Here are the fastest growing and shrinking communities in Alberta
CBC
The 2021 Canadian census has revealed some widespread trends across the country and Alberta is no exception.
As people fled urban centres during the pandemic for more space and the quieter life, smaller centres on the outskirts of big cities or even far-flung resort towns have reaped the benefits of increased citizens and a greater tax base.
Canmore, Alta., was among a handful of what Statistics Canada called "tourist destinations or resort cities" that topped the list of fastest growing communities over the last five years.
But Canmore made that top-five list because it is big enough to be considered a separate town and not part of a larger Census Metropolitan Area (CMA).
Alberta has three CMAs — urban areas of more than 100,000 inhabitants — including Edmonton, Calgary and now with this most recent census, Lethbridge, which surpassed 100,000 in population since 2016.
Then there are 14 more cities like Canmore called Census Agglomerations (CA), which are communities not part of a CMA that are between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
Here is a chart showing the population change in Alberta's CMA and CAs, where Canmore is on top.
But measuring only those communities can prevent you from seeing other trends. For example, four cities within the metropolitan Edmonton and Calgary saw higher growth than Canmore.
Edmonton and Calgary on their own, without their surrounding communities, didn't even crack the top ten in growth.
Then there is the opposite end of the scale — some communities did lose population or barely grew at all. Here are the 10 communities that shrank the most.
When you look at communities smaller than 10,000 people, the changes can show very dramatic growth numbers, with population numbers going from dozens to hundreds. Two sparsely populated places in the province had a 100 per cent drop in population. That is, no one lives there anymore.
If you would like to see how your community changed, browse the table or map below, which contain every Census Subdivision in Alberta.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Edgar Spence keeps a folded bundle of receipts for meal expenses his family has had to cover out-of-pocket since they were forced out of their home community by wildfires in northern Manitoba.
A man accused in a series of north-central Edmonton arsons is guilty of starting fires that damaged or destroyed several homes in 2020 and 2021, a judge ruled Thursday.
Residents of Ward 8 in Hamilton are likely to be back at the polls once again after city councillors voted Wednesday to hold a byelection there to replace former councillor John-Paul Danko, who was recently elected as a member of parliament.
Work on Windsor's large Banwell Road interchange and corridor construction projects is currently on hold after Butler's gartersnakes were discovered.
Etched on a poster board the size of her body, Mary McPherson held up a pencil-drawn portrait of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
One of the largest old elm trees in Toronto — possibly in all of southern Ontario — is on its last legs.
It's graduation week for many University of Guelph students, but it's a particularly special day for one 68-year-old whose walk across the convocation stage was 49 years in the making.
Scientists on Prince Edward Island have created a new warning system to help Maritime farmers avoid a costly disease called fusarium head blight, which can decrease grain yields while contaminating the crop with toxins.
An N.W.T. deputy minister says the territorial government is hoping to use federal housing money to clear derelict homes from communities.
WARNING: This article contains graphic details, references sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone impacted by it.
Monique Gordon's second-floor apartment in Rexdale is sweltering hot all year-round — even in the winter.
As Fanshawe works toward reducing its staff by more than a third, the college announced Thursday that 40 jobs have been eliminated through downsizing, early retirements and unfilled vacant positions.