Canadians of Croatian ancestry

The Croatian community is present in most major Canadian cities, including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Windsor, and Montreal.

Some of the more popular Croatian Canadian events are the Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament and the Canadian-Croatian Folklore Festival.

Demographics

There are approximately 97,050 Canadians of Croatian ethnic origin as reported in the 2001 Census. [1] Croatian-Canadians are present in most major Canadian cities. The ten largest Croatian communities are found in the following cities:

Toronto, Ontario: 12,230
Mississauga, Ontario: 9,140
Hamilton, Ontario: 8,170
Calgary, Alberta: 3,690
Vancouver, British Columbia: 2,945
Oakville, Ontario: 2,830
Burnaby, British Columbia: 2,770
Edmonton, Alberta: 2,575
Windsor, Ontario: 2,520
Ottawa, Ontario: 2,505

Statistics Canada also designates Census Metropolitan Areas in the collection of its data. The ten Census Metropolitan Areas with the highest concentration of Croatian-Canadians are:

Toronto CMA: 30,585
Vancouver CMA: 11,225
Hamilton CMA: 9,710
Calgary CMA: 3,900
Kitchener CMA: 3,630
Windsor, Ontario CMA: 3,495
Montreal CMA: 3,270
Edmonton CMA: 3,230
Ottawa-Gatineau CMA: 2,890
London CMA: 2,445

Religious Affiliation

Most Croatian Canadians are Roman Catholic who follow the Latin Rite of their ancestors in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. A very small minority of Croatians are Byzantine Rite Roman Catholics. There is also a community of Croats who follow Islam, the descendants of those who converted after the 16th century, after the conquest of much of Croatia by the Ottomans. Communities of Protestants and Jews have historically been negligeable in Croatia.

In Canada, the first ethnic Croatian parish was established in Windsor in 1950. Soon, parishes were established in Toronto (1951), Hamilton (1958), Vancouver (1967). Today there are ethnic Croatian parishes and missions in seventeen cities in Canada. In addition, Croats of the Muslim faith founded the Croatian Islamic Centre in 1974 in Etobicoke. Today, given changing political affiliations, the centre is now known as the Bosnian Islamic Centre. While an overwhelming percentage of Croatians in Canada remain Roman Catholic, there are significant non-Catholic populations, including Protestants (most of whom have been in Canada for more than one generation) and Eastern Orthodox (the majority of whom are of mixed ethnic background).

The leading religious affiliations among Croatian-Canadians:

Roman Catholic: 77,025 (79.4%)
Protestant: 5,870 (6.0%)
Eastern Orthodox: 2,745 (2.8%)Christian (not otherwise specified): 1,120 (1.2%)
Muslim: 490 (.5%)Other: 330 (.3%)No Religious Affiliation: 9,470 (9.8%)

Notable Croatian Canadians

Politicians

*Bob Bratina - City Councillor, Hamilton 2004-present
*Jan Brown - Former Reform/Independent MP Calgary Southeast 1993-1997
*Bill Gvozdanovic, City Councillor, Timmins 1997-present
*Allan Kerpan - Saskatchewan Party MLA Carrot River Valley 2003-present; Former Reform MP Moose Jaw-Lake Centre 1993-2000
*Frank Krznaric, City Councillor, Timmins 1981-1989; 1991-1993
*Frank Mahovlich, Senator, 1998-present
*Joe Mavrinac - Former Mayor, Kirkland Lake, Ontario 1980-1997
*Janko Peric - Former Liberal MP Cambridge 1993-2004
*Peter Sekulic Former Alta Liberal MLA Edmonton Manning 1993-1997
*Roseanne Skoke - Former Liberal MP Central Nova 1993-1997
*John Sola - Former Liberal MPP
*Dave Stupich - Former NDP MP Nanaimo-Cowichan 1988-1993; Former B.C. NDP MLA 1963-1969; 1972-1988
*Berry Vrbanovic - City Councillor, Kitchener 1994-present
*Lynne Yelich - Canadian Alliance/Conservative MP Blackstrap 2000-present

Athletes

*Sandra Bezic - Figure Skating
*Val Bezic - Figure Skating
*George Chuvalo - Boxer
*Frank Dancevic - Tennis player
*Joseph Cattarinich - Hockey player
*Dan Kordic - Hockey player
*John Kordic - Hockey player
*Frank Mahovlich - Hockey player
*Peter Mahovlich - Hockey player
*Tony Mandarich - NFL player
*George Pesut - Hockey player
*Joe Sakic - Hockey player
*Paul Spoljaric - Baseball player
*Ante Jazic - Soccer player
*Nick Dasovic - Soccer player

Academics

*Kresimir Krnjevic - Mcgill Research and Professor Emeritus, Physiology, Officer of the Order of Canada, 1987

Political Activists

*Gojko Susak

External links

* [http://collections.ic.gc.ca/heirloom_series/volume7/countries/croatia.html History of Crotian Canadians]

* [1] www.statscan.ca