| Every year, thousands of people from other countries
come to Canada to start a new life. They come with many different talents
and skills and the hope of contributing to their new society. Your interest
in reading this cultural profile may be due to your involvement with the
HOST Program, where you have the opportunity to meet people from Switzerland
and introduce them to life in Canada. You may have Swiss colleagues at
work or Swiss students at your school.
About 20,000 Swiss people have made Canada
their home over the last 40 years. Most have settled in Toronto, Vancouver
and Montreal. Between 1991 and 1996 about 3,300 Swiss came to Canada. |
|
| The decision to make a new home in a different
country is not an easy one. People must leave behind familiar things. Although
Canada may seem quite different from Switzerland, there are also many similarities.
Swiss immigrants will have many of the same questions that you would have
if you moved to a new town or city. For instance, they will wonder where
they will find a job, which schools their children should attend, where
to find a doctor, where to shop and what their new community will be like.
You will probably find that you have a lot in common with your Swiss friends,
and you can learn from them too. It is important to understand some elements
of the Swiss culture that your new friends bring with them. |
|
Did you know? |
| The
Swiss were important in opening up the Canadian Rockies to tourism. In
1899, the Canadian Pacific Railway brought in expert Swiss mountaineers
to act as guides in Banff National Park. There is a monument to these guides
near Lake Louise, Alberta. |
|
|
Although this cultural profile provides insights
into some customs, it does not cover all facets of life. The customs described
may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers from Switzerland.
|
Summary Fact Sheet |
|
| Official
Name |
Swiss Confederation |
| Capital
City |
Bern |
| Type of
Government |
Federal republic |
| Population |
7.3 million |
| Area |
41,290 sq. km |
| Major
Ethnic Group |
German, French, Italian, Romansh |
| Languages |
German, French, Italian, Romansh |
| Religions |
Roman Catholicism, Protestantism |
| Unit of
Currency |
Swiss Franc |
| National
Flag |
Red with a white cross in the centre |
| Date of
Federation |
August 1, 2021 |
|
|
|
Did you know? |
| The
name "Switzerland" comes from Schwyz, one of the three cantons (provinces)
that originally formed the Swiss Confederation. The country is also known
as Helvetica, because the original inhabitants were called Helvetians. |
|
|