Norwegian Canadians
Norsk-kanadiere | |
---|---|
Total population | |
463,275 (1.3%) (by ancestry, Flemish Canadians |
Norwegian Canadians refer to Canadian citizens who identify themselves as being of full or partial Norwegian ancestry, or people who emigrated from Norway and reside in Canada.
Norwegians are one of the largest northern European ethnic groups in the country and have contributed greatly to its culture, especially in Western Canada.
According to the
Significant Norwegian immigration took place from the mid-1880s to 1930.[7]
History
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1921 | 68,856 | — |
1931 | 93,243 | +35.4% |
1941 | 100,718 | +8.0% |
1951 | 119,266 | +18.4% |
1961 | 148,681 | +24.7% |
1971 | 179,290 | +20.6% |
1981 | 102,735 | −42.7% |
1986 | 243,680 | +137.2% |
1991 | 286,235 | +17.5% |
1996 | 346,310 | +21.0% |
2001 | 363,760 | +5.0% |
2006 | 432,515 | +18.9% |
2011 | 452,705 | +4.7% |
2016 | 463,275 | +2.3% |
Source: Statistics Canada [8]: 17 [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Note: 1981 Canadian census did not include multiple ethnic origin responses, thus population is an undercount. |
Viking exploration
Norwegians have played important roles in the history of Canada. The first Europeans to reach North America were Icelandic Norsemen, who made at least one major effort at settlement in what is today the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (L'Anse aux Meadows) around 1000 AD. Snorri Thorfinnsson aka Snorri Guðriðsson, the son of Thorfinn Karlsefni and his wife Guđriđ, is thought to be the first white baby born in Canada and North America.[21]
In 1960 archaeological evidence of the only known
The main sources of information about the Norse voyages to Vinland are two Icelandic
Organized immigration
The major reason for
The British Government repealed the navigation laws in 1849 and from 1850 on, Canada became the port of choice as Norwegian ships carried passengers to Canada and took lumber back to Britain. The Canadian route offered many advantages to the emigrant. "They moved on from Quebec by rail and by steamer for another thousand or more miles for a steerage fare of slightly less than $9.00. Steamers from Quebec brought them to Toronto, then the immigrants often traveled by rail for 93 miles to Collingwood on Lake Huron, from where steamers transported them across Lake Michigan to Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay." In 1855 there were eight vessels reported from Norway to Canada in the immigration report, averaging a 45-day crossing. These vessels carried 1,275 passengers. The following year, 14 vessels made the voyage averaging 54 days, and carrying 2,821 passengers. One of these vessels, the Orion from Stavanger, was said to carry 50 paupers all heading for the American West but, due to a lack of funds were sent to Buffalo. The passengers of the Gifion, all proceeded to Wisconsin.
There were a considerable number of deaths among the Norwegians in 1857. Of the 6,507 immigrants who arrived in that year there were 100 deaths. In 1859, however, emigration dropped off with only 16 vessels arriving from Norway carrying 1,756 passengers. Of the over 28,460 Norwegians who came to Canada in the 1850s it is estimated that only 400 remained in Canada the majority moved on into the American west. A small settlement of Norwegians was begun at
Settlements
Norwegian Canadians are found throughout the entire country but with a major concentration in Western Canada. The Prairies were the hub of the Norwegian settlement in Canada.
Settlements in Canada which were primarily created by Norwegian immigrants:
- Birch Hills, Saskatchewan
- Rose Valley, Saskatchewan
- Hagensborg, British Columbia
- Tallheo, British Columbia
- Delta, British Columbia
- Quatsino, British Columbia
- Pemberton, British Columbia (originally Agerton)
- New Norway, Alberta
- Norway, Ontario (now Upper Beaches, but probably named after Norway Pines not Norwegian immigrants)
Culture and traditions
Language
Most second or third generation Norwegian Canadians today are
Today
Canada is also the home of
Norwegian population in Canada (2016)
According to
Province | Norwegian Canadian | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Canada | 463,275[1] | 1.3% |
Alberta | 156,595[2] | 3.9% |
British Columbia | 138,430[3] | 3.0% |
Saskatchewan | 68,640[4] | 6.4% |
Ontario | 59,335[5] | 0.4% |
Manitoba | 19,600[6] | 1.6% |
Quebec | 7,820[25] | 0.1% |
Nova Scotia | 5,170[26] | 0.6% |
New Brunswick | 3,330[27] | 0.5% |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 1,710[28] | 0.3% |
Yukon | 1,380[29] | 3.9% |
Northwest Territories | 710[30] | 1.7% |
Prince Edward Island | 415[31] | 0.3% |
Nunavut | 145[32] | 0.4% |
Norwegian language by province (2016)
Province |
Norwegian Mother Tongue[33] | Percent |
---|---|---|
Canada | 5,035 | < 0.01% |
British Columbia | 2,160 | < 0.01% |
Ontario | 1,020 | < 0.01% |
Alberta | 885 | < 0.01% |
Saskatchewan | 360 | < 0.01% |
Quebec | 230 | < 0.01% |
Manitoba | 130 | < 0.01% |
Nova Scotia | 115 | < 0.01% |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 65 | < 0.01% |
New Brunswick | 50 | < 0.01% |
Yukon | 15 | < 0.01% |
Prince Edward Island | 5 | < 0.01% |
Nunavut | 5 | < 0.01% |
Northwest Territories | 0 | 0.00% |
List of Canadians of Norwegian descent
Part of a series on |
Norwegians |
---|
Culture |
Diaspora |
Other |
Norwegian Portal |
Actors
- Melody Anderson, social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families; also known as an actress
- Earl W. Bascom, actor who worked with cowboy singer Roy Rogers
- Melyssa Ford, model/actress
- Nathan Fillion, actor
- Christopher Heyerdahl, actor, plays a Norwegian on the AMC TV series Hell on Wheels
- Natassia Malthe, Norwegian model and actress who grew up in Canada
- John Qualen, actor, born Johan Mandt Kvalen in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1899, the son of Norwegian immigrants [34]
- Rachel Skarsten, actress
- Vlasta Vrana, actor
Artists
- Earl W. Bascom, western artist, sculptor, "Cowboy of Cowboy Artists"
Athletes
- Glenn Anderson, retired professional hockey player
- Earl W. Bascom, rodeo pioneer, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductee, "Father of Modern Rodeo"
- Jeff Friesen, retired professional hockey player
- Kristina Groves, Olympic speed skater
- John Halvorsen, Olympic Track and Field Distance Runner
- Rick Hansen, wheelchair celebrity and philanthropist
- Anne Heggtveit, alpine skier
- Ryder Hesjedal, professional road cyclist
- George Knudson, CM, professional golfer; along with Mike Weir holds the record for the Canadian with the most wins on the PGA Tour, with eight career victories
- Johann Olav Koss, former Norwegian speed skater, Toronto, ON
- Karen Magnussen, Olympic figure skater, North Vancouver, BC
- Christine Nordhagen, Norwegian-Canadian Olympic female wrestler
- Pat Onstad, professional soccer goalkeeper
- Terry Puhl, former professional baseball player; currently the head coach of University of Houston-Victoria's baseball team
- Ryan Rishaug, former ice hockey player; currently a sports commentator on The Sports Network
- Cliff Ronning, professional hockey player
- Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith-Johannsen (1875–1987), Norwegian-Canadian cross country skier; lived to be 111 years old
- Staal brothers, four ice hockey players, all currently signed with the NHL
- Svein Tuft, professional road cyclist
- Hans Skinstad, Norwegian-Canadian 1976 Olympic cross country skier
Explorers
- Henry Larsen, Norwegian born Canadian Arctic seaman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; second to traverse Canada's Northwest Passage in the famous St. Roch
Filmmakers
- Torill Kove, Norwegian-Canadian film director and animator; Academy Award winner for the animated short film The Danish Poet
Musicians
- Endre Johannes Cleven, musician/composer and founder of the Canadian Viking Regiment (197th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)
- Mitch Dorge, musician
- Glenn Gould, pianist
- Bruce Haack, Norwegian-Canadian musician and composer
- Joni Mitchell, singer-songwriter
- Leif Vollebekk, musician
Politicians
- Aaron Paquette, politician, writer and artist
- Saskatchewan NDP MLA for Saskatoon Massey Place
- Ione Christensen, CM, former Canadian Senator
- Nellie Cournoyea, served as Premier of the Northwest Territories from 1991 to 1995
- Alberta NDP MLA for Edmonton-Calder
- Colin Hansen, British Columbia's Minister of Finance and Minister; responsible for the 2010 Winter Olympics
- Hans Lars Helgesen, MLA for Esquimalt, 1878–1886; the first non-Briton to serve in the BC legislature and prominent in the establishment of the commercial fishery in Haida Gwaii
- Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Writers
- Holly Nelson, poet, writer and political activist
- Martha Ostenso, novelist, poet and screenwriter
- Sonja Skarstedt, poet, short story, and play writer; painter and illustrator
- Fred Stenson, writer of historical fiction and non-fiction relating to the Canadian West
Others
- Gerda Hnatyshyn, president and chair of the Hnatyshyn Foundation, an arts granting organization
- Norman Wolfred Kittson, fur trader, steamboat-line operator, and railway entrepreneur
- Peter Norman Nissen, inventor
- Paul Thorlakson, physician and Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg
- Jordan Peterson, professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto
See also
- Norwegian diaspora
- Canada–Norway relations
- European Canadians
- Icelandic Canadians
- Danish Canadians
- Swedish Canadians
- Dutch Canadians
- Flemish Canadians
References
- ^ a b "Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables". statcan.gc.ca. October 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Alberta". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada. "Census Profile British Columbia". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Saskatchewan". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Ontario". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Manitoba". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Multicultural Canada Archived June 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 29, 1999). "Historical statistics of Canada, section A: Population and migration - ARCHIVED". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Ninth census of Canada, 1951 = Neuvième recensement du Canada Vol. 1. Population: general characteristics". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1961 Census of Canada : population : vol. I - part 2 = 1961 Recensement du Canada : population : vol. I - partie 2. Ethnic groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1971 Census of Canada : population : vol. I - part 3 = Recensement du Canada 1971 : population : vol. I - partie 3. Ethnic groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1981 Census of Canada : volume 1 - national series : population = Recensement du Canada de 1981 : volume 1 - série nationale : population. Ethnic origin". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Census Canada 1986 Profile of ethnic groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1986 Census of Canada: Ethnic Diversity In Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1991 Census: The nation. Ethnic origin". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 4, 2019). "Data tables, 1996 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (188) and Sex (3), Showing Single and Multiple Responses (3), for Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas, 1996 Census (20% Sample Data)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (December 23, 2013). "Ethnic Origin (232), Sex (3) and Single and Multiple Responses (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (May 1, 2020). "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". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (January 23, 2019). "Ethnic Origin (264), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age Groups (10) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 17, 2019). "Ethnic Origin (279), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Smithsonian Magazine | History & Archaeology | The Vikings: A Memorable Visit to America
- ISBN 0-8160-4716-2.
- ISBN 0-19-285160-8.
- ^ "Norwegian Canadians | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Quebec". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Census Profile Nova Scotia". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Census Profile New Brunswick". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Census Profile Newfoundland and Labrador". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile Yukon". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Census Profile Northwest Territories". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Census Profile Prince Edward Island". Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Proportion of mother tongue responses for various regions in Canada, 2016 Census". August 4, 2017.
- ^ [1] Archived December 31, 2008, at the Wayback Machine "He was Hollywood's stock Scandinavian character actor but could also play just about any other ethnic type imaginable. He was born Johan Mandt Kvalen in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 8, 1899, the son of Norwegian immigrants. His father, a Lutheran minister, changed the spelling of their name to Qualen."
- Statistics Canada (2003). "Ethno-Cultural Portrait of Canada, Table 1". Retrieved January 4, 2006.