Chinese- Canadian National
Culture Centre
Chinese Migration Patterns in Canada by Province
A Brief Chinese-Canadian History
50 Chinese people first arrived in Canada in 1788 and 1789 with Captain John Meares. They arrived on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, in pursuit to build a fortress and a 40-tonne (schooner) sail boat for Captain Meares. For 69 year years afterwards, there exists no written evidence of further Chinese immigration on the western coast of Canada.
1858 marked the first wave of Chinese that arrived in British North America, which would later form the present-day Canada, during the gold rush. Most of the migrants were from the province of Guangdong in southern China and were young, landless and illiterate. Equally compelling was the gold rush in Canada as escaping the harsh conditions in China, at the time, such as famine, internal rebellions, population pressures and the threat of Western colonialism. 1880s marked the second wave of Chinese migrants arriving to Canada to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). By the end of 1882, of the 9,000 railway workers, 6,500 were Chinese. Before the 1990s, nearly all Chinese in Canada were concentrated in BC.
Canada’s Chinese narrative is often marked by the anti-Chinese legislation that existed until the Second World War but equally important is the Chinese’ proud history in Canada that has helped build what is now Canada’s strong economy.
Chinese Canadians have formed strong communities to support and protect fellow immigrants as well as to strengthen local ties to heritage, religion, and culture.
British Columbia
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 49,459 4,350
1891 98,173 8,910
1901 178,657 14,201
1911 392,480 19,568
2001 3,907,738 373,830
Alberta
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 56,446 (NWT population) 0 (part of NWT)
1891 98, 967 (NWT population) 41 (part of NWT)
1901 73,022 202
1911 374,663 1,787
1941 796,169 3,122
2001 2,974,807 108,050
Saskatchewan
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 56,446 (NWT population) 0 (part of NWT)
1891 98, 967 (NWT population) 41 (part of NWT)
1901 91,279 50
1911 492,432 957
1941 895,992 2,545
2001 978,933 9,275
Manitoba
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 62,260 4
1891 152,506 31
1901 255,211 167
1911 461,394 885
1941 729,744 1,248
2001 1,119,583 14,245
Ontario
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 1,926,922 22
1891 2,114,321 97
1901 2,182,947 629
1911 2,527,292 2,766
1941 3,787,655 6,143
2001 11,410,046 518,550
Quebec
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 1,359,027 7
1891 1,488,535 36
1901 1,648,898 982
1911 2,005,776 1,578
1941 3,331,882 2,378
2001 7,237,479 63,000
New Brunswick
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 321,233 0
1891 321,263 8
1901 331,120 50
1911 351,889 93
1941 457,401 152
2001 729,498 2,080
Nova Scotia
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 440,572 0
1891 450,396 5
1901 459,574 84
1911 492,338 134
1941 577,962 372
2001 908,007 3,675
Prince Edward Island
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
1881 108,891 0
1891 109,078 1
1901 103,259 4
1911 93,728 4
1941 95,047 45
2001 135,294 225
Newfoundland and Labrador
Census Year Provincial Population Chinese Population
2001 512,930 1,110
Sources:
Statistics Canada, Section A: Population and Migration (archived content, 2 July 2014).
"Exclusionary Policies" Chinese Canadian Cultural Centre. 2008. Web.
"History" Chinese Canadian Cultural Centre. 2008. Web.
"ARCHIVED - The Early Chinese Canadians 1858-1947." Library and Archives Canada. 2009. Web.
"History and Pioneers: Migration and Settlement." Chinese-Canadian Genealogy. Vancouver Public Library. 2012. Web.