Analysis in Brief
A portrait of official language minority owned businesses that received federal business innovation and growth support, 2020
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Introduction
Canada’s economic prosperity is linked, in part, to the success of Canadian businesses and their ability to innovate through research and development, grow domestically and abroad, and survive economic downturns. In 2020, the federal government offered business innovation and growth support (BIGS) through more than 120 programs across 18 departments and agencies to support Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. These BIGS programs provided a way for the government to target investment in certain sectors or regions to increase business performance, invest in high-growth firms and increase the participation of specific groups (racialized, marginalized or distinct populations) in the economy.
In this report, the targeted population of interest is the members of official language minority communities (OLMCs). In 2023, the federal government unveiled its Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 (Canadian Heritage, 2023). While it is focused on the protection and promotion of and collaboration between both official languages across Canada, the plan recognizes the unique situation of OLMCs and makes provisions for their long-term vitality and well-being across several domains.
In the context of the 2023 plan and in line with the material prosperity components of the Quality of Life Framework and the Framework for the Vitality of Official-Language Minority Communities, this report aims to better understand the presence and characteristics of official language minority (OLM) owned businesses. OLM-owned businesses are defined in this analysis as businesses with a primary owner whose first official language spoken (FOLS) is that of the OLM of the province or territory where the business is located.
Specifically, this article provides a profile of OLM-owned businesses that received federal BIGSNote (hereafter referred to as supported OLM-owned businesses) to better understand their demographics and business characteristics, including owner age and gender (in line with the leadership and democratic participation component of the Gender Results Framework), business size and revenues, geography of operations, level of support received, and distribution of businesses across industries.
Wherever possible, highlights are first presented for supported OLM-owned businesses, followed by supported businesses owned by subpopulations. Comparisons are made with non-OLM-owned businesses and, at times, between the English- and French-language regional minorities.
In 2020, 1,775 of 344,225 official language minority owned businesses received federal innovation and growth support funding
In 2020, 5,475,390 businesses were operating in Canada (Table 1).Note Among them, 344,225 (6.3%) belonged to an OLM, with 134,725 (2.5%) belonging to the French-language minority (FLM) outside Quebec and 209,500 (3.8%) to the English-language minority (ELM) within Quebec (Table 1).
| Supported businesses | Number of unsupported businesses |
Total number of businessesTable 1 Note 2 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of supported businessesTable 1 Note 1 |
Value of support |
Average support |
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| number | dollars | number | |||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 1 Note 3 | |||||
| Total | 1,775 | 437,595,990 | 246,602 | 342,450 | 344,225 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 885 | 168,035,455 | 190,408 | 133,840 | 134,725 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 890 | 269,560,535 | 302,198 | 208,610 | 209,500 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||
| Total | 21,030 | 3,018,902,800 | 143,562 | 5,110,135 | 5,131,165 |
| Outside Quebec | 16,750 | 2,350,693,415 | 140,336 | 4,116,775 | 4,133,525 |
| In Quebec | 4,280 | 668,209,385 | 156,197 | 993,360 | 997,640 |
| Total businessesTable 1 Note 2 | 22,805 | 3,456,498,790 | 151,581 | 5,452,585 | 5,475,390 |
|
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In 2020, 1,775 OLM-owned businesses received federal support, with 885 being FLM-owned and 890 ELM-owned. That year, OLM-owned businesses that received support represented 0.5% of all OLM-owned businesses and 7.8% of all supported businesses in Canada.
Data table for Chart 1
| Share of all businesses | Share of businesses receiving federal business innovation and growth support | Share of federal business innovation and growth support funding | |
|---|---|---|---|
| percent | |||
| French-language minority owned businesses | 2.5 | 3.9 | 4.9 |
| English-language minority owned businesses | 3.8 | 3.9 | 7.8 |
| Official language minority owned businesses | 6.3 | 7.8 | 12.7 |
|
Note: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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Notably, the share of federal funding (12.7%) held by OLM-owned businesses was somewhat larger than their relative size in the supported population (7.8%). Consequently, OLM-owned businesses received higher levels of funding per business ($246,602 on average), compared with non-OLM-owned businesses ($143,562 per business).
These support levels varied by region. In 2020, ELM-owned businesses in Quebec received $269.6 million ($302,198 per business), compared with the $168.0 million received by FLM-owned businesses in the rest of Canada ($190,408 per business). However, this could be related to factors such as firm size or sectorial differences between the supported ELM- and FLM-owned businesses, which are out of scope for this paper.
Supported business owners were more likely to be younger than unsupported business owners
The age structure of business owners is important not only for understanding the entry, retention and representation of younger cohorts of business owners but also for developing policies and planning related to retiring business owners across industries. As of 2020, roughly one out of every five businesses in Canada was owned by a primary owner who was at the traditional retirement age of 65 or older.
Data table for Chart 2
| 25 to 54 years old | 55 to 64 years old | 65 years and older | |
|---|---|---|---|
| percent | |||
| English-language minority owned businesses | |||
| Unsupported | 54.3 | 23.3 | 20.7 |
| Supported | 54.2 | 24.6 | 20.1 |
| French-language minority owned businesses | |||
| Unsupported | 50.0 | 26.2 | 22.7 |
| Supported | 53.7 | 26.0 | 19.2 |
| Official language minority owned businesses | |||
| Unsupported | 52.6 | 24.4 | 21.5 |
| Supported | 53.9 | 25.3 | 19.7 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||
| Unsupported | 53.2 | 24.2 | 21.0 |
| Supported | 59.5 | 23.6 | 16.3 |
| Total businesses | |||
| Unsupported | 53.2 | 24.2 | 21.1 |
| Supported | 59.0 | 23.7 | 16.5 |
|
Notes: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Data on age are from the 2021 Census of Population. Owners aged 15 to 24 years old are included in the total but not shown on the chart so percentages do not add up to 100%. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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Chart 2 highlights several findings.
First, among all businesses in 2020, those receiving support were 5.1 percentage points less likely to be owned by someone aged 55 years or older and can therefore be characterized as being run by a comparatively younger population.
Second, the relationship between federal support and the lower age of business owners varies for each subpopulation. For example, while supported non-OLM-owned businesses were 5.3 percentage points less likely to be owned by someone aged 55 or older, compared with unsupported non-OLM-owned businesses, this difference was less than one percentage point among OLM-owned businesses (0.9 percentage points).
Thirdly, among OLM-owned businesses, there was effectively no difference between the age structure of supported and unsupported ELM business owners. By contrast, in supported FLM-owned businesses, owners were slightly younger than their unsupported counterparts; those who received support were 3.7 percentage points less likely to be 55 years or older.
The share of women-owned supported businesses by official language minority status
The share and characteristics of women-owned businesses are considered broad indicators of leadership and improved gender equality (see item 3.2.1 in the Government of Canada’s Gender Results Framework).
In 2020, 1,988,860 businesses were owned by women, representing 36.3% of all businesses that year.Note Note However, this figure was lower among those who received support, both among OLM- and non-OLM-owned businesses.
In fact, among OLM-owned businesses in 2020, the share of women-owned businesses was higher (34.6%) among unsupported businesses and lower among those receiving support (18.4%). Similarly, among unsupported non-OLM owners, the share of women-owned businesses in 2020 was 36.5%—nearly matching the overall total rate among all businesses—while this figure dropped to 20.4% (a 16.1 percentage point difference) for non-OLM owners receiving support.
Data table for Chart 3
| Unsupported businesses | Supported businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| English-language minority owned businesses | 33.0 | 16.3 |
| French-language minority owned businesses | 37.0 | 20.5 |
| Official language minority owned businesses | 34.6 | 18.4 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | 36.5 | 20.4 |
| Total businesses | 36.4 | 20.3 |
|
Notes: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. The category “women” includes women, as well as some non-binary persons. Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses. In these cases, individuals in the category “non-binary persons” are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the “+” symbol.” Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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The same pattern can be observed between supported and unsupported FLM- and ELM-owned businesses. In fact, the share of women-owned businesses was roughly 17 percentage points lower among supported FLM (20.5%) and ELM (16.3%) businesses, compared with unsupported FLM and ELM businesses.
It is worth noting that the share of women-owned businesses in the population was roughly comparable between FLM- and non-OLM-owned businesses, whether supported or not. By contrast, ELM-owned businesses exhibited the lowest shares of ownership by women among both supported (16.3%) and unsupported (33.0%) businesses.
Many BIGS programs focus on the technology and innovation sectors, such as professional, scientific and technical services; and manufacturing. The sectoral distribution among BIGS recipients may partly explain the differences observed between the share of supported and unsupported women-owned businesses.
Supported official language minority owned businesses were concentrated in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick
Data table for Chart 4
| Official language minority owned businesses | Non-official language minority owned businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Quebec | 50.0 | 20.4 |
| Ontario | 20.2 | 34.7 |
| New Brunswick | 14.6 | 1.6 |
| Nova Scotia | 4.2 | 3.9 |
| British Columbia | 3.9 | 15.5 |
| Alberta | 3.4 | 11.9 |
| Manitoba | 1.1 | 2.5 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.8 | 1.8 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0.6 | 4.5 |
| Saskatchewan | 0.6 | 2.8 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut | 0.6 | 0.5 |
|
Note: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Percentages do not always add up to 100% due to rounding. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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In 2020, half of supported OLM-owned businesses operated in Quebec (50.0%), with the next two highest concentrations found in Ontario (20.2%) and New Brunswick (14.6%). These figures roughly mirror the distribution of the OLM population. By contrast, supported non-OLM-owned businesses were more concentrated in British Columbia (15.5%) and Alberta (11.9%), and less represented in New Brunswick (1.6%).
The relative importance of the supported OLM-owned business population varied across provinces. For example, supported OLM-owned businesses in New Brunswick represented 14.6% of all supported OLM-owned businesses in Canada, but accounted for nearly half of all supported businesses in that province (43.7%).
Supported official language minority owned businesses were more likely to be medium-sized or large
The size of a business can be assessed in several ways. In this report, the average number of employees and the business revenues are examined as indicators of relative size.Note Note In this analysis, businesses with 1 to 99 employees are considered small, those with 100 to 499 employees are considered medium-sized, and those with 500 employees or more are considered large.
Data table for Chart 5
| Unsupported businesses | Supported businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Business size | ||
| Small | 98.9 | 84.5 |
| Medium | 0.9 | 9.5 |
| Large | 0.2 | 6.0 |
| Corporate revenues | ||
| $1 to $1.99 million | 91.1 | 56.9 |
| $2 million to $9.99 million | 6.7 | 19.2 |
| $10 million or more | 2.2 | 23.9 |
|
Note: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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The results show that supported businesses tended to report higher revenues and be larger than unsupported ones. Among OLM-owned businesses, 15.5% of supported businesses reported being medium-sized or large operations. This was 14.4 percentage points higher than the corresponding figure for unsupported businesses (1.1%). This trend was similar among the non-OLM population.
Data table for Chart 6
| Unsupported businesses | Supported businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Business size | ||
| Small | 99.1 | 88.6 |
| Medium | 0.8 | 7.5 |
| Large | 0.1 | 3.9 |
| Corporate revenues | ||
| $1 to $1.99 million | 91.9 | 61.1 |
| $2 million to $9.99 million | 6.3 | 20.8 |
| $10 million or more | 1.8 | 18.1 |
|
Note: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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The gap between supported and unsupported businesses was even more pronounced in terms of revenue. Among OLM-owned businesses, 43.1% of supported businesses reported making at least $2 million in revenue, compared with 8.9% of unsupported businesses—a difference of 34.2 percentage points. This makes supported OLM-owned businesses 4.8 times more likely to make at least $2 million, compared with unsupported OLM-owned businesses. These ratios were also closely mirrored by the population of non-OLM-owned businesses.
Supported official language minority owned businesses were more concentrated in manufacturing and less concentrated in real estate and rental and leasing
Data table for Chart 7
| Unsupported businesses | Supported businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 12.8 | 26.1 |
| Manufacturing | 2.1 | 22.6 |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5 | 8.6 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3.7 | 7.7 |
| Information and cultural industries | 1.5 | 4.7 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 26.8 | 1.2 |
|
Note: Supported businesses were ultimate recipients of funding and other business innovation and growth support provided through over 120 participating federal programs in 2020. Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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The industry concentration of OLM-owned businesses varied widely between supported and unsupported businesses. For example, among supported OLM-owned businesses, about 70% were concentrated in the following five industries: professional, scientific and technical services (26.1%); manufacturing (22.6%); wholesale trade (8.6%); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (7.7%); and information and cultural industries (4.7%). Similarly, within the non-OLM business population, these five industries accounted for 66.9% of all supported businesses.
By contrast, the top five industries among unsupported OLM-owned businesses were real estate and rental and leasing (26.8%); professional, scientific and technical services (12.8%); transportation and warehousing (6.8%); other services (except public administration) (6.6%); and construction (6.5%). Together, these industries accounted for approximately 60% of unsupported OLM-owned businesses. Similarly, these same five industries accounted for 59.2% of all unsupported non-OLM-owned businesses.
Given the similar industry concentrations between OLM-owned businesses and non-OLM-owned businesses by support status, it could be inferred that this concentration is more likely related to the focus of BIGS programs on certain sectors and less likely related to OLM status.
Conclusion
This article provides a demographic and business-related portrait of OLM-owned businesses. The results show that OLM-owned businesses comprised a relatively small share of all businesses (6.3%), and among them, relatively few received support (1,775 businesses, or 0.5%). However, their share of BIGS funding (12.7%) was larger than their relative size in the supported population (7.8%).
Moreover, OLM-owned businesses that received support were more likely than those that did not receive support to operate in technology- and innovation-intensive industries, such as professional, scientific and technical services; manufacturing; and wholesale trade. They were also much more likely to be larger employers and report higher revenues.
Furthermore, in 2020, owners of supported non-OLM-owned and FLM-owned businesses were more likely to be slightly younger than their unsupported counterparts, but this was not the case among ELM-owned businesses.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the members of the Business Linkable File Environment and the Business Innovation and Growth Support database teams at the Centre for Special Business Projects. The author specifically thanks Alexander Davies and Francis Demers for the development of the source file and their technical expertise, and Sarah Klassen and Julio Rosa for their comments, support and guidance throughout the project. Finally, we would like to thank the editor for their excellent work.
Appendix
| Younger than 25 years |
25 to 54 years |
55 to 64 years |
65 years and older |
Total number of businessesTable 2 Note 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | |||||
| Supported businessesTable 2 Note 2 | |||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 2 Note 3 | |||||
| Total | 20 | 960 | 450 | 350 | 1,780 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 10 | 475 | 230 | 170 | 885 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 10 | 485 | 220 | 180 | 895 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||
| Total | 135 | 12,505 | 4,965 | 3,425 | 21,030 |
| Outside Quebec | 115 | 9,870 | 3,985 | 2,785 | 16,755 |
| In Quebec | 20 | 2,635 | 980 | 640 | 4,275 |
| Total businesses | 155 | 13,465 | 5,415 | 3,775 | 22,810 |
| Unsupported businesses | |||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 2 Note 3 | |||||
| Total | 5,140 | 180,060 | 83,635 | 73,605 | 342,440 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 1,620 | 66,880 | 35,015 | 30,320 | 133,835 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 3,520 | 113,180 | 48,620 | 43,285 | 208,605 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||
| Total | 78,340 | 2,720,445 | 1,236,900 | 1,074,460 | 5,110,145 |
| Outside Quebec | 64,360 | 2,199,085 | 986,545 | 866,790 | 4,116,780 |
| In Quebec | 13,980 | 521,360 | 250,355 | 207,670 | 993,365 |
| Total businesses | 83,480 | 2,900,505 | 1,320,535 | 1,148,065 | 5,452,585 |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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| Supported businessesTable 3 Note 1 | Unsupported businesses | Total number of businessesTable 3 Note 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women+Table 3 Note 3 | Men+Table 3 Note 4 | Total | Women+Table 3 Note 3 | Men+Table 3 Note 4 | Total | Women+Table 3 Note 3 | Men+Table 3 Note 4 | Total | |
| number | |||||||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 3 Note 5 | |||||||||
| Total | 325 | 1,445 | 1,770 | 118,350 | 224,100 | 342,450 | 118,675 | 225,545 | 344,220 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 180 | 700 | 880 | 49,480 | 84,360 | 133,840 | 49,660 | 85,060 | 134,720 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 145 | 745 | 890 | 68,870 | 139,740 | 208,610 | 69,015 | 140,485 | 209,500 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||||||
| Total | 4,300 | 16,730 | 21,030 | 1,865,885 | 3,244,255 | 5,110,140 | 1,870,185 | 3,260,985 | 5,131,170 |
| Outside Quebec | 3,555 | 13,195 | 16,750 | 1,516,100 | 2,600,675 | 4,116,775 | 1,519,655 | 2,613,870 | 4,133,525 |
| In Quebec | 745 | 3,535 | 4,280 | 349,785 | 643,580 | 993,365 | 350,530 | 647,115 | 997,645 |
| Total businessesTable 3 Note 2 | 4,625 | 18,175 | 22,800 | 1,984,235 | 3,468,355 | 5,452,590 | 1,988,860 | 3,486,530 | 5,475,390 |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Business Linkable File Environment, 2020, Business Innovation and Growth Support, 2020, and Census of Population, 2021. |
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| Supported businessesTable 4 Note 1 | Unsupported businesses | Total number of businessesTable 4 Note 3 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 4 Note 2 |
Non-official language minority owned businesses |
Total number of supported businesses |
Official language minority owned businessesTable 4 Note 2 |
Non-official language minority owned businesses |
Total number of unsupported businesses |
||
| number | |||||||
| Canada | 1,780 | 21,030 | 22,810 | 342,445 | 5,110,130 | 5,452,575 | 5,475,385 |
| Atlantic provinces, excluding New Brunswick | |||||||
| Total | 100 | 2,150 | 2,250 | 4,870 | 167,430 | 172,300 | 174,550 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 10 | 950 | 960 | 345 | 50,880 | 51,225 | 52,185 |
| Prince Edward Island | 15 | 370 | 385 | 555 | 19,715 | 20,270 | 20,655 |
| Nova Scotia | 75 | 830 | 905 | 3,970 | 96,835 | 100,805 | 101,710 |
| New Brunswick | 260 | 335 | 595 | 23,400 | 48,065 | 71,465 | 72,060 |
| Quebec | 890 | 4,280 | 5,170 | 208,610 | 993,360 | 1,201,970 | 1,207,140 |
| Ontario | 360 | 7,290 | 7,650 | 71,465 | 2,071,960 | 2,143,425 | 2,151,075 |
| Manitoba | 20 | 530 | 550 | 5,670 | 155,230 | 160,900 | 161,450 |
| Saskatchewan | 10 | 585 | 595 | 2,700 | 182,570 | 185,270 | 185,865 |
| Alberta | 60 | 2,495 | 2,555 | 13,490 | 661,710 | 675,200 | 677,755 |
| British Columbia | 70 | 3,255 | 3,325 | 11,620 | 820,505 | 832,125 | 835,450 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut | 10 | 110 | 120 | 620 | 9,300 | 9,920 | 10,040 |
|
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| Businesses with employees | Unclassifiable or missing but active |
Total number of businessesTable 5 Note 3 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 99 employees |
100 to 499 employees |
500 or more employees |
Total number of businesses with employees |
No employeesTable 5 Note 1 |
MissingTable 5 Note 2 | ||
| number | |||||||
| Supported businessesTable 5 Note 4 | |||||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 5 Note 5 | |||||||
| Total | 1,195 | 135 | 85 | 1,415 | 60 | 300 | 1,775 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 615 | 65 | 45 | 725 | 30 | 130 | 885 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 580 | 70 | 40 | 690 | 30 | 170 | 890 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||||
| Total | 13,625 | 1,160 | 600 | 15,385 | 985 | 4,665 | 21,035 |
| Outside Quebec | 10,525 | 865 | 480 | 11,870 | 860 | 4,025 | 16,755 |
| In Quebec | 3,100 | 295 | 120 | 3,515 | 125 | 640 | 4,280 |
| Total supported businessesTable 5 Note 4 | 14,820 | 1,295 | 685 | 16,800 | 1,045 | 4,965 | 22,810 |
| Unsupported businesses | |||||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 5 Note 5 | |||||||
| Total | 59,930 | 570 | 110 | 60,610 | 9,685 | 272,150 | 342,445 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 25,445 | 210 | 55 | 25,710 | 4,215 | 103,910 | 133,835 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 34,485 | 360 | 55 | 34,900 | 5,470 | 168,240 | 208,610 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | |||||||
| Total | 929,185 | 7,135 | 1,090 | 937,410 | 173,625 | 3,999,110 | 5,110,145 |
| Outside Quebec | 758,810 | 5,670 | 925 | 765,405 | 154,195 | 3,197,175 | 4,116,775 |
| In Quebec | 170,375 | 1,465 | 165 | 172,005 | 19,430 | 801,935 | 993,370 |
| Total unsupported businesses | 989,115 | 7,705 | 1,200 | 998,020 | 183,310 | 4,271,260 | 5,452,590 |
|
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| Businesses with corporate revenueTable 6 Note 1 |
Unclassifiable or missing but active |
Total number of businessesTable 6 Note 5 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1 to $1,999,999 |
$2,000,000 to $9,999,999 |
$10,000,000 or higher |
Total number of businesses with corporate revenue |
No corporate revenueTable 6 Note 2 |
Negative corporate revenueTable 6 Note 3 |
MissingTable 6 Note 4 | ||
| number | ||||||||
| Supported businessesTable 6 Note 6 | ||||||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 6 Note 7 | ||||||||
| Total | 845 | 285 | 355 | 1,485 | 80 | 15 | 200 | 1,780 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 430 | 135 | 155 | 720 | 25 | 10 | 130 | 885 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 415 | 150 | 200 | 765 | 55 | 5 | 70 | 895 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | ||||||||
| Total | 10,225 | 3,485 | 3,030 | 16,740 | 1,200 | 135 | 2,970 | 21,045 |
| Outside Quebec | 8,110 | 2,610 | 2,285 | 13,005 | 1,030 | 115 | 2,610 | 16,760 |
| In Quebec | 2,115 | 875 | 745 | 3,735 | 170 | 20 | 360 | 4,285 |
| Total businesses | 11,070 | 3,770 | 3,385 | 18,225 | 1,280 | 150 | 3,170 | 22,825 |
| Unsupported businesses | ||||||||
| Official language minority owned businessesTable 6 Note 7 | ||||||||
| Total | 97,685 | 7,155 | 2,400 | 107,240 | 22,645 | 2,045 | 210,530 | 342,460 |
| French-language minority owned businesses outside Quebec | 38,180 | 2,820 | 825 | 41,825 | 6,990 | 610 | 84,415 | 133,840 |
| English-language minority owned businesses in Quebec | 59,505 | 4,335 | 1,575 | 65,415 | 15,655 | 1,435 | 126,115 | 208,620 |
| Non-official language minority owned businesses | ||||||||
| Total | 1,506,790 | 103,120 | 29,630 | 1,639,540 | 308,350 | 27,955 | 3,134,290 | 5,110,135 |
| Outside Quebec | 1,227,440 | 82,205 | 23,645 | 1,333,290 | 259,120 | 23,045 | 2,501,320 | 4,116,775 |
| In Quebec | 279,350 | 20,915 | 5,985 | 306,250 | 49,230 | 4,910 | 632,970 | 993,360 |
| Total businesses | 1,604,475 | 110,275 | 32,030 | 1,746,780 | 330,995 | 30,000 | 3,344,820 | 5,452,595 |
|
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| Official language minority owned businessesTable 7 Note 1 | Non-official language minority owned businesses |
Total number of businessesTable 7 Note 2 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French-language minority owned businesses |
English-language minority owned businesses |
Total number of businesses |
Outside Quebec |
In Quebec |
Total number of businesses |
||
| number | |||||||
| Supported businessesTable 7 Note 3 | |||||||
| Total businesses | 885 | 890 | 1,775 | 16,750 | 4,280 | 21,030 | 22,805 |
| Missing industry classificationTable 7 Note 4 | 40 | 50 | 90 | 1,080 | 185 | 1,265 | 1,355 |
| Total industry | 840 | 845 | 1,685 | 15,670 | 4,095 | 19,765 | 21,450 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 120 | 10 | 130 | 1,205 | 225 | 1,430 | 1,560 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 10 | 10 | 20 | 230 | 25 | 255 | 275 |
| Utilities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 10 | 75 | 75 |
| Construction | 25 | 10 | 35 | 390 | 140 | 530 | 565 |
| Manufacturing | 185 | 195 | 380 | 2,660 | 1,125 | 3,785 | 4,165 |
| Wholesale trade | 55 | 90 | 145 | 1,045 | 210 | 1,255 | 1,400 |
| Retail trade | 35 | 45 | 80 | 755 | 220 | 975 | 1,055 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 20 | 35 | 285 | 70 | 355 | 390 |
| Information and cultural industries | 30 | 50 | 80 | 860 | 265 | 1,125 | 1,205 |
| Finance and insurance | 10 | 10 | 20 | 240 | 35 | 275 | 295 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 10 | 10 | 20 | 175 | 35 | 210 | 230 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 175 | 265 | 440 | 4,565 | 1,060 | 5,625 | 6,065 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 15 | 10 | 25 | 215 | 45 | 260 | 285 |
| Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services | 20 | 15 | 35 | 325 | 95 | 420 | 455 |
| Educational services | 25 | 15 | 40 | 395 | 70 | 465 | 505 |
| Health care and social assistance | 25 | 20 | 45 | 355 | 65 | 420 | 465 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 15 | 10 | 25 | 185 | 60 | 245 | 270 |
| Accommodation and food services | 20 | 40 | 60 | 825 | 125 | 950 | 1,010 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 40 | 30 | 70 | 725 | 180 | 905 | 975 |
| Public administration | 20 | 0 | 20 | 180 | 35 | 215 | 235 |
| Unsupported businesses | |||||||
| Total businesses | 133,840 | 208,610 | 342,450 | 4,116,775 | 993,360 | 5,110,135 | 5,452,585 |
| Missing industry classificationTable 7 Note 4 | 7,920 | 14,620 | 22,540 | 246,025 | 52,085 | 298,110 | 320,650 |
| Total industry | 125,920 | 193,990 | 319,910 | 3,870,750 | 941,280 | 4,812,025 | 5,131,935 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 8,760 | 3,050 | 11,810 | 231,290 | 51,045 | 282,335 | 294,145 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 315 | 125 | 440 | 16,560 | 565 | 17,125 | 17,565 |
| Utilities | 540 | 55 | 595 | 9,360 | 210 | 9,570 | 10,165 |
| Construction | 12,305 | 8,630 | 20,935 | 343,645 | 60,295 | 403,940 | 424,875 |
| Manufacturing | 2,470 | 4,395 | 6,870 | 72,560 | 21,840 | 94,400 | 101,265 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,290 | 5,720 | 8,005 | 69,980 | 14,990 | 84,970 | 92,975 |
| Retail trade | 7,050 | 10,745 | 17,795 | 204,800 | 45,955 | 250,755 | 268,550 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6,235 | 15,580 | 21,815 | 256,710 | 46,035 | 302,745 | 324,555 |
| Information and cultural industries | 1,700 | 3,090 | 4,790 | 50,795 | 12,880 | 63,675 | 68,465 |
| Finance and insurance | 5,050 | 9,375 | 14,420 | 176,385 | 43,945 | 220,330 | 234,750 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 29,645 | 56,080 | 85,720 | 946,930 | 262,755 | 1,209,680 | 1,295,400 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 15,815 | 25,110 | 40,925 | 514,765 | 103,430 | 618,195 | 659,115 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 1,180 | 2,740 | 3,925 | 43,045 | 6,970 | 50,015 | 53,935 |
| Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services | 5,690 | 9,205 | 14,895 | 198,780 | 46,350 | 245,125 | 260,025 |
| Educational services | 2,695 | 3,930 | 6,625 | 73,150 | 13,975 | 87,125 | 93,750 |
| Health care and social assistance | 9,155 | 10,605 | 19,755 | 241,755 | 73,450 | 315,205 | 334,960 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 3,500 | 6,285 | 9,790 | 94,500 | 34,230 | 128,725 | 138,515 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,615 | 6,925 | 9,540 | 90,140 | 20,555 | 110,695 | 120,235 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8,820 | 12,310 | 21,130 | 233,820 | 80,965 | 314,780 | 335,910 |
| Public administration | 100 | 45 | 145 | 1,785 | 850 | 2,640 | 2,780 |
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Data, concepts and methods
This analysis builds on Statistics Canada’s ongoing efforts to better understand equity-seeking and other minority populations by linking business and social data. Three main sources are used, resulting in a linked file that expands the current scope of possible research by allowing for business-related inquiries in relation to equity-seeking populations. These data sources are briefly described below.
The Business Linkable File Environment (B-LFE) uses the Business Register as its frame and links over 30 business-related administrative and survey databases under one environment. Information related to industry, corporate revenues, geography of operations, average number of employees and other topics comes from these different B-LFE source files.
The Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) database is part of the B-LFE and covers government activities that support business innovation and growth, such as funding, consulting services, industry-facing research and development, and technology development and exports. This is the source used to identify supported businesses and associated funding amounts.
The 2021 Census of Population is the source of the social data used in this profile and is linked to the B-LFE. Data on the business owner’s age, genderNote and first official language spoken (FOLS) come from the short-form questionnaire of the 2021 Census. Only businesses with a primary owner who could be linked to a 2021 Census record were used in this analysis.
Definitions and populations of interest
The profile is focused on supported official language minority (OLM) owned businesses and compares their characteristics with those of non-supported OLM-owned and non-OLM-owned businesses. These concepts and populations are described below.
Supported businesses
Supported businesses received federal BIGS in 2020. This support was provided through over 120 participating programs, directly or through partnerships, to improve economic performance, job creation and technological advancement.
Official language minority owned businesses
The profile focuses specifically on the subset of businesses that received BIGS and whose primary owner belonged to the OLM population. In this portrait, the FOLS concept is used to define OLM-owned businesses. The FOLS concept considers a person’s knowledge of official languages, mother tongue and language spoken most often at home to classify, in this case, primary business owners into one of four language populations: English, French, English and French, or neither (Statistics Canada, 2021). Thereafter, businesses are defined as OLM-owned businesses based on their primary owner’s FOLS and their geography of operations. Specifically, businesses whose primary owner had English as their FOLS in Quebec or French as their FOLS outside Quebec are considered OLM-owned businesses. Those whose primary owner had both English and French as their FOLS are equally redistributed among the English and French categories.
Business ownership
There are several approaches to identifying enterprises and their owners. In this profile, businesses are included if they (1) show business activity and have a (2) primary owner of an alive business (3) operating in Canada in 2020 for whom (4) there is a 2021 Census record. These criteria are briefly explained below.
- Business activity, in this portrait, refers to any enterprise reporting any type of business activity in the reference year for which the status was not “amalgamated,” “bankrupt,” “dissolved” or “ceased operations” in the Business Register.
- Primary ownership, in this portrait, is a person who has an appropriate title indicative of ownership (e.g., “sole owner,” “proprietor” or “owner”) and who owns the greater share of the business, making that person the most likely to be the primary owner among all known office bearers. If multiple primary owners exist, the total income is used to determine the primary owner. Note that primary owners also include those who are self-employed.
- Having operations in Canada is a defining criterion because OLMs are defined regionally. For this reason, all businesses not operating in Canada are excluded. OLM-owned businesses in this portrait are defined using the enterprise’s location of operation and not the primary owner’s place of residence.
- Only 2020 businesses found in the B-LFE file with a corresponding 2021 Census record for their primary owner are included. This excludes a very small number of 2020 businesses whose owners do not have a 2021 Census record but may have been present in previous census cycles.
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