Carleton Place Sees An Increase in 2016 Census

(Release Date: March 3, 2017)

Mar 03, 2017

Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette

               

By Tara Gesner

According to the 2016 census data released Feb. 8, Carleton Place now has 10,644 residents thriving within the community.

A national census in Canada is conducted every five years by Statistics Canada.

Between 2011 and 2016, Carleton Place’s population showed an increase of 8.5 per cent, or 835 people.

Mayor Louis Antonakos, during the policy review committee meeting on Feb. 14, was “just elated the town is tucked in at 8.5 per cent growth.”

“It is a very healthy growth rate,” he said, and “it shows what good management, a great council, residents, entrepreneurs, being on a four-lane highway and close proximity to Ottawa can do.”

Referencing the residential developments taking shape in Carleton Place, Coun. Theresa Fritz commented: “I think this is evidence there is a need for them.”

“Obviously, people are moving here and our population is growing,” she added.

Communities use census data when planning services such as schools, daycare, police services and fire protection.

Chief administrative officer Paul Knowles noted: “This updated population will be used for grant calculations and other purposes.”

Treasurer Phil Hogan stated Carleton Place’s population signs would be updated this spring.

“We are at 11,000 now,” he noted. “That census was done a year ago ... we know there are another 150 homes since then.”

Beckwith had the biggest population gain in Lanark County, 9.4 per cent or 658 residents, with 7,644 people living there as of last year.

“With the number of homes built over the last five years in Beckwith, it makes sense our population has grown,” reeve Richard Kidd told the Canadian Gazette on March 2.

“It is certainly a positive,” he added.

However, council is cognizant the township must walk the line between growth and maintaining its rural character.

“We do not want a big influx of growth,” Kidd said. “We want steady growth.”

The reeve also credits the township’s strong population growth to location (proximity to Ottawa and four-lane highway), quality of life (healthy and active lifestyle promotion), and great leadership (council and municipal staff).

Other Lanark County municipalities seeing increases include Montague — 3,761 people, eight per cent or 278 individuals; Mississippi Mills — 13,163 residents, 6.3 per cent or 778 people; Lanark Highlands — 5,338 people, 4.1 per cent or 210 residents; Drummond/North Elmsley — 7,773 citizens, 3.8 per cent or 286 people; Tay Valley — 5,665 residents, 1.7 per cent or 94 people; and Perth — 5,930 inhabitants, 1.5 per cent or 90 residents.

With 8,780 residents, Smiths Falls was the only area municipality to see a decrease in population — 2.2 per cent or 198 people.

Statistics Canada will release 2016 census data on six occasions in 2017, between February and November. The recent release on population and dwelling counts will be followed by age and sex and type of dwelling on May 3. The others will be families, households and marital status as well as language, Aug. 2; income, Sept. 13; immigration and ethnocultural diversity, as well as
and Aboriginal Peoples, Oct. 25; and education, labour, journey to work, language of work and mobility and migration, Nov. 29.

Ontario’s 2016 population increased 4.6 per cent to 13.5 million people. Canada’s population as of last year was 35.2 million inhabitants, an increase of five per cent.

Contact Information:

Phone: 613-257-6206
Email: lantonakos@carletonplace.ca