Canada has one of the world’s largest Haitian diasporas. Some facts about the Haitian-Canadian community:
-102,430 people in Canada listed their ethnic origin as Haitian in the 2006 census.
-Almost 90 per cent of Haitian-Canadians – or 91,435 – live in Quebec.
-Montreal has 85,785 people who describe themselves as Haitian, making it Canada’s city with by far the biggest Haitian community.
-Ontario was home to 9,095 Haitians, with 2,150 living in the metropolitan Toronto area, according to the 2006 census.
-British Columbia had 795 Haitian-born residents living in the province, followed closely by Alberta with 760.
-Prominent Haitian-Canadians include: Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean; former world champion boxer Joachim Alcine; current world light-heavyweight boxing champion Jean Pascal; actor and parliamentarian Maka Kotto; Olympic gold-medal sprinter Bruny Surin; hockey player Georges Laraque, NBA basketball player Samuel Dalembert; Canada’s first elected black mayor Firmin Monestime of Mattawa, On.; Jean Alfred, who was the first black member of Quebec’s national assembly.
