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 Population distribution of Welsh Canadians by census division, 2021 census | |
| Total population | |
| 474,805 (by ancestry,2016 Census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ontario,Western Canada,Atlantic Canada | |
| Languages | |
| Welsh,English,French | |
| Religion | |
| TraditionallyChristianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Welsh,Welsh Americans,Welsh Argentines,Cornish Canadians,Breton Canadians |
Welsh Canadians areCanadian citizens of Welsh descent orWales-born people who reside inCanada.
According to the2011 Census, 458,705 Canadians claimed full or partialWelsh descent.[2] This increased to 474,805 in the2016 Census[3]
Categorically, Welsh Canadians comprise a subgroup ofBritish Canadians which is a further subgroup ofEuropean Canadians.[a]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 74,415 | — |
| 1981 | 46,620 | −37.4% |
| 1986 | 150,285 | +222.4% |
| 1991 | 197,855 | +31.7% |
| 1996 | 338,905 | +71.3% |
| 2001 | 350,365 | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 440,960 | +25.9% |
| 2011 | 458,705 | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 474,805 | +3.5% |
| Source:Statistics Canada [7]: 20 [8]: 20 [9]: 240 [10]: 45 [11]: 60 [12][13][6][5][4] Note1: 1981 Canadian census did not include multiple ethnic origin responses, thus population is an undercount. Note2: 1996-present census populations are undercounts, due to the creation of the "Canadian" ethnic origin category. | ||
Welsh mapmakerDavid Thompson was one of the great explorers of theNorth West Company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and is often called "Canada's Greatest Geographer". He covered 130,000 kilometres on foot and surveyed most of theCanada–United States border in the early days of exploration.[citation needed]
One of the first efforts to encourage Welsh emigration to Canada began in 1812, when Welsh native John Mathews endeavoured to bring his family to Canada. Mathews left home at a young age and went on to become a successful businessman in the United States. When he returned to Wales, he found his family living in poverty and became convinced they should emigrate to Canada. In 1817 his family settled in the township of Southwald, near what is nowLondon, Ontario. By 1812 he had brought over more relatives who built homes on the 100-acre (0.40 km2) lots granted to them by Colonel Thomas Talbot. The colony attracted 385 Welsh settlers by 1850 and retained its predominantly Welsh character until the late 1870s.[citation needed]
Early Welsh immigration to Canada was also spurred on by theCariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia in 1858. The development of underground mining provided employment for many Welsh coal miners who decided to remain in the area.[citation needed]
In 1902, Welsh immigrants arrived fromPatagonia, which had been incorporated intoArgentina in 1881. Compulsory military service and a series of floods that ruined Welsh farmers' crops led to some emigrants resettling atLlewelyn near Bangor, Saskatchewan, where they once again took up farming. A community of Welsh farmers was also established at Wood River nearPonoka, Alberta.
Historically,Alberta has had the highest number of people of Welsh descent as a proportion to population. In the2016 Census, there are 80,455 people identifying as being of Welsh descent, which is around 2% of the total population of Alberta.[14]
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Welsh festivals in Canada today includeEisteddfodau, andGymanfa Ganu. The Welsh in Canada celebrateSt. David's Day,March 1st, the celebrations include storytelling and singing; banquets are also held inLethbridge,Ponoka,Calgary,Red Deer,Edmonton,Regina, Saskatchewan, andFort McMurray. In Eastern Canada, the Central New Brunswick Welsh Society celebrates St. David's Day by hoisting the Welsh flag on March 1 at both the Provincial Legislature and City Hall inFredericton, followed by a dinner for members and guests.[citation needed]
A newsletter serves the Welsh communities in Calgary and Lethbridge, while in Edmonton the St. David's Society issues a bulletin twice a year informing its members about upcoming events. Some Welsh Canadians subscribe toNinnau, the Welsh national newspaper published in New York.[citation needed]
Welsh-Canadians have been active in the country's cultural life, supplying Canada with some of its more lively characters including novelistRobertson Davies,Powys Thomas, co-founder of the national theatre school, andRobert Harris, painter of theFathers of Confederation.[citation needed]
| Province | Population | Percentage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ontario | 198,470 | 1.5% | [15] |
 British Columbia | 113,905 | 2.5% | [16] |
 Alberta | 80,455 | 2.0% | [17] |
 Manitoba | 17,760 | 1.4% | [18] |
 Nova Scotia | 17,135 | 1.9% | [19] |
 Saskatchewan | 17,785 | 1.7% | [20] |
 Quebec | 10,765 | 0.1% | [21] |
 New Brunswick | 10,110 | 1.4% | [22] |
 Newfoundland and Labrador | 4,375 | 0.9% | [23] |
 Prince Edward Island | 2,415 | 1.7% | [24] |
 Yukon | 905 | 2.6% | [25] |
 Northwest Territories | 560 | 1.4% | [26] |
 Nunavut | 160 | 0.5% | [27] |
| Canada | 474,805 | 1.4% | [28] |
In Alberta, there areWelsh language seminars in person and online.[citation needed]
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