Windsor
Community Organizations:
Portuguese Community of Windsor Casa do Espírito Santo – Centro Cultural e Recreativo Português de Windsor
WINDSOR’S POPULATION: 229,660
STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN WINDSOR:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 775 0.3% of population | 215 0.1% of population | 1,090 0.5% of population | 415 0.2% of population | 2,645 1.1% of population |
Audio Version:
The French established in Windsor in 1748, making the locality the oldest in Canada west of Toronto and Montreal. Initially, it was named Petite Côte and later La Côte de Misére, but when the English arrived here they formed the community of Sandwich that later took the name of the Windsor. However, the French influence is still visible in some of the city’s street names such as Ouellette, Pelissier, Marentette and Lauzon.
Only in 1854 Windsor was officially elevated to village after the Grand Trunk Railway connected the locality to the rest of Canada. In 1858, Windsor was elevated to Town and, in 1892, took on the distinction of City.
During the 20th Century, the automotive sector established shop here, competing with Oshawa for Canada’s Auto Capital. Some of the companies that operate here include the giants Daimler-Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and the Hiram Walker Canadian Club. These large companies make Windsor a preferred spot for a strong Union movement.
Although the automotive industry has brought the city much attention, it is the Windsor Casino that remains as the most iconic of its sites, attracting both Canadians and Americans from across the border. Other relevant sites of interest in the city include the Capitol Theatre, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Odette Sculpture Park, the Ojibway Park and the Point Pelee National Park.
Windsor will forever remain in history as a main corridor for the blacks who escaped slavery from the United States of America via the famous Underground Railroad. Nowadays, those who come from the USA in droves are the youth who turn 19 looking to party while legally consuming alcohol – the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 while in Canada it is 19.
The Portuguese arrived here right after the official start of our immigration to Canada looking for jobs in the automotive sector, in farming and in the construction industry. The community grew to appreciable numbers and, by the 1970s, it created a soccer club that lasted nearly two decades. In 1980, Portuguese Catholic Mission of Windsor was formed to promote religious celebrations. The organization acquired its own headquarters in 1992 and simultaneously changed its name to the current Portuguese Community of Windsor – Casa do Espírito Santo.
Centro Cultural e Recreativo Português de Windsor was formed in the early nineties but, unfortunately, lasted just around a decade. We have not been able to gather information on this organization. If you can help us or know someone who can, please contact us.
| 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. |