Population during the
Contemporary Period
1867 - Present
1867 Confederation and
Immigration
The Act of British Parliament merges 4
provinces together and created a new
federal government of Canada.
 The BNA Act split control of immigration
between the federal government and 2nd
level of government
 Federal gov’t has the final say on
immigration. Will cause problems later.
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Map of the British Empire
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Immigration cont
The Federal gov’t is keen on growing the
population quickly.
 They want to confirm their control over
Western Canada that the Gov’t purchased
in 1869.
 Immigration law passed that opened the
door for new immigrants to arrive and
settle in the West.
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Immigration (cont)
Laws created places for sick people and
regulations for safety.
 Not everyone welcome, law prevented
criminals from entering.
 Law also favoured Northern Europeans
(Germans, Poles, Scandinavians) over
Southern Europeans (Spanish, Italians,
and Greeks)
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Demographics 1867
Most of the population situated near
location
 Majority of the population were
 Cities like 2 examples were growing
 Immigrants ended up in two locations
 31% of the population were ethnic group,
which meant they were a minority in the
newly formed Dominion.

National Policy
A plan to help build the economy of
Canada. 3 parts:
 1) Introduce tariffs on imports to protect
Canadian Industries
 2) Build a Trans-Canada railroad
 3) Encourage immigration to settle the
West
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Impact of the National Policy
p.64
In order for the National Policy to work
there needed to be increased type of
population growth
 From 1871-1901 # of immigrants arrived
in Canada mostly from 3 places.
 Ethnic group and Ethnic group competed
for work in the cities.
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Aboriginal Population
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Act of Parliament made the federal gov’t the
legal guardian of Aboriginal people and gave
them authority over all the land Aboriginals lived
on.
Gov’t wants to open this land to type of
colonists.
Aboriginal groups like the Aboriginal group are
forced to move West or live on a land specially
put aside for aboriginals.
Industrialization and
Urbanization 1885-1930 (p.68)
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Big cities like 2 cities experience growth and
become industrial centers. They are main
junctions in the type of network. This attracted
many people from type of area.
The fast growth of the cities meant that they
were lots of people in one space populated and
were very dirty and unsanitary.
Spread of diseases like 3 types of diseases and
poor water meant many young children died in
the cities.
Emigration to US p.72
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At the start of the 20th century people continued
to emigrate to the US because of lack of land in
the SLV. Better jobs in the US.
Quebec gov’t tries to stop this by opening new
land for farming in the Laurentians.
They are trying to keep French Canadians in
Quebec so they don’t lose their identity.
Migrations to the West (p.75)
French Canadians do not emigrate to the
West in large numbers. Expensive
journey to get there.
 The execution of Métis leader Louis Riel
also angers many French Canadians.
 They believe that their rights and identity
would be threatened in the English
speaking Protestant West.

20th century Immigration p.76
Canada receives nearly 3 million
immigrants from 1900-1915
 Discriminatory immigration policies
ensure that the majority of immigrants are
of British origin
 Quebec receives 700 000 immigrants,
mainly British, arriving in the cities and
working in manufacturing.

New Minorities (p.78)
Germans, Jews, and Italians start to form
new minority communities in cities in
Quebec.
 They learn to speak either French or
English, depending on the language of
their workplace.
 Italians develop an important community
in Montreal in the 20th century (Little Italy)
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WWI and Immigration (p.79)
WWI 1914-1918
 Canada’s focus on immigration slows
because of focus on the war
 Gov’t focuses on keeping out or deporting
“undesirables” from enemy countries like
Germany, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria
 People put into labor camps and their
right to vote taken away.

WWII and immigration (p.81)
WWII 1939 - 1945
 Canada closes its borders to immigrants
 Canada has a contradiction in attitudes:
they are for fighting against the Nazis but
also very xenophobic and anti-Semitic.
 Immigrants from Germany, Italy, and
Japan are put in labour camps.
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Baby Boom 1940’s-1960(p.82)
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There is sharp increase in the birth rate after
WWII
Return of the troops and economic prosperity
meant more people were able to have children.
More women gave birth in hospitals which
meant less babies died during birth
More young people meant more schools and
hospitals had to be built
Population & Immigration in
1960’s (p.83-85)
1960’s mark a major change in Canada’s
cultural values that affects population and
immigration (feminism, multiculturalism)
 The birth rate declines as women are
more likely to enter the workforce
 New immigration laws are written that are
no longer discriminatory by race. Instead
people are admitted based on their skills.
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Immigration in 1960’s
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Countries that immigrants are coming from in
the 1960’s: India, Pakistan, Portugal, Italy,
Greece, Philippines, Jamaica, China, Vietnam
Canada increasingly accepts immigrants on
humanitarian grounds such as refugees
escaping wars in other countries.
Immigration in Quebec 1970’s
(p.86)
In 1976, the Parti Quebecois passed the
Charter of the French Language (Bill 101)
 It is meant to keep French as the
dominant language in Quebec.
 This law requires all new immigrants to
Quebec to learn French and have their
children attend French schools.
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Quebec’s population today
(p.88-92)
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More and more people live just outside
the cities in the suburbs and drive in to
work. “Urban Sprawl” is the continuous
growth of the suburbs. Examples are
places like Laval and the South Shore.
Quebec’s Population Today
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Quebec continues to have a low birth rate.
Families are only having one or two children.
More couples are getting divorces. Instead of
getting married, more couples have common
law unions. More children are being born
outside of marriage.
The aging baby boomers make average age of
the population much older. They also put a
greater strain on the healthcare system.
What you need to know for the
test
Go through all the notes. They are posted
online. If its not in the notes it won’t be on
the test.
 In text book we have covered pages 6191 (we did not cover everything in the
book, so use your notes as a reference)
 Study text document 138 on p.80
 Picture document 132 on p. 76
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Questions you should be able
to answer
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Why is immigration important at Confederation?
What is the National Policy? What does it say
about immigration?
Where do most immigrants end up in Canada?
Where are they coming from?
How did immigration and colonization affect
Aboriginal groups in Western Canada?
What is industrialization? What is urbanization?
Where do these phenomenon happen?
Questions you should be able
to answer
What were Canada’s immigration laws
like in the early 20th century?
 How did WWI and WWI affect immigration
in Canada?
 What time period do certain ethnic groups
begin to arrive in Canada?
 What ethnic groups made up Montreal’s
population in the early 20th century?
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