May 27, 1998
To:Urban Environment and Development Committee
From:Virginia M. West, Commissioner
Subject:Profile Toronto: Immigrants in Toronto
Purpose:
To present AImmigrants In Toronto,@ a Planning Research publication which illustrates the settlement patterns of
immigrants to Toronto from the 1996 Census.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None.
Recommendations:
That the Committee receive the report for information.
Council Reference/Background/History:
The City Planning Division produces bulletins highlighting 1996 Census results as a departmental and corporate service to
support the development of planning policy, the evaluation of service provision in the city, and for the information of city
councillors, city staff and the public.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
The bulletin focusses on recent immigrants to Toronto - those who arrived after 1990. Among the highlights:
- Toronto has one third of Canada=s recent immigrants;
- Asia has replaced Europe as the main source of immigrants;
- The post-war suburbs have become the main immigrant settlement areas.
The bulletin also contains a series of maps showing the distribution of the eight main recent immigrant groups. Although
recent immigrants are spread across the city, each group tends to be found mainly in certain areas; for example, people
from Hong Kong have tended to settle in northwest Scarborough and northeast North York, while Polish immigrants favour
the west side of the city. A map of all recent immigrants shows concentrations in large apartment complexes throughout the
city, for example the Jane St. Corridor and Flemingdon Park.
This bulletin can be accessed by City staff on the corporate Intranet, and is available to the public on the City=s main
Internet site. In addition, staff have already distributed copies to a number of interest groups that deal with immigration
services. Staff are also able to generate maps showing the distribution of other immigrant groups, and can provide more
detailed information upon request.
Although immigration brings many benefits to the city, it also results in increased service costs, especially for education
and training. Toronto, Vancouver, and Mississauga as the main immigrant destinations must support the bulk of these
costs. Addressing these issues fairly, requires partnerships of cities, school boards, the provinces and the federal
government. In future, the city could consider developing alliances with Vancouver and Mississauga in developing these
partnerships with other levels of government.
Conclusions:
The 1996 census shows how immigration remains an important component in the city=s changing population. This
information is a valuable base for policy and service evaluation.
Contact Name:
Peter MooreJohn Gladki
Scarborough Office (396-7016)Toronto City Hall Office (392-7186)
moore@city.scarborough.on.ca
Reviewed by:
Paul J. BedfordVirginia M. West
Executive Director and Chief PlannerCommissioner of Urban Planning and
City Planning DivisionDevelopment Services
