Census Ont SaultSteMarie – CP

Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
Feb 8, 2017 

OTTAWA – New census data shows the population of Sault Ste. Marie fell below the national growth rate over the last five years.

Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2016 census on Wednesday and the population of Sault Ste. Marie decreased by 2.4 per cent since the last census in 2011.

The city’s growth rate was below the national growth rate of 5.0 per cent, while the population of Ontario increased by 4.6 per cent.

When the 2016 census was taken last May, the population of Sault Ste. Marie was 73,368, compared with 75,141 from the 2011 census.

Canada’s population on census day was 35,151,728, Statistics Canada reported.

The national census is conducted every five years. The information published Wednesday is the first of several releases of data to come from Statistics Canada over the next year that will eventually paint a detailed picture of the country, right down to the local level – including age breakdowns of the population, family makeup, languages spoken, immigration and ethnic origin, the level of education attained and income earned.

Future census releases will give more insight to explain the reasons behind the population changes – whether it’s related mostly to changes in birth and death rates, immigration or interprovincial migration.

At the provincial level, population levels in Alberta saw the highest increase at 11.6 per cent, followed by Saskatchewan (6.3 per cent) and Manitoba (5.8 per cent).

Growth in New Brunswick shrank by 0.5 per cent – the first time since 2006 a province has reported a negative growth rate.

British Columbia’s population levels increased by 5.6 per cent, compared with Ontario (4.6 per cent), Quebec (3.3 per cent), Prince Edward Island (1.9 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (1.0 per cent) and Nova Scotia (0.2 per cent). Among the northern territories, the population grew by 12.7 per cent in the Northwest Territories, 5.8 per cent in the Nunavut and 0.8 per cent in Yukon.

Ontario is still the country’s most populous province, with a population of 13,448,494. The population of other provinces and territories: Quebec, 8,164,361; British Columbia, 4,648,055; Alberta, 4,067,175; Manitoba, 1,278,365; Saskatchewan, 1,098,352; New Brunswick, 923,598; New Brunswick, 747,101; Newfoundland and Labrador, 519,716; Prince Edward Island, 142,907; Northwest Territories, 41,786; Nunavut, 35,944 and Yukon, 35,874.

Here is a local breakdown of census population information for communities in the Sault Ste. Marie region:

   Community                                        2016    2011  % change
   Sault Ste. Marie                               73,368  75,141      -2.4
   Blind River                                     3,472   3,549      -2.2
   Mississagi River 8                                411     390       5.4
   Bruce Mines                                       582     566       2.8
   Thessalon                                       1,286   1,279       0.5
   Elliot Lake                                    10,741  11,348      -5.3
   Hilton Beach                                      171     145      17.9
   Prince                                          1,010   1,031      -2.0
   Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional     1,609   1,464       9.9
   Laird                                           1,047   1,057      -0.9
   St. Joseph                                      1,240   1,201       3.2
   Wawa                                            2,905   2,975      -2.4

(The Canadian Press)

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