Canada 1961

Questions | Reported Numbers

Questions

Questions Options Appearing on Questionairre
Definition or Description
 Column/
Question Number
In what province (or country) were you born? (If outside Canada, give country according to present boundaries.) Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Roumania, Scotland, Seden, Switzerland, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., Wales, Yugoslavia, If not listed, write here: ___ For the native-born population, the province or territory of birth was recorded. For those born outside of Canada, the country of birth, as it was constituted at June 1, 1961 was shown. 7
In what year did you immigrate to Canada? Born in Canada, Before 1921, 1921-1930, 1931-1940, 1941-1950. 1951-1960, 1961 In addition to the census inquiry on birthplace, a further question relating to period of immigration was asked of each person born outside of Canada. Tables 58 to 62 show the immigrant population according to the time period in which they first arrived in Canada. 8
Country of citizenship
Are you a Canadian?
(If not, of what country are you a national or citizen?)		 Canada, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, U.S.S.R., If not listed, write here: ___

The census inquiry on citizenship refers to the country to which the person owes allegiance and has citizenship rights. In the 1961 Census, everyone was asked the question "Are you a Canadian?" Those answering "No" were asked an additional question, viz., "If not, of what country are you a national or citizen?"

Instructions to Enumerators provided a summary of the main provision of the Canadian Citizenship Act as a guide in cases of persons uncertain of their citizenship status. Briefly, the following persons were considered to be citizens of Canada in 1961, providing they had not otherwise lost their citizenship:

a) Persons born in Canada

b) Persons born in the U.K. or other Commonwealth countries who had completed five years residence in Canada before January 1, 1947 or obtained a citizenship certificate. (Those born outside the British Commonwealth must have obtained naturalization papers in addition to the above residence requirments or obtained a citizenship certificate after January 1, 1947.)

c) Any woman who married a Canadian and came to Canada before January 1, 1947 or obtained a citizenship certificate after that date.

d) Any person whose father was a Canadian citizen at the time of his birth; and the person
i) was under 21 years of age at the census date, or
ii) asserted his Canadian citizenship before his 24th birthday or was a resident of Canada at the time

 

 9
To what ethnic or cultural group did you or your ancestor (on the male side) belong on coming to this continent? Austrian, Belgian, Czech, Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Lithuanian, Negro, Netherlands, Norwegian, Polish, Roumanian, Russian, Scottish, Slovak, Swedish, Ukraninian, Welsh, Yugoslavic, Native Indian, Band member, Non-Band member, If not listed, write here: __ In the census, a person's ethnic group is traced through his father. In 1961, each person was asked the question "To what ethnic group did you or your ancestor (on the male side) belong on coming to this continent?" The language spoken at that time by the person, or his paternal ancestor, was used as an aid in determining the person's ethnic group. Special instructions were provided where the language criterion was not applicable. 10
What is your religion? Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Christian Science, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesse, Jewish, Lutheran, Mennonite, Mormon, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Ukranian Catholic, United Church, If not listed, write here: ____ Enumerators, in the 1961 Census, were instructed to record the specific religious body, denomination, sect or community reported in answer to the question "What is your religion?" Thus, census figures do not measure church membership or indicate the degree of affiliation with any religious body. Also, Enumerators were instructed to accept without question the denomination reported by respondents. They were to inquire more fully when "Christian", "Protestant", "Believer", etc. were reported but were to accept these if a specific denomination could not be given. Further, if a person stated he had no religion, the entry "none" was recorded. 11
What language did you first learn in childhood and still understand? English, French, Danish, Finnish, German, Indian or Eskimo, Italian, Magyar, Netherlands, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Ukranian, Yiddish, If not listed, write here: ___ In the census "mother tongue" was defined as the language first learned in childhood and still understood. In the case of infants the language commonly spoken at home was recorded. 12
Can you speak English? French? English only, French only, Both English and French, Neither English nor French Every person in Canada was asked whether he could speak English and whether he could speak French--the two "official" languages in Canada. Persons shown as speaking "English only" or "French only" in Tables 63 to 71 may also speak other languages and have a mother tongue other than English or French. 13

[ Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Introductory Report to Volume I (Part 2). Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962.]

Reported Numbers

Percentage Distribution of the Population by Ethnic Groups, Canada, 1901-1961. [ Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Ethnic Groups. Bulletin 1.2-5. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962.]

Ethnic Group
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1951
1961
CANADA
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
British Isles
57.0
55.5
55.4
51.9
49.7
47.9
43.8
Other European
39.2
41.7
42.1
45.8
48.0
49.1
53.0
Asiatic
0.4
0.6
0.8
0.8
0.6
0.5
0.7
Chinese
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.3
Japanese
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
Other
*
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
Other
3.3
2.2
1.7
1.5
1.6
2.5
2.5

* Less than 0.05 p.c.

from Table 34. Population by Ethnic Groups, for Canada, 1901-1961. [Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Ethnic Groups. Bulletin 1.2-5. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962. pp. 34-1.]

Ethnic Group
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1951
1961
CANADA
5,371,315
7,206,643
8,787,949
10,376,786
11,506,655
14,009,429
18,238,247
British Isles
3,063,195
3,999,081
4,868,738
5,381,071
5,715,904
6,709,685
7,996,669
Other European
2,107,327
3,006,502
3,699,846
4,753,242
5,526,964
6,872,889
9,657,195
Asiatic
23,731
43,213
65,914
84,548
74,064
72,827
121,753
Chinese
17,312
27,831
39,587
46,519
34,627
32,528
58,197
Japanese
4,738
9,067
15,868
23,342
23,149
21,663
29,157
Other
1,681
6,315
10,459
14,687
16,288
18,636
34,399
Other
177,062
157,847
153,451
157,925
189,723
354,028
462,630

from Table 35. Population by Ethnic Groups and Sex, for Provinces and Territorries, 1961. [Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Ethnic Groups. Bulletin 1.2-5. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962. pp. 35-1-35-2. ]

Ethnic Group and Sex
 Canada New-found-land Prince
Edward
Island		 Nova
Scotia		 New
Bruns-wick		 Quebec Ontario Mani-toba Saskat-chewan Alberta British
Columbia		 Yukon North-west
Terri-tories
POPULATION T
18,238,247
457,853
104,629
737,007
597,936
5,259,211
6,236,092
921,686
925,181
1,331,944
1,629,082
14,628
22,998
M
9,218,893
234,924
53,357
374,244
302,440
2,631,856
3,134,528
468,503
479,564
689,383
829,094
8,178
12,822
F
9,019,354
222,929
51,272
362,763
295,496
2,627,355
3,101,564
453,183
445,617
642,561
799,988
6,450
10,176
British Isles T
7,996,669
428,899
83,501
525,448
329,940
567,057
3,711,536
396,445
373,482
601,755
966,881
6,946
4,779
M
3,993,713
219,449
42,410
265,474
166,548
279,933
1,832,246
199,368
192,280
307,490
481,706
3,810
2,999
F
4,002,956
209,450
41,091
259,974
163,392
287,124
1,879,290
197,077
181,202
294,265
485,175
3,136
1,780
Other
European		 T
9,657,195
22,325
20,277
182,614
258,257
4,642,961
2,298,031
484,475
510,362
674,108
554,712
4,953
4,120
M
4,920,287
11,892
10,494
93,819
130,748
2,326,429
1,185,787
248,018
265,774
352,342
289,443
2,986
2,555
F
4,736,908
10,433
9,783
88,795
127,509
2,316,532
1,112,244
236,457
244,588
321,766
265,269
1,967
1,565
Asiatic T
121,753
933
295
2,979
1,343
14,801
39,277
4,177
4,925
12,503
40,299
152
69
M
69,698
525
158
1,665
724
8,317
21,751
2,468
2,955
7,246
23,728
110
51
F
52,055
408
137
1,314
619
6,484
17,526
1,709
1,970
5,257
16,571
42
18
Chinese
 T
58,197
445
43
637
274
4,749
15,155
1,936
3,660
6,937
24,227
100
34
M
36,075
276
22
393
168
2,961
9,320
1,295
2,268
4,312
14,957
79
24
F
22,122
169
21
244
106
1,788
5,835
641
1,392
2,625
9,270
21
10
East Indian
 T
6,774
17
1
46
22
483
1,155
198
115
208
4,526
1
2
M
4,122
10
1
29
13
299
650
119
71
128
2,800
--
2
F
2,652
7
--
17
9
184
505
79
44
80
1,726
1
--
Japanese
 T
29,157
3
--
28
18
1,459
11,870
1,296
280
3,721
10,424
32
26
M
15,059
1
--
15
7
751
6,152
659
153
1,914
5,370
19
18
F
14,098
2
--
13
11
708
5,718
637
127
1,807
5,054
13
8
Syrian-Lebanese
 T
19,374
417
240
2,153
984
5,302
7,137
590
678
1,327
530
12
4
M
10,112
213
129
1,157
505
2,817
3,632
304
354
720
270
7
4
F
9,262
204
111
996
479
2,485
3,505
286
324
607
260
5
--
Other
 T
8,251
51
11
115
45
2,808
3,960
157
192
310
592
7
3
M
4,330
25
6
71
31
1,489
1,997
91
109
172
331
5
3
F
3,921
26
5
44
14
1,319
1,963
66
83
138
261
2
--
Other T
462,630
5,696
556
25,966
8,396
34,392
187,248
36,589
36,412
43,578
67,190
2,577
14,030
M
235,195
3,058
295
13,286
4,420
17,177
94,744
18,649
18,555
22,305
34,217
1,272
7,217
F
227,435
2,638
261
12,680
3,976
17,215
92,504
17,940
17,857
21,273
32,973
1,305
6,813

Percentage Distribution of the Population by Religious Denomination, Canada, 1901-1961. [Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Religious Denominations. Bulletin 1.2-6. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962. inner cover]

Religious Denomination
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1951
1961
CANADA (1)
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Adventist
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
Anglican Church of Canada
12.8
14.5
16.1
15.8
15.2
14.7
13.2
Baptist
5.9
5.3
4.8
4.3
4.2
3.7
3.3
Buddhist
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
Christian and
Missionary Alliance
--
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
0.1
Christian Science
(2)
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
Churches of Christ, Disciples
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
Confucian
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.2
(2)
(2)
Congregationalist
0.5
0.5
0.4
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
Doukhobor
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
Free Methodist
Church of Canada
--
--
--
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
Greek Orthodox
0.3 (4)
1.2 (4)
1.9 (4)
1.0
1.2
1.2
1.3

Jehovah's Witness
(2)
(2)
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.4
Jewish
0.3
1.0
1.4
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.4
Lutheran
1.8
3.2
3.3
3.8
3.5
3.2
3.6
Mennonite (5)
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.9
1.0
0.9
0.8
Methodist
17.2
15.1
13.2
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
Mormon
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.3
Pentecostal
--
(2)
0.1
0.3
0.5
0.7
0.8
Presbyterian
15.8
15.6
16.1
8.4
7.2
5.6
4.5
Roman Catholic
41.7
39.4
38.7
39.5
41.8
43.3
45.7
Salvation Army
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.5
0.5
Ukranian (Greek) Catholic
(4)
(4)
(4)
1.8 (6)
1.6 (6)
1.4 (6)
1.0 (6)
Unitarian
(2)
(2)
0.1
(2)
(2)
(2)
0.1
United Church of Canada
--
--
0.1
19.5
19.2
20.5
20.1
Other
1.7
2.0
1.7
1.5
1.4
1.7
2.3

(1) Exclusive of Newfoundland in censuses prior to 1951.
(2) Less than 0.05 p.c.
(3) Included with "United Church of Canada."
(4) "Greek Catholic" and "Greek Orthodox" combined under "Greek Church."
(5) Includes "Hutterites."
(6) Includes "Other Greek Catholic."

from Table 41. Population by Religious Denominations, Canada, 1901-1961. [Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Religious Denominations. Bulletin 1.2-6. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962. pp. 41-1]

Religious Denomination
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1951
1961
CANADA (1)
5,371,315
7,206,643
8,787,949
10,376,786
11,506,655
14,009,429
18,238,247
Adventist
8,092
10,462
14,200
16,058
18,485
21,398
25,999
Anglican Church of Canada
689,540
1,048,002
1,410,632
1,639,075
1,754,368
2,060,720
2,409,068
Baptist
319,234
384,152
422,312
443,944
484,465
519,585
593,553
Buddhist
10,531
10,072
11,316
15,921
15,676
8,184
11,611
Christian and
Missionary Alliance
--
128
283
3,560
4,214
6,396
18,006
Christian Science
2,644
5,099
13,856
18,499
20,261
20,795
19,466
Churches of Christ, Disciples
17,250
14,610
13,125
15,831
21,260
14,920
19,512
Confucian
5,171
14,652
27,185
24,253
22,282
5,791
5,089
Congregationalist
28,504
34,215
30,788
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
Doukhobor
8,858
10,616
12,674
14,978
16,878
13,175
13,234
Free Methodist
Church of Canada
--
--
--
7,740
8,805
8,921
14,245
Greek Orthodox
15,909 (3)
89,323 (3)
170,069 (3)
102,529
139,845
172,271
239,766

Jehovah's Witness
101
938
6,689
13,582
7,007
34,596
68,018
Jewish
16,493
74,760
125,445
155,766
168,585
204,836
254,368
Lutheran
94,110
231,883
286,891
394,920
401,836
444,923
662,744
Mennonite (4)
31,949
44,972
58,874
88,837
111,554
125,938
152,452
Methodist
924,750
1,084,695
1,161,165
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
Mormon
7,061
16,115
19,657
22,041
25,328
32,888
50,016
Pentecostal
--
515
7,012
26,349
57,742
95,131
143,877
Presbyterian
847,635
1,121,394
1,411,794
872,428
830,597
781,747
818,558
Roman Catholic
2,238,955
2,841,881
3,399,011
4,102,960
4,806,431
6,069,496
8,342,826
Salvation Army
10,360
18,909
24,771
30,773
33,609
70,275
92,054
Ukranian (Greek) Catholic
(3)
(3)
(3)
186,879 (5)
185,948 (5)
191,051 (5)
189,653 (5)
Unitarian
2,032
3,275
4,943
4,453
5,584
3,517
15,062
United Church of Canada
--
--
8,739
2,021,065
2,208,658
2,867,271
3,664,008
Other
92,136
145,975
146,518
154,345
157,237
235,604
415,062

(1) Exclusive to Newfoundland in censuses prior to 1951.
(2) Included with "United Church of Canada."
(3) "Greek Catholic" and "Greek Orthodox" combined under "Greek Church."
(4) Includes "Hutterites."
(5) Includes "Other Greek Catholic."

from Table 42. Population by Religious Denomination and Sex, for Provinces and Territories, 1961. [Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.2. Population: Religious Denominations. Bulletin 1.2-6. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, F.R.S.C., 1962. pp. 42-1-42-2. ]

<
Religious
Denomination and Sex		 Canada New-found-land Prince
Edward
Island		 Nova
Scotia		 New
Bruns-wick		 Quebec Ontario Mani-toba Saskat-chewan Alberta British
Columbia		 Yukon North-west
Terri-tories
POPULATION T
18,238,247
457,853
10,4629
737,007
597,936
5,259,211
6,236,092
921,686
925,181
1,331,944
1,629,082
14,628
22,998
M
9,218,893
234,924
53,357
374,244
302,440
2,631,856
3,134,528
468,503
479,564
689,383
829,094
8,178
12,822
F
9,019,354
222,929
51,272
362,763
295,496
2,627,355
3,101,564
453,183
445,617
642,561
799,988
6,450
10,176
Adventist T
25,999
595
89
1,500
1,221
927
6,389
1,234
2,522
5,187
6,320
6
9
M
12,348
272
48
707
591
438
2,924
550
1,259
2,560
2,988
5
6
F
13,651
323
41
793
630
489
3,465
684
1,263
2,627
3,332
1
3
Anglican
Church of Canada		 T
2,409,068
130,688
6,085
133,247
68,165
193,849
1,117,862
127,487
94,593
156,630
367,096
4,516
8,850
M
1,197,311
67,126
3,035
67,905
34,309
95,677
550,710
63,661
48,433
79,335
180,127
2,294
4,699
F
1,211,757
63,562
3,050
65,342
33,856
98,172
567,152
63,826
46,160
77,295
186,969
2,222
4,151
Baptist T
593,553
693
5,942
101,093
94,070
15,174
250,343
17,247
16,184
42,430
49,481
710
186
M
295,505
365
2,961
51,083
47,675
7,640
122,673
8,579
8,272
21,482
24,290
364
121
F
298,048
328
2,981
50,010
46,395
7,534
127,670
8,668
7,912
20,948
25,191
346
65
Brethren
in Christ		 T
16,256
45
47
298
404
471
10,822
385
573
1,032
2,162
16
1
M
7,906
30
26
126
195
222
5,321
163
281
520
1,012
10
--
F
8,350
15
21
172
209
249
5,501
222
292
512
1,150
6
1
Buddhist T
11,611
1
2
12
11
548
3,320
610
86
1,987
5,021
7
6
M
6,259
1
1
3
7
319
1,803
298
50
1,034
2,733
5
5
F
5,352
--
1
9
4
229
1,517
312
36
953
2,288
2
1
Christian Missionary
Alliance 		T
18,006
55
2
77
87
129
5,472
755
3406
4,496
3,512
11
4
M
8,668
25
1
37
43
68
2,590
368
1,657
2,177
1,693
8
1
F
9,338
30
1
40
44
61
2,882
387
1,749
2,319
1,819
3
3
Christian
Reformed
 T
62,257
6
91
580
93
217
40,950
1,965
368
11,152
6,816
18
1
M
32,851
6
52
311
45
117
21,626
1,036
200
5,880
3,566
11
1
F
29,406
--
39
269
48
100
19,324
929
168
5,272
3,250
7
--
Christian
Science 		T
19,466
50
40
208
261
1,575
8,063
1,176
731
1,783
5,561
12
6
M
8,256
23
20
88
119