Since 1776, more than 100,000 Swedish-speaking immigrants have arrived in Canada from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ukraine, and the United States. Elinor Barr’s Swedes in Canada is the definitive history of that immigrant experience. Active in almost every aspect of Canadian life, Swedish individuals and companies are responsible for the CN Tower, ships on the Great Lakes, and log buildings in Riding Mountain National Park. They have built railways and grain elevators all across the country, as well as churches and old folks’ homes in their communities. At the national level, the introduction of cross-country skiing and the success of ParticipACTION can be attributed to Swedes.

Despite this long list of accomplishments, Swedish ethnic consciousness in Canada has often been very low. Using extensive archival and demographic research, Barr explores both the impressive Swedish legacy in Canada and the reasons for their invisibility as an immigrant community.

Elinor Barr has written extensively about Northwestern Ontario and Scandinavian immigrants in Canada. She is a research associate of the Lakehead Social History Institute at Lakehead University.

Elinor Barr's profile page

‘Elinor Barr’s book is a long overdue study of the history of Swedish Immigration to Canada…. It is undoubtedly an important step in understanding the significance of the Swedish immigrant experience for Canadian history.’

Canadian Historical Review vol 97:02:2016

‘Barr’s study is the first of its kind. Eloquently written and beautifully illustrated, it is an important source of inspiration for all interested in what it meant to be a Swede in Canada in the early days of the country’s existence and up to the 1970s.’

British Journal of Canadian History vol 30:01:2017

‘Elinor Barr provides an encyclopedic overview of Swedish immigrants to Canada… This is a comprehensive history that will be a catalyst for further inquiry.’

Labour/Le Travail vol 77 spring 2016