Total population | |
---|---|
(Scottish 4,714,970 Canadians 15.10% of the population of Canada) |
|
Regions with significant populations | |
Canada | |
Ontario | 2,101,100 |
British Columbia | 828,145 |
Alberta | 661,265 |
Nova Scotia | 288,180 |
Manitoba | 209,170 |
Quebec | 202,515 |
Languages | |
(Canadian Gaelic dialect), French, Scots | |
Religion | |
Christianity (including Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, United) Other religions |
|
Related ethnic groups | |
Scottish, English, Scotch-Irish, Métis, Ulster Scots Canadians, English Canadians, English Americans, Scottish Americans, Ulster Scots, other Gaels |
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times. According to the 2011 Census of Canada, the number of Canadians claiming full or partial Scottish descent is 4,714,970, or 15.10% of the nation's total population.
The Scots-Irish Canadians are a similar ethnic group. They descended from Lowland Scots and Northern English people via Ulster and observe many of the same traditions as Scots.
Scottish people have a long history in Canada, dating back several centuries. Many towns, rivers and mountains have been named in honour of Scottish explorers and traders such as Mackenzie Bay in the Yukon (named for Sir Alexander Mackenzie), and others are named after locations in Scotland, such as Calgary (named after a Scottish beach). Most notably, the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Once Scots formed the vanguard of the movement of Europeans across the continent. In more modern times, immigrants from Scotland have played a leading role in the social, political and economic history of Canada, being prominent in banking, labour unions, and politics.