Visibile minorities by the numbers

Sitting on the tarmac at Heathrow waiting to depart for Ottawa gave me some spare time to crunch some Stats Canada numbers that have been sitting in my electronic inbox. The calculations of percentages and rankings are mine based on the raw data in the Statscan release that came out in April on ethnic origin and visible minorities.

Statistics Canada uses the definition of visible minority that is in The Employment Equity Act and so I do, too. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' Categories in the visible minority population variable include Chinese, South Asian, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Southeast Asian, Arab, West Asian, Korean, Japanese, Visible minority, n.i.e. ('n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere'), Multiple visible minority, and Not a visible minority.

Census Metropolitan Areas with the most visible minorities

Five with most

Toronto – (Ont.): 2,174,065

Vancouver – (B.C.) : 875,300

Montréal – (Que.): 590,375

Calgary – (Alta.): 237,890

Ottawa – Gatineau – (Ont.): 179,295

Five with least

Hawkesbury (Quebec part): 0

Campbellton (Quebec part): 10

Bay Roberts – (N.L.): 45

Matane (Que.): 60

Dolbeau-Mistassini (Que.): 70

Percent of total population that is a visible minority:



The national average 16.2 per cent.

Five highest

Toronto – (Ont.) 42.86%

Vancouver – (B.C.) 41.72%

Abbotsford – (B.C.) 22.80%

Calgary – (Alta.) 22.23%

Ottawa – Gatineau (Ontario part) 19.44%

Five lowest

Hawkesbury (Quebec part) 0.00%

Saint-Georges – (Que.) 0.23%

Campbellton (Quebec part) 0.33%

Shawinigan – (Que.) 0.35%

Matane – (Que.) 0.37%

South Asians

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets. Examples of South Asians, according to Statscan, are those who come to Canada and would describe themselves as East Indian, Pakistani, or Sri Lankan.

The national average is 4 per cent (1.26 million)

Five highest

Abbotsford – (B.C.) 16.33% (25,580)

Toronto – (Ont.) 13.49% (684,070)

Squamish – (B.C.) 11.06% ( 1,680)

Vancouver – (B.C.) 9.87% (207,160)

Calgary – (Alta.) 5.39% (57,700)

Five lowest

The census did not find any South Asian Canadians in Hawkesbury (Quebec part), Thetford Mines (Que.), Saint-Georges (Que.), Edmundston (N.B.), Matane (Que.), Campbellton (Quebec part), Shawinigan (Que.), Victoriaville (Que.), Baie-Comeau (Que.), Rimouski (Que.), Dolbeau-Mistassini (Que.), Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (Que.), La Tuque (Que.), Riviére-du-Loup (Que.), Granby (Que.), Portage la Prairie (Man.), Amos (Que.)

Drummondville – (Que.) 0.01% (10)

Timmins – (Ont.) 0.02% (10)

Rouyn-Noranda – (Que.) 0.03% (10)

Saguenay – (Que.) 0.03% (45)

Alma – (Que.) 0.03% (10)

Chinese

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets.

Five highest

Vancouver – (B.C.) 18.19% (381,535)

Toronto – (Ont.) 9.59% (486,330)

Calgary – (Alta.) 6.20% (66,375)

Edmonton – (Alta.) 4.61% (47,200)

Victoria – (B.C.) 3.79% (12,325)

Five lowest

The census did not find any Chinese Canadians in Portage La Prairie (MB), Matane (QC), Shawinigan (QC), Estevan (SK), and Collingwood (ON)

Miramichi – (N.B.) 0.04% (10)

Thetford Mines – (Que.) 0.06% (15)

Riviére-du-Loup – (Que.) 0.06% (15)

Salmon Arm – (B.C.) 0.06% (10)

Edmundston – (N.B.) 0.07% (15)

Black

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets. The national average is 2.51 per cent (783,795).

Five Highest

Toronto – (Ont.) 6.94% (352,2200)

Brooks – (Alta.) 5.00% (1,120)

Montréal – (Que.) 4.71% (169,065)

Ottawa – Gatineau (Ontario part) 4.70% (39,280)

Ottawa – Gatineau – (Ont.) 4.03% (45,060)

Five lowest

The census did not find any black Canadians in Matane (QC), Campbellton (Quebec part), Grand Falls-Windsor (NL) or Hawkesbury (Quebec part).

Parksville – (B.C.) 0.04% (10)

Swift Current – (Sask.) 0.06% (10)

Salmon Arm – (B.C.) 0.06% (10)

Shawinigan – (Que.) 0.06% (35)

Dolbeau-Mistassini – (Que.) 0.07% (10)

Filipino

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets. The national average is 1.3 per cent (410,695)

Five highest

Toronto – (Ont.) 3.39% (171,985)

Brooks – (Alta.) 0.33% (75)

Montréal – (Que.)0.66% (23,505)

Ottawa – Gatineau (Ontario part) 0.85% (7,130) / Ottawa – Gatineau – (Ont.) 0.66% (7,330)

Oshawa – (Ont.) 0.66% (2,155)

Five lowest

The census did not find any Filipino Canadians in New Glasgow (NS), Cape Breton (NS), Collingwood (ON), Joliette (QC), Estevan (SK), Temiskaming Shores (ON), Cowansville (QC), Bathurst (NB), Sept-Iles (QC), La Tuque (QC) Drummondville (QC), Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (QC), Victoriaville (QC), Riviére-du-Loup (QC), Edmundston (NB), Sorel-Tracy (QC), Baie-Comeau (QC), Thetford Mines (QC), Miramichi (NB), Saint Georges (QC), Campbellton (NB Part), Bay Roberts (NL), Shawinigan (QC), Matane (QC), Campbellton (QC part), Hawkesbury (QC).

Trois-Riviéres – (Que.) 0.01% (15)

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – (Que.) 0.01% (10)

Québec – (Que.) 0.02% (120)

Charlottetown – (P.E.I.) 0.02% (10)

Saint-Hyacinthe – (Que.) 0.02% (10)

Latin American

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets. The national average is 0.97 per cent (304,245).

Five Highest

Leamington – (Ont.) 3.66% (1,785)

Montréal – (Que.) 2.10% (75,400)

Toronto – (Ont.) 1.96% (99,290)

London – (Ont.) 1.75% (7,920)

Red Deer – (Alta.) 1.73% (1,410)

Five lowest

The census found no Latin American Canadians in New Glasgow – (N.S.), Temiskaming Shores – (Ont.), Cowansville – (Que.) , La Tuque – (Que.), Campbellton (New-Brunswick part), Bay Roberts – (N.L.), Matane – (Que.), Campbellton (Quebec part), Val-d'Or – (Que.), Portage la Prairie – (Man.), Campbellton – (N.B.), Summerside – (P.E.I.), Dolbeau-Mistassini – (Que.), North Battleford – (Sask.), Grand Falls-Windsor – (N.L.), Amos – (Que.), Petawawa – (Ont.), Kentville – (N.S.), Hawkesbury (Ontario part), Kenora – (Ont.), Canmore – (Alta.), Prince Rupert – (B.C.)

Cape Breton – (N.S.) 0.01% (10)

Shawinigan – (Que.) 0.02% (10)

Bathurst – (N.B.) 0.03% (10)

Baie-Comeau – (Que.) 0.03% (10)

Sept-Îles – (Que.) 0.04% (10)

Southeast Asian

Ranked by percentage compared to total population with absolute figures in brackets. Statscan says examples of a Southeast Asian Canadian are those who described themselves as Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian or Laotian. The national average is 0.77 per cent (239,935).

Five Highest

Tillsonburg – (Ont.) 2.19% (320)

Yellowknife – (N.W.T.) 1.81% (335)

Vancouver – (B.C.) 1.60% (33,470)

Prince Rupert – (B.C.) 1.51% (200)

Calgary – (Alta.) 1.47% (15,750)

Five lowest

The census found no Southeast Asian Canadians in Hawkesbury (Quebec part) , Elliot Lake (Ont.) , Kitimat (B.C.) , Thetford Mines (Que.) , Cobourg (Ont.) , Okotoks (Alta.) , Lachute (Que.) , Fort St. John (B.C.) , Saint-Georges (Que.) , Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.) , Truro (N.S.) , Edmundston (N.B.) , Wetaskiwin (Alta.) , Yorkton (Sask.) , Hawkesbury (Ont.) , Miramichi (N.B.) , Sept-Œles (Que.) , Bathurst (N.B.) , New Glasgow (N.S.) , Temiskaming Shores (Ont.) , Campbellton (New-Brunswick part) , Bay Roberts (N.L.) , Matane (Que.) , Campbellton (Quebec part) , Campbellton (N.B.) , Summerside (P.E.I.) , Grand Falls-Windsor (N.L.) , Petawawa (Ont.), Hawkesbury (Ontario part) , Kenora (Ont.)

Norfolk – (Ont.) 0.02% (10)

Charlottetown – (P.E.I.) 0.02% (10)

Shawinigan – (Que.) 0.02% (10)

Victoriaville – (Que.) 0.02% (10)

Kawartha Lakes – (Ont.) 0.03% (20)

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