Population and People

January 1, 1975

Welcome to the Canada you know - with a few differences, of course.

Flag poles have been flying the Maple Leaf for 10 years. Helping diffuse the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the Cypriot Crisis of 1964 has given Canadians a reputation as dispute resolvers and peacekeepers to the world.

Many cities are becoming multicultural delights. You can now dine on a smorgasbord of excellent international food in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Canada is officially an urban nation. In fact, the situation is almost a mirror image of the way it was in 1900, but with rural folk now very much in the minority.

On the economic front, Canadians have survived the oil shortages and gas high prices arising from the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) boycott.

People are becoming very concerned about the damage being done to the fragile environment. Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jean Chrétien has ordered a moratorium on oil drilling in the Beaufort Sea until the environmental effects have been determined.

Criminal laws have been overhauled to reflect modern values. The practice of homosexuality is no longer a criminal offence. Abortion is not illegal if the women's life or health is threatened. Divorce laws have been liberalized.

The Worst of Both Worlds

Canadians are coming to terms with a new problem - stagflation. In the past, a slow economy meant low inflation and higher unemployment. Now, Canada (and the developed world) is plagued by both high inflation and high unemployment.

It's an uneasy time in our relationship with our neighbours to the south. The amount of American ownership of Canadian businesses generates national debate. People are also concerned about the intrusion of American culture into Canadian society, especially Anglophone society. Motion pictures and television are seen as the major culprits, as most of the popular programs and movies in Canada originate in the U.S.A.

Statistics

Prime Minister: Pierre Elliot Trudeau (Liberal)

Population (Total) : 22,697,000

By Province: (Number in brackets is ranking in 1950)

Ontario	8,200,000 (1)
Quebec	6,200,000 (2)
British Columbia	2,400,000 (3)
Alberta	1,800,000 (4)
Manitoba	1,000,000 (6)
Saskatchewan	921,000 (5)
Nova Scotia	820,000 (7)
New Brunswick	650,000 (8)
Newfoundland	500,000 ( 9)
Prince Edward Island	118,000 (10)
Northwest Territories	42,000 (11)
Yukon Territories	21,000 (12)

Males 11,300,000
Females 11 , 392,000

Young people between the ages of 10 and 19 - 5,150,000 (est.) (37%) People per square mile - 6.4

The average number of people per household:

In 1950 - 3.7
In 1900 - 5.0
In 1975 - 3.1

By Ethnic Origin:

European	20,945,000 (92%)
Aboriginal	327,000 (1.5%)
Asian	450,000 (2%)
African	110,000 (.004)

1	British/Irish	10,000,000 (1)
2	French	6,200,000 (2)
3	German	1,280,000 (3)
4	Italian	766,000 (9)
5	Ukrainian	609,000 (4)
6	Misc. European	567,000 (10)
7	Asian	450,000 (13)
8	Dutch	446,000 (6)
9	Scandinavian	403,000 (5)
10	Aboriginal	327,000 (8)
11	Polish	331,000 (7)
12	Greek	130,000 (16)
13	Africa	110,000 (15)
14	Czechs /Slovaks	85,000 (13)
15	Russian	67,000 (11)
16	Finnish	61,000 (14)