Founding Date	1960
Address:	870 Townline Rd., PO Box 26045 Cambridge, Ontario N1R 8E8
Telephone:	519-658-970

Serving the Portuguese community for over half-a-century

Audio Version:

In 1960, Abilio Vargas became the first president of the Portuguese Club of Cambridge at a time when there was no headquarters and meetings were held at the directors’ homes.  Social and cultural events were held in local schools’ gymnasiums and in other halls throughout the city. 

It all started with the celebrations of the Holy Spirit in the early 1960s until, in 1966, the land where the current headquarters is located was purchased.  The hall was much smaller than it is today.  In 1973, an addition to the hall was built and then another in 1989.  The  interior was renovated in 2005 to adapt to the needs of the organization. 

This is Cambridge’s oldest Luso-Canadian organization and continues to be a meeting place for many of our people who live in this city. 

The excellent condition of the building and the large property surrounding it have made the Portuguese Club of Cambridge a home of choice for the city’s various Luso-Canadian religious organizations.   The Império Mariense, the Irmandade Picoense, the Império Micaelense, and the Império S. Joao are some of these organizations.

In addition to hosting other community organizations, the Portuguese Club of Cambridge also has its own groups and activities such as the Banda Filarmónica, the folk group, and the Supersonics football team.   The Folk Group represents the islands of the Azores since most of its members come from the archipelago. 

One of the club’s trademark events is the celebration of Portuguese immigration to Canada, an annual occasion highly anticipated by all, especially by those who came to Cambridge many years ago and are honored with distinction.  Cambridge is home to many pioneers who arrived in Canada from Portugal. 

Another source of pride for all the members and friends of the association is the celebrations of Portugal Day, on June 10.  Club members organize a short parade through the city centre.  The parade includes floats and hundreds of participants of all ages.  There is also a monument in the city centre marking the presence of the Portuguese in Cambridge.

With a property of such size, it is necessary to find ways to monetize the land so that the club is financially autonomous.  The rental of the hall for weddings has been the economic subsistence of the organization, a standard that should remain as the norm as the community integrates with the general society and loses interest in its cultural roots. 

The natural integration of the community and the eventual passing of the elders may force the Portuguese community of Cambridge to eventually house all its organizations under one roof. 

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008

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