People

The Origins Of Canadians in 2019


Canadians origins flag

Canada is considered one of the best places to live in the world, and it’s not just about free healthcare, and the breathtaking landscape. Rather, Canadians are seen one of the friendliest and most tolerant people on the planet.

By the way, did you know that people in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, do yoga every Wednesday afternoon on Parliament Hill during summer for free? But hey, we are not here to talk about the things you can do in Canada.

Instead, we want to talk about these friendly people, Canadians. Where did they come from anyway? We all know that Canada is one of the countries that have multiple residents of different ethnic origins. For the record, you should know that Canadians make up around 33% of the population in the country. The rest is a combination of multiple different ethnic groups. By the way, there are a lot of facts to learn about Canada.

So, where did the current Canadians come from?

First off, it’d be important to acknowledge the population of Canada as of January 2019, which is slightly over 35 million. Even though the people in Canada are all known as Canadians, they are not exactly that, based on their ethnic origin.

This country is one of the most multicultural nations in the whole world, having about more than 20 different ethnic groups. Some immigrants even gain Canadian citizenship. That said, let’s look at the origin of the current Canadians.

happy-people

The Most Populous Group: Canadians

Yes, every legal citizen of Canada is known as a Canadian, but we are talking about the original Canadians that were in that land before the European arrival in the country. These indigenous peoples include the Metis, Inuit, as well as the First Nations. These are similar to the Native Americans.

For the record, the First Nations come in 634 different bands across Canada. The First Nations on their own make up 4.43% of the Canadian population, which is around 1.5 million.

The Metis people came to Canada in 1700 when the Scottish and the fur traders took Aboriginal women as their wives. Some of the Aboriginal women include the Anishinabe and Cree. They later on settled in the Northwest.

During the fur trade, several Metis communities developed. They also chose Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta as their homeland provinces. Some even settled in parts of British Columbia, Northwest areas, Ontario, and even the US.

The Inuits are also aboriginal inhabitants, who covered the North American Arctic from Bering Strait to East Greenland. Today, most of the Inuit live in Greenland and northern Alaska. Plus, they have some of their close relatives in Russia. Some people called the Inuit ‘Eskimos.’

They are supposedly the fewest original Canadians. There are just about 40,000 Inuits in Canada.

The English

Whether you call them Anglo-Canadians or the English Canadians, these are the second most populous ethnic group in Canada. They make up around 18% of the country’s population.

It all started when the English Canadians wanted to start a new settlement in Newfoundland (and Labrador). The first English people settled at St. Johns Newfoundland back in 1583. The population of this area was mostly dominated by the English and Irish immigrants. There are many reasons for the English to move to Canada.

However, there is still some immigration from England into Canada taking place. One reason for this is because the immigration laws between Commonwealth countries (both Canada and England are members).

The Scottish

This is the third most populous ethnic group in Canada. They make up around 14% of the Canadian population. Today, Nueva Scotia, a province in Canada, was named for the influence of the Scottish in that area. Furthermore, top universities in the country, such as Queens University, McGill University in Quebec, and Dalhousie University in Halifax are all linked to the Scottish.

The Scottish people in Canada have made a lot of influences and development in the country.

Scottish Canadians

The French

The French are also among the popular Canadians. Specifically, they make up around 14% of the Canadian’s population. The Early French people in Canada settled in the country back in the 17th century. Even though there were some native French speakers in Canada, the people of French heritage are the ones who make up the most of the French speakers in Canada.

During their settlement in Canada, the French colonized some sections of North America. Also, most of them stay in Quebec. The national/official language of Quebec is French.

The Irish

The Irish people are also quite populous as they make up 13.45% of the country’s population. This group came to Canada back in 1536. This was when the anglers from Cork settled in Newfoundland. The Irish Canadians come in two groups; the Protestants and the Roman Catholics.

Most of the Irish in Canada moved from their homeland, Ireland, as a result of the Great Famine (Irish famine).

The Germans

This is yet another top ethnic group in Canada. Most German Speaking Canadians live in Toronto and Vancouver. For example, German International School Toronto and Alexander von Humboldt are where German is the primary language of the area.

The Germans in Canada make about 10% of the overall population in the country.

Initially, the Germans came to Canada to New France with the aim of serving in the French military forces. You should keep in mind that New France was dissolved in the late 17th century.

The Germans who settled in Canada came with the British militias from New England. They were privileged to become surveyors, furriers, silversmiths, doctors, engineers, as well as businessmen.

Most of them came from England. However, some southwest Germans came to Canada as farmers and tradespeople. However, the British convinced the Germans to work with them to strengthen the British’ position at that time. They were searched and hired by an agent.

Plus, the Germans also offered their services to the Inuit community.

German Canadians

Others

Italians are also among the diverse people of Canada. Other ethnic groups include Ukraine, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegians, Chinese, Filipino, and more.

Today, the immigration rules/restrictions have evolved, and they allow more immigrants to move to Canada. Overall, more ethnic groups are expected to stream into the country, making Canada even more diverse than it is today.

So, do you know your origins yet? Are you a native resident or you just moved in? To discover your own ethnic heritage, you need to find a good DNA testing site. There are several services for this so ensure that you check reviews to determine the accuracy of each and decide which is best for you.


Even More Stories You May Like (courtesy of Google)




Comments are closed.