso-Canadian community in Ontario has focused on maintaining established organizations. The decline of immigration to Canada from Portugal has forced some communities to consider uniting different organizations under one roof, particularly in Toronto. Casa dos Açores has hinted at that possibility as well as the Minho organizations (Centro Cultural do Minho, Arsenal do Minho and Associação Migrante de Barcelos). However, such efforts have not yet materialized.
Ontario remains the stronghold of the Portuguese community in Canada. Although immigration has dwindled, there is still a significant number of newcomers from Portugal. However, technology such as the internet and the popular android boxes have minimized the need for clubs and associations to help one to be plugged into Portuguese language and culture. This makes the survival of our community organizations an even bigger challenge.
References: Statistics Canada
If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com
Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this Portuguese community by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com.
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED IN POLITICS IN CELEBRATORY YEAR (2003)
Although 2003 will always be remembered for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Portuguese immigration to Canada, the elections to the Council of the Portuguese Communities (Conselho das Comunidades Portuguesas) were also an occurrence that deserves to remain in the history books. This is because, for the first time, members of our community associations got heavily involved in the process, especially in the Toronto district, which encompasses Manitoba and most of Ontario.
Montreal/Ottawa, and Vancouver would contribute with one representative each. The Toronto district ran with three lists, from which five members would be elected to the Council: three from the winner and two from the list in second place. From the start, it became evident that the main race would be between lists A and B, although C has its own niche and could very well turn out to be a surprise.
In the Toronto district, the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario entered the electoral race with a list, marking the first time a community organization representing multiple members attempted to secure influence at the political level. Meanwhile, the community of Chatham and its local Portuguese Club represented southwestern Ontario, which harbours thousands of Luso-Canadians. A third group, which represented mainly the union sector but that also had ties to a few community organizations in the Toronto area, also entered the race.
It was not without some fierce competitiveness that the district of Toronto witnessed the campaign unfold. At the time, the community was heavily engaged in our ethnic media. Thus, information was easily transmitted and accessible, which led to the overuse of such mediums not only for the delivery of typical campaign messages but also for the exchange of unpleasantries that should have remained, for the most part, private.
List A – Aliança Pela Comunidade – was mostly composed of members from ACAPO. It was led by Laurentino Esteves, then ACAPO’s Public Relations Officer and Vice-President of Culture at Casa dos Poveiros. It included ACAPO’s Chair of the Council of Presidents, José Eustáquio, Dr. Tomás Ferreira, António Costa and Eduardo Pereira, and alternates António Ribeiro, Rosa de Sousa, Manuela da Silva,José Medeiros and Eduardo Gouveia. It counted on the backing of most clubs and associations, especially those which were members of the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario.
List B – Voz da Comunidade – was led by João Dias. It also included Mário Gomes, Raimundo Favas, Rui Gomes, and Ana Fernandes, along with alternates Joel Filipe, João Ferreira, João Gonçalves, Assunção Pinto, and Nélson Melo. This list was considered to be connected to the union sector and, as such, counted on the support of members of the construction industry. Further to this, Raimundo Favas and Joel Filipe were also influential members of the Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga and Peniche Community Club of Toronto, respectively, two organizations that enjoyed great support.
List C – Sudoeste do Ontário – was led by António do Forno from the Portuguese Club of Chatham. It was the only list from outside the Greater Toronto Area. If it were able to gather the support of the communities outside the GTA, it could become the surprise of this apparent two-horse race.
Elections were held on March 30, 2003. The Toronto district set up voting booths across the Province of Ontario at the following locations: Sault Ste. Marie (Portuguese Association), Kingston (Núcleo Luso-Canadiano de Kingston), Mississauga (Portuguese Cultural Centre), Hamilton (Vasco da Gama F.C.), London (Portuguese Club), Chatham (Portuguese Club), Leamington (Portuguese Community Centre), Winnipeg (Consulate), and Toronto (Casa das Beiras and Casa do Alentejo).
Even though commotion was high during the electoral campaign, voter turnout did not reflect the efforts. The reality is that out of the 97,035 eligible voters, only 2,242 cast a ballot, representing a voter turnout of only 2.31%.
List A was the surprise winner, with 50.3% of the vote (1,128). List B gathered 36.8% (826), while List C came in third with 11.2% (252 votes). This resulted in three members from List A and two from List B being elected to the Council of Portuguese Communities: Laurentino Esteves, José Eustáquio e Tomás Ferreira from List A, and João Dias and Mário Gomes from List B.
The results surprised Laurentino Esteves, then Alternate Member of Portuguese Parliament, who is quoted in Notícias da Aliança as saying that he was not expecting it, although he believed that the right list had won. “This is a deserving list that includes people who, over many years, have dedicated their lives to the community”, Esteves stated. José Eustáquio, then Chair of ACAPO’s Council of Presidents, is also quoted in the April 1, 2003, edition of Notícias da Aliança: “The community proved that the Alliance is its voice. It was great to witness the support from other associations and individuals that are not members of the Alliance. We not only had the support from the community in Toronto but also from outside this area. I want to especially thank the communities of London and Kingston for their great support.”
The Montreal/Ottawa district elected Francisco da Conceição Salvador (List B) and the Vancouver district elected Maria Cândida Alves (List B). Vancouver had the highest voter turnout (3.978%), followed by Toronto (2.31%) and Montreal/Ottawa (1.425%).
| If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com |
| Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this Portuguese community by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com. |