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Romanian Canadians

Population distribution of Romanian Canadians by census division, 2021 census
Total population
215,885 (by ancestry,2021 Census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Greater Toronto Area,Greater Montreal
Languages
Romanian,Canadian English,French,Romani
Religion
MainlyRomanian Orthodoxy, but alsoRomanian Greek Catholicism,Roman Catholicism,Protestantism,Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Romanian Americans,European Canadians

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Romanian Canadians(french:Canadiens d'origine roumaine;romanian:canadieni români) areCanadian citizens ofRomanian descent or Romania-born people who reside inCanada.

According to the2021 Canadian census, there are 215,885 Romanian-Canadians.^[1]

Romanians moved to Canada in several periods. The first period was at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Romanians had discovered Canada towards the end of the 19th century, afterClifford Sifton – Minister of Home Affairs representing a Liberal government that had promised to populate the West – had visitedBukovina.^{[citation needed]} From 1896 to 1900, a group of Romanians established themselves inAssiniboia (nowSaskatchewan), atClifford Sifton's advice.^{[citation needed]} The first two Romanian families that migrated to Canada from theBukovina village ofBoian stopped inAlberta in 1898. Other 100 Bucovina families took their example and followed them and they gave thesettlement the name of their home village.^{[citation needed]}

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, many Romanians from the formerAustro-Hungarian Empire (Transylvania,Bukovina,Banat,Crişana, andMaramureş) migrated to thePrairie provinces of Canada to work asfarmers. TheDominion Lands Act encouraged homesteaders to come to the area. The migrants from theRomanian Old Kingdom were mostlyRomanian Jews. Many Romanians moved to Canada and the United States between 1895 and 1920.^[2]

St Nicholas's Romanian Orthodox Church (established in 1902^[3] inRegina) is the oldestRomanian Orthodox parish in North America;^[4] St George's Cathedral (founded in 1914^[5] though the present building dates from the early 1960s), is the episcopal seat of the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Regina. Today, the Romanian school fromBoian, Alberta is amuseum showcasing Romanianimmigration, photos of the first Romanian settlers in the area and the typical Romanian farmer's life in rural Canada.

During theinterwar period the number of ethnic Romanians who migrated to Canada decreased as a consequence of the economic development in Romania, but the number ofRomanian Jews who migrated to Canada increased, mostly after the rise of theIron Guard.^{[citation needed]}

According to the1911 Canadian census, in Canada lived 15,000 Romanians and in 1941: 25,000.^{[citation needed]}

The second period was between 1945 and 1955, when Romanians moved afterWorld War II, duringCommunist Romania, at a time when Romania was in a difficult period in its history. In this period, 1,460,000 Romanian citizens left their country. Many of them werepolitical refugees. Many of them left for Canada.

Another wave of Romanian emigration to Canada occurred after 1989 following theRomanian Revolution of 1989, when people obtained the right to leave Romania subsequent to the fall ofCommunism inCentral and Eastern Europe. The wave intensified after theMineriad of 13–15 June 1990. After 1998, for the fourth time, a large number of Romanians were leaving Europe to come to Canada.^{[citation needed]}

In 2001, there were 131,830 Canadian residents who identified themselves of Romanian origin, of which 53,320 were single-origin Romanians and 78,505 were of mixed Romanian and other origins.^[6] The largest concentrations of Romanian-Canadians are in theGreater Toronto Area (approx. 75,000) and in theGreater Montreal Area (approx. 40,000). According to the2001 Canadian census, the number of people of Romanian mother tongue in Canada was 50,895 and 61,330 Canadians claimed to speakRomanian. The number of people born in Romania was 61,330 and 2,380 were born inMoldova.

According to the2016 census, there were 238,050 Canadian residents who identified themselves of Romanian origin, of which 96,910 were single-origin Romanians and 141,145 were of mixed Romanian and other origins.^[7] Almost 100,000 Romanian Canadians live inOntario.^[8]

According to the2021 census, there were 215,885 Canadian residents declaring themselves of Romanian origin;^[9] Romanian was the mother tongue of 93,160 of Canadian residents.^[1] There were 86,770 Canadian residents who were born in Romania.^[9]

Immigration from Romania reached a high in the early 2000s. Figures fromCitizenship and Immigration Canada show that the annual number of new permanent residents from Romania increased from an average of over 3,700 per year in the late 1990s to an average of over 5,500 per year since 2001, peaking in 2004 at 5,658.^{[citation needed]} After 2004, the immigration from Romania constantly decreased.^{[citation needed]}

Source:Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2014:,^[10] 2015:^[11]Facts and Figures 2016:^[12]

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A few parishes and non-profit organizations deal with a series of community related issues. These include the "Buna Vestire" ParishMontreal, the Romanian Association of Canada, the Federation of Romanian Associations of Canada, Women's Society, and Constantin Brancoveanu Society.

In 1914-18 was built the "Buna Vestire" Church (Annunciation Church) (Cernăuți Metropolitan seat), the oldest Romanian Orthodox Church inMontreal. Among the Buna Vestire Church priests were Jida, Glicherie Moraru (1930–1938), Constantin Juga (1938–1950), Petre Popescu (June 10, 1951 – 2003), and Nicolae Stoleru, Tofan

In 1939, on Iberville Street, inMontreal, was built "Casa Romana", where was set up a Romanian school.

In 1957, was set up the Romanian Cultural Association ofHamilton, Ontario. Cuvântul românesc is the newspaper of the association. "The Week of the Romanians" continues the tradition of almost 40 years of the "Romanian Field Week" atHamilton, Ontario. Through the years, the place has combined cultural tributes to Romania withanticommunist manifestations from Romanians in North America. The Romanian Field covers 40 acres (160,000 m²) in a natural environment nearHamilton. The place features the Nae Ionescu Cultural Center, the St. Mary Chapel, sports fields, a pool, as well as a couple of bungalows and accommodation for mobile homes. The place for the St. Mary Chapel was chosen byValerian Trifa. The Writers' Alley (Rotonda) includes busts (sculptor Nicăpetre (1936–2008) ofNae Ionescu, Vasile Posteucă, George Donev,Aron Cotruş,Vintilă Horia,Mircea Eliade andMihai Eminescu.

Another recreational and Romanian cultural facility in Canada is the Camp atFort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. Although not quite completed, the camp was blessed and opened for use by ArchbishopValerian Trifa in the summer of 1971.

On July 24, 1998, the Romanian community ofBoian, Alberta celebrated its centenary. Besides religious services, there was a cultural program and demonstrations of the early life of the Romanians in Canada. The Romanian Orthodox parish inBoian has a Romanian ethnic museum housed on its premises. The museum and St. Mary Orthodox Church was proclaimed historical site by the authorities.

Association of Romanian Writers in Canada was incorporated in 2001. Association of Romanian Engineers in Canada was founded in 2003.

• 1896-1900 – A group of Romanians established themselves to theSaskatchewan, atClifford Sifton's advice.
• 1898 – The first two Romanian families that migrated to Canada from theBukovina village of Boian stopped inAlberta. They gave the settlement the nameBoian, Alberta.
• 1939 – On Iberville Street, inMontreal, was built "Casa Romana", where was set up a Romanian school.
• 1952 – The Romanian Association of Canada (A.R.C.) founded in Montreal by Gheorghe Loghiade ( -1986), Gheorghe Stanciu, Petre Sultana, Miron Georgescu, Nichita Tomescu, Florin Marghescu, Ion Ţăranu (1921–2009), Alexandru Fonta (1922–2004) and Mihai Pop. The association was incorporated in 1953.
• 1965 – The Romanian Association of Canada launches fund raising events in order to build the Romanian Orthodox Church "Buna Vestire", situated on Cristoph Colomb Street inMontreal.
• 1970 – launches fund raising events to help flood victims in Romania.
• 1970 – Alexandru Fonta (1922–2004), Vasile Posteucă (1912–1972) and Jean Ţăranu (1921–2009) donate a piece of land known today as "The Romanian Camp" inVal-David, Quebec. In 1980 inVal-David are inaugurated two Romanian landmarks, the Predeal-Trudeau Street and the Romanians Bridge.
• 1971 – A.R.C. launches the first Romanian Radio Show called "Ora de radio". Since 1999 the show airs with a different name, under the supervision of the Federation of Romanian Associations of Canada (F.A.R.).
• 1973 – A.R.C. participates at The Folk Festival inBaie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, taking 1st place in the competition.
• 1974 – A.R.C. joins other Romanian community associations to form the Federation of Romanian Associations of Canada (F.A.R.).
• 1981 – Together with other organizations - Buna Vestire Parish, Women's Society, Constantin Brancoveanu Society, Romanian Radio Show and F.A.R. Canada - A.R.C. launches a series of fundraising events to build The Romanian Cultural Center. F.A.R. obtains a grant of $100.000 from theQuebec Government for the construction of the center. The money were given to F.A.R. in the name of the Romanian Community of Montreal and all its members.
• 1988 – A.R.C. creates the first Romanian TV Show called "Tele-Roumanie".
• 1997 - new lyrics for the Canadian song "Maple Leaf Forever" by the Romanian Canadian Vladimir Radian: "CBC Radio's Metro Morning show in Toronto ran a contest to find new lyrics for the song in 1997. The contest was won by Romanian immigrant, mathematician, and now a songwriter, actor and poet, Vladimir Radian, who moved to Canada in the 1980s. This version received its first full orchestral treatment on June 27, 1997, at a concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra."
• 2000 – A.R.C. resigns from F.A.R. Canada after illegal elections are held by this Association on October 5, 1999.
• 2001 – A.R.C. and Nova.TR (The Young Romanians Association) launch a pilot project to help new immigrants upon their arrival. The project helped about 40 families of newcomers, offering them a low cost housing for a period of two weeks. The project came to an end a year later, due to lack of funds. In 2002, A.R.C. accepts the assimilation request of Nova.TR
• 2001 – In March, the first issue of the Romanian newspaper Pagini Romanesti (Romanian Pages) at Montréal. The newspaper was printed after the closing of an older magazine, Luceafarul. Pagini Romanesti is still printed being today the oldest newspaper of the Romanian community in Québec.
• 2003 – A.R.C. celebrates 50 years of existence with a series of cultural and social events.
• 2003 – On June 11, 2006, a bust ofMihai Eminescu was unveiled at Saint George Church,Windsor, Ontario.

• 
  Romanians in front of the Romanian Orthodox Church of Regina, the first Romanian church in North America (1904)
• 
  Embassy of Romania in Ottawa
• 
  St. George's Romanian Orthodox Church in Toronto
• 
  Toronto Romanian Festival
• 
  Statue of Mihai Eminescu, Montreal
• 
  Dan Hanganu's Éperon building,Pointe-à-Callière Museum

Province	Population	Percentage	Source
Ontario	98,235	0.7%	[13]
Quebec	53,060	0.7%	[14]
Alberta	34,230	0.9%	[15]
British Columbia	31,250	0.7%	[16]
Saskatchewan	12,730	1.2%	[17]
Manitoba	5,835	0.5%	[18]
Nova Scotia	1,195	0.1%	[19]
New Brunswick	940	0.1%	[20]
Newfoundland and Labrador	185	0.0%	[21]
Prince Edward Island	125	0.1%	[22]
Northwest Territories	120	0.3%	[23]
Nunavut	15	0.0%	[24]
Yukon	135	0.4%	[25]
Canada	238,050	0.7%	[26]

^[27]

• Mihai Ioan Botez – professor of neurology at University of Montreal
• Tudor Bompa – professor emeritus atYork University in Toronto
• Aurel Braun – professor of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Toronto
• Florin Diacu – mathematician atUniversity of Victoria
• Lila Kari – professor of computer science and of biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario.
• Lavinia Stan – professor of political science at St. Francis Xavier University
• Mircea Steriade – professor of neuroscience atUniversité Laval in Quebec
• Lucian Turcescu – professor of theology at Concordia University
• Ela Veresiu – assistant professor of marketing atYork University'sSchulich School of Business

• Dan Hanganu (received the Order of Canada)

• Lilian Broca – visual artist
• Sorel Etrog – sculptor (received the Order of Canada)
• Betty Goodwin – sculptor and painter
• Gilles Mihalcean – sculptor
• Joe Rosenthal – sculptor

• Murray Koffler – founder ofShoppers Drug Mart
• Murray Pezim (1920–1998) – former owner ofBC Lions
• Calin Rovinescu – former president and CEO ofAir Canada
• Michel Vulpe – entrepreneur and inventor, founder ofi4i

• Steven Cojocaru – fashion critic
• Irina Lazareanu – model

• Neil Grayston – actor
• Paul Kligman – actor
• Tatiana Maslany – actress
• Ann Pirvu – actress
• Kayla Rivera – actress and singer
• Elysia Rotaru – actress and voice artist
• Maïla Valentir – actress

• Normand Lester
• David Oancia
• Lawrence Solomon

• Oana Avasilichioaei – poet
• Irving Layton – poet
• Kenneth Radu – novelist
• Nina Munteanu – novelist

• Maya Badian – composer
• Paul Bley – pianist (received the Order of Canada)
• Teo Gheorghiu – pianist
• Serban Ghenea – audio engineer and mixer
• Simina Grigoriu – DJ and producer
• Corey Hart – singer
• Lisa Patterson – multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer
• Nestor Pistor – singer and comedian
• Ester Peony – singer and songwriter,Eurovision Song Contest 2019 participant

• Corneliu Chisu – former MP for Pickering-Scarborough East
• Gary Filmon – formerPremier of Manitoba
• David Iftodi – former MP for Provencher
• George Mihalcheon – provincial politician, member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• Magda Popeanu – current councillor for the City of Montreal
• William Yurko – former MLA, former MP for Edmonton East

• Bianca Andreescu – tennis player
• Ben Bassarab – wrestler
• Lucian Bute – boxer
• Theo Corbeanu – soccer player
• Aurora Cotop – figure skater
• Alex Comsia – soccer player
• Ion Croitoru – wrestler
• Adrian Diaconu – boxer
• Leonard Doroftei – boxer; lightweight world champion
• Mathew Dumba – ice hockey player
• Andrei Dumitru – soccer player
• Waldo Von Erich – wrestler
• Ecaterina Guica – judoka
• Ionuţ Dan Ion – boxer
• Carmen Ionesco – discus thrower and shot putter
• Joffrey Lupul – ice hockey player
• Alex Mateas – Canadian football player
• Pierre Mindru – soccer coach
• Dylan Moscovitch – pair skater
• Ana Padurariu – artistic gymnast
• Silviu Petrescu – soccer referee
• Horatio Pintea – table tennis player
• Erik Pop – soccer player
• Marina Radu – water polo player
• Roy Radu – rugby union player
• Robert Rositoiu – soccer coach
• Chris Serban – soccer player
• Daniel Stanese – soccer player
• Yannick Tifu – ice hockey player

• Alexandra Botez – chess player andTwitch.tv streamer
• Andrea Botez – chess player andTwitch.tv streamer
• Roberto Dutesco – photographer and filmmaker
• Kripparrian – Twitch.tv streamer; YouTube content creator
• Daniel Negreanu – professional poker player
• Doina Precup – computer scientist
• Razvan Preotu – chess player
• Catherine Pogonat – radio and television host
• Jerry S.T. Pitzul – judge advocate general for theCanadian Forces
• Christine Dumitriu Van Saanen – educator and geologist
• Alec Sehon – immunologist
• Jacob Viner – economist
• Matei Zaharia – computer scientist

• Boian, Alberta
• European Canadians
• Romanian Americans
• Canada–Romania relations
• Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas
• The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America

• European diaspora in Canada
• Canadian people of Romanian descent
• Romanian diaspora in Canada

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