Goderich Signal Star, 2017-02-15, Page 13Wednesday, February 15, 2017 • Signal Star 13
New census data for Southwestern Ontario
Hank Daniszewski
Postmedia Network
If you're a Highway 401
city east of London, you're
riding high.
But west of London, with
the lone exception of Wind-
sor, you're losing ground.
The latest census snapshot
of Southwestern Ontario
shows a clear divide across
the region -- its eastern half,
including the wider London
area, holding its own despite
lagging national and Ontario
population growth rates,
while hard-hit Sarnia and
Chatham -Kent in the west
are shedding people.
One inescapable truth
from the 2016 census,
released Wednesday, is that
the closer a community is to
the Greater Toronto Area's
commuter orbit, attracting
people who work in the
mega -city but can't afford its
sky-high housing prices, the
better its population growth.
Booming Woodstock, with
8.3 -per -cent growth since
the last census in 2011 --
tops in the region -- is the big
winner in Southwestern
Ontario, its growth nearly
double Ontario's rate and
well above the national rate.
"Toronto is a stone in the
pond and it looks like we are
in the next ripple of that
pond," said Len Magyar,
Woodstock's development
commissioner.
Home to a Toyota auto
plant that opened just a few
years before the last census
was taken, and the nearby
Cami auto assembly plant
that's another major regional
employer, Woodstock saw its
population rise to almost
41,00 in 2016, up from nearly
38,000 five years earlier.
In contrast, Chatham -
Kent's population fell by two
• per cent over the same five
years, and Sarnia's by 1.1 per
cent -- both, cities whose
manufacturing sectors took
major blows in economic
downturns and their fallout
over the last 25 years, with
plant layoffs and closings.
At just under half a million
people, the wider London
area -- that includes the city,
St. Thomas, Strathroy and
nearby rural areas -- is grow-
ing steadily, not spectacu-
larly, with 4.1 -per -cent
growth over five years.
That's below both Ontar-
io's 4.6 -per -cent rate in the
latest census and the five -
per -cent national rate.
But bigger story in South-
western Ontario is the
expansion in its eastern
reaches and its shrinking
west, with border -city Wind-
sor -- it's on an economic
rebound, its population up
three per cent after falling in
the last census -- the one
standout in the province
remote southwestern corner.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley
said he was surprised by the.
Statistic Canada figures show-
ing his city in population
decline, saying it contradicts a
recent study done for Sarnia
that indicated modest growth.
"Those numbers are dam-
aging to a community in the
sense of self-esteem;" he said.
But Bradley admitted
smaller cities such as Sarnia
are struggling to attract
immigrants that are crucial
to growth. "We have to really
ratchet up our game in
attracting people," he s 'd.
At 383,822 people, Lon-
don's population rose by 4.8
per cent and the wider area,
the so-called census metro-
politan area, fell just short of
the half -million mark at
494,069.
There was moderate pop-
ulation growth in Stratford,
at 1.8 per cent, and in St.
Thomas at 2.6 per cent.
The drop-off in regional
population growth in the
west shows an imbalance in
economic opportunity and a
need for communities to
band together to lobby the
Ontario government, said
Gerry Macartney, general
manager of the London
Chamber of Commerce.
"The farther you are away
from Queen's Park, the less
likely you are to draw their
attention. When you want
funding for various programs,
are we getting our fair share? I
would argue we don't"'
Macartney said the strong
growth spreading out from the
Greater Toronto Area also
underlines the need for a
high-speed rail link to London
to strengthen its economic
ties to the Toronto area.
London's growth rate
ranked 26th out of 33 census
metropolitan areas in 2011
and has now moved up to
21st out of 35 (two new CMAs
have since been added), said
Don Kerr, a professor at
King's University College at
Western University.
"Now, we are more middle
of the pack. We are getting
close to the national aver-
age," he said.
Kerr said the census fig-
ures show a growing trend
toward urbanization. Larger
farms and mechanization
are reducing population in
agricultural areas.
Among rural areas of the
Southwest, Oxford County
was strong with a 4.9 -per-
cent population increase
and 3.7 per cent in Mid-
dlesex County. But other
rural areas had more slug-
gish growth, with 1.7 per
cent in Elgin County, 0.3 per
cent in both Lambton and
Huron counties and 0.6 in
Haldiinand-Norfolk.
"What drives migration is
employment opportunities
and education and that's
what we are seeing," said
Kerr, noting it's a trend that
could tip the political bal-
ance in Canada.
"It's amazing how much
attention the big cities get.
The political weight of small-
town and rural Canada is
declining," he said.
Maygar said Woodstock
has attracted several new
industries lately, drawn to
serviced land near the I h ys.
401-403 junction, including
a Sysco distribution centre,
"Trans -Mit Steel and Ontario
Refrigerated Services.
But he said Woodstock is
also drawing residents from
the GTA, where prices for
single-family homes have
soared to about $1 million.
Georgina Turchet, an
agent with PC 275 Realty in
Woodstock, said she noticed
a surge of interest from GTA
buyers and real estate agents
last summer. Some buyers
keep their jobs in the
Toronto area and commute.
"They get more value for
their money here. They will
work from home when they
can," said Turget.
Kitchener's population
also rose sharply in the latest
census, up 6.4 per cent, and
Guelph's by 8.3 per cent.
BY THE NUMBERS Popu-
lation in 2016 versus 2011
Canada 35,151,728, up five
per cent
Ontario: 13,448,494, up 4.6
per cent
SOUTHWESTERN
ONTARIO Urban areas
Greater London area:
494,069, up 4.1 per cent
London: 383,822, up 4.8
per cent
St. Thomas: 38,909, up 2.6
per cent
Woodstock: 40,902, up 8.3
per cent
Stratford 31,465, up 1.8 per
cent
Owen Sound: 21,341,
down 1.6 per cent
Sarnia 71,594: Down 1.1
per cent
Chatham -Kent: 101, 647,
down two per cent Windsor:
217,188, up three per cent
Among rural areas
Middlesex County:
• Southwest Middlesex
5,723, down 2.3 per cent
• Strathroy-Caradoc
20,867, down 0.5 per cent
• Thames Centre 13,191,
up 1.5 per cent
• Middlesex Centre 17,262,
up 4.7 per cent
• North Middlesex 6,352,
down 4.6 per cent
Huron County
• South Huron 10,096, up
1.5 per cent
• Bluewater 7,136, up 1.3
per cent
• Central Huron 7,576,
down 0.1 per cent
• Goderich 7,628, up 1.4
per cent
Elgin County
• Central Elgin 12,607,
down 1.1 per cent
GoDERcH
Canada's prettiest town
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE
PROPOSED PUBLIC WASTE TRANSFER FACILITY AND RECYCLING DROP OFF
IN THE TOWN OF GODERICH
Please plan on attending a public open house and share your thoughts!
Part. 12 and 13 on Parsons Court
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As; ,or.
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1
The Mich -fin Landfill Site located near Holmesville is
scheduled to close in 2018. The Town of Goderich is a partner
with the Municipalities of Central Huron and Huron East and
continues to consider a public transfer facility and recycling
drop-off at the Mid -Huron Site. The Town of Goderich is
also preparing to provide a similar facility, if required, or as
determined by Goderich Town Council, in the Town's Industrial
Park on Parson's Court in southeast Goderich. The facility
would provide bins for the following materials: white goods,
shingles, steel, wood, tires, blue box materials, cardboard,
leaf and yard waste, electrical and electronic , equipment,
construction materials and supplemental residual residential
waste, including large household waste items. Curbside waste
collection and recycling will continue and the possibility of
a hazardous waste depot at the facility will be given future
consideration.
Please join us on March 7, 2017 from 4:00-7:00 pm in the Council Chambers atTown Hall, 57 West St. Goderich,
where GHD, an Engineering, Architecture, Environmental, and Construction Firm, will present design options.
There will be a brief presentation at 5:30 pm.
Dated this 15th day of February, 2017
Dwayne Evans, Clerk
. 519-524-8344 ext. 227
devans@goderich.ca