When asked to identify the most Canadian corner of the US, many Americans think of parts of New England. However, just north of St. Paul, in Ramsey County, Minnesota, lies a city known as Little Canada. This city proudly displays its heritage with a water tower that spells out ‘Little Canada’ and a flag adorned with a maple leaf.

The Historical Roots

The French Canadian settlement that eventually became Little Canada is closely linked to Benjamin Gervais, a French Canadian voyageur and farmer. In 1844, Gervais established a French-speaking farming community north of St. Paul, naming it Little Canada. Over the years, the settlement evolved into a township, then a village, and finally a city in 1974. As of the 2020 census, nearly 10,800 residents call Little Canada home.

By 1895, an estimated 70,000 French Canadian immigrants resided in Minnesota and neighboring states, with a significant community presence that supported its own French-language press. This community played a vital role in shaping Minnesota’s landscape, contributing to the development of farms, towns, and civic institutions.

Minnesota’s official symbols also reflect this heritage, with the state motto ‘L’Étoile du Nord,’ meaning ‘The Star of the North’ in French, paying tribute to the French Canadian explorers and settlers who arrived before statehood.

Insights from Census Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, over 6,000 Minnesotans report Canadian ancestry, while more than 41,000 report French Canadian ancestry. Although these groups are counted separately, Canada’s citizenship laws consider French Canadian ancestry equivalent to any other Canadian lineage. In total, approximately 47,000 ancestry responses in Minnesota could potentially qualify for a Canadian citizenship certificate.