A. Country of Origin – Canada is a nation of immigrants. Historically,
English and French immigrants comprised the two founding nations. Twenty-first
century Canada has shifted dramatically from these two European cultures, to
become a mosaic of ethnic and cultural diversity. In 2000, 227,000 immigrants
came to Canada -- 53 percent of these immigrants came from Asia/Pacific
(Pacific Rim) countries.
Significant Ethnic Groups: English and French are the dominant ethnic
groups in Canada, totaling 69% of the population. The most prominent ethnic
groups comprising the other 31% in Canada are:
Other less prominent ethnic groups include Japanese (2.1%) and Korean
(2.0%).
B. Language(s) – English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other
17.5%. Other languages (number of speakers in parentheses) include:
Chinese (986,000), Native Indian (800,000), Spanish (229,000), East Indian
languages (280,000 - excluding Punjabi), Punjabi (215,000), Arabic (195,000),
Tagalog (158,000), Korean (73,000), and Vietnamese (60,000).
C. Religious Background – Religious beliefs in Canada follow traditional
lines. Those of French, Irish, and highland Scottish descent are generally
Roman Catholic; those of British descent are mostly Protestant. A significant
number of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh religious groups are present in
British Colombia. Most Canadians are Christians, but the beliefs and doctrines
of the different Christian churches are diverse, and society is highly
secularized. Although church and state are officially separate in Canada,
religion is publicly recognized and private religious schools are often
subsidized by the state. Religious organizations have played a greater role in
Canadian politics than is typical in the United States.
D. Southern Baptist Work – The Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists
(CCSB) has been termed by Jim Slack, IMB Missiologist, the most ethnically
diverse Baptist convention in the world, with nearly half of its churches being
ethnic. The CCSB presently has congregations in the following ethnic groups
(number of churches in parentheses): Korean (18), Chinese (15), Canadian Indian
(8), Haitian (8), Arabic (5), Filipino (5), Hispanic (4), Greek (3), Vietnamese
(3), East Indian (2), Deaf (1), Romanian (3), Laotian (1), International (1),
and Sudanese (1).
E. Sub-cultures – Most Canadians are proud of their cultural heritage,
which includes French, British, and other European influences. People take
great pride in their individual provinces and heritage, as well as in being
Canadian.
F. Past Challenges – Threats of secession have caused tensions not only
within Quebec but throughout other provinces as well. Regional fishing
economies were dealt a serious blow in 1992 when, due to dwindling resources,
the federal government banned cod fishing, the traditional occupation of Nova
Scotia. The moratorium and other factors have led to forced closures of fishing
ports, emigration, and high regional unemployment rates.
G. Past Immigration Patterns – The earliest European settlers in today's
Canada were French colonists in the 1600s, who established settlements
along the Saint Lawrence River. Vikings from Greenland settled
briefly in Newfoundland. Early native peoples also included the Inuit and Inn
(in Labrador), Beothuk (Newfoundland), Micmac or Mi'kmaq (the Maritimes and
Newfoundland), and Malecite (New Brunswick) groups.
A. Population – The population of Canada is currently 31.2 million. The
Government of Canada's goal is an annual immigration equal to 1 percent of
the population, or 312,000 annually.
B. Present Immigration patterns – Canada has an aggressive immigration
strategy, as seen in the graph below.
Canada will become increasingly multi-ethnic. This is especially true of
Toronto, Canada's largest city, with a population of 5.2 million (including
edge cities). In 2000, 47.5 percent of total immigrants to Canada moved to
Toronto. More than 50 percent of Toronto's citizens now have been born
outside Canada, making it the world's most multi-ethnic city, according to the
UN.
C. Evangelism – Strategies for evangelizing ethnics must include
friendship evangelism, servant ministry (eg: ESL, WorldChangers), one-on-one
witnessing, compassionate ministries (eg: refugee settlement), and church
planting.
D. Church Planting – Because of Canada's multicultural mosaic, the CCSB
expects many international (multi-ethnic) congregations to be planted,
especially in Canada's largest cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary,
Edmonton). Second generation children of immigrants find it difficult to
participate fully in an ethnic church, necessitating English-language worship
services.
E. Family Life
Education – Each province is responsible for its
educational system. In all provinces, education is compulsory and free for at
least eight years, beginning at age six or seven. Each province also
administers its own colleges and universities. While the federal and provincial
governments subsidize colleges, students must pay tuition. Many students choose
to complete a two-year technical training program and enter the workforce;
about 40 percent enter a university. While only about 10 percent have college
degrees, an additional 20 percent have completed at least some postsecondary
training.
Occupation – A normal business day is from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m., Monday through Friday. Canadians usually begin full-time work between the
ages of 16 and 25. Business habits are similar to those in the United
States.