Portuguese Club of London
| Founding Date: | February 14, 1968 |
| Address: | 134 Falcon Street London, Ontario N5W 4Z1 |
| Telephone: | 519-453-4330 |
| Website: | https://portuguesecluboflondon.com/ |
THE HOME OF THE PORTUGUESE IN LONDON
Audio Version:
The Portuguese Club of London is one of the most dynamic in all of Ontario, with an extensive history in the social, cultural, and sporting areas. This versatility is reflected in the respect that the other Portuguese-Canadian associations of this city have towards the clube, and in the consequent cooperation in many activities carried out by the Portuguese community of London. The Portuguese Club’s hall has, over the years, hosted parties organized by Núcleo do Sporting, London Benfica, and FC Porto of London, and its football field is also home to many of the Portuguese-Canadian teams of this city. This is the home of the Portuguese people in London, the one they all affectionately call o clube.
In 1961, there were about a dozen Portuguese in London. Domingos Fernandes Mendes, long-time Board Member of the Portuguese Club, was one of them. He was 13 at the time. In an interview given to Luso-Ontario Magazine, in 2008, he recalled that it wasn’t until 1965 that significant numbers of Portuguese arrived in the city. “In 1966, we were close to 1,000. It grew fast”, he said.
This growth opened up new possibilities for the Portuguese who lived here. In 1966, a group of 10 people gathered to discuss plans to form a Portuguese Club. A commission was assembled but no significant movement happened until two years later when the celebration of the Holy Spirit first took place in London.
This was the start of a dynamic association that began to offer its members with monthly parties, and even theatre productions. At this time, the organization rented a house that served as its headquarters.
In the early 1970s, the members agreed to purchase land and, in 1972, the current property where the hall is located was purchased for $35,000. The home of a former president of the Liberal Party of Canada was part of the property, a small house of about 500 square feet. In August of 1974, construction of the hall began. It took about a year to complete the building which continued to suffer additions and alterations over the years. On May 5, 1975, the hall was officially inaugurated with the presence of about 400 people, including the Consul of Portugal in Toronto.
Soccer, just like in so many other Portuguese associations across the country, also played a vital role in this organization. In 1967, the first team representing the Club began playing friendly games. In 1971, it entered the London District Soccer League (which later became the Western Ontario Soccer League – WOSL). It became the Club’s first ever competitive season.
Soccer has been, since then, one of the club’s most distinguished activities. For close to two decades, it completely dominated the WOSL, during the 90’s and at the start of the new millennium. The pinnacle occurred in 2002 when it became the second ever Portuguese-Canadian team to win the Ontario Cup (Arsenal do Minho de Toronto were the first).
For many years, the club had three teams in the WOSL (one in the Premier, one in the Second Division, and still another in the Old-timers’ league), and a Soccer Academy that amassed impressive interest, which led the Ontario Government to grant a fund to help with the operating costs. In total, in a single year there were more than 700 athletes signed under the club, most of whom were part of the academy.
If soccer was implemented from the early stages, cultural groups also eventually emerged as the association evolved. The folklore group and the instrumental band are two examples of this evolution.
Folklore was implemented in the mid-1970s. To date, although it has suffered highs and lows, it has never abandoned the activity and continues to represent several regions of Portugal.
The Banda Lira do Divino Espirito Santo was created in 1975 but, although it has been part of the clube since its foundation, it continues to have an autonomous executive board. However, it uses the facilities of the Portuguese Club and has already become an inseparable member of the organization.
A simple game of golf organized by members of the club, in 1987, served as the foundation for the current Golf Association. The group continues to meet annually as a pretext for members of the Portuguese Club and business owners to meet and raise funds.
Over the years, there have been numerous activities promoted by the Portuguese Club of London. The endless official visits of personalities linked to culture, music, politics, and sport, mark important points in the recognition of the vitality of this association and in its role as representatives of Portugal in Southern Ontario. The cultural, social, and sporting activities carried out here have received the unconditional support of its members and supporters and of many Portuguese communities throughout the Province of Ontario.
The current situation of the Portuguese Club of London is based on the strong structure it has built over the years. The work developed by the Board and the unconditional support of the Luso-Canadians who reside in this city make o clube a model to follow.
| With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008 |
| 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 organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com. |