One in 10 Canadians are calling smaller urban centres their home, according to the 2021 Census from Statistics Canada.
Last year, 3.8 million people, or 10.1 per cent of Canadians, lived in smaller urban areas ranging from about 10,000 to 100,000 people, otherwise known as census agglomerations.
READ MORE: Langford ranked third fastest-growing suburban municipality: census
Squamish, B.C., grew the fastest at a rate of 21.8 per cent, or 24,232 more people, between 2016 and 2021.
Meanwhile, four of the 10 fastest growing smaller urban centres were in Ontario — Wasaga Beach, Tillsonburg, Collingwood and Woodstock.
Several are known as tourist destinations or resort cities. While they are close to nature, they are not among the most remote communities and are generally less than a one-hour drive from a large urban centre.
READ MORE: Share of Canadians in rural areas shrinks for ninth consecutive census, StatCan says
Statistics Canada says the combination of outdoor facilities and location may have attracted people from larger metropolitan areas, such as young retirees or those able to work from home.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
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