Canada Today 119 Canada’s population includes many groups of people from different lands who retain their cultural identities. Knowing the history of the people of Canada helps in understanding Canada’s policy of multiculturalism. MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW Who Are the Canadians? The people of Canada come from many countries—not just France. More than 50 ethnic groups make up the population. More than two-thirds of Canadians have European ancestry. About 40 percent have British roots and 27 percent share a French heritage. Other Canadians trace their families back to Germany, Italy, and Ukraine, as well as to nations in Africa and Asia. Less than 5 percent of all Canadians are people of the First Nations. TERMS & NAMES First Nation multiculturalism refugee O Canada! Immigrant Roots O Canada! Immigrant Roots New colonists have just arrived to join the first settlers of Quebec. Only French explorer Samuel de Champlain and 8 of the 32 men he led here survived their first winter in the new colony. Champlain chose this location that the Algonquins call Quebec, or the Narrows, after much searching. After arriving last July, he and his men built houses, planted grain, and worked to encourage fur trading and friendly relations with the native people. Champlain has spent years traveling around New France and mapping and recording information about the seacoast and rivers. QUEBEC, NEW FRANCE, JUNE 1609 Place • Champlain has great hopes for the future of Quebec. TAKING NOTES Early settlers were from enemy countries, France and Britian. French-speaking Canadians have . . . Causes Effects Use your chart to take notes about Canada.
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Canada Today 119
Canada’s population includes manygroups of people from differentlands who retain their culturalidentities.
Knowing the history of the peopleof Canada helps in understandingCanada’s policy of multiculturalism.
MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Who Are the Canadians?The people of Canada come from many countries—not just France. Morethan 50 ethnic groups make up the population. More than two-thirds ofCanadians have European ancestry. About 40 percent have British roots and27 percent share a French heritage. Other Canadians trace their familiesback to Germany, Italy, and Ukraine, as well as to nations in Africa andAsia. Less than 5 percent of all Canadians are people of the First Nations.
TERMS & NAMESFirst Nationmulticulturalismrefugee
O Canada!Immigrant RootsO Canada!Immigrant Roots
New colonists have just
arrived to join the first
settlers of Quebec. Only
French explorer Samuel de
Champlain and 8 of the 32
men he led here survived
their first winter in the
new colony. Champlain
chose this location that
the Algonquins call
Quebec, or the Narrows,
after much searching.
After arriving last
July, he and his men built
houses, planted grain,
and worked to encourage
fur trading and friendly
relations with the native
people. Champlain has
spent years traveling
around New France and
mapping and recording
information about the
seacoast and rivers.
QUEBEC, NEW FRANCE, JUNE 1609
Place • Champlain has great hopes
for the future of Quebec. �
TAKING NOTES
Early settlers were from enemycountries, Franceand Britian.
French-speakingCanadians have . . .
Causes Effects
Use your chart to takenotes about Canada.
The First NationsPeople have lived in North America for at least 12,000 years. Attimes in the past, the levels of the oceans were as much as 300 feetlower than they are today. Then the narrow water passage betweenAsia and North America—the Bering Strait—became dry land.Small bands of people crossed this land bridge into North Americaand settled throughout North America and South America.
The Canadians of the First Nations are descendants of thosefirst settlers from Asia. In the Arctic north, Inuit and other nativepeople make up more than half the population. Large numbers ofFirst Nations people, including Cree, Micmac, Abenaki, andOjibwa, live in southern Canada near the United States border.
European ImmigrantsThe first major wave of European settlement began in the 1600s.Both Britain and France established colonies in what is nowCanada. These two countries had a long history of conflict, andthey continued their rivalry on the North American continent.Between 1754 and 1763, they fought the French and Indian Warfor control of North America.
The name Canadacomes fromKanata, a FirstNations Huron-Iroquois word thatmeans “village.”
Totem Poles—Carving History The Haida people in Canada’s QueenCharlotte Islands and the Kwakiutl in central British Columbia have beenskilled totem carvers for centuries. Early craftspeople believed that red cedarwas a gift from the Great Spirit. They used simple tools to carve beautiful,detailed totem poles from these trees.
Totem poles, such as these in Stanley Park, Vancouver, display brightly paintedanimal figures, or totems. These include eagles, whales, grizzly bears, wolves,ravens, frogs, and halibut. Totems are symbols that tell stories, celebrate impor-tant events, and preserve the history of native clans. Totem poles have also beenused as grave markers and monuments.
THINKING CRITICALLY
1. Making InferencesWhat do the totem poles tell you about the First Nations people’s relationship with nature?
2. Drawing ConclusionsWhat roles do totem poles play in native culture?
120 CHAPTER 5
For more on totem poles, go toCL AS SZONE .COM
RESEARCH LINKS
France lost the war and surren-dered most of its Canadian terri-tory to Great Britain. However,many French settlers remained,and disputes continued betweenthem and the fast-growing popu-lation of British settlers.
Canada and the United KingdomIn 1791, the British governmentestablished itself in two areas in Canada. Upper Canada, nowOntario, had mostly British settlers. Lower Canada, nowQuebec, remained largely French. Although hostilities continuedbetween the two populations, in 1867 they were united as theDominion of Canada, along with Nova Scotia and NewBrunswick. Canada became a self-governing nation, although theBritish monarch remained its head of state.
In 1869, the Hudson’s Bay Company sold land to Canada thatlater became the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.In 1871, British Columbia joined the Dominion, and Canada nowreached to the Pacific Ocean. In 1931, with the enactment of theStatute of Westminster, Canada gained equal status with the UnitedKingdom and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1982, thelast legal connection between Canada and the British Parliamentended, although Canada remains a member of the Commonwealth.
Later Immigrants Most of Canada’s early immigrants wereEnglish, Scottish, Irish, and French. After World War I, otherEuropeans arrived from countries such as Italy, Poland, andUkraine. Most Italian immigrants settled in Toronto andMontreal. Most Ukrainians moved to the prairies of centralCanada. After World War II, Germans and Dutch entered thecountry, settling primarily in Ontario and British Columbia. Inthe 1960s, new immigration laws allowed people to migrate fromAfrica, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Canadian Citizens and CitizenshipAs Canadian citizens, those of English or French descent haveretained their separate languages and identities. Other groupshave also kept the traditions of their homelands after settling inCanada. To support these citizen groups, Canada has adopted anofficial policy of multiculturalism—an acceptance of many cul-tures instead of just one.
Canada Today 121
A. DrawingInferences Howmight Canada’spolicy ofmulticulturalismlead to increasedimmigration?
Culture • BritishGeneral JamesWolfe’s troopsdefeated theFrench and captured Quebecin 1759 duringthe French andIndian War.Benjamin West’spainting TheDeath of GeneralWolfe showsWolfe’s death atthe end of thebattle. �
122 CHAPTER 5
B. AnalyzingMotives Whatgeographic andeconomic featuresattract people tosettle in someparts of Canada?
Canadian citizens have many of the same rights and responsi-bilities as U.S. citizens. They must obey Canada’s laws. They havethe option of voting and participating in the political system.Theyare guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, as wellas equal protection and treatment for all under Canadian law.
Where Do Most Canadians Live?While Canada’s land area is second only to Russia’s, its populationis a relatively small 31 million people. Canadians often live wherethey find a favorable combination of geographic features and eco-nomic opportunities. Three-fourths of the population live in thecities and towns of southern Canada. In this region, the GreatLakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, numerous rivers, and an excellentrailway system provide convenient transportation for people andgoods. Some Canadians live on farms in the central prairies and inport cities along the coasts. The northern regions of Canada arerugged and very cold. Few people live in those remote areas.
Vancouver, Gateway to the Pacific Vancouver, BritishColumbia, is called Canada’s “Gateway to the Pacific.” AsCanada’s largest port, it trades heavily with Asian countries.
Thousands of Chinese from Hong Kong and many Japanesearrived in Canada at the end of the 20th century. Recent refugeeshave come from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Refugees arepeople who flee a country because of war, disaster, or persecution.
Toronto
Montreal
HudsonBay
ATLANTICOCEAN
ARCTIC OCEAN
PACIFICOCEAN
C A N A D A
50°N
50°N 60°N
40°N
70°W
170°W 160°W
60°W
Metropolitan areagreater than 2 million
Personsper
sq. mi.
Personspersq. km
Over 520260–520130–259
25–1291–24
0
Over 200100–20050–9910–491–90
N
0
0 250 500 kilometers
250 500 miles
Population Distribution of Canada, 2000
GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Region • In what
part of Canada domost Canadians live?
2. Place • What twocities have a popula-tion of more thantwo million?
Canada Today 123
Choose one place in Canada where you might like to live. Look at the information in the Unit Atlasand in this section. Write and illustrate a magazine article about this location.
SECTION ASSESSMENT
Using Graphics2. Make a spider map like this one to
record details about the peoplewho settled in Canada.
Main Ideas3. (a) How did the first people reach
North America? Who are theirdescendants?
(b) Describe the relationshipbetween the British andCanada in the 1700s and the 1800s.
(c) What are some of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens?
Critical Thinking4. Synthesizing
How has the policy of multiculturalism benefited recentimmigrants to Canada?
Think About◆ the historic relations between the
French and the English◆ the many groups of immigrants
and refugees in Canada
Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) First Nation (b) multiculturalism (c) refugee
CanadianPeople
First Nations
Recent Immigration
European Immigration
Toronto, City of Immigrants Toronto, Ontario’s capital, is hometo one-twelfth of Canada’s population but contains one-fourthof its immigrants. More than 70,000 immigrants arrive each yearfrom more than 100 countries in Asia, Europe, the West Indies,and North America. More than 40 percent of Toronto’s popula-tion is foreign-born, and 10 percent arrived after 1991. Toronto’slocation, with access to the Atlantic Ocean and the United States,has helped it become a center of industry and international trade.
Canadians
Place • Toronto is on the shore of Lake Ontario,the easternmostGreat Lake. Toronto’s skylineis highlighted bythe CN Tower. �
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