Immigration and Cultural Diversity
From 1901 to 1913, Canada had experienced the greatest wave of immigration in its
history. This wave laid the foundation of Canada’s ethnic diversity. For more than 30
years afterwards however, immigration to Canada was restricted. After World War II,
Canada gradually opened its doors to more immigrants. There were two major waves of
immigrants. The first, in the years immediately after the war, were from three main
groups: war refugees, war brides, and general immigrants. The second wave came as
the economy improved and industries demanded workers.
The First Wave:
- Between 1946 and 1954, almost 1 million immigrants came to Canada, most from
Europe. Over one-third of this wave came from Britain. Earlier immigration policies had
not changed, except that more immigrants were wanted. Prime Minister Mackenzie
King announced in 1947 that new immigrants would boost Canada’s population and the
national economy. However, the government wanted to carefully control the number
and selection of immigrants. Canada still favoured immigrants from Britain, Western
Europe, and the United States. A new Immigration Act in 1952 gave immigration officers
the power to exclude particular racial and ethnic groups. Canada still did not want
immigrants from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Southern Europe.
- Immediately after the war, however, Canada made special provisions for more than 47
000 war brides and 22 000 children to immigrate. These were the families of Canadian
soldiers who had married overseas during the war. Not surprisingly, most came from
Britain. Others came from Holland, Belgium, and France. Another major group of
immigrants were those people displaced from their homelands because of the
devastation and upheaval of the war. They were sometimes referred to as DPs –
displaced persons. The Canadian government introduced emergency measures in
November 1946 to bring some of these refugees to Canada. More than 186 000
refugees resettled in Canada between 1947 and 1953. Many were well-educated
professionals and highly skilled workers. Some were sponsored by industries in Canada
that needed workers. Often they had to take jobs below their skill levels until they could
get established. Some were exploited and paid very low wages, but gradually many
succeeded in finding better opportunities.
- People from the Netherlands and Poland were also given special provisions to
immigrate because of wartime connections. The Polish army had fought alongside
Canadian troops in northwest Europe and Italy. Polish fliers had trained in Canada, and
after the war, many Polish people decided to make Canada their home. Doctors,
lawyers, engineers, and highly trained technical people were among the Polish
immigrants. Many, however, also had to take jobs below their skill level to get
established.
- The Dutch had a soft spot in their hearts for Canada. Canadians had helped to liberate
the Netherlands from the Nazis. After the war, 30 000 Dutch – mostly farmers, arrived in
Canada. For years, the Netherlands expressed its gratitude to Canada with an annual gift
of tulip bulbs. These tulips bloom each spring in Ottawa’s parks during the tulip festival.
Other immigrants came from Great Britain, Italy, the United States, Germany, Greece,
and Portugal before 1954
The Second Wave:
- Between 1954 and 1967, a second wave of almost 2 million immigrants came to
Canada. In 1957 alone, 282 000 people arrived. Many were Hungarians fleeing the
Soviet armies that had crushed a revolution in their homeland. The majority of others
were British immigrants.
- In 1962, new immigration regulations were introduced. They made education and job
skills the number one criteria for admitting immigrants. They also withdrew special
provisions for British, French, and American applicants.
- In the late 1950s, Canada’s economy went into a slump. Not enough skilled workers
were coming into the country. In fact, many professional and skilled workers were
leaving Canada for the United States. Over 75 000 were lured south between 1953 and
1963. On average, over 5000 professional workers were leaving Canada every year.
- The regulations opened the door for more non-white immigrants, provided they had
education and skills. In 1967, immigration regulations changed yet again. A universal
point system was introduced. People who wanted to come to Canada were given points
based on education, occupational demand, age, and knowledge of English or French. If a
person received 50 points or more, he or she was eligible to immigrate. The changes
were designed to eliminate the discriminatory policies of the past. In 1960, the
Diefenbaker government introduced a Bill of Rights that rejected discrimination on the
basis of race, national origin, colour, religion, or gender. The government could hardly
justify its discriminatory policies in the light of this new legislation.
- With the policy changes of the 1960s, the number of non-white immigrants increased
for the first time in Canadian history. The increase in immigrants from Jamaica, Trinidad,
Guyana, Haiti, and Barbados is a good example. In 1962, Britain “closed the door” to
Caribbean immigrants. Many therefore chose Canada. From 1960 to 1969, over 46 000
Caribbean immigrants came to Canada. Similarly, the number of people who came from
eastern and southern Asia rose from 27 000 before 1961, to 82 000 from 1961 to 1970.