Macedonian Canadians

ethnic group
group= Macedonian Canadians
Македонци во Канада
"Makedonci vo Kanada"


poptime= 37,705 [ [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=92333&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=801&Temporal=2006&Theme=80&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= 2006 census] ]
popplace= Toronto,Ottawa,Montreal
langs= Primarily Macedonian and English
rels= Macedonian Orthodoxy
related-c=Macedonians, Macedonian Americans

Macedonian Canadians are a group of ethnic Macedonians who live in Canada.

History

Many Macedonians emigrated to Canada as "pečalbari" (seasonal workers) in the late 19th and early 20th century. Thousands of Macedonians emigrated to Canada after the failure of the Ilinden Uprising. Fact|date=October 2008An Internal Census counted 1090 Macedonians in Toronto, who were principally from Florina and Kostur.Fact|date=October 2008 During this period many Aegean Macedonians emigrated to Canada. The first Macedonian church was built in 1911.Fact|date=October 2008 By 1940 there were claims that over 1200 Macedonian families were in Canada. Post World War Two and Greek Civil War migration cause the numbers of Macedonians in Canada to swell.Fact|date=October 2008 Many early Macedonian immigrants found industrial work in Toronto, either as factory hands or labourers in abattoirs, or in iron and steel foundries. Many ended up running and owning restaurants, butchers and groceries. Macedonian entrepreneurs and their descendants eventually employed their numerical strength within the food service industry as a catapult into a variety of larger and more sophisticated ventures. [http://www.macedonianhistory.ca/ Macedonian History - Canadian Macedonian Historical Society ] ] Today, most Macedonian Canadians have moved out of cities and into the suburbs, and are employed in the professional, clerical, and service sector of the economy. The 2001 census recorded 31,265 Macedonians while the 2006 census recorded 37,705 people of Macedonian Ancestry. Although Community Spokesperson's claim they number over 100,000. The "Institute for Macedonian's Abroad" claims that there are 120,000 Macedonians in Canada. [Nasevski, Boško; Angelova, Dora. Gerovska, Dragica (1995). Македонски Иселенички Алманах '95. Skopje: Матица на Иселениците на Македонија, 48,49] The Macedonian Government estimates that there are 150,000 Macedonians in Canada. [http://www.mfa.gov.mk//Upload/ContentManagement/Files/Broj%20na%20makedonski%20iselenici%20vo%20svetot.doc] Other sources claim that there are over 300,000 Ethnic Macedonians in the Greater Toronto Area alone.

Aegean Macedonians

Many thousands of Aegean Macedonians emigrated to Canada in the 20th century.Fact|date=October 2008 They settled primarily in Ontario, especially Toronto. Many early Aegean Macedonian immigrants found industrial work in Toronto or set up Market Gardeners. Later migrants found work as factory in abattoirs and foundries. Many Aegean Macedonians are parishioners of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.Fact|date=October 2008 They set up many organizations such as "The Lerin Region Macedonian Cultural Association of Ontario". In 1979 the "The Association of Refugee Children from Aegean Macedonia" (ARCAM) was set up in order to unite the former child refugees from all over the world. It was reported that chapters had been set up in Toronto, Melbourne, Perth, The Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland. [Human Rights Violations Against Ethnic Macedonians-Report 1996, Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada, Toronto, 1996; p.111-112]

ettlement Patterns

Many Macedonians originally settled in Industrial Areas. Most Macedonians came to Canada via the process of Chain Migration.

Organizations

Many Macedonian Organizations have been set up by the Macedonians in Canada. Village associations from villages such as Banitsa, Osčima, Bouf and Želevo have been set up. A Macedonian Boys club was founded in Toronto in 1915.Fact|date=October 2008 Community picnics were also very common amongst Macedonian emigrants. Macedonian basketball and hockey team were founded. Fundraisers for assistance for the Greek Civil War and the 1963 Skopje earthquake were held. Other Establishments such as the Canadian Macedonian Restaurant Co-op (1970), Canadian Macedonian Business and Professional Association and Macedonian Canadian Medical Society (1992) have been founded in recent years. Youth organizations such as "Macedonian Association of Canadian Youth", "Ryerson Association of Macedonian Students" and the "Association of Macedonian Students at the University of Toronto" are also in operation.

Religion

Originally Macedonian churches were established under the Bulgarian Diocese of America, Canada and Australia. The church "Saint's Cyril and Methodius" was consecrated in Toronto in 1910. This was followed by the St. George Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Holy Trinity Macedono-Bulgarian Church. Post War immigrants built churches under the jurisdiction of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.Fact|date=October 2008 They were "St Clement of Ohrid", "St Demetrius of Salonica", "St Ilija", "St Nedela" and "St Naum of Ohrid". The Only Macedonian Cathedral is also the largest Macedonian church community in Canada is "St Clement of Ohrid" in Toronto. [ [http://www.stclementofohrid.com/ St. Clement of Ohrid Cathedral ] ]

Media

Notable Macedonian Canadians

*Chris Kotsopoulos - Retired professional Ice-hockey player.
*Dan Jancevski - Ice-Hockey defenseman.
*Daniel Nestor - Tennis player with partial Macedonian heritage.
*Ed Jovanovski - NHL player.
*John Bitove - Businessman and sportsman.
*John Bitove, Sr. - Businessman.
*José Theodore - NHL goaltender
*Justin Peroff - Drummer of Broken Social Scene.
*Lui Temelkovski - Liberal MP Oak Ridges-Markham 2006-present
*Mike Zigomanis - Ice-Hockey Player
*Steve Staios - NHL player
*Steve Stavro - Businessman and philanthropist
*Boris Stoicheff - Canadian Physicist
*Steven Stamkos - First pick of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
*Ziya Tong - Television producer

References

External links

* [http://www.macedonia-toronto.ca/ Macedonia Canadian Newspaper]
* [http://www.tugjinojabano.com/ Headquarters of the Macedonian Community in Canada]
* [http://www.unitedmacedonians.org/ United Macedonians of Canada]
* [http://www.mhrmi.org/ Macedonian Human Rights Movement]
* [http://www.macedonianhistory.ca/ Canadian Macedonian Historical Society]
* [http://www.umdiaspora.org/ United Macedonian Diaspora]
* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/emb.macedonia.ottawa/ Macedonian Embassy in Canada]
* [http://www.stclementofohrid.com/ St Clement of Ohrid, Toronto]
* [http://www.macedoniancentre.ca/ Macedonian Centre of Culture and Social Integration]