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Portuguese Canadians

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Portuguese Canadians (Portuguese: luso-canadianos) are Canadian citizens of full or partial Portuguese heritage or people who migrated from Portugal and reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 448,310 or 1.21% of Canadians claimed full or partial Portuguese ancestry, a decrease compared to 482,110 in 2016 (1.40% of the nation's total population).

Portuguese Canadians
Luso-canadianos (Portuguese)
Canadiens portugais (French)
Population distribution of Portuguese Canadians by census division, 2021 census
Total population
448,310
(by ancestry, 2021 Census)[1]
Regions with significant populations

Toronto 85,165


Vancouver, British Columbia 22,765
Brampton, Ontario 18,700
Calgary, Alberta 6,170
Edmonton, Alberta 5,550
Bradford, Ontario 2,580
Halifax, Nova Scotia 1,435


Cambridge, Ontario:  10,685
Hamilton, Ontario:  14,110
Davenport, Toronto
Harrow, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario:  17,220
Laval, Quebec
London, Ontario:  10,525
Mississauga, Ontario:  31,795
Montreal, Quebec:  46,535
New Westminster, British Columbia
Oshawa, Ontario
Ottawa, Ontario:  9,910
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Strathroy, Ontario
Victoria, British Columbia


Waterloo, Ontario[2]
Languages
Predominantly Canadian English, Quebec French and Portuguese and/or its dialects
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic

Most Portuguese Canadians live in Ontario - 300,600 (67.05%), followed by Quebec 64,385 (14.36%) and British Columbia 39,755 (8.87%).[3]

History of the Portuguese in Canada

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First contacts during the Age of Discovery (Possibly 1473[4]-1526[5])

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Portugal played a pioneering role in the explorations of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries.[6] In the 15th century, Prince Henry of Portugal, better known as Henry the Navigator, established a school of navigation in Sagres, in the Algarve region of Portugal. From this school emerged explorers who found their way to the Indies, South America, North America and Africa, including the Portuguese João Fernandes Lavrador, who was the first explorer of Labrador, and Gaspar Corte-Real, who was also one of the earliest European explorers of Canada. Corte-Real explored the northeast coast of "Terra Nova", naming Conception Bay, Portugal Cove, and Labrador, named after Fernandes Lavrador. Recent historiography suggests Corte Real May have reached Canadian coasts in 1473, before Columbus officially "discovered" America.[4] It is nonetheless worth noting that historical evidence from the early Age of Discovery is lacking.

Around 1521, João Álvares Fagundes was granted donatary rights to the inner islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and also created a settlement on Cape Breton Island to serve as a base for cod fishing. In 1524 the cartographer Estêvão Gomes traveled along the coasts of northeastern North America. During his journey, he possibly reached the Cabot Strait and Cape Breton, in the present-day Nova Scotia.[7]

Pressure from natives and competing European fisheries prevented a permanent establishment and was abandoned five years later. Several attempts to establish settlements in Newfoundland over the next half-century also failed.[5]

16th–19th centuries

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In the early 1600s Mathieu Da Costa was probably the first black person setting foot in modern-day Canadian territory.[8][9]

In 1705, the Portuguese Pedro da Silva became the first post courier in the French territory of North America, New France. He settled in the Canadian part of the territory.

In addition, Esther Brandeau, of Sephardic descent is notable in the history of the Jews in Canada as the first Jew to set foot in the country, travelling from France to New France.[10][11] Portuguese and Spanish Sephardic Jews also contributed founding the oldest Jewish congregation in Canada, establishing Montréal synagogue in 1778.[12]

20th century: large-scale emigration

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During the 1950s, a large number of immigrants from the Azores and Madeira, fleeing political conflict with the regime of António de Oliveira Salazar, moved into the downtown core of Canada's major cities such as the area of Portugal Village in Toronto, Ontario and further west along Dundas Street to Brockton Village. The stretch of Dundas Street passing through Brockton Village is also known as "Rua Açores". Many other Portuguese have immigrated to Montreal since the 1960s. As well, Portuguese emigrants settled in areas of British Columbia from the mid 1950s onwards, including Vancouver and Kitimat where they worked in the lumber and smelting industries, and the Okanagan Valley in the interior of the province, where many became orchard farmers. From the 1970s, increasing numbers of Brazilians moved into the Portugal Village, Toronto.

Recently, a number of Canadians of Goan heritage have opted to pursue Portuguese citizenship they are entitled to through their heritage as a result of Goa being an overseas province of Portugal until 1961, thus adding to the Portuguese Canadian population in Canada.

Demographics

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The Toronto suburbs of Brampton and Mississauga contain large Portuguese communities. Most Portuguese families in Brampton live along Main Street, with concentrations in Downtown Brampton, Peel Village, Main St & Vodden as well as the Edenbrook Hill Drive corridor. Our Lady of Fatima Portuguese Church is located in Brampton.

Montreal has the second most populous number of Portuguese immigrants with an estimated 47,000. Most started immigrating in the 1960s and settled in the Le Plateau-Mont-Royal mainly around Saint Laurent Boulevard and Rachel Street. Many Portuguese stores and restaurants are located in Little Portugal.

 
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario also has a solid Portuguese community concentrated in the downtown core around Barton and James Street and nearby the St. Mary's Roman Catholic church. This area in Hamilton is known as "Jamesville" and is shared with a neighbouring Italian population. London, Ontario's significant Portuguese community[13] is concentrated in the east end and south end of the city, with Portuguese restaurants and shops situated on Hamilton Road.

The Portuguese in British Columbia

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The first recorded Portuguese individual to immigrate to British Columbia was "Portuguese Joe" Silvie, from Pico Island.[14] He arrived in BC around 1858 via California, after years in the American whaling industry. He married Khaltinaht a daughter of Grand Chief Kiapilano, and their daughter was the first child born in Vancouver of European origin, Elizabeth Walker (née Silvey). They lived in a cabin built in what is now Stanley Park and he ran Vancouver's second saloon, and was a fisherman as well. However his wife died in 1871, and in years later married a shíshálh woman named Kwaham Kwatleematt (Lucy). They later moved to Reid Island where their family grew to 10 children. Portuguese Joe died in 1902, and has approximately 500 descendant. A statue in his memory now stands in Stanley Park, meters away from the totem pole display.

British Columbia has around 35 000 Portuguese-Canadians, concentrated in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Burnaby, Delta, Coquitlam) with around 20 000 Portuguese Canadians. Other centres for Portuguese immigrants and their descendants are Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Victoria, and the Okanagan region where many are fruit farmers. Many are of Azorean heritage.

In Vancouver there is a Portuguese Catholic Church, Portuguese Canadian Senior's Society, Portuguese Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Spirit with members originally from Flores Island, Azores and São Miguel Island, Tradition of Terceira (Tradição da Terceira), Friends of Pico (Amigos do Pico), and several folk dance groups, including. Cruz de Cristo (regions of Mainland Portugal), Pico, Sao Miguel Island and Madeira.

Portuguese Canadians by Canadian province or territory (2021)[15]

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Province Population Percentage Percentage of

Single ethnic or cultural origin responses

  Ontario 300,600 2.11% 57.62%
  Quebec 64,385 0.76% 51.77%
  British Columbia 39,755 0.79% 37.77%
  Alberta 21,415 0.50% 36.73%
  Manitoba 13,395 1.00% 54.95%
  Nova Scotia 2,990 0.31% 22.24%
  New Brunswick 2,095 0.27% 19.09%
  Saskatchewan 1,760 0.16% 23.30%
  Newfoundland and Labrador 1,215 0.24% 18.11%
  Prince Edward Island 425 0.28% 30.59%
  Yukon 100 0.25% 55.00%
  Nunavut 95 0.26% 15.79%
  Northwest Territories 75 0.18% 13.33%
  Canada 448,310 1.21% 53.23%

Cultural Impact

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2003 Celebrations

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The Portuguese Canadian community chose 2003 as the year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their officially sponsored immigration to Canada. The Honourable David Collenette, Minister of Transport and Minister Responsible for Canada Post, said that "the Portuguese Canadian community is a vibrant group that enriches the Canadian mosaic with its history, language, culture and work ethic." He added that Canada Post was proud to be issuing a stamp honouring Portuguese Canadians during the month of June, when cultural celebrations honouring the life of 16th-century poet Luís de Camões, considered Portugal's greatest poet, were taking place in many communities across the country.

Portuguese language

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In addition, the Portuguese brought with them their language.[16] Despite the geographical distance between the two countries,[17] interest[18] towards the language[19] remains vivid and has recently experienced a renewed interest.[20][21]

According to recent statistics, more than 330,000 Canadians can speak Portuguese, accounting to approximately 1% of the country's population.[22] Portuguese language is amongst the most notable cultural contributions Portuguese have brought to Canada, contributing to the enrichment and adding to the diversity of the country.[23]

Holy Spirit Societies (Irmandades do Divino Espirito Santo)

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As Azoreans came to Canada from 1953 into the 1970s, numerous Holy Spirit Societies, reminiscent of the spiritual celebration of the Holy Spirit and cultural tradition present in each village in the Azores Islands, were set up by individuals from the community coming together. They participate in the International Conference of the Festivals of the Holy Spirit, which united Azorean communities around the world yearly.

Notable Portuguese Canadians

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Athletes and Sportspeople

Film and television

Historical Figures

Literature

Music


Politics and Government

Other

Organizations

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Some Portuguese-Canadians adopt the name "Luso-Canadians" for their local social and business clubs, in reference to Lusitania, the ancient name associated with Portugal under the Roman Empire (and nowadays used in the Portuguese language as a synonym for "Portuguese". The attendance growth of organizations indicate the growth in small business and universities throughout the community. They have also established a Portuguese-language TV channel serving the community.[45] The sense of community is strong[46][47] and the Portuguese have established many cultural societies in Canadian soil[48][49]

Leading as a national voice, one can find the "Congresso", the Luso-Canadiano National Congress.[50]

Club associations

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  • Alliance of Portuguese Clubs & Associations of Ontario (ACAPO)[51]
  • Portuguese Cultural Centre of BC, formally Vancouver Portuguese Seniors Society, located in Burnaby, BC.[52]

Clubs

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  • First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre[53]
  • Associação Cultural do Minho de Toronto (ACMT)[54]
  • Canadian Madeira Club - Toronto, Ontario[55]
  • Northern Portugal Cultural Centre - Oshawa, Ontario[56]
  • Banda do Sagrado Coração de Jesus - Toronto, Ontario
  • Portuguese Cultural Centre of British Columbia[52]
  • Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga[57]
  • Luso-Can Tuna [58]

Portuguese-Canadian Religious organizations

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  • Our Lady of Fatima Portuguese Parish, Vancouver, BC
  • Irmandade Portuguesa do Divino Espirito Santo Cultural Society of BC, founded in 1968 in New Westminster by Azorean immigrants.

Sports

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  • The Portuguese Canadian Golfers Association - Toronto, Ontario[59]
  • SC Toronto

Portuguese-Canadian business groups

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  • Federation of Portuguese-Canadian Business and Professionals[60]

Portuguese-Canadian educational groups

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  • University of Toronto Portuguese Association (UTPA)[61]
  • York University Portuguese Association (YUPA)[62]

Portuguese-Canadian ethnic cultural parks

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  • Madeira Park - Georgina, Ontario[63]

Portuguese publications

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  • Luso Life – Quarterly lifestyle magazine published in Toronto.[64]
  • Milénio Stadium– Weekly Portuguese newspaper published in Toronto[65]
  • Portugal News – news from Portugal, in English and Portuguese[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables". statcan.gc.ca. 25 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Population by selected ethnic origins, by city".
  3. ^ "Ethnic Origin, Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses and Sex for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Portugueses chegaram à América 19 anos antes de Colombo". Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b Disney 2009a, p. 116
  6. ^ "Os portugueses também descobriram o Canadá". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ^ W. F. Ganong (1964). Crucial Maps in the Early cartography and Place-Nomenclature of the Atlantic Coast of Canada. University of Toronto Press. p. 135.
  8. ^ Heritage, Canadian (29 January 2021). "Significant events in Black history in Canada". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Portugal no Canadá". Consulado Geral de Portugal em Toronto (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Esther Brandeau". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Communauté juive – Voyage à travers le Québec" (in French). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Canada's oldest Jewish congregation celebrates 250 years". The Canadian Jewish News. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Armstrong speaks on Portugal Day in the Legislature". Teresaarmstrong.ca. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  14. ^ "Shore to Shore: A sculpture by Luke Marston".
  15. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Ethnic or cultural origin by gender and age: Canada, provinces and territories". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Português no Canadá - Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa". ciberduvidas.iscte-iul.pt. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  17. ^ Renascença (7 July 2017). "Os passos tímidos da língua portuguesa no Canadá - Renascença". Rádio Renascença (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Aprendizagem e ensino de português". Consulado Geral de Portugal em Montreal (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  19. ^ Brazão, Isabel. "Fama do fado leva estrangeiros a aprender português no Canadá". ccmm.madeira.gov.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  20. ^ SAPO. "Cristiano Ronaldo é estímulo para jovens aprenderem português no Canadá". SAPO Lifestyle (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  21. ^ ""NO CANADÁ A LÍNGUA PORTUGUESA TEM QUE SER ENSINADA NUMA PERSPETIVA DE LÍNGUA SEGUNDA/LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA"". Blogue do IILP (in European Portuguese). 23 August 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  22. ^ Janarra, Rui (18 August 2022). "Línguas no Canadá: 118.730 cidadãos falam português em casa, segundo Statcan". Correio da Manhã Canadá (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Aliança de associações portuguesas no Canadá luta para manter as tradições - Mundo Português" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Hora dos Portugueses (Diário)". RTP Internacional (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  25. ^ Johnston, A. J. B. (2012). "Mathieu Da Costa and Early Canada: Possibilities and Probabilities*". Northern Blue Publishing. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  26. ^ "Canada Post: Celebrating Portuguese heritage and Canada's first letter carrier (Pedro da Silva)". Archived from the original on 5 September 2005. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  27. ^ David Song, "Cody Caetano named Writer in Residence for 2023 Whistler Writers’ Festival". Pique Newsmagazine, August 18, 2023.
  28. ^ "The Bukowski Agency - Barnacle Love". Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  29. ^ "Interview with Keshia Chanté". Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  30. ^ Henley, Tara. "Interview with Keshia Chanté #2". Archived from the original on 14 October 2004. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  31. ^ Farber, Jim (21 March 2010). "Canadian soul singer Melanie Fiona travels in time between where music has been and where it's going". New York Daily News. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  32. ^ Bliss, Karen. "Rollingstone.com Biography: Nelly Furtado". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  33. ^ "Biography: Anthony Gomes (Official web site)". Anthonygomes.com. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  34. ^ "Canadian Idol (Official web site)". Ctv.ca. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2007.
  35. ^ "Brian Melo Online (Fan site)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2007.
  36. ^ "Yahoo Canada News: "Hamilton rocker Brian Melo crowned the new Canadian Idol". Retrieved 12 September 2007. [dead link]
  37. ^ Blais, Annabelle. "Horácio Arruda, diretor nacional de saúde pública é o novo ídolo dos quebequenses". Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  38. ^ Henriques, Brittany (29 March 2020). "Dr. Horacio Arruda: a source of comfort for Quebecers during COVID-19 outbreak". Global News. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  39. ^ "Biography: Paul Ferreira" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  40. ^ "Biography: Peter Fonseca". Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  41. ^ Thompson, Catherine (8 June 2018). "Political neophyte ready for learning curve as new Cambridge MPP". The Record. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  42. ^ "Distinguished Americans & Canadians of Portuguese Descent". Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  43. ^ "Biography: Mario Silva". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  44. ^ "Miracles of Emanual Jaques". Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
  45. ^ Gomes, Sérgio B. "Novo canal de TV português no Canadá arranca em Setembro". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Portugal, Oh, Pátria! Nação valente e imortal". revistamar.com (in European Portuguese). 13 July 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  47. ^ "Comunidade celebra Mês do Património Português no Canadá" (in European Portuguese). 4 June 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  48. ^ "Associações portuguesas no Canadá precisam voltar-se mais para os jovens - dirigentes". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  49. ^ Cruz, Celina. "Dirigente de associação portuguesa no Canadá defende criação de Casa de Portugal". ccmm.madeira.gov.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  50. ^ "English". Congresso.ca. Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  51. ^ "Home - ACAPO". ACAPO.
  52. ^ a b "Portuguese Cultural Centre of British Columbia". pccbc.ca. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  53. ^ "First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre". Firstportuguese.com. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  54. ^ "Associação C. do Minho de Toronto - ACAPO". Acapo.ca. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  55. ^ "Home - Canadian Madeira Club". Canadian Madeira Club.
  56. ^ "Home - NPCC". NPCC.
  57. ^ "Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga". Pccmissisauga.ca. Retrieved 20 August 2017.[permanent dead link]
  58. ^ "Espalhando boémia, cultura, música e tradições". lusocantuna.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  59. ^ "PCGA – HOME". Pcga.ca. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  60. ^ "Home - Federation of Portuguese-Canadian Business & Professionals". Federation of Portuguese-Canadian Business & Professionalsa. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  61. ^ "UTPA - University of Toronto Portuguese Association". Utpa.iwarp.com. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  62. ^ "Portuguese Association - Home". Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  63. ^ "Madeira Park - Canadian Madeira Club". Casadamadeira.ca. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  64. ^ "Luso Life". lusolife.ca. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  65. ^ "Milénio Stadium". MilenioStadium.com.

Further reading

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