Russian Canadians comprise Canadian citizens of Russian heritage or Russians who immigrated to and reside in Canada. According to the

2016 Census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...

, there were 622,445 Canadians who claimed full or partial Russian ancestry. The areas of Canada with the highest percentage population of Russian Canadians are the Prairie Provinces.

Number of Russian Canadians

Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. Data from this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 622,445. * Single response: 120,165. * Multiple response: 502,280.

Provinces and CMAs (census metropolitan areas) with Russian Canadian populations over 10,000

Quebec

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 55,230 * Single response: 15,800 * Multiple response: 39,435

=Montréal (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 49,275 * Single response: 14,315 * Multiple response: 34,960

Ontario

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 220,850 * Single response: 53,175 * Multiple response: 167,675

=Toronto (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 139,915 * Single response: 40,570 * Multiple response: 99,340

=Ottawa-Gatineau (CMA - Ontario part)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 15,620 ''(represents ~90% of total Ottawa-Gatineau CMA)'' * Single response: 3,205 * Multiple response: 12,415

Manitoba

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 58,225 * Single response: 9,510 * Multiple response: 48,720

=Winnipeg (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 29,575 * Single response: 3,580 * Multiple response: 26,000

Saskatchewan

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 39,390 * Single response: 3,645 * Multiple response: 35,745

=Saskatoon (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 13,280 * Single response: 1,360 * Multiple response: 11,925

Alberta

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 107,800 * Single response: 14,320 * Multiple response: 93,480

=Calgary (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 37,955 * Single response: 6,125 * Multiple response: 31,830

=Edmonton (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 28,275 * Single response: 3,325 * Multiple response: 24,945

British Columbia

Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 131,060 * Single response: 22,145 * Multiple response: 108,910

=Vancouver (CMA)

= Data in this section from Statistics Canada, 2016. * Total: 58,535 * Single response: 11,145 * Multiple response: 47,395
''Many British Columbians of Russian descent are Doukhobors, historically concentrated in the West Kootenay and Boundary Country regions.''

List of notable Russian Canadians

Arts, entertainment and literature

* Harvey Atkin – voice-over actor * Alex Battler – writer * Arnold Belkin – painter * Sasha Clements – actress, '' Majority Rules!'' * Ludmilla Chiriaeff – ballet dancer, choreographer and company director * Victor Garber – actor, '' Titanic'', ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...

'', ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' * Natalie Glebova – Miss Universe 2005, Miss Universe Canada 2005 * Anais Granofsky – actress, '' Degrassi Junior High'' * Michelle Gurevich – singer, formerly known as "Chinawoman" *

Boris Hambourg Boris Hambourg (russian: Борис Михайлович Гамбург; – 24 November 1954) was a Russian Canadian cellist who settled in Toronto, Ontario, and made his career in the United States, Canada, England and Europe. Early life ...

– cellist * Melissa Hayden – ballet dancer * Jessica Parker Kennedy – actress, '' The Secret Circle'', ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...

'', '' Black Sails'' * Ezra Levant – media personality *

Nadia Litz Nadia Litz (born December 26, 1976) is a Canadian actress and director. Early life Litz was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former child actor, she has described herself as somewhat ambitious. She is of Russian, Polish and British descent. She to ...

– actress *

Elena Lobsanova Elena Lobsanova (born ) is a Russian-Canadian ballet dancer. She joined the National Ballet of Canada in 2004 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2015. In 2020, she joined the Miami City Ballet. Early life and training Lobsanova was born in ...

– ballet dancer * George London – singer * Eli Mandel – poet *

Catherine Manoukian Catherine Manoukian (born June 2, 1981) is an Armenian-Canadian violinist. Biography Background and early life Catherine Manoukian was born in Toronto. Her parents were professional violinists and met at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where ...

– violinist * Niall Matter – actor, '' Eureka'', '' Stargate Atlantis'', ''

Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...

'', '' 90210'' * Sophie Milman – jazz musician * Zara Nelsova – cellist *

Alex Ozerov Alex Ozerov (born 1992) is a Canadian actor. He is most noted for his performance in the short film '' Pyotr495'', for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Digital Program or Series at the 7th Canadian Screen Awar ...

- actor *

Kim Yaroshevskaya Kim Yaroshevskaya (born October 1, 1923) is a Russian-born Canadian film, television and stage actress. Best known to audiences in Quebec as a children's entertainer, starring in series such as '' Fanfreluche'' and '' Passe-Partout'' in the 1970s, ...

- actress, voice-over, story-teller and writer * Sarah Polley – actress and film director, Order of Canada *

Dez Reed Panko Dez may refer to: *Dez (tribe), also spelled Diz, one of the Assyrian tribes of Hakkari People Music * Dez Cadena (born 1961), American punk rock singer and guitarist * Dez Dickerson (born 1955), American guitarist and singer, member of Prince's b ...

- comedian, actor and writer * Duncan Regehr – writer and actor, ''

'' * Sasha Roiz – actor * Aleksei Serebryakov – actor *

Elena Semikina Elena Semikina (born September 8, 1983) is a Russian-Canadian actress, executive producer, and beauty pageant titleholder. Semikina was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, on June 14, 2010. She represented Canada at the Miss Un ...

– Miss Universe Canada 2010 *

Socalled Joshua Dolgin (born December 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Socalled, is a Canadian rapper and record producer, known for his eclectic mix of hip hop, klezmer, and other styles such as drum & bass and folk music. A pianist and accordi ...

– musician * Ksenia Solo – actress, ''

Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon c ...

'' * Madeline Sonik – writer * Jessica Trisko –

Miss Earth Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one of t ...

2007 * Boris Volkoff - ballet master, choreographer, "the father of Canadian ballet" * Watts – produced for Method Man, Redman, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

* Adele Wiseman – author

Business and other

Bluma Appel Bluma Appel, (September 4, 1919July 15, 2007) was a Canadian philanthropist and patron of the arts. She was born the daughter of Russian émigrés who left Czarist Russia around 1905. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, she was the founder of C ...

– philanthropist, recipient of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario *

John Boyarski John Barry Boyarski, MB is a Canadian retired bus driver and recipient of three awards acknowledging bravery. On August 8, 1985, while working for BC Transit in the Greater Vancouver region, John Boyarski stopped his bus on a Vancouver street ...

– recipient of awards for bravery * Charles Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family *

Edgar Bronfman, Sr. Edgar Miles Bronfman (born June 20, 1929 – December 21, 2013) was a Canadian-American businessman. He worked for his family's distilled beverage firm, Seagram, eventually becoming president, treasurer and CEO. As president of the World Jewish ...

– billionaire, member of the Bronfman family * Saidye Rosner Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family, founder of the Seagram Company * Samuel Bronfman – billionaire, member of the Bronfman family * Arcadi Gaydamak – businessman * Ben Hatskin – founder of the Winnipeg Jets *

Gregory Lekhtman Gregory may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gregory (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Gregory (surname), a surname Places Australia *Gregory, Queensland, a town in the Shire of ...

– inventor of exercise boots * Sonia Scurfield – owner of the Calgary Flames in the 1980s and 1990s * Alex Shnaider – co-founder of the Midland Group, partner in the Trump International Hotel and Tower (Toronto)

Politics

* Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia – Russian Princess and youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia *

Alex Atamanenko Alex T. Atamanenko (born January 24, 1945) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons in 2006, winning the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior for the New Democratic Party in the 2006 federal election, and serv ...

– Member of Parliament in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

* Vasile Balabanov – Imperial Russian émigré *

Martin Dobkin Martin Lyon Dobkin (born May 8, 1942) is a physician and former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was elected on October 1, 1973 as the first Mayor of the new City of Mississauga, Ontario and served as Mayor from 1973 to 1976. He was the inaugural ...

– mayor of

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

* Catherine Doherty – Imperial Russian émigré, social activist, recipient of the Order of Canada *

Siegfried Enns Siegfried John Enns (26 April 192425 January 2020) was a Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was a social worker by career. He was first elected at the Portage—Neepawa riding in the 1962 general elec ...

– member of the

* Lois Hole – Lieutenant Governor of Alberta *

George Ignatieff Count George Pavlovich Ignatieff, (russian: Георгий Па́влович Игнатьев; December 16, 1913 – August 10, 1989) was a Canadian diplomat. His career spanned nearly five decades in World War II and the postwar period. Ear ...

– Canadian diplomat * Michael Ignatieff – author, journalist, academic, politician *

Ted Lipman Ted Lipman (born 1953) is a former Canadian diplomat. He served in numerous roles including ambassador to North Korea and South Korea. Life and career He was born in Brazil and was raised in Rio de Janeiro, the United Kingdom, and Vancouver. His ...

– diplomat, ambassador to North Korea, and South Korea * Tom Nevakshonoff – Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba *

Reynold Rapp Reynold Rapp (26 December 1901 – 17 June 1972) was a Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Crimea, Russian Empire and became a farmer by career. He was first elected at the Humboldt—Melf ...

– Member of the

* John Tory – mayor of Toronto * Peter Vasilevich Verigin – Doukhobor leader * Pyotr Verzilov – activist *

Roman Baber Roman Baber (born 1980) is a Russian-Canadian politician who was the Member of Provincial Parliament (Canada), member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for York Centre (provincial electoral district), York Centre from 2018 to 2022. Baber was elect ...

– Member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

Science

Gregory Chamitoff Gregory Errol Chamitoff (born 6 August 1962) is a Canadian-born American engineer and former NASA astronaut. He has been to space twice, spending 6 months aboard the ISS across Expedition 17 and 18 in 2008, and another 15 days as part of STS-13 ...

– NASA astronaut and engineer * Michel Chossudovsky – writer and professor of economics at the University of Ottawa *

Andrew Donskov Andrew Donskov is a professor of modern languages at the University of Ottawa. His work has focused on Russian language and literature, Russian theatre, Russian peasant literature, the Doukhobors and the career of Leo Tolstoy. Career He graduate ...

– professor of modern languages at the University of Ottawa; world-renowned Leo Tolstoy expert * Israel Halperin – mathematician *

Martin Kamen Martin David Kamen (August 27, 1913, Toronto – August 31, 2002, Montecito, California) was an American chemist who, together with Sam Ruben, co-discovered the synthesis of the isotope carbon-14 on February 27, 1940, at the University of C ...

– physicist, member of the Manhattan Project (first nuclear bomb); discovered the synthesis of the isotope

carbon-14 Carbon-14, C-14, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and coll ...

* Harry Medovy – pediatrician and academic, Order of Canada * Pierre Milman – mathematician, Fellow of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

* Sergei Plekhanov – Professor of Political Science at York University; former deputy director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies in Russia * Louis Slotin – physicist, member of the Manhattan Project (first nuclear bomb) * George Volkoff, OC, MBE, FRSC – physicist who helped discover the existence of neutron stars *Leonid Ivanovich Strakhovsky - professor, pioneered Slavic studies at the University of Toronto

Sports

* Nik Antropov – hockey player with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and the KHL * Ivan Babikov – Olympic cross-country skier *

Patricia Bezzoubenko Patricia Bezzoubenko (born 21 February 1997) is a Canadian individual Elite rhythmic gymnast. She is a 4 time Canadian Senior National champion, 5 time Commonwealth Games Champion, Pan-American games medalist. She holds dual citizenship with Cana ...

– rhythmic gymnast * Boris Blumin – chess grandmaster *

Mark Bluvshtein Mark Bluvshtein (born 20 April 1988) is a Soviet-born Canadian chess player. He became the youngest Canadian ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster in 2004, at the age of 16. He previously achieved the title International Master at the age ...

– chess grandmaster * Debbie Brill – high-jumper * Édouard Carpentier – professional wrestler *

Joshua Ho-Sang Joshua Ho-Sang (born January 22, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was selected by the New York Islanders in the first round, 28th overall, ...

– hockey player with the

OHL OHL or Ohl may refer to: Initialisms *Latvian Hockey Higher League, known in Latvian as the ''Optibet hokeja līga'' *Oberste Heeresleitung, the Supreme Army Command of Germany in World War I *Obrascón Huarte Lain, a Spanish construction company * ...

Ron Cherkas
– football * Mike Chernoff – ice hockey *

Rob Chernoff Rob Chernoff (born 13 August 1965) is a Canadian former swimmer. He competed in the men's 200 metre individual medley at the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Ang ...

– swimmer * Tim Cheveldae – ice hockey *

Kevin Cheveldayoff Kevin A. Cheveldayoff (born February 4, 1970) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player who is currently the executive vice president and general manager of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Playing career Cheveldayoff p ...

– ice hockey * Yelena Davydova – gymnastics *

Shawn Horcoff Shawn Paul Horcoff (born September 17, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 99th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played 11 seasons and served as ...

– ice hockey * Igor Ivanov –

chess grandmaster Grandmaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life, though exceptionally it h ...

* Pete Knight – rodeo bronc rider * Lioudmila Kortchaguina – marathon runner
Jon-Lee Kootnekoff
– basketball *

Crazy Leo Leonid "Crazy Leo" Urlichich (born 2 February 1985 in Moscow, USSR) is a Russian-Canadian rally driver currently competing in the Canadian and the US national championships. He drives for a Toronto-based team Can-Jam Motorsports and has expressed ...

– rally driver * Andrei Markov – NHL hockey player *

Olga Ovtchinnikova Olya Ovtchinnikova (born February 6, 1987) is a Canadian fencer. Ovtchinnikova started fencing for recreation in Moscow, Russia, where she participated in local competitions. In 2000, her family moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she be ...

– Olympic fencer *

Andrei Rogozine Andrei Rogozine (russian: Андрей Рогозин; born 29 January 1993) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2011 World Junior champion, 2010 JGP Final bronze medallist, and 2013 Canadian national bronze medallist. ...

– world champion figure skater * Mikhail "Misha" Goikhberg – racing driver * Bobbie Rosenfeld – Olympic gold medalist
Pete Savenkoff
– "Iron Man of Fastball" * Denis Shapovalov – tennis player *

Igor Tikhomirov Igor Tikhomirov (russian: Игорь Тихомиров) (born 4 May 1963) is a Canadians, Canadian (formerly Soviet Union, Soviet) épée fencing, fencer. He competed for the Soviet Union, Soviets at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze m ...

– Olympic champion in fencing *

Marina Zoueva Marina Olegovna Zoueva or Zueva (russian: Марина Олеговна Зуева; born 9 April 1956) is a Russian figure skating coach, choreographer, and former competitor in ice dancing. Representing the Soviet Union with Andrei Vitman, she ...

– ice dancing coach and choreographer

References

External links

Simon Fraser University Digitized Newspapers website
– digitized issues of ''Vestnik'' (''Herald'') newspaper, 1941–1993
Richard A. Pierce – Russians in Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russians In Canada Canada–Russia relations Ethnic groups in Canada European Canadian Asian Canadian