Almost sixty years ago, when I first came to Yorkton, it was a very "white" community where the names were predominantly Ukrainian, German or British, reflecting the founding and early settlement of this part of the prairies.
Census data from the past 15 years clearly show how things have changed. In 2011, about four percent of the population of Yorkton consisted of immigrants who were born abroad and had emigrated to Canada. Five years later, that percentage was about 10, and in the latest census of 2021, it was close to 14 per cent. It is likely to be higher still when the next census takes place in 2026, given the recent influx of immigrants into Saskatchewan.
Founded by people who mainly came from the British Isles, Yorkton is now a multi-cultural community which people from as many as 60 different countries call home. We talked to seven local immigrants about their experiences coming to Canada and Yorkton, about their likes and the challenges related to that. Not surprisingly, winter weather was a recurring topic!
East Central Newcomer Welcome Centre, Yorkton
East Central Saskatchewan Immigration Partnership
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada federal government website
Immigrating and moving to Saskatchewan Saskatchewan government website
Change in number of Yorkton residents born outside Canada from 2016 to 2021. These charts are based on the census of 2011, 2016 and 2021. The next census will be held in 2026.
This graph shows that the immigrant population of Yorkton has grown faster than that of Saskatchewan and Canada.
Where immigrants were born, using census date from 2016 and 2021. The next census will be conducted in 2026.
Where more recent immigrants were born. The 2016 column consists of immigrants between 2011 and 2016; the 2021 table represents those between 2016 and 2021.
Zoriana, Andrii and Kateryna Gnatiuk
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