Immigrants swell Canada’s population

Canada’s population grew by 5.9 per cent to 33.5 million over the last five years on the strength of immigration, the fastest growth rate in the Group of Eight leading industrialised nations

Statistics Canada released census data yesterday that shows its immigration programme accounted for about two-thirds of the increase in population over the past decade.

The report shows people are flocking to Canada’s resource-rich western provinces. The population of oil-rich Alberta jumped 10.8 per cent, while potash-rich Saskatchewan grew 6.7 per cent.

Ontario, the centre of the country’s manufacturing sector, is the only province to see its growth rate drop since 2006. But with 38.4 per cent of the population, Ontario remains Canada’s most populous province.