Estonians in Toronto celebrating 100 years of independence in 2018. Photo: Maimu Mölder
Statistics Canada has released 2021 Census data on ethnic or cultural origins. Ethnic or cultural origin refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of a person’s ancestors. Ancestors may have Indigenous origins, origins that refer to different countries or other origins that may not refer to different countries. Often referred to as a person’s ancestral “roots,” ethnic or cultural origins should not be confused with citizenship, nationality, language or place of birth. For example, a person who has Canadian citizenship, speaks Hindi and was born in the United States may report having Guyanese ancestry.
Responses to the ethnic or cultural origins question on the census reflect respondents’ perceptions of their background. As such, many factors can influence changes in responses over time, including the contemporary social environment, the respondents’ knowledge of their family history, and their understanding of and views on the topic.
This means that two respondents with the same ethnic or cultural ancestry could have different response patterns and thus could be counted as having different origins. Therefore, data on ethnic or cultural origins can be fluid. Nevertheless, data on ethnic or cultural origins from the Census of Population reflect respondents’ perception of their ancestral origins at the time of collection.
In 2021 survey, it was possible to identify either a single or multiple ethnic or cultural origins.
According to results, there were 5,550 persons in Canada who reported Estonian only origin and 17,910 who reported Estonian as one of the several ethnic backgrounds. This is a slight decline from 2016 census, where corresponding numbers were 6,155 and 18,375.
In Toronto, there were 2,120 persons in 2021 who identified their origin as Estonian only and 4,330 persons with some Estonian background.
For comparison, here are the numbers for other ethnic groups in Canada that might be of interest to Estonians.
Single ethnic origin
Multiple ethnic origins
Estonian
5,550
17,910
Latvian
6,195
21,945
Lithuanian
10,565
41,470
Finnish
26,050
118,010
Russian
116,605
431,540
Ukrainian
273,210
985,425
Viimased kommentaarid
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
Hundreds of opinions and articles about this, going back all the way to 2010.
Northern Esto28 Nov 2022 06:42
You should post an email address. I am sure that members of the Estonian community will contact you. Interesting that you are half Greek. I knew a few Greeks when I lived in Toronto. Their community has really hung on to their language and culture. I knew some who were fluent Greek speakers and had never been to Greece. Part of their strength may be that there are many Greek-run businesses so they are able to speak their language at work, unlike most other ethnic groups. I Know of very few businesses where Estonian is the language of communication.
Surprised27 Nov 2022 02:34
that there are so few who identify themselves as Estonians. I can assume that this is why many years ago, a study which was done to look at the feasibility of building a new Estonian House on Broadview found that at that point in time, the size of our community did not justify the investment it would require. (Someone older told me this recently) Curious whether anyone remembers that study. I think that they said it was done by Ernst and Young. Is it available somewhere to read? I have not been able to find the feasibility study which was done before plans began to build the new centre. I am actually considering doing part of my graduate work on the centre and the Estonian community. Who did the research of the Estonian community and how was it discussed in the community? My prof wants me to talk to members of the community. Any suggestions? Who came up with the idea and who are the leaders of the project? I am in my late 20s and did not grow up in the Estonian community in Toronto. My mother is Estonian but my father is Greek. I am considering doing my graduate work on the Estonian community focusing on the centre. It would be very interesting to read more about the background work which was done and the research of the community and its needs before the centre was designed, Communities in the diaspora are complicated and fragile. What have the obstacles been and are there any interest groups which are more enthusiastic than others. What has been done to ensure that everyone benefits from a new centre. So many questions, but I need to do research before finalizing the focus of my work. In other words, is there enough material out there to do this work. Thank you in advance!