Census shows Manitoba growing

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Published on Thursday, February 9, 2017

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Manitoba’s population is rising, but the gains aren’t evenly distributed across the province.  That was the story revealed on Feb 8, when Statistics Canada released its first data regarding Census 2016. Information on six more topics will be released throughout this coming year. 

Overall, the country’s population grew by 5 per cent between 2011 and 2016.  On census day 2016, Canada’s population sat at 35.1 million people. Statistics Canada reports that about two-thirds of Canada’s population growth in the last five years was the result of immigration. Natural increase, the difference between the number of births and deaths, accounted for the remaining growth. 

Manitoba’s population also grew, registering a 6 per cent gain in population. Alberta and Manitoba were the only two provinces to post higher growth rates from 2011 to 2016, than between 2006 and 2011. As a result of strong growth, almost one-third (31.6 per cent) of Canadians lived in the West in 2016, the largest share on record. 

This also marked the first time in 80 years that Manitoba  posted a higher growth rate than the national average. Most of that population gain was due to stronger international migration.

Within the Neepawa Banner’s coverage area, the changes were mixed, with some municipalities gaining population, while others lost. Neepawa saw the largest increase, gaining 980 people, a 27 per cent increase. Neepawa mayor Adrian de Groot said that the Town isn’t surprised by the figure, noting that they have already experienced challenges related to a growing population, such as housing shortages. He noted that the numbers validate what they have seen and will help them as they seek investment in projects such as seniors housing. “Lots of decisions are based on numbers and statistics,” he said.

While the increased population will help Neepawa as it seeks investment, de Groot did note that there is a down side.  The Town will have to pay more for services, such as the RCMP, which are paid for on a per capita basis.

Apart from Neepawa, area municipalities saw their changes stay within 10 per cent of their previous population levels. The largest loss was experience by Harrison Park, which saw its population fall by 177 residents, or 10 per cent.

While overall population across the region saw a modest increase, most of the growth was in the more urban municipalities.  The more rural municipalities tended to see a decline in their populations.

For municipalities that have amalgamated since the 2011 census, pre-amalgamation populations were combined to make the 2011 figure.

The next release will take place May 3 and will include data about age and gender of respondents, as well as the type of dwellings in which they live.