Syrian Canadian
Encyclopedia
Canadians of Syrian ancestry refers to Canadians who can trace their ancestry back to Syria
.
Over ninety percent of the early newcomers were Christian
. Classifying these immigrants was a cause of confusion for the Canadian authorities, as Syria at the time was part of the Ottoman Empire
, and also because Lebanon
was still part of Syria. Early on, all arrivals from the region were labeled as Turks, until in 1911 immigrants from the Ottoman province of Syria were classified as Syrians, and later in 1955, under separate categories for Lebanese and Syrian. These early immigrants were often illiterate or semi-literate, even in Arabic. However, the immigrants who arrived in the latter part of the twentieth century were generally well educated.
Most of the immigrants arriving in the 19th century came not directly from Syria, but instead from the US, and settled in Montreal
, where the population had reached 200-300 by the mid 90's. In later years, some moved to Ontario
and other cities in Quebec
, where more newcomers were arriving. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of Syrians in Canada had reached 2,000, concentrated mainly in Montreal, Trois-Rivières
, Ottawa
, and Toronto
. Between 1900 and 1912, there was an estimated 5,389 Syrian immigrants to Canada.
The second phase of Syrian immigration began in 1945, and continues today. After a period of stagnancy in terms of immigration, the number of Syrian immigrants began to increase again following the Second World War. During this period, the newcomers were more or less evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. In contrast to immigrants from earlier times, these newcomers were educated, often able to speak French and English as well as Arabic, and had a pan-Arab ideology. Most have arrived in the last few decades: between 1981 and 1993, 8,348 Syrians arrived in Canada. This represents over %75 of the 11,005 persons recorded in the 1991 census as born in Syria.
According to the 1991 census, just over 13,000 persons in Canada claim they are wholly or partially of Syrian ethnic origin. Over half (52 percent) reside in Quebec, with the next largest province being Ontario (28 percent). The 2001 census
however, reports that 22,065 people have Syrian roots, with 10,445 (47 percent) residing in Quebec, and 7,730 (35 percent) in Ontario.
In 1999, the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
in Montreal was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as the earliest-known, purpose-built church of the Syrian Orthodox community in Canada and an important symbol of the history and traditions of this community in Canada.
, and Lac la Biche
, Alberta
. Few reached the Northwest Territories
, the best known being Peter Baker, author of the book An Arctic Arab, and later elected
as a member of the Legislative assembly of the Northwest Territories. By the 1930s, many towns in the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, and western Canada had one or more stores run by Syrian immigrants.
Women also worked occasionally, in addition to household chores, and usually helped run the family store if they had one, and in the cities they would sell goods from door to door.
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....
.
History
The immigration of Syrians to Canada began towards the end of the 19th century, with the first known Syrian immigrant, Ibrahim Abu Nadir, arriving in 1882. This immigration can be divided into two distinct phases, the first one ranging from 1885 to about 1908, when the Order-in-Council P.C. 926 was passed, which restricted the immigration of Asians, including Syrians, and imposed a $200 landing fee upon them. This, along with the First World War and later the Depression, significantly decreased the volume of Syrian immigration.Over ninety percent of the early newcomers were Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Classifying these immigrants was a cause of confusion for the Canadian authorities, as Syria at the time was part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and also because 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...
was still part of Syria. Early on, all arrivals from the region were labeled as Turks, until in 1911 immigrants from the Ottoman province of Syria were classified as Syrians, and later in 1955, under separate categories for Lebanese and Syrian. These early immigrants were often illiterate or semi-literate, even in Arabic. However, the immigrants who arrived in the latter part of the twentieth century were generally well educated.
Most of the immigrants arriving in the 19th century came not directly from Syria, but instead from the US, and settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal 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...
, where the population had reached 200-300 by the mid 90's. In later years, some moved to 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 other cities in 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....
, where more newcomers were arriving. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of Syrians in Canada had reached 2,000, concentrated mainly in Montreal, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and 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...
. Between 1900 and 1912, there was an estimated 5,389 Syrian immigrants to Canada.
The second phase of Syrian immigration began in 1945, and continues today. After a period of stagnancy in terms of immigration, the number of Syrian immigrants began to increase again following the Second World War. During this period, the newcomers were more or less evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. In contrast to immigrants from earlier times, these newcomers were educated, often able to speak French and English as well as Arabic, and had a pan-Arab ideology. Most have arrived in the last few decades: between 1981 and 1993, 8,348 Syrians arrived in Canada. This represents over %75 of the 11,005 persons recorded in the 1991 census as born in Syria.
According to the 1991 census, just over 13,000 persons in Canada claim they are wholly or partially of Syrian ethnic origin. Over half (52 percent) reside in Quebec, with the next largest province being Ontario (28 percent). The 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
however, reports that 22,065 people have Syrian roots, with 10,445 (47 percent) residing in Quebec, and 7,730 (35 percent) in Ontario.
In 1999, the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church (Montreal)
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is a brick Antiochian Orthodox church in the Villeray neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Designed by architect Joseph-Raoul Gariépy, the church was constructed in 1939-40 to serve the Syrian Orthodox community in Montreal...
in Montreal was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as the earliest-known, purpose-built church of the Syrian Orthodox community in Canada and an important symbol of the history and traditions of this community in Canada.
Employment
The leading factor for the immigration of Syrians has been to find better jobs. The early immigrants found themselves engaging in basic commerce, with the term 'peddler' becoming almost synonymous with 'Syrian'. Most of these peddlers were successful, and, with time, and after raising enough capital, some became importers and wholesalers, recruiting newcomers and supplying them with merchandise. Others opened small businesses in urban centres all over the country. Later, these merchants would gravitate towards larger urban locations, where the economy was flourishing. Smaller numbers of Syrians worked as labourers in factories, miners, or as lumber workers. Also, some became pioneers in the southern prairie regions of western Canada, and worked in farming. These workers settled in communities such as Swift Current, SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and Lac la Biche
Lac la Biche
Lac la Biche can refer to:*Lac la Biche , a lake in Alberta, Canada*Lac La Biche, Alberta, a town in Alberta, Canada*Lac La Biche County, Alberta, a municipal district in Alberta, Canada...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Few reached the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, the best known being Peter Baker, author of the book An Arctic Arab, and later elected
Northwest Territories general election, 1964
The Northwest Territories general election, of 1964 took place on March 31, 1964. This was the tenth general election in the history of the Canadian Northwest Territories.-Appointed members:-Elected members:...
as a member of the Legislative assembly of the Northwest Territories. By the 1930s, many towns in the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, and western Canada had one or more stores run by Syrian immigrants.
Women also worked occasionally, in addition to household chores, and usually helped run the family store if they had one, and in the cities they would sell goods from door to door.
Notable Syrian Canadians
- Ren%C3%A9 Ang%C3%A9lil a Canadian singer and manager
- Omar AlghabraOmar AlghabraOmar Alghabra is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Mississauga—Erindale in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008.Alghabra graduated from Ryerson University with a degree in engineering and in 2000 received his Master of Business Administration from York University.He...
a Canadian Member of Parliament from Mississauga—ErindaleMississauga—ErindaleMississauga—Erindale is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Mississauga Centre and Mississauga West ridings.... - Maher ArarMaher ArarMaher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
, an engineer detained in the United States, then deported to Syria, where he was imprisoned and allegedly tortured. He later received an apology and compensation from the Canadian government. - Sam HamadSam HamadSam Hamad is a Syrian-born Quebec politician. He is the current Member of National Assembly for the riding of Louis-Hebert in the Quebec City region...
, a Member of the Quebec National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Louis-HebertLouis-Hébert (electoral district)Louis-Hébert is a federal electoral district in the Canadian province of Quebec. Represented in the House of Commons since 2004, its population was certified, according to the detailed statistics of 2001, as 98,156.-Geography:...
and Quebec Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity - Jack KachkarJack KachkarJack Kachkar is CEO of Inyx, Inc, a speciality in pharmaceutical company founded in 2003. In addition to focusing on investments in the healthcare industry, Jack Kachkar also currently manages his family's real estate, property development and commodity investments.Kachkar was born in Damascus,...
, Syrian Canadian businessman of Armenian descent - Wiz KiloWiz KiloWissam Kilo, better known by his stage name Wiz Kilo, is a Syrian-Canadian hip hop and R&B artist, songwriter, music producer, dancer and hip hop instructor.-Early years:...
, Canadian hip hop and R&B artist - Ruba NaddaRuba NaddaRuba Nadda is an Arab Canadian film director. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 6 December 1972 to a Syrian father and a Palestinian mother. She made several award-winning short films, including Lost Woman Story, Interstate Love Story, So Far Gone and Damascus Nights before writing and...
, a Canadian film director of mixed Syrian-Palestinian origin - Priya ThomasPriya ThomasPriya Thomas is a Canadian artist and musician born in Hamilton, Ontario and raised on the South Shore of Montreal, Quebec.Thomas is a classically trained musician whose first instrument was the violin. Thomas is also a classically trained dancer who performed publicly for many years prior to...
, a Canadian artist and musician - Husam Wafaei (Sam), First Syrian Canadian to become a contemporary Canadian Forces Veteran with 23 years of completed and continuous services in the air Force, with seven international campaigns.