Kingsville

KINGSVILLE’S POPULATION: 21,552

STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN KINGSVILLE:

AS MOTHER TONGUE	AS MOST SPOKEN	KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE	BORN IN PORTUGAL	ETHNIC ORIGIN
305 1.4% of population	50 0.2% of population	450 2.1% of population	235 1.1% of population	855 4% of population

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Kingsville is the most southern Canadian town, sandwiched between Leamington and Windsor. Although it does not have a Portuguese community organization, it houses many Luso-Canadians who frequent the neighbouring associations, such as in Harrow, Leamington, Chatham and Windsor. The town is also distinguished for having had a Luso-Canadian Mayor, Nelson Santos, who held the locality’s top seat until July of 2022.

Many communities along Southern Ontario’s north shore of Lake Erie were heavily influenced by Hiram Walker and Canadian Club Whiskey. Kingsville is no exception. Allegedly, the entrepreneur built a vacation home in town and he also founded Hotel Mettawas, which attracted other notables to the region. However, Jack Milner is the name that will forever be associated with Kingsville. He was a visionary in the area of conservation and founded the famous Jack Milner Bird Sanctuary, which is headquartered in town.

There is an appreciable number of Luso-Canadians who reside here, forming 4% of the total population who consider Portugal their ethnic origin. Nelson Santos is one such descendant of Portuguese. He was born in Kingsville in 1970 and, in 1997, was elected to the town’s council. Six years later, in 2003, he would be elected Mayor at the tender age of 33. He has retained the seat ever since, never losing an election. He left out of his volition, on July 17, 2022 to spend more time with his family.

“When I started school, I didn’t speak English”, he told us during an interview to Luso-Ontario Magazine, in 2008. “The integration was difficult at first, but we already had many Portuguese in this region, especially in Harrow and Leamington” he continued.

When Nelson Santos was elected in 2003, he did it with confidence and with the desire to effect some necessary changes. However, the one that followed proved the most challenging to date since the opponent was an experienced politician who had been Mayor for 21 years and who was a respected lawyer in the community. Even though the campaign became fierce and the opponent vicious at times, Nelson maintained his focus and secured a second mandate. The rest is History.

Nelson Santo’s family has always been a pillar not only in his personal life but also in his professional career. When he first started campaigning for Councilor, his father was the one who took charge of the signage. After his father’s unfortunate passing, his mother took over and so did his sister and, later, his wife. “We got married during my first campaign for Mayor. Our wedding was on the weekend of the Migration Festival, which is a huge parade. My groomsmen and I were at the parade distributing balloons, candy and pamphlets, and we noticed that, in one of the floats, my wife had written a warning for me not to be late for church. We were going to get married in an hour”, Nelson recounted during that interview in 2008.

Humble and modest, Nelson Santos honours his origins and the heritage passed on by his parents. He was crucial in the process that saw the community of Harrow construct a new building for the local Portuguese club and, in Leamington, he is an assiduous member of all of the Portuguese club’s general assemblies. “Never forget your roots and try to find the strength necessary to accomplish your objectives. That strength will guide you to success”, he advised.

Wise words from a person who, through perseverance, focus and respect for his heritage has been able to accomplish his objectives and, in the process, inspire many people, including Luso-Canadians, young and old.

Note: Nelson Santos is currently the CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) for the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio.

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008

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