COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS 63
in the list. The same applies to Galicia, with the difference that by 1921 the Galicians
had not yet resumed their exodus to this country in great numbers. In the decade 1900-1910,
Poland appeared for the first time among the first seven countries, and except for the war
years has continuously maintained a place of high importance as a source of Canadian
‘mmigration. These four are predominantly Slavic countries (Galicia is now included in
Poland).
[t is worthy of note that while Italy does not appear in the list before 1900, in the
decade 1900-1910 it stood fifth and ranked between first and third from that time to the
aking of the last Census. This fact shows that immigration from Southern Europe as well
33 from Eastern and Central Europe has been coming to the fore, Of the Scandinavian
peoples, the Swedes appeared among the first seven until 1921, and the Norwegians from
1900 until just after the war. While Iceland was among the seven countries which sent
‘he largest number of immigrants to Canada before 1900, it has never since reappeared
among that group. The same applies to Germany. France also ranked among the first
seven prior to 1900, but since then has appeared in the list only in 1919 and 1920, when
she volume of immigration was practically negligible owing to the war. Further, of the
French who came in 1919 65 p.. were women, which suggests that among their number
were included many who had married Canadian soldiers or were about to do so. That
France should temporarily occupy a high place under such unusual circumstances is not
‘ndicative of an increasing volume of French immigration as compared with pre-war years.
[ndeed, as in the case of Germany and Iceland, the importance of immigration from France
as continuously declined since the beginning of the century.
Careful study of this table will show the gradual shifting of the weight of immigration
‘rom the North West of Europe and the Scandinavian and Germanic groups to the South,
Eastern and Central nations and the Slavic and Latin and Greek peoples.
TABLE 25—PRINCIPAL COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS TO
CANADA IN SPECIFIED PERIODS
Rank Country | Rank Country I Rank Country !
Before 1900 1900-1910 1011-1914
Russia, 1
Germany 2
Austria £
alicia :
France
iceland
Sweden
Russia. ;
Austria ‘
alicia
Sweden
taly
Norway
Yaland
Russia.
Austria
[taly
Poland
Galicia
Sweden
Norway
1091 (R months)
nin
I DON
France .
3elgium ‘
‘taly :
ussia ‘
Sweden 5
Norway 6
Poland 8
‘taly ,
3elgium
2oland i
Russia
France
Sweden
Rinland
2
¥
/
:
{
Russia,
taly
*oland
‘elgium
\ustria
Denmark
Roumaeania
Rank | Country
1915-1918
Russia,
Norway
taly
tweden
‘inland
Tance
*algiim
Length of Residence of the Foreign Born in Canada—Table 26 shows the total number
of foreign born in Canada in 1921 by country of birth and the number and percentage of
sach nationality who arrived prior to 1901. Table 27 groups the percentages for the
European born by territorial and linguistic classes.
A few interesting points are brought out in these tables. First, those of Icelandic birth
show the largest percentage in Canada before 1901, while the Bulgarians, with only 2.2 pe.
in Canada before that date, showed the smallest. There is considerable variation in the
proportions within both the geographical and linguistic groups. Of the North Western
Europeans, for example, the smallest percentage arriving before 1901 appears in the case of
immigrants from Holland; only 5 p.c. of those born in that country and resident in Canada
in 1921 had arrived before the beginning of the century. At the other extreme stands
Iceland, with almost 60 p.c. of the immigrants of Icelandic birth in Canada arriving before
1901.