Les premières présences roumaines à Montréal (fin du XIXème-début du XXe siècle)
The First Romanian Presences in Montréal (End of the 19th Century-Beginning of the 20th Century)

Summary/Abstract: This study makes an attempt to trace the beginnings of the Romanian communityin Montreal. The origins of this community are to be found to the end of the 19th century,when the first Romanian presences are registered in the Canadian biggest metropolis atthose times.Relying upon the quantitative data – delivered by the Canadian censi of the time,but also by other sources – this study reconstitutes the number evolution of this communityby the eve of the First World War. It also makes the first distinction between the immigrantsin Montreal that came from the Romanian Kingdom – of Judaic origins in their greatestnumber – and those of Romanian ethnicity – most of them originated in Bukowina,province under the administration of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at thise times.The study presents the social-political and economic context that provoked thephenomenon of the migration, in the case of both the Jews emigrated from Romania andthe Romanians that left Bukowina, but also the migratory trajectory of both of the socialgroups until their arrival in Canada. It also insists upon the process of integration of thefirst wave of Jewish immigrants in Montreal and their important contribution to the socialcultural life of the metropolis on the bank of St. Lawrence river. In the case of theRomanians from Bukowina, the influence of thecohabitation with the Ruthenians and Jewsis emphasized, when referring to the beginnings of the emigration process towards Canada,and the study makes an attempt to identify as accurate as possible the moment when thefirst immigrants of Romanian origins reached Montreal.

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