Information on cultural diversity within a population is important for the planning and delivery of services to that population. Different groups have different needs and values, and these have to be taken into consideration when delivering services to those groups. This newsletter provides information on the immigrant and visible minority population in Peel Region, using official data from the 2001 Census of Canada. It also provides a list of many of the human service agencies in Peel which specialize in providing social services, language-training, employment training, and other services to immigrants and visible minorities.

I. Immigrants in Peel: 2001

Definition of Visible Minority

According to Employment Equity legislation at the federal level of government in Canada, the term "visible minority" refers to people who are non-Caucasian or non-White and non-Aboriginal. In Canada, the following groups are regarded as visible minorities: South Asians, Blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Arabs, West Asians, Latin Americans, Southeast Asians, Koreans, and Japanese.

• 38.5% (compared to 31.1% in 1996).
• By comparison, 19.1% of Ontario's population in 2001 (or 2,153,045) was comprised of visible minorities.

Has the number of visible minorities in Peel increased between the 1996 and 2001 Census of Canada?

• Yes. From 265,285 to 379,105; a 43% increase, compared to a 28 % increase in the visible minority population in Ontario as a whole.
• In contrast, the total population of Peel grew by only 16% between 1996 and 2001. The immigrant population in Peel grew by 25.2% during that period also.

What are the three largest groups of visible minorities in Peel?

1. South Asians/East Indians (155,055)
2. Blacks (70,695)
3. Chinese (41,605)

How are visible minorities distributed across Peel's three municipalities?

• The majority of the visible minority population (65%) in Peel Region lives in Mississauga; compared to 34.4% in Brampton, and 0.6% in Caledon.
• Mississauga also has the highest proportion of visible minorities within its total population: 40.3%, compared to 40.2% in Brampton and 5% in Caledon.
• Brampton has a higher proportion of South Asians and Blacks, compared to Mississauga, Caledon, and Ontario as a whole.
• Mississauga has a higher proportion of "Oriental" people (Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Japanese, and Southeast Asians) than Brampton.

Figure1
Total Visible Minority Population as a Percentage of the Total Population of Peel Region and its Municipalities (with Ontario Comparison) 2001

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 2001.

Table 4
Size of Different Visible Minority Groups in Peel and Ontario, 2001

Visible Minority Groups	ONTARIO	PEEL
		Mississauga	Brampton	Caledon	Total Peel
South Asians	554,870	91,150	63,205	700	155,055
Blacks	411,090	37,850	32,070	770	70,695
Chinese	481,510	35,955	5,445	210	41,605
Filipinos	156,515	24,615	6,965	45	31,625
Arabs	88,545	11,415	1,850	75	13,340
West Asians	67,100	4,200	1,085	180	5,460
Latin Americans	106,835	9,265	5,225	175	14,665
Southeast Asians	86,410	10,015	3,005	35	13,050
Koreans	53,955	5,175	615	45	5,830
Japanese	24,925	1,980	535	105	2,620
Visible Minority, n.i.e	78,915	9,950	8,180	130	18,260
Multiple Visible Minorities	42,375	4,755	2,110	45	6,905
Total Visible Minority Population	2,153,045	246,325	130,290	2,515	379,110
Total Population	11,285,550	610,815	324,385	50,355	985,560

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 2001.

Figure 2
Visible Minority Groups as a Percentage of the Total Population of Peel Region and its Municipalities (with Ontario Comparison) 2001

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 2001.

Table 5
Growth of Visible Minority Groups in Peel Region (1996-2001)

Visible Minority Groups	1996	2001	% inc.	1996*	2001*
South Asians	96,735	155,055	60.3%	11.3%	15.7%
Blacks	55,875	70,695	26.5%	6.6%	7.1%
Chinese	34,945	41,605	19.1%	4.1%	4.2%
Filipinos	23,240	31,625	36.1%	2.7%	3.2%
Arabs/West Asians	12,075	18,800	55.7%	1.4%	1.9%
Latin Americans	10,345	14,665	41.8%	1.2%	1.5%
Southeast Asians	9,815	13,050	33.0%	1.2%	1.3%
Koreans	3,130	5,830	86.3%	0.4%	0.6%
Japanese	2,525	2,620	3.8%	0.3%	0.3%
Visible Minority, n.i..e.	11,215	18,260	62.8%	1.3%	1.8%
Multiple Visible Minority	5,385	6,905	28.2%	0.6%	0.7%
Total visible minority population	265,285	379,110	42.9%	31.1%	38.3%
Total population	852,525	988,948	16.0%	100.0%	100.0%

Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Canada, 2001.
* % of Peel Population
 

How many different mother tongue languages are spoken by the people of Peel?

According to the 2001 Census of Canada, there are at least 60 different languages identified as "mother tongue" languages spoken by residents in Peel.

How many people in Peel speak English as their mother tongue (or first language)?

• In 2001, 582,350 residents in Peel - or 59% of the population - reported speaking English as a mother tongue (based on single responses). By comparison, 71% of Ontario's population reported speaking English as a mother tongue (based on single responses).
• Between 1996 and 2001, the number of speakers of Canada's official languages, i.e., English and/or French, in Peel increased by 7.9% or an additional 43,545 people (from 551,155 to 594,700). However, as a proportion of the Peel population, native English/French speakers (or people whose mother tongue is English or French) declined from 64.9 % of the population to 60.4%.

How many people in Peel use English as their home language (speak English in their homes)?

• 64% of the residents of Peel use English as their home language (based on single responses). This percentage increases to approximately 87% if multiple responses are added (responses from people who reported that they speak English and a non-English language in their homes).

How many people in Peel speak Non-Official Languages (Languages that are not English or French) as their mother tongue?

• In 2001, 369,150 residents or 37.5% of the Peel population reported speaking a non-official language as their mother tongue. By comparison, 24% of Ontario's population reported speaking a mother tongue other than English or French (based on single responses).
• Between 1996 and 2001, the number of speakers of non-official languages in Peel increased by 33.2% from 277,165 to 369,150 or an addition of 91,985 people. As mentioned earlier, the number of people in Peel speaking English or French as their mother tongue increased by only 8% in the same period.

Aside from English, what are the top ten mother tongue languages in Peel Region?

Punjabi, Polish, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Urdu, Tagalog/Filipino, Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese.

Aside from English, what are the top ten home languages spoken in Peel Region?

Punjabi, Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu, Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese, Arabic and Tamil.

How many people in Peel speak French as their mother tongue?

12,350 or 1.3% of the population.