A portrait of the mobility of Canadians between 2001 and 2006

View the most recent version.

National portrait

Canadians are less mobile

According to the 2006 Census, 12,087,310 people aged five and over were not living at the same address as they were five years earlier. That is more than two-fifths (40.9%) of the Canadian population and is slightly lower than the proportion for the previous intercensal period (41.9%).

Movers include people who were out of the country (1,160,040), interprovincial migrants (852,580), people who moved from one municipality to another in the same province (3,566,795) and people who moved within the same municipality (6,507,900). Canadians were not only less mobile than in the previous intercensal period; they were less mobile than in the last 35 years. In 2006, the percentages of Canadians who moved, migrated or changed provinces were at their lowest levels since 1971 (figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1
Proportion of Canadians that changed address, municipality or province, 2001 to 2006

Declining mobility is partly due to population aging

The decrease in the number of interprovincial migrants in 2006 is part of a general downward trend since 1971. Between 1971 and 2006, the number of people who moved from one province to another grew more slowly than the Canadian population, and as a result, the proportion of interprovincial migrants in the population dropped from 4.3% to 2.9%.

Population aging is partly responsible for this decline. Migration is much more common among younger people, especially those between the ages of 15 and 29. That age range encompasses many transitions in people’s lives, such as starting postsecondary studies, entering the labour market and changing marital status, which often involve migration. The proportion of Canadians in that age range shrank between 1971 and 2006.

Yet the decrease in the proportion of interprovincial migrants affects all ages (figure 1.2). Hence the drop in interprovincial migration is not solely due to population aging.

Figure 1.2
Proportion of migrants and of persons that changed province by age, 1966 to 1971 and 2001 to 2006, Canada

In fact, previous studies show that economic conditions also affect interprovincial migration. According to those studies, Canada’s relative prosperity contributed to the long-term decline in interprovincial migration since 1971 by reducing differences in unemployment rates between provinces and boosting incomes in the provinces of origin.^{1, 2}

The proportion of Canadians who moved from one municipality to another was also down during the period, falling from 18.3% for the 1966 to 1971 period to 15.0% for the 2001 to 2006 period. As in the case of interprovincial migration, the decline is associated in part with population aging.

Internal migration between the provinces and territories

General portrait of interprovincial migration

Internal migration has always been an important factor in population change for the Canadian provinces, and that remained true in 2006. For example, between 2001 and 2006, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan lost more people through internal migration than they gained through births minus deaths and immigration minus emigration.³ For Alberta, on the other hand, internal migration was the main factor in the population increase.

Only three provinces had net migration gains

In the migration exchanges between provinces, only three posted a net gain in 2006. As in 2001, Alberta enjoyed higher net migration than any other province. Alberta gained 88,180 people, well ahead of British Columbia at 22,130. For Alberta, this was a decrease from the previous intercensal period, while for British Columbia, it marked a return to positive net migration. In the 1996 to 2001 period, British Columbia suffered its only net loss since 1971 (figure 1.3 and table 1.1).

Figure 1.3
Net interprovincial migration by province and territory, from the intercensal period of 1966 to 1971 to the intercensal period of 2001 to 2006

Table 1.1
Net interprovincial migration and net interprovincial migration rates, from the intercensal period of 1966 to 1971 to the intercensal period of 2001 to 2006

The only other province that had a positive outcome from its exchanges with the other provinces and the territories between 2001 and 2006 was Prince Edward Island, which posted a net gain of about 600. The province also had a net gain in 2001. Ontario enjoyed a net gain in the 1996 to 2001 period, but it lost nearly 27,000 between 2001 and 2006.

Alberta was the main attraction for migrants between 2001 and 2006

Alberta’s popularity with residents of other Canadian provinces is nothing new. After the Second World War, Alberta experienced rapid population growth, primarily due to the creation of many jobs in connection with oil exploration and production. In the 1970s, an oil boom in Alberta attracted many migrants, but the flow waned in the 1980s, mainly because of falling oil prices during that period.

Alberta regained its power of attraction in the late 1990s, chiefly because exploitation of the oil sands in the northern part of the province was made profitable again by higher petroleum prices. The proportion of in-migrants in Alberta in the 2001 to 2006 period who worked in the mining and oil and gas extraction sector was more than double (8.2%) that observed for all interprovincial migrants (3.4%). In this regard, the results of a previous release showed that between 2001 and 2006, the mining and oil and gas extraction industries had the highest shares of interprovincial movers in their workforces, and mobility rates were highest in Alberta.⁴

Alberta’s attractiveness had a considerable impact on the other provinces. If migrants who left for Alberta were excluded, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and the Northwest Territories would have had net migration gains (figure 1.4). In the neighbouring provinces of Saskatchewan and British Columbia, more people left for Alberta than for all other provinces and territories combined.

Figure 1.4
Net migration resulting from migratory exchanges of provinces and territories with Alberta and the rest of Canada, 2001 to 2006

Most provinces suffered net losses

All provinces and territories except Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island experienced net migration losses between 2001 and 2006. Three provinces–Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba–lost more than 20,000 people. It is worth noting that Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have not had a net migration gain in any intercensal period since 1971.

The public administration and mining and oil and gas extraction sectors get Canadians moving

A review of the industry sectors in which interprovincial migrants worked reveals certain unique elements. The largest proportion of Canadians, some 11.8%, worked in the manufacturing sector in 2006. However, among persons who were not living in the same province five years ago and who were employed in the week before the Census, only 7.1% worked in this sector in 2006 (table 1.2). This substantial difference is likely due in part to the difficulties that this sector experienced during this period.⁵

Table 1.2
Industry sectors of interprovincial migrants who had employment in 2006, by province of residence, 2001 to 2006

The public administration sector appeared to attract a large number of migrants: while it accounted for 9.9% of interprovincial movers who were working in 2006, it employed only 6.0% of all Canadians.

Another sector in which interprovincial migrants were especially over represented is the mining and oil and gas extraction industry. As mentioned earlier, 3.4% of interprovincial migrants who were employed worked in this sector in 2006. However, the proportion of Canadians employed in this sector in 2006 was only 1.4%.

Lastly, interprovincial migrants who were working in 2006 were also overrepresented in relation to all Canadians, although to a lesser degree, in the following industry sectors: professional, scientific and technical services, accommodation and food, arts, entertainment and recreation, administrative and support, waste management and remediation services and the construction category. In the latter case, the relatively high proportion of migrants in this sector can likely be ascribed in part to the substantial growth in residential construction in Western Canada. In Alberta, for example, this sector ranked second among interprovincial migrants behind the retail trade sector.

Detailed portraits of the provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador

Smallest migration losses in 35 years

According to the 2006 Census, in the 2001 to 2006 period Newfoundland and Labrador experienced its lowest net migration losses in the last 35 years. During this period, 32,020 people left Newfoundland and Labrador for other provinces, and 25,775 people moved to the province. That represents a net loss of just 6,245, a significant improvement over the previous period, during which the province suffered its most significant loss in the last 35 years (table A-1.2).

The improvement in the province’s interprovincial net migration figures was primarily due to a reversal of the migration flow between Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario.  It went from a net loss of 11,000 between 1996 and 2001 to a gain of 1,100 between 2001 and 2006.  Newfoundland and Labrador also enjoyed gains in its migration exchanges with New Brunswick, Manitoba and Yukon.

However, its biggest losses were to Alberta, which attracted just over a third of the out-migrants and posted a net gain of 7,240.

The improvement in Newfoundland and Labrador’s net migration figure in 2001 to 2006 was appreciable in every age range. While the province suffered a net loss of 5.8% of its population aged 30 to 44 between 1996 and 2001, it gained 0.8% between 2001 and 2006. In addition, the net loss in the 15 to 29 age group declined by half, from 14.8% to 8.0%.

Nevertheless, the net loss for those aged 15 to 29 was the largest in the country. In fact, nearly half of the migrants who left Newfoundland and Labrador for another province were between 15 and 29, the highest proportion in Canada. In contrast, only one out of four in-migrants was in that age group, the lowest proportion in Canada.

Prince Edward Island

The only Atlantic province with net migration gains between 2001 and 2006

According to the 2006 Census, Prince Edward Island gained more people than it lost between 2001 and 2006. Alberta and British Columbia were the only other provinces that had net gains during the period. It was the third consecutive intercensal period in which Prince Edward Island enjoyed a positive result in its migration exchanges with other provinces (table A-1.2).

The net gain of 610 was the difference between the 7,690 people who left the province and the 8,300 who moved there. Most of its out-migrants went to Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta, while the majority of its in-migrants were from Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Prince Edward Island posted net gains in its migration exchanges with every province except Alberta and Quebec.

Proportionally, Prince Edward Island was one of the provinces with the highest migration levels in Canada. Its in-migration rate of 6.6% was below only those of Alberta and the territories, and its out-migration rate of 6.1% was only lower than those of Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and the territories.

Despite its net migration gain, the province lost 900 more people aged 15 to 29 than it gained, which is consistent with the pattern for non-metropolitan areas across Canada. 

Prince Edward Island is often mentioned as a popular destination for retirees, and a slightly higher proportion of its in-migrants are aged 60 and over than is the case for other provinces.

Nova Scotia

Largest migration losses in 25 years

Between 2001 and 2006, Nova Scotia suffered its highest net loss in migration exchanges with the territories and other provinces of Canada since the 1976 to 1981 period (table A-1.2).

A total of 56,040 people left the province, while 48,035 became residents. The net loss of 8,005 is substantially larger than the loss of 1,295 between 1996 and 2001; it is 0.9% of Nova Scotia’s population aged five and over. 

Nova Scotia lost ground in its migration exchanges with every province and territory except New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

Just over a third of the province’s out-migrants went to Ontario. Alberta and New Brunswick also took a large share of Nova Scotia’s out-migration.

Conversely, Nova Scotia attracted 19,245 people from Ontario, 8,000 from New Brunswick and 5,295 from Alberta. The exchanges with Alberta were particularly asymmetrical, resulting in a net loss of 7,300.

The net migration loss in the 15 to 29 age group was very high. Between 2001 and 2006, 21,060 people aged 15 to 29 left the province, and only 14,600 moved there from other parts of Canada. That net loss of 6,460 represents 3.8% of the population that is now between the ages of 15 and 29. 

On the other hand, Nova Scotia enjoyed a slight gain from migration exchanges in the 45 to 59 age group and among those aged 60 and over.

New Brunswick

Largest migration losses in its history

Between 2001 and 2006, New Brunswick lost 10,615 people in its migration exchanges with the other provinces and the territories. It was the province’s largest migration loss in the last 35 years (table A-1.2).

New Brunswick suffered a net loss in its exchanges with the territories and every other province, and the losses increased everywhere, with the exception of Ontario.

A total of 42,185 people left New Brunswick for another province or a territory, while 31,570 people moved to the province. The most popular destinations for out-migrants were Ontario (11,395), Nova Scotia (8,000) and Alberta (7,760). The in-migrants came primarily from Ontario (11,200), Nova Scotia (6,290) and Quebec (5,345).

New Brunswick’s exchanges with Alberta resulted in its largest net loss, accounting for 43.2% of the province’s total net loss.

New Brunswick experienced a net loss in every age group except among people aged 60 and over. The largest was in the 15 to 29 age group and took 5.3% of the age group’s population.

New Brunswick’s francophones were proportionally less mobile than its anglophones. The province’s net loss of francophones (0.9%) was smaller than its net loss of anglophones (1.7%).

Quebec

Smallest migration losses in the last 35 years

According to the 2006 Census, 85,200 people left Quebec for another province between 2001 and 2006, while 73,555 people moved to Quebec. While this net loss of 11,600 is a continuation of Quebec’s long string of migration deficits, it is the smallest loss in the last 35 years (table A-1.2).

The improvement in the province’s net migration figures relative to the previous intercensal period (a net loss of 57,310) is mainly due to a decrease in its migration loss to Ontario from 43,810 in 1996 to 2001 to 8,230 in 2001 to 2006.

Quebec’s largest migration exchanges have always been with neighbouring Ontario. That remained the case in the most recent period, as more than 6 out of 10 in-migrants to Quebec were from Ontario and a similar proportion of in-migrants to Ontario came from Quebec. The Toronto metropolitan area alone attracted almost twice as many Quebecers as Alberta.

A large portion of Quebec’s migration deficit was associated with internal movements of international immigrants who came to Canada before the 2001 Census. A total of 21,610 immigrants left Quebec, and only 12,305 settled there. It is also worth noting that the migration loss was particularly large among allophone immigrants (a net loss of 6,545). By way of comparison, the net loss was only 810 among francophone immigrants.

Overall, Quebec lost 8,470 people whose mother tongue was neither English nor French. The province also lost 8,075 people whose mother tongue was English, the smallest such loss since 1966.⁶ In contrast, Quebec enjoyed a net gain of 4,985 in migration exchanges involving people whose mother tongue was French.

In relative terms, Quebec is the province that experienced the least migration. In-migrants made up only 1.1% of the population aged five and over, and out-migrants just 1.2% of the population. For comparison, 2.9% of Canadians moved from one province to another during the period. The difference is probably attributable in part to the language barrier encountered by francophones who want to leave Quebec and anglophones who want to move there.

Ontario

The hub of Canada’s migration system

   In absolute terms, Ontario experienced a larger net migration loss than any other province or territory between 2001 and 2006.  The net loss of 26,920 was the difference between the 212,705 people who left Ontario for another province and the 185,785 who moved there (table A-1.2).

Ontario was involved in almost half of Canada’s interprovincial population movements.

The province saw a deterioration of its net migration figures with every province compared with the previous intercensal period, during which it posted a net gain of 51,885. 

On the other hand, Ontario’s net loss was only 0.3% of its population, one of the smallest proportions among the provinces with net migration losses.

On a net basis, Ontario lost 19,600 people to Alberta and 17,900 to British Columbia and gained 8,200 from Quebec.

Between 2001 and 2006, 56,035 Ontarians left the province for British Columbia, and 49,455 moved to Alberta. Ontario was one of only two provinces, the other being Quebec, to have more people leave for British Columbia than for Alberta.

During the same period, 52,765 Quebecers settled in Ontario. Only a third of them were francophones.

Slightly more international immigrants moved to Ontario than left, as the province had a net gain of 940. 

Manitoba

Decades of net migration losses

For at least the last 35 years, Manitoba has experienced a continuous migration deficit. The trend continued between 2001 and 2006, as Manitoba suffered a net migration loss of 20,745. Only Ontario and Saskatchewan lost more people during the period (table A-1.2).

This loss, slightly larger than the one in the previous intercensal period, represented 2.0% of Manitoba’s population aged five and over.

Manitoba’s largest losses were in its exchanges with Alberta and British Columbia. It enjoyed small net gains in its exchanges with New Brunswick, Nunavut and Quebec.

Between 2001 and 2006, 57,330 Manitobans moved to another province, mainly Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia.

Of the 36,585 people who moved to Manitoba, just under a third were from Ontario.

Saskatchewan

Alberta bound

Saskatchewan has been suffering migration losses for decades, and the 2001 to 2006 period was no exception (table A-1.2).

Its net loss between 2001 and 2006 was 25,385, or 2.8% of its population. This was the highest proportion in Canada.

About 7% of the population aged five and over (64,315 people) left Saskatchewan. This is the highest out-migration rate for a province during the period. 

The 15 to 29 age group was particularly hard hit, losing a total of 12,600 people, or 6.1% of its population. Only Newfoundland and Labrador experienced bigger losses in that age group.

Saskatchewan’s migration exchanges were largely with Alberta. Nearly 6 of every 10 people who left Saskatchewan went to Alberta, while more than two of every five people who moved to Saskatchewan were from Alberta. Saskatchewan’s net loss to Alberta was 20,795 between 2001 and 2006.

Saskatchewan also had net losses in its exchanges with British Columbia and Ontario. It made slight gains from Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Manitoba.

Alberta

The most attractive destination

Between 2001 and 2006, Alberta remained the most popular destination for interprovincial migrants in Canada because of its strong economy and booming labour market (table A-1.2).

Alberta enjoyed a substantial net gain of 88,180 in its migration exchanges with the other provinces and the territories. No other province posted such a big gain during the period. Alberta’s surplus was the difference between the 226,870 people who moved to the province between 2001 and 2006 and the 136,690 who left. Alberta also had net gains in the previous two five-year periods.

The 2006 figure was not the largest gain the province has ever had: it enjoyed net gains of 197,645 between 1976 and 1981 and 119,420 between 1996 and 2001.

More than 62,795 people left Alberta for British Columbia, while more than 72,685 did the opposite. These were the two largest migration flows between two provinces in the 2001 to 2006 period. Alberta’s other major exchanges were with Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Alberta was particularly attractive to people between the ages of 15 and 29. In the 2001 to 2006 period, 87,490 peopled aged 15 to 29 moved to Alberta from other provinces, making up 38.6% of the province’s in-migration. This was the highest proportion in Canada. Conversely, there were less than half as many out-migrants aged 15 to 29 (38,845), accounting for 28.0% of the province’s out-migration.

Because of the petroleum industry’s presence, Alberta’s small towns and rural areas enjoyed larger net gains from interprovincial migration (38,700) than the census metropolitan areas of Calgary (27,900) and Edmonton (21,600). 

British Columbia

Back in the black

British Columbia posted a net gain of 22,130 in its migration exchanges with the other provinces between 2001 and 2006. This marks a return to positive net migration for the province, which suffered its first net loss in the previous five-year period (table A-1.2).

British Columbia’s net gain was the second-largest in the country. It resulted from the difference between the 164,710 people who moved to British Columbia and the 142,580 who left for another province or a territory.

More than half of the people who left British Columbia went to Alberta, while just over a quarter moved to Ontario.

The majority of the people who moved to British Columbia were from those two provinces. About 62,800 came from Alberta and 56,035 from Ontario.

British Columbia’s net loss to Alberta was 9,890 people, substantially fewer than in the previous period (41,355). Its net gain from Ontario was 17,915. British Columbia enjoyed net gains in its migration exchanges with every province and territory except Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.

British Columbia was certainly a popular destination for people aged 60 and over, as the net migration gain in that age range accounted for nearly half of the province’s overall net gain. In addition, the median age of in-migrants to British Columbia was 34.9 years, making it the oldest group of interprovincial migrants in Canada.

Yukon

Smaller migration losses than before

According to the 2006 Census, 4,010 people left Yukon and 3,665 moved there between 2001 and 2006. Hence Yukon lost a total of 345 people, or 1.2% of its population aged five and over. That is far fewer than in the previous intercensal period, when Yukon lost 2,750 people, nearly a tenth of its population. In fact, Yukon enjoyed an improvement in its net migration exchanges with the other territories and every province except Newfoundland and Labrador (table A-1.2).

British Columbia and Alberta each attracted more than a third of Yukon’s out-migrants in the 2001 to 2006 period.

A majority of the people who moved to Yukon were from those two provinces. Specifically, 1,375 people from British Columbia and 750 from Alberta migrated to Yukon.

Yukon’s in-migration and out-migration rates were 12.9% and 14.2%, its lowest in 35 years. On the other hand, Yukon had the second-highest rates in the country behind the Northwest Territories.

Northwest Territories

A loser in its migration exchanges with Alberta

According to the 2006 Census, 7,040 people left the Northwest Territories and 6,360 moved there between 2001 and 2006. While this net migration loss of 680 people was its sixth in as many intercensal periods, it is an improvement over the loss of 3,170 that the territory experienced in the previous period (table A-1.2).

Alberta attracted the largest number of the Northwest Territories’ out-migrants, well ahead of British Columbia and Ontario. Meanwhile, 1,655 people from Alberta, 1,090 from Ontario and 820 from British Columbia moved to the territory.

The Northwest Territories posted Canada’s highest in-migration and out-migration rates (16.8% and 18.6%). For comparison, only 2.9% of Canadians moved from the province to another during the period.

The Northwest Territories’ net loss represented 1.8% of its population aged five and over in 2006. On the other hand, the territory had a net gain of 725 people aged 15 to 29, 8.0% of the population in that age group. The pattern was similar, though not as pronounced, in the other two territories.

Nunavut

Status quo for the new territory

According to the 2006 Census, 2,430 people moved to Nunavut and 2,770 left between 2001 and 2006 (table A-1.2).

Hence Nunavut had a net migration loss of 340, almost exactly the same as in the previous five-year period (330).

The largest numbers of Nunavut’s out-migrants went to Ontario and the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, the people who settled in Nunavut were primarily from Ontario (580) and Newfoundland and Labrador (400).

Nunavut attracted 250 more people aged 15 to 29 than it lost, which represented 3.2% of its population in that age group. Conversely, in the 30 to 44 age group, it suffered a net loss of 355, or 5.5% of the age group’s population.

In Nunavut, non-Aboriginals were much more mobile than Aboriginals. The in-migration and out-migration rates were 2.7% and 3.1% for Aboriginals, compared with 42.6% and 48.4% for non-Aboriginals.

Census Metropolitan Areas

According to the 2006 Census, the country’s 33 census metropolitan areas were home to 21.5 million people, or 68% of Canada’s total population.⁷ In addition, the population of the census metropolitan areas grew faster than the population of the non-metropolitan areas between 2001 and 2006.

Overall, internal migration was not much of a factor in census metropolitan area growth. In fact, more Canadians migrated from a census metropolitan area to a non-CMA than the reverse between 2001 and 2006. That was mostly due to the substantial losses suffered by the country’s three most populous census metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver (figure 1.5)

Figure 1.5
Net migration by type of region, 2001 to 2006

Canada’s three large urban centres post net migration losses

The Toronto census metropolitan area had a net migration loss of 104,760 between 2001 and 2006, including 93,450 to the rest of Ontario (table 1.3). In proportional terms, the Toronto census metropolitan area lost 2.3% of its population aged five and over in the 2001 to 2006 period, the third-largest loss among census metropolitan areas.

Table 1.3
In-migrants, out-migrants and net migration by census metropolitan area, 2001 to 2006

The Toronto census metropolitan area incurred large net losses in its migration exchanges with Ontario’s non-CMAs and with all the census metropolitan areas that make up the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It was the major source of in-migration to those areas.

The Toronto census metropolitan area enjoyed net gains in its exchanges with more distant Ontario census metropolitan areas such as Ottawa, Kingston, London, Windsor, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. However, those gains were not large enough to offset the losses to other parts of Ontario and Canada.

The Montréal census metropolitan area lost 42,455 people in the 2001 to 2006 period, or 1.3% of its population aged five and over.

In its migration exchanges with the rest of Quebec alone, the Montréal census metropolitan area experienced a net loss of 29,195. Much of this deficit is attributable to exchanges between the census metropolitan area and non-CMAs. More than three-quarters of the people who left the Montréal census metropolitan area for another area (105,720) moved to a non-CMA. Conversely, of the 134,800 people who moved from a non-CMA to some other part of the province, 70,655 (52.1%) went to the Montréal census metropolitan area.

The Vancouver census metropolitan area attracted 107,575 people and lost 129,390 during the period. Thus, Vancouver suffered a net migration loss of 21,815 people, or 1.2% of its population aged five and over.

More than a third of the people who left the Vancouver census metropolitan area moved to non-CMAs in British Columbia. Abbotsford (9.6%), Toronto (9.0%) and Calgary (8.4%) were other popular destinations for Vancouver’s out-migrants.

The losses incurred by the Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver census metropolitan areas between 2001 and 2006 were largely offset by the arrival of new immigrants. Most immigrants tend to settle in the country’s major urban areas. According to immigration data from the 2006 Census, 68.9% of new immigrants chose to settle in the Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver census metropolitan areas combined.⁸

Edmonton and Calgary: Larger migration gains than any other census metropolitan area

Between 2001 and 2006, the Edmonton census metropolitan area posted a net migration gain of 30,790, more than any other census metropolitan area. The Calgary census metropolitan area was not far behind at 27,245. These substantial gains were largely due to migration exchanges with other provinces.

In the Edmonton census metropolitan area, the gains from other provinces (21,615) were more than double the gains from the rest of Alberta (9,180). The Calgary census metropolitan area had a net gain of 27,905 in its exchanges with the territories and provinces other than Alberta. Without this appreciable gain, the census metropolitan area would actually have suffered a migration loss, since it lost 660 people in its migration exchanges with the rest of Alberta.

Oshawa and Barrie: Distant suburbs of Toronto

Next to the Edmonton and Calgary census metropolitan areas, the Oshawa and Barrie census metropolitan areas had the largest net gains in the intercensal period that ended in 2006 (18,845 and 16,135). They also had net migration rates that were among the highest for a census metropolitan area: Barrie ranked first at 11.1% and Oshawa third at 6.6%.

Most of the migration gains made by those two census metropolitan areas came at the expense of the Toronto census metropolitan area. Migration exchanges between the Oshawa and Toronto census metropolitan areas resulted in a net gain of 22,645 for Oshawa. In its exchanges with the Toronto census metropolitan area, the Barrie census metropolitan area attracted 14,105 more people than it lost.

In fact, Oshawa and Barrie behave somewhat like suburbs of the Toronto census metropolitan area. That is reflected in the proportions of Oshawa and Barrie residents who work in Toronto. More than half (50.6%) of the people aged 15 and over, who were employed and who migrated to Oshawa between 2001 and 2006 actually worked in the Toronto census metropolitan area in 2006. The same proportion among migrants to Barrie was more than a third (34.3%). In comparison, the proportions of all the residents aged 15 and over, employed and who were working in the Toronto census metropolitan area in 2006 were 33.2% in Oshawa and 24.7% in Barrie.

These results explain the fact that in 2006, Oshawa workers travelled farther than any other commuters in a census metropolitan area (a median distance of 11 kilometres) and the fact that Barrie had the highest proportion of workers who travelled 25 kilometres or more to work (35.3%).⁹

The Hamilton census metropolitan area also posted large gains in its exchanges with Toronto (+10,000), which offset almost all the losses in other exchanges. In Hamilton, almos one migrant in three (31.2%) worked in the Toronto census metropolitan area, compared with 16.6% of all residents.

Saguenay and Saint John lost the most

Of all census metropolitan areas, Saguenay, Quebec, and Saint John, New Brunswick, suffered the biggest losses between 2001 and 2006. Saguenay lost 4,740 people, or 3.2% of the population at risk of migrating in 2001. Saint John lost 3,310 people, for a net migration rate of -2.9%.

Much of the loss was due to the departure of many people in the 15 to 29 age group. The Saguenay census metropolitan area lost 10.3% of its population aged 15 to 29, and Saint John lost 6.8%. These are the largest migration losses of young people by any census metropolitan area.

The large losses through internal migration had a significant impact on the populations of Saguenay and Saint John. They were the only census metropolitan areas whose population declined between 2001 and 2006.¹⁰

Most census metropolitan areas were losers in interprovincial exchanges but remained major centres of attraction in their own provinces

While the majority of census metropolitan areas suffered losses through interprovincial migration, most remained popular regional destinations and fared well in subprovincial exchanges. They offer opportunities such as universities and a wide range of jobs, which are significant attractions.

The Winnipeg census metropolitan area had a larger net loss (14,470) than any other census metropolitan area in its exchanges with other provinces and the territories between 2001 and 2006. In contrast, the census metropolitan area posted a net gain of 3,465 in its exchanges with the rest of Manitoba.

The Saskatoon and Regina census metropolitan areas also suffered substantial losses to other provinces and the territories (8,560 and 6,800), in fact the largest losses after the Winnipeg and Toronto census metropolitan areas. Again, it is a different story when it comes to subprovincial migration, as Saskatoon and Regina made gains of 4,275 and 2,995 respectively.

Like Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Regina, a number of other census metropolitan areas experienced net gains in subprovincial exchanges, despite losses in interprovincial migration: Québec City, St. John’s, Halifax, Sherbrooke, Peterborough, Hamilton, St. Catharines-Niagara Falls, Kitchener, Brantford, Guelph, London, Barrie, Thunder Bay and Abbotsford.

Moncton: A popular destination for francophones

Unlike New Brunswick as a whole, the Moncton census metropolitan area posted a net population gain from internal migration. Between 2001 and 2006, 16,235 people moved there, and only 13,140 left the census metropolitan area.

Moncton had a very small gain (25) in its exchanges with other provinces, but it benefited substantially from subprovincial exchanges. It enjoyed a net gain of 2,520 people from non-CMAs and 550 from Saint John. Furthermore, nearly 70% of that gain resulted from subprovincial exchanges of francophones, which makes Moncton a major centre of attraction for the province’s francophone population.

Internal migration fuels urban expansion

In Canada, as in most other countries, the steady growth of large cities is causing an overflow of population from the core areas. As a result, many adjacent areas are also growing rapidly. This is commonly known as “urban expansion”.

Census 2006 data on the Canadian population shed light on this phenomenon. Between 2001 and 2006, peripheral municipalities (11.1%) grew more rapidly than central ones (4.2%).¹¹ This is due largely to internal migration. Indeed, over the intercensal period ended in 2006, Toronto and Montréal suburbs gained 95,550 and 48,620 individuals, respectively through internal migration, while Vancouver’s gains were practically nil (table 1.4).

Table 1.4
Net migration and net migration rates by age group and type of region, 2001 to 2006

Gains achieved by central municipalities from 2001 to 2006 are largely due to exchanges within the same census metropolitan area. These internal migratory exchanges resulted in gains of the peripheral municipalities from the central municipalities in 15 of the 18 census metropolitan areas where at least one-third of the population live in a peripheral municipality (table 1.5). The phenomenon is particularly evident in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto and Montréal, where the peripheral municipalities recorded net migration rates of 7.0% and 4.3% respectively.¹²

Table 1.5
Migration exchanges between the central municipality and the peripheral municipalities within selected census metropolitan areas, 2001 to 2006

The following maps (available in appendix) clearly illustrate the movement from the central municipality to the outlying municipalities in the Montréal and Vancouver census metropolitan areas and in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Migratory exchanges within Montréal census metropolitan area, 2001 to 2006; Migratory exchanges within the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2001 to 2006; Migratory exchanges within Vancouver census metropolitan area, 2001 to 2006.

Urban expansion is also evident outside the census metropolitan areas. Over time, road or public transit infrastructure has increased the accessibility of towns in rural areas fairly close to urban centres.¹³

Between 2001 and 2006, rural areas close to urban centres had a total net gain of 58,935, for a net in-migration rate of 4.9% (table 1.4). Most of this overall gain (56,175) results from exchanges that occurred with census metropolitan areas: 150,280 people migrated from a census metropolitan area to a rural area close to an urban centre, while 94,105 people did the reverse.

Medium-sized urban centres, small towns and rural municipalities

Three of the five medium-sized urban centres with the largest gains are in Alberta

Many medium-sized urban centres experienced significant population growth between 2001 and 2006, as shown by population and housing figures from the 2006 Census. These urban centres generally enjoyed large migratory gains over the period. It should therefore come as no surprise that three Alberta towns, namely, Okotoks, Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo, were among the top five medium-sized urban centres with the highest net migration rates (table A-1.3).

Okotoks, near Calgary, recorded the highest net migration rate between 2001 and 2006 (25.2%). Its rate of population grew an astonishing 46.7%, ranking it first among medium-sized urban centres over the period.

In all likelihood, job opportunities linked to petroleum development drew large numbers of migrants to Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo, ranked third and fourth respectively in terms of net migration rates between 2001 and 2006. Among people employed in 2006 and who migrated to Wood Buffalo between 2001 and 2006, over one-quarter (26.1%) worked in the mining and oil and gas extraction sector and over one-third (34.5%) worked in the trades, transport and equipment operator occupational category. No other urban centre had higher proportions in these areas. Grande Prairie had a similar profile in 2006: almost one in five migrants (18.3%) worked in the mining and oil and gas extraction sector and over one-quarter (27.4%) held jobs in the trades, transport and equipment operator occupational category. These strong migratory gains placed these three Alberta towns at the forefront of those with the fastest population growth during the period under review.

The British Columbia towns of Parksville, Chiliwack and Vernon likely recorded high net migration rates for different reasons. For example, the majority of Parksville’s migratory gains were due to persons aged 60 years and over, and the town posted the highest net migration rates among medium-sized urban centres for this age group (19.3%). Indeed, Parksville is the medium-sized urban centre with the highest proportion of residents aged 65 years and over.¹⁴

Most medium-sized urban centres with the most substantial migration losses are located relatively far from major centres

Compared to urban centres which experienced the highest net migration rates between 2001 and 2006, those with the most substantial losses are located somewhat further north in their respective provinces and are generally further from the largest urban centres (map: Top 15 census agglomerations with the highest net migratory gains or losses, 2001 to 2006, available in the appendix). This is the case, for example, of Kitimat, Prince Rupert and Terrace. These three neighbouring British Columbia towns had the highest net migratory losses as a percentage of their populations between 2001 and 2006. Their losses over the period may be ascribed to an economic slowdown and reliance on a limited number of industries. Additionally, Kitimat, Prince Rupert and Terrace were ranked first, second and fourth respectively among urban centres whose populations declined most sharply between 2001 and 2006.

Several Quebec towns are also included among medium-sized urban centres with the highest migratory losses as a proportion of their populations between 2001 and 2006. Indeed, the towns of La Tuque, Baie-Comeau, Rouyn-Noranda and Dolbeau-Mistassini are all quite remote from the province’s more southerly major economic centres. These four municipalities rely in part on the forest industry, whose difficulties may have played a role in their declining populations over the five years under review.

Rural areas near an urban centre experienced appreciable gains in the 30 to 44 year age group

As mentioned earlier, rural areas located close to urban centres posted net positive migration of 58,935 persons between 2001 and 2006. Overall, they experienced gains in all age groups except for persons between 15 and 29 years. However, the net migration rate in the 30 to 44 year age group was especially high at 11.4%. Indeed, gains in this age group accounted for almost half of the total gain of rural areas located close to urban centres.

This situation is similar to that observed in the peripheral municipalities of Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. It is likely that locations with substantial gains in the 30 to 44 age group effectively meet needs associated with the families of people of this age, while being relatively close to major economic centres.

In general, remote rural areas are losing young adults

The population of Canada’s remote rural areas (those not located close to large urban centres) remained stable between 2001 and 2006 with the demographic growth in these areas at -0.1%. In 2006, the population of these areas was also older than that observed in the country’s metropolitan areas or rural areas close to urban centres. The proportion of persons aged 65 years and older in these areas was 16.1%, 13.2% and 13.9% respectively.

Based on the analysis of the mobility of Canadians between 2001 and 2006, migratory movement is the main reason that remote rural areas are showing weak and even negative demographic growth and an older population. According to the 2006 Census data, remote rural areas (including non-metropolitan areas of the territories) posted an overall migratory loss of 47,065 persons between 2001 and 2006 (table 1.4).

The net migratory loss of remote rural areas is due in large part to the departure of many young persons between the ages of 15 and 29 years. Of the youth in this age group living in a remote rural area in 2001, 76,285 had left in 2006, or 8.8% of the population of this age group.

In contrast, remote rural areas posted migratory gains in all other age groups between 2001 and 2006. The most substantial gain occurred in the 45 to 59 age group, which may reflect a return of residents from these areas to their region of origin, or simply a desire of some people in this age group to live in a less urban environment.

Among the small towns and rural communities, many resort areas enjoyed substantial gains

Table 1.6 shows Canadian small towns and rural communities of 5,000 residents or more with the highest net migratory gains relative to their populations between 2001 and 2006. Sylvan Lake, near Red Deer, Alberta, is ranked first with a net migration rate near 47%. Sylvan Lake’s rate of population growth outpaced that of all other small towns between 2001 and 2006, with an increase of 36.1% over the period.¹⁵ In fact, a number of municipalities listed in table 1.6 are included among those which experienced the greatest population growth, such as Strathmore, Stanley, Prévost, Shefford and Wasaga Beach.¹⁶

Table 1.6
Small towns and rural communities where internal migration gains were the highest between 2001 and 2006

Several municipalities are known resort areas and are appreciated for their tourist attractions, while being in relatively close proximity to large urban centres. North of Montreal, for example, the municipalities of Saint-Sauveur, Prévost, Saint-Hippolyte and Chertsey, though neighbouring the greater Montreal area, offer certain advantages associated with living in a more rural setting.

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario about one hour’s drive from Toronto on Highway 401, the municipalities of Cramahe and Anwick/Haldimand are particularly appealing to fishing and water sport enthusiasts, while offering  many other attractions as well.

In the Georgian Bay area, the municipalities of Wasaga Beach, Tiny, West Grey, Oro-Medonte on Lake Simcoe, and Adjala-Tosorontio further to the south are well-known recreational areas popular among Toronto residents.

Finally, of the 25 rural municipalities posting the highest rates of growth, more than half are located within 25 kilometres of an urban centre (map: Top 25 non metropolitan municipalities with the highest net migratory gains or losses, 2001 to 2006, available in the appendix). On average, they are no more than 36 kilometres from the closest urban centre. In-migrants to the highest ranked municipalities travel 254 kilometres on average, whereas out-migrants cover a slightly greater distance, 297 kilometres.

Lower populations in several rural municipalities are due to internal migratory losses

The 25 rural municipalities which experienced the most significant net migratory losses in relation to their populations between 2001 and 2006 have wide-ranging profiles (table 1.7).

Table 1.7
Small towns and rural communities where internal migration losses were the highest between 2001 and 2006

In general, such municipalities are relatively further from larger urban centres, 106 kilometres on average, while only three are located within 25 kilometres. Furthermore, average distances travelled by the in-migrants and out-migrants of municipalities with the highest losses (634 and 571 kilometres respectively) are greater than those covered by the in-migrants and out-migrants of municipalities with the highest gains (254 and 297 kilometres respectively).

Of the 25 municipalities in this category, the following are among the 25 whose populations dropped most sharply between 2001 and 2006: Oromocto, Parry Sound, Banff, Algoma, Unorganized North Part, Antigonish, Subd. A, Chibougamau, Kenora Unorganized and Melfort.

Notes

1. Basher, Syed, A. and Stefano Fachin. 2008. “The long-term decline of internal migration in Canada – Ontario as a case study”. MPRA Paper number 6685.

2. According to Coulombe, in addition to unemployment rates, labour productivity is also a factor: Coulombe, Serge. 2006. “Internal Migration, Asymmetric shocks, and Interprovincial Economic Adjustments in Canada”. International Regional Science Review. SAGE publications. Volume 29. Number 2.

3. Based on data from population estimates: Growth components by province.

4. Statistics Canada. 2008. Canada's Changing Labour Force, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-559-X.

5. The manufacturing sector lost 136,700 jobs between 2001 and 2006. Statistics Canada. 2008. Canada's Changing Labour Force, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-559-X.

6. Corbeil, Jean-Pierre and Christine Blaser. 2007. The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-555-X.

7. Martel, Laurent and Éric Caron-Malenfant. 2007. Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-550-X.

8. Chui, Tina, Hélène Maheux and Kelly Tran. 2007. Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-born Population, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-557-X.

9. Statistics Canada. 2008. Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-561-X.

10. Martel, Laurent and Éric Caron-Malenfant. 2007. Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-550-X.

11. Ibid.

12. Census metropolitan areas are not all structured alike. For example, the number of peripheral municipalities they contain and the size of the central municipality vary greatly. Thus, differences among census metropolitan areas with respect to exchanges between the central municipalities and the peripheral municipalities reflect discrepancies in migratory patterns or geographic configurations.

13. Martel, Laurent and Éric Caron-Malenfant. 2007. Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-550-X.

14. Martel, Laurent and Éric Caron-Malenfant. 2007. Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, by Age and Sex, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-551-X.

15. Martel, Laurent and Éric Caron-Malenfant. 2007. Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue number 97-550-X.

16. Ibid.