Population growth in both Parksville and Qualicum Beach during the five-year period from 2011-2016 was below the pace set by both the province and the nation.
Statistics Canada released some specific community data from the 2016 census on Wednesday. It showed the City of Parksville’s population grew to 12,514 from 11,977 in that five-year period between the national counts (4.5 per cent). Qualicum Beach grew to 8,943 from 8,687 (2.9 per cent).
The Parksville Census Area, basically from Craig Bay to Larkdowne Road and from the Inland Highway 19 to the Salish Sea (including the two municipalities), grew by four per cent to 28,922.
A couple of rural areas in the Regional District of Nanaimo had higher rates of growth between 2011-2016. Area H (Bowser Deep Bay, Qualicum Bay) grew by 10.7 per cent to a population of 3,884. Area E (Nanoose Bay) jumped to 6,125 residents, a 7.9 per cent increase.
The population of Area G (French Creek/Dashwood) increased by 4.3 per cent to 7,465 and Area F (Coombs, Errington, Hilliers) jumped by 4.1 per cent to a population of 7,724.
British Columbia’s population has grown by 5.6 per cent since 2011, according to Statistics Canada. The province is the sixth fastest growing in the country behind Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon.
The agency released its 2016 population and dwelling counts Wednesday morning.
The numbers show that B.C. has hit 4.6 million people and Canada has surpassed 35 million. Two-thirds of Canada’s five-per-cent growth since 2011 can be attributed to immigrants.
Two-thirds of Canada’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the border. B.C.’s two biggest cities, Vancouver and Surrey, are both within that range.
As of 2016, 13.6 per cent of Canadians live in B.C., leaving the province the third-largest in the country.
In sixth place nationwide, Kelowna was the fastest growing census metropolitan area (CMA) outside of the prairies. Victoria was the eighth fastest, while Vancouver was the eleventh and Abbotsford-Mission was thirteenth. Victoria was the only CMA to grow at a faster rate between 2011 and 2016 than between 2006 and 2011.
City-wise, Whistler, Sooke and Squamish grew the fastest in the province.
Vancouver has the highest population density in all of Canada with 5,400 people per square kilometre. Vancouver, New Westminster, North Vancouver and White Rock are the densest cities in B.C.
