First Nations

Chinese

There were two significant waves of Chinese immigration in the 1800s. The first wave, in the 1850s, were part of the huge migration from California that followed the lure of the gold rush to BC – with an estimated 1/3 of those people being of Chinese descent. In addition to following their gold mining ambitions, they spread throughout the area helping build needed roads and bridges.

The second major wave of Chinese immigration came after British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871 – under the condition that the new province would be linked to Eastern Canada by a railroad within 10 years. To build the railway through BC, contractors brought over thousands of Chinese labourers, who were paid significantly less than other workers, endured harsh living conditions, and most often worked the most difficult and dangerous sections of the railway.

After the completion of the railway, in one of Canada’s darker moments related to immigration, the Government of Canada passed “The Chinese Immigration Act, 1885”, which levied a head tax targeting Chinese immigrants.

South Asian

South Asian Canadians trace their families’ ancestry from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The first significant wave of immigration of this group occurred in the early 1900s when Punjabi Sikhs arrived in Canada after hearing of job opportunities with decent wages in the mining, logging, and rail industries.

As the Sikh community in Canada grew, they began to face discrimination similar to that of other visible minorities at the time. This xenophobia escalated to the point where the Government introduced laws limiting the rights and privileges of people from South Asia. Perhaps the most notable attempt to restrict immigration from these countries was the “continuous journey regulation” order-incouncil, passed in January, 1908, which was used to bar entry of the Komagata Maru passengers from India. It wasn’t until 2016, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended a full and formal apology in the House of Commons for the Komagata Maru incident.

Japanese

The first wave of Japanese immigrants, called Issei (first generation), arrived between 1877 and 1928. Many settled in the “Japantowns” or suburbs of Vancouver and Victoria and worked in the farm, fishing, pulp-mill, and mining industries, but were met with immense discrimination.

Impacted by the anxiety of World War II, in 1942, the Canadian Government passed Order-in-Council 365 that permitted authorities to systematically remove “all persons of Japanese racial origin” from within 160 kilometres of the coast and send them to internment camps in BC’s interior.

Living under these conditions, the internees suffered unimaginable hardships. Properties left behind were to be held in trust, but another order was passed in 1943 that allowed the Government to sell the properties without the owners’ consent.

It wasn’t until 1949 that the restrictions imposed under the War Measures Act were lifted, and Japanese Canadians, with full rights of citizenship, were free to move anywhere in Canada.

British

The English were some of the first Europeans to reach Canadian shores after the Vikings of the 10th and 11th centuries, but migration in the broader sense began with the foundation of Halifax in 1749, and continued with the capture of New France (Québec) in 1760.

After Confederation, thousands of British children from private homes and industrial schools were given free passage to Canada. The next influx came in response to the opening of the prairie provinces between 1890 and 1914.

Between 1942 and 1947, the Canadian Government welcomed 44,886 war brides and their children from England. They travelled to Canada without their husbands, who were still serving or had already been sent home.

Through the 1950s, nearly 30% of Canada’s immigrants were British. Arriving in such large numbers, the contributions of the English to Canadian culture and institutions were significant and are still clearly visible today.

Irish

Scottish

The Scottish are some of the first Europeans to settle in Canada. One of the earliest colonies was established in 1621 in Nova Scotia by Sir William Alexander. Small settlements were created on Cape Breton Island and the Bay of Fundy, but Scottish claims were surrendered to France in 1632.

The next major migration came in 1720 with a steady flow of men from Orkney who had been recruited by the Hudson’s Bay Company for service in the West.

Then, between 1770 and 1815, approximately 15,000 Highland Scots came to Canada; almost all were Roman Catholic and were exclusively Gaelic speaking.

Over the next century, Scottish immigration steadily increased with close to 500,000 entering Canada on the promise of a better future in manufacturing and agriculture. Today the Scots represent the third largest ethnic group in the country.

Italian

Poor economic conditions in Italy were the driving force behind three mass movements to Canada over the course of a century. The first wave came between 1870 and 1914 and saw nearly 120,000 Italians emigrate. The second happened between 1920 and 1930, and the third, and largest wave of immigration, came between 1950 and 1970, when approximately 20,000 to 30,000 Italians entered Canada each year.

During WWI and WWII, Italian-Canadians became targets of discrimination when restrictions were placed on those from “enemy” nations. The worst period of intolerance, between 1940 and 1943, saw approximately 600 Italian-Canadian men arrested and sent to internment camps.

Although faced with numerous hardships after immigration, Italian-Canadians managed to build enduring communities and make significant contributions to the social and economic fabric of the country.

Ukrainian

Russian

Due to Russian and Canadian restrictions, most early Russian immigrants came in groups through special arrangement. From 1874 through the 1890s, Canada welcomed 8,000 German Mennonites from southern Russia, 7,500 Doukhobors aided by Leo Tolstoy and prominent Canadian figures, James Mavor and Clifford Sifton, and several thousand Russian Jews seeking refuge from genocide in western Russia.

After WWI, as many as one million Russians (many of which were agricultural and industrial labourers) fled the turmoil of the Russian Revolution and emigrated to Canada.

During the Great Depression and WWII, immigration to Canada all but stopped, but picked up again between 1948 and 1953. Afterward, however, Russian immigration declined significantly; a trend that continued throughout the 1970s.

When Russia introduced anti-gay laws in 2013, it was believed that many from the LGBTQ community would apply for refugee status in Canada, but total numbers of claimants have yet to be determined.

Hungarian

The first wave of Hungarians to immigrate to Canada came in the late 19th century as a result of a food shortage. At this time, Canada was in the midst of a labour shortage, but had enormous swaths of workable land to offer, so the influx worked in everyone’s favour.

When WWI began, Canada would not accept anyone from “enemy” lands and immigration from Hungary came to a halt. The doors were reopened in 1924, but for similar reasons, Hungarians were also prohibited from immigrating to Canada during WWII.

The second, and largest, movement of Hungarian immigrants to Canada followed a period of unrest in Hungary in which discontented masses initiated a revolt against the country’s communist rule.

Pier 21, in Halifax, NS, was one of the main entry points to welcome immigrants, particularly a large group known as the Hungarian Revolution Refugees who arrived between 1956 and 1958.

Syrian

Due to legislative restrictions, Syrian immigration to Canada was relatively limited until 1945, after which time it increased, most notably in the 1960s and thereafter.

In 2011, as part of the Arab Spring, anti-government protests in Syria were met with violent opposition, and what followed would develop into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

In the midst of utter chaos, Syrians no longer have a choice. They are being forced to flee as refugees. Since November 4, 2015, the Government of Canada has welcomed 40,081 Syrian refugees, but it is estimated that over half of the country’s pre-war population of 22 million are still in need of urgent assistance, whether they are internally displaced or have already escaped Syria.

Like most refugee groups, assimilation and finding their place in a new country can be very difficult. Many groups, including the Canadian Government, have created programs and initiatives to help Syrians upon arrival – programs that benefit from your generosity of resources, time, and welcoming spirit.

Iranian

The Revolution between 1978-79 was the first real impetus for Iranian immigration to Canada. Before this point, less than 100 Iranians entered the country each year, but when the Islamic government came to power, opponents of Ayatollah Khomeini began to flee.

Compounded by the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted from 1980-88, the majority of migrants from Iran at this time were political refugees. Later, in the 90s, however, a wave of about 200,000 Iranian professionals left the country seeking economic opportunities.

Since the early 80s, the flow of Iranian immigrants to Canada has consistently been in the thousands per year. The majority come from urban areas in Iran and have relocated predominantly to major cities in Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia.

A relatively new immigrant community, Iranian-Canadians represent a diverse mix of ethnicities, religions, and ideologies within a prosperous and entrepreneurial group.

Ugandan

When then-President, Idi Amin, on August 4, 1972, ordered the expulsion of over 80,000 individuals of Asian origin from Uganda within 90 days, the Aga Khan—spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili branch of Islam—called then-Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, asking for Canada’s help.

In the two months between September 6 and November 6, 1972, Canadian representatives screened and transported over 6,000 Ugandan refugees to Canada. Most arrived on flights chartered by the Canadian Government and were processed in Montreal before being sent to their new homes across the country.

This undertaking was significant and represented Canada’s first experience relocating significant numbers of non-European refugees as well as highlighted the importance of developing a framework for responding to future refugee crises.

After the expulsion, the sudden lack of experienced technicians and managers proved to be difficult for Uganda, contributing to a failing economy and the poorest growth rate in Africa by the mid-80s. On the contrary, the vast majority of Ugandan-Canadian refugees prospered and have since made significant contributions to Canada.