Founding Date:	October 21, 1984
Address:	217 Talbot St W Leamington, ON N8H 1N8
Telephone:	519-326-0778

A shrinking community with an imposing clubhouse

Audio Version:

The tomato capital of the world is also home to one of the most impressive halls of all the Portuguese communities throughout Ontario. Located to the west of the city centre, the headquarters of the Portuguese Community of Leamington may not look that imposing on the outside but its interior tells another story. 

The entrance, divine as if it were a palace, decorated with beauty and refinement, invites you to discover more, to wander through the gigantic hall that can accommodate close to a thousand people. On the west side hides a massive kitchen, on the north side the doors to a large field that has made the Board of Directors dream of many projects, and to the south the entrance to the member’s lounge. 

In 1979, there were about 600 Portuguese families in this area. This large presence instilled in them the desire to create an organization that would help them stay closer to the mother land. 

The first meeting was at the home of Nelson Medeiros. The idea of buying property soon arose and, suddenly, the plot where the current club stands was put up for sale. The group pounced on the opportunity and purchased it with funds that they had raised during the festivities of the Holy Spirit, which dated back to 1978. In fact, the celebration of the Holy Spirit was the foundation of what became the current organization. The property cost, in 1984, $340,000. 

This purchase facilitated the implementation of various activities that included folklore, the carnival, and other social and cultural events. The folk group represented the Azores and it even had live music. The group did not last, however, more than 3 years. A soccer team and a Portuguese School suffered the same fate, dying off a few years after they had been created. 

The club does not currently enjoy the participation of such groups. The lounge is the only location that still regularly connects the Portuguese-Canadians who reside here. The hall sees the odd club event but it is mostly used for weddings and other rentals. There is, however, the instrumental band which survived through the years, but it has also enjoyed better days.

A home for the elderly on the north end of the property is a dream that has been bounced around for decades now. The plans have been drawn up and there is interest from some people but not yet enough to get the project started. 

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008

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