Barbadian Canadians Explained

Group:	Barbadian Canadians
Pop:	37,780 (by ancestry, 2016)
Popplace:	Toronto and Montreal
Langs:	Canadian English, Bajan Creole
Rels:	Christianity

Barbadian Canadian or Bajan Canadians are Canadian citizens of Barbadian descent or Barbados-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2016 Census 37,780 Canadians claimed full or partial Barbadian ancestry.^[1] Barbadian Canadians have the highest median income and the lowest incidence of poverty among Black Canadian groups.^[2] Barbadians first start migrating to Nova Scotia in the early 1900s settling largely in the neighbourhood of Whitney Pier in Sydney.^[3] In Cape Breton, they established chapters of the United Negro Improvement Association and the African Orthodox Church. As of 2016, over 70% of the Bajan population in Canada resides in Ontario.

History

The IMMIGRATION ACT of 1952 in Canada had certain provisions that limited black immigration. However, in 1955, a special initiative was implemented to promote the immigration of Barbadian and Jamaican domestic workers who were deemed to possess exceptional merit. Unmarried women without any dependents, in good health, and with at least an eighth-grade education were eligible for landed immigrant status upon committing to one year of domestic service. This program remained in effect until 1967, when the nonracial point system was introduced to determine immigrant qualifications. As a result of this program, approximately 1,000 Barbadian women were able to immigrate to Canada. During the period from 1973 to 1978, there was a significant increase in Caribbean immigration to Canada. West Indians accounted for over 10 percent of all immigrants during this time. Among them, a considerable portion were Barbadians who primarily sought economic prospects.^[4]

Barbadian Canadians by Canadian province or territory (2016)

Province	Population	Percentage	Source
	26,630	0.2%	^[5]
	5,575	0.1%	^[6]
	2,065	0.1%	^[7]
	1,870	0.0%	^[8]
	740	0.1%	^[9]
	575	0.1%	^[10]
	110	0.0%	^[11]
	100	0.0%	^[12]
	95	0.0%	^[13]
	10	0.0%	^[14]
	10	0.0%	^[15]
	10	0.0%	^[16]
	0	0.0%	^[17]
	37,780	0.1%	^[18]

See also

• List of Canadians by ethnicity
• Barbados–Canada relations
• Caribbean Canadians

External links

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) - Government of Canada country profile on Barbados.
• Canadian Factsheet on Barbados

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada. 25 June 2018.
2. Ornstein. Michael. Ethno-Racial Groups in Toronto, 1971-2001: A Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile. 20 February 2019.
3. Book: Bonner. Claudine. Industrial Island – African-Caribbean Migration to Cape Breton, Canada, 1900-1930. September 2017. 21 February 2019.
4. Book: Encyclopedia of North American Immigration . 978-1-4381-1012-7 . Powell . John . 2009 . Infobase .
5. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Ontario, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
6. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Quebec, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
7. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Alberta, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
8. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), British Columbia, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
9. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Manitoba, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
10. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Nova Scotia, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
11. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Saskatchewan, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
12. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), New Brunswick, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
13. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Newfoundland and Labrador, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
14. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Northwest Territories, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
15. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Nunavut, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
16. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Prince Edward Island, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
17. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Yukon, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
18. Web site: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables. 25 October 2017 . statcan.gc.ca.