Hungarian Canadians
Encyclopedia
Hungarian-Canadians are persons in 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...

 of Hungarian ancestry. According to Canada 2001 Census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...

, there are 315,510 Canadians of Hungarian ancestry. The Hungarian minority is the 23rd largest ethnic group of Canada. The majority of Hungarian immigration occurred after World War II, the wave peaked after the 1956 Hungarian revolution against communist rule and over 100,000 Hungarian refugees went to Canada. The Hungarian-Canadian community is among the country's multiple ethnicities and one of the top five countries of the Hungarian diaspora
Hungarian diaspora
Hungarian diaspora is a term that encompasses the total ethnic Hungarian population located outside of current-day Hungary.There are two main groups of the diaspora...

.

Alberta

After the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

 48,665 people (1,48 % of the population) has Hungarian roots and 6,770 of them speak Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....

 (0.21 %).
The first Hungarians arrived in Alberta in 1866 with Count Paul Oskar Eszterhazy, who wanted Hungarians to re-settle after they had emigrated originally to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The memorial of János Mráz, in 1895 in Bashaw
Bashaw, Alberta
Bashaw is a town in central Alberta located at the junction of Highway 21 and Highway 53. Formerly one of the most recognizable sources of cheese production in Alberta, the Bashaw cheese plant has been closed since the spring of 2002.-Demographics:...

 indicated that there were already 25 Hungarian families, each of which farmed a homestead. The 1900 Census in Lethbridge
Lethbridge County, Alberta
The County of Lethbridge is a municipal district in southern Alberta. It is in Census Division 2 and part of the Lethbridge Census Agglomeration area.-Demographics:...

 counted 167 Hungarians in the area.

A larger influx of immigrants into Alberta is recorded from 1914 or 1915. At that time 300 Hungarian labourers arrived in the area. In the 1930s there was a greater immigration wave to Alberta. In 1921 there lived 1045 Hungarians there, in 1931 this number was 5502.

Saskatchewan

After the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

 there lived 27,395 people in Saskatchewan who have Hungarian roots or were born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

. In the local oral Hungarian usage the name of the province was Saskanada.

By 1921 the Hungarian population grew to 8,946, in 1931 to 13,363, and in 1941 to 14,576. Because of migration to Ontario and eastern Canada, the population declined to 12,470 by 1951. In 2001 there lived 24,340 Hungarians in Saskatchewan, of whom 24% (5,875 people) claimed to born in Hungary.

Significant Hungarian populations exist in the Saskatchewan settlements of: St. Benedict
St. Benedict, Saskatchewan
The village of St. Benedict, is located in the Carlton Trail Region of Saskatchewan north of Humboldt, Saskatchewan on highway 20. The population of 78 people consists mostly of Germans but there are also Hungarian and Ukrainian as well.-External links:*...

, Prud'homme
Prud'homme, Saskatchewan
-Notable Prud'hommers:*Jeanne Sauvé- former Governor General of Canada*George Viczko - World War II vet- See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* Villages of Saskatchewan-External links:********...

, Yellow Creek
Yellow Creek, Saskatchewan
The organized hamlet of Yellow Creek is located in the parkland area of east central Saskatchewan north east of Wakaw, Saskatchewan and has a population of 45 people. It previously held the status of village. It is named after the creek that flows through it. The area consists mostly of Ukrainian...

, Zichydorf
Zichydorf, Saskatchewan
Zichydorf Village was a village that existed for a short period of time near Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The residents of Zichydorf Village mostly came from Zichydorf in Austria-Hungary before World War I.-External links:**...

, East Central, Cudworth
Cudworth, Saskatchewan
- Notable residents :* Gerry Ehman* Orland Kurtenbach* Kirk Medernach - References :...

, Whitewood
Whitewood, Saskatchewan
Whitewood is a town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located approximately east of Regina on the Trans-Canada Highway Sk Hwy 1. It is situated at the crossroads of two major highways systems – the Trans-Canada, which runs east and west, and Sk Hwy 9, which runs north and south from...

 and Mistatim
Mistatim, Saskatchewan
Mistatim is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan located just to the north of Sk Hwy 3. Mistatim is east of the town of Tisdale and west of Hudson Bay. The Greenwater Lake Provincial Park is to the south. The village has its own village civic government within the rural...

.
In 1885 the Hungarian immigrants established several settlements in the eastern region of Saskatchewan. One of them was Esterhaz colony
Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
Esterhazy is a town in the southeastern portion of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, located 83 km southeast of Yorkton along Highways 22 and 80. The town is located within the rural municipality of Fertile Belt No...

, which still exists. In 1888 a new settlement was founded near Esterhazy, which was named Kaposvár (named after Kaposvár, now part of Esterhazy). By 1902 these two settlements had over 900 people. The nearby Stockholm
Stockholm, Saskatchewan
Stockholm is a community in the southeastern portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located south of Yorkton along Highways 9 and 22. Stockholm is the seat of government for the rural municipality of Fertile Belt No. 183...

 also became Hungarian settlement (in Hungarian Sokhalom). In 1894 a Hungarian settlement was established Rev. Janos (John) Kovacs in Otthon
Otthon, Saskatchewan
Otthon is a hamlet in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Listed as a designated place by Statistics Canada, the hamlet had a population of 56 in the Canada 2006 Census....

 (which means 'Home'). After 1902 somewhere the current town of Kipling
Kipling, Saskatchewan
-Government:Town council members:* Mayor Kelly Kish, employee of GeeBee Construction, elected in 2009* Alderman Terry Barath, elected in 2009* Alderman Kevin Kish, employee of Marton's Auto Body, first elected in 1999 by-election...

 there was a settlement called Békevár ('Peaceburgh'). Later Hungarians settled down also in the northern part of Saskatchewan, close to Wakaw
Wakaw, Saskatchewan
-History:Wakaw is in hilly partially forested country east of the South Saskatchewan River. The area is part of the aspen parkland biome. Peopled primarily by settlers of Eastern European origin, historically it housed Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's law office from 1919 to 1925; Diefenbaker's...

, there was the Buda School District. West of Wakaw was the Dunafoldvar district (named after Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár is a town in Tolna County, Hungary.- External links :*...

), south of Wakaw was Matyasfold (Mátyásföld - 'Land of Matthew').

Manitoba

After the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

 there were 9,900 people in Manitoba who have Hungarian roots or were born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

. In 1996 there lived 9,025 Hungarians in Manitoba.

The first wave of the Hungarian immigrants reached Manitoba in 1885, many of whom settled in or near Winnipeg. In 1906 the Hungarian Presbyterian church was established there. The first Hungarian newspaper in Canada was published in Winnipeg in 1905: Kanadai Magyarság ('Canadian Hungarians'). During the First World War, citizens of enemy allies were interned. Between 1918 and 1924 the Hungarian clubs in Winnipeg were very active. By 1920 there were only 13,181 Hungarians in the whole country, most of them in Saskatchewan, only a few in Manitoba. The second wave of the immigartion came during the inter-war years. The new immigrants established to Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church in 1924. A new newspaper was founded: Kanadai Magyar Újság ('Canadian Hungarian Newspaper'). In 1927 Hungarian consulate was opened in Winnipeg.

Ontario

The Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

 counted 151,750 people in Ontario who have Hungarian roots or were born in Hungary. They account for 1.3% of the population. More recently, 53,000 Hungarians live in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

.

Most of the Hungarians lived in Welland
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...

, 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...

, Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...

 and in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

. In 1931, more than 1,000 Hungarians lived in Hamilton, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 and in Welland. There were significant Hungarian populations in Brantford, 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...

, Oshawa
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...

, St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...

, Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...

 and in Port Colborne
Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...

. Many Hungarians worked at the construction of the Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...

. By 1961 Hungarians accounted for 40% of the population of Welland.

After the First World War thousands of Hungarians emigrated to 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...

, especially from rural class. After the Second World War people from several classes came to the country. Ontario's climate was similar to the Hungarian climate so people from the Prairies moved to Ontario. The first Hungarians (60 people) to arrive in Welland did so in 1906. The first Hungarian society was established in Hamilton in 1907, the second was founded in Hamilton in 1913. In 1921 the Hungarian Self Culture Society was established in Welland. In 1931 the three-fourths of the Hungarian Canadian population lived in Ontario. The 1956 refugees also lifted the Hungarian population in Canada. In 1949 a so-called Delhi & Tobacco District Hungarian House was dedicated in Delhi-Tillsonburg
Tillsonburg, Ontario
Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.Tillsonburg is a town of 14,822 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19 the closest route to Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario...

, the centre was initiated by Paul Rapai in 1947. 40 percent (about 1,500 people) of the tobacco factory was Hungarian. In 1933 two Hungarian newspapers were established by Rapai, the Kanadai Magyar Újság and the Wellandi Kisújság. After 1956 abouth 6,000 refugees arrived to Ontario. In 1964 a Roman Caholic church was built in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

. Roman Catholic churches are still in Toronto, Hamilton and in Courtland. There are still four Greek Catholic churches in Ontario: in Welland, Courtland, Windsor and in Hamilton. Presbyterian churches are in Delhi and in Ottawa.


External links

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