Azoreans & Immigration Boom

The arrival of the Azoreans marked the earliest establishment of communal networks. What are communal networks? When Portuguese settlers first arrived in Canada, they knew few Canadians who could help them find jobs or residences, yet the immigrants knew each other quite well. Therefore, it became the pioneers' habit to live and work together while helping each other out in difficult times, which eventually formed a self-sufficient pioneer community that newcomers could rely upon for information and assistance. This is how Portuguese migrants transcended from individually exploring pioneers to a strong network of gatekeepers that future newcomers can rely upon.

Over the years, and especially during the period of political instability in the 1950s, more and more Portuguese decided to move across the Atlantic to Canada for various reasons such as economic opportunity, escaping political oppression by the Estado Novo, and also the relative Catholic Portuguese Presence in Eastern Canada.

The Azores in Portugal consist of around 70% of Portugal's population, and its people, the Azoreans, contributed to the majority of the immigration and increase of migrants from Portuguese to Canada since the 1950s. Although most Azorean Portuguese are acquainted with the Catholic, conservative social values and their agrarian lifestyles, they moved to Canada to seek economic opportunities and escape political crisis rather than the missionaries in the previous era who sought to expand the Portuguese cultural community overseas.

Here is a link to a photograph of the first group of Portuguese migrants to arrive at Pier 21, in Halifax, NS, Canada on May 13, 1953, aboard the Saturnia steamship. They arrived in Canada as part of the “bulk order” labour agreement between Canada and Portugal. The photograph is documented by Pioneersgallery.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Portuguese immigration to Canada increased rapidly after 1953: "Immigrants arrived from the Azores and Madeira archipelagoes and from continental Portugal. In the 1950s, many arrivals were recruited to work in rural and isolated locations in Canada, but soon established themselves in the larger cities. Between 1951 and 1957, 8115 people immigrated from Portugal; between 1958 and 1962, 16 731; between 1963 and 1967, 32 473; between 1968 and 1973, 54 199; and in 1984, 869."

"In the 2016 census, 482, 610 Canadians reported being of Portuguese origin (264, 820 single response and 217, 790 multiple response). Most Portuguese Canadians reside in Ontario (324, 930), followed by Quebec (69, 805) and British Columbia (41, 765). Most Portuguese live in urban centres, although there are pockets of rural concentration.In the 2016 census, 221, 540 people reported having Portuguese as their mother tongue (first language learned). Of this number, 97, 295 live in Toronto and 17,130 live in Montreal."

Here is a photo taken in 1953recording Antonio Sousa enjoying dinner with his friends aboard the Saturnia ship on their way to Canada.On the back of the photo, he wrote a note to his wife: [ilegível] de despedida aos Portuguese aqui vai mais uma recordação do que mesmo na brincadeira sentia me tanto só. Beijos e abraços com todo o amor. "[illegible] the Portuguese have said goodbye and tonight we’ve made another memory but even in these times of playfulness, I feel so alone. Hugs and kisses with all my love."

The photograph is documented by Pioneersgallery.

However, despite the hardships and unpredictabilities Portuguese migrants face, they often show an optimistic attitude towards their new journey. many Portuguese migrants came in groups with their friends or families, and maintained close connections to their hometowns in Portugal by regarding their immigration as a temporary departure. The already growing communities in Eastern Canada also become the resort for them to seek a soft landing and bond themselves to when they have nothing to lose upon their first arrival.

Here is a photo of Eduardo Mendonça's family on the day he left Porto Novo, Portugal and sailed to Canada on May 26th, 1953. The photograph is documented by Pioneersgallery. Some Portuguese migrants in the 1950s, like Mendoca, went to Canada alone with no acquaintances or relatives. Their devotion to their family members encouraged them to write notes and letters to maintain constant communication. These communications became the groundstone of the communal networks that linked Portuguese Canadians to each other and their homeland.