Strathroy

Community Organizations: Portuguese Canadian Club of Strathroy

STRATHROY’S POPULATION: 20,867

STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN STRATHROY:

AS MOTHER
TONGUE		AS MOST
SPOKEN		KNOWLEDGE OF
THE LANGUAGE		BORN IN
PORTUGAL		ETHNIC
ORIGIN
940
4.5% of population		430
2.1% of population		1,290
6.2% of population		885
4.2% of population		2,125
10.2% of population
Source: Statistics Canada

Audio Version:

Strathroy is the second largest per capita Portuguese locality in Canada with just over 1 in every 10 residents considering Portuguese their ethnic origin, followed closely by Bradford, Leamington and Cambridge. Harrow is first.

John Stewart Buchanan, who originated from the town of Strathroy in Scotland, arrived here in 1832 and established a small settlement near the Sydenham River. In 1840, the first variety store opened here. Twenty years later, the locality was elevated to village and in 1872 it was officially recognized as Town of Strathroy. The first newspaper was the Western Dispatch, but shortly after joined the newly founded The Age to form The Age-Dispatch, in 1923, which is currently in operation.

Strathroy is famous for the Mac Cuddy Farms, which is Canada’s largest grower of turkeys and processer of turkey-based products. The company is one of the largest employers in the region and a major driver of the local economy.

One of the city’s most memorable events occurred in 1954 when the West Middlesex Memorial Arena was inaugurated with the presence of a very special guest – the Montreal Canadiens! The NHL squad beat the local Strathroy Rockets in front of three thousand enthusiastic spectators by a landslide: 14-3.

West Middlesex Memorial Arena (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Middlesex_Memorial_Centre_-_Strathroy,_ON.jpg)

Interesting facts include a tragic incident perpetrated by a group of youth who set fire to the city’s 117 year-old train station, in 2004, and the inauguration of city water services, in 2005 – until then, the residents relied on well water.

The Portuguese community started to establish here in the 1950s and, by the mid-60s, already had a sizeable population. In 1968, it formed a soccer team and, in 1972, it celebrated its first official public event – the Feast of the Holy Spirit. In 1977, the Portuguese Canadian Club of Strathroy was founded. Since then, it has become the main meeting point for the many Luso-Canadians who live in the area. Over the years, the association has formed a very successful soccer program, promoted many social and cultural events, and formed a folk-dance group and a philharmonic band.

Beyond the publication The Age-Dispatch, Strathroy also boasts a local radio station – CJMI 105.7 ‘My FM’.

With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008
If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com
Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com.