Hispanolaval - Association Hispanophone de Laval

In 1993, a group of Spanish-speaking residents in the city of Laval felt the need to create a Hispanic organization. At that time, the Hispanic population in Laval was increasing, with 1,510 residents having Spanish as their mother tongue in 1991, which increased to 3,155 in 1996. However, the population decreased to 2,645 in 2001. The countries of origin for these immigrants from Latin America were initially Chile, Peru, El Salvador, and Colombia, but this distribution changed in the early 2000s, with Salvadorans being the largest group followed by Peruvians, Chileans, and Mexicans. The immigrants desired a place where they could communicate in their own language, exchange ideas, fulfill their dreams, and discuss their problems in order to integrate harmoniously into their new geographical, economic, cultural, and linguistic environment. Thus, on January 28, 1994, the Association Hispanophone de Laval (AHL) was created as an organization for integration and cultural and linguistic interaction between the Hispanic and Quebecois communities. The association organized various events such as coffee meetings, conferences, interviews, dances, festivals, and acts of solidarity with Latin American villages affected by natural disasters. The success of this organization demonstrates its ability to reconcile integration into the adopted society with the preservation of Hispanic culture and the Spanish language.