Dutch Canadians () are

Canadians Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

with full or partial Dutch ancestry. According to the

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

, there were 1,035,965 Canadians of Dutch descent, including those of full or partial ancestry. This increased to 1,111,655 or about 4.2% of the entire population of Canada in 2016.

History

The first Dutch people to come to Canada were

Dutch Americans Dutch Americans () are Americans of Dutch and Flemish descent whose ancestors came from the Low Countries in the distant past, or from the Netherlands as from 1830 when the Flemish became independent from the United Kingdom of the Netherla ...

among the

United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec and Governor General, governor ...

. The largest wave was in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century when large numbers of Dutch helped settle the Canadian west. During this period significant numbers also settled in major cities like

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. While interrupted by the

First World War 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 ...

this migration returned in the 1920s, but again halted during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After World War II, a large number of Dutch immigrants moved to Canada, including a number of war brides of the Canadian soldiers who liberated the Netherlands. There were officially 1,886 Dutch war brides to Canada, ranking second after British war brides. During the war, Canada had sheltered Crown Princess Juliana and her family. The annual Canadian Tulip Festival held in May commemorates her with a generous number of tulips coming from The Netherlands. Due to these close links Canada became a popular destination for Dutch immigrants. The Canadian government encouraged this, recruiting skilled workers. This post-war wave went mainly to urban centres such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver. With the economic recovery of the Netherlands in the post-war years immigration to Canada slowed. While one of the largest minority groups in Canada, Dutch Canadians have tended to rapidly assimilate and there are relatively few Dutch Canadian organizations and media. One important institution is the Christian Reformed Church in North America, with most congregations found throughout Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, The King's University in Edmonton, and Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario are associated with this Dutch Reformed/Calvinist denomination. Christian Schools International, the Christian Labour Association of Canada, and the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario are organizations with strong Dutch-Canadian roots. In his book ''To All Our Children: The Story of The Postwar Dutch Immigration to Canada'', Albert VanderMey explains that in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Dutch Canadian immigrants "also set up a credit union, a burial fund, three elementary Christian schools and one Christian high school, and a home for senior citizens." Dutch Canadians, because of their shared cultural and religious heritage, tend to form tight-knit communities. This has led to an in-joke known as "Dutch bingo", where it is said that a Dutch Canadian is able to figure out his/her connection to another Dutch Canadian by asking questions about the other's last name, town of birth, church and the college they attended.

Geographical distribution

Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2021.

Provinces & territories

Notable people

Academia

* Parzival Copes, economist * Sidney van den Bergh, astronomer *Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, physicist

Arts and entertainment

* Earl W. Bascom, actor, painter, sculptor * Neve Campbell, actress * Nicole de Boer, actress * Sarah de Leeuw, writer (Dutch descent) * Kristen Hager, actress * Ernest Hillen, journalist *

Kristin Kreuk Kristin Laura Kreuk (; born December 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Debuting on teen drama '' Edgemont'', she became most known for her television roles as Lana Lang in the superhero television series ''Smallville'' (2001–2011), Catherine ...

, actress * Cornelius Krieghoff, painter *

Sigmund Brouwer Sigmund Brouwer (born 1959) is a prolific Canadian author of children's, young adult, and adult books. He has over 100 titles and four million books in print. Brouwer's novel, ''Dead Man's Switch'', won the Arthur Ellis Award in 2015 for Canada ...

, author, public speaker, athlete. Both his mother and father immigrated to Alberta from Holland following World War II. He won the gold medal for racquetball (doubles) at the Canada Winter Games in 1983 at the age of 22. * Robert Naylor, actor *

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically a ...

, poet, novelist, editor and filmmaker * Patricia Rozema, writer, director * Sonja Smits, actress (Dutch descent) * Cobie Smulders, actress * Jessica Steen, actress * Dorothy Stratten, model * Aritha Van Herk, writer *

Laura Vandervoort Laura Dianne Vandervoort (born September 22, 1984) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Lisa in the ABC science fiction series '' V'' (2009). She also known for role as Sadie Harrison in the CTV teen drama series '' Instant ...

, actress *

Jeon Somi Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a South Korean and Canadian singer signed under The Black Label. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved to ...

, singer and songwriter * Kevin Zegers, actor and model * Martin Kouprie, chef, author, cheesemaker * Issac Kragten (born 2002), actor

Business

* William Cornelius Van Horne, president of CPR

Farming

* Wiebo Ludwig

Politics and civil service

* Michael Chong, Conservative MP, Wellington-Halton Hills *

Roméo Dallaire Roméo Antonius Dallaire (born June 25, 1946) is a retired Canadian politician and military officer who was a senator from Quebec from 2005 to 2014, and a lieutenant-general in the Canadian Armed Forces. He notably was the force commander of U ...

, former Force Commander of UNAMIR peacekeeping force during the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

, former Liberal Senator, humanitarian * Stephen de Boer, Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

in Geneva, Switzerland *

Harry de Jong Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...

Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the most populous municipality in the province outside metropol ...

Social Credit MLA from 1986 to 1994 * Mike de Jong, Abbotsford, British Columbia Liberal MLA since 1994 * Simon De Jong, former federal

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

NDP MP * Jacob De Witt, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada * Rick Dykstra, Conservative MP

St. Catharines St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...

from 2006 to 2015 and Parliamentary Secretary * Fred Eisenberger, former Ward Alderman and Mayor of

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

* John Gerretsen, former mayor of

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, former Ontario MPP and provincial cabinet minister * Samuel Holland, Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

* Eiling Kramer, longest-serving member in the history of Saskatchewan's Legislative Assembly * David Mathews, American

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

and former mayor of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

who settled in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

and became a leading administrator. * John Oostrom, first Dutch-born MP, Progressive Conservative for Willowdale * Case Ootes, former city councillor in

; served as deputy mayor under Mayor

Mel Lastman Melvin Douglas Lastman (March 9, 1933 – December 11, 2021) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the third mayor of North York from 1973 to 1997 and the 62nd mayor of Toronto from 1998 to 2003. He was the first person to s ...

and represents one of the two Toronto—Danforth wards * Maximilien Polak, Quebec Liberal MNA for Saint-Anne from 1981 to 1989 * Egerton Ryerson, Methodist minister, public education advocate, Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada * Peter Stoffer, NDP MP Sackville-Eastern Shore from 1997 to 2015 * Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal MP Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill since 2019 * Jacob Van Buskirk, Representative for Shelburne County in the

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (; ), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature. The assembly is ...

from 1805 to 1818 * John van Dongen,

Liberal MLA from 1995 to 2013 * Anthony Van Egmond, Member of the

Reform Movement Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social system, social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more Radicalism (politics), radical social movements such as re ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

, a leader of the rebels in the

Upper Canada Rebellion The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the Oligarchy, oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) in December 1837. While public grievances had existed for years, it was the Lower Canada Rebe ...

* Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative MP, Chatham-Kent-Leamington * Bill Vander Zalm, 28th

Premier of British Columbia The premier of British Columbia is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s, the title ''prime minister of British Columbia'' was often used. The word ''premier'' is derived ...

* Adam Swart Vedder, Westminster- Chilliwhack,

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

MLA from 1897 to 1898 * Elizabeth Witmer, former Progressive Conservative MPP, Ontario cabinet minister and Chair of Workplace Safety & Insurance Board of Ontario

Sports

* Earl W. Bascom, rodeo pioneer, first rodeo champion inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, "father of modern rodeo" * Kyle Bekker, soccer player * Ted-Jan Bloemen, Olympic speed skater, born in the Netherlands with a Canadian-born father * Jeff Beukeboom, retired NHL ice hockey player * Jay Bouwmeester, former NHL ice hockey player * Troy Brouwer, former NHL ice hockey player * Petra Burka, Olympic figure skater, Dutch born * Peter DeBoer, former ice hockey player and current NHL coach * Calvin de Haan, NHL player for the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

* Jason de Vos, retired professional soccer player * Greg de Vries, former NHL ice hockey player * Karl Dykhuis, ice hockey player; first cousin of Mark Brodwin, astrophysicist * Steve Dykstra, former NHL ice hockey player *

Harry Geris Harry Geris (November 22, 1947 – April 24, 2008) was a Canadian Olympic wrestler who represented Canada in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics, 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and 1975 Pan American Games. Early life Geris was ...

, wrestler * Dan Hamhuis, former NHL ice hockey player * Ed Hoekstra, former NHL ice hockey player * Bill Hogaboam, retired NHL player for the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

and

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

* Ferdi Kadıoğlu, soccer player * Slater Koekkoek, NHL player for the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

* Nick Kuiper, former ice hockey player * Trevor Linden, retired ice hockey player and former General Manager in the NHL for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

* Dwight Lodeweges, footballer, manager * George Momberg, professional wrestler known by stage name "Killer Karl Krupp" * Matt Murray, NHL goaltender for the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

* Jake Muzzin, defenseman for the

* Joe Nieuwendyk, former ice hockey player in the NHL,

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

member and former General Manager of the

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...

* Beorn Nijenhuis, speed skater, who represents the Netherlands at the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

* Pete Peeters, former NHL ice hockey player * Paul Postma, ice hockey player * Daniel Sprong, ice hockey player in the NHL for the

Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...

Eric Staal Eric Craig Staal (born October 29, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre who played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Buff ...

, ice hockey player in the NHL for the

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...

* Jared Staal, ice hockey player formerly in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL) for the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...

* Jordan Staal, ice hockey player in the NHL for the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

* Marc Staal, ice hockey player in the NHL for the

* Evert van Benthem, speed skater, won the Elfstedentocht in 1985 and 1986 * Wayne Van Dorp, former ice hockey player in the NHL * Debbie Van Kiekebelt, track and field athlete *

Adam van Koeverden Adam Joseph van Koeverden (born January 29, 1982) is a Canadian sprint kayaker, olympic gold medallist, and politician serving since 2025 as the Secretary of State for Sport in Prime Minister Mark Carney's Cabinet. A member of the Liberal ...

, Olympic gold medallist in K-1 500 m; his last name relates him to the Dutch city of Coevorden * Lauren van Oosten, swimmer * John van 't Schip, footballer, manager currently serving

Greece national football team The Greece national football team (, ) represents Greece in men's international Association football, football matches, and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece is one of only ten ...

* John Van Boxmeer, former ice hockey player in the NHL * Ryan VandenBussche, former ice hockey player in the NHL * Kelly VanderBeek, alpine skier * David Van der Gulik, former ice hockey player in the NHL * Mike Vanderjagt, most accurate kicker in NFL history; played for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

and

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

* Jim Vandermeer, ice hockey player in the NHL * Pete Vandermeer, former ice hockey player * Mike Van Ryn, former NHL ice hockey player and current assistant coach for the

* Pat Verbeek, former ice hockey player in the NHL * Tonya Verbeek, Sport wrestler, three time Olympic medallist * Noah Verhoeven, Soccer player for Atlético Ottawa * Kris Versteeg, retired NHL ice hockey player for the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

* Mitch Versteeg, former ice hockey player * Dennis Ververgaert, former NHL ice hockey player * John Wensink, former NHL ice hockey player * Steve Yzerman, retired NHL player for the

* Marcel De Jong

Notes

References

External links

Canadian Encyclopedia - Dutch

DCA: Dutch Canadian Association - Dutch Canadians

CAANS: Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies - Dutch Canadians

''Maandblad de Krant'', monthly magazine for Canadians and Americans of Dutch Origin

DUTCH the magazine, about the Netherlands and its people, at home and abroad

Historical articles about postwar Dutch immigration to Canada and the USA
{{Portal bar, Canada, Netherlands *

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 ...

Dutch