THE FIRST AZOREAN EMIGRANTS TO GO TO CANADA!

4 de January, 2022

From 1953 onwards Portugal started to supply Canada with labour. Due to the economic problems as well as the excess of population in the islands, emigrating abroad was a solution and for the Estado Novo it was a way to export a problem!

The Azoreans saw Canada as a great opportunity due to the fact that until 1965 it was very difficult to emigrate to the United States because of the restricted immigration laws by quotas. The first Portuguese emigrants went to Canada in May 1953 and came from the Azores, Madeira and mainland Portugal. On May 13 of the same year 18 Azoreans arrived in Canada!

Azorean pioneers of emigration to Canada. Front row (left to right: Evaristo Almeida (Atalhada, Lagoa), José da Silva (St. Cruz, Lagoa), José Bento (Achadinha, Nordeste), António do Couto (S. Pedro de Nordestino, Nordeste), Constantino Carvalho (Feteira, Ponta Delgada), Manuel Machado (Furnas, Povoação), Guilherme Cabral (Matriz, Ribeira Grande) and Jaime Pacheco (Pedreira, Nordeste). Second row (left to right): Armando Vieira (Água de Pau, Lagoa), Afonso Tavares (Rabo de Peixe, Ribeira Grande), Énio Vasconcelos (Salga, Ribeira Grande), João Martins (S.Brás, Ribeira Grande), Manuel Arruda (Bretanha, Ponta Delgada) and Manuel Vieira (Água de Pau, Lagoa). Third row (left to right): Vasco Moreira (Fajã de Cima, Ponta Delgada), José Martins (Feteiras, Ponta Delgada), Dr. Mário Ferreira da Costa (Immigration Inspector), Manuel Pavão (Candelária, Ponta Delgada) and Vitorino Castro (Feteiras, Ponta Delgada).

These Azoreans went to Canada by boat, namely on the Saturnia ship! In the 60’s of the 20th century, in some years as well as in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, the number of emigrants to Canada was higher than the emigration to the USA!

Due to the Azorean presence in Canada nowadays there are 3 Azorean houses in Canada, namely in places where Azoreans settled, Montreal in Quebec, Toronto in Ontario and Manitoba in Winnipeg.