South Asian Canadians

South Asian Canadians
Canadiens d'origines Sud-Asiatique
	South Asian ancestry % in Canada (2016)
Total population
	2,571,400; 7.1% of the total Canadian population (2021)
Regions with significant populations
	Southern Ontario, Southwestern BC, Central Alberta, Southern Quebec, Most urban areas
Languages
	Canadian English · Canadian French · ; Punjabi · Hindi–Urdu · Tamil · Gujarati · Bengali; Other South Asian languages
Religion
	Hinduism (29.9%); Sikhism (29.6%); Islam (23.1%); Christianity (9.5%); Irreligion (6.1%); Buddhism (1.1%); Jainism (0.3%); Zoroastrianism (0.1%); Judaism (0.05%); Baháʼí (0.02%); Indigenous (0.004%); Others (0.1%)
Related ethnic groups
	South Asian Americans · Asian Canadians · British Asians · South Asian people

South Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, which includes the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

The term South Asian Canadian is a subgroup of Asian Canadian and, according to Statistics Canada, can further be divided by nationality, such as Indian Canadian, Pakistani Canadian, and Bangladeshi Canadian.^[3] As of 2016, South Asians (5.7%) comprise the third largest pan-ethnic group in Canada after Europeans (72.9%) and East Asians (6.2%).

As of 2021, 2,571,400 Canadians had South Asian geographical origins, constituting approximately 7.1% of the total Canadian population and 35.1% of the total Asian Canadian population.^[1] This makes them the largest visible minority group in Canada comprising 26.7% of the visible minority population, followed by Chinese and Black Canadians respectively.^[1]

The largest communities are found in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, while metropolitan areas with large South Asian Canadian populations include Toronto (1,182,485), Vancouver (369,295), Calgary (153,200), Edmonton (123,340), and Montréal (121,260).^[1] Over half (60.3%) of South Asian Canadians live in two metropolitan areas as of 2021; Greater Toronto and Metro Vancouver.^[1]

Terminology

The term 'Asian' in Canadian English generally refers to people from East and Southeast Asia. This differs from the British English definition of Asian, which includes South Asia but excludes East and Southeast Asians terming them as Oriental or East Asian instead. Thus, the term South Asian has come into common usage referring to Asians hailing from the Indian subcontinent.^[4] This includes countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives. It does not include nations such as Afghanistan and Myanmar, which have been considered South Asian in some other connotations of the term.

Canadians from South Asia may also be identified by their country of origin such as Indian or Pakistani. They may also be identified by their specific cultural backgrounds, for example Punjabi or Tamil. The term "East Indian" was a historical term used widely in Canada to refer to people hailing from India as opposed to Aboriginal peoples who are also sometimes referred to as "Indian." This term has been made less common after the introduction of the general term "South Asian" in areas with significant Indian Canadian populations like Toronto.

Brown^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] and Desi are also terms used to refer to Canadians from South Asia. However, these are avoided in more formal contexts due to their ambiguity and the possibility of being seen as derogatory.

Census Canada lists both cultural backgrounds like Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayali, and Goan in addition to cultures like East Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Pakistani.

History

Punjabi Sikhs in Whitehorse, Yukon, April 1906

Late 19th century

The first known record of Canadians from South Asia dates back to 1897, when Punjabi Sikh soldiers arrived in British Columbia while transiting from India to the United Kingdom during the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.^[10]

Early 20th century

Punjabi Sikhs in Vancouver, 1908

With an estimated population of 100 by 1900,^[10] further South Asian settlement waves to Canada occurred in the few years after the turn of the 20th century; after hearing stories about the high wages being paid in British Columbia, some Punjabi British Indian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong and other British-controlled Chinese cities emigrated to Canada and settled in the western province.^[10] Attracted by these wages, more Sikh men began immigrating into British Columbia, working mainly in industries such as mining, logging and railroads. Many of these men, who arrived without their families, settled in Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island, interior BC, northern BC, and the Fraser Valley in what is now Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Kitsilano Gurdwara, c. 1910

A notable moment in early South Asian Canadian history was in 1902 when Punjabi Sikh settlers first arrived in Golden, British Columbia to work at the Columbia River Lumber Company.^[11] These early settlers built the first Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Canada and North America in 1905,^[12]^[13] which would later be destroyed by fire in 1926.^[14]

In 1907 the government in British Columbia enacted laws limiting the rights and privileges of Canadians from South Asian countries, which prevented them from voting and denied them access to holding political office, public sector jobs and other professions,^[15] which prompted many to migrate south from Vancouver across the border to the United States, where some became the victims of the 1907 Bellingham riots.^[16] In early 1908, the Continuous journey regulation was enacted in an effort to prevent South Asians from immigrating to Canada. The law required that people arriving from South Asia in Canada must "come from the country of their birth or citizenship by a continuous journey and or through tickets purchased before leaving their country of their birth or nationality." This prevented Indian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong and Japan from immigrating to Canada.

Punjabi Sikhs at a lumber camp, c. 1914

The second Gurdwara to be built in Canada was in 1908 in Kitsilano (Vancouver) and aimed at serving a growing number of Punjabi Sikh settlers who worked at nearby sawmills along False Creek at the time.^[17] By the end of 1908, 5,209 Canadians were from South Asia, nearly all of whom were Punjabi settled across British Columbia. Many South Asian Canadians soon began to face discrimination and xenophobia from those of European (Anglo-British) background, experiencing similar treatment to the East Asian Canadian community, such as the Japanese and Chinese.^[18]^[19] European settlers viewed Asian settlers, and included the Indians, as a threat to the European nature of Canada.^[20] In addition, many Asian migrants had to work for lower wages, which agitated the European (Anglo-British) majority of the time.^[21]

By 1911, the third Gurdwara to be built in Canada opened in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Built in 1911, the Gur Sikh Temple was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2002 and is the oldest existing Gurdwara in the country, as the Golden temple built in 1905 was destroyed by fire in 1926, and the Kitsilano temple built in 1908 would later close and be demolished in 1970, as the temple society relocating to the newly built Gurdwara on Ross Street, in South Vancouver. Later, the fourth Gurdwara to be built Canada was established in 1912 in Victoria on Topaz Avenue, while the fifth soon followed at the Fraser Mills (Coquitlam) settlement in 1913.

A notable example of early anti-South Asian sentiments as a result of Continuous journey regulation in Canada was the Komagata Maru incident. A successful Punjabi fisherman living in British Columbia attempting to circumnavigate the Continuous journey regulation chartered a Japanese steamship known as the Komagata Maru to travel from Kolkata, India to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The ship made stops in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama, where it picked up more Eastern-Caucasian settlers. In total the ship carried 376 passengers, of whom 337 were Sikh, 27 were Muslim and 12 were Hindu. All passengers originated from the Punjab and were registered as British subjects. Upon arriving in Vancouver though the ship was not permitted to dock with several British Columbian politicians such as Conservative MP H.H. Stevens campaigning against their right to dock.

Komagata Maru incident.
Komagata Maru incident.
Punjabi Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus on board the Komagata Maru in Vancouver, 1914.
Komagata Maru incident
Komagata Maru incident

Some South Asian Canadians already settled in Canada began launching 'shore committees' led by Husain Rahim (Gujarati-Canadian),^[22] Muhammad Akbar (Punjabi-Canadian)^[22] and Sohan Lal Pathak. These were to protest against the decision not to allow the settlers on the Komagata Maru no to enter Canada. Passengers threatened to start a rebellion, or ghadar, if they were forced back to India. The shore committee raised $22,000 and launched a test case legal battle in the British Columbia Court of Appeal. On July 6, the court unanimously decided they had no authority to interfere with the Department of Immigration and Colonization and had ordered the harbor tug Sea Lion to pull the ship out to sea on July 19. This resulted in rioting between the settlers on board and police officers. The ship was ultimately forced back to India on July 23, with only 20 of the settlers being allowed to stay in Canada.

With most Punjabi Sikhs continuing to seek employment in the forestry industry, at various sawmills across British Columbia, more Gurdwaras continued to be built, including one at the Queensborough (New Westminster) settlement in 1919,^[23]^[24]^[25] soon followed by another at the Paldi (Vancouver Island) settlement, also in 1919.^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29]

Mid 20th century

Punjabi Sikh settlement in Queensborough, New Westminster, 1931.

South Asian Canadian
Population History
Year	Pop.	±%
1901	100	—
1908	5,209	+5109.0%
1911	2,342	−55.0%
1921	1,016	−56.6%
1931	1,400	+37.8%
1941	1,465	+4.6%
1951	2,148	+46.6%
1961	6,774	+215.4%
1971	67,925	+902.7%
1981	223,235	+228.6%
1986	314,305	+40.8%
1991	505,515	+60.8%
1996	723,345	+43.1%
2001	963,190	+33.2%
2006	1,316,770	+36.7%
2011	1,615,925	+22.7%
2016	1,963,330	+21.5%
2021	2,571,400	+31.0%
Source: Statistics Canada ^[30]^: 16^[31]^: 353^[32]^: 225^[33]^: 236^[34]^: 503^[35]^: 272^[36]^: 2 ^[37]^: 484^[38]^: 5^[39]^: 2^[40]^: 26^[41]^: 31&68^[42]^: 34^[43]^: 47 ^[44]^: 68^[45]^: 11^[46]^[47]^[48]^[49]^[50]^[1]

The continuous journey regulation provision remained in effect until 1947, as did most other anti-South Asian laws. However pressure from the community resulted in the Canadian government allowing the wife and children of their Canadian husband/father to immigrate. However, a population stagnation ensued and by the mid-1920s the South Asian population in Canada stood at just over 1,000 persons.^[51] Despite their declining numbers, Canadians from South Asia grew wealthier. They began to acquire their own lumber mills which were used to produce wood and sawdust for consumer purchase. During the Great Depression the tight-knit nature of the South Asian community mitigated many of the economic effects the depression had on other communities in Canada.

South Asian Canadians were granted the right to vote in 1947. Furthermore, as a result of the recent independence of several South Asian nations such as India, Pakistan and Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, the Canadian government created annual immigration quotas which were to allow 150 Indians, 100 Pakistanis and 50 Sri Lankans the right to immigrate to Canada each year.

In 1950, 25 years after settling in Canada and nine years after moving to British Columbia from Toronto, Naranjan "Giani" Singh Grewall became the first individual of South Asian ancestry in Canada and North America to be elected to public office after successfully running for a position on the board of commissioners in Mission, BC against six other candidates.^[52]^[53]^[54]^[55]^[56]Grewall was re-elected to the board of commissioners in 1952 and by 1954, was elected to became mayor of Mission.^[52]^[55]^[56]

"Thank you all citizens of Mission City [...] It is a credit to this community to elect the first East Indian to public office in the history of our great dominion. It shows your broad-mindedness, tolerance and consideration.".^[54]
— Notice by Naranjan Singh Grewall in the local Mission newspaper following his election to public office, 1950

A millwright and union official, and known as a sportsman and humanitarian philanthropist as well as a lumberman, Grewall eventually established himself as one of the largest employers and most influential business leaders in the northern Fraser Valley, owned six sawmills and was active in community affairs serving on the boards or as chairman of a variety of organizations, and was instrumental in helping create Mission's municipal tree farm.^[52]^[54]^[55]^[56]^[57] With strong pro-labour beliefs despite his role as a mill-owner, after a scandal embroiled the provincial Ministry of Forestry under the-then Social Credit party government, he referred to holders of forest management licenses across British Columbia as Timber Maharajahs, and cautioned that within a decade, three or four giant corporations would predominantly control the entire industry in the province, echoing similarities to the archaic zamindar system in South Asia.^[55]^[57] He later ran unsuccessfully for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (the precursor of today's New Democratic Party) in the Dewdney riding in the provincial election of 1956.^[56]^[57]

While by the 1950s, South Asian Canadians had gained respect in business in British Columbia primarily for their work in owning sawmills and aiding the development of the provincial forestry industry, racism still existed especially in the upper echelons of society.^[55]^[58] As such, during the campaign period and in the aftermath of running for MLA in 1956, Grewall received personal threats, while the six mills he owned along with his house were all set ablaze by arsonists.^[58]^[a] One year later, on July 17, 1957 while on a business trip, he was suspiciously found dead in a Seattle motel, having been shot in the head.^[a]^[b]^[58]^[59] Grewall Street in Mission was named in his honour.^[60]

“Every kid in the North Fraser, who thinks he or she is being discriminated against, should read the Grewall story and the challenges he faced.”.^[a]
— Former B.C. premier Dave Barrett on Naranjan Singh Grewall

Beginning in the 1960s racial and national restrictions were removed from Canada's immigration policies resulting in the explosive growth of South Asian community. The South Asian Canadian community grew from just 6,774 in 1961 to 67,925 just ten years later in 1971. Many of the South Asians arriving during the 60s, 70s were not directly from South Asia but instead from Southeast Africa. Discrimination in many African Great Lakes nations like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania against Indians was growing as a result of their status as a market-dominant minority. This is when a minority group controls a disproportionately large segment of the economy due to their over representation in business and above average education. One notable incident of this was Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's expulsion of 80,000 Ugandan Indians as part of his economic war to allow indigenous Ugandans to regain control of the countries economy. As a result, nearly 20,000 Indians fled to Canada, some directly others after temperately settling in other nations in Africa. They eventually grew to be the first sizable non-Sikh South Asian community in Canada. Shenaaz Nanji's Governor General's Award-nominated novel Child of Dandelions deals with the expulsion of Indians from Uganda and their immigration to Canada.

Around this time the Caribbean, mainly from Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, and Indo-Fijians began immigrating to Canada as well, settling mainly in Toronto, Ontario. Many of these South Asians were the descendants of indentured laborers were brought by the colonial British government to replace the slaves on plantations. After completing their work terms the majority remained in these countries. Many of the immigrants who arrived from the Caribbean, the African Great Lakes and Fiji were educated professionals who upon arriving in Canada worked in the service sector or began their own businesses. As opposed to the industrial sector which mainly early Sikhs worked in.

Late 20th century

Prior to the wide-scale urbanization of the South Asian community, the most statistically significant populations existed across rural British Columbia; a legacy of previous waves of immigration and settlement patterns that existed earlier in the 20th century through until the latter quarter of the century, as Punjabi Sikh immigrants continued to seek employment in the provincial forestry sector at sawmills throughout the British Columbia interior. Consequently, in the 1980s and 1990s, Fort St. James had the highest proportion of South Asians of any municipality in Canada − at approximately 22%. At the same time, other towns across the mainly rural British Columbia interior like Merritt, Quesnel, and Williams Lake also had high South Asian populations − at approximately 12−13%.

Starting in the 1980s South Asians arriving directly from the Indian subcontinent began to increase noticeably as well. In 1985 around 15,000 immigrants arrived from South Asia annually in 2012 that number was at 46,000 annually. In addition to the South Asians still arriving from other parts of the world like the Gulf of Arabia, Caribbean, the African Great Lakes and Fiji. As a result, the South Asian community began forming growing enclaves particularly in the Vancouver and Toronto area. Some notable areas are Gerrard Street, Brampton and several neighborhoods in Mississauga, Scarborough, Markham and Etobicoke in the Greater Toronto Area. In British Columbia notable South Asian districts include South Vancouver, Surrey, Delta and Abbotsford.

In 1986, following the British Columbia provincial election, Moe Sihota became the first Canadian of South Asian ancestry to be elected to provincial parliament. Sihota, who was born in Duncan, British Columbia in 1955, ran as the NDP Candidate in the riding of Esquimalt-Port Renfrew two years after being involved in municipal politics, as he was elected as an Alderman for the city of Esquimalt in 1984.

The rise of the Khalistan movement, the secessionist movement that sought to make the Indian state of Punjab a separate nation for Sikhs. As a result, during the 1980s many Sikhs living in Canada began to involve themselves in the Khalistan movement by organizing protests in Canada and sending money to fund separatist groups back in India. These protests reached their peak in 1984 when the Indian army raided the Golden Temple which were followed by the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards and finally anti-Sikh riots throughout North India. Several major anti-Indian protests occurred in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto with angry protesters forcing their way into the Indian embassy in Toronto carrying knives and smashing photos of Indira Gandhi. On June 23, 1985, several Canadian Sikhs led by Talwinder Singh Parmar were arrested for the Air India Flight 182 bombing, which killed 329 people. It is considered the worst terrorist attack to ever be carried out by Canadians.

With the outbreak of the Sri Lankan civil war in 1983 many Sri Lankan Tamils were forced to flee persecution and violence and see refuge in Canada. This made Sri Lankan Canadians the fifth largest source of immigrants during the 1990s. It also made Canada home to the largest Tamil population in the Western World with 140,000 Tamils living in Canada, primarily Toronto and Montreal. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers, though officially recognized as terrorist group in Canada still receives widespread support among the Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian community.

In 1990 Baltej Singh Dhillon, a Canadian Sikh challenged the traditional dress code of the RCMP in order to accommodate his turban, a mandatory article of clothing worn by many Sikh men. The caused controversy with opponents arguing that the uniform of the RCMP was a national icon to be preserved, while proponents pointed out that Sikh soldiers served in the British army during World War I and World War II and also served in many Canadian police forces. On March 16, 1990, the policy was amended to include Sikhs to serve while wearing a turban.

21st century

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto

Beginning in the 21st century the makeup of Canadians from South Asia had changed greatly. Sikhs had gone from making up nearly 90% of Canadian South Asians during much of the early−mid 20th century to just 28% in 2001. This is as a result of a more diverse background of South Asians immigrating to Canada as opposed to the primarily Sikh and Punjabi immigrants of the early 20th century. In 2006 total South Asian Canadians outnumbered the specific numbers of Chinese Canadians as the largest visible minority group in Canada with 25% of visible minorities. On February 24, 2000 Ujjal Dosanjh became the first Canadian of South Asian origin to become provincial premier, after being appointed premier of British Columbia, representing the New Democratic Party.

During the first decade of the 21st century India remained the second largest source of invited immigrants behind China but ahead of the Philippines. Pakistan was also among the top ten sources of invited immigrants to Canada. In addition, India is also the second largest source of foreign students in Canada with 28,939 invited Indian students studying in Canada in 2012 compared with 1,747 in 2000. In 2007, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto opened in Toronto, making it the largest Hindu temple in Canada. The Aga Khan Museum is also currently under construction by Ismaili Muslims hailing from Pakistan. Several other notable places of worship have been built by Canadians from South Asia including the Khalsa Darbar Gurdwara and Baitul Islam mosque.

South Asian Canadian culture also began to move into the Canadian mainstream in the 21st century. Bhangra music, a genre of music from India that combines traditional Punjabi music with pop and hip hop and other Western musical styles has grown increasingly popular throughout Canada. Canadians of all backgrounds enjoy and are also familiar with Bollywood. In 2011 the 12th International Indian Film Academy Awards were hosted in Toronto, which was home to nearly 832,000 Canadians of South Asian ancestry, one of the largest in the Western World. How to Be Indie, a Canadian children's television program produced by YTV, revolves around the daughter of Hindu Indian immigrants living in Toronto, and has since been syndicated in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Latin America and elsewhere. The Indian Canadian comedian Russell Peters has used his heritage as material for many of his jokes.

In the 2015 Canadian federal election, 16 South Asian Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected from Ontario alone, which is the most in Canadian history.^[61] Four South Asian ministers have been appointed to the Canadian cabinet, which includes the Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan.^[62]

Demography

Canadians of South Asian descent total population (1901−2021)

Canadians of South Asian descent percentage of the total population (1901−2021)

Population

South Asian Canadian Population History
1901−2021
Year	Population	% of total population
1901 ^[10]	>100	0.002%
1908 ^[30]	5,209	0.079%
1911 ^[31]^: 354^[30]	2,342	0.032%
1921 ^[31]^: 356^[30]	1,016	0.012%
1931 ^[34]^: 503^[30]	1,400	0.013%
1941 ^[35]^: 272^[36]^: 2^[30]	1,465	0.013%
1951 ^[37]^: 484^[30]	2,148	0.015%
1961 ^[38]^: 5^[30]	6,774	0.037%
1971 ^[39]^: 2^[30]	67,925	0.315%
1981 ^[40]^: 7^[41]^: 68	223,235	0.927%
1986 ^[42]^: 34^[41]^: 31	314,305	1.256%
1991 ^[44]^: 68^[45]^: 11	505,515	1.873%
1996 ^[46]	723,345	2.536%
2001 ^[47]	963,190	3.25%
2006 ^[48]	1,316,770	4.215%
2011 ^[49]	1,615,925	4.919%
2016 ^[50]	1,963,330	5.697%
2021 ^[1]	2,571,400	7.078%

The first confirmed reports on the Canadians from India were in 1908 which put the East-Indian Canadian population at 5,209. The overwhelming majority of whom were Sikh, male, and settled in British Columbia. However, as a result of laws which restricted the immigration the community had declined to only 1,100 by the mid-1920s. By 1961, right before racial restriction were respectfully removed from Canada's immigration policy, Canadians from South Asian countries rose to 6,774. With racial quotas being removed (invitations extended) during the 1960s the number of Canadians from South Asia created the diverse population we see into the present day.

According to the 2016 National Household Survey 1,963,330 Canadians had South Asian origins and 1,924,635 other Canadians were classified as belonging to the visible minority group, generally termed, South Asian. The growth of the population is attributed to sustained invitations of immigration from South Asian nations. According to a 2011 study conducted by Statistics Canada Canadians from South Asia will grow to between 3.2 and 4.1 million by 2036 or 8.7% to 9.1% of the Canadian population overall.^[63]^[64]

National and ethnic origins

South Asian Canadians Demography by National Origins (1996−2016)
	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%
	2016^[50]		2011^[49]		2006^[48]		2001^[47]		1996^[46]
India^{[nb 1]}	1,582,215	80.59%	1,321,360	81.77%	1,072,380	81.44%	813,730	84.48%	638,345	88.25%
Pakistan	215,560	10.98%	155,310	9.61%	124,730	9.47%	74,015	7.68%	38,655	5.34%
Sri Lanka	152,595	7.77%	139,415	8.63%	103,625	7.87%	61,315	6.37%	46,585	6.44%
Bangladesh	45,940	2.34%	34,205	2.12%	24,595	1.87%	13,080	1.36%	6,955	0.96%
Nepal	17,140	0.87%	9,780	0.61%	3,780	0.29%	1,170	0.12%	N/A	N/A
Bhutan	3,600	0.18%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total South Asian Canadian Population	1,963,330	100%	1,615,925	100%	1,316,770	100%	963,190	100%	723,345	100%

Note: Totals exceed 100% due to multiple origin responses.

South Canadians Demography by Ethnic Origins (2011−2016)^{[nb 2]}
	Population	%	Population	%
	2016^[65]		2011^[66]
Punjabi people	668,240	34.04%	545,730	33.77%
Central Indo-Aryan people, Hindustani people, Mahajir people, and/or Urdu-speaking people	377,025^[67]	19.2%	300,400^[68]	18.59%
Tamil people	189,860	9.67%	179,465	11.11%
Gujarati people	149,045	7.59%	118,950	7.36%
Bengali people	91,220	4.65%	69,490	4.3%
Malayali people	37,810	1.93%	22,125	1.37%
Sinhalese people	27,825	1.42%	23,965	1.48%
Pashtun people	23,180	1.18%	16,515	1.02%
Telugu people	23,160	1.18%	12,645	0.78%
Nepali people	21,380	1.09%	11,450	0.71%
Sindhi people	20,260	1.03%	15,525	0.96%
Marathi people	15,570	0.79%	9,695	0.6%
Kannada people	8,245	0.42%	5,210	0.32%
Konkani people	6,790	0.35%	5,785	0.36%
Odia people	1,535	0.08%	N/A	N/A
Kashmiri people	905	0.05%	N/A	N/A
Other Indo-Aryan peoples or Indo-Iranian peoples	8,875	0.45%	8,615	0.53%
Other Dravidian peoples	790	0.04%	N/A	N/A
Total South Asian Canadian Population	1,963,330^[50]	100%	1,615,925^[49]	100%

Religion

Religions of South Asian Canadians (2011)^[69]
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			29.1%
Sikhism			28.5%
Islam			24.5%
Christianity			11.8%
Irreligious			4.3%
Buddhist			1.1%
Jewish			0.1%
Other^[c]			0.6%

Sikh Proportion of the South Asian Canadian Population
(1901−2021)^[70]^[71]^: 40^[3]^[72]^[d]^[69]^[2]

Until the 1950s, Sikhs formed up to 95% of the entire South Asian Canadian population.^[70]^: 4

The 1981 Canadian census found that the religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 31.5% Sikhism, 27.2% Hinduism, 21% Islam, 15.2% Christianity, 3.1% Irreligion, 0.5% Buddhism, 0.1% Judaism, 0.01% Baháʼí, and 0.1% other.^[71]^: 40

The 2001 Canadian census found that the religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 29.7% Sikhism, 28.4% Hinduism, 23.2% Islam, 13.6% Christianity, 3.3% Irreligion, 0.9% Buddhism, 0.3% Zoroastrianism, 0.3% Jainism, 0.1% Judaism, 0.1% Indigenous, and 0.1% other.^[73]^[74]

A report detailing the religious proportion breakdown of the South Asian Canadian community was done between 2005 and 2007 by Statistics Canada, with results derived from the 2001 Canadian census and a following survey^[3]^[72]^[75] which found that Canadians of South Asian ancestry were 28% Sikh, 28% Hindu, 22% Muslim and 16% Christian, and 4% irreligious.^[d] Other religious such as Jainism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism practiced by Canadians of South Asian heritage formed the remaining 2%. The irreligious proportion of 4% among South Asian Canadians is statistically significant, as this figure climbs to approximately 17% when surveying all Canadians.^[d]

The 2011 Canadian census found that the religious breakdown of Canadians with South Asian ancestry was 29.1% Hinduism, 28.5% Sikhism, 24.5% Islam, 11.8% Christianity, 4.3% Irreligion, 1.1% Buddhism, 0.1% Judaism, and 0.6% other.^[69] This marked the first time in census records where Sikhs did not form the largest religious group amongst Canadians with South Asian ancestry.

Religious affiliation in the South Asian Canadian community varies greatly based on national background. Based on the Statistics Canada report done between 2005 and 2007 with results derived from the 2001 Canadian census, Indo-Canadians are split between Sikhs (34%) and Hindus (27%), Muslims (17%), Christians (16%), Irreligious (4%), with Jains, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians forming the remaining 2%.^[76] The majority of Pakistani Canadians (90%) and Bangladeshi Canadians (87%) profess to follow Islam,^[e] while the majority of Sri Lankan Canadians are Hindu (64%)^[f] with a significant minority following Christianity. Nepalese Canadians tend to mostly follow Hinduism with few of them following Buddhism. Additionally, religious distributions among certain South Asian Canadian ethnic groups also vary; 80% of Tamil Canadians are adherents of Hinduism,^[f] a large majority of Punjabi Canadians (86%) are Sikh, ^[g] while most Bengali Canadians (74%) are Muslim.^[e]

Religion is found to play an important part in the lives of many Canadians from South Asia and serves as defining point in their identity, as with many people. Religious institutions such as gurdwaras, mosques, mandirs, koils and churches have often serve as points for the community. Religion can also play an important role in the marriage of some young Canadians from South Asia (who were born in Canada or in a country from South Asia). Some families believe that the couple must share the same religious heritage, which may also include caste, although this is becoming outdated. In recent years, Canadians from South Asia have opened private schools in order to preserve their religious heritage (as with Catholic schools), though the greatest majority attend government run schools.

More recently in 2013 the Quebec Soccer Federation had banned Sikh players in turbans from participating in matches, citing that turbans were a health hazard, though it is practised in India. This move created controversy among the Sikh community in Canada and condemned by FIFA.

South Asian Canadians
Demography by Religion (1981−2021)
	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%	Population	%
	2021 ^[2]		2011 ^[69]		2001 ^[73]^[74]		1991 ^[77]^: 209		1981 ^[71]^: 40
Hinduism	768,785	29.9%	455,840	29.1%	260,535	28.4%	120,585	28.7%	53,490	27.2%
Sikhism	761,960	29.6%	447,330	28.5%	272,220	29.7%	134,790	32.1%	61,785	31.5%
Islam	595,085	23.1%	383,365	24.5%	212,805	23.2%	90,890	21.6%	41,310	21%
Christianity	245,035	9.5%	185,345	11.8%	124,320	13.6%	54,960	13.1%	29,760	15.2%
Irreligion	156,855	6.1%	67,405	4.3%	30,610	3.3%	12,095	2.9%	6,045	3.1%
Buddhism	27,885	1.1%	17,685	1.1%	8,630	0.9%	2,960	0.7%	1,020	0.5%
Jainism	8,100	0.3%	N/A	N/A	2,385	0.3%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Zoroastrianism	3,630	0.1%	N/A	N/A	2,900	0.3%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Judaism	1,270	0.05%	1,105	0.07%	660	0.07%	70	0.02%	100	0.05%
Baháʼí	440	0.02%	N/A	N/A	400	0.04%	80	0.02%	15	0.01%
Indigenous	115	0.004%	N/A	N/A	585	0.1%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other	2,240	0.1%	9,325	0.6%	1,025	0.1%	3,865	0.9%	105	0.1%
Total responses	2,571,400	100%	1,567,400	97%	917,075	95.2%	420,295	83.1%	196,395	88%
Total South Asian Canadian Population	2,571,400	100%	1,615,920	100%	963,190	100%	505,515	100%	223,235	100%

Language

Knowledge of language

Many South Asian Canadians speak Canadian English or Canadian French as a first language, as many multi-generational individuals do not speak South Asian languages as a mother tongue, but instead may speak one or multiple^[h] as a second or third language.

Knowledge of South Asian languages in Canada (2011−2021)^[h]
Language	Population (2021) ^[78]^[79]	% (2021)	Population (2016) ^[65]	% (2016)	Population (2011) ^[66]^[80]	% (2011)
Hindustani ^{[nb 3]}	1,176,295	3.24%	755,585	2.19%	576,165	1.74%
Punjabi	942,170	2.59%	668,240	1.94%	545,730	1.65%
Tamil	237,890	0.65%	189,860	0.55%	179,465	0.54%
Gujarati	209,410	0.58%	149,045	0.43%	118,950	0.36%
Bengali	120,605	0.33%	91,220	0.26%	69,490	0.21%
Malayalam	77,910	0.21%	37,810	0.11%	22,125	0.07%
Telugu	54,685	0.15%	23,160	0.07%	12,645	0.04%
Marathi	35,230	0.1%	15,570	0.05%	9,695	0.03%
Sinhalese	33,050	0.09%	27,825	0.08%	23,965	0.07%
Pashto	31,700	0.09%	23,180	0.07%	16,515	0.05%
Nepali	30,660	0.08%	21,380	0.06%	11,450	0.03%
Kannada	18,420	0.05%	8,245	0.02%	5,210	0.02%
Kacchi	15,085	0.04%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Konkani	8,950	0.02%	6,790	0.02%	5,785	0.02%
Sindhi	8,385	0.02%	20,260	0.06%	15,525	0.05%
Oriya	3,235	0.01%	1,535	0.004%	N/A	N/A
Kashmiri	1,830	0.01%	905	0.003%	N/A	N/A
Tulu	1,765	0.005%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Assamese	1,155	0.003%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Baluchi	985	0.003%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rohingya	765	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other	12,290	0.03%	9,665	0.03%	8,615	0.03%
Total Canada	3,022,470	8.32%	2,050,275	5.95%	1,621,330	4.9%

Mother tongue

South Asian languages in Canada by number of first language speakers (2011−2021)
Language	Population (2021) ^[79]^[81]	% (2021)	Population (2016) ^[65]^[67]	% (2016)	Population (2011) ^[80]^[68]	% (2011)
Punjabi	763,785	2.09%	543,495	1.56%	459,990	1.39%
Hindustani ^{[nb 3]}	521,990	1.43%	377,025	1.08%	300,400	0.91%
Tamil	184,750	0.5%	157,125	0.45%	143,395	0.43%
Gujarati	168,800	0.46%	122,455	0.35%	101,310	0.31%
Bengali	104,325	0.28%	80,930	0.23%	64,460	0.19%
Malayalam	66,230	0.18%	32,285	0.09%	17,695	0.05%
Telugu	39,685	0.11%	18,750	0.05%	10,670	0.03%
Nepali	26,365	0.07%	19,290	0.06%	8,945	0.03%
Pashto	23,185	0.06%	18,295	0.05%	13,100	0.04%
Sinhalese	21,985	0.06%	18,365	0.05%	15,685	0.05%
Marathi	19,570	0.05%	9,755	0.03%	6,655	0.02%
Kacchi	9,855	0.03%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kannada	9,140	0.02%	4,795	0.01%	3,140	0.01%
Sindhi	5,315	0.01%	13,880	0.04%	12,935	0.04%
Konkani	5,225	0.01%	4,255	0.01%	3,535	0.01%
Oriya	2,305	0.01%	1,210	0.003%	N/A	N/A
Kashmiri	1,015	0.003%	620	0.002%	N/A	N/A
Tulu	910	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Assamese	715	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Baluchi	645	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Parsi	635	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rohingya	615	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fiji Hindi	610	0.002%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Saraiki	505	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hindko	485	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Marwari	395	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pashai	345	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Saurashtra	345	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pahari	255	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Sylheti	250	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kurux	245	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Memoni	240	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Haryanvi	230	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Maithili	230	0.001%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Chakma	180	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Romani	180	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bhojpuri	145	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pahari− Pothwari	140	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Dogri	120	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Garhwali	115	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rajasthani	105	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kodava	100	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bishnupuriya	90	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Khowar	75	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Oadki	60	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other	615	0.002%	6,215	0.02%	6,020	0.02%
Total Canada	1,973,525	5.39%	1,428,745	4.11%	1,167,935	3.53%

Generation status

First generation
A large minority of Canadians are made up of first generation individuals, numbering 8,219,555 people and forming 23.85% of the national population as of the 2016 Canadian census.^[82]

In comparison with the nation-wide statistics, as of the 2016 Canadian census, a majority of the South Asian Canadian community was made up of first generation individuals, numbering 1,330,745 people and forming 69.14% of the total South Asian Canadian population.^[82]

First generation South Asian Canadians by province and territory (2016)^[82]
Province/territory	First generation population	% of provincial South Asian population	% of national South Asian population
Ontario	810,705	70.47%	42.12%
British Columbia	228,135	62.38%	11.85%
Alberta	164,700	71.32%	8.56%
Quebec	59,470	65.83%	3.09%
Manitoba	32,530	77.34%	1.69%
Saskatchewan	23,650	78.94%	1.23%
Nova Scotia	5,935	75.03%	0.31%
Newfoundland and Labrador	2,115	79.96%	0.11%
New Brunswick	1,830	72.19%	0.1%
Prince Edward Island	740	80%	0.04%
Northwest Territories	480	78.05%	0.02%
Yukon	365	73%	0.02%
Nunavut	95	82.61%	0%
Canada	1,330,745		69.14%

Second generation
A large minority of Canadians are also made up of second generation individuals, numbering 6,100,720 people and forming 17.70% of the total national population as of the 2016 Canadian census.^[82]

In comparison with the nation-wide statistics, as of the 2016 Canadian census, a large minority of the South Asian Canadian community was made up of second generation individuals, numbering 559,415 people or 29.07% of the total South Asian Canadian population.^[82]

Second generation South Asian Canadians by province and territory (2016)^[82]
Province/territory	Second generation population	% of provincial South Asian population	% of national South Asian population
Ontario	325,385	28.28%	16.91%
British Columbia	125,305	34.26%	6.51%
Alberta	62,000	26.85%	3.22%
Quebec	28,950	32.05%	1.5%
Manitoba	9,005	21.41%	0.47%
Saskatchewan	5,890	19.66%	0.31%
Nova Scotia	1,600	20.23%	0.08%
Newfoundland and Labrador	410	15.5%	0.02%
New Brunswick	495	19.53%	0.03%
Prince Edward Island	135	14.59%	0.01%
Northwest Territories	120	19.51%	0.01%
Yukon	115	23%	0.01%
Nunavut	15	13.04%	0%
Canada	559,415		29.07%

Third or more generation
A narrow majority of Canadians are made up of third or more generation individuals, numbering 20,139,790 people and forming 58.44% of the total national population as of the 2016 Canadian census.^[82]

In comparison with the nation-wide statistics, as of the 2016 Canadian census, a small minority of the South Asian Canadian community was made up of third or more generation individuals, numbering 34,470 people or 1.79% of the total South Asian Canadian population.^[82]

Third or more generation South Asian Canadians by province and territory (2016)^[82]
Province/territory	Third generation or more population	% of provincial South Asian population	% of national South Asian population
Ontario	14,325	1.25%	0.74%
British Columbia	12,265	3.35%	0.64%
Alberta	4,225	1.83%	0.22%
Quebec	1,915	2.12%	0.1%
Manitoba	525	1.25%	0.03%
Saskatchewan	425	1.42%	0.02%
Nova Scotia	380	4.8%	0.02%
Newfoundland and Labrador	115	4.35%	0.01%
New Brunswick	210	8.28%	0.01%
Prince Edward Island	45	4.86%	0%
Northwest Territories	20	3.25%	0%
Yukon	20	4%	0%
Nunavut	0	0%	0%
Canada	34,470		1.79%

Geographical distribution

At the provincial level, Ontario (8.9%) and British Columbia (8.0%) have the largest population of Canadians from South Asia with Alberta and Quebec being home to significant communities as well.

Metropolitan areas with large communities include the Toronto (973,225), Vancouver (291,005), Calgary (122,900), Edmonton (91,420), Montréal (85,925), Ottawa (39,980) and Winnipeg (38,100).

Municipalities with large communities include Brampton, Ontario (44.3%), Surrey, British Columbia (32.8%), Abbotsford, British Columbia (25.5%), Mississauga, Ontario (23.2%), Milton, Ontario (21.0%), Ajax, Ontario (20.9%) and Delta, British Columbia (20.3%). From 2001 to 2006 Milton, Ontario saw the greatest increase in its population growing by 1378.6% with many other towns seeing their population double or triple.

Provinces & territories

Canadian provinces and territories by their ethnic South Asian population as per the 1911 Canadian census, 1921 Canadian census, 1931 Canadian census, 1941 Canadian census, 1951 Canadian census, 1961 Canadian census, 1971 Canadian census, 1981 Canadian census, 1986 Canadian census, 1991 Canadian census, 1996 Canadian census, 2001 Canadian census, 2006 Canadian census, 2011 Canadian census, and 2016 Canadian census below.

South Asian Canadian populations and percentage of the population by province and territory (2001−2016)
Province/ Territory	Population (2016)^[50]	% (2016)	Population (2011)^[49]	% (2011)	Population (2006)^[48]	% (2006)	Population (2001)^[47]	% (2001)
Ontario	1,182,845	8.93%	1,003,180	7.93%	833,315	6.93%	592,500	5.25%
British Columbia	365,705^[83]	8.02%	313,440^[84]	7.25%	265,595	6.52%	210,420	5.44%
Alberta	231,550	5.82%	159,055	4.46%	107,690	3.31%	72,415	2.46%
Quebec	95,670	1.2%	91,395	1.18%	76,990	1.04%	62,585	0.88%
Manitoba	43,150	3.48%	26,220	2.23%	17,800	1.57%	14,135	1.28%
Saskatchewan	29,960^[85]	2.8%	12,620	1.25%	5,510	0.58%	4,220	0.44%
Nova Scotia	8,495	0.94%	5,935	0.65%	4,830	0.53%	3,515	0.39%
New Brunswick	2,970	0.41%	3,090	0.42%	2,560	0.36%	1,720	0.24%
Newfoundland and Labrador	2,740	0.53%	2,000	0.39%	1,755	0.35%	1,110	0.22%
Prince Edward Island	975	0.7%	500	0.36%	255	0.19%	140	0.1%
Northwest Territories	615	1.5%	200	0.49%	210	0.51%	200	0.54%
Yukon	500^[86]	1.42%	365^[87]	1.1%	200	0.66%	205	0.72%
Nunavut	130	0.37%	115	0.36%	85^[88]	0.29%	30	0.11%
Canada	1,963,330	5.7%	1,615,925	4.92%	1,316,770	4.21%	963,190	3.25%

South Asian Canadian populations and percentage of the population by province and territory (1971−1996)
Province/ Territory	Population (1996) ^[46]	% (1996)	Population (1991) ^[44]^: 68	% (1991)	Population (1986) ^[42]^: 34	% (1986)	Population (1981) ^[40]^: 7	% (1981)	Population (1971) ^[39]^: 2	% (1971)
Ontario	427,470	4.02%	285,600^[89]	2.86%	161,395	1.79%	93,990	1.1%	30,920	0.4%
British Columbia	165,010	4.47%	118,200^[89]	3.64%	78,810	2.77%	56,210	2.07%	18,795	0.86%
Alberta	56,195	2.11%	46,095	1.83%	34,645	1.48%	21,440	0.97%	4,400	0.27%
Quebec	50,645	0.72%	34,305	0.5%	21,485	0.33%	14,150	0.22%	6,510	0.11%
Manitoba	12,905	1.17%	10,870	1.01%	8,855	0.84%	5,055	0.5%	3,205	0.32%
Saskatchewan	3,985	0.41%	3,695	0.38%	4,165	0.42%	2,200	0.23%	1,625	0.18%
Nova Scotia	3,810	0.42%	2,790	0.31%	2,450	0.28%	1,685	0.2%	1,345	0.17%
New Brunswick	1,565	0.21%	975	0.14%	950	0.14%	720	0.1%	465	0.07%
Newfoundland and Labrador	1,060	0.19%	1,090	0.19%	860	0.15%	725	0.13%	460	0.09%
Prince Edward Island	195	0.15%	210	0.16%	255	0.2%	75	0.06%	135	0.12%
Northwest Territories	280^[i]	0.44%	220^[i]	0.38%	100^[i]	0.19%	55^[i]	0.12%	55^[i]	0.16%
Yukon	225	0.73%	80	0.29%	70	0.3%	85	0.37%	15	0.08%
Canada	723,345	2.54%	505,515^[45]^: 11	1.87%	314,305^[41]^: 31	1.26%	223,235^[41]^: 68	0.93%	67,925	0.31%

South Asian Canadian populations and percentage of the population by province and territory (1911−1961)
Province/ Territory	Population (1961) ^[38]^: 5	% (1961)	Population (1951) ^[37]^: 484	% (1951)	Population (1941) ^[35]^: 272^[36]^: 2	% (1941)	Population (1931) ^[34]^: 503	% (1931)	Population (1921) ^[31]^: 356	% (1921)	Population (1911) ^[31]^: 354	% (1911)
British Columbia	4,526	0.28%	1,937	0.17%	1,343	0.16%	1,283	0.18%	951	0.18%	2,292	0.58%
Ontario	1,155	0.02%	76	0%	21	0%	43	0%	28	0%	17	0%
Quebec	483	0.01%	61	0%	29	0%	17	0%	11	0%	14	0%
Alberta	208	0.02%	27	0%	48	0.01%	33	0%	10	0%	3	0%
Manitoba	198	0.02%	15	0%	7	0%	13	0%	8	0%	13	0%
Saskatchewan	115	0.01%	5	0%	2	0%	7	0%	6	0%	0	0%
Nova Scotia	46	0.01%	23	0%	15	0%	3	0%	0	0%	0	0%
New Brunswick	22	0%	1	0%	0	0%	1	0%	1	0%	2	0%
Newfoundland and Labrador	17	0%	2	0%	N/A^[j]	N/A	N/A^[j]	N/A	N/A^[j]	N/A	N/A^[j]	N/A
Northwest Territories	2^[i]	0.01%	1^[i]	0.01%	0^[i]	0%	0^[i]	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Prince Edward Island	1	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Yukon	1	0.01%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	1	0.02%	1	0.01%
Canada	6,774	0.04%	2,148	0.02%	1,465	0.01%	1,400	0.01%	1,016	0.01%	2,342	0.03%

Metropolitan areas

Top ten Canadian metropolitan areas with large populations of Canadians from South Asia:

South Asian Canadians by metropolitan areas (2011−2016)
Metro Area	Province	Population (2016)^[50]	% (2016)	Population (2011)^[49]	% (2011)
Toronto	Ontario	995,125^[50]	16.97%	833,080	15.09%
Vancouver	British Columbia	291,005^[90]	11.99%	252,400	11.07%
Calgary	Alberta	122,900^[91]	8.94%	84,870	7.08%
Edmonton	Alberta	91,600^[50]	7.06%	61,135	5.36%
Montreal	Quebec	90,815^[50]	2.26%	79,540	2.12%
Ottawa- Gatineau	Ontario- Quebec	42,310^[50]	3.25%	34,790	2.86%
Abbotsford- Mission	British Columbia	38,250^[90]	21.69%	32,245	19.35%
Winnipeg	Manitoba	38,910^[50]	5.11%	23,175	3.24%
Hamilton	Ontario	32,720^[50]	4.45%	23,765	3.36%
Kitchener- Cambridge- Waterloo	Ontario	27,525^[50]	5.33%	20,910	4.45%

Subdivisions with notable South Asian Canadians

Source: Canada 2016 Census

National average: 5.6%

Alberta

Chestermere (14.3%)
Calgary (9.5%)
Edmonton (9.5%)
Wood Buffalo (7.0%)

British Columbia

Surrey (32.8%)
Abbotsford (25.5%)
Delta (20.3%)
Cawston (11.7%)
Oliver (8.8%)
New Westminster (8.3%)
Burnaby (8.1%)
Mission (7.8%)
Richmond (7.3%)
Squamish (6.8%)
Vancouver (6.0%)
Merritt (5.8%)
View Royal (5.8%)

Forming 32.4% of the population, Surrey has the highest percentage of South Asian Canadians in British Columbia.
Forming 25.5% of the population, Abbotsford has the second-highest percentage of South Asian Canadians in British Columbia.
Forming 20.3% of the population, Delta has the third-highest percentage of South Asian Canadians in British Columbia, .
Forming 11.7% of the population, Cawston has the fourth-highest percentage of South Asian Canadians in British Columbia.
Forming 8.8% of the population, Oliver has the fifth-highest percentage of South Asian Canadians in British Columbia.

Historical

Forming up to 22% of the population, Fort St. James had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Forming up to 14% of the population, Quesnel had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Forming up to 13% of the population, Merritt had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Forming up to 12% of the population, Williams Lake had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Forming up to 10% of the population, Tahsis had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Forming up to 9% of the population, Golden had a notable South Asian community in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Note: South Asian Canadian populations higher than national average shown for each census year.

Rural British Columbia Subdivisions
With High South Asian Populations (1986−1996)
Subdivision	Regional district	Percentage (1986)^[92]	Percentage (1991)^[93]	Percentage (1996)^[94]^[95]
Fort St. James	Bulkley-Nechako	16.75%	21.59%	19.71%
Quesnel	Cariboo	12.89%	12.59%	13.91%
Merritt	Thompson-Nicola	12.54%	10.37%	9.41%
Williams Lake	Cariboo	11.51%	10.08%	9.9%
Tahsis	Comox-Strathcona	10.04%	8.26%	<2.54%
Golden	Columbia-Shuswap	8.1%	9.21%	6.35%
Lake Cowichan	Cowichan Valley	6.41%	4.69%	<2.54%
Houston	Bulkley-Nechako	6.15%	7.02%	7.25%
Lillooet	Squamish-Lillooet	5.95%	5.98%	<2.54%
Kitimat	Kitimat-Stikine	5.93%	5.85%	4.1%
Mackenzie	Fraser-Fort George	5.86%	5.01%	4.43%
Port Alberni	Alberni-Clayoquot	5.38%	5.2%	6.38%
Elkford	East Kootenay	5.18%	5.99%	8.21%
Midway	Kootenay Boundary	4.76%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Squamish	Squamish-Lillooet	4.35%	5.96%	8.93%
Peace River-Liard Subdivision A	Peace River	4.31%	<1.87%	<2.54%
North Cowichan	Cowichan Valley	4.29%	3.76%	3.82%
Terrace	Kitimat-Stikine	4.16%	6.09%	4.58%
Thompson-Nicola Subdivision A Includes Clearwater, Vavenby, etc.	Thompson-Nicola	3.81%	3.54%	<2.54%
Montrose	Kootenay Boundary	3.7%	2.45%	5.91%
100 Mile House	Cariboo	3.35%	6.1%	2.48%
Prince Rupert	North Coast	3.1%	2.63%	3.76%
Port Hardy	Mount Waddington	2.69%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Sparwood	East Kootenay	2.64%	3.39%	<2.54%
Ladysmith	Cowichan Valley	2.28%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Prince George	Fraser-Fort George	2.21%	2.34%	<2.54%
Duncan	Cowichan Valley	2.19%	3.21%	<2.54%
Kamloops	Thompson-Nicola	2.11%	1.88%	<2.54%
Vanderhoof	Bulkley-Nechako	2.03%	3.01%	<2.54%
Logan Lake	Thompson-Nicola	1.89%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Campbell River	Comox-Strathcona	1.72%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Fernie	East Kootenay	1.66%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Gold River	Comox-Strathcona	1.55%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Fort Nelson	Northern Rockies	1.47%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Port McNeil	Mount Waddington	1.4%	2.05%	<2.54%
Okanagan-Similkameen Subdivision B Includes Cawston	Okanagan-Similkameen	1.39%	4.53%	8.16%
Pemberton	Squamish-Lillooet	1.37%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Vernon	North Okanagan	1.34%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Columbia-Shuswap Subdivision A Includes Donald, Field, etc.	Columbia-Shuswap	1.29%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Penticton	Okanagan-Similkameen	1.25%	<1.87%	2.84%
Tumbler Ridge	Peace River	1.25%	<1.87%	<2.54%
Canada	National Average	1.2%	1.87%	2.54%

Manitoba

Thompson (7.5%)

Ontario

Brampton, Ontario is home to the highest percentage of Canadians from South Asia with 261,705 or 44.3% of the population.

Brampton (44.3%)
Mississauga (23.2%)
Milton (21.0%)
Ajax (20.9%)
Markham (17.8%)
Pickering (15.2%)
Toronto (12.6%)
Whitchurch-Stouffville (12.4%)
Vaughan (10.1%)
Caledon (10.0%)
Oakville (8.9%)
Richmond Hill (7.7%)
Whitby (6.6%)
Waterloo (6.4%)
Cambridge (6.2%)

Québec

Dollard-des-Ormeaux (11.2%)
Vaudreuil-Dorion (6.4%)

Saskatchewan

Regina (5.8%)

Immigration

For much of the early 20th century restrictions such as the continuous journey regulation and quotas were placed on people immigrating from the countries of South Asia to prevent them from immigrating to Canada. When these restrictions were removed in the 1960s immigration from the Indian subcontinent and other places like the African Great Lakes, the Caribbean and Fiji gradually increased. As of 2012, India was the third largest source of immigrants for Canada behind the Philippines and China respectively. Pakistan was the fourth, Sri Lanka the seventeenth, Bangladesh the nineteenth and Nepal the thirty-eighth. In addition immigrants to Canada arrive from regions such as the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, the Caribbean and the African Great Lakes (as well as European countries). Historically, British Columbia was the traditional destination for Punjabi immigrants. Beginning in the 1970s, however, Ontario grew to become the top destination due to its job availability. In recent years migration to Alberta has also increased due to its comparatively stronger economy and better job market.

Admissions of Permanent Residents by Country of Citizenship, 1980 - 2019^[96]^[97]
Year	India	Pakistan	Bangladesh	Sri Lanka	Nepal
1980	8 880	978	83	185	1
1981	8 670	972	84	371	1
1982	8 148	1 201	86	290	6
1983	7 338	900	81	197	1
1984	5 704	668	98	1 086	2
1985	4 211	514	92	845	4
1986	7 151	691	486	1 838	13
1987	10 189	1 072	503	4 447	6
1988	11 522	1 334	476	2 779	13
1989	10 343	2 261	387	2 758	4
1990	12 041	2 470	611	3 525	23
1991	13 733	3 079	1 115	7 266	29
1992	13 673	4 071	1 655	13 102	32
1993	21 496	4 777	1 280	9 563	40
1994	18 620	4 666	1 361	7 150	31
1995	18 488	4 994	2 042	9 368	66
1996	23 859	9 125	2 824	6 484	132
1997	22 268	13 073	3 378	5 415	155
1998	17 241	9 068	2 202	3 566	104
1999	18 974	9 979	2 064	4 982	157
2000	28 535	15 395	3 117	6 077	236
2001	31 204	16 705	3 832	5 860	272
2002	31 894	15 092	2 944	5 272	363
2003	27 135	13 204	2 138	4 886	312
2004	28 199	13 399	2 660	4 489	403
2005	36 179	14 314	4 171	4 918	607
2006	33 773	13 128	4 012	4 651	540
2007	28 731	10 123	2 897	4 097	511
2008	28 257	8 984	2 939	4 751	581
2009	29 452	7 215	2 106	4 543	561
2010	34 226	6 812	4 721	4 420	1 392
2011	27 488	7 467	2 694	3 310	1 129
2012	30 920	11 208	2 634	3 338	1 185
2013	33 078	12 611	3 792	2 394	1 308
2014	38 330	9 113	2 233	2 604	1 219
2015	39 340	11 295	3 305	1 785	1 525
2016	39 705	11 350	3 230	1 535	755
2017	51 590	7 655	3 190	2 150	1 110
2018	69 980	9 490	3 205	2 165	1 400
2019	85 585	10 790	3 395	2 235	1 410
2020	42 885	6 230	1 615	1 010	570
Total	1,059,035	307,473	85,738	161,707	18,209

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). "Visible minority and population group by generation status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). "Religion by visible minority and generation status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lindsay, Colin (2001). "The South Asian Community" (PDF). Profiles of Ethnic Communities in Canada. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 23, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2014. ()
^ Anirban (July 6, 2010). "Are Indians Asians?". Milkmiracle.net. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
^ Sumartojo, Widyarini. "My kind of Brown": Indo-Canadian youth identity and belonging in Greater Vancouver (PhD thesis) (Archived 2014-10-19 at the Wayback Machine).
^ Sundar, Purnima. To “Brown It Up” or to “Bring Down the Brown”: Identity and Strategy in Second-Generation, South Asian-Canadian Youth
^ Frost, Heather. Being “Brown” in a Canadian Suburb
^ Sandhu, Danielle. Theorizing Brown Identity
^ "What does it mean to be brown-skinned in Canada?". July 14, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Walton-Roberts, Margaret. 1998. "Three Readings of the Turban: Sikh Identity in Greater Vancouver" (Archive). In Urban Geography, Vol. 19: 4, June. - DOI 10.2747/0272-3638.19.4.311 - Available at Academia.edu and at ResearchGate. p. 316.
^ "FIRST SIKH TEMPLE IN NORTH AMERICA". March 10, 2021. The first Sikhs came to Golden about 1902, arriving to work in the sawmill of the Columbia River Lumber Company. When the Sikhs arrived in Golden the community was in its infancy and the sawmill had recently opened. The Columbia River Lumber Company recognized the value of these tall strong men and had no problem with the men. They hired them to work in the lumberyard, planer, and sawmill. The first documented proof that we have of South Asians of the Sikh faith being residents of Golden is a copy of a telegram sent to G.T. Bradshaw, Chief of Police, New Westminster from Colin Cameron, Chief of Police, Golden, BC on July 20, 1902. It was sent collect and reads: Geha Singh of Golden sent a telegram to Santa Singh care of Small and Bucklin for one thousand dollars.
^ "Sikhs celebrate history in Golden". April 26, 2018. The original temple in Golden sat on a corner of a lot, in the south western area of town at the end of the street looking toward where Rona is now. The largest influx of men came from South Asia around 1905, which would be the time period that the temple in Golden would have began services. In 1926, a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where the South Asian men worked.
^ "Golden's Sikh heritage recognized on new Stop of Interest sign". November 9, 2016. “We acknowledge the Gurdwara in Golden as the first in B.C., and quite likely the first in North America,” said Pyara Lotay, on behalf of the local Sikh community. “We thank the B.C. government for recognizing Golden’s Sikh pioneers and their place of worship with this Stop of Interest.”
^ "Golden Gurdwara is recognized for its historical significance". June 7, 2017. The original temple sat on the corner of a lot, which is now owned by Gurmit Manhas, at the end of the street past the School Board Office looking towards the Rona. Plans are being put together to erect a kiosk there that would share information about the original building, the first South Asian people to Canada, the importance of the Gurdwara to the Sikh people and the history of why they left and what brought them back. The largest influx of men came from South Asia in about 1905-06, which would be the time period that the Temple would have begun services. In 1926 a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where all the South Asian men worked and the men left for the coast having no work to do. When the forest started to grow back the men came back and soon it was necessary to build the present Gurdwara on 13th Street South.
^ Nayar, The Punjabis in British Columbia, page 15.
^ "White workingmen attack Bellingham's East Indian millworkers on September 4, 1907".
^ "First Sikh Temple • Vancouver Heritage Foundation".
^ Johnston, Hugh, p. 7. "The Chinese and Japanese had already been identified as unwanted immigrants, because they were foreign by culture and by race, and Indians fell automatically into the same category."
^ Johnston, Hugh, p. 6. "The newspapers in Vancouver and Victoria described Indians as undesirable, degraded, sick, hungry, and a menace to women and children"
^ Johnston, Hugh, p. 6. "By the time 1300 had landed, Vancouver's two M.P.'s had gone to the Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, to demand that the "Hindoos" be shut out: and the mayor of Vancouver had appealed to the Colonial Secretary, Winston Churchill, to "prevent further shipment"."
^ Singh, Hira, p. 95. "The white workers perceived East Indians and other Asians as a threat, and argued that the influx of Asians was flooding the market with cheap labour." (Archive).
^ ^a ^b "These Muslims challenged Canada's immigration ban in 1914". June 27, 2017.
^ "New Westminster Sikh temple celebrates 100-year anniversary". March 3, 2019. The Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar is one of the oldest Sikh temples in the country and its members are celebrating the milestone anniversary by reflecting on its historic significance to the local Sikh community. The temple was actually founded more than 100 years ago when a pioneering Sikh named Bhai Bishan Singh bought a house next door to where the building is now. Singh paid $250 for the house, which served as a place of worship until the congregation grew too large. In 1919, Singh bought the neighbouring lot at 347 Wood Street and the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar was born.
^ "New Westminster Sikh temple welcomes community to celebrate its centennial anniversary". February 27, 2019. The Khalsa Diwan Society New Westminster is inviting community members to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar in Queensborough. Since opening in 1919, the temple has become an integral part of the Queensborough and New Westminster communities, and has provided a place for Sikhs from New Westminster and the Lower Mainland to gather and to worship. “It is starting up on Thursday and it will be four days, with the main event on Sunday. It’s open to anyone within the community – in Queensborough and in New West. It’s to show support, learn about each other and the heritage,” said Jag Sall, a member of the committee that’s organizing the celebration. “I don’t think a lot of people know that the Sikh community has been in Queensborough for over 100 years, and/or the gurdwara itself has been there that long. Not just the Sikh community, but other communities in Queensborough have been living there for a century.”
^ "The Gurdwara of New West Shares a Century of Stories". January 23, 2020. Every Sunday in 1919, the Sikhs of Queensborough on the Fraser River would stroll over to the house of Bhai Bishan Singh for worship. Singh, like many Punjabi immigrants, settled in the New Westminster neighbourhood because he worked upriver at a sawmill. A devout Sikh, he had the holy scripture installed in his home, the Guru Granth Sahib. Singh was a bachelor and gave much of his earnings to the local Khalsa Diwan Society, which in 1908 had built B.C.’s first gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, in Vancouver. In March 1919, Singh helped the Sikhs of New Westminster start a gurdwara of their own. For $250, Singh bought the property next door and donated it to the society. Later, he would donate his house as well.
^ "Paldi Sikh Temple in Cowichan celebrating 100 years". June 26, 2019. The town’s cultural centres were the Japanese community hall and the Sikh Temple, which officially opened July 1, 1919, to coincide with Dominion Day.
^ "Sikh temple celebrates 100 years of acceptance in Vancouver Island ghost town". June 29, 2019. Paldi's Gurdwara was built in 1919 and soon became one of the most important fixtures of the community, even surviving several town fires.
^ "THE FOUNDING OF PALDI". In 1919, Mayo built a Sikh temple, or a gurdwara.
^ "PALDI: Town soaked in Sikh History". Wherever there are five or more Sikh’s there will be Sikh Temple even just a spare room in some ones house. Therefore it was only that once the natural that once the mill and bunkhouses were erected the next building should be a Temple. The first official Temple in Paldi was built in 1919. On the same spot where the present Temple is located.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Johnston, Hugh (1984). "The East Indians in Canada" (PDF). Canada's Ethnic Groups. Ottawa: Canadian Historical Association. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Sixth census of Canada,1921. v. 1. Population: number, sex and distribution, racial origins, religions". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Racial origins and nativity of the Canadian people : a study based on the Census of 1931 and supplementary data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Seventh census of Canada, 1931. Vol. 1. Summary". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Seventh census of Canada, 1931. Vol. 2. Population by areas". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Eighth census of Canada,1941 = Huitième recensement du Canada Vol. 2. Population by local subdivisions". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Eighth census of Canada,1941 = Huitième recensement du Canada Vol. 4. Cross-classifications, interprovincial migration, blind and deaf-mutes". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Ninth census of Canada, 1951 = Neuvième recensement du Canada Vol. 1. Population: general characteristics". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1961 Census of Canada : population : vol. I - part 2 = 1961 Recensement du Canada : population : vol. I - partie 2. Ethnic groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1971 Census of Canada : population : vol. I - part 3 = Recensement du Canada 1971 : population : vol. I - partie 3. Ethnic Groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1981 Census of Canada : volume 1 - national series : population = Recensement du Canada de 1981 : volume 1 - série nationale : population. Ethnic origin". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Working paper : comparison of 1981 and 1986 census counts on visible minorities in Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Census Canada 1986 Profile of ethnic groups". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1986 Census of Canada: Ethnic Diversity In Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1991 Census: The nation. Ethnic origin". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "1991 employment equity data highlights". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 4, 2019). "Data tables, 1996 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (188) and Sex (3), Showing Single and Multiple Responses (3), for Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas, 1996 Census (20% Sample Data)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (December 23, 2013). "Ethnic Origin (232), Sex (3) and Single and Multiple Responses (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (May 1, 2020). "Ethnic Origin (247), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (January 23, 2019). "Ethnic Origin (264), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age Groups (10) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 17, 2019). "Ethnic Origin (279), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
^ Johnston, Hugh, p. 18.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Naranjan Singh Grewall: first NRI Mayor of Mission, BC, Canada". NRI Naranjan Singh Grewall was the first (Indo Canadian) Mayor of Mission, B.C., Canada and the first Indo Canadian mayor within any city in Canada, in 1954.He was elected Canada's first Sikh city councilor,to a public office in Mission, not only in Canada, but all of North America in 1950. In 1941, he came to Mission, B.C. from Toronto, Ontario. He purchased and became the operator of six lumber companies across the Fraser Valley. Referring to holders of forest management licenses as 'Timber Maharajahs', he warned that within 10 years 3 or 4 giant corporations would effectively control the industry in B.C. Mr. Grewall became a voice for the growing industry and openly critiqued the then government's policies of granting licenses to their friends. Throughout his life, Naranjan Grewall remained incredibly charitable.
^ Mahil, Lovleen. "Indo-Canadian Community in Mission"(Archive). Mission Community Archives, Mission Museum. Retrieved on March 16, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "SOUTH ASIAN PIONEERS: NARANJAN SINGH GREWAL". May 19, 2015. Known as "Giani" to his friends, Naranjan Grewall is believed to be the first Indian ever elected to political office in North America. Grewall was born in East Punjab. He came to B.C. in 1925 and in 1941 moved to Mission City, a small mill town in the Fraser Valley. Grewall worked as a millwright at Fraser Mills and was elected a union official. He came to own and operate six sawmill companies and established himself as one of the largest employers and most influential business leaders in the area. After being in Mission for almost a decade, Grewall decided to run for political office in 1950. He competed against six other candidates in Mission's board of commissioners election.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY: PROMINENT INDO-CANADIAN PIONEERS". Already a popular and well-respected man, he topped the polls, beating out seven candidates in a historic victory, especially given that Indo-Canadians had only been given the right to vote three years before. While Indo-Canadians had gained respect in business, racism still existed, especially regarding elite positions in society. The Vancouver Daily Province newspaper ran an article with the headline, “First in BC and believed first East Indian in Canada to hold public office.” He was re-elected in 1952, and again in 1954. The same year the Board unanimously voted to name him Chairman of the Board, which gave him similar duties and influence to that of a Mayor. During his years in public office, he continued his community involvement and large-scale business ventures. He also fought for the building of a new Mission bridge as well as against prohibitive diking taxes [...] Naranjan Singh Grewall was even more passionate about the Forestry industry. At that time, the SoCred government in provincial power was embroiled in a corruption scandal. The Minister of Forestry was suspected of giving away significant amounts of timber rights to previously declined lumber corporations, often his personal friends. Worse, the premier W.A.C. Bennet seemed to be purposefully looking the other way. This infuriated Mr. Grewall, who termed the present holders of forest management licenses “timber maharajas”, believing that the current system could revert to a form of feudalism he had left behind in India.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Diversity flourishes in Mission". May 12, 2017. In 1950, Naranjan Grewall became the first Hindu (as it was phrased at that time) in Canada to be elected to public office, after the voting franchise was extended to visible minority groups in 1947. In 1954, he was appointed to the position of mayor of Mission City by the board and later ran for the CCF in the Dewdney riding in 1956 [...] The two most legendary personalities from the Sikh community who graced Mission, and both employed hundreds of people, owning several large mills in the area, were Herman Braich Sr. and Naranjan Grewall.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Grewall first Indo-Canadian to hold office of mayor in Canada". February 6, 2014. He was later nominated as a provincial candidate for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1956, making him also the first visible minority to run as a candidate in Canada. He was narrowly defeated by Socred Labour Minister Lyle Wicks. [...] And one of those legacies he left behind was the Mission Tree Farm. In 1958, Mission was the first municipality to be given responsibility to monitor their own forest called Tree Farm License #26. [...] During the much-heated 1956 provincial election, Grewall, as a CCF candidate, commonly addressed the issues of taxes, bridges, farmers and the forestry industry, which he claimed were being “monopolized” by a handful of large companies in the province. Grewall referred to these stakeholders as “timber maharajahs,” and said the system would revert to a “form of feudalism, which I left 30 years ago.”
^ ^a ^b ^c "Remembering Former Mission Mayor Naranjan Singh Grewal". July 14, 2017. [...] Naranjan Grewall was a polarizing figure. He was a wealthy man who gave freely and generously to worthy causes yet fought against many of the practices that were responsible for the wealth of many of the businessmen whom he rubbed shoulders with every day. He was well respected in the community of Mission and beyond – yet there were 14 suspicious fires in sawmills he was part owner of and his own house was set ablaze by an unknown arsonist. His wife was well aware of the dangers he faced although he kept his suspicions as to who was behind the threats to himself. True to his self-reliant and honorable reputation, he refused to name anyone or make any official complaints without proof. Naranjan Grewall’s death which occurred on a business trip to Seattle was officially labelled a suicide. Some of his close friends went to Seattle to try and make sense of the tragedy. What they discovered only raised more questions and indicated that the police investigation was certainly very limited in scope. There were reports of a loud quarrel in his room at the Star Motel and later that same night he moved to a different motel. There was alcohol found in the same room as his body and Grewall was never known to have drank alcohol, yet the police insist that he was alone in the room at all times.
^ "Was Grewall Murdered And If Yes Then By Who?". July 15, 2017. “It’s murder!” Those words of Helen Grewall were echoed by many friends of her late husband – former Mission Mayor Naranjan Singh Grewall – after his suspicious death in a Seattle hotel in the summer of 1957.
^ "Streets Stories: Grewall Street" (Archive). Mission District Historical Society, Mission Community Archives website. Retrieved on March 16, 2015.
^ "16 SOUTH ASIAN mp's ELECTED FROM ONTARIO: 15 LIBERALS, 1 CONSERVATIVE (UPDATED) | Indo-Canadian Voice". Archived from the original on October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
^ "5 turbaned Sikh MPs, 5 South Asian women enter Canadian Parliament". Hindustantimes.com. October 20, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
^ "Population (in thousands) by visible minority group, Canada, 2011 (estimated) and 2036". January 25, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
^ "Projections of the Aboriginal Population and Households in Canada 2011 to 2036" (PDF). Retrieved October 19, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Canada [Country] and Canada [Country] Language". February 8, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (September 11, 2013). "NHS Profile, Canada, 2011 Non-official languages spoken". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 17, 2019). "Data tables, 2016 Census Mother Tongue (263), Single and Multiple Mother Tongue Responses (3), Age (7) and Sex (3) for the Population Excluding Institutional Residents of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 100% Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 18, 2020). "2011 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations Detailed Mother Tongue (192), Single and Multiple Language Responses (3), Age Groups (7) and Sex (3) for the Population Excluding Institutional Residents of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (January 23, 2019). "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables Religion (19), Age Groups (10), Sex (3), Selected Demographic, Cultural, Labour Force and Educational Characteristics (268) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "A Social History of South Asians in British Columbia". www.saclp.southasiancanadianheritage.ca. April 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022. From 1904 to the 1940s, 95% of all South Asian immigrants to Canada were Sikhs from the Punjab region of India.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "A user's guide to 1981 census data on ethnic origin / by Walton O. Boxhill = Guide de l'utilisateur des données du recensement de 1981 sur l'origine ethnique / par Walton O. Boxhill". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 16, 2007). "The South Asian Community in Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (December 23, 2013). "2001 Census Topic-based tabulations Religion (95) and Visible Minority Groups (15) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (December 23, 2013). "2001 Census Topic-based tabulations Selected Demographic and Cultural Characteristics (104), Selected Religions (35A), Age Groups (6) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (September 13, 2005). "South Asians in Canada: Unity through diversity - ARCHIVED". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 16, 2007). "The East Indian community in Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2022. The majority of Canadians of East Indian origin are either Sikh or Hindu. In 2001, 34% said they were Sikh, while 27% said they were Hindu. Another 17% were Muslim, 9% were Catholic and 7% belonged to a mainline Protestant denomination or other Christian grouping. On the other hand, relatively few Canadians of East Indian origin have no religious affiliation. That year, just 4% of people who reported East Indian origin said they had no religious affiliation, compared with 17% of the overall population.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (April 3, 2013). "Census, 1991 Religions in Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 17, 2022). "Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 17, 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table Canada [Country] Language". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 24, 2012). "2011 Census of Population Language". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 17, 2022). "2021 Census of Canada: Mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 17, 2019). "Visible Minority (15), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province] and Canada [Country] Visible minority". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 27, 2015). "NHS Profile, British Columbia, 2011 Visible minority". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census Saskatchewan [Province] and Canada [Country] Visible minority". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census Yukon [Territory] and Canada [Country] Visible minority". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 27, 2015). "NHS Profile, Yukon, 2011 Visible minority". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 20, 2019). "2006 Community Profiles Visible minority Nunavut (Territory)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Ethnocultural portrait Provinces and territories Highest proportion of visible minorities in British Columbia". Retrieved September 12, 2022. In 1991, the largest visible minority groups in Ontario were Blacks (311,000 or 3.1% of the provincial population), Chinese (290,400 or 2.9%), and South Asians (285,600 or 2.9%) [...] In 1991, the predominant visible minority group in British Columbia was Chinese (192,300 or 5.9% of the provincial population), followed by South Asians (118,200 or 3.6%) [...]
^ ^a ^b "Visible minority (South Asian), both sexes, age (total), Canada, British Columbia and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data". Canada 2016 Census. Canada 2016 Census. October 25, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
^ "Visible minority (South Asian), both sexes, age (total), Canada, Alberta and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data". Canada 2016 Census. Canada 2016 Census. October 25, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 27, 2019). "Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (March 29, 2019). "1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 4, 2019). "Data tables, 1996 Census Top 25 Ethnic Origins in Canada by Age Groups (13), Showing Single and Multiple Responses (3), for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1996 Census (20% Sample Data)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 4, 2019). "Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^ "Permanent Residents – Ad Hoc IRCC (Specialized Datasets) - Open Government Portal".
^ "Permanent Residents – Monthly IRCC Updates - Open Government Portal".

^ ^a ^b ^c When Grewall was nominated as a candidate for the CCF party in the Dewdney riding in 1956, this drew excitement. But, according to Barrett, Grewall faced open discrimination on the campaign trail. “The former mayor knew the risk he was taking and many people were surprised he took this risk to enter the race,” said Barrett. Barrett said Grewall overcame many racial insults along the way. “Every kid in the North Fraser, who thinks he or she is being discriminated against, should read the Grewall story and the challenges he faced.” Grewall was later found dead in a Seattle motel room with a gunshot wound to the head in July of 1957. He was 47 years of age.^[57]
^ After losing his MLA bid in 1956 to SoCred Labor Minister Lyle Wicks, Grewal began receiving threats. Fires were set at his mills and his house was set ablaze. On July 17, 1957, while on a business trip, Grewall was found dead in a Seattle motel. He had been shot in the head. Although local police ruled it a suicide, Grewall's family believes he was a victim of foul play. Grewall was survived by his wife and three children, who left Mission City shortly after his death. Despite the suspicious circumstances of his death, Grewall's story is more notable for his legacy of community involvement than for his untimely demise.^[54]
^ Including Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Baháʼí, and others not stated
^ ^a ^b ^c Canadians of South Asian origin are almost equally divided among the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim faith groups. In 2001, 28% of South Asians reported they were Sikh, 28% said they were Hindu, and 22% were Muslim. At the same time, another 16% reported that they were Christian. In contrast, relatively few people of South Asian origin have no religious affiliation. In 2001, just 4% said they had no religious affiliation, compared with 17% of the overall population.^[72]
^ ^a ^b [...] the majority of individuals reporting Pakistani (90%), Bangladeshi (87%) and Bengali (74%) ethnic origins were Muslim. ^[75]^: 23
^ ^a ^b Most people with Tamil and Sri Lankan ethnic origins were Hindu: 80% and 64%, respectively.^[75]^: 23
^ [...] those with Punjabi ancestry were predominantly Sikh (86%) [...]^[75]^: 23
^ ^a ^b The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Northwest Territories includes Nunavut, as the territory was not created until 1999.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Part of United Kingdom

^ 2016 census: Statistic includes all persons with ethnic or cultural origin responses with ancestry to the nation of India, including "Bengali" (22,900), "Goan" (6,070), "Gujarati" (8,350), "East Indian" (1,374,715), "Kashmiri" (3,115), "Punjabi" (118,395), and "Tamil" (48,670).^[50]

2011 census: Statistic includes all persons with ethnic or cultural origin responses with ancestry to the nation of India, including "Bengali" (17,960), "Goan" (5,125), "Gujarati" (5,890), "East Indian" (1,165,145), "Kashmiri" (2,125), "Punjabi" (76,150), and "Tamil" (48,965).^[49]

2006 census: Statistic includes all persons with ethnic or cultural origin responses with ancestry to the nation of India, including "Bengali" (12,130), "Goan" (4,815), "Gujarati" (2,975), "East Indian" (962,670), "Kashmiri" (1,685), "Punjabi" (53,515), and "Tamil" (34,590).^[48]

2001 census: Statistic includes all persons with ethnic or cultural origin responses with ancestry to the nation of India, including "Bengali" (7,020), "Goan" (3,865), "Gujarati" (2,805), "East Indian" (713,330), "Kashmiri" (480), "Punjabi" (47,155), and "Tamil" (39,075).^[47]

1996 census: Statistic includes all persons with ethnic or cultural origin responses with ancestry to the nation of India, including "Bengali" (3,790), "Goan" (4,415), "Gujarati" (2,155), "East Indian" (548,080), "Punjabi" (49,840), and "Tamil" (30,065).^[46]
^ Statistic includes all speakers of South Asian ethnic origin languages, as many multi-generation individuals do not speak the language as a mother tongue, but instead as a second or third language. Figures for Hindi & Urdu are an exception as both include all mother tongue speakers, given that both languages act as links or lingua-francas for inter-ethnic communication amongst South Asians; as such, the multiple response rate is high for both languages on the "Knowledge of non-official languages" section of the Canadian census and thus is not a satisfactory indicator as to any particular ethnic origin.
^ ^a ^b Combined responses of Hindi and Urdu as they form mutually intelligible registers of the Hindustani language.

v t e Canadians of Asian descent by area of origin
Central Asia	Afghan Kazakh Tatar Tajik Uzbek
East Asia	Chinese Hong Kong Japanese Korean Mongolian Taiwanese Tibetan
Southeast Asia	Cambodian Filipino Indonesian Laotian Malaysian Singaporean Thai Vietnamese
South Asia	Bangladeshi Indian Nepali Pakistani Punjabi Sri Lankan Tamil
West Asia	Arab Iraqi Jordanian Lebanese Palestinian Saudi Syrian Yemeni Armenian Assyrian Azerbaijani Georgian Iranian Israeli Jewish Turkish