Research & Reference

Maytree has compiled background information, resources and statistics relating to issues of cities, diversity, poverty, board governance, immigration and Public Appointments Model and Studies.

Here is an overview of some relevant statistics.

In 2006, Canada’s population reached 31.2 million. Approximately 20% — 6.1 million people — were born outside of Canada. About 16% or – 5 million people are visible minorities. (Source: Statistics Canada. Immigration and Citizenship Highlight Tables, 2006 Census.)
More than 70% of the foreign-born population speak a mother tongue other than English or French. (Source: Statistics Canada, Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign Born Population, Census 2006, (December 2007), 5.)
Roughly two-thirds of Canada’s population growth now comes from net international migration. Population projections show that net immigration may become the only source of population growth by about 2030 and could account for virtually all net labour force growth by 2011. (Source: Statistics Canada. “The Canadian Immigrant Labour Market in 2006: First Results from Canada’s Labour Force Survey.” The Daily, Monday, September 10, 2007.)
Immigrants aged 25 to 54 are more likely to have a university education than Canadian-born men and women. In 2006, while 36% of immigrants in this age group had at least a bachelor’s degree, the proportion was only 22% among those born in Canada. (Source: Statistic Canada. “Canada’s immigrant labour market.” The Daily, Monday, September 10, 2007.)
One in five (18.5%) of recent immigrants who arrived between 1992 and 2000 were in low income at least four years during their first five years in Canada. This was more than twice the corresponding rate of around 8% among Canadian-born people. (Source: Garnett Picot, Feng Hou and Simon Coulombe, Chronic Low Income and Low-income Dynamics Statistics Canada , Statistics Canada, January 2007.)
If all immigrants’ foreign learning and learning credentials were recognized, between $3.4 and $5.0 billion would be added to the Canadian economy every year. (Source: Conference Board of Canada. Performance and Potential 2004-2005: How can Canada prosper in Tomorrow’s World? (Ottawa 2004), 132.)
In 2001, the disposable income of employed working-age visible minorities in Canada was estimated at $78 billion. Minorities represent approximately 39 per cent of the consumer market in Vancouver, 48 per cent in Toronto and 20 per cent in Montréal. (Source: As cited in. The Conference Board of Canada. Business Critical: Maximizing the Talents of Visible Minorities (Ottawa, 2005.), 94.)
According to the 2006 Census, 60% of the foreign-born live in the regions of Toronto (60%), Montreal (20%) and Vancouver (21%).
Of the 5,072,075 people who lived in the Toronto CMA in 2006, almost half – 2,320,160 – were born outside the country. A bit under half are visible minorities – 2,174,070. (Source: Statistics Canada. Immigration and Citizenship Highlight Tables, 2006 Census.)

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Policy in Focus, Issue 10: Abolish the Low-skilled Temporary Foreign Worker Program: This Policy in Focus features a proposal for reform to ensure the skilled worker program remains at the heart of permanent economic immigration.
Policy in Focus, Issue 9: Reforms to the Refugee System Are Needed
This Policy in Focus features a proposal for reform by Peter Showler which which would produce accurate and fair decisions, and result in the timely removal of failed claimants.
How diverse is the senior leadership in the Greater Toronto Area? Watch the DiverseCity Counts Webinar with Wendy Cukier, the Diversity Institute, Ryerson University and author of DiverseCity Counts.

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