Italian Canadians in Greater Montreal


has an Italian Canadian community. As of 2007, 17.6% of the ethnic Italians in Canada live in Montreal.
Montreal's Italian community is one of the largest in Canada, second only to Toronto. With 279,795 residents of Italian ancestry as of the 2016 census in Greater Montreal, Montreal has many Italian districts, such as La Petite-Italie, Saint-Leonard, Rivière-des-Prairies, and LaSalle. Italian is the third most spoken language in Montreal and in the province of Quebec.

History

In 1893 there were about 1,400 ethnic Italians in Montreal. According to a 1906 edition of The Labour Gazette, Canada Department of Labour, Italian employment agencies that worked with Canadian steamship and railway companies attracted many Italian labourers to Montreal. Additional growth in the Italian population took place in the 20th century.
The Order of the Sons of Italy in Montreal dedicated a statue of John Cabot in 1935. The order suggested that Cabot, and not Jacques Cartier, was in fact the first European to reach Canada.

Demographics

In 1931, there were more Italians than people of British origins in St. Jean Ward. During that year, in 19 of Montreal's 35 wards, the Italians were the largest non-French and non-British ethnic group. This was also the case in five other cities and towns in Greater Montreal.

Politics

The political unit of the Italian community split after Benito Mussolini became the leader of Italy in the 1920s. During World War II the Canadian government opposed pro-Mussolini elements in the Montreal Italian community.

Religion

The first Catholic church for the Italians became Mount Carmel Parish in 1905. It was established by an Italian-speaking man, Canon Bruchési. In 1911 the second Italian parish opened.