New census data shows Edmonton among Canada's fastest-growing cities

[Daveography]

Explosive growth has persisted in both of Alberta’s largest cities, while their booming suburbs are set to have a larger sway in the province’s 2019 election, according to census data released Wednesday.

According to Statistics Canada, Calgary remains Canada’s fastest-growing city, even amid the economic downturn that persisted during the May 2016 survey. Calgary’s “metropolitan area” grew 14.6 per cent between 2011 and 2016, following a 12.6 per cent growth rate from 2006 to 2011. That area spans Cochrane, Beiseker and Chestermere, but not Okotoks.

That means Calgary has overtaken the Ottawa-Gatineau area as Canada’s fourth-largest urban zone. However, trends suggest Edmonton will outgrow the rest of the province within the next five years.

Edmonton’s “metropolitan area” ranks as the second-fastest growing area in Canada. Including Lakeview, Leduc and Fort Saskatchewan, the area grew 13.9 per cent during this census period, compared with 12.1 per cent during the last census period.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...edmonton-among-canadas-fastest-growing-cities

New census data: Edmonton-area population surges past national growth rate
New census data shows the population of the metropolitan area of Edmonton outpaced 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 what the government agency refers to as the census metropolitan area of Edmonton increased by 13.9 per cent since the last census in 2011.

The area's growth rate was above the national growth rate of 5.0 per cent, while the population of Alberta increased by 11.6 per cent.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...on-surges-past-national-growth-rate-1.3971911

 

[Daveography]

Paula Simons: Census boom: Edmonton's explosive growth must redefine our city
Edmonton, it’s time for us to put on our “big city” panties.

The new 2016 census data, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada, puts into crisp, cold numbers what we’ve intuitively known to be true. Our city has changed, radically, in a very short time period.

We need to change with it. We need to put aside small-town thinking and embrace our urban future.

In the last 10 years, we’ve added more than 200,000 people to the City of Edmonton proper — not including the surrounding region. It’s as if the whole city of Regina or Kelowna picked up and moved here.

We’re now Canada’s fastest-growing major city, easily outstripping not just Vancouver and Toronto, but Calgary, too.

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/...ntons-explosive-growth-must-redefine-our-city

 

[Daveography]

Edmonton sees 'meteoric rise' in latest federal census as population tops 900,000
The City of Edmonton outpaced many of its neighbours in the federal census count released Wednesday and cracked 900,000 people for the first time.

Within the city limits, Edmonton grew 14.8 per cent since the last federal census in 2011, giving a new population count of 932,546 — making it the fastest growing major city in Canada.

“The whole move (to Edmonton) was a win,” said Marilyn Gray, one of 120,345 people who moved here in the last five years.

That’s a number nearly twice the population of St. Albert and evidence of a strong economy, say experts.

“My husband was (also) able to find work in his field and we were finally able to become homeowners,” said Gray, who moved from Hinton for a communications job in 2012, first to St. Albert, then into a tri-plex in Edmonton’s Oliver neighbourhood.

“We didn’t want to give up the view, but not at the cost of living in poverty.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...edmonton-among-canadas-fastest-growing-cities