Armenian Canadian
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Canadian census
determined that there were 50,500 Canadians of Armenia
n ancestry and 30,130 had Armenian as their mother tongue. A large part of the Armenian diaspora in Canada came from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and other nations in the Middle East
. Canada has also seen increased immigration from Armenia, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union
.
who had escaped persecution from the Armenian Genocide
settled in communities in southern Ontario
.
Thousands of Armenians made their way to Canada after federal immigration policies became less restrictive during the 1950s. Many newcomers were originally from Middle East
ern countries that were affected by strife such as Egypt
, Iran
, Lebanon
, Syria
and Turkey
. In the early 1990s, some Armenians immigrated to Canada after the disintegration of the Soviet Union
.
Most Armenian-Canadians are centered in the provinces of Quebec
and Ontario
and are active in community life. Smaller communities exist in the central and Maritime Provinces
, with a slightly larger community in British Columbia
.
There is also the Notre Dame de Nareg Armenian Catholic Church (in Ville Saint Laurent suburb of Montreal) and various Armenian Evangelical Churches, most notably the First Armenian Evangelical Church (Montreal) and the Armenian Evangelical Church (Laval).
The Armenian community in Montreal has two full-time Armenian schools, the Sourp Hagop Armenian School
and the Armén-Québec Alex Manoogian School. Laval is the home of the Armenian Catholic Ecole Notre-Dame de Nareg School.
Montreal also boasts the publication of two long-running pan-Canadian Armenian weeklies, Abaka
that debut in 1975 and Horizon
that started in 1979. Both weeklies are in fact trilingual, as in addition to their Armenian-language content, they run English and French special sections as well on a weekly basis. Horizon Weekly also publishes a monthly literary supplement as well as a monthly youth supplement in addition to the annual New Year's edition.
Montreal also has a monument in remembrance of the victims of the genocide. The monument also serves as a memorial to all peoples who are victims of genocide. It is located in Parc Marcelin-Wilson in the Ahuntsic district of Montreal.
The Armenian community in Toronto
, with a 2006 population figure of 16,310,, is centred in the neighbourhoods of Don Valley Village
and Pleasant View in north-central Toronto. The hub of the community is the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto complex at Victoria Park and 401. The center has a school offering education from kindergarten to high school.
Armenian Apostolic churches include Holy Trinity Armenian Church (Diocese of the See of Holy Echmiadzin) and St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church (in Willowdale, pertaining to the diocese of the Holy See of Cilicia)
St. Mary airs a weekly radio program every Sunday from 8pm to 11pm on 1690am,
Armenian Catholics have their own church St. Gregory the Illuminator in Toronto. Toronto Hye, an Armenian-related periodical is published monthly by the community.
. Present day communities are present throughout the province in Mississauga, St. Catharines, Hamilton
, Windsor
and Cambridge
, numbering roughly 6,000 Armenians.
Parishes under the diocese of the See of Holy Echmiadzin include St Vartan in Mississaug, St. Gregory the Illuminator in St. Catharines, St. Mary in Hamilton and Holy Resurrection in Windsor. Parishes under the diocese of the Holy See of Cilicia include St. Nishan in Cambridge and St. Paul in St. Catharines.
, pertaining to the dioceser of the Holy See of Cilicia).
Religious links:
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
determined that there were 50,500 Canadians of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n ancestry and 30,130 had Armenian as their mother tongue. A large part of the Armenian diaspora in Canada came from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and other nations in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Canada has also seen increased immigration from Armenia, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
History
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ArmeniansArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
who had escaped persecution from the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
settled in communities in southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Thousands of Armenians made their way to Canada after federal immigration policies became less restrictive during the 1950s. Many newcomers were originally from Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern countries that were affected by strife such as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In the early 1990s, some Armenians immigrated to Canada after the disintegration of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Most Armenian-Canadians are centered in the provinces of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and are active in community life. Smaller communities exist in the central and Maritime Provinces
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
, with a slightly larger community in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Montreal and Laval
Montreal, numbering 21,765 people of Armenian ancestry, is center for two Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Prelacies governing not just Montreal community but all Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) communities throughout Canada:- Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada (representing the See of Holy EchmiadzinEchmiadzinMother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is a 4th century Armenian church in the town of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church....
)- Parishes: St. Gregory the Illuminator (in Outremont, MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
) and Holy Cross Armenian Church (LavalLaval, QuebecLaval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
)
- Parishes: St. Gregory the Illuminator (in Outremont, Montreal
- Armenian Prelacy of Canada (representing the Holy See of Cilicia)
- Parishes: Sourp Hagop Cathedral (Montreal) and Sourp Kevork Armenian Apostolic Church (Laval)
The Armenian community in Montreal has two full-time Armenian schools, the Sourp Hagop Armenian School
L'École Arménienne Sourp Hagop
L'École Arménienne Sourp Hagop is a college preparatory private secondary school located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Armenian-Canadian school has around 700 students, excluding the children in the nearby, closely affiliated pre-school. Education begins in Kindergarten and ends at Secondary 5,...
and the Armén-Québec Alex Manoogian School. Laval is the home of the Armenian Catholic Ecole Notre-Dame de Nareg School.
Montreal also boasts the publication of two long-running pan-Canadian Armenian weeklies, Abaka
Abaka (weekly)
Abaka is an Armenian Canadian trilingual newspaper established in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1975. It is the official political organ of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party...
that debut in 1975 and Horizon
Horizon Weekly
Horizon Weekly is an Armenian Canadian newspaper publication and is the official political organ of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation 's Canadian Central Committee.- History :...
that started in 1979. Both weeklies are in fact trilingual, as in addition to their Armenian-language content, they run English and French special sections as well on a weekly basis. Horizon Weekly also publishes a monthly literary supplement as well as a monthly youth supplement in addition to the annual New Year's edition.
Montreal also has a monument in remembrance of the victims of the genocide. The monument also serves as a memorial to all peoples who are victims of genocide. It is located in Parc Marcelin-Wilson in the Ahuntsic district of Montreal.
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, with a 2006 population figure of 16,310,, is centred in the neighbourhoods of Don Valley Village
Don Valley Village
Don Valley Village is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Highway 401, and is bounded by Sheppard Avenue to the south, Leslie Street to the west, Finch Avenue to the north and Highway 404 to the east...
and Pleasant View in north-central Toronto. The hub of the community is the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto complex at Victoria Park and 401. The center has a school offering education from kindergarten to high school.
Armenian Apostolic churches include Holy Trinity Armenian Church (Diocese of the See of Holy Echmiadzin) and St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church (in Willowdale, pertaining to the diocese of the Holy See of Cilicia)
St. Mary airs a weekly radio program every Sunday from 8pm to 11pm on 1690am,
Armenian Catholics have their own church St. Gregory the Illuminator in Toronto. Toronto Hye, an Armenian-related periodical is published monthly by the community.
Ottawa
With a small thriving Armenian community of 1,375, Canada's capital city is the home of the St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Parish.Other Ontario regions
Due to the growth of the Armenian community, many have established outside the Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
. Present day communities are present throughout the province in Mississauga, St. Catharines, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
and Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
, numbering roughly 6,000 Armenians.
Parishes under the diocese of the See of Holy Echmiadzin include St Vartan in Mississaug, St. Gregory the Illuminator in St. Catharines, St. Mary in Hamilton and Holy Resurrection in Windsor. Parishes under the diocese of the Holy See of Cilicia include St. Nishan in Cambridge and St. Paul in St. Catharines.
Vancouver
The community, which had 1,915 people of Armenian ancestry per the results of the 2006 Canada Census, has its own Armenian Apostolic Churches: St Vartan Armenian Church (diocese to the See of Holy Echmiadzin) and St. Greogory the Illuminator (in RichmondRichmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
, pertaining to the dioceser of the Holy See of Cilicia).
External links
General- Abaka Weekly Newspaper
- Horizon Weekly Newspaper
- Armenian Community Centre of Toronto, Ontario
- Armenian National Committee of Canada
- Tekeyan Cultural Union - Montreal
- Audio file about Montreal Armenians, in French
Religious links: