The Society’s Encyclopedia of Canada’s Peoples has received many accolades since it was released in 1999. When the University of Toronto Press, the publisher with the MHSO, celebrated its centennial in 2000, it designated the publication “one of the 100 most influential and important books” that it had produced in its 100-year history. The Encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work and research tool on 119 different peoples/ethnic groups. The 1,340-page volume contains individual entries on, among others, the indigenous peoples, French, English, Blacks, Chinese, Jews, Ukrainians, and Vietnamese who live, or have lived, in Canada. Each entry covers the origins of the people/group, the process of migration, arrival and settlement, economic and community life, family and kinship patterns, language and culture, education, religion, politics, intergroup relations, and the dynamics of group maintenance. Entries are cross-referenced and include tables, graphs, and suggestions for further reading. A number of thematic essays are also included in the Encyclopedia to illuminate complex issues related to immigration, assimilation, multiculturalism, and Canadian culture and identity. Over 300 scholars and researchers from across Canada were involved in the project as authors (132), area consultants (8), and advisors (182).
In 2002, the extensive, 12-part Encyclopedia entry on indigenous peoples was re-published in a separate volume, Aboriginal Peoples of Canada: A Short Introduction.
The Encyclopedia is available online through a prepaid subscription. Contact the MHSO at info@mhso.ca or (416) 650-8238 for pricing and access details.
