The purpose of the Irish in BC Network Society (known as Irish in BC) is to engage, connect and support Irish individuals, organizations and businesses within the Province of BC and assist them in fostering a more vibrant sense of community and of Irish identity.

Irish in BC receives funding from the Emigrant Support Programme administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland and is strongly supported by the Consulate General of Ireland in Vancouver.

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History of Irish in bc

Community Mapping Project

When the Office of the Consulate General of Ireland opened in 2019, there was a desire to understand how many people of Irish heritage are living in BC and where they are located. The Irish Women’s Network of BC received funding to carry out a Community Mapping Project, which resulted in the creation of a new website called Irish in BC. This website included stats on the number of Irish in the province and a list of over 50 community groups.

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Irish in BC Now

The community mapping project has helped shape ‘Irish in BC’ to what it is today – a key resource for the Irish here in British Columbia and means to encourage engagement and community.

Irish in BC communication touchpoints to date are this website, our Facebook and Instagram platforms and a weekly newsletter where you can find out about all the latest news and happenings across the Irish community here in BC. In December of 2021, Irish in BC was fully established as a non-profit in the province of British Columbia.

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How Many Irish are there in BC?

It’s a tough question to answer. We know that according to Census 2021, there are 7,000 landed residents who were born in Ireland. Add to that over 2,500 non-permanent residents here on study or 2 year visas, not to mention the summer student influx; it is estimated that there are over 10,000 Irish in BC. Movement within Canada is not tracked so the statistics may be higher.

627920

Number of BC residents of Irish ethnic or cultural origin
*recorded in the 2021 Census

7360

Number of Irish Born BC residents
*immigrating up to 2021

1305

Number of BC residents recording Gaelic/Irish as their mother tongue
*recorded in 2021 Census

2016 Census Infographic

Numbers Of Irish In BC

Movement within Canada is not tracked so the statistics on people in BC on visas and/or with PR are not readily available so exact numbers are difficult to ascertain.

For more Census 2021 information head over the numbers of Irish In BC page.

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