Author: Casey Vander Ploeg
No other region of the country has experienced the effects of rapid urbanization more than western Canada, where the demographic landscape has been dramatically and permanently altered. While western Canada used to be much less urban than the rest of the country, that is hardly the case today. The West is now as urban as other regions of the country. Furthermore, the West is home to Canada’s fastest growing CMAs. Abbotsford, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon all emerge in the top five within their respective size categories whether growth is considered over the short-term (2001-2006) or the long-term (1961-2006).
British Columbia remains the most urbanized province in western Canada. Each of its large city-regions (Abbotsford, Kelowna, Vancouver, and Victoria) are in the top five when it comes to both short-term and long-term growth. No other province even comes close to sharing Alberta’s urbanization experience. Five decades ago, the province was less urban than Manitoba and only slightly ahead of Saskatchewan. In Alberta, the urbanization story clearly centres around Calgary and Edmonton, which emerge as the fastest growing large CMAs in the country. The rapid ascendancy of Calgary and Edmonton is striking in scope, and has clearly helped shift the focus of Canada’s urban experience toward the West.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba remain less urbanized than either British Columbia or Alberta. But this is only half the story. Saskatchewan has witnessed a massive rural depopulation over the last 45 years. This, combined with modest growth in Regina and relatively strong growth in Saskatoon has considerably elevated the importance of that province’s two large CMAs. The future of Saskatchewan’s population growth is completely dependent on developments in Regina and Saskatoon. All other urban and rural areas – when combined – have less people today than in either 2001 or 1961. No other city stands out like Winnipeg, which continues to dominate political, economic, and demographic life in Manitoba. Almost two-thirds of Manitobans live in Winnipeg. The future of Manitoba is strongly linked to the future of Winnipeg.
In central Canada, growth in Ontario’s CMAs between 1961 and 2006 represented almost 92% of total provincial population growth. Between 2001 and 2006, this increased to almost 95%. Atlantic Canada remains the least urbanized region in Canada, but provincial populations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland are completely dependent on the growth of their largest city-regions. Between 2001 and 2006, Atlantic Canada experienced a net loss of just under 1,000 residents. At the same time, the combined population of the region’s four CMAs (Halifax, St. John, Moncton, St. John’s) grew by some 30,000 people.