Figure 1.--The Scotts are one of the many immigrant groups that have made an important contribution to Canada. The back of the photograp hear reads, "Winners at the dance Clan MacClan, Bowen Island, Vancouver, BC Jully 22 - 1922".

Canada like America is a nation of immigrants. Unfortunately I do not yet have much information on Canadian immigration. There are people from every European country, but also many from the Middle East, India, China, Vietnam, etc. Many of the groups that came to America also went to Canada. There are, however, differences in the ethnic mix. The most substantial difference is the French who founded Canada, but never emigrated in large numbers to America. The most important groups after the French are the English and Scotts. Other European groups greatly expanded the ethnic mix in the late 19th century. We do not yet have detailed information on the Canadian pattern, but this is a topic we hope to persue.

Dominion Lands Act (1872)

Canada had legislation like the American Homsteading Act. It was the Dominion Lands Act (1872). THe Act granted a quarter section of free land (160 acres or 64.7 hectares) to a settler of at least 21 years of age. All that was required was a $0 registration fee. The homesteader had to live on his quarter section for 3 years during which time he cultivated at least 30 acres (12.1 hectares) and built a permanent home.

Sir Clifford Sifton

Sir Clifford Sifton was the single most important individual in shaping Canadoan immigrtion policy. He served as Minister of Interior (1896-1905). It was Sifton who organized an Immigration Branch within the Ministry of Interior. Before Sifton Canada had no real immigration policy. The Dominion basically just accepted or rejected who arrived at Canadian ports. Sifton took it as his mission to begin filling the still largely empty western prarie provinces. His theory was to encoyrage the immigration of farmers. He reasoned that once agriculture was developed than industry and commerce would follow without further immigration.

Native People

The native people in Canada are called the First Nations. Native people were denied the right to vote by the British Columbia Qualifications of Voters Act.

National Groups

Canada like America is a nation of immigrants. Unfortunately, we do not yet have much information on Canadian immigration. Many of the groups that came to America also went to Canada. There are, however, differences in the ethnic mix. And of course America did not have a substantial French base. We do not yet have detailed information on the Canadian pattern, but this is a topic we hope to persue. Hopefully our Canadian readers will provide insights to add to our understanding of the Canadian ethnic mix.

Austria-Hungary

We note Orthodox Christians emigrating to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th century from the eastern part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

China

Chinese immigration to America began with the discivery of gold in California and fr many yeas was cnfined to that state. The Chinese played a major role in building the Western railroads. They were subjected to discriminatory legislation. We know lottle about Chinese immigration in Canada. We believe that as in America it was primarily concentrated in the west coast, meaning British Colombia. Chinese immigration followed the same pattern in Canada as in America. It was also gold that attracted Chinese immigrants to Canada. After gold feaver hd abated in California, some Chinese miners traveled from San Francisco to British Cololbia (1858). The joined the trek northwood along the Fraser River. Chinese people also arrived directly from Canada, especially Guangdong province (southern China). These Chinese miners established the first continuous Chinese community in Canada. The Chinese were denied the right to vote British Columbia Qualifications of Voters Act (1872). The British Columbia provincial government banned Chinese in construction projects financed by the provincial government (1878). Chinese laborors played a major role in the construction of the western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway (1880-85).

England

France

Canada was first settled by the French as New Canada. As far as we know, Canada is the only country outside of Algeria and to a lesser extent Tunisia where large numbers of French collonists settled. Britain seized Canad during the French and Indian War (1759). Canada after the English victory was largely cut off from France. Most French Caadians today can trace their ancestry back to New France and now more recent immigration.

Germany

After the British and French the Germans are the largest ethnic group in Canada. They started coming to Canada in 1750 where they founded Lunenburg in Nova Scotia. Many German-speaking immigrants from Pennsylvania followed and settled in Ontario. In the 19th century waves of German immigrants arrived from Germany. 80% of Berlin, southwest of Toronto, was German. The name was changed to Kitchener in WWI. When the prairie provinces opened up to the settlers scores of German-speaking Mennonites bought land in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. In 1886 most "Germans" in Manitoba were actually born in Russia and Poland.

Irish

There was Irish immogration to Canada, but we believe that it was less important than to America. We believe this was in part beause of animosity to the British and Canada was a British Dominion. br>

Italian

Jews

We know little about Jews in Canada. We believe that they were less important than in America, but this is a topic we need to explore. We are not positive if this was the case or if so why. The Jews that did emigrate to Canada, as in America, came primarily from Russia and Russian controlled Poland. We note one Jewish immigrant family in the 1910s.

(The) Netherlands

Of the 30 million Canadians 800.000 are of Dutch descend. Most of them went to Canada after World Wr II. Many were farmers with large families, who were afraid of over-population in the Netherlands, unemployment and not enough farmland. In 1952 alone 30.000 Dutch immigrants arrived in Canada,

Poland

Russia

Scotland

The Scotts began arriving in Canada after the British seized the province from France in the French and Indian Wars, defeating the French at Montreal (1759). As a result of the Highland Clearances and the suppression of the Highland Clans after Culloden (1746), large numbers of destitute Scotts emmigrated to America and Canada. One province is even nammed for Scotland--Novascotia. An interesting observation hereis that the Scotts who emigrated to America were staunchly anti-English (as were the Irish who came in the 19th century). Many settled in the backwoods areas which became Patriot strongholds during the Revolutionary War. They played a major role in the defeat of Britain's southern army. The Scotts in Canada, however, do not seem to have had this same anti-English sentiment. I am not sure why. Hopefully our Canadian readers will provid some basckground here.

(The) Ukraine

The Ukrainians are the 4th largest ethnic group in Canada. They arrived at the end of the 1800s especially in Saskatchewan, the largest wave in 1905.

Created: 4:17 AM 5/21/2005
Last updated: 7:48 PM 7/8/2006