Where Canadians Lived in 1901: Overwhelmingly Rural

Canada's Population Distribution in 1901

At the turn of the 20th century, approximately 75% of Canadians lived in rural areas (defined as communities under 1,000 people or farmsteads).

Context

• Total population: ~5.3 million (1901 census).
• Primary occupation: Agriculture (grains in the West, mixed farming in Ontario/Quebec, fisheries in Maritimes).
• Urban centers: Montreal (~270k), Toronto (~210k), Quebec City, Winnipeg, Vancouver—small by modern standards.
• Industrialization: Just beginning; factories clustered in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton.

Shift Underway

The 1901–1911 decade saw the start of massive urbanization: Prairie settlement (homesteads), resource extraction (mining, timber), and factory growth drew people to cities. By 1931, the rural/urban split reached 50/50.