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LIFE IN SPAIN

Where in Spain do all the Canadians live?

There are over 5,000 Canadians who reside in Spain according to the latest government data. Here are the Spanish regions and cities where most of them are based and other interesting information for people hailing from the maple leaf nation.

Published: 10 August 2021 17:39 CEST
Updated: 29 March 2023 16:58 CEST
Where in Spain do all the Canadians live?
Barcelona is home to more than a fifth of Canadians who live in Spain. Photo: Joaquin Aranoa/Pixabay

A total of 5,385 Canadian nationals lived in Spain in 2022, 2,531 men and 2,854 women, according to latest data by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE)

It’s a number that’s around seven times smaller than the number of US nationals who are based in España (41,953) but higher than that of other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

While these figures are based on the padrón (town hall registry), and therefore may exclude Canadian citizens who have moved within Spain and not updated their registration in their new town or city, they do enable us to get a pretty good idea of where in Spain most canadienses live.

Other sources estimate the real number of Canadians living in Spain could be around 10,000. 

Barcelona on top

A total of 1,484 Canadian nationals are based in the northeastern region Catalonia, and almost all of them have made the Catalan capital their home away from home.

There’s even a Facebook group called Canadians in Barcelona with 1.5K members. 

There’s also a Canadian Consulate close to the city’s central Plaça de Catalunya square.

Andalusia is the second most popular

The southern region of Andalusia is home to 1,065 Canadians, the second most popular Spanish region for people from Canada.

There’s a Canadian Consulate in the city of Málaga and the majority of Canadians live in the city.  

Madrid comes in third

The Spanish capital region has 970 Canadians registered at the city hall (most of them in Madrid city), reflecting again their overall preference for Spain’s big cities, the same as what happens with US nationals. 

Apart from having the Canadian Embassy in Spain within easy reach, they can also meet fellow Canadians through the Canadian Club of Madrid Facebook group.   

Valencia region also loved by Canadians

Spain’s eastern Valencia region, where approximately one in six people are foreigners, has 791 Canadian citizens who are registered as residents. 

A small but even spread across the rest of Spain

The rest of the Canadian citizens who’ve moved to Spain’s 13 other autonomous communities aren’t big communities, but there are certainly enough people for a get-together in each. 

There are 244 Canadian nationals in the Balearic Islands, 220 in the Canary Islands, 120 in the Basque Country, 85 in Galicia, 77 in Murcia, 69 in Castilla y León, 56 in Castilla-La Mancha, 53 in Asturias, 48 in Cantabria, 31 in Aragón, 29 in Navarra, 25 in Extremadura and 18 in La Rioja. 

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau (R) poses for photos with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez. Photo: MARTIN OUELLET-DIOTTE / AFP)
 

Other interesting information for Canadians in Spain

As mentioned earlier, the Embassy of Canada in Spain is based in Madrid, and according to their website they provide consular services, as well as passport services and general enquiries. 

The current Canadian Ambassador to Spain and Andorra is Wendy Drukier, who took up her position at the end of 2020.

Homesick Canadians who are missing their country’s cuisine may be interested in knowing that there are a handful of Canadian restaurants across Spain. 

There’s an American and Canadian eatery in Madrid, La Gamella, which imports Canadian food products, and at least 15 Tim Hortons Canadian Coffee Houses in Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Málaga and Mallorca. 

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LEGAL HELP

Noisy local fiestas: What to do when your Spanish town hall is responsible

Town and city fiestas are commonplace in Spain and they’re part of what made many of us fall in love with the country in the first place, but sometimes the town hall can overstep and the noise pollution just gets too much to bear for neighbours.

Published: 22 May 2024 09:35 CEST
Noisy local fiestas: What to do when your Spanish town hall is responsible

It’s bad enough in Spain when you have to deal with noisy neighbours or loud bars and clubs, but what about when the culprit is your ayuntamiento (town hall) or city council?

If you want to know what your rights are on noise from construction, find out here, what to do about noisy neighbours here and about bars and clubs here. 

During these local fiestas (every city, town and village has at least one a year), councils set up concert and performance venues form of open-air stages or tents called casetas or carpas.

In these cases, there’s often no sound insulation and the noise carries much further as everything happens outside.

Even though these festivals may only go one for a week or two, they can often disturb residents who aren’t in attendance and are trying to sleep.

You could be someone who needs extra sleep like a doctor, nurse or firefighter, you may be ill or have small children, there are many reasons why you might not be able or want to join in. Even if you are in the minority, your rights should still be respected.

In fact, in places such as Barcelona, when the local Gràcia festival takes place, there’s so much noise created by neighbourhood organisers that some people even decide to leave their apartments for the week as they know they won’t be able to sleep.

This option is of course not open to everyone, and in truth, you shouldn’t have to leave your home temporarily because of a celebration that is supposed to bring joy to the local population.

So, what can you legally do and what are your rights?

Even city and town councils must continue to comply with municipal by-laws during local fiestas. The Spanish Civil Code guarantees that you should have respect in your own home.

Law 40/2015, of October 1st, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, which came into force in October 2016, establishes that “Public Administrations objectively serve the general interests and act in accordance with the principles of effectiveness, hierarchy, decentralisation and coordination, with full submission to the Constitution and the Law”. 

This means that even the authorities must uphold the law and serve their people. They have a public responsibility to manage and to do it to the best of their abilities.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you stand a much better chance of getting your council to listen if you find other people who are affected too, so it’s not just you complaining on your own.

Make sure to talk to your neighbours or others living on the same street to find out if they’re also affected by the noise and form a group of people who share your grievances.

In theory, councils and ayuntamientos are in charge of enforcing celebration schedules, making sure the volume of music isn’t too loud, controlling the capacity at venues and enforcing alcohol laws so that people are not drinking on the street (if it’s not allowed in that region).

READ ALSO – FACT CHECK: No, Spain’s Balearics haven’t banned tourists from drinking alcohol

According to Law 7/2002 on protection against noise pollution, these are the maximum sound levels allowed for leisure venues:

Nightclubs: 104 decibels

Venues with musical entertainment: 90 decibels

Game rooms: 85 decibels

Bars and restaurants: 80 decibels

Find out if the festival events and activities infringe on any of these rules and regulations above and if they do then you have a case to take to your town hall.

Technically, the festivals should take place at a local fairground or somewhere away from the main residential area, but we know that this is not always the case. The concerts and events often happen in the very streets and squares where people live.

Firstly, you need to contact your ayuntamiento or local council or explain the problem. It’s best if you put it in writing so there’s a record of what you’ve said.

Try to include as much evidence as possible as to how the festivals are breaking the rules and include testimonials from as many neighbours as you can.

Organisers may not listen to you the first time, but if you keep contacting them, they will be forced to listen and have to respond.

If the situation is the same every year and they still don’t change anything, then you and your neighbours should contact a lawyer to represent you and take the matter to court.

This has actually been done several times by different communities throughout the country and in many instances, the law has sided with the people instead of the authorities.

In 2017, the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra, sided with a community of owners in Mutilva Baja when they complained about noise coming from an outdoor tent which had been erected for the festivities of the local patron saint. They claimed it was noise pollution above the legal levels and said the council had done nothing to try and reduce it.  

In another case in Getafe, thanks to a neighbourhood protest led by a lawyer specialising in noise pollution called Ricardo Ayala, the carnival celebrations were moved to the fairgrounds on the outskirts of the city.

Again in 2022, in Castilla-La Mancha, the Supreme Justice Tribunal imposed a sentence on the the Puerto Lápice City Council due to damages derived from noise pollution from musical events held in the town square.

The celebrations were not forced to be stopped completely but the council did have to agree with a limitation on hours and noise levels specifically for the concerts held in tents outside. It did not affect any other part of the festival.

Therefore, it is possible to take legal action against your ayuntamiento if they are breaking the law, but there’s no guarantee it will be a straightforward process.

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