Over 400,000 people of Portuguese descent are currently living in Canada. About 85% immigrated from the Azores Islands (70% of Portuguese immigration to Canada), the Madeira archipelagoes, and mainland Portugal in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and settled in communities across Canada (the majority residing in Ontario (69%) and Quebec (14%)) (2006 Census). Canadian cities with the highest concentration of Portuguese residents, relative to the total urban population, include Hamilton, Kitchener, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. The Portuguese community is vibrant, hard-working, close-knit and deeply attached to its roots.
History of the Portuguese in Canada
The first migration of the Portuguese to Canada can be dated back to the fifteenth century, when navigators landed on the Canadian east coast, in search of the Orient. From the sixteenth century onward, migration was largely due to the vast amounts of fish stocks found off the coast.
The first half of the twentieth century saw approximately 500 Portuguese enter Canada. In the 1950s, over 17,000 Portuguese arrived to Canada, seeking opportunities in agriculture and railway construction (Teixeira, 1999).
And through sponsorship and family reunification, the numbers continued to grow; approximately 60,000 new immigrants arrived during the 1960s, and approximately 80,000 in the 1970s. Due to changes in Canadian immigration law, between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s, fewer Portuguese immigrants were able to enter Canada. In the 1980s, however, over 38,000 Portuguese arrived in the country (Teixeira, 1999).
The 2001 census recorded 357,690 Portuguese of single (seventy-one percent; 70.7%) and multiple (twenty-nine percent; 29.3%) origin combined (Statistics Canada, 2001). As of 2006 over 400,000 Portuguese people were estimated to be living in Canada (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
While the presence of the Portuguese community in Canada can be dated back to the fifteenth century, the Portuguese community chose to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their arrival to Canada in 2003 (Toronto.ca). The date of May 1953 was referenced when Portuguese immigrants sailing aboard the ship Saturnia arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax (Pier 21).
References:
Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2001 Census – Canada). Available: http://www.statcan.gc.ca. Teixeira, C. (1999).Portuguese. Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples. Toronto: Multicultural History Society of Ontario. Available: http://multiculturalcanada.ca.
The Canadian Encyclopaedia © Historical Foundation of Canada. (2009). Portuguese. Available: http:www.thecanadianencylopedia.com. Portuguese immigrants reflect on 50 years in Canada. Available: http://www.toronto.ca.
(2009). Ship Arrival Database. Pier 21. Available: http://www.pier21.ca.
