OTTAWA - The population of Canada grew more in the past three months than it has in any third quarter since 1990, according to Statistics Canada.
The population hit 33,441,300, up 129,900 since July.
Every province and territory saw rising numbers, except the Northwest Territories.
Most of the growth was recorded in Western Canada with Alberta continuing to report the highest numbers. Immigrants and people who moved to Alberta from other provinces numbered 25,640 in the third quarter of 2008. This is likely due to the continuing job opportunities offered in that province, according to Statistics Canada.
“Usually people go where there are jobs, so that explains the strong tendency toward Alberta,” said Hubert Denis, senior analyst for Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada said the growth across the country is mostly due to immigration. Between July 1 and Oct 1, 2008, 71,300 people entered Canada. Numbers have gone up everywhere since provinces began stepping up their efforts to attract international immigrants.
“Provinces are being more aggressive and it really shows in the numbers,” said Denis.
Prince Edward Island, for instance, has shown a drastic increase since it began participating in the Provincial Nominee Program. This program makes it easier for new residents and potential immigrants to come to Canada. This quarter alone P.E.I. set records in immigration, welcoming 611 people. Its previous high was 420.
“For a small province like P.E.I., this represents a very big increase,” said Denis.
All across Canada, similar programs have boosted immigration numbers significantly. The first province to introduce the program was Manitoba and Statistics Canada saw immediate spikes in people coming to that province. In 2001, the quarter average was 1,148 immigrants; in 2005, it was 2,024 and this quarter saw 2,588 people moving in from abroad.
“Immigrants used to head mainly to Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, and they’re still going there, but they’re also spreading out across the country in unprecedented numbers,” said Denis.
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