Iranian-Canadian
Encyclopedia
Iranian Canadians or Persian Canadians are Canadians of Iranian/Persian
national background or descent. Their numbers are estimated as 121,510 from the 2006 Canadian census and the main communities can be found in Southern Ontario
, British Columbia
, and Quebec
; the vast majority, however, live in the northern suburbs of Toronto
such as Richmond Hill
, Vaughan
, Markham
, and Thornhill
, and in the municipalities of Vancouver
such as: North Vancouver
, West Vancouver
, Burnaby
, and Coquitlam
. An estimated total of 46,255 Iranians currently reside in the Greater Toronto Area
, 29,265 in the Greater Vancouver Area, 9,535 in the Greater Montreal Area
, and the remainder are spread out in the other major cities in Canada based on the 2006 Canadian Census. However, these numbers only represent the people who immigrated from Iran and filled out the census survey. There are an estimated 50,000 more Iranians who did not fill out the survey and were born outside Iran including Canada. Estimated numbers for Toronto are around 65,000, in Vancouver they range up to 40,000 and in Montreal
there are not more than 15,000.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
national background or descent. Their numbers are estimated as 121,510 from the 2006 Canadian census and the main communities can be found in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
; the vast majority, however, live in the northern suburbs of 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...
such as Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
, Vaughan
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, Markham
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, and Thornhill
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
, and in the municipalities of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
such as: North Vancouver
North Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...
, West Vancouver
West Vancouver, British Columbia
West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the municipality is northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Bay and the...
, Burnaby
Burnaby, British Columbia
Burnaby is a city in British Columbia, Canada, located immediately to the east of Vancouver. It is the third-largest city in British Columbia by population, surpassed only by nearby Surrey and Vancouver....
, and Coquitlam
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. According to the 2007 Canadian Census, it is the 5th-largest city in British Columbia...
. An estimated total of 46,255 Iranians currently reside in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, 29,265 in the Greater Vancouver Area, 9,535 in the Greater Montreal Area
Greater Montreal Area
Greater Montreal is one of the two metropolitan communities of Quebec.Greater Montreal is the most populous metropolitan area in Québec. As of 2009, Statistics Canada identifies Montréal's Census Metropolitan Area as Canada's second most populous with a population of 3,859,318...
, and the remainder are spread out in the other major cities in Canada based on the 2006 Canadian Census. However, these numbers only represent the people who immigrated from Iran and filled out the census survey. There are an estimated 50,000 more Iranians who did not fill out the survey and were born outside Iran including Canada. Estimated numbers for Toronto are around 65,000, in Vancouver they range up to 40,000 and in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
there are not more than 15,000.
Academia
- Ramin JahanbeglooRamin JahanbeglooRamin Jahanbegloo is an Iranian philosopher and academic who is currently based in Canada. He teaches at the University of Toronto as a professor of political science.-Biography:...
, philosopher and university professor - Kaveh Farrokh, historian
- Manouchehr Saadat Noury, university professor, journalist, poet, and writer
- AliAsghar Abdollahzadeh Nasrabadi, university professor, Specialist of IT, Researchist of IT
- Fariborz Goodarzi, Scientist , Royal Society of Canada, Federal Government of Canada
Art and literature
- Jian GhomeshiJian GhomeshiJian Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer of Iranian descent who was raised in Thornhill, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, he is the host of the national daily cultural affairs talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV...
, member of Moxy FrüvousMoxy FrüvousMoxy Früvous was a politically satirical folk-pop band from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The band was founded in 1989, and was active throughout the 1990s...
, former host of CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's "play" Current host of "Q" on CBC Radio 1 - Pardis ParkerPardis ParkerPardis Parker is an award-winning director, writer, actor, and comedian.-Early life:Pardis Parker was born to an Iranian father and Sri Lankan mother in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
, award-winning director, writer, actor, and comedian - Nima Mazhari, painter, photographer and husband of ex-Olympic biathlete Myriam BédardMyriam BédardMyriam Bédard, MSC is a Canadian biathlete , winner of two Olympic gold medals.-Olympic career:Born in Neufchâtel, Quebec, Bédard learned marksmanship as a member of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets' 2772 cadet corps, which she joined at the age of 15, and participated in her first biathlon event at...
, convicted and sentenced in June 2007 for stealing paintings from the late painter Ghitta Caiserman - Fariborz LachiniFariborz LachiniFariborz Lachini is a film score composer originally from Iran based in Canada.-Career:He started his career in Iran writing music for children, creating "Avaz Faslha va Rangha" at the age of 18 which caught the attention of royal family of the time. The title of national Iranian TV's children...
, music composer - Alan Sakhavarz, artist, painter (wildlife), sculptor, caricaturist and cartoonist
- Parviz TanavoliParviz TanavoliParviz Tanavoli is an Iranian sculptor now residing in Canada. He was born in Tehran, Iran in 1937.-Academic career:Upon graduating from the Brera Academy of Milan in 1959, Tanavoli taught sculpture for three years at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design...
, sculptor and painter
Beauty pageant
- Nazanin Afshin-JamNazanin Afshin-JamNazanin Afshin-Jam is a Persian Human Rights Activist, , President and Co-Founder of Stop Child Executions, Singer, Songwriter, model, actress, pilot, former Miss World Canada and Miss World 1st runner-up...
, Miss Canada 2003, 1st runner-up of Miss World 2003Miss World 2003Miss World 2003, the 53rd Miss World pageant was held at Crown of Beauty Theatre, Sanya, People's Republic of China on 6 December 2003. The pageant was presented by Phil Keoghan, Amanda Byram and Angela Chow. The contestants also visited Beijing, the national capital of People's Republic of China,...
, actress, singer-songwriter, human rights activist - Ramona AmiriRamona AmiriRamona Rina Amiri is an Iranian Canadian woman of Assyrian and Persian heritage who won the Miss World Canada contest in 2005....
, Miss World CanadaMiss World CanadaThe Miss World Canada contest is an beauty pageant, held mostly annually in various incarnations and with several different names since 1957, to select Canada's representative to the Miss World contest. The Canadian franchise was currently owned by Upstage This! Productions, based in Vancouver,...
2005, semifinalist of Miss World 2005Miss World 2005Miss World 2005, the 55th Miss World pageant was held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, People's Republic of China on December 10, 2005. Nine former Miss World titleholders and chairwoman of Miss World Organization Julia Morley judged the pageant. Miss World 2004 María Julia Mantilla of Peru... - Samantha TajikSamantha TajikSamantha Tajik is a Canadian-Iranian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2008.She competed in the Miss Universe Canada 2008 pageant, and on April 28, 2008 was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder, Inga Skaya....
, Miss Universe CanadaMiss Universe Canada-External links:*...
2008 - Sahar BiniazSahar BiniazSahar Biniaz born 1986 is an Iranian Canadian beauty pageant contestant and occasional actress. Biniaz was born in India and grew up in Iran. She resides in Vancouver, B.C., where she began to compete in beauty pageants representing Canada, including winning 1st runner-up in Miss Universe Canada...
, 2nd runner-up of Miss Tourism Queen International 2008 - Maryam MassoumiMaryam MassoumiMaryam Massoumi is an Iranian-Canadian fashion model who competed on the reality TV show Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 3, which aired in 2009.- Personal life :...
, Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 3Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 3Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 3, the third season of reality series Canada's Next Top Model, premiered on May 26, 2009, on CTV. Jay Manuel returned for his second season as the host...
contestant - Neda Derakhshan, Miss Universe CanadaMiss Universe Canada-External links:*...
2009 & 2010 3rd Runner-up
Business
- Hassan KhosrowshahiHassan KhosrowshahiHassan Khosrowshahi is an Iranian-born Canadian entrepreneur. In Iran, Khosrowshahi earned degrees in economics and law from the University of Tehran. He settled in Vancouver in 1981. In 1982, Khosrowshahi founded Canadian electronics retailer, Future Shop. The chain expanded throughout western...
, founder of Future ShopFuture ShopFuture Shop is Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer. Future Shop currently operates a total of 146 stores across all of Canada's provinces as of December 2008.... - Maryam Rezaee, founder of Maryam Hotels & Suites Canada
- Ghermezian Brothers, founders of West Edmonton Mall
- Sir Karim Hakimi, founder of Hakim Optical
Journalism
- Farid HaerinejadFarid HaerinejadFarid Haerinejad , is a documentary maker and blogger. He formerly worked with CBC and is now the editor-in-chief of Persian-language Radio Zamaneh in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.- Life and education:...
, CBC former producer, Documentary Maker and current ِِEditor-In-Chief of Radio ZamanehRadio ZamanehRadio Zamaneh is an Amsterdam-based Persian language radio. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time".Radio Zamaneh is founding by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs but in content an independent broadcasting organization, registered as a non-profit organization in the Netherlands, with... - Bahman Kalbsi: BBC Persian journalist and anchor who interviewed president Obama
- Zahra KazemiZahra KazemiZahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, residing in Montreal, Canada, who died in the custody of Iranian officials following her arrest....
, photojournalist - Nikahang KowsarNikahang KowsarNikahang Kowsar, also known as Nik Kowsar is an Iranian cartoonist, journalist, and blogger, currently living in Toronto, Canada. Kowsar was also a reformist candidate for the second term of city council of Tehran in 2003, an election won by the conservative candidates of Abadgaran.He studied...
, cartoonist - Maziar BahariMaziar BahariMaziar Bahari Maziar Bahari Maziar Bahari (مازیار بهاری, (born 1967) is an Iranian Canadian journalist, film maker and human rights activist. He was a reporter for Newsweek from 1998 to 2011...
, journalist - Jian GhomeshiJian GhomeshiJian Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer of Iranian descent who was raised in Thornhill, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, he is the host of the national daily cultural affairs talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV...
, CBC broadcaster, writer, producer and musician