Winnipeg

Community Organizations:

Portuguese Association of Manitoba – Casa do Minho – Casa dos Açores – Banda Lira de Fátima

POPULATION OF WINNIPEG: 833,000

STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN WINNIPEG:

AS MOTHER TONGUE	AS MOST SPOKEN	KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE	BORN IN PORTUGAL	ETHNIC ORIGIN
6,095 0.7% of population	2,680 0.3% of population	7,725 0.9% of population	4,055 0.5% of population	12,870 1.5% of population

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THE CENTRE OF THE COMMUNITY IN MANITOBA

The City of Winnipeg is, by far, the location of choice for the Portuguese Canadians who have settled in Manitoba, with around 90% of the population living and working here. It is also in this city that all the community organizations, ethnic commerce and services have been established.

Winnipeg was not initially a destination for the first Portuguese who arrived in the province. Most worked in the railway or in farming and flocked to the city during the winter months where they found temporary employment and, eventually, ended up staying. The area surrounding St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church became the focal point of the community at a time in which there were no associations and involvement with a designated parish had not been established. It all changed in 1966 with the arrival of Father Pedro Fernandes at the Immaculate Conception Parish, which coincided with the formation of the Portuguese Association of Manitoba in that same year.¹

Before that, the community frequented the parishes of St. Mary’s, Sacre Couer and Holy Rosary (both now demolished), but although the Immaculate Conception was further from the centre of the community, the Luso-Canadians found it appealing to celebrate mass in Portuguese. Initially, the parish was not exclusively of the Portuguese community, but it all changed in 1978 after a fire destroyed part of the church. The community undertook the task of renovating the building and, in 1980, inaugurated it as the first parish serving the Portuguese in the city. Father Pedro Fernandes became a Monsignor and eventually retired in the 1990s, but his name will forever be attached to the Portuguese religious movement in Winnipeg.²

It was at the church that Banda Lira de Fátima, the first and only brass band in the city, was formed in 1993. The band graces community events at the various associations but continues to be very much attached to the parish. During the 1970s, it began practicing at the headquarters of the Portuguese Association and, later, it also started to celebrate its main events there.

The Portuguese Association is the pioneering organization in the city. Founded in 1966, it quickly became an influential cultural, social, and sporting centre for the community. It formed the first ever soccer team that became city champions multiple times, the first folk-dance group that has grown into several others, and the first Portuguese school in the city, boasting at one point an enrollment that surpassed 300 students. It also introduced various activities that include theatre and musical performances, as well as the celebration of traditional events. It was at the association’s headquarters that other groups were formed, including the Women’s League and the youth group New Generation of the Association. The Portuguese Association of Manitoba was the first to represent Portugal at Folklorama, in 1972. The organization is currently housed at the Portuguese Cultural Centre, a building located in the city centre that was constructed with help from the community and inaugurated in 1988.

In 1974, Casa do Minho Portuguese Centre was formed out of a folk-dance group that intended to represent the most northern Portuguese province. The organization grew quickly into other areas. It introduced soccer shortly after its foundation, theatre and musical presentations, and many other activities to engage the membership. In 1983, it was admitted into Folklorama as the second local association representing Portugal with a pavilion, which it has since maintained. It is currently housed at a building that it owns, with a large hall to host its various events and rental offices on the top floor.

Over the years, the Azorean community of Winnipeg felt that it lacked representation, although the Portuguese Association of Manitoba and Casa do Minho had made attempts to accommodate and introduce cultural elements of the archipelago into its celebrations and events. However, the concern was legitimate for the simple fact that this specific community possesses certain cultural aspects that need to be celebrated accordingly. It was without surprise and with much relief that Casa dos Açores de Winnipeg was founded, in 1992. Since then, it has acquired its own headquarters and has implemented various activities geared toward the islander community, although all Luso-Canadians, regardless of place of origin, are welcome and do participate.

The members of the Portuguese community of Winnipeg continue to live and work in the city proper, but some have moved to the suburbs in search of a more spacious and relaxing setting. However, the associations in the city continue to unite them regularly. In fact, there are Portuguese-Canadians who often travel nearly 1,000 kilometres to attend community events, as is the case of Rui Lima and his family from Thompson, Manitoba. The locals also often flock to the Portuguese Park, located in Saint Laurent, on the margins of Lake Manitoba, and to Winnipeg beach, a famous location that has been marked with our presence.

In recent times, immigration from Portugal has halted. However, the large community that calls Winnipeg home has shown extreme dedication to the preservation of our heritage in the city. The associations are vibrant and dynamic, and the involvement from the community has been exemplary. Unlike many other Portuguese communities in Canada, the one in Winnipeg is thriving and does not seem to be experiencing many of the challenges witnessed in other localities. We can safely say that the community here can be used as a model for others who are facing struggles at the associative level.

References 1 & 2: Bairos, Agostinho (1991), A Profile of the Portuguese Community in Manitoba. Winnipeg: Multiculturalism Secretariat of Alberta.  

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