Bulgarian Canadians
Encyclopedia
Bulgarian Canadians are citizens of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 (Canadians) with significant Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...

 heritage. Those can include Bulgarian Canadians living in Canada for one or several generations, dual Bulgarian Canadian citizens, or any other Bulgarian Canadians who consider themselves to be affiliated to both cultures or countries. Some Bulgarian Canadians might be born in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

, Canada or other countries with ethnic Bulgarian population.

Because some Bulgarians are not Canadian citizens, others are dual citizens, and still others' ancestors have come to Canada several generations ago, some of these people consider themselves to be simply Canadians, Bulgarians, Bulgarians living in Canada or Canadian Bulgarians.

Origin and numbers

Mass Bulgarian emigration to Canada began in the late 1890s and the early 20th century. Bulgarians primarily settled in Canada's industrial cities, mostly Toronto, Ontario, which was a major centre of Bulgarian migration to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. Between 1900 and 1944, 19,955 people from Bulgaria settled in Canada; however, this number excludes the mass Bulgarian migration from Ottoman and later Serbian and Greek-ruled Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...

, Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...

, southern Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...

, the Western Outlands and Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....

, which was indeed the bulk of Bulgarian emigration to Canada. The largest wave of migration from the Kingdom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...

 to Canada was in 1912, when 6,388 people arrived in that country. Other significant waves were those of 1914, consisting of 4,512 people, and 1907–09, which numbered 2,529.

The Canadian Census of 1921 recorded 1,765 people who identified as Bulgarians; of those, 1,378 lived in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. In 1931, self-identified Bulgarians were 3,160 (2,415 in Ontario), while in 1941 they numbered 3,260 (2,553 in Ontario). Other estimates, however, list 10,000 Bulgarians in Canada by 1913, of which 4,000 in Toronto alone, and 20,000 Bulgarians in Canada by 1939. The Bulgarian colony in Toronto mostly consisted of emigrants from Macedonia and the Kostur (Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

) region in particular. According to Bulgarian diplomatic and ecclesiastical records of 1936, Bulgarians in Toronto alone numbered 3,500, while other estimates go up to 5,000.

The Bulgarian community in Canada is deeply linked to the Macedonian Canadians
Macedonian Canadians
Macedonian Canadians are a group of ethnic Macedonians who live in Canada.-History:...

. Until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, most people who today identify as Macedonian Canadians claimed a Bulgarian ethnic identity and were recorded as part of the Bulgarian ethnic group. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Bulgarian community in Canada spread in larger numbers to the capital Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Vancouver, British Columbia and Montreal, Quebec.

Organizations, religion and education

The first organization of Bulgarians in Canada, the Zhelevo Bulgarian Brotherhood or Zhelevo Benevolence Brotherhood was established in 1907 in Toronto by emigrants from Zhelevo (Antartiko) in Aegean Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...

. Other Bulgarian organizations were soon established by emigrants from Zagorichani (Vassiliada), Oshtima (Trigono), Smardesh (Krystallopigi
Krystallopigi
Krystallopigi is a former community in Florina regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Krystallopigi means "crystal source". Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Prespes, of which it is a municipal unit. The population is 383 . The main village is also called...

), Gabresh (Gavros), Banitsa (Vevi
Vevi
Vevi, rarely Veve is a village located in the municipal unit of Meliti in Florina peripheral unit, Macedonia, Greece. The village is passed by two national roads which lead to Thessaloniki, Florina, Amyntaio, and Kozani...

), Buf (Akritas) and Tarsie (Trivuno), all villages in Aegean Macedonia. Bulgarian emigrants from Murgash near Tsaribrod
Dimitrovgrad, Serbia
Dimitrovgrad is a town and 483 km² large municipality located in the Pirot District of the Republic of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has a population of 10,056 people and the town 6,247.-Name:...

 and Bansko
Bansko
Bansko is a town and a popular ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 925 m above sea level....

 also established emigrant organizations. Most such communities were founded in Toronto, though some were based in other Ontario towns like Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...

, Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

 and Courtland.

The foundations of the Bulgarian Orthodox community in Canada were laid down in 1908 with the first Bulgarian ecclesiastical mission in North America. The priests Hristo Karabashev and hieromonk Theophylactus, who first visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, arrived in Toronto in 1910 and established what is today the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Parish, which until 1945 remained the only such community in Canada.

A Bulgarian school, funded by the Bulgarian Orthodox community, was founded in Toronto as early as 1914: this was also the first Bulgarian school in the Americas. In 1924, this school had 70 pupils and two teachers. By 1928, the number of pupils was 100. Bulgarian adult schools were established by two separate organizations in 1917 and 1920, also in Toronto. Another school for children was founded in Toronto in 1934; Bulgarian schools were also established in Kitchener and Windsor in 1932 and 1936 respectively.

Language

Some Bulgarian Canadians speak Bulgarian, especially the more recent immigrants, while others might not speak the language at all, or speak Bulgarian mixed with English to a lesser or greater extent. Some Bulgarian Canadians understand Bulgarian even though they might not be able to speak the language. There are cases where older generations of Bulgarians or descendants of Bulgarian immigrants from the early part of the 20th century are fluent in the Bulgarian language as well.

Famous Bulgarian Canadians

  • Nansy Damianova
    Nansy Damianova
    Nansy Damianova is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-External links:*...

  • Nina Dobrev
    Nina Dobrev
    Nina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation, from the show's sixth to ninth season...

  • Ivan Dochev
    Ivan Dochev
    Ivan Dimitrov Dochev was a Bulgarian far right politician active either side of the Second World War.-Early years:Born in Shumen the son of an army colonel, Dochev worked in the civil service from 1926 to 1932 when he went to Sofia University to study law and politics...

  • Marian Grudeff
    Marian Grudeff
    Marian Grudeff was a Canadian pianist and musical theatre composer.Born in Toronto, she studied piano under Mona Bates and performed Liszt's Hungarian Fantasy with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. She subsequently gave her first solo recital at the Eaton Auditorium...

  • Ignat Kaneff
  • Ivan Kristoff
    Ivan Kristoff
    Ivan Kristoff , is an aviator, rescue worker, and rope access expert in vertical and aerial operations. He has developed various solutions to improve the safety of vertical and aerial rope manoeuvres...

  • Ted Kotcheff
    Ted Kotcheff
    Ted Kotcheff , sometimes credited as William Kotcheff or William T. Kotcheff, is a Canadian film and television director, who is well known for his work on several high-profile British television productions and as a director of films such as First Blood.-Early life:Kotcheff was born William...

  • Mesut Mert
    Mesut Mert
    Mesut Mert is a former midfielder who has last played professionally with the Montreal Impact of the USL First Division.- Career :...

  • Alice Panikian
    Alice Panikian
    Alice Panikian is a Bulgarian-born Canadian model who was crowned Miss Universe Canada on March 21, 2006...

  • Kroum Pindoff
    Kroum Pindoff
    Kroum Pindoff is a Bulgarian Canadian businessman born in Greek Macedoniaand raised in Bulgaria. Pindoff participated in the Second World War as part of the Bulgarian army, and their allies the Germans...

  • Christopher Tanev
    Christopher Tanev
    Christopher Tanev is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League...

  • Theodore Ushev
    Theodore Ushev
    Theodore Ushev is an animator, graphic designer, illustrator and multimedia artist, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.He was born in Bulgaria and graduated stage decoration, animation, and make-up at Plovdiv's School of Scenic Arts.He obtained a Master degree in Graphic Design from the National Academy...


See also

  • Macedonian Canadians
    Macedonian Canadians
    Macedonian Canadians are a group of ethnic Macedonians who live in Canada.-History:...

  • Bulgarian Americans
    Bulgarian Americans
    Bulgarian Americans are citizens of the United States with Bulgarian heritage. For the 2000 US Census, 55,489 Americans indicated Bulgarian as their first ancestry, while 92,841 persons declared to have Bulgarian ancestry...

  • Immigration to Canada
    Immigration to Canada
    Immigration to Canada is the process by which people migrate to Canada to reside permanently in the country. The majority of these individuals become Canadian citizens. After 1947, domestic immigration law and policy went through major changes, most notably with the Immigration Act, 1976, and the...

  • Ethnic groups in Canada
  • Foreign relations of Bulgaria
    Foreign relations of Bulgaria
    Bulgaria has generally good foreign relations with its neighbours and has proved to be a constructive force in the region under socialist and democratic governments alike. Promoting regional stability, Bulgaria hosted a Southeast European Foreign Ministers meeting in July 1996, and an OSCE...

  • Foreign relations of Canada
    Foreign relations of Canada
    The foreign relations of Canada are Canada's relations with other governments and peoples. Canada's most important relationship, being the largest trading relationship in the world, is with the United States...

  • Bulgaria–Canada relations
  • Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa
  • Euro-Canadian
    Euro-Canadian
    European Canadians are Canadian people of European origin, descent, birth, or ancestry. English Canadians , French Canadians and Scottish Canadians were the three largest self-reported ancestry groups in the Canada 2001 Census....

  • Bulgarian diaspora
    Bulgarian diaspora
    Bulgarian diaspora consists of Bulgarian emigrants and their descendants.The number of Bulgarians outside Bulgaria has sharply increased since 1991, following the collapse of the communism in Eastern Europe. Over one million Bulgarians have left the country, either permanently or as temporary...

  • Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia
    Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia
    The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia is one of fifteen dioceses of the Church of Bulgaria. The diocese is led by Metr. Joseph.-History:...



External links

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