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They rarely make headlines, but they happen every single day. While difficult news reaches us non-stop, there are scientists, doctors, teachers, and volunteers working quietly to make the world a slightly better place. And when we pay attention to that work, we realize there is far more to be grateful for than we imagine.

We can thank science, which today protects against HIV with just two injections a year and reaches, for the first time, rich and poor countries simultaneously. We can thank technology, which restores voice and gestures to those who lost them, and artificial intelligence, which detects heart disease in just a few seconds. And we can be grateful, right here in Canada, for a simple measure that ensures thousands of children do not learn on an empty stomach.

None of this is a miracle. It is the result of years of effort, persistence, and cooperation among people who refused to give up. These are advancements that remind us that progress is possible and that humanity remains capable of the very best.

In the following pages, we have brought together a few of these stories. Not to forget what is still wrong, but to remember that, even in uncertain times, there is always a light shining.

 

Kidney donated from mother to daughter reaches 111 years old, breaking a world record

A kidney donated from a mother to her daughter in Brazil in 1969 is still functioning and has reached a biological age of 111 years. It has now entered the history books as the oldest in the world.

Guiomar, who was 54 at the time, “had no hesitation whatsoever” in donating her kidney to her daughter, Maria Célia, who was suffering from kidney failure. At the time, the procedure was a novelty in Brazil—the first had taken place just five years earlier, and only about 50 were performed per year.

In the prime of her youth, Maria Célia underwent three hemodialysis sessions before the kidney transplant. But in 1969, they decided to move forward with the surgery, which took about five hours and carried several associated risks, as ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs were not available. “I never experienced rejection, I never had complications, I was never hospitalized,” the recipient told the Brazilian portal G1, adding that her mother also led a healthy life: “She never got sick, never had anything wrong. She died at age 97, without any complications.”

Speaking to the publication, nephrologist Dr. José Medina Pestana revealed that the situation is exceptional, given that transplanted organs last, on average, 20 to 30 years. The fact that they were mother and daughter, however, may have been the key to its success.

“I spent nine months inside my mother, and today she is here inside me. Alive. Much longer inside me. And she will stay,” Maria Célia highlights.

Currently, Brazil performs about 27,000 transplants per year, of which roughly 6,000 are kidney transplants. The surgeries are carried out under the Unified Health System (SUS), which provides anti-rejection medications free of charge. Estimates indicate that over 140,000 people have undergone kidney transplants in the country.

 

 

 

 

A twice-a-year injection against HIV

For decades, major innovations in the fight against HIV took years to reach poorer countries. With lenacapavir, the story is unfolding differently. This injectable medication, which protects against the virus in nearly 100% of cases, needs to be administered only twice a year. It is a massive advantage over daily pills, which many people struggle to adhere to.

For the first time, an innovation in HIV prevention has arrived almost simultaneously in rich and low-income countries. The initial doses arrived in Eswatini and Zambia in November 2025 and began being administered in December. According to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 49,000 people had been protected by the end of June. By mid-August, that number was close to 100,000 across nine African countries. By the end of 2026, the drug is expected to be available in 24 countries.

The good news doesn’t end there. Cheaper generic versions are expected to hit the market at the end of this year, which will expand access further in 2027. Researchers estimate that lenacapavir could prevent nearly a third of new infections in parts of eastern and southern Africa and accelerate control of the epidemic by up to 14 years.

Restoring voice and gestures to those who lost them

Imagine losing the ability to speak and move, but continuing to think with complete clarity. This is the reality for many people who have suffered a severe stroke or live with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). For them, new hope has now arrived from the University of California, San Francisco.

A team led by bioengineer Samantha Brosler and neurosurgeon Edward Chang has developed a brain implant that allows paralyzed individuals to speak and gesture through a digital avatar using only their thoughts. The device, about the size of a cell phone, contains 253 electrodes and is placed over the region of the brain that controls movements. It reads brain signals and simultaneously translates them into words and gestures such as waving or clapping.

The system was tested on two patients. The patient paralyzed after a stroke achieved 100% accuracy in test conversations. The patient with ALS achieved 85% accuracy in gestures and 75% in speech. For now, the participants trained on ten simple phrases, such as “hello” and “nice to meet you,” and ten gestures, across a hundred combinations.

“Gestures play an important role in communication,” explains Samantha Brosler. The same word can carry different meanings depending on the gesture that accompanies it. The study was published on September 14 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Artificial intelligence detects heart conditions in seconds

The electrocardiogram is one of the simplest and cheapest medical exams: it takes just a few seconds and is available in almost every health center. Until now, it served primarily as an initial screening tool. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it may soon reveal far more.

Researchers at Imperial College London, led by physician Arunashis Sau, have developed a software program that analyzes an electrocardiogram in under two seconds and identifies signs of heart disease that doctors cannot see with the naked eye. The system learned from millions of tests in Brazil and the United States and was then tested on 67,000 patients. It correctly identified 81% of heart failure cases and 90% of heart valve diseases.

Today, many patients wait months for an echocardiogram—the test that confirms these conditions. With this tool, it will be possible to quickly identify who needs it most urgently. The goal is not to replace cardiologists, but to help them reach those in need much faster.

“A 10-second electrocardiogram, which was once a low-precision screening tool, could soon become one of the most informative tests in medicine,” said Professor Fu Siong Ng, one of the study’s leads. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress. Before reaching hospitals, the tool still requires approval from health authorities.

No child should learn on an empty stomach

It’s hard to pay attention in math class when you’re hungry. Recognizing this, Canada took a major step forward: the National School Food Program became law on March 26, 2026, making it permanent and protecting it from future political shifts.

This school year, more than 10,000 schools are offering food programs to students—representing about 80% of the country’s public schools. The program will reach an additional 400,000 children annually. Approaches vary by region: free breakfasts, “pay-what-you-can” lunches, grab-and-go snacks, school gardens, and community meals featuring traditional foods.

Federal funding to provinces and territories doubled to $140 million per year. Starting in 2029–30, the government guarantees $216.6 million annually to maintain the program. Families are feeling the difference too. According to the government, a family with two school-aged children can save around $800 a year on groceries.

“When children have access to healthy food at school, they can learn, grow, and reach their full potential,” stated Parliamentary Secretary Anna Gainey. In a time when the cost of living weighs heavily on so many families’ budgets, this is a measure well worth giving thanks for.

US approves new Parkinson’s drug that acts differently in the brain

Hope for patients: a new drug for Parkinson’s disease has just been approved in the United States. The FDA, the country’s drug regulatory agency, authorized the use of tavapadon for adults living with the disease. The medication, which will be sold under the brand name Juvmo, is manufactured by AbbVie and is expected to hit American pharmacies this October.

The novelty lies in how the drug acts within the brain. Tavapadon is the first approved agonist that selectively targets D1 and D5 dopamine receptors, whereas similar medications currently in use mainly target D2 and D3 receptors.

The pill is taken once daily and can be used on its own or alongside levodopa, one of the primary medications for Parkinson’s.

Improvement in movement

The new medication is not proven to cure or stop the progression of Parkinson’s. The benefit demonstrated so far is the management of motor symptoms.

Another data point caught the researchers’ attention. After 85 weeks of follow-up, 93% of participants using tavapadon alongside levodopa did not need to increase their levodopa dosage.

Among patients in the early stages of the disease who were not yet taking levodopa, 94% remained off levodopa during that same period.

McDonald’s employee covers meal for customer who forgot wallet and receives surprise for his generosity

Look at what generosity can do! A young McDonald’s employee paid out of his own pocket for a meal for a customer he didn’t know, who had forgotten his wallet and couldn’t complete the payment using his phone. The gesture touched the customer so deeply that he reached out to a television station to share the young man’s act so he could be recognized. And that kindness came back to the young man in the form of gifts!

Matthew works at a McDonald’s location in Rexburg, Idaho, in the United States, and had no idea that paying for that burger and a milkshake would cause such a stir. The incident happened in July and was recently published by the portal Sunny Skyz.

The crew from the Feel Good Friday show, which regularly surprises community members who perform good deeds, sought out young Matthew and handed him several gift cards and presents in recognition of his attitude.

Pizzeria owner sees elderly woman eating from trash and starts chain of kindness against hunger

A pizzeria owner was heartbroken to see an elderly woman eating pizza out of the trash. Daniel Romano, owner of D’Romano’s Pizza, brought the woman inside, threw away what she had found, and served her a fresh, hot slice. The woman began to cry upon receiving the food.

Daniel told her: “Don’t cry, eat!” After that encounter, he made the decision to offer pizza to anyone in a similar situation who came to his shop. “I don’t want anyone eating from the trash,” said the shopkeeper from the Bronx, New York, in the United States.

The story, shared on social media in July, gained millions of views and gained traction again in late August when Fox 5 New York showed that the gesture had expanded beyond the pizzeria, sparking a massive chain of kindness.

Still deeply impacted by the hungry elderly woman’s story, Daniel grabbed a marker and wrote a note on the shop’s window: “To the people eating out of my trash: I have more love for you than you realize,” the message begins.

In the rest of the note, he asks that anyone in that situation step inside and simply say they are hungry, promising to offer a slice of pizza and fresh water free of charge. No explanations needed—just ask.

“I think there’s too much hate, too much anger, too much negativity. Why not put a smile on someone’s face?” said the business owner.

Daniel recalls that his mother, Carmella Romano, used to repeat an old Italian saying: “A desperate person always makes a better decision on a full stomach than an empty one,” he shared. And he never forgot it.

Chain of kindness reached other states

Daniel’s initiative inspired many people and set off a chain of goodwill. Today, strangers call from various states to pay in advance for new slices for people in need who arrive hungry. “I have people from Texas, Arkansas, Alaska, everywhere calling me,” Daniel said, laughing at the volume of calls he started receiving.

Madalena Balça/MS

 

We wake up to news of wars, fall asleep to reports of crises, and in between, we scroll through a screen that rarely gives us a reason to smile. In this scenario, talking about gratitude might seem like a luxury, or even naive. But is it really?

For psychotherapist Angela Masuzzo, the answer is clear: looking for reasons to hope is not naive; it is necessary. “Without hope, we often cannot move forward,” she states. In this conversation ahead of Thanksgiving, the psychotherapist helps us understand what happens within us when we choose to give thanks and why that choice is far from being just a pleasant feeling.

The specialist explains that our brains have a natural tendency to give more weight to what goes wrong than to what goes well. This is the so-called negativity bias, which social media and constant news consumption make even more intense. To counter this effect, she proposes something she calls “self-preservation”: knowing one’s own limits and knowing when to disconnect, without ceasing to care about the world.

Throughout the interview, Angela Masuzzo also distinguishes healthy optimism from so-called “toxic positivity”—the kind that forces us to say everything is fine when, inside, we are exhausted, anxious, or sad. For the psychotherapist, being optimistic requires courage: the courage to be honest about how we feel and, even so, to believe that there are viable paths forward.

Her simplest advice is also the hardest to follow nowadays: pause. Pause to see, hear, and notice the small things—like a conversation, a gesture of affection, or a shared meal—that we so often take for granted.

As the daughter of immigrants who left for Brazil after World War II, Angela Masuzzo knows firsthand the value of fresh starts. Because of this, she looks with special fondness upon the experience of immigrant communities, such as the Portuguese in Canada, who have learned to value every achievement because they know all too well the price paid for it.

This is a conversation that reminds us that, even on the hardest days, there is still so much to be thankful for.

Milénio Stadium: From a psychological standpoint, what happens within us when we practice gratitude? Is it merely a pleasant feeling, or does it have tangible effects on our well-being and mental health?

Angela Masuzzo: Gratitude is something that we should all cultivate in our daily lives. Practicing gratitude is often simply shifting the focus away from what we think we lack and learning to value and appreciate what we have in the present, as well as what we have already experienced in the past.

Being grateful is being able to look at life from a more positive perspective, recognizing the good things even when we are going through difficult times. Maintaining this focus can contribute to a more balanced mental health and help us live in a more optimistic, humble, and conscious way.

Gratitude also helps us accept that we won’t always have everything we desire at the exact moment we want it. Sometimes, what didn’t happen, what we don’t yet have, or even something we lost might be part of a larger process that we cannot yet comprehend.

Cultivating gratitude does not mean ignoring life’s hardships, pain, or challenges. It means learning to recognize that, even in the midst of them, there are still reasons to give thanks. It is a simple practice, but one that can transform the way we see ourselves, the people around us, and our own lives.

MS: Wars, economic crises, polarization, non-stop bad news… With so much negativity around us, is it naive to look for reasons to hope? What can help us find reasons to keep the light of hope in humanity burning?

AM: It is by no means naive to look for reasons to hope. Without hope, we often cannot move forward.

There is a lot happening in the world today. For people who are more sensitive to all these news items and events, practicing “self-preservation” can be very important.

And what does that mean? It doesn’t mean becoming indifferent individuals who don’t care about the world or what is happening. It means having the ability to assess our own limits and recognize how much we can absorb emotionally before that information begins to affect us negatively.

Limiting our constant exposure to news—whether on television, social media, artificial intelligence, or any other media outlet—can help relieve that emotional overload. We don’t need to be plugged in all the time to everything that is happening to remain conscious and engaged with the world.

Sometimes, preserving our emotional health means knowing when to stop. It means stepping away for a few hours or a few days and directing our attention toward the positive things that also exist around us.

Caring for ourselves in this way is neither selfishness nor a lack of awareness. It is a way to protect our ability to continue feeling empathy, to keep the light of hope burning, and to believe that, despite so many difficulties, there are still many good things happening in the world.

MS: We seem to have a natural tendency to focus more on what goes wrong than on what goes well. Why does this happen? And in what ways do social media and constant news consumption fuel this pessimistic view of the world?

AM: Yes, that tendency is real, and the reason why it happens is a good question. It is due to the so-called negativity bias. What does that mean? Simply that our brain has a natural inclination to give more importance to negative things than to positive ones. Our attention ends up being more directed toward a potential danger, a threat, a loss, or a conflict.

Social media and constant news consumption cause this effect to become even more intense. We are surrounded by news about the world, our country, and people that isn’t always positive, and that can reinforce a more pessimistic view of the world and even of humanity.

Often, it is human beings themselves who are involved in conflicts, wars, violence, crises, and other problems that end up being precisely the news we hear, read, and consume daily. When we are repeatedly exposed to this type of content, we can begin to get the impression that everything is worse than it actually is.

Therefore, it is important to remember that what receives the most attention in the news does not always represent reality as a whole. There are also many good things happening, people helping other people, and positive changes, but those don’t always receive the same spotlight.

MS: Can a more positive outlook truly help us live better? What is the distinction between healthy optimism and “toxic positivity,” which forces us to pretend that everything is fine?

AM: Yes, but that is a conscious and intentional decision we have to make to protect ourselves, including protecting our physical and mental health.

Practicing healthy optimism requires courage: the courage to be truthful and honest with ourselves and with what we are experiencing. When we enter the cycle of “pretending” that everything is fine, we often don’t get to experience optimism in a light and genuine way. On the contrary, we can end up in a constant state of alert, in that well-known “fight or flight response.” We are always trying to run, avoid, or protect ourselves from what we feel might hit us.

Being present and practicing honesty in a careful manner is not easy in today’s world. Many people aren’t truly interested in a real answer. The question “How are you doing?” is often already accompanied by an almost automatic response: “I’m good, thanks.” And it stops there.

But how many people are screaming inside, hidden behind that “everything’s fine”? How many are merely functioning, smiling, fulfilling their obligations, while inside they are exhausted, anxious, sad, or overwhelmed?

Perhaps that is precisely where courage comes in: the courage to be a little more honest. That doesn’t mean exposing everything to everyone, nor living life only talking about hardships. It means acknowledging what we are truly feeling, respecting our own boundaries, and allowing space for both pain and hope to exist.

Healthy optimism isn’t pretending that nothing is wrong. It is looking at reality as it is, recognizing what is difficult, and yet choosing to believe that there are possibilities, resources, people, and paths that can help us move forward. Perhaps, with a bit more honesty and less need to pretend, we can live in a lighter and more authentic way.

MS: What small daily habits or gestures can help us cultivate gratitude and a more positive mindset, both within ourselves and our families? And what advice would you give to someone going through a difficult time who feels they have nothing to be grateful for?

AM: There are people who have immense difficulty seeing the small positive things around them, and sometimes even quite significant ones.

Gratitude is a state of mind. When it doesn’t arise naturally, we can cultivate it at different moments in our lives. It is about developing the awareness that, no matter the size of the problem, difficulty, or obstacle we are facing, there is almost always an important lesson in that process. And that lesson, in itself, already deserves gratitude.

Human beings, in a way, have grown accustomed to never being completely satisfied. We are always looking for something more, something bigger, something better. And that “something more” can often be related precisely to the difficulty of recognizing and valuing what we already have in our lives.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t want to grow, change, achieve, or seek better things. The problem begins when we are so focused on what we don’t yet have that we stop seeing what is already present. And, often, important things pass right before our eyes without us realizing it.

My first suggestion would be: pause. Simply pause. Stop and begin to see, feel, hear, and pay attention. Pay attention to words, gestures, people, events, and small moments that pass us by unnoticed because we are always searching for “something” bigger, better, or different.

Sometimes, it’s a conversation. A gesture of affection. Someone remembering us. A text message. A moment of peace on a hard day. A meal. The opportunity to be with someone we love. Even small things that, because they are always present, we end up taking for granted.

And perhaps that is precisely where gratitude lives: not just in grand achievements, but in the ability to notice what is already happening while we are living it.

Because what happens when we don’t do that? We go on autopilot. We wake up, work, solve problems, handle our responsibilities, chase the next goal, think about what is missing, what we still want to achieve… and the day ends.

Then another day begins, and another. And, without realizing it, we can become people who simply exist, but aren’t truly living.

Cultivating gratitude is also cultivating presence. It is being able to step out, if only for a few moments, from this constant search for what is missing and look at what already exists. Because, often, the life we are waiting to live in the future is already happening right now. We just need to be able to notice it.

MS: For many immigrants, such as the Portuguese in Canada, life was built on sacrifices and fresh starts. Do you think this experience teaches people to appreciate the small things more and hold on to hope?

AM: Most certainly. I am the daughter of immigrants who went to Brazil after World War II, and I witnessed firsthand how they valued everything they achieved. I saw up close the sacrifices that were made, the effort to restart life in an unfamiliar place, far from what they knew, often out of necessity rather than mere choice.

There is something very profound in that experience. Starting over requires far more than willingness. It requires courage, perseverance, and the ability to believe that there is something better on the other side.

Everyone who prepares to immigrate needs, in some way, to cling to something stronger than themselves to keep going. It could be family, faith, a dream, an opportunity, the hope of providing a different life for their children, or simply the need to survive and build a new beginning.

Hope goes hand in hand with that perseverance and courage. Without hope, it becomes very difficult to envision a different future. And, in the end, that is precisely what every immigrant seeks: a different future.

Not necessarily a perfect future, but a future with more possibilities, more security, more dignity, or more opportunities than those left behind.

And perhaps that is why many immigrant families learn to value small victories so deeply. Because they know the price paid for them. They know that many things that seem simple or guaranteed to some were the result of immense effort, sacrifice, and courage.

Hope, in this sense, is not just waiting for something to get better. It is continuing to walk even without having all the guarantees, believing that today’s effort can make room for a different reality tomorrow.

Madalena Balça/MS

Hello, good morning, how are you? Another month… and what really matters is that we keep moving forward in good health, stumbling here and there, but following our path without harming anything or anyone. And, let’s face it, that isn’t bad at all.

We are celebrating Thanksgiving weekend, but shouldn’t we be thankful every day?

Not only for the food we put on our tables for our families day after day, but have you ever stopped to think that this very food is indeed a blessing, and that sometimes those who produce it and get it to us from its source might not even have enough to eat?

And don’t you think that those who provide us with work, which secures that food for us, should also be in our thoughts when we reflect on what we should be grateful for? We are—and I say we are because I am a sinner just like all mortals—we are, as I was saying, “ungrateful.” We complain about trivial things. For example, I find myself looking at my husband when he prepares a wonderful breakfast for me, which he does whenever he can, and then sets out the wrong cutlery—oh dear, I just can’t convince him that we have smaller forks and knives; it is what it is. But then I think to myself: well, there are also those who have no forks, no cutlery at all, nor any food, and so that fleeting moment of “ingratitude” washes away with the ocean wave that had brought it in.

I am grateful for my health, despite a few hurdles. I am grateful for my daughters, for my husband, and for 4 or 5 true FRIENDS, already including Ross, who never fails me in anything.

I am grateful to belong to two countries that, for now, still live in peace, for the roof that protects me and my loved ones, and for everything I have, whether much or little. I am grateful that I don’t care for ostentation or vanity, for being humble and knowing how to appreciate those who lend a hand when we falter or lend us an umbrella on a rainy day. I am also grateful for being humble—something that, along with gratitude, is slowly being lost these days.

I wish you all a Thanksgiving weekend filled with peace, abundance, love, and good health. Do not forget, however, a neighbor or family member who might not have anything to put on the table. Remember, Kindness begets Kindness.

It is what it is, and it’s always worth what it’s worth.

See you soon,

Cristina DaCosta/MS

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In 2019, the First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre, the oldest Portuguese club in Ontario, came close to closing its doors. The math simply didn’t add up, and the board had the courage to state it publicly: without help, the First would not survive. Leading that difficult decision were Aurianne Fazendeiro and Carina Paradela, who had joined the board shortly before. What followed was a pandemic, painful cuts, and a long process of financial reorganization. Seven years later, the First celebrates 70 years in a stable financial position, with a Senior Daycare Centre at the heart of its mission, the Portuguese school still open, and a clear dream: owning their own home. Today, Aurianne serves as General Director and Carina as Director of Operations at the First, and both truly champion the future of this institution, which they consider their second home. In this conversation with Milénio, they look back at the storm, speak about the present, and appeal to the community so that, together, they can build the next 70 years.

Milénio Stadium: A few years ago, the First Portuguese was close to closing its doors. How did you realize the gravity of the situation, and what led you to say “we are not going to let this happen”?

Aurianne Fazendeiro: When we joined the board in October 2018, we were new to managing an organization of the First’s scale, and initially, we believed the financial situation was more stable than it actually was. Shortly after, we began to realize that expenses outweighed revenues and that there were insufficient funds to continue operating in that manner. In 2019, after seriously analyzing the situation, we reached the point of announcing to the community that without immediate help, the First would have to close. It was a very difficult decision, but we didn’t want to hide reality. We had to tell people clearly: this is the situation, and we need help to keep going.

Carina Paradela: And it’s important to clarify that we aren’t talking about a lack of hard work or dedication from previous boards. For many years, the First was managed essentially by volunteers—people who gave their time and did the best they could to keep this institution alive. We have immense respect for that. What we realized was that an organization of this size required more permanent, structured financial and operational management. At the time we announced we might have to close, a financial solution to resolve the issue didn’t emerge. However, a community organization offered to store the First’s assets while we decided what to do, and we are deeply grateful for that. And, curiously, about six months later, the pandemic hit.

MS: What were the hardest moments of that period? Was there ever a time you thought it wouldn’t be possible to save the club?

AF: Without a doubt. When we announced that we might close, we were genuinely preparing for that possibility. It wasn’t a threat; it was a financial reality. Then the pandemic arrived, and initially, everything became even more uncertain. We had to shut down activities and significantly reduce services and staff. But in a way, the pandemic ultimately gave us time to reorganize house. We gradually resumed activities and were able to benefit from some government support programs, particularly rent-related subsidies.

CP: And that was when we began making a huge turnaround. It wasn’t something that happened overnight. It was a process of reorganization, cutting back where necessary, gaining better control over expenses, and understanding exactly what we could sustain.

AF: Financial management became an absolute priority.

MS: Which decisions were decisive in turning things around? And who stood by your side: members, volunteers, the community, sponsors?

CP: The most important change was undoubtedly the way we began managing the organization’s finances. Aurianne played a fundamental role in that financial reorganization. We started tracking revenues and expenses much more rigorously and making decisions based on what the institution could truly afford.

AF: We also learned to work with what we have, rather than taking on commitments we couldn’t sustain. After the pandemic, we managed to secure support streams that are vital to the First’s survival today, notably through OLG Charitable Gaming and Second Harvest, which allows us to significantly reduce food costs for our Senior Daycare Centre. But we want to be honest: when we were on the brink of closure, there wasn’t a grand community campaign that saved us; the recovery was primarily the result of our internal reorganization and the opportunities that arose during and after the pandemic.

MS: How is the First Portuguese doing today? What has changed in how the club is managed and in its relationship with members and the community?

AF: Today, the First is in a much more stable financial position. We have a small team, but we have a wonderful executive board that gave us the opportunity to remain connected to the institution in a different capacity. Today, we are employees of the First, which allows us to dedicate our daily work to the organization, maintenance, and operation of the house.

CP: The division of responsibilities is also much clearer. Day-to-day management is on us; major decisions and governance rest with the board. This allows us to do what we do best: be here every day, oversee the programs, resolve issues, talk to members, and ensure everything runs smoothly.

MS: Which activities are bringing the most people to the club today? Are the Portuguese school, senior care, and summer camps still the heart of the house?

CP: Today, our main focus is the Senior Daycare Centre. As a registered charitable organization, we want the social care aspect to be truly at the core of what we do. We have many Portuguese seniors who need companionship, activities, and often simply a place where they can speak Portuguese and be around others. The centre is a vital part of the mission we want to keep building.

AF: The Portuguese school is another source of great pride for us. It’s a tradition dating back virtually to the First’s earliest years that we are delighted to preserve. It’s a direct link to our history and to passing down the language and culture to new generations. And the Summer Camp plays a very important role as well: besides serving community families and children, it generates revenue that allows us to continue funding the First’s overall mission.

MS: Aurianne and Carina, you lead an institution with 70 years of history. Does the responsibility of being at the helm of Ontario’s oldest Portuguese club weigh on your day-to-day lives?

AF: The history weighs on us. And it weighs quite heavily. Not just because it’s 70 years of history, but because we are talking about an institution that helped build the Portuguese community in Canada and spans several generations.

CP: And there is another aspect of that responsibility that, unfortunately, we feel too. The name and history of an institution this old come with things that happened before we were part of the First—some even before I was born. And at times, we feel that this influences the support or responses we receive when seeking help. We cannot change the past. We can only do our work, every single day, and build what we want the future of the First to be.

AF: But despite that weight, the First has been a true blessing for us. It’s a home that entered our lives and brought us friendships, people, experiences, and an even stronger connection to our Portuguese heritage.

CP: It is our second home. And we are eternally grateful for that.

MS: How would you like to see the First Portuguese 10 years from now?

CP: We want to see the First with a home of its own. That is our ultimate goal. And that is what we work for every single day. We already have some money set aside specifically for that purpose, and little by little, we continue to grow that fund.

AF: Our dream is to achieve it in less than ten years. Maybe in five. But that will also depend on the community. If there are people and businesses willing to help, we can get there much faster. We want a place of our own, where we can secure the future of the Senior Centre and offer our seniors a better, more stable home tailored to their needs.

MS: On this milestone anniversary, what message do you leave for the community and for those who helped keep the club standing?

CP: Our message is, above all, one of gratitude to everyone who continues to believe in the First and support us. But it is also an appeal. Please help us build a home where our seniors can continue to have a dignified place to be, where our children can learn Portuguese, and where future generations can maintain a connection to our culture.

AF: We are deeply grateful to those who support us, who believe in us, and who keep walking through this door. And our door is open to everyone who wants the best for the First. We cannot change the past. But we can decide what we want to build for the next 70 years. And that is what we want to do: look forward.

Madalena Balça/MS

 

When the Saturnia docked in Halifax in 1953, it brought aboard the first Portuguese immigrants to arrive legally in Canada. They were mostly men, alone, with contracts to work in agriculture and on the railways. Three years later, in 1956, some of those pioneers founded the First Portuguese Canadian Club in Toronto, the city’s first Portuguese club. For decades, it was there that newcomers found friends, jobs, housing, and a piece of Portugal where their language was spoken.

Seventy years later, the community has transformed. It has grown, moved to other areas of the city or even other municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area or Ontario, and now has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren born in Canada. Throughout its 70 years of existence, the First went through periods of glory, crises, and moved locations more than once. But its doors remain open.

To understand the role the club played in building the Portuguese community, promoting its culture, and teaching the language, and to ponder what the future holds for it, we spoke with Prof. José Carlos Teixeira, a researcher who has spent decades studying the Portuguese presence in Canada and knows the Greater Toronto Area community like few others. It is a conversation about memory, identity, and the transformations of Luso-Canadians who formed what sociologists call an «institutionally complete» community.

Milénio Stadium: The First Portuguese Canadian Club was born in 1956, just three years after the arrival of the Saturnia in Halifax with the first legal Portuguese immigrants. What led those pioneers, newly arrived and still with so little, to feel the need to create a club so early on? What role did the First play during those initial years of adaptation to a new country?

José Carlos Teixeira: To understand the First, one must place it in its historical context. We, the Portuguese community, are a relatively young group in Canada. In the 1950s, only a few thousand Portuguese arrived (around 17,000), mostly men with employment contracts for agriculture and railway construction, and the majority settled in Ontario. In 1956, the First Portuguese was born in Toronto. That same year, the Portuguese Association of Canada was established in Montreal. Throughout the 1950s, these were the only two Portuguese associations in the entire country, and we are fortunate to still have them with us.

In Toronto, the first Portuguese people settled in the Kensington Market and Alexandra Park area—a working-class neighborhood that had previously been home to Jewish, Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian immigrants. It was close to jobs in the downtown core and had that market, which was then known as the Jewish market. In the 1950s, the men rented rooms; in the 1960s, families began to arrive and rent entire houses. That was the embryo of the Portuguese community. It is no coincidence that the first Portuguese business was a restaurant on Nassau Street, owned by Mr. Sousa, a pioneer who arrived in 1953, whom I had the good fortune to interview more than once and whose conversations I still religiously keep on old cassette tapes. People talk a lot about Augusta, but it was on Nassau Street that the Portuguese community’s very first commercial establishment actually appeared. And it was in that same context, in a Toronto that was already multicultural, that the first headquarters of the First Portuguese Canadian Club also appeared on Nassau Street (Nassau and Lippincott).

What was its role? Beyond being a gathering place, it was a spot where people felt at home. Portuguese was spoken, it smelled of Portuguese culture and our food, and there were cultural activities, sports, and language instruction. People went there because their friends and relatives were there. And we often forget another component: it was at the First that people obtained references to rent a house or an apartment, and it was there that they found work. How many people met someone at the First and, through Portuguese bosses, secured a job! With its multiple activities and services, the First helped many of our people, especially from the first generation, integrate into the host society without having to abandon their roots.

MS: Over these seven decades, how has the First Portuguese contributed to organizing and bringing cohesion to the Portuguese community in Toronto? And how did the club follow the community’s own evolving geography—from the Kensington area and Little Portugal to the relocation of so many families to the suburbs?

JCT: In the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and into the early 80s, the First was the anchor of the community. I would even say, in good English, that «the First was the heart and soul of the Portuguese community». For a long time, there were very few Portuguese clubs besides the First. Let’s look at the timeline: in the 1960s, Casa da Madeira (1963) and Casa do Benfica (1968) emerged; in the 1970s, only a few more were founded, such as Amor da Pátria (1971), Asas do Atlântico (1973), the Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga (1974), and Associação Cultural do Minho (1977). Therefore, between the 1950s and the late 1970s, there were only 7 clubs and associations. It was only from the 1980s onward that we witnessed significant growth in the community organizational movement, with the creation of 10 more clubs/associations. In other words, over the years, we built what sociologists call an «institutionally complete» community. In downtown Toronto, in our Little Portugal, we built an ethnic neighborhood and an economic enclave with a strong, highly visible identity—featuring sociocultural and religious associations, businesses, and media outlets. And the First appeared at the key moment, during the embryonic stage of that construction.

There is another aspect we cannot forget: the standing that the First had with different levels of government. It was a mandatory stop for Canadian politicians during election campaigns and beyond, who went there to present themselves to the community, as well as for Portuguese dignitaries. Politicians respected the First.

Then came a natural transition phase that affected all organizations and the community itself. With the drastic decline in immigration, the First felt the impact deeply. There were leadership and financial crises, which led to the sale of the building where it had established itself in the meantime (at 722 College Street). And here I must open a parenthesis: I admire the vision of Manuel DaCosta, who purchased that magnificent building in the heart of the community. In doing so, he preserved part of our memory, our history, and our presence in Toronto. Today, that complex—which includes, beyond the former First building, Camões Square, the Portuguese Canadian Walk of Fame, and the magnificent Guardian Angel statue—continues to serve as a community anchor.

Meanwhile, the First had to navigate new paths, following the immigrant corridor along Rogers Road and Dufferin, where many Portuguese families had relocated. Today, it is located on Caledonia Road. Over the past four decades, we have witnessed pronounced residential mobility and suburbanization. Our communities transitioned from a degree of isolation to residential, social, and cultural integration. The First had to adapt to this new reality.

MS: Among the many activities that made history at this club—folklore, soccer, events, music, gastronomy…—we must talk about the First’s Portuguese school, which for generations was the place where many children and grandchildren of immigrants learned the language of their parents and grandparents. How important was this work in preserving Luso-Canadian identity?

JCT: We must highlight the pioneering and extraordinary work of the First’s school. I followed its progress for over two decades and had good friends there. If the First was the community anchor for decades, its school was an obligatory reference point. It played an extraordinary role among younger generations in teaching Portuguese, the native language of their parents and grandparents.

I know many young people who went through the First’s school and have gone very far in life. When I speak with them, they acknowledge the importance of having learned Portuguese. Knowledge takes up no space, and Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world. I have no doubt that the First’s school played a crucial role in preserving our language, our culture, and our Luso-Canadian identity. A great deal is owed to it, as a pioneer in this field.

MS: On that note, what challenges does Portuguese language instruction face today in a community where new generations were born and raised in Canada?

JCT: I leave the pedagogical details to those working in education, but the numbers help illustrate the problem. According to the 2021 Census, fewer and fewer people of Portuguese origin declare Portuguese as their mother tongue. That is a fact. In Ontario, the situation is better, and in Toronto—the great heart of the community, where the pulse of our language and culture can still be felt—it is even more favorable. The few Portuguese immigrants who continue to arrive in Canada still come primarily to Toronto, which rejuvenates the clubs, associations, and Portuguese language schools. Concerns over the survival of the language apply more to other provinces and cities, where in the short term—say, ten years—the numbers will be even more concerning.

Today, about half of the Portuguese population in Canada was born here, and we are moving toward the fourth generation. With intercultural marriages, many of these young people no longer speak Portuguese, or speak very little. As their education levels rise—and statistics show clear socioeconomic mobility among the younger generations—it is natural that assimilation increases as well. Many Portuguese people feel that, in Canada, their culture is in transition. But separating them from their native culture and language would strip them of their identity.

We need more studies on the second, third, and soon, fourth generations. What do we know about them? What is their relationship with their parents’ language and culture? As in all ethnic groups, there are youth who reject their roots and others who rediscover them later on. I have seen this a lot, especially among the young people I interact with at the university: they take an interest in Portugal, their parents’ homeland, follow soccer because of Ronaldo, listen to Portuguese music, and travel there. There is a noticeable revival, a rediscovery of their roots.

MS: Many Portuguese clubs and associations today face aging memberships, difficulty in attracting younger people, and the community’s dispersion across Greater Toronto. At 70 years old, what future do you see for the First Portuguese?

JCT: I am not a pessimist, but I cannot ignore reality either. We have only been in Canada for seven decades. The first generation came to stay, and the Portuguese cultural heritage appears well-adapted and integrated into the host society. However, it is not guaranteed that the second and third generations will follow the path of their parents and grandparents, nor that they will be able to preserve the culture and traditions.

Cultural duality—or even cultural conflict—is perhaps the best way to define Luso-Canadian youth, whether of mainland, Azorean, or Madeiran descent. While for some their ethnic identity is a source of enrichment, for others it can be a source of conflict that leads them to reject their heritage. Whether they will be able to reconcile these two parts of themselves in the future remains an open question.

It is in this context that I view the First. The First had a massive historical role, but today, like all clubs and associations, it must adapt to new realities, new needs, and the sociocultural preferences of younger generations who were born in Canada and often do not speak Portuguese.

Madalena Balça/MS

 

For decades, it was in the classrooms of the Portuguese school at the First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Centre that thousands of children of immigrants learned to read, write, and feel the language of their parents and grandparents. At its peak, it had nearly 800 students, followed the official Portuguese curriculum, and awarded diplomas recognized by the Consulate. More than just a school, it was a gathering place for families and one of the pillars of Luso-Canadian identity in Toronto. It was and still is. Today, with fewer students and classes held only on Saturdays, it continues to carry out the same mission: keeping the Portuguese language alive for future generations.

Few people know this history as well as Celina de Melo. She arrived from Terceira Island in 1971 and, for 49 years, taught Portuguese to successive generations of Luso-Canadians. In the year the First celebrates its 70th anniversary, Professor Celina recalls the packed classrooms, the celebrations, the theater plays, and the trips to Portugal with her students, while leaving a heartfelt plea to families: don’t let the language die.

Milénio Stadium: How did you start teaching at the First Portuguese’s Portuguese school?

Celina de Melo: I arrived here in 1971 from Terceira, and I didn’t even know there were Portuguese classes. They told me there was a school office on Nassau Street. I went there, met with Professor Ferreira, and he immediately told me: «I want Celina to start working at the First.» Since I was already a teacher, they gave me a class right away at Ryerson School, at Dundas and Bathurst, near Augusta. I was there for a long time, then we moved to College Street. Later on, I also applied to the Canadian public school system, where I taught for many years, from kindergarten to grade 8. But I never left the First’s school.

MS: What do you remember about those early days in Canada?

CM: I missed the children I had left behind in the Azores deeply. But coming to Canada was a stroke of luck, a blessing that entered my life. I was doing what I truly loved. Professor Ferreira, who is no longer with us, was very fond of me and we worked very closely together. I always loved what I did, and even today, I would still love to be teaching.

MS: How many years did you teach here?

CM: From 1971 until 2020. That’s 49 years! Besides teaching, I visited all the schools, collected tuition fees, spoke with students and parents, and handled enrollments. We reached nearly 800 students, from kindergarten to 9th grade, and later up to 11th grade. We rented classrooms in Canadian schools. Classes ran from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, but in the winter, it was already dark by five-thirty. So I suggested to the board that we shift the schedule to five to seven so the children could go home earlier, and that’s what we did.

MS: The students spent their days in Canadian schools and then went to learn Portuguese at the end of the day. Did they go willingly, or because their parents forced them?

CM: They went willingly! The teachers were all young and knew how to welcome the kids. There was always a half-hour snack break; we would talk, laugh, put on celebrations and plays. Teaching Portuguese isn’t just about teaching reading and writing. It’s about teaching how to share, how to live alongside others. I always told our teachers: «We are an extension of the family.» And parents, back then, adored the Portuguese school. The truth is, even today, I go grocery shopping or anywhere else and someone comes up to me: «Dona Celina, you were my teacher!» Sometimes they come with two or three children of their own. Some I recognize, others I don’t. It gives me goosebumps. It’s a profound inner pride we feel when we realize that, as teachers, we left good memories with someone.

MS: What was taught besides the language?

CM: Our culture, and beyond that… daily life, how to carry oneself, how to behave. And then there were the trips. Once, during a celebration, the President was here, and I, a bit nervously, said I wished some of these local-born students, who had never been to Portugal, could get to know the country. The following year, I took 27 students to mainland Portugal, from Porto to Lisbon, with everything paid for by the Portuguese Government. It wasn’t just good; it was wonderful! Later, since I’m from the Azores, I spoke with the Regional Government, and over the next two years, we went to Terceira, Pico, and Faial with 23 students. The parents would drop them off at the airport and say: «Dona Celina, my child is in your hands.» It was a huge responsibility. I would only go to bed when everyone else was asleep. But they were so well-behaved, absolute angels.

MS: Do you think the school helped shape the Luso-Canadian identity of those generations?

CM: Yes, without a doubt. Many students were born here and didn’t know Portugal. The school gave them that. And it was serious education: we followed the curriculum from Portugal, the school became officially recognized, inspectors came to see how we operated, and at the end of the year, students took an exam at the Consulate and received an official diploma.

MS: What advice would you give to those teaching today, when many children are already third- or fourth-generation born in Canada?

CM: Now it’s harder. The school operates only on Saturdays, with two or three classes. Unfortunately, Portuguese was removed from the public schools (integrated language program). It was only half an hour a day—little, but better than nothing. Today, grandparents still speak Portuguese with their grandchildren, but it’s different. In the past, we had meetings, events, and we could see that the school mattered to the Portuguese community. At the end of the day, parents thought: «Let’s put the kids in Portuguese classes, it’s one more language!» Sometimes I feel a bit sad. I no longer run the school, but I offer my ideas: why not open classes during the week as well? We need to support parents. It’s tiring, but when you love the profession, you make the sacrifice. I used to teach all day long and, on Wednesdays, I still had a class of nearly 30 adults. I was crazy! But you know what I’ll tell you… my Portuguese school stays with me until I die.

MS: On this 70th anniversary of the First, what message would you like to leave for former students and families?

CM: To my former students, I ask with all my love: do not let your children lose the language you learned. The more languages we know, the better. Sometimes it takes a small sacrifice to pay for school, but it’s worth it. Education and learning are deeply important for living in this huge country and in this world, where life is becoming increasingly difficult.

Madalena Balça/MS

Está disponível mais uma edição do Milénio Stadium!

 

Cooking, recording a podcast, publishing a book, digitizing family cassettes, or bringing a telescope home. Public libraries across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond have reinvented themselves and now offer—almost always free of charge—services that many residents are unaware of. We took a look at six of them. Here’s a tip… enjoy!

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TORONTO | Toronto Reference Library

The home of writers and creators

The largest reference library in the country, located right by Bloor-Yonge station, is a true cultural hub.

• Publish your own book: The Asquith Press service allows you to print self-published books.
• Author talks: The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon regularly hosts renowned writers and academics.
• Free recording studio: You can record a podcast or song, take a professional headshot for your resume, or film a video project for school.
• Tech to take home: You can check out Arduino kits, Raspberry Pi sets, audio recording gear, and Artificial Intelligence learning kits.
• Culture without a ticket: With tpl:map passes, cardholders get free admission to the city’s artistic and cultural attractions.

Useful Information

• Address: 789 Yonge Street, Toronto (corner with Asquith Avenue, Yorkville neighborhood). Located one block north of Bloor Street; the nearest subway station is Bloor-Yonge.
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sunday, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM.
• Free membership eligibility: Anyone who lives, works, attends school, or owns property in Toronto, upon presenting ID with their name and address.
• Non-residents: $50 for three months or $150 for 12 months. This card does not grant access to musical instruments, tpl:map passes, Ontario Parks passes, or Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Digital alternative: Toronto residents aged 13 and older can apply online for a free digital card for immediate access to digital resources.

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MISSISSAUGA | Hazel McCallion Central Library

A library for cooking, gaming, and starting fresh

Renovated and reopened in 2024, Mississauga’s central library has become one of the most surprising spaces in the region.

• Community kitchen: The Kitchen is fully equipped and hosts programs on health, nutrition, and food literacy.
• Gaming and virtual reality room: Offers free access to gaming PCs, consoles, and virtual reality stations.
• Support for those in need: The Open Window Hub connects unhoused individuals or those facing mental health challenges with community services and organizations.
• A quiet space: A multifaith prayer room is open to people of all faiths to pray, reflect, or meditate.
• Art in the makerspace: Beyond 3D printers, the space hosts the Art Hub program, featuring digital, visual, and performing arts activities.

Useful Information

• Address: 301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga (across from City Hall). Contact: 905-615-3500.
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sunday, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
• Free membership eligibility: Residents and anyone who studies, works, or owns property in Mississauga.
• Non-residents: $40 per year.
• How to sign up: Simply bring a document showing your name and address to any branch; non-residents must also bring proof of employment, property ownership, or enrollment in a local school. An Ontario driver’s license or Photo Card is accepted.
• Parking: Paid, but free on weekdays after 6:00 PM and on weekends.

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BRAMPTON | Springdale Branch

Late-night studying and taking care of nature

With its green roof and undulating architecture, the Springdale branch is one of the most unique in the Brampton network.

• Science serving conservation: In partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), the library 3D-printed models of snapping turtles, which were placed in nesting areas at the Heart Lake Conservation Area.
• Late-night study room: The After Hours Study Hall opens on Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM for ages 14 and up. During exam season, hours extend until 1:00 AM, Monday through Thursday.
• Free legal advice: In partnership with the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, low-income individuals and families can receive a free one-on-one consultation.
• An unusual “Library of Things”: In the Brampton network, you can check out telescopes, GoPro cameras, radon detectors, birdwatching kits, memory support kits, and passes to the ROM.

Useful Information

• Address: 10705 Bramalea Road, Brampton. Contact: 905-793-4636.
• Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Friday to Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
• Free membership eligibility: Registration is free for all Ontario residents. This is the most open policy among all six libraries.
• How to sign up: Online or at any branch with a document showing your current address. Online registrants have limited access until they visit a branch to verify their address.
• Bonus: Members get a 10% discount on tickets at The Rose Theatre.

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HAMILTON | Central Library

Seeds, music, and welcoming spaces

Hamilton’s central library, located downtown, focuses heavily on community and sustainability.

• Seed library: In partnership with Green Venture, patrons can take home seeds to plant and, at the end of the season, return harvested seeds to renew the collection.
• Lunchtime music: Every Friday at noon, the library hosts live concerts.
• Newcomer center: The Newcomer Learning Centre on the 4th floor offers resources and programs for learning English.
• The city’s memory: The Local History & Archives department has been collecting and preserving Hamilton’s history since 1914.
• Senior fitness: The SMART program helps improve strength, balance, and flexibility for all fitness levels.

Useful Information

• Address: 55 York Boulevard, Hamilton. Contact: 905-546-3200.
• Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sunday, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
• Free membership eligibility: Anyone who lives, works, studies, or owns property in Hamilton, with proper identification.
• Non-residents: $100 per year. This is the most expensive option among the six.
• Note: Cardholders from selected neighboring municipalities can also borrow books in Hamilton.

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OSHAWA | McLaughlin Branch

Saving family memories

Gifted to the city in 1954 by R.S. McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada, Oshawa’s main library is a historic building featuring Frank Lloyd Wright architectural influences.

• Memory Lab: In the Local History Room, patrons can convert old photos, VHS tapes, vinyl records, and audio cassettes into digital formats.
• Motor City history: The local collection features unique materials on the McLaughlin family and the history of General Motors of Canada.
• Internet for those without: Connect Kits include a tablet and a Wi-Fi hotspot, available for six-week loans to residents without home internet.
• Books and ideas for seniors: Every month, seniors can discover a new author, listen to a reading, and participate in a Q&A session.
• The big book sale: The Friends of the Library organize an annual fall book sale to support the library.

Useful Information

• Address: 65 Debwewin Miikan (formerly Bagot Street), Oshawa. Contact: 905-579-6111, ext. 5200.
• Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday to Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
• Free membership eligibility: Anyone who lives, works, studies, or owns property in Oshawa or anywhere within the Region of Durham.
• Non-residents: $40 per year. Does not include museum passes, Ontario Parks passes, or Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Renewal: Memberships must be renewed every two years.

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ALLISTON | New Tecumseth Public Library – Memorial Branch

A small library with a Nobel prize treasure

Located in a town of about 23,000 residents, the Alliston library proves you don’t have to be big to impress.

• The legacy of insulin’s co-discoverer: In 1988, the library inherited letters, diaries, photographs, and personal items belonging to Sir Frederick Banting from his widow, including his pipes and eyeglasses. Today, the collection can be explored online through the Banting Digital project, which also includes Banting’s drawings and paintings.
• Borrowing… cookware and ukuleles: The Library of Things in the New Tecumseth system includes Instant Pots, ukuleles, bongos, telescopes, VR headsets, sewing machines, meditation kits, and Ontario Parks passes.
• Educational computers for kids: Donated in memory of two local children, these stations feature educational games focused on reading and math.
• English conversation: An ESL Conversation Circle for non-native English speakers.
• Books at the potato festival: The library sells donated books during the annual Alliston Potato Festival in August.

Useful Information

• Address: 17 Victoria St. E., Alliston. Contact: 705-435-5651.
• Hours (subject to confirmation): Monday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Tuesday to Thursday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; closed on weekends.
• Free membership eligibility: Anyone who lives or pays taxes in New Tecumseth, as well as the municipalities of Adjala-Tosorontio, Mono, and Mulmur. Free membership is also extended through reciprocal agreements to residents of Bradford-West Gwillimbury, Caledon, Essa, Innisfil, and King Township.
• Non-residents: $30 per year. The lowest fee for non-residents among the six libraries.
• How to sign up: Bring a document showing your current address (driver’s license, health card, utility bill, etc.). Applicants under 16 require a parent’s signature.
• Fines: The library has eliminated overdue fines.

Madalena Balça/MS

Hello, good morning,

I hope you are in good spirits and good health.

Autumn has arrived gently, the leaves are starting to change color, and the days are growing shorter. And it is precisely now, when you crave a good book and a warm corner, that I come to talk to you about libraries.

I confess: for a long time, I too thought a library was a quiet place, filled with bookshelves and someone telling us to “shh!”. Well, think again. Today’s municipal libraries are anything but that.

Right around us, you can check out a ukulele, a telescope, an electric cooker, or a museum pass. You can record a podcast, 3D print an object, learn how to cook, digitize old VHS wedding tapes, or even get free legal advice. In Hamilton, there is a seed library; in Alliston, they keep the letters and eyeglasses of Sir Frederick Banting, the “father” of insulin.

And what about technology? Libraries didn’t run away from Artificial Intelligence; they embraced it. They teach how to use it wisely, lend laptops and internet access to those who don’t have it at home, and help older generations overcome their fear of smartphones. In Mississauga, more than half of those using these services say the library is the only place where they have access to this technology. In Toronto, 83% of those who used them improved their employability. Now that is a true public service.

For families, it is a real treasure. And at a time when everything costs an arm and a leg, a free treasure! Storytime for babies, coding and robotics clubs, youth spaces with snacks included, games, movies, and streaming platforms—all with a simple card. In Brampton, just living in Ontario is enough to get one without paying a single cent.

But perhaps the most important thing isn’t what you take home. It’s what you find inside: a place where no one forces you to buy anything, where a grandfather, a granddaughter, and a neighbor who just arrived in Canada sit at the same table. In times of screens, loneliness, and misinformation, that is no small thing.

So, I leave you with a challenge: if you haven’t stepped into a library in a few years, pay one a visit. Take the kids, take your parents, take your curiosity. I guarantee you’ll leave surprised—and, who knows, maybe with a ukulele under your arm.

It is what it is, and it will always be worth what it’s worth.

Take care and have a wonderful weekend,

See you soon,

Cristina DaCosta/MS

 

Today, the traditional image of a library with thousands of books, high shelves filled with history and stories, is far removed from reality. In fact, this is a reductive view, because the function of this type of public space is now far more comprehensive. Especially in a multicultural and fast-growing city like Toronto, where free public spaces are increasingly rare, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) has become a true meeting point filled with past, present, and future. Indeed, any regular user can attest that, today, a library is essentially bursting with life.

The numbers speak for themselves. With 100 branches spread across the city, TPL is the largest and busiest public library system in North America. In the last year alone, it welcomed over 14 million in-person visits, and eight in ten Toronto residents use the library—whether to study, work, look for a job, learn something new, or simply have a welcoming place to be.

But what can actually be found in a library today? Far more than one might imagine. Beyond books—both physical and digital—TPL offers free internet access and computers, training in digital skills and Artificial Intelligence, 3D printers, recording studios, and even a musical instrument lending library. There are dedicated spaces for children and teenagers, support for job seekers and small businesses, and initiatives that help residents participate in an informed way in the city’s democratic life.

In an era marked by loneliness, polarization, and misinformation, the library also assumes an essential civic role: bringing people together, promoting access to trusted information, and building bridges between different perspectives.

We spoke with Toronto’s City Librarian, Moe Hosseini-Ara, to understand how the library has reinvented itself, what impact it has on the lives of those who visit, and what might surprise those who haven’t been back in a while.

Milénio Stadium: For those who don’t know, how would you describe the Toronto Public Library and the role it plays in city life today?

Moe Hosseini-Ara: Eight in ten Toronto residents use their library as a place to work or study, borrow a book, attend a program, look for a job, develop skills, or simply to have somewhere to go.

As the city grows, so does the need for shared spaces, trusted information, and human connection. The Toronto Public Library (TPL) has become essential civic infrastructure.

TPL connects people to resources and opportunities through a trusted network of 100 branches, expert staff, and an extensive offering of online services. We are the largest and busiest public library system in North America.

MS: What role do TPL branches play as community gathering spaces?

MHA: TPL offers something increasingly rare: a free, welcoming public space where no purchase is required.

Our 100 branches across the city are vital community hubs that support individual and community resilience.

In the last year alone, TPL branches recorded over 14 million in-person visits, and our website (tpl.ca) had more than 32 million visits.

MS: In a fast-changing world, especially with the rise of Artificial Intelligence, how does TPL help residents keep up with these changes?

MHA: From early literacy to Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills, TPL offers free lifelong learning opportunities for every stage of life, helping Toronto residents build the knowledge, digital skills, and confidence needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world, while helping close the digital divide.

The impact is real: 83% of users who accessed TPL’s technology services reported improving their employable skills or achieving career goals.

MS: We live in times marked by loneliness, polarization, and misinformation. What contribution can a public library make to bring people closer together and strengthen democratic life?

MHA: In an era of rising isolation, loneliness, and polarization, TPL is the gathering spot where Toronto residents come together, connect with one another, learn to combat misinformation, and engage with perspectives beyond their own.

This is a role valued by the public: 93% of Toronto residents agree that public libraries are an important resource for the community.

MS: Many people still associate libraries solely with books. Which TPL services tend to surprise those who discover them for the first time?

MHA: There are services people might not realize we offer… while books, both physical and digital, remain our core foundation, our free services go far beyond that. Many people may not know that we offer:

• Free internet access, computers, and printers;
• Help with tech and digital literacy, including AI upskilling (note: we have an AI policy that guides our staff toward the safe, responsible, ethical, and effective use of AI tools);
• Virtual interview rooms for job seekers, 3D printers, Adobe Creative Suite, and recording studios;
• Musical Instrument Lending Library;
• Programs for children, English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, job seekers, and small businesses;
• After-school clubs for children, featuring free activities like hands-on projects, coding, and robotics workshops;
• Youth Hubs—welcoming spaces for teenagers after school and during the summer, always staffed with support teams. Free, nutritious daily snacks are provided;
• We are also gearing up for the municipal election with our Celebrate Democracy initiative, which provides reliable, accessible resources to help residents understand key issues, learn about candidates, and actively participate in the process;
• Our popular tpl:map passes, which offer free access to Toronto’s arts, cultural experiences, and attractions.

The services mentioned here are just a small sample. Anyone who hasn’t visited the library in a while might be surprised by everything they will discover!

Madalena Balça/MS

 

With 18 libraries spread across the city, including the renovated Hazel McCallion Central Library, Mississauga offers its residents multiple free services that are essential in building a better-informed community. Beyond providing traditional access to reading material, today’s libraries allow visitors to borrow musical instruments, sports kits, carbon dioxide detectors, or museum passes. It is also possible to 3D print an object, record a song, cook in a community kitchen, or take home a laptop and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

In a diverse and fast-growing city like Mississauga, the public library has transformed into a true community hub: a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to study, learn, create, and socialize without having to pay a dime. In a climate where the cost of living weighs heavily on so many family budgets, the library provides free services that would otherwise be inaccessible to many—from streaming platforms and online courses to digital newspapers and creative software tools.

Technology has been a major priority. According to a recent survey, more than half of the users of the library’s tech services state that this is their only way to access these tools, highlighting the vital role the institution plays in bridging the digital divide.

However, the library does not stop at offering resources. It also provides guidance, family programs, partnerships with community organizations, and social spaces that help combat social isolation.

To better understand how the library has reinvented itself and what it has to offer families and the broader community, we spoke with Irene McCutcheon, Senior Communications Advisor for the City of Mississauga.

Milénio Stadium: Beyond borrowing books, what services does the library currently offer that the public might not be aware of? Which of these services has grown the most in recent years?

Irene McCutcheon: Many residents might be surprised to discover the variety of items they can borrow from the Mississauga Library of Things, such as game and sports kits, carbon dioxide detectors, musical instruments, park passes, and museum passes. One of the areas of largest growth in recent years has been the technology available to patrons—such as portable Wi-Fi hotspots, printers, photocopiers, and makerspaces equipped with 3D printers and music recording equipment. And for those looking to save money, residents can check out movies and video games, as well as access free streaming services with their library card.

MS: If you had to describe the public library to someone who only associates it with “a place for books,” how would you describe it?

IM: A public library is so much more than books on shelves. It is a community hub where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to socialize, study, and explore. It is a welcoming space where residents can participate in programs for all ages, study, meet up, and discover new interests. It is one of the few spaces where everyone is welcome, regardless of age, background, or abilities, at no cost at all.

MS: What concrete changes have you made recently to keep up with technological evolution (such as Artificial Intelligence)? Are there concerns or red lines in this process?

IM: The library has made significant investments in technology to support how residents learn, create, and access information. We provide free Wi-Fi access, laptop and tablet loans, self-service checkout and return systems, and makerspaces equipped with various technologies, like 3D printing and sewing machines. These services give residents access to the technology they need at a low cost. In fact, a recent user survey revealed that 56% of respondents who use these library services say it is their only way to access this technology. As technology evolves, the library’s focus remains on providing access to learning and skill development so that patrons can use these tools effectively.

MS: In an era when information is just a click away, what do you do to ensure people still have reasons to visit the library, either in person or online? What recent initiative do you consider to have been most successful in attracting new audiences?

IM: Libraries offer much more than access to information. The Mississauga Library offers experiences, guidance, and a sense of social connection that help residents develop skills, connect with the community, and explore their interests. Patrons can participate in in-person programs and events, as well as access services that would otherwise be expensive, such as creative software, 3D printers, and sound and video recording equipment. The Hazel McCallion Central Library features a kitchen for cooking and nutrition programs, as well as a games room and other facilities that can be booked for free.

Library staff are also available to help residents navigate existing services, find materials, and build their skills. As for the online experience, the library provides free access to learning and entertainment services that would otherwise require a paid subscription. This includes LinkedIn Learning, The New York Times, PressReader, Ancestry, e-books, and streaming platforms for music and movies.

MS: What concrete benefits can a family with children get from the library today that they couldn’t ten or twenty years ago? Are there programs specifically designed to reduce costs or social isolation for families?

IM: The modern library is a center for community development, outreach, and programming for people of all ages and backgrounds. Families can participate in free programs, access community services, and engage in activities that help them learn, grow, and build connections. For budget-conscious families, the library offers free access to a wide variety of activities and materials, such as streaming services and games, children’s activities, passes to local attractions, drop-in social gatherings, book clubs, safety equipment, and language learning programs.

Through partnerships with local non-profit organizations, the library also provides outreach services, community development, and educational programs. These programs help reduce social isolation by giving residents a space to meet others, learn new skills, and build community. One of the most significant changes in recent years has been the expansion of technology available at the library—such as laptop loans, makerspaces, Wi-Fi hotspots, and other services that support skill development and help lower the cost of access.

Madalena Balça/MS

Está disponível mais uma edição do Milénio Stadium!

Hello, good morning,

I hope you find yourselves in good spirits and in good health.

September has already passed its halfway mark, much like the phases of the moon in decreasing order to give way to month X. Thus the wind carries us along.

This week, I write to you off topic, as I will leave elections to the experts.

I tried to understand the state of the world in the 21st century, and what that really means for us as a Society.

The state of the world in the 21st century is marked by geopolitical transitions, accelerated technological advances, and global systemic crises. Analyses of this period, such as those discussed by specialists in reflections on the same subject, highlight profound transformations in sovereignty, the economy, and society. Namely:

Geopolitics and Global Power

• Rise of new powers: China has consolidated itself as a central player and the world’s second largest economy, redefining the rules of multilateralism and challenging the traditional hegemony of the United States.
• Russia and conflicts: Russia has emerged as an active military power, while the international system faces growing tensions and geopolitical instability.
• Democratic erosion: Several democracies around the world face pressure from populist movements and authoritarian tendencies.

Technology and Infrastructure

• Digital revolution and AI: Dominance in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence has become the new pillar of national sovereignty.
• Innovation: This century has witnessed the democratization of smartphones, advances in private space exploration, and scientific milestones like the detection of the Higgs boson.

Global Crises and Challenges

• Public health: The COVID 19 pandemic severely marked global health in the first half of the 2020s.
• Socioeconomic tensions: Financial crises (such as 2008) and disputes over strategic resources, like rare earth minerals, shape global economic competition, not to add the measures and tariffs imposed by the “Madman” U.S. President, D “C” T. , (I leave the C to your discretion and mental capacity to describe), measures as I was saying that will erect high barriers not only for us (Canada), but for everyone as a global society.

It is what it is and will always be worth what it’s worth.

Be well and have an excellent weekend,

See you soon,

Cristina DaCosta/MS

There are hundreds of thousands of Luso Canadians in Ontario, but when looking for those who, within this community, decide to take the step of running for local governance, the list is manifestly short. Even so, when we look at the lists of contenders in these 2026 municipal elections, we find several names of candidates, from Toronto to Cambridge, from Mississauga to Kitchener, from London to Brampton, from Oshawa etc., who carry surnames that we recognize as ours and who are already on the ground asking for the vote of their neighbors. Some are already familiar faces in these endeavors; others have accepted this challenge for the first time.

On these pages we gather the names of some of them. We tell you where they are running and what they propose to those who could elect them. It is a small sample, we know it, there are many others who, with courage, are in the fight of municipal politics, but we had to make a choice for obvious reasons. However, this group of people that we bring to you here shows that our presence in local politics, even if timid, exists and has been growing. In a way, getting to know these candidates is also recognizing the space that we, Portuguese descendants, still have to occupy in Canadian society.

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Tony Chaves — Cambridge, Mayoral candidate

Milénio Stadium: As a Portuguese-Canadian running for the top job in Cambridge, what does your community background bring to how you’d lead the city? 

Tony Chaves: My Portuguese-Canadian background has given me a strong appreciation for community, family, hard work, and helping one another. But after 11 years as President of the Portuguese Club, I’ve learned that community is much bigger than one culture.

Over those 11 years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life. I’ve listened to their concerns, celebrated their traditions, and seen firsthand how much stronger Cambridge is when we come together.

That’s the kind of leadership I would bring to the Mayor’s office. I wouldn’t lead for one culture or one group of people. I would lead for all of Cambridge.

I want every resident to feel heard, respected, and included. My background has taught me that when you open your doors, listen to people, and bring communities together, you build a stronger city for everyone.

MS: How do you plan to engage Cambridge’s Portuguese community specifically if elected?

TC: After 11 years as President of the Portuguese Club, I already have strong connections within Cambridge’s Portuguese community. If elected, I would continue listening, attending community events, meeting with residents and organizations, and making sure their concerns are heard at City Hall.

But I want to be clear: I’m not just a mayor for the Portuguese community. I’m a mayor for all of Cambridge. My experience has taught me the importance of bringing different cultures and backgrounds together and making sure everyone has a voice.

MS: Cambridge is dealing with rapid growth and a housing affordability crunch. What’s the one concrete action you’d take in your first year to address it? 

TC: My first concrete action would be to introduce a first-time homebuyer property-tax relief program, providing eligible first-time buyers with a 50% reduction in municipal property taxes for their first two years.

We need to make homeownership more attainable for Cambridge residents who are trying to put down roots in our city. At the same time, I would work with Council and staff to identify practical ways to increase affordable and attainable housing while making sure growth is properly planned and supported by the infrastructure our city needs.

MS: What sets you apart from the other candidates in this race, and why should voters trust you, rather than an incumbent or a more established name, to lead Cambridge?

TC: What sets me apart is simple: I’m not a career politician. I’m a regular person who has spent 60 years living in Cambridge, building a business, raising a family, and serving my community.

For 11 years, I’ve had the privilege of being President of the Portuguese Club, where I’ve worked with people from every culture and background. I’ve listened to thousands of people, heard their concerns, and learned that leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about listening and doing something about what you hear.

I’m not running because I need a political title. I’m running because I believe Cambridge needs a leader who will put residents first, be transparent, hold people accountable, and make every dollar count.

I don’t answer to politicians. I answer to the people of Cambridge. They’re the bosses.

That’s what sets me apart — and if I earn your trust, I’ll work every day to prove you made the right choice.

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Miguel Araujo — Oshawa, Ward 3

Milénio Stadium: What led you to run for Ward 3 in Oshawa/Durham?

Miguel Araujo: I decided to run for councillor of Ward 3 in Oshawa/Durham because I am always following development news and what is happening in and around Oshawa and I feel that I would represent the residents Ward and fight for there best interests.

MS: What do you consider to be the most pressing issue in Ward 3 right now, and what would you propose to do in your first year in office to address it?

MA: I believe that the pressing issue in Ward 3 is that there are still many parks that are under utilized and to fix this issue I would propose in the upcoming budget for 2027 to redevelope these parks by adding splash pads, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and replacing playground equipment to more modern equipment, etc.

MS: There are seven people running for the same position, how do you intend to convince voters that your candidacy is the best to represent them and what sets you apart from the other candidates?

MA: I am running in a ward against 7 other candidates but I feel that what sets me apart from the others is that since I have lived in the ward for over 30+ years and I have seen and am aware of what issues that haven’t been fixed in the past so with that knowledge I would know what needs to be addressed as a priority and would be close with the residents of Ward 3 by being a phone call or email away.

MS: If elected, how do you plan to balance housing growth/urban development in Oshawa with current residents’ concerns about infrastructure and services?

MA: If elected I plan to balance housing growth/ urban development with current residents concerns of infrastructure and services by doing various studies of fire services, paramedic services, policing services, etc. to see which areas need new facilities to be added or expanded etc. and if the roads can handle more traffic in the areas before permits are approved for construction of new growth.

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Marco Martins — Toronto, Ward 9 (Davenport)

First-time candidate

Safety

• Pushes for more visible and community-based policing, and for measurable response times

Spending

• Wants to review City spending to eliminate unnecessary costs and reduce “red tape” for small businesses

Investment equity

• Claims that Davenport receives half the capital investment per capita compared to other wards, and promises to fight for the ward’s “fair share” in services, parks, and funding

Transit

• More safe and connected bike lanes, more service on overcrowded bus lines, practical solutions for congestion

Housing

• Supports housing growth, but demands that infrastructure and transit keep pace with development

First 100 days plan

• Publish response standards; open a “public action tracker” and Ward 9 construction calendar; meet with all BIAs, residents’ groups, police, and TTC service planning; hold three listening sessions (north, central, south); launch audits of parks, traffic trouble spots, and construction communication; publish a 100-day progress report

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Lurdes Jordão — Kitchener, Ward 3

First-time candidate; resident of the ward for over 27 years.

Thoughtful growth and strong neighborhoods

• Advocates for development that considers traffic, infrastructure, green spaces, affordability, and the character of existing neighborhoods

Safer streets and communities

• Practical solutions for speeding, congestion, and pedestrian safety, in collaboration with the city and the Waterloo Regional Police

Responsible spending and affordable cost of living

• Brings project management experience (over 30 years) to prioritize investments that do not overburden residents in the future

Representation with respect, transparency, and accessibility

• Commitment to creating real opportunities for engagement between residents and city hall

Community track record

• Over 20 years on the board of the Settler’s Grove Community Association, currently on her condominium board; supports Breakthrough T1D Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society
  

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George Tavares — Mississauga, Ward 7

Ran for Mayor in 2022 and 2024.

Taxes

• Scrutinize every line of the budget before approving increases; vote against increases without a clear benefit to residents
• Demand transparent reporting on tax spending

Transit and roads

• Road repairs and maintenance within deadlines
• Traffic calming measures in residential areas
• Hold City Hall accountable for meeting infrastructure deadlines

Housing and development

• Demand that developers honor community benefit commitments
• Ensure new population density is accompanied by corresponding infrastructure
• Support genuinely affordable housing (not just in name)

Peel Police Funding

• Formally contest, at Regional Council, the current 62%-38% funding split
• Demand an independent review of the funding formula (population, service calls, real demand)

Independent Auditor General

• Relaunch the proposal for an independent Auditor General for Mississauga
• “Value for money” audits of major programs and projects, with public results and follow up on recommendations

Hazel McCallion LRT and transit

• Demand a clear public timeline for construction completion and the start of passenger service
• Practical traffic management during construction; protect pedestrian and business access in Cooksville
• Improve LRT connections to GO Transit and MiWay

Public safety and enforcement

• Visible policing near Cooksville Four Corners, GO station, parks, and transit stops
• Strengthening safety rules for e-scooters
• Evaluate programs by results, not by the amount spent

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Martin Medeiros — Brampton, Wards 3 & 4

Incumbent

Safe, clean, and well-maintained neighborhoods

• Increased police presence in Wards 3 and 4
• Proven traffic calming measures: speed cushions and all-way stop intersections 
• More municipal bylaw officers, proactive enforcement, and heavier fines for infractions

Affordability and responsible spending

• Keep property taxes affordable
• Eliminate unnecessary spending at Brampton City Hall and the Region of Peel
• Ensure residents know their money is spent sensibly, responsibly, and efficiently

Neighborhood investment

• Greater investment in parks, trails, and recreational facilities in Wards 3 and 4

Economic growth and employment

• Attract new businesses and investment to Wards 3 and 4
• Support local commerce and revitalize commercial areas

Transparency and accountability

• Make Brampton City Hall more open, responsive, and accountable
• Clear public information, greater oversight, and real opportunities for residents to be heard

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David Ferreira — London, Ward 13

Incumbent

Downtown evolution

• Shape the next chapter of downtown as a neighborhood, civic gathering spot, cultural center, and economic engine that serves the entire city of London and strengthens the shared identity of the community

More housing options, stronger protections

• Create and protect affordable housing through responsible development, better use of existing buildings, and practical decisions that respect both family budgets and public money

Safe streets, human dignity

• Safer streets, stronger public spaces, and better support for people in crisis — so that everyone feels safe, respected, and treated with dignity

Neighborhood voice and community strength

• Strengthen the voice of Ward 13 citizens in decisions that shape the streets, parks, buildings, services, and character of their neighborhoods

Real accountability and respectful government

• Genuine transparency: clear public reports, effective accountability, trusted partnerships, and higher standards for how City Hall serves the public, works with communities, and honours the trust it was given

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Paul Vicente — Brampton, Wards 1 & 5

Incumbent

Health first

• Current focus: ensure the construction of the second hospital without delays, plan a third, and move forward with the cancer center and more long term care

Urban mobility

• Work toward the construction of the LRT
• Deliver a downtown transit hub
• Partnership with Metrolinx for the Queen Street BRT
• Bring two way GO train service every 15 minutes to downtown

Bylaws that protect neighbourhoods

• Expand licensing
• Introduce automated license plate parking enforcement
• Increase fines for repeat property standard, parking, and noise infractions

Libraries for everyone

• Help advance three new branches: at the Howden Recreation Centre, at the Embleton Community Centre, and at the downtown Centre for Innovation

Smarter roads, less congestion

• As Chair of the Public Works and Engineering committee, I helped launch the new Advanced Traffic Management System, which connects the city’s traffic lights to respond to real traffic in real time
• Next step: expand with smart traffic lights and intersections

Madalena Balça/MS