All three area communities see population declines, populations increase for Snow Lake, Cross Lake, Norway House: census

Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach are all a little bit smaller than they were five years ago, according to recently released federal census results.

Statistics Canada released the first results from the 2021 Census of Population Feb. 9, showing a national population of just under 37 million people - a boost of about five per cent from 2016, when the last federal census was conducted.

According to the results, Flin Flon’s population saw a decrease from the 5,194 people seen in 2016 - 4,991 people in Flin Flon, Man. and another 203 in Flin Flon, Sask. - to 5,099 people total in 2021. Out of that population, 4,940 people live in the Manitoba (a one per cent drop from 2016) and 159 people live on the Saskatchewan side, a 21 per cent decrease from 2016.

The census also showed a total of 2,633 private dwellings in the community, 2,353 of which are permanently occupied.

Creighton also saw a drop, going from 1,429 people in 2016 to 1,203 people under the most current count. That new figure represents a 16 per cent decline in five years. Denare Beach, population 709 in 2016, now has a population of 699 people according to the census.

Other northern communities saw mixed trends. Cranberry Portage saw its population drop from 771 people to 608, while Sherridon dropped down from 99 people in 2016 to only 56 currently. In Saskatchewan, the combined population for La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band went down from 5,811 to 5,235, a 10 per cent decline.

Thompson, northern Manitoba’s largest city, now has 13,035 people calling it home - a five per cent drop from 2016, when 13,678 people did the same. Pelican Narrows also saw a drop, going from 2,499 people in 2016 to 2,296 now.

Meanwhile, several other northern locales saw increases in population. Snow Lake climbed up from 899 people in 2016 to over one thousand now, sitting at 1,088. Cross Lake went from a total population of 4,818 people to seeing a seven per cent jump, now seeing 5,194 people, while Norway House saw an even bigger boost, climbing eight per cent from 5,285 people to 5,753. On the Saskatchewan side, Sandy Bay increased from 910 people to 1,104, another 21 per cent increase.

Some northern locales stayed more or less pat, including The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation. The Pas/OCN now has a combined population of 8,534, up from 8,408 five years ago - a modest one per cent gain.

Full data for prominent northern centres in Manitoba and Saskatchewan can be found below.

Challenges

Community councils can challenge the results to Statistics Canada if they feel their count is too low. The City of Flin Flon does not currently have plans to appeal their census results, while Creighton’s municipal council may appeal their count.

“We think they’re wrong and we will definitely be having a look at them and probably will put in an appeal,” said Creighton mayor Bruce Fidler during the Feb. 9 meeting of Creighton town council. Council has not yet chosen to officially appeal the result, but may at a future date.

Creighton council did the same following the 2016 census, disputing Statistics Canada’s initial tally, which was in the low 1,400 range. After a recount, Creighton’s population grew by about 25 people.

A lower population for a community can mean increased difficulty for applying for funding and grants, as well as a smaller tax base. If populations drop in a community, a community's local government may likely either lose tax funding or increase taxes to keep funding levels the same as before.

Fewer people can also mean lower amounts of money coming in for provincial municipal funding, which is divvied out to communities on a per capita basis - the more people in a community, the more funding it receives through revenue sharing. It’s that issue that is on the minds of Fidler and Creighton leadership.

“When it comes to revenue sharing, a portion of that, you get per capita. If you happen to take a very significant drop… 200 people means a lot of money,” Fidler said.

Results