Piotra Murzionak: MIGRATION OF BELARUSIANS TO CANADA IN COMPARISON WITH NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES
(abstract, magazine “SAKAVIK”, June 2014, issue 6, pp. 30-39)

1. The number of Belarusians in Canada in 2011 compared to 1991 increased 5.5 times, from 2,830 to 15,565 people.
2. In 2011, 95% of Belarusians lived in four Canadian provinces: Ontario (8,785, or 56%), British Columbia (2,135), Alberta (1,965), and Quebec (1,895). Forty percent of Belarusians live in Toronto (6,215).
3. Relative increase in the number of people of Belarus in Canada from 1991 to 2011, compared to its neighbours, was the smallest (134 per 100 thousand inhabitants of Belarus; compared to Estonia – 148, Russia – 274, Latvia – 329, Ukraine – 432 Lithuania – 554, Poland – 705). Based on data from Canada, we can assume that the Belarusians are quite conservative in their migration aspirations.
4. The proportion of Belarusians in Canada who use their native language at home is quite small (3.9%) and reflects the language situation in the homeland (for comparison Ukrainians – 9.6%, Lithuanians – 15.5%, Poles – 19.9%, Latvians – 23.6%, Russians – 30.9%).

Categories: Асьвета, Зьнешнія адносіны, Нацыя