Ethnic origin : Refers to the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which the respondent's ancestors belong. An ancestor is someone from whom a person is descended, and is usually more distant than a grandparent. Ethnic origin pertains to the ancestral "roots" or background of the population, and should not be confused with citizenship or nationality.
Single ethnic response : Occurs when a respondent provides one ethnic origin only. For example, in 2001, 726,300 people stated that their only ethnic origin was Italian. Since 1981, when respondents were first permitted to report more than one ethnic origin in the census, a distinction has been made between single and multiple responses.
Multiple ethnic response : Occurs when a respondent provides two or more ethnic origins. For example, 544,100 people in 2001 gave a response which included Italian and one or more other ethnic origins. As a result of increasing intermarriage between persons of different ethnic backgrounds, an increasing proportion of the population of Canada report two or more ethnic origins.
Total responses : They are the sum of single and multiple responses for each ethnic origin. Total response counts indicate the number of persons who reported a specified ethnic origin, either as their only origin or in addition to one or more other ethnic groups. For example, 1,270,400 persons reported at least some Italian ancestry in 2001.
Census metropolitan area : Area consisting of one or more adjacent municipalities situated around a major urban core. To form a census metropolitan area, the urban core must have a population of at least 100,000.
