Origin, birthplace, nationality and language of the Canadian people

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794974814

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-182133

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Origin, birthplace, nationality and language of the Canadian people

Place of publication:: Ottawa

Publisher:: Acland

Year of publication:: 1929

Scope:: 224 S.; Diagramme

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter I. Origins of the population of Canada

Collection:: Economics Books

CHANGES IN THE PROPORTION OF DIFFERENT STOCKS 47 The first point to note is the wide range of percentage increases. In the decade 1901-11 they fluctuated between the limits of minus 17 p.c. for the Indians (partly due to change in census methods) to plus 1159 p.e. for a group of minor stocks specified in footnote three of the table. Such extreme fluctuations emphasize the plastic nature of our population. The second fact is the appearance of a group of stocks whose percentage increase is less than that for the total population of Canada. There were five in the decade 1901-1911, which when arranged in descending order of magnitude are as follows: —- Per cent. British.. «. .. cv ch er ve er ee ae. 27-22 Pronmlios on we mo 5m 5m 5% 58 56 35 sr mm mw sw wn sow wn wn che 24-59 Greek.. .. .. «. Lo... a... 23-50 Negro.. .. ov v0 vv vv ov 4 - 321 IIA ve an wi od Sk 56 2 EE BE em am ms te te vr 2m 2 or re ve aamTEoanm Though the English section of the British grew 10 p.c. faster then the population as a whole, the British group increased 7 p.c. less rapidly than the total population. The French showed an increase of only 24-59 p.c., as against 34-17 p.c. for Canada as a whole. The relative significance of various factors in bringing about these results cannot well be weighed. The smallness of French immigration as compared with that of other stocks and the high mortality rate, especially among infants, in French Canada probably account for the striking difference between the Dominion rate and that for the French. The magnitude of the difference is not so great in the following decade, but the unfavourable rate of growth in the French population persisted. That the rate for the Greeks was lower than that of the Dominion in 1901-1811 is offset by an increase nearly three times as great as the general increase for the Dominion in the next decade. Absolute decreases shown for the Negro and Indian stocks are turned into Increases between 1911 and 1921, but the percentage increases are only a fraction of that for Canada as a whole, which confirms the tendencv noted above, as to the decline of the pro- portion of those stocks in Canada. In the third place attention is drawn to the magnitude of the numerical and percentage increases for the Asiatic and European stocks (other than British and French). As a group, the other European stocks increased by four times as large a proportion as did the English and French. The rate was such as to more than double the European stocks in the one decade, and was much higher for specific origins. For example, the Belgians and Scandina- vians trebled; the Hebrews and Italians increased more than fourfold, and the Poles and Finns, respectively, were numerically five and six times as strong in 1911 as in 1901. The Asiatics increased three times as rapidly as the British. These figures appear extremely large when compared with the increases of 27-22 p.c. for the British, 24-59 p.c. for the French and 34-17 p.c. for the population as a whole. It must not, of course, be inferred that such extreme differences are likely to be repeated or could possibly obtain for any length of time. Were the doors thrown open to Orientals, the rate of increase of these people in Canada would undoubtedly soar for some years, but such an event may be dismissed as beyond the range of probability. For Europe, however, the case is dif- ferent. Continental Europe has a more or less determinate surplus of population for emigra- tion each year. With the gradually declining birthrate, that surplus will grow smaller. But, as the numbers of the several stocks in Canada grow, larger and larger streams of immigrants would be required to keep up these abnormally large percentage increases. Thus, such diversity in rates of growth among the various elements in our population as was witnessed: in the first ten years of the century wili not likely be repeated, and even if repeated in some subsequent decade, could not go on indefinitely. The decline of the immigration of European stocks, however, will not be as rapid as might be expected. Hitherto Canada has been receiving only a portion of the excess popu- lation of Europe. Much larger numbers have gone to the United States. With that country

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