86-499: Pakistani Canadian refers to the community in Canada of Pakistani heritage or descent. It can also refer to people who hold dual Pakistani and Canadian citizenship. Categorically, Pakistani Canadians comprise a subgroup of South Asian Canadians which is a further subgroup of Asian Canadians . There is no official classification of Pakistani Canadians. However, they are usually defined by Asian or South Asian . Punjabi people from
172-738: A 2007 report, Indo-Canadians are split between Sikhs (34%) and Hindus (27%), Muslims (17%), Christians (16%), Irreligious (4%), with Jains, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians forming the remaining 2%. The majority of Pakistani Canadians (90%) and Bangladeshi Canadians (87%) profess to follow Islam , while the majority of Sri Lankan Canadians are Hindu (64%) with a significant minority following Christianity . Nepalese Canadians tend to mostly follow Hinduism with few of them following Buddhism . Additionally, religious distributions among certain South Asian Canadian ethnic groups also vary; 80% of Tamil Canadians are adherents of Hinduism,
258-514: A Toronto artist and community activist, was named a Canadian Senator by Governor General Michaëlle Jean , on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper , on 9 July 2010, and will sit with the Conservative caucus. With this appointment, Ataullahjan became the first Canadian senator of Pakistani Pushtun descent. Shafiq Qaadri is a family doctor and politician in Ontario , Canada. He
344-447: A large majority of Punjabi Canadians (86%) are Sikh, while most Bengali Canadians (74%) are Muslim. Religion is found to play an important part in the lives of many Canadians from South Asia and serves as defining point in their identity, as with many people. Religious institutions such as gurdwaras , mosques , mandirs , koils and churches have often served as points for the community. Religion can also play an important role in
430-401: A lumberman, Grewall eventually established himself as one of the largest employers and most influential business leaders in the northern Fraser Valley, owned six sawmills and was active in community affairs serving on the boards or as chairman of a variety of organizations, and was instrumental in helping create Mission's municipal tree farm. With strong pro-labour beliefs despite his role as
516-716: A majority government, the party announced that it would reinstate the mandatory long-form census, starting in 2016. By early January 2016, Statistics Canada had announced a need for 35,000 people to complete this survey to commence in May. The release dates for geography products from the 2016 census were: The release dates for data by release topic from the 2016 census are: Portions of Canada's three territories and remote areas within Alberta , Labrador , Manitoba , Quebec and Saskatchewan were subject to early enumeration between February 1, 2016, and March 31, 2016. Enumeration of
602-521: A mill-owner, after a scandal embroiled the provincial Ministry of Forestry under the-then Social Credit party government, he referred to holders of forest management licenses across British Columbia as Timber Maharajahs , and cautioned that within a decade, three or four giant corporations would predominantly control the entire industry in the province, echoing similarities to the archaic zamindar system in South Asia. He later ran unsuccessfully for
688-538: A particular set of issues and concerns with their parents and the wider Pakistani-Canadian community. Their perspective regarding adaptation and integration is generally not informed by significant direct experience of the culture and values of the homeland, and, as a result, parents and grandparents take on a mediating role. They have to decide what aspects of their traditional lifestyle and values must be left behind and what can be transferred to and re-established in their new home. Most significantly, they generally assume
774-611: A population density of 3.9/km (10.2/sq mi) in 2016. Canada's most and least populous provinces were Ontario at 13,448,494 and Prince Edward Island at 142,907 respectively. Among the three territories, the Northwest Territories was the largest with a population of 41,786 while Yukon was the smallest with a population of 35,874 after Nunavut 's population overtook Yukon for the first time in its history. The majority of Canada's population in 2016 were females at 50.9%, while 49.1% were males. The average age of
860-537: A population stagnation ensued and by the mid-1920s the South Asian population in Canada stood at just over 1,000 persons. Despite their declining numbers, Canadians from South Asia grew wealthier. They began to acquire their own lumber mills which were used to produce wood and sawdust for consumer purchase. During the Great Depression the tight-knit nature of the South Asian community mitigated many of
946-423: A result of laws which restricted the immigration the community had declined to only 1,100 by the mid-1920s. By 1961, right before racial restriction were respectfully removed from Canada's immigration policy, Canadians of South Asian descent rose to 6,774. With racial quotas being removed (invitations extended) during the 1960s the number of Canadians of South Asian ancestry created the diverse population we see into
SECTION 10
#17328022624081032-453: A week non-stop to Karachi , Lahore and Islamabad and has been one of the most profitable routes in the entire network. Wajid Khan and Rahim Jaffer were members of the House of Commons of Canada . Wajid Khan represented the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville district of Ontario as a Conservative Member of Parliament while Rahim Jaffer was a Conservative Member of Parliament for
1118-633: Is the oldest existing Gurdwara in the country, as the Golden temple built in 1905 was destroyed by fire in 1926, and the Kitsilano temple built in 1908 would later close and be demolished in 1970, as the temple society relocating to the newly built Gurdwara on Ross Street, in South Vancouver. Later, the fourth Gurdwara to be built Canada was established in 1912 in Victoria on Topaz Avenue, while
1204-860: The 12th International Indian Film Academy Awards were hosted in Toronto , which was home to nearly 832,000 Canadians of South Asian ancestry, one of the largest in the Western World. How to Be Indie , a Canadian children's television program produced by YTV , revolves around the daughter of Hindu Indian immigrants living in Toronto, and has since been syndicated in the United States , United Kingdom , Israel , Latin America and elsewhere. The Indian Canadian comedian Russell Peters has used his heritage as material for many of his jokes. In
1290-527: The 2001 Canadian census and a following survey which found that Canadians of South Asian ancestry were 28% Sikh, 28% Hindu, 22% Muslim and 16% Christian, and 4% irreligious . Other religious such as Jainism , Buddhism , and Zoroastrianism practiced by Canadians of South Asian heritage formed the remaining 2%. The irreligious proportion of 4% among South Asian Canadians is statistically significant, as this figure climbs to approximately 17% when surveying all Canadians. The 2011 Canadian census found that
1376-741: The 2015 Canadian federal election , 16 South Asian Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected from Ontario alone, which is the most in Canadian history. Four South Asian ministers have been appointed to the Canadian cabinet, which includes the Minister of National Defence , Harjit Sajjan . Reports on Canadians from India in 1908 indicated the East-Indian Canadian population was 5,179. The overwhelming majority of whom were Sikh, male, and settled in British Columbia. However, as
1462-403: The 2016 Census . Many Pakistanis have used an adaptation technique, and are accustomed to a bicultural lifestyle. At home they live as traditional a life as possible. The old values and hierarchical decision-making patterns are generally respected, and traditional clothing, food, decorations, and language provide the warmth and reassurance of the familiar. Pakistani Canadians who are members of
1548-555: The Air India Flight 182 bombing , which killed 329 people. It is considered the worst terrorist attack to ever be carried out by Canadians. With the outbreak of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 1983 many Sri Lankan Tamils were forced to flee persecution and violence and see refuge in Canada. This made Sri Lankan Canadians the fifth largest source of immigrants during the 1990s. It also made Canada home to One of
1634-667: The British English definition of Asian, which includes South Asia but excludes East and Southeast Asians terming them as Oriental or East Asian instead. Thus, the term South Asian has come into common usage referring to Asians hailing from the Indian subcontinent . This includes countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. It does not include nations such as Myanmar, which have been considered South Asian in some other connotations of
1720-580: The Canadian economy has been the increasing number of Pakistani-Canadian women who work outside the home. The experience of Pakistani-Canadian women varies, from educated women with large social and economic freedom, to those separated in the community from traditional gender roles. Still, Pakistanis have shifted towards more freedom for Pakistani-Canadian women, including later marriages, more liberal attire, and greater social and economic freedom. Young people who were born in Canada or brought as children share
1806-589: The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (the precursor of today's New Democratic Party ) in the Dewdney riding in the provincial election of 1956 . While by the 1950s, South Asian Canadians had gained respect in business in British Columbia primarily for their work in owning sawmills and aiding the development of the provincial forestry industry, racism still existed especially in the upper echelons of society. As such, during
SECTION 20
#17328022624081892-564: The Edmonton—Strathcona district of Alberta. Currently there are two Pakistani-Canadian women serving in the 42nd Canadian Parliament : Iqra Khalid representing Mississauga-Erin Mills and Salma Zahid representing Scarborough Centre . Both women are Liberal Members of Parliament elected to seats in Ontario . Pakistani Canadians can also be found in the provincial legislatures as well as on municipal councils. Salma Ataullahjan ,
1978-679: The Khalistan movement, the secessionist movement that sought to make the Indian state of Punjab a separate nation for Sikhs. As a result, during the 1980s many Sikhs living in Canada began to involve themselves in the Khalistan movement by organizing protests in Canada and sending money to fund separatist groups back in India. These protests reached their peak in 1984 when the Indian Army raided
2064-571: The Maldives . The term also includes immigrants from South Asian communities in East and South Africa , Guyana , Trinidad and Tobago , Fiji , Mauritius , and the rest of the world. The term South Asian Canadian is a subgroup of Asian Canadian and, according to Statistics Canada , can further be divided by nationality, such as Indian Canadian , Pakistani Canadian , and Bangladeshi Canadian . As of 2021, South Asians (7.1 percent) comprise
2150-560: The Punjab region that would later become Pakistan were among the pioneers who migrated from British India to British Columbia at the turn of the century. By 1905, as many as 200 participated in the building of that first community from modern-day Pakistan, which for a time had a small makeshift mosque in Vancouver . But most of these immigrants were sojourners rather than settlers, and they either returned to Pakistan in 1947 or moved on to
2236-545: The Queensborough ( New Westminster ) settlement in 1919, soon followed by another at the Paldi ( Vancouver Island ) settlement, also in 1919. The continuous journey regulation provision remained in effect until 1947, as did most other anti-South Asian laws. However pressure from the community resulted in the Canadian government allowing the wife and children of their Canadian husband/father to immigrate. However,
2322-568: The Sunni sect of Islam ; Pakistani Canadians also participate in and contribute to the larger Islamic community, which includes Arab Canadians , Iranian Canadians , Turkish Canadians , and Asian Canadians . Islamic Pakistani Canadians have played important roles in many organizations, including: Most Pakistani Canadians speak English or French. However, many also speak a second or third language, as they often tend to keep hold of their native tongues, which includes Urdu , Punjabi . Figures from
2408-545: The United States , back to British India or British Hong Kong as the 1911 Canadian Census later revealed the South Asian Canadian population had declined to 2,342 persons or 0.03 percent of the national population. By 1911, the third Gurdwara to be built in Canada opened in Abbotsford, British Columbia . Built in 1911, the Gur Sikh Temple was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2002 and
2494-543: The 2021 Canadian Census from StatsCan indicate that there are 303,260 Canadians who claim Pakistani ancestry. There were 162,710 Pakistani-Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area per the 2021 Census, making it home to one of the largest Pakistani diaspora communities in North America . Per the 2021 Census, there were 41,705 Pakistani-Canadians residing within the actual city of Toronto; the majority of
2580-564: The 2021 census this number has tripled to 12.88%, making it one of the fastest growing Pakistani communities in the nation. Urdu is the 2nd most common reported mother tongue, with 19,830 speakers per the 2021 Census. There are 10,825 Pakistani Canadians living in Metro Vancouver per the 2016 Census . Most Pakistanis who live in Metro Vancouver reside in areas such as Surrey , which has 5,565 Pakistani Canadian residents per
2666-637: The African Great Lakes, and Fiji. As a result, the South Asian community began forming growing enclaves particularly in the Vancouver and Toronto area. Some notable areas are Gerrard Street, Brampton and several neighborhoods in Mississauga , Scarborough , Markham , and Etobicoke in the Greater Toronto Area. In British Columbia notable South Asian districts include South Vancouver , Surrey , Delta , and Abbotsford . In 1986, following
Pakistani Canadians - Misplaced Pages Continue
2752-512: The British Columbia provincial election, Moe Sihota became the first Canadian of South Asian ancestry to be elected to provincial parliament. Sihota, who was born in Duncan, British Columbia in 1955, ran as the NDP candidate in the riding of Esquimalt-Port Renfrew two years after being involved in municipal politics, as he was elected as an Alderman for the city of Esquimalt in 1984. The rise of
2838-430: The Canadian population overall. Until the 1950s, Sikhs formed up to 95% of the entire South Asian Canadian population. The 1981 Canadian census found that the religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 31.5% Sikhism , 27.2% Hinduism , 21% Islam , 15.2% Christianity , 3.1% Irreligion , 0.5% Buddhism , 0.1% Judaism , 0.01% Baháʼí , and 0.1% other . The 2001 Canadian census found that
2924-601: The Golden Temple , which was followed by the assassination of then–Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards and finally by anti-Sikh riots throughout North India . Several major anti-Indian protests occurred in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto with angry protesters forcing their way into the Indian consulate in Toronto carrying knives and smashing photos of Indira Gandhi. On June 23, 1985, several Canadian Sikhs led by Talwinder Singh Parmar were arrested for
3010-569: The Indians, as a threat to the European nature of Canada. In addition, many Asian migrants had to work for lower wages, which agitated the European ( Anglo - British ) majority of the time. Year-end statistics in 1908 indicated that the South Asian Canadian population stood at 5,179 persons or 0.08 percent of the national population, primarily Punjabi settlers concentrated in British Columbia, of which many of whom would ultimately migrate south to
3096-525: The North Fraser, who thinks he or she is being discriminated against, should read the Grewall story and the challenges he faced. Beginning in the 1960s racial and national restrictions were removed from Canada's immigration policies resulting in the explosive growth of South Asian community. The South Asian Canadian community grew from just 6,774 in 1961 to 67,925 just ten years later in 1971. Many of
3182-512: The RCMP in order to accommodate his turban , a mandatory article of clothing worn by many Sikh men. The caused controversy with opponents arguing that the uniform of the RCMP was a national icon to be preserved, while proponents pointed out that Sikh soldiers served in the British army during World War I and World War II and also served in many Canadian police forces. On March 16, 1990, the policy
3268-534: The South Asians arriving during the 1970s were not directly from South Asia but instead from Southeast Africa. Discrimination in many African Great Lakes nations like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania against Indians was growing as a result of their status as a market-dominant minority. This is when a minority group controls a disproportionately large segment of the economy due to their over representation in business and above average education. One notable incident of this
3354-628: The United Kingdom during the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria . With an estimated population of 100 by 1900, further South Asian settlement waves to Canada occurred in the few years after the turn of the 20th century; after hearing stories about the high wages being paid in British Columbia, some Punjabi British Indian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong and other British-controlled Chinese cities emigrated to Canada and settled in
3440-783: The United States. Subsequently, Canada imposed a ban on South Asian immigration that remained in place until after World War II . Pakistanis began migrating to Canada in small numbers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Immigration regulations gave preference to those with advanced education and professional skills, and the Pakistanis who came during this period, and throughout the 1960s, generally had excellent credentials. Many of them considered themselves to be sojourners, who had come to earn but not to settle or were students who intended to return home when their degree programs were completed. While some went back, others remained to become
3526-556: The balance of Canada began on May 2, 2016, with the unveiling of the online census questionnaire, eight days prior to the official census day of May 10, 2016. Because of a wildfire in early May in northeast Alberta , Statistics Canada suspended enumeration efforts in the Fort McMurray area with alternate means to collect data from its evacuated residents to be determined at a later date. Shortly after re-entry, residents were encouraged to complete their census form online or over
Pakistani Canadians - Misplaced Pages Continue
3612-658: The border to the United States, where some became the victims of the 1907 Bellingham riots . In early 1908, the continuous journey regulation was enacted in an effort to prevent South Asians from immigrating to Canada. The law required that people arriving from South Asia in Canada must "come from the country of their birth or citizenship by a continuous journey and or through tickets purchased before leaving their country of their birth or nationality." This prevented Indian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong and Japan from immigrating to Canada. The second Gurdwara to be built in Canada
3698-456: The campaign period and in the aftermath of running for MLA in 1956, Grewall received personal threats, while the six mills he owned along with his house were all set ablaze by arsonists. One year later, on July 17, 1957, while on a business trip, he was suspiciously found dead in a Seattle motel, having been shot in the head. Grewall Street in Mission was named in his honour. Every kid in
3784-509: The community believe in the symbolic importance of owning homes. Those who came to Canada from Pakistan via East Africa or the Gulf are more likely to be involved in business. A number of Pakistani Canadians are also traders and are primarily involved in exporting and importing goods to and from Pakistan. A number of Pakistani-Canadian businessmen and companies have participated in this development. An important aspect of Pakistani participation in
3870-544: The community is concentrated throughout the suburbs of the GTA . There are 41,025 Pakistani-Canadians residing in Mississauga per the 2021 Census, comprising 5.76% of the city's population. This is up from 27,345 recorded in the 2011 Census. Urdu is the 2nd most common reported mother tongue after English, and there are 55,765 speakers in Mississauga. Pakistani-Canadians made up 3.81% of the population of Milton in 2011, per
3956-520: The country. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s most who arrived were young men pursuing graduate or professional studies. Pakistanis have integrated well into Canadian society, partly due to the Canadian Government 's policies and assistance given to all immigrants settling in the country. Most Pakistani Canadians are Muslims . Religion figures prominently in the lives of Pakistani Canadian families. The majority of Pakistanis belong to
4042-628: The decision not to allow the settlers on the Komagata Maru no to enter Canada. Passengers threatened to start a rebellion, or ghadar , if they were forced back to India. The shore committee raised $ 22,000 and launched a test case legal battle in the British Columbia Court of Appeal . On July 6, the court unanimously decided they had no authority to interfere with the Department of Immigration and Colonization and had ordered
4128-501: The descendants of indentured laborers were brought by the colonial British government to replace the slaves on plantations. After completing their work terms the majority remained in these countries. Many of the immigrants who arrived from the Caribbean, the African Great Lakes, Mauritius, South Africa, and Fiji were educated professionals who upon arriving in Canada worked in the service sector or began their own businesses. As opposed to
4214-404: The early 20th century. In 2006 total South Asian Canadians outnumbered the specific numbers of Chinese Canadians as the largest visible minority group in Canada with 25% of visible minorities . On February 24, 2000 Ujjal Dosanjh became the first Canadian of South Asian origin to become a provincial premier when he became premier of British Columbia as leader of New Democratic Party . During
4300-408: The economic effects the depression had on other communities in Canada. South Asian Canadians were granted the right to vote in 1947. Furthermore, as a result of the recent independence of several South Asian nations such as India, Pakistan and Ceylon , now known as Sri Lanka, the Canadian government created annual immigration quotas which were to allow 150 Indians, 100 Pakistanis, and 50 Sri Lankans
4386-465: The expulsion of Indians from Uganda and their immigration to Canada. Around this time the Indo-Caribbeans (mainly from Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago , as well as some from Suriname , Jamaica , and other Caribbean nations) Indo-Fijians , Indo-South Africans , and Indo-Mauritians began immigrating to Canada as well, settling mainly in Toronto, Ontario. Many of these South Asians were
SECTION 50
#17328022624084472-797: The fifth soon followed at the Fraser Mills ( Coquitlam ) settlement in 1913. A notable example of early anti-South Asian sentiments as a result of continuous journey regulation in Canada was the Komagata Maru incident. A successful Punjabi fisherman living in British Columbia attempting to circumnavigate the continuous journey regulation chartered a Japanese steamship known as the Komagata Maru to travel from Kolkata , India to Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. The ship made stops in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama , where it picked up more Eastern-Caucasian settlers. In total
4558-536: The first decade of the 21st century, India remained the second largest source of invited immigrants behind China but ahead of the Philippines . Pakistan was also among the top ten sources of invited immigrants to Canada. In addition, India is also the second largest source of foreign students in Canada with 28,939 invited Indian students studying in Canada in 2012 compared with 1,747 in 2000. In 2007, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto opened in Toronto, making it
4644-593: The founding members of the Pakistani-Canadian community. Pakistani nationals were registered in undergraduate and graduate programs at McGill University in Montreal as early as 1949, and at the University of Toronto from 1958 on. By the mid-1950s, there were five or six Pakistani families living in Montreal in addition to the students. This was probably the then largest concentration of Pakistanis in
4730-527: The greatest majority attend government run schools. More recently in 2013 the Quebec Soccer Federation had banned Sikh players in turbans from participating in matches, citing that turbans were a health hazard, though it is practised in India. This move created controversy among the Sikh community in Canada and was condemned by FIFA . 2016 Canadian census The 2016 Canadian census
4816-444: The harbor tug Sea Lion to pull the ship out to sea on July 19. This resulted in rioting between the settlers on board and police officers. The ship was ultimately forced back to India on July 23, with only 20 of the settlers being allowed to stay in Canada. With most Punjabi Sikhs continuing to seek employment in the forestry industry, at various sawmills across British Columbia, more Gurdwaras continued to be built, including one at
4902-432: The industrial sector which mainly early Sikhs worked in. Prior to the wide-scale urbanization of the South Asian Canadian community, the most statistically significant populations existed across rural British Columbia; a legacy of previous waves of immigration and settlement patterns that existed earlier in the 20th century through until the latter quarter of the century, as Punjabi Canadians continued to seek employment in
4988-596: The introduction of the general term "South Asian" in areas with significant Indian Canadian populations like Toronto . Brown and Desi are also terms used to refer to Canadians from South Asia. However, these are avoided in more formal contexts due to their ambiguity and the possibility of being seen as derogatory. Statistics Canada lists both cultural backgrounds like Bengali , Gujarati , Tamil , Malayali , and Goan in addition to cultures like East Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani. The first census which took place following Canadian Confederation
5074-714: The largest Hindu temple in Canada. The Aga Khan Museum , built and run by Ismaili Muslims , was opened in 2014. Several other notable places of worship have been built by Canadians from South Asia including the Khalsa Darbar Gurdwara and Baitul Islam mosque . South Asian Canadian culture also began to move into the Canadian mainstream in the 21st century. Bhangra music , a genre of music from India that combines traditional Punjabi music with pop and hip hop and other Western musical styles has grown increasingly popular throughout Canada. Canadians of all backgrounds enjoy and are also familiar with Bollywood . In 2011
5160-463: The largest South Asian concentrations in Canada. Starting in the 1980s South Asians arriving directly from the Indian subcontinent began to increase noticeably as well. In 1985 around 15,000 immigrants arrived from South Asia annually in 2012 that number was at 46,000 annually. In addition to the South Asians still arriving from other parts of the world like the Persian Gulf, the Caribbean,
5246-493: The largest Tamil population in the Western World with 140,000 Tamils living in Canada, primarily Toronto and Montreal. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers, though officially recognized as terrorist group in Canada still receives widespread support among the Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian community. In 1990, Baltej Singh Dhillon , a Canadian Sikh challenged the traditional dress code of
SECTION 60
#17328022624085332-409: The marriage of some young Canadians from South Asia (who were born in Canada or in a country from South Asia). Some families believe that the couple must share the same religious heritage, which may also include caste , although this is becoming outdated. In recent years, Canadians from South Asia have opened private schools in order to preserve their religious heritage (as with Catholic schools), though
5418-618: The phone; however door-to-door enumeration remained suspended. Non-binary activists expressed concern that the choice between "male" and "female" on the "sex" question left them with no valid options. In response, Statistics Canada stated that "Respondents who cannot select one category ... can leave the question blank and indicate, in the Comments section at the end of the questionnaire, the reason(s) for which they've chosen to leave this question unanswered." Statistics Canada stated that they intend to analyze these comments but that because of
5504-402: The population was 41.0 years (40.1 years for males and 41.9 years for females). In terms of occupied private dwellings, 53.6% of them were single detached dwellings, followed by 18% being units in apartment buildings less than five storeys, and 9.9% being apartment units in buildings with five or more storeys. The average household size was 2.4 people per household. Two-person households were
5590-507: The present day. According to the 2021 census , 2,322,895 Canadians had South Asian origins and 2,571,400 other Canadians were classified as belonging to the visible minority group, generally termed, South Asian. The growth of the population is mainly attributed to sustained invitations of immigration from South Asian nations. According to a 2022 study conducted by Statistics Canada , Canadians with South Asian ancestry will grow to between 4.7 and 6.5 million by 2041 or 11.0 to 12.5 percent of
5676-520: The provincial forestry sector at sawmills throughout Vancouver Island and the interior . During the period between 1981 and 1996, small towns including Fort St. James (South Asians formed 22 percent of the total population), Quesnel (14 percent), Lake Cowichan (13 percent), Merritt (13 percent), Williams Lake (12 percent), Tahsis (10 percent), Golden (10 percent), 100 Mile House (10 percent), Squamish (9 percent), and Lillooet (9 percent) had
5762-581: The questionnaire and tests responses to its questions, was scheduled for the fall of 2013, with more extensive testing occurring in May 2014. Statistics Canada was scheduled to submit its census content recommendations for review by the Parliament of Canada in December 2014 for subsequent final approval by the Cabinet of Canada . On November 5, 2015, during the first Liberal caucus meeting after forming
5848-470: The religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 29.1% Hinduism , 28.5% Sikhism , 24.5% Islam , 11.8% Christianity , 4.3% Irreligion , 1.1% Buddhism , 0.1% Judaism , and 0.6% other . This marked the first time in census records where Sikhs did not form the largest religious group amongst Canadians with South Asian ancestry. Religious affiliation in the South Asian Canadian community varies greatly based on national background. Based on
5934-443: The religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 29.7% Sikhism , 28.4% Hinduism , 23.2% Islam , 13.6% Christianity , 3.3% Irreligion , 0.9% Buddhism , 0.3% Zoroastrianism , 0.3% Jainism , 0.1% Judaism , 0.1% Indigenous , and 0.1% other . A report detailing the religious proportion breakdown of the South Asian Canadian community was done between 2005 and 2007 by Statistics Canada , with results derived from
6020-766: The responsibility for making these choices for their children as well. The family – even in its truncated form in the diaspora – is both the base for substantial cultural transfer and the source of intergenerational conflict. The Toronto Pakistan Day Event is a small scale event held on Pakistan Day to celebrate Pakistani culture . A number of Canadian television networks broadcast programming that features Pakistani-Canadian culture. These television shows often highlight Pakistani-Canadian events in Canada, and also show events from Pakistan involving Pakistanis who reside there, for example, The Voice of Pakistan – Vision TV (since 1971). Pakistan International Airlines serves Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport three times
6106-478: The right to immigrate to Canada each year. In 1950, 25 years after settling in Canada and nine years after moving to British Columbia from Toronto, Naranjan "Giani" Singh Grewall became the first individual of South Asian ancestry in Canada and North America to be elected to public office after successfully running for a position on the board of commissioners in Mission, BC against six other candidates. Grewall
6192-417: The second largest pan-ethnic group in Canada after Europeans (69.8 percent). According to the 2021 Canadian census , 2,571,400 Canadians had South Asian geographical origins, constituting approximately 7.1 percent of the total population and 35.1 percent of the total Asian Canadian population. This makes them the largest visible minority group in Canada comprising 26.7 percent of
6278-652: The ship carried 376 passengers, of whom 337 were Sikh, 27 were Muslim and 12 were Hindu . All passengers originated from the Punjab and were registered as British subjects. Upon arriving in Vancouver though the ship was not permitted to dock with several British Columbian politicians such as Conservative MP Henry Herbert Stevens campaigning against their right to dock. Some South Asian Canadians already settled in Canada began launching "shore committees" led by Husain Rahim (Gujarati Canadian), Muhammad Akbar (Punjabi Canadian), and Sohan Lal Pathak. These were to protest against
6364-416: The technical difficulties of analyzing free-form text, this analysis will not be released on the same schedule as the binary gender data. In the 2016 Census of Population, Canada recorded a population of 35,151,728 living in 14,072,079 of its 15,412,443 total private dwellings, a 5% change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. With a land area of 8,965,588.85 km (3,461,633.21 sq mi), it had
6450-448: The term. Canadians from South Asia may also be identified by their country of origin such as Indian or Pakistani. They may also be identified by their specific cultural backgrounds, for example Punjabi or Tamil . The term "East Indian" was a historical term used widely in Canada to refer to people hailing from India as opposed to Aboriginal peoples who are also sometimes referred to as "Indian". This term has been made less common after
6536-705: The visible minority population, followed by Chinese and Black Canadians respectively. The largest South Asian Canadian communities are found in the provinces of Ontario , British Columbia and Alberta , while metropolitan areas with large populations include Toronto (1,182,485), Vancouver (369,295), Calgary (153,200), Edmonton (123,340), and Montréal (121,260). Over half (60.3 percent) of South Asian Canadians live in two metropolitan areas as of 2021; Greater Toronto and Metro Vancouver. The term "Asian" in Canadian English generally refers to people from East and Southeast Asia. This differs from
6622-486: The voluntary National Household Survey for the 2011 census. With a response rate of 98.4%, this census is said to be the best one ever recorded since the 1666 census of New France . This census was succeeded by Canada's 2021 census . Consultation with census data users, clients, stakeholders and other interested parties closed in November 2012. Qualitative content testing, which involved soliciting feedback regarding
6708-563: The western province. Attracted by these wages, more Sikh men began immigrating into British Columbia, working mainly in industries such as mining, logging and railroads. Many of these men, who arrived without their families, settled in Greater Vancouver , Vancouver Island , interior BC , northern BC, and the Fraser Valley in what is now Abbotsford, British Columbia . A notable moment in early South Asian Canadian history
6794-529: Was Ugandan dictator Idi Amin 's expulsion of 80,000 Ugandan Indians as part of his economic war to allow indigenous Ugandans to regain control of the countries economy. As a result, nearly 20,000 Indians fled to Canada, some directly others after temperately settling in other nations in Africa. They eventually grew to be the first sizable non-Sikh South Asian community in Canada. Shenaaz Nanji's Governor General's Award-nominated novel Child of Dandelions deals with
6880-548: Was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario , representing the riding of Etobicoke North for the Ontario Liberal Party . South Asian Canadians South Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to South Asia or the Indian subcontinent , which includes the nations of India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Nepal , Bhutan , Sri Lanka , and
6966-433: Was amended to include Sikhs to serve while wearing a turban. Beginning in the 21st century the makeup of Canadians from South Asia had changed greatly. Sikhs had gone from making up nearly 90% of Canadian South Asians during much of the early−mid 20th century to just 28% in 2001. This is as a result of a more diverse background of South Asians immigrating to Canada as opposed to the primarily Sikh and Punjabi immigrants of
7052-453: Was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a 5% change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. The census, conducted by Statistics Canada , was Canada's seventh quinquennial census . The official census day was May 10, 2016. Census web access codes began arriving in the mail on May 2, 2016. The 2016 census marked the reinstatement of the mandatory long-form census, which had been dropped in favour of
7138-527: Was in 1871 and enumerated the four original provinces including, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick found that the population with racial origins from South Asia (then-labeled as "Hindu" on the census) stood at 11 persons or 0.0003 percent of the national population, with 8 persons from Ontario, and the remaining 3 persons from Nova Scotia. The first well-known record of Canadians from South Asia dates back to 1897, when Punjabi Sikh soldiers arrived in British Columbia while transiting from India to
7224-737: Was in 1902 when Punjabi Sikh settlers first arrived in Golden, British Columbia to work at the Columbia River Lumber Company. These early settlers built the first Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Canada and North America in 1905, which would later be destroyed by fire in 1926. In 1907, the government in British Columbia enacted laws limiting the rights and privileges of Canadians from South Asian countries, which prevented them from voting and denied them access to holding political office, public sector jobs and other professions, which prompted many to migrate south from Vancouver across
7310-652: Was in 1908 in Kitsilano ( Vancouver ) and aimed at serving a growing number of Punjabi Sikh settlers who worked at nearby sawmills along False Creek at the time. Many South Asian Canadians soon began to face discrimination and xenophobia from those of European ( Anglo - British ) background, experiencing similar treatment to the East Asian Canadian community, such as the Japanese and Chinese . European settlers viewed Asian settlers , and included
7396-446: Was re-elected to the board of commissioners in 1952 and by 1954, was elected to become mayor of Mission. "Thank you all citizens of Mission City [...] It is a credit to this community to elect the first East Indian to public office in the history of our great dominion. It shows your broad-mindedness, tolerance and consideration." . A millwright and union official, and known as a sportsman and humanitarian philanthropist as well as
#407592