Austrian Canadians (, ) are
Canadian citizens who are of
Austrian ancestry or
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n-born people who reside in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. According to the
2021 Census, there were 189,535 Canadians who claimed either full or partial Austrian ancestry.
Austrian Canadian communities can be found throughout the country but with a higher concentration mainly in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...
.
History
In the 17th century, soldiers from Austria settled in
New France
New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Numbers increased following the passing of the ''Staatsgrundgesetz'' (constitutional law) in 1867 which allowed free migration from
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
for civilians. Emigration to Canada increased throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th, until this was tightened in 1914 at the onset of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.Many immigrants from Austria-Hungary to Canada were interned and used for enslaved labour during World War I. Beginning in 1914, subjects of the Habsburg Crown, especially Ukrainian-speakers from
Austrian Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, also known as Austrian Galicia or colloquially Austrian Poland, was a constituent possession of the Habsburg monarchy in the historical region of Galicia in Eastern Europe. The crown land was established ...
, were placed in twenty-four internment camps across Canada, the last of which closed in 1920.
Demographics
Austrian Canadian population by province and territory in Canada in 2011:
See also
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Austria–Canada relations
*
Greg Holst, head coach
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European Canadian
European Canadians are Canadians who can trace their ancestry to the continent of Europe. They form the largest panethnic group within Canada. In the 2021 Canadian census, 19,062,115 people or 52.5% of the population self-identified ethnic ori ...
s
*
German Canadians
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Hungarian Canadian
Hungarian Canadians (, ) are persons in Canada of Hungarian people, Hungarian ancestry. According to the 2016 Canadian Census, 2016 Census, there are 348,085 Canadians of Hungarian ancestry. The Hungarian minority is the Ethnic origins of people ...
s
*
Swiss Canadians
References
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{{Portal bar, Austria, Canada
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Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...