Brazilians bring passion, drive to Winnipeg

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This article was published 16/04/2021 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Aline Proença owned two small businesses in Brazil before packing her bags and embarking for a fresh start in Canada in 2018.

Even though she was a newcomer, she was confident she could start a new business adventure here because of her prior entrepreneurial experience.

Last year, Proença launched Vertigo Unconventional Media, a company that focuses on elevating the media presence of other small businesses within Winnipeg and surrounding areas.

“As soon as I landed in Winnipeg, I fell in love with its ways of protecting and cultivating small businesses,” she says. “I also felt Winnipeg has room for every and all businesses to grow, so right there and then I decided I wanted to work with Winnipeggers and a media content agency felt like the right path for me to go back to entrepreneurship.”

Proença is among a new wave of Brazilian immigrants leaving the South American hotspot for the colder climes of Manitoba. Although the motivations to move to Canada differ from person to person, quality of life, learning a new language, and feeling protected from violence are among the most common responses.

Maggie Demarchi, a realtor and president of the Brazilian Association in Winnipeg, points to a couple of factors that contribute to making Winnipeg a destination in which Brazilians can flourish.

“The sense of community we have in Winnipeg is more like the Brazilian lifestyle,” she says.

“Brazilians are friendly, lively and warm people; they like being welcomed and accepted like any other group, and Winnipeggers know how to welcome a newcomer like no other big city. Second, Brazilians know how to throw a party and Winnipeg is famous for their many celebrations and festivals. Finally, Winnipeg is also sunny, despite the long winter we have here.”

Given the challenges to settle in another country, BRASIW provides resources and activities to mitigate the impact of the immigration experience in Manitoba. The association offers programs that assist newcomers as they adapt to cultural differences in the country as well as promote social gatherings that maintain the Brazilian heritage abroad.

Over the years, Brazilians have endured the harsh winters, learned to speak English and dealt with constant homesickness in the hopes of receiving permanent residency status.

This golden ticket not only leads to a Canadian citizenship, it also opens the door to residing anywhere in Canada. Yet many have chosen to stay in Winnipeg and set out on their own business adventures.

One of Proença’s goals with Vertigo is to empower cross-cultured businesses and ensure they are giving their customers the best shopping experience. She also highlighted her attempt to overcome the social barriers.

“We want to pop all the bubbles we see around and bring everyone together,” she says.

While this venture is a boon for creators with an immigrant background, it also comes with challenges. The most obvious one was the unfortunate timing for those who decided to start their business in the beginning of 2020, just weeks before a global pandemic was declared.

This was the case for Ivana Montanini, who began her footwear brand Rio Style earlier last year, alongside her husband, Jonatas, and another Brazilian couple, Patricia and Marcos Wiens.

“It was challenging at the beginning to gather with people to get to know our company and try the shoes, of course,” Montanini says.

“The online tools were working good but we wanted to give the customers the taste and touch of what they would get by purchasing our shoes… We believe that Manitoba has a great potential and we wanted to bring the best of the Brazilian shoes style to people in Winnipeg.”

The opportunity to attract more visibility to Rio Style and other local start-ups came when three Brazilian small business owners — Rubia Lima, Isabelle Baptista and Julia Cossolin — organized the first Brazilian Farmers Market at The Forks last October.

The reception was overwhelmingly positive.

Madame Sucre owner Rubia Lima says it was important to shed light on Brazilian small businesses like her own.

“The Brazilian Farmers Market helped Brazilian entrepreneurs show to the whole community our diversity of products and it also helped them to grow their own business,” Lima says.

The event’s success led to two other editions and the organizers have plans for more Brazilian Farmers Markets, including one next week at the Lorette Community Complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 25.

When public health restrictions begin to loosen up, Brazilian business owners are excited about sharing more of their work in-person again. They aim to prosper in a new city where they feel a sense of belonging and incentive to grow.

“We are passionate and very creative people,” Lima says.