Lithuanian Canadians

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Lithuanian Canadians
Kanados lietuviai
Lithuania Canada
Total population
(46,6901(2006)[1])
Regions with significant populations
 Ontario[2] 31,126+ (2006)
 Alberta 3,655 (1984)[3]
 Quebec Unknown
 British Columbia 495+ (2006)[4]
 Manitoba 135+ (2006)[5]
 Saskatchewan 45+ (2006)[4]
 Nova Scotia 40+ (2006)[4]
 New Brunswick 15+ (2006)[4]
 Northwest Territories 10+ (2006)[4]
 Yukon 10+ (2006)[4]
Languages
Canadian English, Lithuanian, Québécois French
Religion
Roman Catholicism, Romuva, Lutheranism, Judaism
Related ethnic groups

Lithuanians, Prussian Lithuanians


1 *11,425 solely of Lithuanian origin, 35,260 of mixed origin.

Lithuanian Canadians (Lithuanian: Kanados lietuviai) are citizens of Canada who are fully or partially of Lithuanian descent. Over two-thirds of Lithuanian Canadians reside in Toronto,[6] with other much smaller populations scattered around most of the Canadian provinces and territories.

History[edit]

The first documented Lithuanians in Canada were Lithuanians who fought in the British Army in Canada (1813-1815). Lithuanian immigrants to Canada came primarily for economic reasons, arriving between 1905-1940. The second wave of Lithuanians came after World War II,[7] with most of the immigrants seeking to escape Communism after the unilateral Soviet incorporation of Lithuania into its boundaries. The third wave of immigrants began after the restoration of Lithuania's independence (1990), and have continued to arrive.[2]

Concentration[edit]

The majority of Lithuanian Canadians reside in Toronto.[2][8] Other well-rooted populations of moderate size can be found in urban Ontario (particularly Mississauga and Hamilton), Montreal in Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba,[2] and Nova Scotia. Lithuanian Canadians are present in 37 Canadian municipalities.[2] Other groups have migrated to British Columbia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.

Organization[edit]

The Lithuanian Canadian Community (Lithuanian: Kanados Lietuvių Bendruomenė), the largest Lithuanian Canadian association in Canada, has 17 chapters throughout Canada.[9]

Religion[edit]

The descendants of the first and second waves of Lithuanian immigration are predominantly Roman Catholic, while a minority are Romuvan or Evangelical Lutheran. A considerable percentage of Lithuanian Canadians have reverted to the indigenous Lithuanian religion (which has been revived as Romuva), particularly third-wave immigrants.[10] There are two Roman Catholic parishes for Lithuanian Canadians,[2] two Romuvan groups,[10] one Evangelical Lutheran congregation,[2] and some minorities of Lithuanian-Jewish descent.

Famous Lithuanian Canadians[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations | Ethnic Origin (247), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data". 2.statcan.ca. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-08-30. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Irena Ross (5 February 2004). "Lithuanians create cultural hub in Canada". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 30 August 2011. 
  3. ^ "Lithuanian - Heritage Community Foundation". Abheritage.ca. Retrieved 2011-08-30. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?TABID=1&LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=89201&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=
  5. ^ "2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations | Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses - 20% Sample Data". 2.statcan.ca. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-08-30. 
  6. ^ Tokarev, Sergey (2011-02-22). "Lithuanian immigration". Immigration-online.org. Retrieved 2011-08-30. 
  7. ^ Danys, Milda (1986). DP, Lithuanian immigration to Canada after the second World War. Toronto: Multicultural History Society of Ontario. ISBN 0-919045-28-6. 
  8. ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos užsienio reikalų ministerija - Lithuania’s Cooperation with Canada". Urm.lt. Retrieved 2011-08-30. 
  9. ^ http://www.klb.org/apieklbEN.html
  10. ^ a b Modern paganism in world cultures: comparative perspectives By Michael Strmiska, pg. 278-279