The Territories
Related articles:
Portuguese Presence in The Territories:
COMBINED POPULATION OF NUNAVUT, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, AND YUKON: 128,090
COMBINED STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN THE TERRITORIES:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 45 0.03% of population | 5 0.001% of population | 120 0.1% of population | 10 0.008% of population | 390 0.3% of population |
STATISTICS BY TERRITORY
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
POPULATION: 45,515
STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 25 0.05% of population | 5 0.01% of population | 55 0.1% of population | 0 0% of population | 205 0.4% of population |
YUKON
POPULATION: 42,986
STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN YUKON:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 15 0.03% of population | 0 0% of population | 55 0.1% of population | 10 0.02% of population | 70 0.2% of population |
NUNAVUT
POPULATION: 39,589
STATISTICS FOR THE PORTUGUESE IN NUNAVUT:
| AS MOTHER TONGUE | AS MOST SPOKEN | KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE | BORN IN PORTUGAL | ETHNIC ORIGIN |
| 5 0.01% of population | 0 0% of population | 10 0.02% of population | 0 0% of population | 115 0.3% of population |
A YOUNG PORTUGUESE-CANADIAN CALLS IQALUIT HOME
February, 2022
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Located in the Everett Mountains, Iqaluit (meaning ‘Place of Many Fish’) is the most northern city in Canada. Relatively unknown before the division of the Northwest Territories, it quickly became popular when it was elected the Capital of the newly formed Territory of Nunavut, in 1999. Without connecting roads and only accessible by air or water, Iqaluit, mainly inhabited by the Inuit, is not a traditional destination for those who chose Canada as their new home. However, among the nearly eight thousand people who reside here lives Jonathan Sousa, a young descendant of Portuguese who has called the Territory home for the past three years.
From an early age, Jonathan Sousa had decided that his career would be in the field of law enforcement, but he had no idea that he would become an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). “I became an RCMP officer in 2014. I was in the military as a reserve before joining. I was looking into law enforcement. I put in applications for the Toronto Police Services, but when my application to the RCMP got accepted, I just went through all the phases, I just kept passing,” Jonathan told us during a telephone conversation in February of 2022.
His first post was in Blackfalds, a small rural community in the outskirts of Red Deer, Alberta. “I was posted there for four years and I just started getting interested in coming up north while my [children were] still young. I came up here and my family has been here ever since,” he said. His first post in Nunavut was in a community of 1,600 called Pangnirtung where he stayed for two years before relocating to Iqaluit with his wife and three children.
Working in small communities, where relationships with the locals are naturally formed, can get a little complicated but, nonetheless, Sousa has been able to make it work. “In a small community, you’re seen as the police officer and that’s the identity you take. You’re always the police officer. People would walk into my house, people would see me at the grocery store, and it’s a good thing when they trust you,” he said. However, Iqaluit is a big enough town where he is able to mingle as one of the citizens, even though his appearance is different from that of most locals.
“In Iqaluit, people don’t know I am a police officer because it’s a town of eight thousand. So, it’s quite different here. Here, there are other cultures. A lot of French people. There is a small community from East Africa. There are a lot of Filipinos too,” Jonathan informed before throwing us an unexpected surprise: “I played in a basketball league and I found another Portuguese. He’s actually a teenager who goes to school here and his family is Portuguese.”
Although Jonathan was born in Canada, Portuguese culture was a very important part of his upbringing. His father, who hails from Graciosa, and his mother, who comes from Terceira, spoke the language at home and attended Graciosa Community Centre’s weekly gatherings with family in tow. “I do feel connected to my Portuguese culture. Growing up in Toronto, it was a very small community that my parents and my family were active in. We would go to Graciosa [Community Centre] every Saturday. It was a big part of my growing up. I wasn’t in the dances and the folklore [but] I was there watching. I don’t speak Portuguese at home anymore, but I’m able to speak it and get by. I identify first and foremost as Canadian, but the topic [of my Portuguese heritage] seems to come out a lot at my work because it’s very different from most people’s background at the RCMP. It is who I am and, obviously, people are going to get interested when I meet them. So, I try to bring some of that culture, usually in regards to food. Chouriço, linguiça, queijadas or natas, and I share those with other people,” he said.
As we evolve as a community, so does our level of assimilation into the general culture. This is already having a significant impact on our own Portuguese social and cultural organizations due to the dwindling interest from the descendants of those who arrived here looking for a better life. Jonathan Sousa is an example of that reality. “As people assimilate, it shifts and you lose a piece of the culture from your ancestors. […] The kids of my generation, they just don’t go to the club anymore, they lose interest. I don’t know if there will be sustainability in those clubs even existing anymore because I don’t know if there would be any interest in them,” he somberly stated.
Jonathan Sousa’s wife is not Portuguese but, even then, he makes an effort to instill in his children parts of the heritage passed on to him by his parents. He recently visited Portugal with his family and, at home, he tries to teach the Portuguese language to his children.
He just signed on to another two-year contract to stay posted as an RCMP officer in Iqaluit. Save for the family of the teenager who plays in the local basketball league, Jonathan Sousa seems to be the sole Luso-Canadian residing in this isolated artic city. However, after an interesting revelation from Sousa at the end of our conversation, this theory still needs to be tested.
“The grocery store up here, for some reason, sells natas. I don’t know what that’s about. Maybe there is more to it than I know,” he said.
Perhaps there is. We are eager to find out.
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Jordan Mota – Making a Difference in the Arctic Circle
5 October 2024
Born in 1991 in Strathroy, Ontario, Jordan Mota’s family history in Canada spans across different generations. “My mom, Osvalda, immigrated from São Jorge, Azores, when she was 15. She came to Canada in the early ’70s with my grandmother and grandfather, settling in Strathroy”, he recalled in a conversation held in the summer of 2024. Jordan’s father, Walter, is a first-generation Canadian and a son of immigrants who also hail from the Azores. “My grandfather came first and worked on the rail line in Strathroy,” Jordan explained. “Once he had saved enough, he brought over the rest of the family.”
Jordan’s early years were marked by change and adaptation. When he was around five years old, his parents separated, and he moved with his mother to Cambridge, another town with a significant Portuguese community. It was here that Jordan’s mother, Osvalda, met her current husband, Luis, a man with a similar immigration story. “My stepdad, Luis, came to Canada when he was around 15, even earlier than my mom,” Jordan shared. “He’s from Pico and immigrated in the ’60s.”
Despite now living in Nunavut, Jordan remains connected to his family roots. “I still visit my family in Strathroy and Cambridge whenever I can,” he says. He has also been to Portugal a few times during his childhood, particularly to visit his mother’s family. “We would go to São Jorge, where my mom has family, in Velas and Rosais. We’d split our time between the two towns”, he offered.
His educational journey took him to the University of Guelph for his undergraduate studies and then to McMaster University, where he obtained a master’s degree in international relations. Now, as a union representative for the Nunavut Employees Union, Jordan continues to write his own story far from the place where he grew up.
MOVING TO NUNAVUT
“It’s a question I often ask myself,” Jordan Mota mused, reflecting on his decision to relocate to Nunavut. Currently one of very few individuals of Portuguese heritage residing in the Canadian arctic region, his move came purely by chance. With a background in politics, Mota had worked on campaigns and outreach initiatives across Canada, from the lush landscapes of British Columbia to the bustling hubs of Ontario. Yet, it was the allure of the northern frontier that ultimately beckoned him and led him to his new home.
“I first got a taste of life in the North during a campaign stint in Yukon,” Jordan recalled. It was there that he encountered individuals from Nunavut who were passionate about fostering a labor presence in the region. Jordan found himself drawn to the idea of contributing to this endeavor. Taking a leap of faith, he made the move to Iqaluit, embracing the unknown.
Now, as Jordan approaches his second year in Nunavut, he reflects on the unique challenges and beauty of life in the Arctic. “It’s been an adjustment, that’s for sure,” he said. “The landscape is unlike anything I’ve ever seen—the tundra is breathtaking. The absence of trees is something you have to get used to, and the distinct day and night cycles of the far north can be disorienting at first.” Despite the adjustments, Jordan is relishing his time in Nunavut, captivated by the region’s rugged beauty and the warmth of its people.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Jordan Mota is a Labour Relations Advisor for the Nunavut Employes Union, which represents the public employees in the territory. “It’s a mix of all things,” he said of his role, which includes responsibilities from grievance handling to establishing new locals across the territory. With a chuckle, he added, “the nature of the North is that you always have to wear many hats up here.”
This versatile attitude seems to be a requirement when your workplace spans the vast and remote communities of Nunavut. In a relatively short time, Mota has already traveled to most of the 25 communities that make up the territory. His journeys have taken him to the high Arctic Archipelago of the Qikiqtaaluk region, including places like Resolute and Grise Fiord, and as far south as the Belcher Islands, located in the middle of Hudson Bay. He has also ventured west to the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions, though not as extensively as his home region. Each community, he emphasized, is fly-in only, with no road access. “There are no roads up here,” he said, a fact that underscores the unique challenges and adventures of his work.
Jordan Mota clearly takes pride in his work and the impact he has had in his relatively short time with the Nunavut Employees Union. His role is not just about handling complaints and disputes, but also about empowering and engaging employees. By identifying those with a desire to get more involved, he provides training and career progression opportunities, fostering a sense of growth and development within the union and all the communities it serves.
FINDING FELLOW PORTUGUESE IN REMOTE TERRITORY
The saying goes that we live in a small world, and although Nunavut is the largest territory in Canada, it is also true that it also boasts the lowest population. This fact alone would naturally lead Jordan Mota to believe that he must be the only Portuguese in the territory, or at least on of very few. It did not take him long to begin finding answers to that enigma.
“Yes, I have found other Portuguese in Nunavut,” Jordan shared with a hint of amusement in his voice. “At first, I said to myself, ‘I think I’m the only Portuguese up here.’ I recall chatting with my boss at the office, mentioning how the Euro Cup was happening and assuming I was likely the only Portuguese person in the area watching the game.” However, fate had a surprise in store for Jordan. “As soon as I said that, I spotted a pickup truck with a massive Portuguese flag waving in the back. We happened to be near one of the town’s restaurants, and the driver pulled in for lunch. It was time for my lunch too and I took the opportunity to introduce myself.”
The encounter led Jordan to a local Legion, where he joined the man and his family for a beer while watching the soccer game. But this was not the last time Jordan’s heritage would spark unexpected connections. On another occasion, while on assignment in the remote community of Sanikiluaq, in Hudson Bay, Jordan’s unique name sparked curiosity while catching a connecting flight in Winnipeg. “I handed my ID to the teller, and she immediately commented that my name sounded Portuguese. ‘I never thought I would meet a Portuguese person living in Nunavut’, she said. Once on the plane, a gentleman approached me and said that he was also Portuguese”, Jordan recalled with a chuckle.
Before our conversation, Jordan let us know that he perused through lusocanada.com and read a story we wrote on Jonathan Sousa, an RCMP officer of Portuguese heritage who also resides in Iqaluit. At the end of that article, Jonathan mentions that he found a place in town that sells pastéis de nata. Unfortunately, Mota has not been as lucky. “I read the article on the RCMP officer”, he related, “but I haven’t found them yet. I have been looking. I think I’ll have to learn how to cook them myself.”
CONNECTION TO HIS ROOTS
Jordan Mota, a dual citizen of Portugal and Canada, has a strong connection to his Portuguese roots, which he maintains despite the distance from his birthplace, where he could easily immerse himself in his ethnic heritage. Growing up, he was actively involved in the Portuguese community, frequenting clubs for special events and family gatherings, and even marched multiple times in the Espirito Santo parade, in Cambridge.
“I identify with being Portuguese, very much so. I have my citizen card and passport for Portugal. I miss the cuisine and culture, so my mom and I video chat, and she teaches me the recipes she cooked when I was growing up. My friends at fifteen weren’t shaving hair off a pig to make chouriço in the garage,” Jordan said, laughing. “Even as a second-generation Canadian, those are the kinds of traditions I grew up with and continue to uphold.” He attributes this to the influence of his grandparents and parents, recognizing the importance of actively preserving his cultural heritage. “It’s about learning the language, the recipes, and hearing the stories,” he added. “It influenced how I view myself and my place in the world.”
He also tries to keep up with Portuguese soccer but has encountered challenges that have prevented him from following his favourite team, Benfica. “I haven’t been able to find a streaming channel in Nunavut”, he lamented.
Jordan has been recreating the Portuguese dishes his mother teaches him over videochat and introducing them to his colleagues. Lately, he has been experimenting with codfish recipes, of which the croquettes seem to have become a particular favourite at his workplace.
Mota plans to stick around in Nunavut for a few years to realize his professional objectives. “I can’t see myself staying permanently, but I want to make the most of my time here,” he said. “I have goals for my work with the Nunavut Employees Union, and I want to leave the community better than I found it.”
Jordan Mota’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptation, reflecting the experiences of his ancestors who bravely ventured into the unknown before him. In Nunavut, he discovered a sense of purpose that is not only self-fulfilling but also relevant to the betterment of the community. As Jordan continues to forge his path, he leaves behind a lasting imprint, not just in Nunavut but in the hearts and minds of those who share his cultural heritage, asserting that the community is woven into the very fabric of Canada.
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