The Portuguese in Canada
The Portuguese communities, history, and people across Canada
Featured Story
The Women Who Built Community
Daniel Loureiro reflects on the strength of Portuguese immigrant women and their role in shaping family, culture, and community life in Canada.
Explore LusoCanada
| Communities | Explore Portuguese communities across Canada by province, city, and organization |
| History | Follow the events, migrations, milestones, and memories that shaped Portuguese life in Canada |
| People | Discover pioneers, leaders, notable figures, and personal stories from the Luso-Canadian community |
| Media | Watch and listen to interviews, podcasts, videos, and visual stories from across the community |
| Research | Read academic essays, historical research, archival findings, and source-based studies |
| Editorial | Explore opinion, commentary, and reflections on Portuguese-Canadian identity, memory, and community life |
Latest Articles
Scroll down to read the latest stories, research, reflections, and community features added to LusoCanada
-
Jordan Mota – Making a Difference in the Arctic Circle
Jordan Mota is a young Portuguese Canadian living in Nunavut where he works as a union representative. Although he has moved far from his place of birth and from the influences of his heritage, he still maintains some of the traditions his parents taught him.
-
Portuguese Canadian Dictionary
The evolution of language is a fascinating aspect of human culture, and the Portuguese Canadian community offers a unique insight into this process. With integration into Canadian society, Portuguese individuals have not only adapted to the English language but have also creatively molded it to fit their own linguistic heritage.
-
Pioneers: An Old Bond Reignited by Family Ties
This is the story of two pioneers who, in 1954, met aboard a ship heading for Canada and later lost contact. They were reconnected by chance when family members married ten years after they disembarked in Halifax.
-
Sino-Luso Connection – Interacting and Growing Together
The recently founded Sino-Luso Connection is led by Lias Cheong and Harris Rong. It intends to facilitate cultural exchanges between the Portuguese, Chinese, and Macanese in Canada, and strengthen the bonds between these communities.
-
Where the Indigenous Don’t Call the Shots
he following is a series of excerpts from ‘Where the Indigenous Don’t Call the Shots’ (translation from the Portuguese version named ‘Lá, onde os índios não mandam), a book recently released by a former Portuguese immigrant to Canada. The author has requested to remain anonymous until the book is released in Canada, at the end…
-
Macau – the Merging of Two Worlds
Macau is a Special Administrative Region located in southern China, near Hong Kong, that was under Portuguese administration from 1557 to 1999. The Macanese who arrived in Canada from the 1950s (the early stages of immigration) to the end of the 20th century, did so with a Portuguese passport. Thus, their story is part of…
-
ELLIOT LAKE: Once a Vibrant Community
Elliot Lake once had a vibrant Portuguese community with a folklore dance group and a local television program, among many other activities. It is not so any longer.
-
Pioneers: The Extraordinary Story of António Rodrigues
António Pereira Rodrigues was born on July 25, 1925, in the village of Ázere, Arcos de Valdevez. As a member of the Portuguese Navy, he saw the world. To escape Salazar’s regime, he chose Canada as his permanent home. In 1956, less than a year after his arrival, he brought the union to his workplace…and…
-
Marie-Josephe Angélique – slave born in Madeira accused of burning Old Montreal
Marie-Josephe Angélique was a slave in New France (Quebec) who became famous for allegedly burning part of present Old Montreal. Born in Madeira, Portugal, around the year 1705, she was sold at a young age to a Flemish man named Nichus Block, who was responsible for bringing her to North America.
-
Birth by Soccer, a Usual Occurrence
Several Portuguese community associations in Canada were formed out of soccer teams. One such was Poveiros Community Centre, formerly known as Casa dos Poveiros – Varzim Sport Club de Toronto. Justino Moreira, although not an official founder, started the movement in 1984 after he returned from Portugal with a set of Varzim soccer uniforms.