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Hungarian Canadians ( hu, kanadai magyarok) are persons in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
of Hungarian ancestry. According to the 2016 Census, there are 348,085
Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) 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 ...
of Hungarian ancestry. The Hungarian minority is the 24th largest ethnic group of Canada. The bulk of Hungarian immigration occurred after World War II, with the wave peaking after the
1956 Hungarian revolution The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hung ...
against communist rule, when over 100,000 Hungarian refugees went to Canada. The Hungarian Canadian community is among the country's multiple ethnicities; Canada is one of the top five countries of the
Hungarian diaspora Hungarian diaspora ( hu, magyar diaszpóra) is a term that encompasses the total ethnic Hungarian population located outside current-day Hungary. There are two main groups of the diaspora. The first group includes those who are autochthonous to ...
.


Alberta

As of the 2016 Census 56,270 people (1.41% of the population) in Alberta have Hungarian roots, of which 7,660 have some knowledge of the language. The first Hungarians arrived in Alberta in 1866 with János Packh (alias Pál Oszkár Eszterházy), who wanted Hungarians that had earlier settled in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
to re-settle in the province. The memorial of János Mráz, in 1895 in Bashaw indicated that there were already 25 Hungarian families, each of which farmed a homestead.Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek: Towards the History of Hungarians in Alberta, 1999 The 1900 Census counted 167 Hungarians in the Lethbridge area. A larger influx of immigrants into Alberta was recorded in 1914–1915. At that time 300 Hungarian labourers arrived in the area. In the 1930s there was a greater immigration wave to Alberta. In 1921, there were 1,045 Hungarians living in the province, and by 1931 this number had grown to 5,502.


Saskatchewan

The 2016 Census showed 27,880 people living in Saskatchewan who have Hungarian roots or were born in Hungary. In local, spoken Hungarian the name of the province is ''Saskanada''. In 1921 the Hungarian population was 8,946. By 1931 it had grown to 13,363, and by 1941 to 14,576. Because of interprovincial migration to Ontario and eastern Canada, the population declined to 12,470 by 1951. In 2001 there were 24,340 people of Hungarian ancestry living in Saskatchewan, of whom 24% (5,875 people) claimed to be born in Hungary. Significant Hungarian populations exist in the Saskatchewan settlements of St. Benedict, Prud'homme, Yellow Creek, Zichydorf, East Central, Cudworth, Whitewood and Mistatim. In 1885 Hungarian immigrants established several settlements in the eastern region of Saskatchewan. One of them was the Esterhazy colony, which still exists. In 1888 a new settlement was founded near Esterhazy, which was named ''Kaposvár'' (after
Kaposvár Kaposvár (; also known by other alternative names) is a city with county rights in the southwestern part of Hungary, south of Lake Balaton. It is one of the leading cities of Transdanubia, the capital of Somogy County, and the seat of the Kapo ...
, now part of Esterhazy). By 1902 these two settlements had over 900 people. The nearby Stockholm (''Sokhalom'' in Hungarian) also became a Hungarian settlement. In 1894 a Hungarian settlement was established by Rev. János (John) Kovács with the name Otthon, which means 'Home' in Hungarian. After 1902 somewhere around the current town of
Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much o ...
there was a settlement called ''Békevár'' ('Peaceburgh'). Later Hungarians also settled down in the northern parts of Saskatchewan, close to
Wakaw Wakaw, Saskatchewan, is a town 90 km (56 miles) northeast of Saskatoon and 66 km (41 miles) south of Prince Albert. It is about halfway between the two cities and is served by Highway 2, Highway 41 and Highway 312. Wakaw is in hil ...
, where the ''Buda School District'' was. West of Wakaw was the ''Dunafoldvar district'' (named after Dunaföldvár) and south of Wakaw was ''Matyasfold'' (Mátyásföld - 'Land of Matthew').


Manitoba

After the 2016 Census there were 10,120 people in Manitoba that have Hungarian ancestry or were born in Hungary. In 1996 there were 9,025 Hungarians living in Manitoba. The first wave of the Hungarian immigrants reached Manitoba in 1885, many of whom settled in or near
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
. In 1906 the Hungarian Presbyterian church was established there. The first Hungarian newspaper in Canada, ''Kanadai Magyarság'' ('Canadian Hungarians'), was published in Winnipeg in 1905. During the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, citizens of enemy allies were interned. Between 1918 and 1924 the Hungarian clubs in Winnipeg were very active. By 1920 there were 13,181 Hungarians in the country, most in Saskatchewan, with Manitoba only home to a small number. The second wave of immigration came during the inter-war years. The new immigrants established a Roman Catholic church and a Protestant church in 1924. A new newspaper was founded, ''Kanadai Magyar Újság'' ('Canadian Hungarian Newspaper'). In 1927 the Hungarian consulate was opened in Winnipeg.


Ontario

As of 2016 Census, Ontario had 163,500 people that have Hungarian ancestry or were born in Hungary, accounting for 1.23% of the population. 54,240 Hungarians live in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. Most Hungarians lived in
Welland Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750. The city is in the centre of Niagara and located within a half-hour driving distance to Niagara Falls, Niagara-on ...
,
Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
,
Brantford Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...
and in Hamilton. Papp 1980: 3 In 1931, more than 1,000 Hungarians lived in Hamilton, Toronto and in Welland. There were significant Hungarian populations in Brantford, Kitchener, Oshawa, St. Catharines,
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...
and in
Port Colborne Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed afte ...
. Many Hungarians worked at the construction of the
Welland Canal The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Ontario, Canada, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It forms a key section of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway. Traversing the Niagara Peninsula from Port Weller in St. Catharines ...
. Papp 1980: 8 By 1961 Hungarians accounted for 40% of the population of Welland. After the First World War thousands of Hungarians emigrated to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, especially from the rural classes. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
people from several classes came to the country. Ontario's climate was similar in some ways to the Hungarian climate so people from the
Great Hungarian Plain The Great Hungarian Plain (also known as Alföld or Great Alföld, hu, Alföld or ) is a plain occupying the majority of the modern territory of Hungary. It is the largest part of the wider Pannonian Plain. (However, the Great Hungarian plain ...
moved to Ontario. The first Hungarians (60 people) to arrive in Welland did so in 1906. The first Hungarian society was established in Hamilton in 1907, the second was founded in Hamilton in 1913. In 1921 the Hungarian Self Culture Society was established in Welland where the first Hungarian newspaper was also published in 1928. In 1931 three quarters of the Hungarian Canadian population lived in Ontario. In 1933 two Hungarian newspapers were established by John Rapai, the ''Kanadai Magyar Újság'' and the ''Wellandi Kisújság''. In 1949 a so-called ''Delhi & Tobacco District Hungarian House'' was dedicated in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
-
Tillsonburg Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 18,615 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19. History Prior to European settlement, the present site of Tills ...
, which had been initiated by Rapai two years earlier. 40 percent (about 1,500 people) of the tobacco factory was Hungarian. After 1956 about 6,000 refugees arrived in Ontario. Papp 1980: 84 In 1964 a Roman Catholic church was built in
London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
.
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
churches are still in Toronto, Hamilton and in Welland. There are still three
Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...
churches in Ontario: in Welland, Windsor and in Hamilton. Presbyterian churches are in Delhi and in Ottawa. Papp 1980: 50


Prince Edward Island

1956-1957 saw a large wave of Hungarian migration to Prince Edward Island, and probably the largest ever. A special Emergency Relief Committee was established to manage the arrival of Hungarian refugees, led by Minister of Health M.L. Bonnell. In addition to a reception centre which was established in the neighbourhood of Falconwood, in Charlottetown, a number of other groups participated in supporting the settlement of the Hungarians including the province's Red Cross, Women's Institute, Catholic Women's League, as well local volunteer doctors and nurses. In general, the Hungarians were welcomed to the province, as reported by
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
newspaper. It was believed that the Hungarians were the "right type" of immigrant and could contribute to the province's agricultural sector.


Gallery

File:Kaposvarchurchkjfmartin.jpg, Kaposvar historical site outside of the Town of Esterhazy File:EsterhazyFlourMill.jpg, Photo of the Esterhazy Flour Mill on December 11, 2011 File:Embassy of Hungary, Ottawa.jpg, Embassy of Hungary in Ottawa, Canada File:Our Lady of Hungary Church - Welland, ON.jpg, Our Lady of Hungary Roman Catholic Church in Welland, ON. File:St George Greek Catholic Church - Courtland, ON.jpg, Former Greek Catholic Church of St. George in Courtland, ON.


See also

* Canada–Hungary relations *
List of Canadians of Hungarian descent This is a list of notable Canadians of Hungarian descent: * Eve Adams, Canadian liberal politician (2011-2015) * Kati Agócs – composer * Karoly Bezdek - mathematician * Attila Buday – Olympic canoer * Tamas Buday Jr. – Olympic can ...
* European Canadians


References


External links


Hungarian immigrants in interwar CanadaDigitized issues of the Kanadai Magyar Munkás (Canadian-Hungarian Worker), 1929-19671956 Hungarian Memorial Oral History ProjectHunagrian Refugees Received on Prince Edward Island, Canada (1956-1957)



Life as it was : Prud'homme, Saskatchewan, 1897-1981

Karpat Hungarian Folk Dancers of Winnipeg

Address to the Commemoration in Winnipeg of the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising: 22 October 2006

Toronto's Hungarian Community

Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre



Susan M. Papp: Hungarians in Ontario



Hungarian TV in Canada

Hungarian Radio in Toronto
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadians Of Hungarian Ancestry Hungarian Hungarian
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
Hungarian diaspora by country