Clube Portugal de Montreál
| Founding Date: | April 19, 1965 |
| Address: | 4397 Boulevard St-Laurent Montreal, Quebec H2W 1Z8 |
| Telephone: | (514) 844-1406 |
| Email: | clubeportugalmontreal@hotmail.com |
THE SECOND OLDEST ASSOCIATION IN MONTREAL
Audio Version:
Montreal has the second largest Luso-Canadian population in Canada. Thus, it is only fitting that it also has some of the oldest community organizations still in operation. Clube Portugal Montreal is one such association that has stood the test of time. Founded on April 19, 1965, it became the second oldest in the city and the 7th in the country. Moreover, it has also arguably become the most prominent Portuguese community organization in Montreal.
Just as is the case with countless other communities across Canada, many organizations are born out of break-ups and/or disagreements between members of an established association. It seems to be the case with Clube Portugal de Montreal. Some recount that it was founded after a few members of Associação Portuguesa do Canadá (then the sole association in the city), who did not align with the organization’s political leanings at the time, found it important to form an organization that was neutral from politics. Whatever the reason, the formation of another association in Montreal beyond the one that pioneered the movement across Canada, was an inevitable occurrence. The community was growing and began to desire for a larger selection of cultural and social opportunities.
The first president was Jaime Monteiro.
In recent years, Clube Portugal Montreal has become a focal point for the Portuguese community in the region. António Moreira, the current president, first got involved with the organization in 1994 in the quality of treasurer. Originally from Terras de Bouro, he arrived in Canada in 1981 with his wife and two children. He is the founder and former owner of Café Central Português, a well-known establishment among the community in Montreal. Over the years, he built a small real estate empire but never stopped giving back to the community. “I got involved in associations very young, in Portugal. We founded an association in my town”, he began by telling us in a telephone conversation. In Canada, it took just over a decade for him to follow his heart’s calling. “I was asked to help Clube Portugal. At first, I wasn’t too sure, but I was told that it was not doing well. So, I joined in 1994 and I’m still here. I started as treasurer, then I was the president, left that role for about five years, and here I am again”, he said.
António Moreira dedicates much of his time to the association. His commitment, along with the support from the board members, have turned Clube Portugal de Montreal into a dynamic and financially stable organization, ready to face the challenges the current times bring. “Whenever I have time, I open the hall. I come here and people show up. There’s always something to do here. I am always busy”, he said. Beyond the everyday task of making the headquarters available for the members, António Moreira has also helped implement various activities and supported groups within the organization, such as the soccer team and the folk-dance group.
The folk-dance group, which represents the Minho region and goes by the name of Praias de Portugal, was founded in 1985 by José Lopes, José Antunes, José Cerqueira and Manuel Ferreira, and has been active to this day. António Moreira calls it the pilar of the association. “We have around 80 members, we have a large group. We already toured Portugal and recorded a CD. We have invitations not only from here but also from other parts. We traveled to the United States numerous times and to Toronto. This is the result of the great work of the group that is in charge of the organization. This is all done by volunteers, nobody makes a salary”, Moreira stressed.
The tour of Portugal, in 2011, is the highlight of the illustrious Praias de Portugal. In all, it performed at nine different locations in the span of one month. “We performed in Terras de Bouro, twice in Ponte da Barca, in Monção we were also part of an RTP program, we performed at a folklore festival in Trás-os-Montes, we went to Viseu, Fátima…it was gratifying but exhausting. People would congratulate us and marvel at how we were able to form such a group in North America”, Moreira recounted. Recently, the group performed for Augusto Santos Silva, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, who visited Canada for the celebrations of Portugal Day, in 2022, and who was a special guest of Clube Portugal de Montreal.
Soccer, under the banner of Lusitano Futebol Clube, has also been a staple of the association since its inception. At one point, it boasted an adult and an old-timers’ squad. The competitive team participated in the Quebec League for many years. However, it had to fold after the Quebec Soccer Federation changed regulations that forced all competitive teams to have a soccer school or academy. “We had it for some time, but it was very costly and we stopped around 2005. Soccer exists here since the inception of the association. The elite team was semi-professional. We didn’t win any trophies in the elite league, but we won other trophies. We have them all on display”, Moreira said. These changes forced the adult team to abandon outdoor soccer and join the futsal league, where it has honourably represented the organization and the Portuguese community under a slightly different name: Lusitano Futsal Clube.
Clube Portugal de Montreal was first located on Rue St. Catherine, then moved to Rue Prince Arthur and later to Mount Royal. It was precisely at the latter location that one of the most damaging tragedies in the history of the organization occurred when a fire engulfed the building and took everything in its path. “Everything was destroyed. We lost history. It is an emptiness that I feel here, the loss of our historical documents. It is now important to compile that history”, Moreira somberly stated.
However, as the saying goes, “when a window closes, a door opens.” That’s precisely what occurred. After the fire, Clube Portugal de Montreal moved to its current location, on Boulevard St-Laurent. The organization began by renting the space, but upon learning that the owners wanted to sell, the executive board pounced on the opportunity and occupied the building’s second floor – the former owners were kept as tenants, on the main floor, where they operate a supermarket. Purchased in 1980, the current headquarters – completely paid off – has a hall with a capacity for 265 people, a bar and a fully renovated industrial kitchen. There’s also room for books and for the numerous trophies and memorabilia that the organization collected over the years either with the soccer teams or the folk-dance group.
The Covid-19 pandemic affected Clube Portugal de Montreal, but it is ready to face the challenges ahead. The folk-dance group is active again and the soccer team is ready to enter the futsal league once more. The hall has also reopened to members and the general population, and the numerous events that the organization promotes yearly are back.
“We are financially sound, we don’t depend on anyone”, Moreira stated. Judging by the quick manner in which the organization has bounced back from a forced two-year hiatus, those words ring true not only for the finances of the organization but also for its most treasured asset: its people.
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