Warman and Martensville are the two fastest-growing cities in Saskatchewan, according to new census data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday, February 9.
Warman’s population was officially tallied at 12,419 in 2021, a 12.7% increase from the 2016 census, when its population was pegged at 11,020.
Martensville’s population over that five year period grew by 9.3%, from 9,655 in 2016 to 10,549 in 2021.
Saskatoon was the third-fastest growing city in the province, with a growth rate of 7.7% between 2016 and 2021. Its population rose from 247,201 in 2016 to 266,141 in 2021.
Regina and Prince Albert round out the top five fastest-growing cities, with growth rates of 5.3% and 5.1% respectively. Regina’s 2021 population is now 226,404 (up from 215,106 in 2016) and Prince Albert’s is now 37,756 (up from 35,926 in 2016).
The Rural Municipality of Corman Park, which surrounds Saskatoon, experienced a 4.1% increase in population growth between 2016 and 2021. It’s population increased from 8,558 to 8,909.
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk said he wasn’t surprised to see his community had a strong rate of growth.
“I was actually expecting the population numbers to be a little higher,” said Philipchuk. “I thought we would be at that 13,000 mark.
“But looking back over the past few years, there have been a lot of challenges, so it’s understandable.”
Philipchuk said he’s confident that Warman’s strong growth is likely to continue into the foreseeable future.
“When I see a house come up for sale, it sells quickly,” said Philipchuk. “There are more homes being built here all the time. Our core infrastructure is in place to handle the growth for many more years to come, and we’re in good shape financially.”
Martensville Mayor Kent Muench said he’s glad to see his community growing at its current rate.
“There’s quite a lot of construction activity underway,” said Muench. “You know Martensville is growing because you can feel the energy when you talk to residents and business people.
“It’s been challenging during the pandemic, and a lot of businesses have taken a hit, but many others have found success.
“I think the strong growth we’re seeing is a reflection of the resiliency of our city and the Saskatoon region as whole.”
Philipchuk and Muench both felt the Partnership for Growth (P4G) initiative has benefited the region north of Saskatoon by attracting investment.
The Saskatoon Metropolitan Area, which includes the rural area surrounding Saskatoon and adjacent communities, showed a 7.6% rise in population. The 2021 census for the region put the population at 317,480, compared to 295,095 in 2016.
The rapid growth of Warman and Martensville is not unexpected. According to Statistics Canada, “peripheral municipalities” increased their population over the past five years at a faster rate (6.9%) than “central municipalities” (5.5%).
“Strong population growth in suburban municipalities located close to or in urban area is frequently fuelled by an influx of young adults leaving the core of large urban areas to live on their own and often to start a family,” stated Statistics Canada in a backgrounder released with the 2021 census data.
The trend is evident in all parts of Canada. Topping the list of the fastest-growing municipalities with at least 5,000 inhabitants in Canada was East Gwillimbury, a municipality on the outskirts of the Toronto census metropolitan area, with a growth rate of 44.4% Its population increased from 23,991 in 2016 to 34,637 in 2021.
According to the 2021 census, Canada’s largest city is Toronto, now with a population of almost 2.8 million people. Montreal has 1.8 million, Calgary is home to 1.3 million, while Edmonton and Ottawa each have 1 million residents.
The population of Canada grew by 5.2% between 2016 and 221, and is now pegged at 36,991,981. Data compiled during the 2021 Census showed that Canada is increasingly urbanized, with 82.2% of the population in cities, towns and villages, while 17.8% live in rural areas outside urban boundaries.
Saskatchewan’s population increased by 3.1%, from 1,098,352 in 2016 to 1,132,505 in 2021.