Irreligion is common throughout all provinces and territories of Canada.
Irreligious Canadians include atheists, agnostics, and humanists.[1] The surveys may also include those who are spiritual, deists, and pantheists. In 1991, they made up 12.3 percent which, according to the 2001 census, increased to 16.2 percent. Some non-religious Canadians have formed associations, such as the Humanist Association of Canada or the Toronto Secular Alliance. In 1991, some non-religious Canadians signed a petition to remove "God" from the preamble to the Canadian Constitution. Svend Robinson, who tabled this petition in Parliament, was subsequently relegated to the backbenches by his party leader. Shortly afterwards, the same group petitioned to remove "God" from the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada", but to no avail. According to www.religioustolerance.org, among the estimated 4.9 million Canadians of no religion, an estimated 1.9 million would specify atheist, 1.8 would specify agnostic, and 1.2 humanist.
The Canadian provinces and territories ranked by percentage of population claiming no religion according to the 2001 Canadian Census.[2]
| Rank | Jurisdiction | % Irreligious |
|---|---|---|
| - | Canada | 16.2% |
| 1 | Yukon | 37.4% |
| 2 | British Columbia | 35.1% |
| 3 | Alberta | 23.1% |
| 4 | Manitoba | 18.3% |
| 5 | Northwest Territories | 17.4% |
| 6 | Ontario | 16.0% |
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 15.4% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 11.6% |
| 9 | New Brunswick | 7.8% |
| 10 | Prince Edward Island | 6.5% |
| 11 | Nunavut | 6.0% |
| 12 | Quebec | 5.6% |
| 13 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 2.5% |
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