Portuguese Canadians

Portuguese Canadians
Luso-canadianos

Total population
(429,850 (by ancestry, 2011 Census))
Regions with significant populations
Bradford, Ontario Brampton, Ontario 24,000 Cambridge, Ontario:  10,685 Edmonton, Alberta:  7,760 Hamilton, Ontario:  14,110 Harrow, 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 Strathroy, Ontario Toronto, Ontario:  171,545 Vancouver, British Columbia  20,335 Victoria, British Columbia Winnipeg, Manitoba:  10,315 Waterloo, Ontario
Languages
Predominantly Canadian English, Quebec French and Portuguese and/or its dialects.
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic

Portuguese Canadians (Portuguese: luso-canadianos) are Canadian citizens of Portuguese descent or Portugal-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2011 Census, there were 429,850 Canadians who claimed full or partial Portuguese ancestry, having an increase compared to those 410,850 in 2006 (1.3% of the nation's total population). Most Portuguese Canadians live in Ontario 282,865 (69%), followed by Quebec 57,445 (14%) and British Columbia 34,660 (8%).

History of Portuguese in Canada

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 to be Portugal's greatest poet, are taking place in many communities across the country.

Portugal played a pioneering role in the explorations of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries. 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 Gaspar Corte-Real, who was 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 Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador. João Alvares Fagundes also explored Nova Scotia.

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". From the 1970s, increasing numbers of Brazilians moved into the same area.

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.

There has been growing concerns of the high number of Portuguese students dropping out of high school in the Toronto District School Board. There have been many discussion from the Board and parents on how to combat this issue.

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.

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.

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, Tradition of Terceira, Friends of Pico, and several folk dance groups, including Cruz de Cristo (regions of Mainland Portugal), Pico, Sao Miguel Island and Madeira.

Notable Portuguese Canadians

Historical

• Pedro da Silva – First post courier in New France.

Film and television

• Louis Ferreira – Actor (sometimes credited as 'Justin Lewis') that has appeared on nine different TV series to date.

• Ramona Milano - Actor - known for her role as Francesca Vecchio on Due South and Audra Torres on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Milano's mother is from Faial, Azores.

Literature

• Anthony de Sá – Novelist and short story writer.
• Erika de Vasconcelos – Novelist

Music

• Keshia Chanté – Singer, songwriter, and actress.
• Nelly Furtado – Singer, songwriter, and actress.
• Anthony Gomes – Canadian blues and blues-rock guitarist and singer.
• Brian Melo – musician, winner of Canadian Idol season five.
• Lucas Silveira – Singer/guitarist of rock band The Cliks.
• Danny Fernandes – Pop/R&B singer and dancer; younger brother of Shawn Desman.
• Shawn Desman – pop singer and dancer.
• Shawn Mendes - Singer and songwriter.

Politicians / Law

• Paul Ferreira – New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for York-South Weston from February 2007 to October 2007.
• Peter Fonseca – Minister of Labour of Ontario and member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament (2003).
• Carlos Leitão - economist and politician. Current Finance Minister of Quebec.
• Keith Martin (PC, MP, BSc, MD) – Physician and former (1993–2011) Liberal Member of Parliament for the Victoria-area electoral district of Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca.
• Alexandra Mendès – former (2008–2011) Liberal Member of Parliament for the Quebec electoral district of Brossard—La Prairie.
• Mário Silva – former (2004–2011) Liberal Member of Parliament for the Davenport region in Toronto and former Toronto City Councilor.
• Charles Sousa – Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Mississauga.

Sports

• António Carvalho - Featherweight MMA Fighter.
• Daniel Fernandes – Portuguese-Canadian footballer who participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
• Mike Ribeiro – Professional ice hockey player for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• John Tavares – Professional ice hockey player drafted first overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders; has been interviewed by media from Portugal and speaks the language fluently (half Portuguese, half Polish).
• John Tavares – Professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits; uncle of John Tavares (ice hockey).
• Justin Azevedo – Professional ice hockey player in the Los Angeles Kings' hockey organization.
• Alex Silva - Professional wrestler.
• Drew Doughty- Professional ice hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings; part Portuguese.
• Steve Martins – Former professional ice hockey player for the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators.
• Emanuel Viveiros – Former professional ice hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars.
• Adam Henrique – Professional ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils; part Portuguese
• Mike Benevides - Head coach of the BC Lions

Miscellaneous

• Emanuel Jaques – Victim of a high-profile murder in Toronto.

Groups

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 Portuguese language as a synonym for "Portuguese"). The attendance growth of organizations indicate the growth in small business and universities throughout the community. Leading as a national voice one can find the "Congresso" Luso-Canadiano National Congress.

Organizations

Club Associations

• Alliance of Portuguese Clubs & Associations of Ontario (ACAPO)

Clubs

• Associação Cultural do Minho de Toronto (ACMT)
• Canadian Madeira Club - Toronto, ON
• Northern Portugal Cultural Centre - Oshawa, ON

Sports

• The Portuguese Canadian Golfers Association - Toronto, ON

Portuguese-Canadian business groups

• Federation of Portuguese-Canadian Business and Professionals

Portuguese-Canadian Educational groups

• University of Toronto Portuguese Association (UTPA)
• York University Portuguese Association(YUPA)

Portuguese-Canadian Ethnic Cultural Parks

• Madeira Park - Georgina, ON

Portuguese Publications

• Lusitania – Canada's monthly celebrating the Portuguese world.
• Portugal News – News from Portugal, in English and Portuguese.
• Voz Lusitana – Portuguese/English monthly newspaper.

See also

• European Canadians
• List of Portuguese people
• Portuguese Americans
  • List of Portuguese Americans
• Portuguese British
  • List of Portuguese Britons
• Portuguese colonization of the Americas

External links

• Distinguished Americans & Canadians of Portuguese Descent