From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Argentinians/Agueda Reus-BazÁn
More than half the ethnic-origin Argentinians in Canada (2,800) have settled in Ontario, and most of these have chosen the Toronto area. Many of those who arrived in the city in the 1970s became electricians, mechanics, carpenters, construction workers, hairdressers, small retailers, or travel, insurance, and real estate agents. Among the professionals, the largest numbers are physicians, dentists, architects, and engineers. Those who immigrated after 1988 are still in the process of overcoming language barriers. The main characteristic of the community in Ottawa is the high percentage of professionals, university professors, and civil servants.
The second-largest concentration of ethnic-origin Argentinians (1,520) is in Quebec. According to a profile of the ethnocultural communities in the province, almost 50 percent of the Argentinian-born population arrived between 1971 and 1980. The study also indicates that in the second half of that decade a large number of people were admitted through special programs to facilitate the entry of Latin Americans living under repressive regimes. Montreal is home to more than 90 percent of the Argentinians in Quebec. The occupational profile of this group indicates a preference for the social sciences, administration, manufacturing, construction, business, and the fine arts.
British Columbia has 335 ethnic-origin Argentinians. The community in Vancouver is composed mainly of professionals and entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized businesses; university teachers, artists, and social workers account for the rest. The majority of these individuals are first- or second-generation Argentinians of European descent who came to Canada for social and economic advancement and integration into Canadian society. There are two concentrations of Argentinians in Alberta, the larger one in Calgary and the other in Edmonton. Many of the Argentinians in the province are connected with the oil industry, particularly with companies that have interests in Argentina, such as Novacorp and Chauvco. Except for the substantially larger proportion of engineers, the occupational patterns are similar to those in British Columbia.
