Hamilton

Community Organizations:

Vasco da Gama FC – Rancho Províncias e Ilhas de Portugal – Os Lusíadas

HAMILTON’S POPULATION – 776,000

STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN HAMILTON:

AS MOTHER
TONGUE		AS MOST
SPOKEN		KNOWLEDGE OF
THE LANGUAGE		BORN IN
PORTUGAL		ETHNIC
ORIGIN
7,250
0.9% of population		3,075
0.4% of population		9,260
1.2% of population		5,600
0.7% of population		16,225
2.1% of population
Source: Statistics Canada

PASSIONATE COMMUNITY IN STEELTOWN

Audio Version:

Hamilton is one of the largest cities in Ontario and home to one of the most sizeable Portuguese communities in Canada. Across the city, you can find many remnants of our presence here, of which the imposing Vasco da Gama’s building is the most significant.

Founded in 1846 after George Hamilton purchased the land where the city is located at the end of the war of 1812, the city saw a correctional facility built here in 1832, even before residents moved into the locality in significant numbers. Over the years, Hamilton grew into a major industrial centre. This includes the auto industry, steel and other metals, food products, electrical components, machinery, oil-based products and paper manufacturing.  

Given the above, it is no surprise that Hamilton took on the nicknames of Ambitious City and Steeltown.

Hamilton skyline (photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HamiltonOntarioSkylineB.JPG)

According to the 2021 Census, there are 7,270 residents here who consider Portuguese their mother tongue, 3,075 who speak it most often at home and 9,260 who can communicate in the language. A total of 5,600 Hamilton residents were born in Portugal and 16,225 consider their ethnic background to be Portuguese.

Hamilton is home to MacMaster University, five major hospitals and to the largest port in Ontario with more than 700 ships transporting over 12 million tons of products in and out of the city each year.

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008
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