2006 Aboriginal Population Profile for Sault Ste. Marie

View the most recent version.

Introduction

This report examines the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Aboriginal population living in the census agglomeration (CA) of Sault Ste. Marie¹. The 2006 Census and 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), which provide an extensive set of data about Aboriginal people, are the data sources.

The report focuses on the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to those people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.

The term "First Nations" is used throughout the report to refer to people who identified as North American Indian. The term "Aboriginal population" is used to refer to the Aboriginal identity population.

Setting the context

There were 1,172,790 Aboriginal people in Canada in 2006, accounting for 3.8% of Canada's total population.

In 2006, a total of 242,500 Aboriginal people lived in Ontario, representing 2.0% of the provincial population.

There were 7,760 Aboriginal people living in the CA of Sault Ste. Marie in 2006 making up 9.8% of the city's total population. By way of comparison, Toronto had the largest Aboriginal population (26,575) of any city in Ontario, and Kenora had the largest concentration of Aboriginal people of any city in Ontario (16%).

Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Sault Ste. Marie grew by 29%². The First Nations population grew by 16%, while the Métis grew by 53%.

First Nations – largest Aboriginal group in Sault Ste. Marie

In 2006, 4,485 persons identified as First Nations people accounting for over half (58%) of the city's Aboriginal population. Another 3,125 identified as Métis accounting for a further 40% of the Aboriginal population. A small percentage (2%) reported multiple or other Aboriginal responses³.

Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2006, the large majority (82%) reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada.

A young population

The Aboriginal population living in Sault Ste. Marie is younger than the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, the median age⁴ of the Aboriginal population in Sault Ste. Marie was 29.6 years, compared to 44.7 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

In 2006, over four in ten (43%) Aboriginal people were under the age of 25, compared to 27% of non-Aboriginal people. Further, only 5% of Aboriginal people were 65 years and over, compared to 18% of the non-Aboriginal population. Just over one-quarter (26%) of Aboriginal people in Sault Ste. Marie were under the age of 15, compared to 15% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts (chart 1). For more details on the age distribution, see table 1 in the appendix.

Aboriginal children aged 14 years and under represented 16% of the city's children. Over one in four (28%) of the First Nations population was 14 years of age and under, compared to 23% of Métis.

Chart 1 Population pyramid for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations, Sault Ste. Marie, 2006

Aboriginal children more likely than non-Aboriginal children to live with a lone parent

In 2006, the majority of Aboriginal children aged 14 and under (57%) lived with both parents. Compared with their non-Aboriginal peers, Aboriginal children were more likely to live with a lone mother (33% versus 21%), a lone father (8% versus 2%), a grandparent (with no parent present) (0.5% versus 0.2%) or with another relative (0.8% versus 0.6%) (see table 2 in the appendix).

Aboriginal youth less likely to be attending school

Overall, in 2006, Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in Sault Ste. Marie had lower school attendance rates than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (66% versus 72%). However, Aboriginal people have a greater tendency to return to school later in life than do non-Aboriginal people(see table 3 in the appendix). About 8% of Aboriginal people 35 years of age or older were attending school in 2006, compared to 5% of non-Aboriginal people in the same age group(data not shown).

Half have completed post-secondary education

Half of Aboriginal men (50%) and women (52%) aged 25 to 64 had completed postsecondary education compared to 61% and 57%, respectively of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Postsecondary eduation includes a trades certificate, a college diploma or a university certificate, diploma or degree. While Aboriginal people were as likely as non-Aboriginal people to have trades and college credentials, the non-Aboriginal population was more likely to have obtained a university degree (see text table 1).

In 2006, one-quarter (25%) of Aboriginal men and about one in five (19%) Aboriginal women 25 to 64 years of age had less than a high school education, compared to 13% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts.

Text table 1 Highest level of educational attainment of people aged 25 to 64 years, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Sault Ste. Marie, 2006

Young Aboriginal women in Sault Ste. Marie more likely to obtain a university degree than their male counterparts

In Sault Ste. Marie, 18% Aboriginal women aged 25 to 34 reported having a university degree, in the 2006 Census, compared to 6% of their male counterparts. (This includes all certificates, diplomas or degrees at the bachelor's level or above.) Furthermore, young Aboriginal women (25 to 34 years of age) were more likely to have a university degree than older Aboriginal women 35 to 64 years of age (18% versus 12%) (see chart 2).

Regardless of their age group or sex, Aboriginal people living in Sault Ste. Marie in 2006, were less likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to have a university degree.

Chart 2 Percentage of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people 25 to 34 and 35 to 64 years of age with a university degree, Sault Ste. Marie, 2006

Higher unemployment rates

In 2006, the unemployment rate⁵ for the Aboriginal core working age population (aged 25 to 54) in Sault Ste. Marie was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population (11.9% compared to 4.7%). First Nations men and women and Métis men had similar rates of unemployment. Métis women were, however, much less likely to be unemployed.

Chart 3 Unemployment rates for people aged 25 to 54 years, by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Sault Ste. Marie, 2006

Unemployment rates were higher for Sault Ste. Marie's young people. In 2006, 15.8% of First Nations youth aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed, as were 21.2% of Métis youth, and 18.8% of non-Aboriginal youth (see table 4 in the appendix).

Employment rates of Métis women resemble those of non-Aboriginal women

Another measure of labour market performance is the employment rate⁶. In 2006, Métis and First Nations people had similar rates of employment (69.4% and 67.6%, respectively). However, there were differences for men and women. The employment rate of Métis women (75.9%) aged 25 to 54 living in Sault Ste. Marie resembled that of non-Aboriginal women (77.0%) while the rate for First Nations women (67.9%) was lower. Among men, First Nations men (66.7%) were less likely to be employed than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (84.1%). However, their employment rate was higher than that of Métis men (62.1%) (see table 5 in the appendix).

Aboriginal women as likely as non-Aboriginal women to be working full-time full-year

Just over a quarter (27%) of Aboriginal women were working full-time full-year⁷ in 2005. This percentage almost mirrors that of non-Aboriginal women (28%). Aboriginal men (31%), however, were less likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (39%) to be full-time full-year workers.

Métis men (37%) in the Sault Ste. Marie labour force were more likely than First Nations men (27%) to be working full-time full-year in 2005. The opposite was true for women. Three in ten (29%) First Nations women were working full-year full-time compared to 23% of Métis women (see text table 2).

Text table 2 Percentage of full-time full-year workers, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Sault Ste. Marie, 2005

Occupations in 'sales and services' most prevalent

In studying the labour market of a given area, it is helpful to examine its occupational⁸ make-up. In 2006, the most common occupational category⁹ for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal experienced labour forces in Sault Ste. Marie was 'sales and service'. However, the kinds of jobs people hold differ for men and women. Men were much more likely than women to work in 'trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations'. Women were more likely than men to work in 'sales and service' occupations. This holds true for both the Aboriginal and the non-Aboriginal populations in Sault Ste. Marie.

In 2006, Aboriginal men were somewhat more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to work in 'trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations' (33% versus 29%). Aboriginal women were more likely than non-Aboriginal women to have 'sales and service' jobs (47% versus 35%) (see table 6 in the appendix).

Earnings gap widening

In 2000, the median earnings¹⁰ of full-time full-year Aboriginal earners in Sault Ste. Marie (measured in 2005 dollars) were $39,273. By 2005, this had decreased to $32,938. In 2000, Aboriginal people in Sault Ste. Marie working full-time full-year earned 87% of what their non-Aboriginal counterparts were earning. By 2005, the gap had widened with the earnings of Aboriginal people working full-time full-year being 73% of that of non-Aboriginal full-time full-year workers (see table 7 in the appendix).

Total income lower for Aboriginal people

The census collects a number of measures of income that help in understanding the economic situation of a population. Earnings data have been provided for the population working full-time full-year in 2005. It is also useful to look at total income¹¹ as sources of income go beyond that of employment. In 2005, 15% of Aboriginal people with income in Sault Ste. Marie had a total income of $40,000 or over compared to 31% for their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In 2005, Aboriginal women had the lowest median income ($16,979), whether compared to Aboriginal men ($18,065) or to non-Aboriginal men ($34,451) or non-Aboriginal women ($20,004) (see table 8 in the appendix).

In understanding these data, it is important to note that, in Sault Ste. Marie, 6% of the Aboriginal population aged 15 years and over and 4% of the their non-Aboriginal counterparts reported having no income in 2005 (data not shown).

Three in ten Aboriginal people in Sault Ste. Marie living below the low-income cut-off

Statistics Canada uses the concept of low-income cut-off (LICO)¹² to indicate an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family. In 2005, in Sault Ste. Marie three in ten (30%) Aboriginal people were living under the LICO, compared to 12% of non-Aboriginal people. In addition, over one-third (35%) of Aboriginal children (aged 14 years and under) in Sault Ste. Marie were living under the LICO, compared to 18% of non-Aboriginal children (data not shown). These data are based on the before taxLICO.

Chart 4 Proportion of persons living below the before-tax low income cut-off by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Sault Ste. Marie, 2005

Half of Sault Ste. Marie's Aboriginal population moved at least once between 2001 and 2006

The Census counts people where they are living on one particular day. On May 16, 2006 (the date of the 2006 Census) there were 7,760 Aboriginal people living in the census agglomeration of Sault Ste. Marie. This count does not include all of the Aboriginal people who may have lived in Sault Ste. Marie at some point during the year, but only those who were living in Sault Ste. Marie on that particular day¹³.

When looking at the Census population counts, it is important to remember that many people move between communities – for example, someone might move from a reserve community to a large city and back again within the same year. In Sault Ste. Marie, in 2006, half (50%) of the Aboriginal population had lived at the same address five years ago, compared to 69% of the non-Aboriginal population. From 2001 to 2006, one-third (33%) of Aboriginal people had moved at least once within Sault Ste. Marie, and the rest (17%) had moved to Sault Ste. Marie from another community. A community may refer to another municipality, or a reserve, or a rural area (see table 9 in the appendix).

One in seven live in homes needing major repairs

In Sault Ste. Marie, one in seven (14.1%) Aboriginal people lived in homes requiring major repairs¹⁴ in 2006, compared to 15.9% in 2001. In comparison, the share of Sault Ste. Marie's non-Aboriginal population living in dwellings in need of major repairs was 6.8% in 2006 and 7.0% in 2001.

The share of Aboriginal people living in crowded¹⁵ homes was 1.5% in 2006 compared to 1.3% in 2001. The rate (0.5%) for the non-Aboriginal population did not change between the two census years (see table 10 in the appendix).

Majority report being healthy

The majority of off-reserve Aboriginal adults (the population aged 15 and over) living in Ontario¹⁶ rated their health as excellent or very good in 2006. When asked as part of the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey whether their health was excellent, very good, good, fair or poor, 52% of the off-reserve adult First Nations population and 58% of Métis adults gave themselves a rating of excellent or very good. A further 26% of First Nations adults and 25% of the Métis adult population reported that their health was good.

Six in ten adults live with one or more chronic conditions

The 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey also inquired about chronic conditions¹⁷ that had been diagnosed by a health professional. Six in ten off-reserve First Nations (60%) and Métis (59%) adults living in Ontario reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. Among the First Nations adult population, the most frequently reported conditions were: arthritis or rheumatism (25%), respiratory problems¹⁸ (22%) and high blood pressure, heart problems or effects of a stroke (22%). Among the Métis, arthritis or rheumatism was the most commonly reported condition affecting 24% of adults followed by high blood pressure, heart problems or effects of a stroke (23%) and respiratory problems (22%).

---

Notes

1. The geographic area covered in this report is the census agglomeration (CA) of Sault Ste. Marie. A census agglomeration must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. Garden River and Batchewana (Rankin) First Nations are included in the CA of Sault Ste. Marie. For maps, see: CA of Sault Ste. Marie
2. The growth rate takes into account the adjustment for incompleted enumerated reserves. Batchewana (Rankin) First Nation was an incompletely enumerated reserve in 2001 and has been removed from the 2006 count in Sault Ste. Marie for the purposes of calculating the growth rate.
3. Includes people who reported more than one Aboriginal identity group and those who reported being Registered or Treaty Indian and/or member of an Indian band or First Nation without reporting an Aboriginal identity.
4. The median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older and the other half is younger.
5. The unemployment rate for a particular group is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).
6. The employment rate refers to the number of employed people, in a given group, as a percentage of the total population in that group.
7. The term 'full-time full-year workers' refers to persons 15 years of age and over who worked 49 to 52 weeks (mostly full time) in 2005 for pay or in self-employment.
8. Occupation refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration, the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.
9. Occupations contained within the categories can cover a broad range of skill levels. For example, the business and finance occupation category includes professional occupations requiring a university degree, as well as clerical occupations that require a high school diploma or equivalent.
10. Median earnings are earnings levels that divide the population into two halves, i.e., half of the population receiving less than this amount, and half, more. Earnings or employment income refers to the income received by persons 15 years of age and over during calendar year 2005 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income.
11. Total income refers to the total money income received from the following sources during calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over: wages and salaries (total), net farm income, net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice, child benefits, Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, benefits from Canada or Quebec Pension Plan, benefits from Employment Insurance, other income from government sources, dividends, interest on bonds, deposits and savings certificates, and other investment income, retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities, including those from RRSPs and RRIFs, other money income.
12. The low-income cut-off is a statistical measure of the income threshold level below which Canadians are estimated to devote at least one-fifth more of their income than the average family to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. For the 2005 matrix of low income before-tax cut-offs and additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-X.
13. For example, studentswho return to live with their parents during the year are included at their parents' address, even if they lived elsewhere while attending school or working at a summer job.
14. Dwellings in need of major repairs are those that, in the judgment of the respondent, require major repairs to such things as defective plumbing or electrical wiring, and/or structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings, etc.
15. Crowding is defined as more than one person per room. Not counted as rooms are bathrooms, halls, vestibules and rooms used solely for business purposes.
16. Data on health is not available for Sault Ste. Marie so provincial level data has been provided.
17. Chronic conditions were those that had lasted or were expected to last six months or more and had been diagnosed by a health professional.
18. Respiratory problems include asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.