Associação Portuguesa do Canadá
| Founding Date: | January 7, 1956 |
| Address: | 4170 Rue Saint-Urbain Montréal, Quebec H2W 1V3 |
| Telephone: | 514-844-2269 |
| Email: | apc4170@hotmail.com |
THE OLDEST PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN CANADA
Audio Version:
On May 13, 1953, the first major contingent of Portuguese immigrants to Canada arrived at Pier 21, in Halifax. Many followed since then, and scattered across the country according to the needs determined by the Department of Immigration. Those who landed in Quebec were mostly sent to rural areas but, as they adapted, they began to quickly move into Montreal where there were more opportunities available. By 1955, there was already a significant number of Portuguese living in the city. As the numbers grew, they began to gather to reminisce about the homeland and to celebrate their culture. This was the prelude to the first ever Portuguese association in Canada, formed officially on January 7, 1956, which took on the name of Associação Portuguesa do Canadá (APC) – affectionately nicknamed “Associação”.
This occurrence is not only relevant for its novelty but also because it defied the pattern that was to follow across the country. In most communities, although the majority of associations were born out of established folk groups or soccer teams, the Portuguese tended to gather first around the church. From here, they spread into their niches. In Montreal, it was the opposite: the association predated any involvement with the church or with religious activities, which makes it even more unique.
The organization exuded tremendous vitality from the start and looked to form various groups and implement activities with the purpose to serve its members and to promote our culture. Beyond becoming the first to organize corporately, it also created the first folk group, the first filarmónica, the first Portuguese language newspaper and the first Portuguese school in Canada. It also assembled a soccer squad, the Luso-Stars, founded in 1971 and the only Luso-Canadian team that competed at the highest level in the Province of Quebec for many years, winning many major trophies along the way. At the Associação’s headquarters, many other groups found a temporary home and many others used it to celebrate important festivities and milestones.
Most Portuguese who reside in the region of Montreal have had some sort of experience with the Associação Portuguesa do Canadá. Some have attended events or simply visited for a drink while others have taken on leadership roles within the organization. Arlindo Vieira, a long-time Montreal resident and current President of the General Assembly of APC, is one such individual. Born in the municipality of Alcanena, Santarém, Arlindo Vieira arrived in Canada in 1973 and quickly became involved in volunteer work in the community. His first involvement with the APC happened in the 1980s when he took on the role of Secretary for Luso Stars. “My first contact was with Luso-Stars, a soccer team that attained great relevance here in Quebec, a team that participated in the highest tier of soccer here in Quebec. It was the sports section of the association,” Arlindo Vieira told us during a zoom call in January of 2022.
Following a hiatus due to his professional responsibilities, Arlindo Vieira returned to a leadership role within the organization after the turn of the millennium, this time as President of the General Assembly. “It was a later phase in my career when I had more free time. Associação was going through a difficult phase. There were people who created a movement to keep it afloat because it is the pioneering Portuguese association in Canada. It was an important artistic, cultural and sporting landmark. It played an important role and people thought that they could not let it die off,” he pointed.
For many years, Associação had its headquarters in Montreal’s city centre, but later, in 1972, the opportunity to bring it closer to the Portuguese community occurred when a synagogue was put up for sale. This was a necessary purchase not only for the preservation but also the growth of the organization. “They bought it for a good price […]. It needed significant renovations and the Ministry helped at the time, but the aid could have been more substantial if they had a more robust project”, Arlindo Vieira said.
The move, although positive, brought the organization new challenges. For one, the formation of other organizations such as Clube Portugal de Montreal and the religious Missão Santa Cruz proved to become competition that would hinder Associação’s ability to prosper. Then, the fact that the building was at times too large for the dwindling number of activities offered by the organization, proved to become a financial challenge. Finally, the aging of the population that has the strongest sentimental ties to Associação has also contributed to a reduced number of groups, activities, and attendees. “It’s an old building, too big for the needs of the association, although at times it does not have the capacity to hold larger events. It has a capacity for 150 people. The building has significant expenses […] which makes it difficult”, Arlindo Vieira relayed.
The building has three floors. The ground level houses the bar where lunches are served on the weekends and small get-togethers are organized. The main hall is located on the second level and, above it, the top floor is seldom used by the association and often rented out to generate extra revenue. Recently, fire destroyed a large part of the building which, with the effort of the Board members and the organization’s friends and supporters, was repaired just before the pandemic hit.
Although Associação was the pioneer in many of the social, cultural, and sporting facets of the Portuguese community in Montreal, it no longer boasts the groups that once made it a leading organization. However, those initiatives inspired others in the community to form concurrent groups that have come to shape our presence in the region. The original folk-dance group is no longer active, but it paved the way to a few others in the city that continue to propagate our culture. The marching band that was formed at the club remained there for many years. However, seeking independence, it eventually left to become a sole organization, taking on the name of Filarmónica Portuguesa de Montreal. The Portuguese school created here also became independent and is now part of Missão Santa Cruz.
The famous Luso Stars are also no longer active. Behind, they leave a glorious history of trophies won but mostly a sense of pride and of experiences lived and witnessed by the Portuguese community of Montreal. The team began competing at the highest level in the 1980s, winning the provincial championship more than once in the process. “It was always among the top teams. It was a prestigious team […], a very important institution in Quebec soccer, mainly composed of Portuguese. They played at one of the most important parks in Montreal, named Jeanne-Mance, which is located behind the associação’s building. There’s a soccer field there. At some point, they played in a stadium built for American football, at McGill University, and also in a stadium called Autostade that has now been demolished and that was built for the 1967 Expo. We didn’t have big crowds, but during those final stages we usually had large attendances”, Arlindo Vieira recounted.
Associação Portuguesa do Canadá was also once the main hub for theatre performances in the community. Over the years, various groups were formed within the organization but none of them stood the test of time. “People get tired, the directors must take on multiple tasks. That is difficult. It’s admirable that we haven’t closed down, it’s honourable. The activities don’t attract the newer generation who are more integrated at other levels, including professionally. The Portuguese community does not mean as much to them. That poses a real challenge”, Vieira lamented.
During the first two decades of existence, Associação was able to easily form an Executive Board. However, with the arrival of new organizations and the aging of the original founders, it started to find it challenging to attract new members. “The most difficult periods were during the 80s and 90s when we went through some instability and, sometimes, we weren’t able to form an executive. However, we were blessed with a lady who was president for many years, Connie Correia, known as Conceição Rosário, who was the first female president of an association of the likes in Quebec. She was able to form a group and to launch a renewal, a new effort. She was able to make positive advancements and to bring a period of optimism. However, all personalities have their virtues and their faults and, in the end, there were some people who left because they did not identify with the leadership”, Arlindo Vieira recalled.
The pandemic has brought uncertainty to all community organizations across Canada. Associação Portuguesa do Canadá is no exception. The dwindling of activities, the lack of organized groups, and the continued declining interest from the younger members of the community make it all the more challenging. However, the Executive Board, along with the influence of a respected community figure such as Arlindo Vieira, Associação possesses the necessary ingredients to regenerate itself.
The contributions of Associação Portuguesa do Canadá to the cultural mosaic of Montreal is entrenched not only in the Luso-Canadians who live in the region but also in anyone from the general population that has encountered anything Portuguese. Although the past cannot be erased or forgotten, the future of the organization is up in the air. Recently, there was a movement to unify all the Portuguese community organizations in Montreal under one roof, but the interest has diminished in recent times. This leaves Associação, along with the other community organizations in the city, in a precarious situation, but not in any way dependent on the fallen project, as Arlindo Vieira eloquently explains: “From 1956 to 1965, we did not have another Portuguese association (in Montreal). The gatherings happened here and currently it continues to be the most important association to our oldest generation. That is the association’s salvation. As it was in the past when it went through crises, Associação was the first to be founded and, if it must vanish one day, it will be the last to die off.”
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