Who We Are

IdentityA Strong and Free Country

Canadian institutions uphold a commitment to Peace, Order, and Good Government — a key phrase from Canada's original constitutional document of 1867, the British North America Act. A belief in ordered liberty, enterprise, hard work and fair play enabled Canadians to build a prosperous society stretching from the Atlantic shores to the Pacific Ocean and to the Arctic Circle.

Poets and songwriters have hailed Canada as the "Great Dominion." The country's identity rests on its three founding peoples: Aboriginal, French and British.

First PeoplesAboriginal Peoples

The ancestors of Aboriginal peoples are believed to have migrated from Asia many thousands of years ago, and were well established here long before explorers from Europe first came to North America. Their diverse, vibrant First Nations cultures were rooted in religious beliefs about their relationship to the Creator, the natural environment and each other.

Aboriginal and treaty rights are written into the Canadian Constitution. Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III, which established the basis for negotiating treaties — though these treaties were not always fully respected.

From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian culture. The schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship: some students were physically abused, and Aboriginal languages and cultural practices were mostly prohibited. In 2008, Ottawa formally apologized to the former students. Today, Aboriginal peoples enjoy renewed pride and confidence, with significant achievements in agriculture, the environment, business and the arts.

Three GroupsInuit and Métis

Inuit means "the people" in the Inuktitut language. The Inuit live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic, where their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife enabled them to adapt to one of the harshest environments on earth.

The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry, the majority of whom live in the Prairie provinces. They come from both French- and English-speaking backgrounds and speak their own dialect, Michif.

Official LanguagesEnglish and French

Canadian society today stems largely from the English-speaking and French-speaking Christian civilizations brought from Europe by settlers. English and French are the country's official languages, and the federal government is required by law to provide services throughout Canada in both.

The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604. Between 1755 and 1763, during the war between Britain and France, more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland — an ordeal known as the "Great Upheaval."

Quebecers are the people of Quebec, the vast majority French-speaking; most are descendants of 8,500 French settlers from the 1600s and 1700s. In 2006, the House of Commons recognized that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada. One million Anglo-Quebecers have a heritage of 250 years and form a vibrant part of the Quebec fabric.

NewcomersBecoming Canadian

Some Canadians immigrate from places where they have experienced warfare or conflict, but such experiences do not justify bringing violent, extreme or hateful prejudices to Canada. In becoming Canadian, newcomers are expected to embrace democratic principles such as the rule of law.

The basic way of life in English-speaking areas was established by hundreds of thousands of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish settlers, soldiers and migrants from the 1600s to the 20th century. Anglophones are generally referred to as English Canadians.

MulticulturalismDiversity in Canada

Reflecting on this mix, John Buchan, the 1st Baron Tweedsmuir — a popular Governor General of Canada (1935–40) — said that immigrant groups should retain their individuality and each make its contribution to the national character.

The majority of Canadians were born in this country, and this has been true since the 1800s. Even so, Canada is often called a land of immigrants because, over the past 200 years, millions of newcomers have helped to build and defend its way of life. The largest ethnic and religious groups are the English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, Italian, Chinese, Aboriginal, Ukrainian, Dutch, South Asian and Scandinavian.

Since the 1970s, most immigrants have come from Asian countries. Chinese languages are now the second most-spoken at home, after English, in two of Canada's biggest cities: 13% in Vancouver and 7% in Toronto speak them at home.

The great majority of Canadians identify as Christians, the largest affiliation being Catholic, followed by various Protestant churches. The numbers of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and members of other religions, as well as people who state "no religion," are also growing. The state has traditionally partnered with faith communities to promote social welfare, harmony and mutual respect; to provide schools and health care; to resettle refugees; and to uphold religious freedom, religious expression and freedom of conscience.

Canada's diversity also includes gay and lesbian Canadians, who enjoy the full protection of and equal treatment under the law, including access to civil marriage. Together, these diverse groups, sharing a common Canadian identity, make up today's multicultural society.