THUNDER BAY — Mayor Bill Mauro welcomes the revelation that the Thunder Bay area has seen some modest population growth in recent years.
Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that the population of Thunder Bay and the immediate surrounding area grew to 123,258 last year, an increase of 1.3 per cent from 2016.
It also calculated the city's population to be just under 109,000, an increase of 0.9 per cent.
"I guess we'll certainly characterize it as good news, positive news...Up until 2016 for the previous eight or nine years we'd been seeing decreases. That seems to have been stemmed for the moment. So we're a going concern. We're north of 123,000 people, including the surrounding municipalities that obviously contribute to our GDP," Mauro said.
But the mayor is not convinced the recent census was accurate.
"There's probably still some question about whether there's an underrepresentation contained in the number. We don't know for sure," he said.
Mauro added "With many people I talk to who are involved in senior leadership positions in Thunder Bay, it's a conversation that comes up on a regular basis. Most of us think that if the number for the CMA [Census Metropolitan Area] is estimated at 123,000...we have no problem believing that might be 125, 130 or 135,000."
In 2020, a study funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health utilized Indigenous community social networks in determining that Statistics Canada grossly underestimates the size of the city's Indigenous population.
Researchers concluded that the Indigenous adult population in Thunder Bay is likely close to 30,000, or about three times what was reported in the 2016 census.
An accurate census is important because the data can influence how and to what extent governments fund necessary programs.
Mauro said he's had discussions with federal representatives about this.
"We do believe there are issues, where there are people coming in from out of the city and needing some supports that aren't there. That's a fair conversation that needs to continue with the federal government, primarily."
