Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile

Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile
Introduction
For hundreds of years people have been immigrating to Ontario – from the earliest 17th
century French and British settlers to the post-WWII wave of European settlers and - most
recently - the new wave of newcomers from many different parts of the world. From the
earliest beginnings, newcomers have helped enrich and grow Ontario with their new
perspectives, diverse cultures and willingness to work together to help build this great
province.
Gaining a better understanding of the diversity of communities across Ontario is of great
importance to the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). To learn more about the trends at
play that are shaping communities across the province, we commissioned Statistics
Canada to use its most recent census information to help produce this profile of diversity in
Toronto.
The report Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile highlights the trends and differences
for immigrants – both established and recent – as well as people who identify as members
of racialized groups. Using the gauges of place of birth, language, age and period of
immigration, this report will highlight the uniqueness and diversity of people in Toronto
today – and bring to light some worrying challenges facing those who have most recently
arrived.
OTF is pleased to share this new report with our many stakeholders as well as the general
public. We hope it will be relevant to a wide variety of decision-makers and groups,
including our colleagues in government, community organizations, the not-for-profit sector,
colleges, universities, and anyone else who is seeking a better understanding of diversity
in Toronto.
A note about additional publications
This Toronto report – one of five reports on diversity in Ontario and select communities – is
part of the latest series of community profiles published by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Other reports in this series include Your Community in Profile, a customized series of OTF
reports on economic, social and demographic trends for Ontario and 16 regions across the
province; Aboriginal Communities in Profile and Francophone Communities in Profile.
Ontario Trillium Foundation – Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile 4