Italian Canadian
 
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1,488,425 including ancestry, 2011 Census 4.6% of Canada's population.) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Niagara Region, London, Guelph, Windsor, Ottawa–Gatineau, Barrie, Sault Ste. Marie, Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Greater Montreal, Greater Vancouver | |
| Languages | |
| Canadian English, French, Italian, Italian dialects, Sicilian, Neapolitan | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism, Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Italians, Italian Americans, Italian Argentines, Italian Brazilian, Italian Mexican, Italian South African, Italian Australian, Italian Briton, Sicilian American, Corsican American |
Italian Canadians (Italian: Italo-canadesi, French: Italo-Canadiens) comprise Canadian citizens who have full or partial Italian heritage or Italians who emigrated to and reside in Canada. According to the 2011 Census of Canada, 1,488,425 Canadians (4.6% of total population) claimed full or partial Italian ancestry. The Italian Canadian population climbed by more than 12% and half (over 740,000) have combined Italian origins along with another ethnic group, mostly other European ethnic groups. Altogether, Italians are the 6th largest ethnic group in Canada after French, English, Irish, Scottish, and German. They are also often termed as Italian-Canadians with a hyphen.
The first explorer to North America and to Canada was the Venetian Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot). His voyage to Canada and other parts of the Americas was followed by his son Sebastiano Caboto and Janus Verrazanus (Giovanni da Verrazzano). During the New France era, France also occupied parts of Northern Italy and there was a significant Italian presence in the French military forces in the colony. Notable were Alphonse de Tonty, who helped establish Detroit, and Henri de Tonti, who journeyed with La Salle in his exploration of the Mississippi River. Italians made up a small portion of the population, however, and quickly lost their ethnic identities. In 1881, only 1,849 Canadians claimed to be Italian. A number of Italians were imported to work as navvies in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
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Wikipedia