Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or
heritageCultural heritage is the legacy of physical and intangible attributes of the past of a group or society that are selected from the past, and inherited, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
living in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As the third-largest
ethnic groupAn ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the researcher Seng Yang in the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common cultural,...
in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times. According to the
2001 Census of CanadaThe Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, the number of Canadians claiming full or partial Scottish descent is 4,719,850
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Table=2&Data=Count&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000, or 15.10% of the nation's total population, however this is said to be a major underestimation.
Scottish settlement of Canada
Scottish people have a long history in Canada, dating back several centuries. Many towns, rivers and mountains have been named in honour of Scottish explorers and traders such as Mackenzie Bay and Calgary. Most notably, the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
province of
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
is
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for New Scotland.
Scots formed the vanguard of the movement of Europeans across the continent. In more modern times, emigrants from Scotland have played a leading role in the social, political and economic history of Canada, being prominent in
bankA bank is a financial institution licensed by a government. Its primary activities include borrowing and lending money.Many other financial activities were allowed over time. For example banks are important players in financial markets and offer financial services such as investment funds...
ing, labour unions, and
politicsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic and religious institutions...
.
The first documented source of Scots in what would become Canada comes from the
Saga of Eric the RedEiríks saga rauða or the Saga of Erik the Red is a saga on the Norse exploration of North-America.It begins by telling of Erik's father, Thorvald Asvaldsson and the violent conflict he found himself in in Norway, how their residence was surrounded and attempt was made burn them inside but they...
and the Viking expedition of 1010 AD to Vinland (literally, the land of meadows), which is believed to refer to the island of Newfoundland. The Viking prince
Thorfinn KarlsefniThorfinn Karlsefni , was an Icelandic explorer who circa 1010 AD led an attempt to settle Vinland with three ships and 160 settlers. Among the settlers was Freydís Eiríksdóttir, according to Grœnlendinga saga sister of Leif Eriksson...
led an expedition to Vinland and took with him 160 Viking men, three ships, and two Scottish slaves, a man named Haki and a woman named Hekja, who were reputed to be as swift as deer.. When the
longshipLong-ships were ships made and used by the Vikings to raid coastal and inland settlements during the Viking Age. The vessels were also used for long distance trade and commerce, and for exploratory voyages to Iceland, Greenland, throughout the mediterranean etc. Longship design evolved over several...
s moored along the coast, they sent the slaves ashore to run along the waterfront to gauge whether it was safe for the rest of the crew to follow. After the Scots survived a day of without being attacked, by either human or animal, the Vikings deemed it safe to spend the night ashore. The expedition was abandoned three years later; the original sagas were passed on in an oral tradition and then written down 250 years later.
An apocryphal voyage in 1398 by a captain named
ZichmniZichmni is the name of an explorer-prince who appears in a 1558 book by Nicolo Zeno of Venice, allegedly based on letters and a map dating to the year 1400 by the author's ancestors, brothers Nicolo and Antonio Zeno...
, believed to be
Henry I Sinclair, Earl of OrkneyHenry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin , was a Scottish nobleman. He is sometimes identified by another spelling of his surname, St. Clair. He was the grandfather of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness, the builder of Rosslyn Chapel...
, is also claimed to have reached Atlantic Canada as well as New England.
The first attempts in earnest to entice Scottish settlers to Canada began as early as 1622, when Sir William Alexander obtained permission from King James VI of Scotland (James I of England) to establish a "new Scotland" — the origin of the name Nova Scotia. However, only a small number of Scottish families settled in Canada, prior to the conquest of
New FranceNew France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to Spain and Britain in 1763...
in 1759. Those who did make a home on Canadian soil were Highlanders who sought political and religious asylum following the failed
JacobiteThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in the kingdoms of England, Scotland , and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746...
uprisings in Scotland in 1715 and 1745.
Most of these Scots settled in what is now the Atlantic coast. A large group of Ulster Scots, many of whom had first settled in
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of...
, moved to
Truro, Nova ScotiaTruro is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada...
in 1761. Their descendants have provided many of the country's leading justices, statesmen, clergymen, businessmen and scholars. In 1772 a wave of Scots began to arrive in
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, and in 1773 the ship
HectorThe Hector was a ship famous for having brought the first Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in 1773.- Career :A full rigged Fluyt, the Hector was employed in local trade in waters of the British Isles as well as the immigrant trade to North America, having made at least one trip ca...
brought 200 Scots to Pictou, beginning a new stream of Highland emigration — the town's slogan is "The Birthplace of New Scotland". At the end of the 18th century,
Cape Breton IslandCape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the French word "Breton", referring to Brittany.Cape Breton Island is part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada...
had become a centre of Scottish settlement, where only Scottish Gaelic was spoken.
Around this time, a handful of English-speaking Scottish Lowlanders joined the Scottish exodus to Canada. Likewise, a number of Scottish United Empire Loyalists who had fled the United States in 1783 arrived in Glengarry (in eastern
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
) and Nova Scotia. In 1803, Lord Selkirk, who was sympathetic to the plight of the dispossessed crofters, brought 800 colonists to Prince Edward Island. In 1812 he also founded the Red River settlement in what is now
ManitobaManitoba is a prairie province in Canada and has an area of . Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territory of Nunavut to the north, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south...
.
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
(PEI) was also heavily influenced by Scottish settlers. One prominent settler in PEI was John Macdonald of Glenaladale, who conceived the idea of sending Highlanders out to Nova Scotia on a grand scale after Culloden. The name Macdonald still dominates on the island, which received a large influx of settlers, predominantly from the Catholic Highlands, in the late 18th Century. Another large group of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders arrived in 1803. This migration, primarily from the Isle of Skye, was organized by Lord Selkirk.
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province in the confederation. The provincial capital is Fredericton...
also became the home for many Scots. In 1761, a Highland regiment garrisoned
Fort FrederickFort Frederick is a historic military installation in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Fort consists of earthworks surrounding a Martello tower....
. The surrounding lands surveyed by Captain Bruce in 1762 attracted many Scottish traders when William Davidson of Caithness arrived to settle two years later. Their numbers were swelled by the arrival of thousands of loyalists of Scottish origin both during and after the American Revolution.
One of the New Brunswick and Canada's most famous regiments was "The King's First American Regiment" founded in 1776. It was composed mostly of Highlanders, many of whom fought with their traditional kilts to the sound of the pipes. The regiment distinguished itself when it defeated Washington's forces at the Battle of Brandywine. When it disbanded after the War, most of its members settled in New Brunswick. A continual influx of immigrants from Scotland and Ulster meant that by 1843 there were over 30,000 Scots in New Brunswick.
Forced Migration
Between the 18th and 19th centuries a steady flow of emigrants from Scotland arrived in North America. Some sought political and religious asylum following the failed
JacobiteThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in the kingdoms of England, Scotland , and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746...
uprisings in 1688, 1715 and 1745. Those immigrants who arrived after 1759 were mainly Highland farmers who had been forced off their
croftsA croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land.-Etymology:...
(rented land) during the
HighlandThe Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands and the North American colonies...
and
Lowland ClearancesThe Lowland Clearances in Scotland were one of the results of the British Agricultural Revolution, which changed the traditional system of agriculture which had existed in Lowland Scotland in the seventeenth century...
to make way for sheep grazing due to the
British Agricultural RevolutionThe British Agricultural Revolution describes a period of development in Britain between the 17th century and the end of the 19th century, which saw a massive increase in agricultural productivity and net output. This in turn supported unprecedented population growth, freeing up a significant...
.
Others came as a result of famine. In 1846, potato crops were blighted by the same fungal disease responsible for the Great Irish Famine, and most Highland crofters were very dependent on potatoes as a source of food. Crofters were expected to work in appalling conditions, and although some landlords worked to lessen the effects of the famine on their tenants, many landlords simply resorted to eviction. In particular, John Gordon of Cluny became the target of criticism in newspapers when many of his crofters were reduced to living on the streets of
InvernessInverness is a city in northern Scotland. The city is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is promoted as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. Gordon resorted to hiring a fleet of ships and forcibly transporting his Hebridean crofters to Canada, where they were conveniently abandoned on Canadian authorities. Some more sympathetic landlords supplied a free passage to what was hoped to be a better life.
Crop failures continued into the 1850s and famine relief programmes became semi-permanent operations. During the ten years following 1847, from throughout the Highlands, over 16,000 crofters were shipped overseas to Canada and Australia.
Cultural influence
Nova Scotia
Despite the peninsula's small size, the Scots have influenced the cultural mix of
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
for centuries and constitute the largest ethnic group in the province, at 29.3% of its population. The name of Nova Scotia literally means
"New ScotlandNew Scotland may refer to:* the historical name for Nova Scotia, or its colonies* New Scotland, Harwich, Chatham-Kent, Ontario, in Canada* New Scotland, Howard, Chatham-Kent, Ontario, in Canada...
" in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
, and its flag was designed as a combination of the Scottish
SaltireThe Flag of Scotland is a white saltire, a crux decussate representing the cross of the Christian martyr Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, on a blue field. It is named the Saltire or the St Andrew's Cross. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned Azure, a saltire...
and the
Royal Standard of ScotlandThe Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Banner of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland, is the Scottish Royal Banner of Arms...
.
Nova Scotia was briefly colonized by Scottish settlers in 1620, although by 1624 the Scottish settlers had been removed by treaty and the area was turned over to the French until the mid-1700s. Scottish settlement greatly accelerated during the resettlement of Loyalists in Nova Scotia following the end of the American revolutionary war, and especially following the
Highland ClearancesThe Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands and the North American colonies...
in Scotland.
The Gaelic influences of Scottish immigrants continue to play an important role in defining the cultural life of the province, especially in its music. According to the 2006 census about 900 Nova Scotians are fluent in Gaelic languages (the census does not distinguish between Scottish Gaelic/Canadian Gaelic and Irish Gaelic), and about 6,015 in all of Canada. However, the Nova Scotian Office of Gaelic Affairs estimates there are currently around 2000 speakers in the province and notes the enduring impact of institutions such as the Gaelic College in
Cape BretonCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
.
Dalhousie UniversityDalhousie University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. As the largest post-secondary educational institution in the Maritime Provinces it offers a wide array of programs, including a medical program and the Dalhousie Law School. The chancellor is Mr. Fred Fountain; Dr...
in Halifax, the largest university in the
Maritime provincesThe Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island....
, was founded in 1818 by
George RamsayGeorge Burrell Ramsay was secretary/manager of Aston Villa Football Club in the most successful period of their history....
as the only Gaelic college in Canada.
St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University is a university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university brings together 4,200 students from across Canada and around the world in arts, science, business and information systems and applied programs....
in Antigonish was also founded by a Scot —
Colin Francis MacKinnonColin Francis MacKinnon was a Canadian Roman Catholic Archbishop and founder of St. Francis Xavier University....
, a
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
bishopIn the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
.
Quebec
Scots have long and historic ties with the province of
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. When the
Don de DieuSamuel de Champlain's ship Don de Dieu, or "Gift of God", is one of three ships that set sail from France in the spring of 1608 to what is now Vieux-Québec, Canada. The ship arrived on July 3, 1608, the traditional date of the founding of Quebec. 2008 is thus the 400th anniversary of this event....
sailed up the St. Lawrence River during the first wave of colonization of French Canada, it was piloted by a Scot, Abraham Martin. The first British governor of Quebec was also a Scot, James Murray. He received the keys to the city gates from the French commander, Major de Ramezay, who was himself of Scottish descent, as many Scots had been employed by the French since the time of the
Auld AllianceThe Auld Alliance refers to a series of treaties, offensive and defensive in nature, between Scotland and France , aimed specifically against England. The first such agreement was signed in Paris on 23 October 1295 – subsequently ratified at Dunfermline the following February – during the reign...
.
Large groups of Scots, chiefly from
Ross-shireRoss-shire, or the County of Ross, is a former county of Scotland. The county bordered on Sutherland, Cromartyshire , Inverness-shire and an exclave of Nairnshire. It included most of Ross as well as Lewis in the Outer Hebrides...
, arrived on the ship
Nephton in 1802 to settle in Quebec. Many of their descendents have become prominent in the business, financial and religious activities of
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
. Many early settlers from
Tryon County, New YorkTryon County, New York was a county in New York from 1772 to 1784, part of the Province of New York, named after Governor William Tryon.Tryon County was created in March 12, 1772 from part of Albany County, partly at the instigation of William Johnson. Tryon County was limited in the west by the...
came here, in what was then wilderness. They were joined by many Highlanders during the Revolution, and after the War had ended, by a whole regiment of the "King's Royals."
McGill UniversityMcGill University is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
was founded in 1821 with revenue from the estate bequeathed by
James McGillJames McGill was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was also a prominent member of the Château Clique.- Biography :...
, a merchant and politician who had emigrated from
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Its first head was Scotsman John Bethune, a pupil of Strachan (who was prevented from assuming the position only by a delay in its foundation). Another wealthy Scot, Mr. Peter Redpath, was responsible for financing the museum, the library and a University chair.
Ontario
The chief Scottish town in
Glengarrythumb|right|the location of GlengarryGlengarry County area is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. Historically known for where many scottish highlanders settled after the Highland Clearances....
was Cornwall, located in modern-day
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
. It was reinforced in 1786 when The McDonald arrived at Quebec from Greenock with 520 new pioneers. Soon immigrants came from all parts of Scotland to make it one of the most important Scots-Canadian communities. The Glengarry clansmen managed to get away from their homelands before the British Government's embargo during the war with Napoleon. Many other retired officials from the Hudson's Bay Company joined the Glengarry Settlements.
Another famous Scottish area that came to exert great influence in Ontario was the
Perth SettlementPerth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County...
, another region of purely Scottish and military origin. Unemployment and suffering following the end of the
Napoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
caused the British government to reverse its former policies and actively encourage emigration. In 1815, three loaded transports set sail from Greenock for Upper Canada: the
Atlas, the
Baptiste Merchant and the
Borothy. After the
War of 1812The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , lasted from 1812 to 1815. It was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S...
ended, many soldiers from the disbanded regiments joined them. In 1816, more arrivals from
UlsterUlster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island.Ulster is composed of nine counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone are part of Northern Ireland; while Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of the Republic of Ireland.-Terminology:The...
helped swell the Scottish element. Many Perth families became prominent in both provincial and national governments.
An educational institution of Scottish origin is Queens University in Kingston "the Aberdeen of Canada," founded largely through the dreams (and hard work) of noted scholar George Munroe Grant. Numerous educational institutions including high schools can be attributed to Scottish influences one being the
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate InstituteThe Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute is a secondary school located in Scarborough, Ontario at 2300 Pharmacy Avenue. The school was opened in the fall of 1964 when there was only farmland around it, and as the population in the area grew, so did the school...
is a secondary school located in
ScarboroughScarborough is the area that forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named by Elizabeth Simcoe in 1796 who was inspired by the Scarborough Bluffs which reminded her of the white cliffs near her home in England. Initially a collection of rural villages it has grown...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
. The crest contains a map of Canada and the symbols of the Macdonald clan: a white coronet, a mailed fist, and crossed crosslets. Red, Royal Purple, and White, which predominate in the tartan of Sir John's family clan, Clanranald
British Columbia
Scottish influence has been an important part of the cultural mix in metropolitan
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
and
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
. The St. Andrew's and Caledonian Society of Vancouver was founded in 1886, the same year as the city. On St. Andrew's Day, 1887, the society held a grand St. Andrew's Ball in McDonough Hall at the southeast corner of Hastings and Columbia and almost half the city's population attended. The city still celebrates Scottish Heritage week which concludes with the BC Highland Games.
Many local place names are of Scottish origin. The district of Dollarton was named for Captain Robert Dollar. West Vancouver's first European settler, John Lawson, planted holly by the side of the "burn" or river flowing across his property; he coined "Hollyburn" as the name for his place. Iona Island was formerly called McMillan Island, after a pioneer Scots settler, Donald McMillan. Part of West Vancouver is named after Dundarave Castle in Scotland. In 1905 at what is now West 41st Avenue in Vancouver, a young Scottish couple named MacKinnon who had recently settled in the district were invited to name the new station. She adapted the name Kerrisdale from her old family home, Kerrydale, in Gairloch, Scotland. Kerrydale means "little seat of the fairies."
Other evidence of the Scottish influence on the development of Greater Vancouver can be found in the names of parks, creeks and other geographical features throughout the metropolitan area, the most notable of which is the
Fraser RiverThe Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 km , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
.
Demographics
The following statistics are from the
2006 Census of CanadaThe Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
.
Canadians of Scottish descent
| Province/territory |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
|
54,290 |
41% |
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
|
288,180 |
32% |
| Yukon Yukon , or The Yukon, is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River, Yukon meaning "Great River" in Gwich’in....
|
7,005 |
23% |
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
|
661,265 |
20% |
| British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
|
828,145 |
20% |
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province in the confederation. The provincial capital is Fredericton...
|
142,560 |
20% |
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of and a population of 1,023,810 , mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina...
|
182,790 |
19% |
ManitobaManitoba is a prairie province in Canada and has an area of . Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territory of Nunavut to the north, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south...
|
209,170 |
18% |
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
|
2,101,100 |
17% |
Northwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada....
|
6,050 |
15% |
Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is a province of Canada on the country's Atlantic coast in northeastern North America. This easternmost Canadian province comprises two main parts: the island of Newfoundland off the country's eastern coast, and Labrador on the mainland to the northwest of the island.A...
|
34,920 |
7% |
NunavutNunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
|
2,025 |
7% |
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
|
202,515 |
3% |
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
|
4,719,850 |
15.1% |
Provincial and territorial tartans
Every province and territory has an officially recognized
tartanTartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven cloth, now used in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
, except for Quebec, whose tartan is unofficial, and Nunavut, which has no tartan. Tartans were first brought to Canada by Scottish settlers, and the first province to officially adopt a tartan was
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
in 1955. Several of the tartans are registered in the books of the Court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms of Scotland.
Notable Scottish-Canadians
The list of Scots who influenced Canada's history is indeed a long one. The explorer
Alexander MacKenzieSir Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish explorer.Mackenzie was born in Stornoway on the isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. In 1774 his family moved to New York, and then to Montreal in 1776 during the American Revolution...
completed the first known transcontinental crossing of America north of Mexico.
John Sandfield MacdonaldJohn Sandfield Macdonald, QC was the first Premier of the province of Ontario, one of the four founding provinces created at the confederation of Canada in 1867...
(1812-1872) became prime minister of the province of Canada in 1862 and the first
premier of OntarioThe Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet.Although sometimes referred to as the Prime...
in 1867. Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891), who emigrated in 1820, became the first prime minister of the Dominion of Canada, leading the country through its period of early growth. Under his leadership, the dominion expanded to include Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.
Alexander MackenzieAlexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 9, 1878.-Biography:...
was the first Liberal Prime Minister of Canada (1873-78). Another Scot,
William Lyon MackenzieWilliam Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish-Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of the city of Toronto and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795-1820:Mackenzie was born in Dundee,...
, who led the
revolt in Upper CanadaThe Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
against the Canadian government in 1838, became a symbol of Canadian radicalism. His rebellion dramatized the need to reform the country's outmoded constitution and led to the
1841 unionThe Act of Union passed in July 1840 and proclaimed February 10, 1841, abolished the legislatures of Lower Canada and Upper Canada and established a new political entity, the Province of Canada to replace them...
of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Another Scot,
William McDougallWilliam McDougall, C.B. was a Canadian lawyer, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.Born near York, Upper Canada , the son of Daniel McDougall and Hannah Matthews, McDougall received his education at Victoria College in Cobourg, Upper Canada, and in 1847, began practising law as an...
, was known as one of the fathers of the Confederation;
Sir Richard McBrideSir Richard McBride, KCMG was a British Columbian politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election, and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir from 1900 to 1901...
(1870-1917) was from 1903-1915 the Premier of British Columbia, where his was the first government under the new system of political parties. McBride was also known for his tireless work on behalf of the extension of the Pacific Great Eastern Railroad, which was to bind British Columbia together the way the CPR had Canada..
In this century, perhaps the most well-known Canadian politician, particularly revered in Britain for his contribution to the allied cause in World War II, was
William Lyon MacKenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was a Canadian lawyer, economist, university professor, civil servant, journalist, fisherman, waiter, teacher and politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921, to June 28, 1926; September 25, 1926, to August 6, 1930;...
(1874-1950), who was very proud of his Scots background. King was three time Prime Minister of Canada, doing much to help preserve the unity of the French and English populations in his vast country. The first full time Minister of Labour, King was the leader of the Liberal Party for over 30 years. His last term as Prime Minister was from 1935 to 1948.
Established as one of the major ethnic components of the Canadian population during the period 1815-1870, Scots dominated in many areas other than education and politics. Economic affairs also took their interest, and they largely controlled the trade in furs, timber, banking and railroad management. Almost one-quarter of Canada's industrial leaders in the 1920s had been born in Scotland, and another quarter had Scottish-born fathers.
It is important to remember that the Scots had a long tradition of struggle to maintain a separate identity in the face of a simultaneous pressure to integrate into a foreign society. Thus over the years, they had gained considerable experience in the ambivalence of being both accommodating and distinctive. Substantial numbers of Scots continued to immigrant to Canada after 1870. The early 20th century saw a great boom in the numbers leaving Scotland for Canada. As one of many ethnic groups in Canada, the Scots have managed to retain their separate identity.
For over 200 years, they have entered the country in a constant flow. Their presence has been powerful enough to influence most strongly the dominant Anglo-Canadian culture; their numbers alone do not reflect their enormous influence on Canadian politics, education, religion and business. Never intimidated by the majority, the long, long history of their struggles in the homeland made the Scots an indomitable and formidable race in the new lands.
List of notable Scottish Canadians
- Hugh Allan
Sir Hugh Allan KCMG was a Scottish-born Canadian shipping magnate, railway promoter, financier and capitalist...
(1810-1882), financier and shipping magnate
- H. Montagu Allan
Sir Hugh Andrew Montague Allan CVO was a Canadian banker, ship owner, and a sportsman who donated the Allan Cup, the trophy symbolic of men's amateur ice hockey supremacy in Canada.-Early Life:...
(1860-1951), banker, ship owner, sportsman
- Richard B. Angus
Richard Bladworth Angus was a Scottish-Canadian financier, banker and philanthropist.- Early Life :...
, banker and philanthropist
- Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
(3 March 1847 – 2 August 1922) was an eminent scientist, inventor and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.
- Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
- Kim Campbell
Avril Phaedra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, PC, CC, QC is a Canadian politician who was the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993 to November 4, 1993...
, first female Prime Minister of Canada
- Wilf Carter
Wilf Carter , also known as Montana Slim, was a Canadian country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and yodeller...
, Nova Scotia born country musician
- Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. Beginning her career on stage, she came to fame on the 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of the teenager Julia Salinger...
, actress (Scottish father)
- John William Dawson
Sir John William Dawson, CMG, FRS, FRSC , was a Canadian geologist and university administrator.- Life and work :...
(1820-1899), scientist, educator
- Richard Dobie
Richard Dobie was a merchant from Scotland who came to Canada about 1760 and by 1764 was actively involved in the fur trade around Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes...
(1731-1805), fur trader, businessman
- William Davidson
William Davidson , was a Scottish-Canadian lumber merchant, shipbuilder and politician. He was the first permanent European settler on the Miramichi River in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick.- Arrival in the New World :...
, pioneer settler in New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province in the confederation. The provincial capital is Fredericton...
- Sir James Douglas
Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer. From 1851 to...
, chief factor of the HBC's Columbia DistrictThe Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. It was explored by the North West Company between 1793 and 1811, and established as an operating fur district around 1810...
(1843-1858) and Governor of the colonies of the Colony of Vancouver IslandSee main article Vancouver IslandVancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871...
(1851-64) and the Colony of British ColumbiaThe Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1871. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still...
(1858-62)
- Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, PC, CC, SOM was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician....
, Premier of SaskatchewanThe Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
and first leader of the New Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a social democratic political party in Canada. In the Canadian House of Commons, it holds a centre-left position in the Canadian political spectrum. The leader of the federal NDP is Jack Layton...
- Shirley Douglas
Shirley Jean Douglas, OC is a Canadian television, film and stage actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name has made her recognisable in Canadian film, television and politics.-Personal life:...
, actress (daughter of Tommy)
- William Dow
William Dow emigrated to Canada from Scotland in about 1818. A trained brewer, he took employment with James Dunn's brewery in Montreal and quickly became a partner. His younger brother, Andrew, who had also trained as a brewer, joined him, and on the death of Dunn, the company became known as...
(1800-1868), brewer and businessman
- George Alexander Drummond
Sir George Alexander Drummond, KCMG, CVO was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and senator.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he arrived in Canada in 1854 to work at Redpath Sugar. He married John Redpath's daughter, becoming a co-director of the family business with Peter Redpath, John's son...
(1829-1910), entrepreneur
- Hugh Graham
Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan , was a Canadian newspaper publisher.Born in Athelstan , Huntingdon County, Quebec, the son of R. W. Graham, a Scottish land owner, Graham was educated at the Huntingdon Academy. After finishing school, he served his apprenticeship under his uncle, E. H...
(1848-1938), newspaper publisher
- Alexander Keith
Alexander Keith was a Canadian politician and brewmaster. He was mayor of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Conservative member of the provincial legislature, and the founder of the Alexander Keith's brewing company.Keith was born in Halkirk, Caithness, Highland, Scotland, where he became a...
, brewer (Alexander Keith'sAlexander Keith's is a Canadian brewery founded in 1820 in Halifax, Nova Scotia making it one of the oldest commercial breweries in all of North America. It was founded by Alexander Keith who emigrated from Scotland in 1817. Today, the brewery is under the control of Labatt, a subsidiary of InBev,...
)
- Grace Annie Lockhart
Grace Annie Lockhart was the first woman in the British Empire to receive a Bachelor's degree. She received a Bachelor of Science from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada in 1875....
, first woman in the British empire to graduate from university (May 25, 1875)
- Iain Hume
Iain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian football player. On June 25 2008, it was announced that Hume had been signed for £1.2m on a 3 year contract by Barnsley.-Tranmere Rovers:...
, Canadian international football (soccer) player
- Laurie Gough
Laurie Gough is an author of travel books and freelance writer. She has been lauded by Time Magazine as "one of the new generation of intrepid young female travel writers"....
, Canadian-American travel writer
- Sir John A. Macdonald, first Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government of Canada. The office is not outlined in any of the documents that constitute the written portion of the constitution of Canada; executive authority is formally vested in the...
- Rodney MacDonald
Rodney Joseph MacDonald, is a Canadian politician and educator who served as Premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 to 2009.-Background:...
, Premier of Nova ScotiaThe Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
- Scott MacDonald, musician
- William Christopher Macdonald
Sir William Christopher Macdonald was a Scots-Quebecer tobacco manufacturer and major education philanthropist in Canada.-Early life and career:...
, tobacco producer and philanthropist
- Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
, Minister of Foreign AffairsThe Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada....
- Robert Mackay
Robert Mackay was a Canadian businessman and statesman.An 1855 emigrant to Montreal, Canada from his birthplace in Caithness, Scotland, Robert Mackay who got his start working at Henry Morgan & Company department store. He then went to work for Mackay Brothers wholesalers, owned by his uncles...
(1840-1916), businessman, statesman
- Alexander MacKenzie
Sir Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish explorer.Mackenzie was born in Stornoway on the isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. In 1774 his family moved to New York, and then to Montreal in 1776 during the American Revolution...
, explorer of the Canadian Northwest
- Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 9, 1878.-Biography:...
, second Prime Minister of Canada
- William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish-Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of the city of Toronto and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795-1820:Mackenzie was born in Dundee,...
, journalist and rebel
- William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was a Canadian lawyer, economist, university professor, civil servant, journalist, fisherman, waiter, teacher and politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921, to June 28, 1926; September 25, 1926, to August 6, 1930;...
, longest serving Prime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government of Canada. The office is not outlined in any of the documents that constitute the written portion of the constitution of Canada; executive authority is formally vested in the...
- Eric McCormack
Eric James McCormack is a Canadian-American actor, musician, writer and producer. Born in Toronto, he began his acting career performing in school plays at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute High School...
award-winning Canadian actor, television producer and writer. Best known for his role as Will TrumanWilliam "Will" Truman is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Eric McCormack. He is a gay lawyer who lives in the Upper West Side of New York City with his best friend, Grace Adler....
in the American comedy Will & GraceWill & Grace is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006. The show takes place in New York City and focuses on Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler, a straight Jewish woman who runs her own interior design firm...
.
- Alistair MacLeod
Alistair MacLeod, OC is a noted Canadian author and retired professor of English at the University of Windsor.- Academic career :...
, (1936- ), writer, recipient of the Order of CanadaThe Order of Canada is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the highest such order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada. Created in 1967, to coincide with the centennial of Canadian...
- Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
, first woman to sit in the Canadian House of CommonsThe House of Commons is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate.
The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament .
Members are elected by simple...
- Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
, entrepreneur
- James McGill
James McGill was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was also a prominent member of the Château Clique.- Biography :...
(1744-1813), fur trader, merchant
- Peter McGill
Peter McGill was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842....
(1789-1860), businessman, politician
- William McGillivray
William McGillivray was a Scotland-born fur trader and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Dunlichity, Scotland in 1764. In 1784, he travelled to Montreal with his uncle Simon McTavish and began work with the North West Company...
(1764-1825), fur trader
- Beverley McLachlin
Beverley McLachlin, PC is the Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold that position.-Early life:Born Beverley Gietz in Pincher Creek, Alberta, the eldest child of Ernest Gietz and Eleanora Kruschell, she received a BA and a MA degree in philosophy and an LL.B degree Beverley McLachlin, PC...
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
- Duncan McIntyre (1834-1894), businessman
- Norman McLaren
Norman McLaren, CC, CQ was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada .-Early life:...
, film animation pioneer
- Bobby McMahon
Robert "Bobby" McMahon is a Scottish football analyst for Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports World Canada.Born in Dundee, McMahon played football at the school and youth level, before going on to play for Tayport in Fife, then one of Scotland's top amateur teams. During his time with the Port, he...
, football analyst for Fox Soccer ChannelFox Soccer Channel is a United States digital cable network, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. The channel took its current name on February 7, 2005; before then, the network was known as Fox Sports World, launched November 1, 1997...
.
- Simon McTavish
Simon McTavish was a Scots-Quebecer entrepreneur and the pre-eminent businessman in Canada during the second half of the 18th century....
(1750-1804), fur trader, saw mill and flour mill operator
- Colin Mochrie
Colin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish Canadian actor and improvisational comedian.-Early life:Colin Mochrie was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, as the oldest of three children...
, actor and comedian
- Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan was a Scots-Quebecer department store pioneer in Canada who founded Henry Morgan & Company....
(1819-1893), built the first department store in Canada
- James Naismith
James Naismith was a Canadian and naturalized American sports coach and innovator. Naismith invented the sport of basketball in 1891 and is often credited with introducing the first football helmet...
, inventor of basketball
- Alexander Walker Ogilvie
Alexander Walker Ogilvie was a Canadian politician.Born in Côte-Saint-Michel, Lower Canada which is on the island of Montreal, the son of Alexander Ogilvie and Helen Watson, he owned a mill named A.W. Ogilvie & Company.In 1867, he was acclaimed to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the riding...
(1829-1902), miller, statesman
- John Ogilvy (1769-1819), merchant
- Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs ), better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler and film actor currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
, WWEWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Wrestler
- John Redpath
John Redpath was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada....
(1796-1869), contractor, industrialist
- Peter Redpath
Peter Redpath was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, closely associated with Redpath Sugar....
(1821-1894), businessman
- Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie is a Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Ray Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
, actor
- George Simpson
Sir George Simpson was a Scots-Quebecer and employee of the Hudson's Bay Company . His title was Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land and administrator over the Northwestern Territory and Columbia Department in British North America from 1821 to 1860.-Early years:George Simpson was born in...
(1787-1860), executive, fur trader
- Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
- George Stephen
George Stephen may refer to:* George A. Stephen, American inventor, entrepreneur, and the founder of Weber-Stephen Products Co.* George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen , Canadian banker and railway executive...
, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
- Daniel Sutherland
Daniel Alexander Sutherland , nicknamed "Fighting Dan", was an American businessperson and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives during the 1920s as the delegate from what was then the Alaska Territory.Sutherland was born in Pleasant Bay, Canada on Cape Breton Island...
(1756-1832), businessman
- Donald Sutherland
Donald McNicol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian character actor with a film career spanning over 50 years. He is currently working in the American television series, Dirty Sexy Money. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, in...
, actor
- Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer William Fredrick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland is a British-born Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24. He is an Emmy Award- and Golden Globe award-winner...
, actor
- Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC, MSRC , was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984.Pierre Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s,...
(1919-2000) Canadian Prime Minister (His mother was of Scottish ancestry)
- John G. Williams
John G. Williams was a Conservative MP representing Edmonton—St. Albert in the Canadian parliament from 1993 until 2008. He was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland...
, Member of Parliament
- James Cockburn, First Speaker of the House in Canada (Conservative Party
The Conservative Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Tories, is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. The party is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
)
See also
- Scottish placenames in Canada
- Scots-Quebecer
The Scot-Quebecers , were pioneer settlers who emigrated from their native Scotland to Quebec, migration that began when the province was a colony of British North America.-Overview:...
- Anglo-Métis
A 19th Century community of the Métis people of Canada, the Anglo-Métis, more commonly known as Countryborn, were children of the fur trade; typically of Orcadian, Scottish, or English paternal descent and Aboriginal maternal descent. Their first languages would have been aboriginal and English...
- English-Canadian
- Scottish people
The Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
- Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
- Scots-Irish Canadian
Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and, by some, of Canada who are of Ulster Scottish descent. The term may be qualified with American as in "Scotch-Irish American" or "American of Scots-Irish ancestry"...
- Celtic music in Canada
Celtic music is primarily associated with the folk traditions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as the popular styles derived from folk culture...
- Glengarry Highland Games
The Glengarry Highland Games consist of a series of traditional Scottish competitions held annually in Maxville, Ontario, Canada, usually held the first weekend in August. These include the world famous caber toss as well as Highland Dance and pipe and drum competitions...
External links