From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Ethiopians/John Sorenson
In Canada’s 1991 census, 8,760 persons identified themselves wholly or partically of Ethiopian ethnicity, while 11,060 identified Ethiopia as their place of birth. A few Ethiopians came to Canada as students before the political upheavals of the 1970s but larger numbers began to arrive during the 1980s as refugees. Canadian statistics have not distinguished between the various peoples of Ethiopia, and so it is impossible to give precise population figures for the Amharas, Tigrayans, and other communities.
Early arrivals included many young, single men. Although more women arrived in later years, a gender imbalance is still noticeable. Canadian government screening helped to ensure that many of these refugees and immigrants were comparatively well-educated English-speakers from the middle and upper classes. The vast majority of uneducated rural peasants remained in refugee camps in Africa.
While a few early arrivals came on student visas, migration generally mirrored the intensity of the conflict in Ethiopia during the 1970s and 1980s. Many did not arrive in Canada directly from Ethiopia but rather from Egypt, Kenya, Italy, or Greece, where they had first spent extended periods in asylum. Some refugees came to Canada because it was the first country to accept them; others because of its reputation as a peaceful country. Most Ethiopians settled in Ontario, mainly in Toronto, and there was considerable secondary migration among those who had originally settled elsewhere in Canada. Despite the fact that a number of Ethiopians may express a preference for life in smaller cities, many went to Toronto because of perceived opportunities for employment and the presence of a growing Ethiopian community there.
