Coptic Canadians
ethnic group
Copts in Canada are Canadian citizens of Coptic descent or people of Coptic descent residing in Canada.
Population and distribution
According to the 2011 census, there were 3,570 Canadians who reported Coptic ancestry (this figure combines single and multiple ethnic origin responses). Of this number, 755 Canadians reported Coptic as their only ancestry, whereas 2,810 reported Coptic as one of multiple ancestries.
In the same survey, around 17,000 Canadians said they belonged to the Coptic Orthodox Church. Of this number, 12,645 were immigrants and 3,365 were born in Canada.
The Canadian Coptic Association estimates that there are 35,000 Copts living in Canada; according to CBC News, "if other sects with strong ties to the Coptic community are included, the figure is possibly higher still." (Note: There is likely a typo in the CBC article where an extra zero was added, thereby erroneous stating that there are 350,000 Copts in Canada).
Toronto and the surrounding metropolitan region have the largest concentration of Copts in Canada.
Immigration history
The immigration of the Copts to Canada might have started as early as the late 1950s with most immigrants arriving in throughout the 1970s, from Egypt to Canada being mostly Christians who mostly left due to poverty in their home country and job opportunities.[1]
Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada
In 1964, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church was established in Toronto; this was the first Coptic church established in the Coptic diaspora.
In 2002, a survey showed 22 Coptic Orthodox parishes in Canada, indicating growth.
The public source identifies “Coptic Canadians” as ethnic group. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Coptic, Canadians and ethnic.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Coptic Canadians”, the useful work is to connect “ethnic group” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q19875748. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2011, 1964 and 2002.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Coptic Canadians”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Coptic Canadians primary sources, Coptic Canadians archive and Coptic research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Coptic Canadians”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Coptic Canadians” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.