Yesterday, the local CBC radio morning show interviewed (listen here) a guy from Statistics Canada.
The guy from StatsCan was scheduled to provide a demographic snapshot of the Corner Brook area at the Glynmill Inn later in the day.
The radio interview highlighted some very disturbing trends in the population statistics for the city of Corner Brook and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The actual city of Corner Brook had a population of about 20,000 in 1996.
The area that the StatsCan interview focused on was a little broader then Corner Brook proper.
The area was expanded to include Corner Brook, Humber Arm South, Irish Town, Meadows, Summerside, Massey Drive and couple of other smaller towns.
In 2006, the “Corner Brook area” had a population of about 26,600 which represented an increase of about 1.7% over 2001 – the last time a major cencus was taken. During this same time period, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador saw a population decrease of about 1.5%.
Newfoundland and Labrador is experiencing a phnomenon that is similar to the rest of Canada in that our urban centers are growing at the expense of our more rural areas.
Aging Population of Corner Brook and Newfoundland.
The median age of the Canadian population is increasing.
What is most disturbing to me is the fact that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador appears to have the “fastest aging” population in the country.
It is difficult to imagine that in 1976 Newfoundland and Labrador was the youngest province in Canada with a median age of approximately 23.
Fast forward three decades later and our province is now the second oldest province in the country with a median age of 41.7 years.
This means that half the population of Newfoundland and Labrador is over 41.7 years old and half the population is under 41.7 years old.
It is interesting to note that the median age of Corner Brook is slightly higher then that of the province at 42.7 years old.
Given the rapid increase in our aging population, in 2011, the next time a major cencus will be undertaken by StatsCan, Newfoundland and Labrador will probably have the oldest population in the Canada.
What A Difference 35 Years Can Make
It will have taken Newfoundland and Labrador approximately 35 years to go from the youngest province to the oldest province in the country.
Immigration
Immigration is leading the way in terms of population growth for Canada.
In Canada, 1 in 5 people (20%) are foreign born.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, 1.9% of our population is foreign born.
The immigration numbers for Corner Brook is the same as the province – about 1.9% of the people in Corner Brook are foreign born.
Family structure in Corner Brook
Approximately 72% of the families in Corner Brook list themselves as married, while 14% list themselves as common law and 12% as single parents.
The median income for all census families for the Corner Brook area is just over $53,000.
Labor Market Replacement Figures
2011 will be the next time StatsCan will do a major cencus for the country. This time frame also conincides with the wave first baby boomers who will be starting to retire.
Potential employers who would possibly consider moving to Newfoundland and Labrador must be asking themselves, “who will replace the aging workforce?”
The short answer is fewer and fewer people.
Perfect Demographic Storm For Corner Brook
If we look at our rapidly increasing aging population, our low fertility rates and our low immigration figures, we can clearly see there are troubling times on the horizon.
If we think we have trouble now paying for health care costs, wait 10-15 years and see what happens.
How will Corner Brook and Newfoundland and Labrador continue to pay for these increasing costs for services?
How will we continue to support our seniors?
How will we continue to attract employers looking for a younger, more educated workforce?
The problem is most of us are so busy that we are focused on the here and now and not thinking about our future.
You can see the full StatsCan report here and here.
The book Boom Bust Echo should be required reading for all of our elected officials. If you want to see some of the Canadian Population Pyramids, you can see them here or view them in PDF format here.
I'm a dad, raconteur, scallywag and drinker of strong black coffee.
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Wow, I knew the average age in Corner Brook was about 42, I just didn’t realize what it means for the future. Great article.
I suspect your article would fit most of Newfoundland and Labrador. Particularly the rural parts. Great piece. Real thought provoker.