Quick Facts
- Their official country languages are Arabic & Tamazight. Other languages include Algerian Arabic (Darja) and French.
- 2016 census data showed 54,635Algerians living in Montreal, especially in the Little Maghreb section of the city. We are awaiting updated 2021 census data regarding Algerians in Montreal.
- By 2030 the overall Muslim population of Montreal will be over one million.
When did Algerian Arab Muslims first come to Canada?
Some Algerians began immigrating to Canada in the early- to mid-1960s, not long after Canada recognized Algerian independence, but a large wave of Algerians began moving to Canada in the late 1990s. Algeria is the fourth-largest source of immigrants to Quebec, after France, Haiti, and Morocco. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, there were a total of 4,245 Algerian students studying in Canada in 2020.
Where do Algerian Arab Muslims predominantly gather in the Montreal Metro Area?
- Little Maghreb encompasses fifteen blocks of Jean Talon Street from Saint-Michel Boulevard in the West to Pie-IX Boulevard in the East. In addition to Algerians, the population in this area includes many Tunisians and Moroccans. The neighborhood is served by the Saint-Michel Metro station on the Blue Line.
- The Jean Talon Market opened in 1933 making it one of the oldest markets in Montreal. In addition to fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, there are a variety of Algerian ethnic cafes and shops.
What are Algerian Arab Muslim's lives like?
- Algerians are successful in fields such as engineering and medicine. They differ from some other Arab groups because they come as immigrants, not refugees. Their French-influenced Arabic is also significantly different from the Arabic spoken in Egypt and the Arabian peninsula. As a result, other Arabs have difficulty understanding their Algerian neighbors. There are no known churches among the Algerians in Montreal and almost nobody working to change that. Join us today to pray for Algerian Arabs.
- In North America, Algerian Arabs participate in festivals and major holidays but are not as regular in mosque attendance.
- Algerians in Montreal enjoy authentic Algerian foods in a plethora of cafes, eateries, and fine-dining restaurants. Montréal has multiple such hotspots serving dishes that are Algerian-inspired but with modern touches, offering all types of grilled meats including kefta and shawarma.
- There are multiple take-out bakeries in Little Maghreb with some of the best Algerian desserts, breads, and drinks in the city.
The late 1990s marked the beginning of the Montreal’s neighbourhood Maghrebi flavour. This was a direct result of the opening of the Dar Al-Arkam Mosque on the corner of Jean-Talon and 17th Avenue, which continues to serve as a centralized religious-cultural meeting place for Algerian Arabic Muslims.
What do Algerian Arab Muslims believe?
- Ninety-nine percent of Algerian Arabs in Algeria is classified ethnically as Arab/ Berber and religiously as Sunni Muslim; the few non-Sunni Muslims are mainly Ibadis from the M'Zab valley. A mostly foreign Roman Catholic community of about 45,000 exists, as do very small Protestant and Jewish communities.
- Algerian Arabic Sunni Muslims follow the teachings of the Qur'an and consider the first four caliphs to be the rightful successors of Muhammad.
- Less than 3/10ths of 1% of Algerian Arabic Muslims are followers of Jesus globally and this number is likely lower in Montreal, where we are not yet aware of Algerian Arabic individuals who are open followers of Jesus.
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