Some interesting population/migration numbers. Alberta's in-migration is slowing and it appear that Manitoba and Saskatchewan are benefiting.
From Statistics Canada
As a result, the growth in Alberta's population during the fourth quarter slowed slightly to 0.65%, a bit slower than last year (+0.75%). Even so, this was still more than four times the 0.14% overall increase in Canada's estimated population.
This slowdown occurred in large part because of an increase in people leaving Alberta for other parts of the country. As a result, net gains from interprovincial migration increased for most other provinces, especially British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Fuelled by this shift in interprovincial migration patterns, Saskatchewan's population rose 0.21% during the fourth quarter. This was the first time in 23 years that the province's quarterly growth was faster than the national average. It was also the first time since 1996 that it recorded an increase in population for three consecutive quarters.
In Manitoba, the population growth for the last three months of 2006 (+0.13%) was higher than the same period last year (+0.00%). This growth stays nonetheless lower than the country's average. It can be explained by smaller losses from interprovincial migration and by the highest fourth-quarter increase in immigrants since 1973.
October 1, 2006pp January 1, 2007pp October 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007
number % change
Canada 32,730,213 32,777,304 0.14
Newfoundland and Labrador 508,955 508,548 -0.08
Prince Edward Island 138,596 138,632 0.03
Nova Scotia 934,172 933,793 -0.04
New Brunswick 748,439 748,582 0.02
Quebec 7,669,100 7,676,097 0.09
Ontario 12,721,776 12,726,336 0.04
Manitoba 1,178,491 1,180,004 0.13
Saskatchewan 985,859 987,939 0.21
Alberta 3,413,464 3,435,511 0.65
British Columbia 4,327,431 4,338,106 0.25
Yukon 31,151 31,032 -0.38
Northwest Territories 41,929 41,777 -0.36
Nunavut 30,850 30,947 0.31