[3][4] Most Jamaicans who arrive in Canada settle in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Hamilton.
The first Jamaicans who moved to Canada were West Indian slaves imported into New France and Nova Scotia individually and in small numbers.
The war ended when the British, realizing that victory could not be achieved, tricked the Maroons into laying down their arms and carried them into exile in Nova Scotia (James & Walker, 1984).
[citation needed] Governor John Wentworth settled the Maroons, who numbered over 500, on the outskirts of Halifax and offered the men jobs to fortify the Citadel.
The "Maroon Bastion" stands on Citadel Hill as an example of their legacy and the sense of pride they contributed (James & Walker, 1984).
Even though pressure for migration in the West Indies mounted, the Canadian government refused to allow any more "non-whites" into the country (James & Walker, 1984).
[citation needed] Michael Manley, the future Prime Minister of Jamaica, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.
[citation needed] After World War II, a great demand for unskilled workers resulted in the National Act of 1948.
This Scheme allowed eligible black women who were between the age of 18 to 35, in good health, no family ties and a minimum of a grade eight education from mainly Jamaica and Barbados to enter Canada (James & Walker, 1984).
In 1962, racial discrimination was taken out of the Canadian Immigration Act and the number of Jamaicans who moved to Canada increased (Lazar & Dauglas, 1992).
According to Anderson (1993), Caribbean immigrants to Canada were more likely to settle in large cities and their provinces of choice were Ontario and Quebec.
Other cities include Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Kitchener, Waterloo, Windsor and Halifax (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2000).
[1] Food: includes ackee and saltfish, rice and peas, jerk chicken, fish and pork, curried goat, pepperpot soup, roasted yams, banana fritters, patties, salads, fruits and exotic desserts.
[26] Arts and crafts: Creations in straw, clay, fabric, shell, wood and semi-precious stone are on display in most Jamaican homes.
Among youth however, basketball and hockey are the most popular sports; Jamaican Canadians Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett play in the NBA and represent Canada internationally in FIBA, while PK Subban is playing for the Nashville Predator and was selected to Canada's Winter Olympic Team.