From 1867 to 1915, a total of 4,573,917 immigrants arrived in Canada. Roughly seventy per cent of them came after 1891. This influx made a big impact on the real population which increased from 4,833,000 in 1891 to approximately 7,981,000 by 1915. Of course, this increase was not entirely due to immigration, as many immigrants died over the period or went on to settle in the United States. According to the 1911 census, foreign-born people accounted for just over one-fifth of the population. However, the immigrants who arrived after 1891 were very different from their predecessors because they brought with them ethnic backgrounds that were unique in Canadian society. Their arrival marked Canada's first steps toward a multicultural society.
