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The Windsor region posted the largest population rebound across Canada in the 2016 census.
Author of the article:
• Windsor Star
Publishing date:
Feb 08, 2017 • February 8, 2017 • 4 minutes read 
Employees come and go for their shift at the FCA Windsor Assembly Plant on Walker Road on Feb. 8, 2017. Photo by Tyler Brownbridge /Windsor Star
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The Windsor region posted the largest population rebound across Canada in the 2016 census.
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The Windsor census metropolitan area which includes Tecumseh, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Amherstburg saw its population rise 3.1 per cent from 2011 to 2016 after losing residents in a 1.3 per cent drop the previous census (2006-11).
It’s the largest turnaround or most accelerated population growth among 35 metropolitan areas across the country, according to Statistics Canada census numbers released Wednesday.
“It’s great news,” Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens said Wednesday.
After the recession in 2008 many people headed west to Alberta to find work. Now the tables have turned and the oil industry is suffering in Alberta while the auto industry is faring well here, especially after the multibillion-dollar investment and hiring spree from Fiat Chrysler, Dilkens said.
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The population turnaround is a testament to the work done to hold the line on taxes, add amenities to improve the quality of life, and attract seniors, he said. He had never seen such bidding wars in the real estate market than what became common last year.
“There is a demand to live in this community and I think it just speaks volumes to the work that’s been done over the last several years to position this community as a great place to live,” Dilkens said.
Growth is important. More taxpayers mean it’s cheaper for everyone who lives here, he said.
Other cities in Canada boast higher growth rates but the Windsor region topped the list of seven census metropolitan areas that saw the most accelerated population growth. Statistics Canada attributed the change to Windsor’s automotive sector
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Statistics Canada senior analyst Patrick Charbonneau said the growth came from immigration (although that data hasn’t been released yet), fewer people leaving the city for other provinces, and more people from other parts of Ontario moving to Windsor.
“The interesting fact is that the trend has reversed in Windsor,” he said.
Unlike other cities where growth depends on the suburbs, the city saw its population increase three per cent which is almost the same rate as the Windsor region at 3.1 per cent, Charbonneau said. The 2016 census showed the city had 217,188 people
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Essex County’s population at 398,953 people rose 2.6 per cent from 2011 to 2016 after it had fallen 1.2 per cent from 2006 to 2001.
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Leamington and Tecumseh went against the trend and saw a population drop of 2.8 per cent in Leamington and 1.6 per cent in Tecumseh.
The rest of the county municipalities saw increases with Lakeshore up six per cent, LaSalle up 5.4 per cent, Essex up 4.2 per cent, Amherstburg up 1.8 per cent and Kingsville up 0.9 per cent. Pelee Island saw a big percentage increase at 37.4 per cent as it grew from 171 residents to 235 residents. The census is done in May and Charbonneau said it reflects true growth, not cottagers.
Matt Marchand, President of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, said some people who had moved out west during the recession have moved back. The automotive and agriculture industries are doing well, he said.
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The relatively low housing costs, easier commutes than in Toronto, mild winters, waterfront parks and nearby wine route make Windsor-Essex attractive, Marchand said. Plus residents can access big city attractions such as major league sports in Detroit and still live in Canada.
Marchand said the population upswing is important for continued economic growth.
“It’s good to see that Windsor-Essex is getting back on trend.”
. The largest population increase in an Ontario census metropolitan area was Guelph at 7.7 per cent and Ontario grew 4.6 per cent.
For comparison to the Windsor region’s 3.1 per cent population growth from 2011 to 2016, London grew 4.1 per cent, Chatham-Kent’s population dropped two per cent and the Sarnia census metropolitan area dropped one per cent.
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