List of the largest population centres in Canada

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Canada's population density per Census Division (CD, 2014) Population density statistics canada.gif
Canada's population density per Census Division (CD, 2014)

A population centre, in the context of a Canadian census, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density of no fewer than 400 people per square km2. [1]

Contents

The term was introduced in the Canada 2011 Census; prior to that, Statistics Canada used the term urban area. [1]

Statistics Canada listed 944 population centres in its 2011 census data; 513 of them, 54 per cent of all population centres in Canada, were located in Ontario or Quebec, the two most populous provinces.

History

The term "population centre" was chosen in order to better reflect the fact that urban vs. rural is not a strict division, but rather a continuum within which several distinct settlement patterns, and several competing interpretations of the distinction, may exist. [1] For example, a community may fit a strictly statistical definition of an urban area, but may not be commonly thought of as "urban" because it has a smaller population, or because it functions socially and economically as a suburb of another urban area rather than as a self-contained urban entity, or because it is geographically remote from other urban communities. Municipal boundaries are ignored in determining population centres and they are focused entirely on their geographic and built-up nature.

Accordingly, the new definition set out three distinct types of population centres: small (population 1,000 to 29,999), medium (population 30,000 to 99,999) and large (population 100,000 or greater). [1] Despite the change in terminology, however, the demographic definition of a population centre remains unchanged from that of an urban area: a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre.

Characteristics

A population centre does not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of a municipality or of a census division. For example, a less densely populated area within a city's municipal boundaries may not be included as part of its population centre, while areas outside the city limits that directly continue a city's urban core population may be included.

Canada population density map (2000) Canada Population Density, 2000 (5457618262).jpg
Canada population density map (2000)

For example, the population centre of Toronto extends into neighbouring Peel Region, Halton Region, Durham Region and York Region, encompassing places such as Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Pickering and Ajax. Despite this, numerous other communities which are considered part of the Greater Toronto Area for political purposes are not part of the population centre of Toronto; because more rural areas separate them geographically from the primary zone of urban settlement, communities such as Milton, Georgetown, Caledon East, Bolton, Nobleton, and Stouffville instead form their own separate small or medium population centres, [2] and even a portion of the city of Toronto itself, to the north and east of the Toronto Zoo in Scarborough, is excluded from the population centre as it is much less densely populated than the rest of the city.

However, the Statistics Canada definition of a population centre is that it does not cross the boundaries of a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA); even though the band of continuous urban development emanating outward from downtown Toronto along the shore of Lake Ontario extends even further into Hamilton and Oshawa, these two cities are both considered separate CMAs by Statistics Canada rather than being part of Toronto's, and accordingly each is also considered a distinct population centre.

Conversely, a single municipality may also contain more than one distinct population centre, if less densely populated or undeveloped regions separate more urbanized areas from one another. For example, Ottawa has seven distinct population centres (Ottawa-Gatineau, Constance Bay, Kanata, Richmond, Osgoode, Manotick and Metcalfe), [3] the neighbouring city of Gatineau has a secondary population centre at Buckingham in addition to its primary urban core forming part of Ottawa-Gatineau, and Greater Sudbury has eight distinct population centres (Sudbury, Azilda, Capreol, Chelmsford, Coniston, Dowling, Lively and Valley East). [4]

For actual "city limits" populations, see List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, and for metropolitan area populations, see List of metropolitan areas in Canada.

Lists

By population rank

RankPopulation centre [5] Province [5] Size group [5] Population (2021) [5] Population (2016) [5] Change [5] Land area (km2) [5] Population density (/km2) [5]
1 Toronto Ontario Large urban5,647,6565,433,590+3.9%1,829.05
2 Montreal Quebec Large urban3,675,2193,528,651+4.2%1,382.47
3 Vancouver British Columbia Large urban2,426,1602,268,864+6.9%911.64
4 Calgary Alberta Large urban1,305,5501,240,413+5.3%621.72
5 Edmonton Alberta Large urban1,151,6351,070,998+7.5%627.2
6 Ottawa–Gatineau Ontario / Quebec Large urban1,068,821994,576+7.5%549.49
7 Winnipeg Manitoba Large urban758,515712,858+6.4%356.99
8 Quebec City Quebec Large urban733,156708,280+3.5%442.85
9 Hamilton Ontario Large urban729,560693,362+5.2%356.03
10 Kitchener Ontario Large urban522,888473,230+10.5%296.45
11 London Ontario Large urban423,369384,784+10.0%244.97
12 Victoria British Columbia Large urban363,222337,235+7.7%222.71
13 Halifax Nova Scotia Large urban348,634317,334+9.9%238.29
14 Oshawa Ontario Large urban335,949309,759+8.5%159.79
15 Windsor Ontario Large urban306,519288,363+6.3%184.96
16 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Large urban264,637245,904+7.6%134.63
17 St. Catharines – Niagara Falls Ontario Large urban242,460229,776+5.5%140.59
18 Regina Saskatchewan Large urban224,996214,664+4.8%105.61
19 St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador Large urban185,565181,955+2.0%178
20 Kelowna British Columbia Large urban181,380160,095+13.3%168.92
21 Barrie Ontario Large urban154,676146,394+5.7%95.33
22 Sherbrooke Quebec Large urban151,157140,300+7.7%102.61
23 Guelph Ontario Large urban144,356132,705+8.8%79.57
24 Kanata Ontario Large urban137,118118,308+15.9%62.35
25 Abbotsford British Columbia Large urban132,300122,163+8.3%71.2
26 Trois-Rivières Quebec Large urban128,057124,158+3.1%98.58
27 Kingston Ontario Large urban127,943119,061+7.5%83.43
28 Milton Ontario Large urban124,579101,885+22.3%45.2
29 Moncton New Brunswick Large urban119,785109,075+9.8%110.73
30 White Rock British Columbia Large urban109,16793,811+16.4%54.23
31 Nanaimo British Columbia Large urban106,07996,415+10.0%86.76
32 Brantford Ontario Large urban104,41398,250+6.3%62.13
33 Chicoutimi – Jonquière Quebec Large urban103,934104,741−0.8%94.56
34 Saint-Jérôme Quebec Large urban100,85991,205+10.6%96.97
35 Red Deer Alberta Medium99,84699,773+0.1%65.93
36 Thunder Bay Ontario Medium95,26694,767+0.5%76.03
37 Lethbridge Alberta Medium92,56389,309+3.6%64
38 Kamloops British Columbia Medium92,44285,702+7.9%74.35
39 Sudbury Ontario Medium92,09388,155+4.5%75.79
40 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Quebec Medium88,08385,022+3.6%53.8
41 Peterborough Ontario Medium84,79382,149+3.2%54.58
42 Chilliwack British Columbia Medium81,62273,171+11.5%56.02
43 Châteauguay Quebec Medium75,89171,164+6.6%50.48
44 Belleville Ontario Medium75,05268,859+9.0%89.48
45 Sarnia Ontario Medium73,94473,403+0.7%60.53
46 Airdrie Alberta Medium73,57861,082+20.5%33.03
47 Drummondville Quebec Medium72,08968,634+5.0%52.3
48 Welland – Pelham Ontario Medium69,30263,011+10.0%57.21
49 Fort McMurray Alberta Medium68,00267,123+1.3%52.17
50 Prince George British Columbia Medium67,33966,315+1.5%73.9
51 Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Medium64,92366,313−2.1%52.97
52 Fredericton New Brunswick Medium64,61461,014+5.9%89.6
53 Saint John New Brunswick Medium63,44761,152+3.8%70.05
54 Medicine Hat Alberta Medium63,38263,111+0.4%53.2
55 Grande Prairie Alberta Medium63,17262,382+1.3%49.74
56 Granby Quebec Medium62,62459,706+4.9%48.39
57 Bowmanville – Newcastle Ontario Medium56,74248,929+16.0%31.23
58 Beloeil Quebec Medium52,95951,132+3.6%26.5
59 Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Medium52,39048,054+9.0%57.56
60 Vernon British Columbia Medium51,89648,425+7.2%51.16
61 North Bay Ontario Medium51,43350,396+2.1%64.91
62 Saint-Hyacinthe Quebec Medium50,61650,104+1.0%30.8
63 Brandon Manitoba Medium50,53248,345+4.5%28.73
64 Joliette Quebec Medium49,24646,277+6.4%39.03
65 Courtenay British Columbia Medium48,91745,314+8.0%56.58
66 Cornwall Ontario Medium47,28646,114+2.5%32.4
67 Victoriaville Quebec Medium46,32244,735+3.5%35.27
68 Woodstock Ontario Medium46,29640,614+14.0%34.41
69 St. Thomas Ontario Medium45,73241,834+9.3%28.1
70 Chatham Ontario Medium45,17143,550+3.7%31.21
71 Georgetown Ontario Medium44,05842,326+4.1%25.7
72 Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Quebec Medium41,65539,655+5.0%33.93
73 Spruce Grove Alberta Medium39,34836,279+8.5%29.76
74 Shawinigan Quebec Medium38,93038,695+0.6%31.77
75 Rimouski Quebec Medium38,70838,478+0.6%27.79
76 Bradford Ontario Medium38,12830,765+23.9%16.1
77 Campbell River British Columbia Medium38,10835,440+7.5%33
78 Penticton British Columbia Medium36,89333,899+8.8%25.84
79 Prince Albert Saskatchewan Medium36,76835,102+4.7%21.37
80 Stouffville Ontario Medium36,75332,634+12.6%14.17
81 Sorel Quebec Medium36,65036,365+0.8%30.61
82 Mission British Columbia Medium36,19333,713+7.4%27.23
83 Leamington Ontario Medium35,73033,049+8.1%31.77
84 Orangeville Ontario Medium34,17732,318+5.8%19.77
85 Leduc Alberta Medium33,50529,561+13.3%67.43
86 Orillia Ontario Medium33,37931,128+7.2%22.68
87 Stratford Ontario Medium32,87831,094+5.7%23.3
88 Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Medium32,81332,993−0.5%22.14
89 Cochrane Alberta Medium31,63825,501+24.1%23.71
90 Lloydminster Alberta / Saskatchewan Medium31,58231,400+0.6%24.43
91 Cape Breton – Sydney Nova Scotia Medium30,96030,170+2.6%30.91
92 Okotoks Alberta Medium30,21428,833+4.8%17.23
93 Innisfil Ontario Small29,46424,277+21.4%23.71
94 Timmins Ontario Small28,87429,331−1.6%18.49
95 Saint-Georges Quebec Small27,40227,103+1.1%27.09
96 Parksville British Columbia Small27,33025,364+7.8%27.45
97 Keswick – Elmhurst Beach Ontario Small27,14526,999+0.5%16.56
98 Fort Saskatchewan Alberta Small26,83123,944+12.1%21.85
99 Bolton Ontario Small26,79526,378+1.6%20.71
100 Midland Ontario Small26,24624,443+7.4%27.41

By province or territory

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "From urban areas to population centres". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "Map: Toronto (Population Centre), Ontario". Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ Map: Ottawa - Gatineau (Population Centre), Ontario. Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
  4. ↑ Map: Sudbury (Population Centre), Ontario. Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
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