Macedonian Canadians
| Македонци во Канада | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| (36,985 (by ancestry, 2011 Census)) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver | |
| Languages | |
| Macedonian, Canadian English | |
| Religion | |
| Eastern Orthodox Church | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Macedonians, Macedonian Americans, Bulgarian Canadians |
Macedonian Canadians (Macedonian: Македонски Канаѓани) are Canadian citizens of Macedonian descent or Macedonian-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2011 Census there were 36,985 Canadians who claimed full or partial Macedonian ancestry.
Many Macedonians emigrated to Canada as "pečalbari" (seasonal workers) in the mid 19th and early 20th century. Thousands of Macedonians emigrated to Canada after the failure of the Ilinden Uprising.
The first Macedonian organizations were the Zhelevo Benevolence Brotherhood and the Oschima Benefit Society St. Nicholas, both established in 1907 in Toronto by emigrants from Zhelevo (Antartiko) and Oschnima (Trigonon) in Aegean Macedonia. Other Macedonian organizations were soon established by emigrants from Zagorichani (Vassiliada), Oshtima (Trigonon), Smardesh (Krystallopigi), Gabresh (Gavros), Banitsa (Vevi), Buf (Akritas) and Tarsie (Trivuno), all villages in Aegean Macedonia.
An internal census counted 1910 Macedonians in Toronto, who were principally from Florina (Lerin) and Kastoria (Kostur) in Aegean Macedonia.
In 1910 they established Sts. Cyril and Methody Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Toronto, and that church published The First Bulgarian-English Pocket Dictionary in 1913.
By 1940 there were claims that over 1200 Macedonian families were in Canada. Post-World War II and Greek Civil War migration cause the numbers of Macedonians in Canada to swell.
Many early Macedonian immigrants found industrial work in Toronto, either as factory hands or labourers in abattoirs, or in iron and steel foundries. Many ended up running and owning restaurants, butchers and groceries. Macedonian entrepreneurs and their descendants eventually employed their numerical strength within the food service industry as a catapult into a variety of larger and more sophisticated ventures.
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Wikipedia