2001 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Population and Dwelling Counts for Census Metropolitan Areas, Census Agglomerations and Census Tracts, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data

About this tabulation

General information

Catalogue number :93F0050XCB2001011
Release date :March 12, 2002
Topic :A Profile of the Canadian Population: Where We Live
Data dimensions :

Note

This table presents population and dwelling counts for census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and census tracts.



Content Considerations



The 2001 Census population counts for a particular area represent the number of Canadians whose usual place of residence is in that area, regardless of where they happened to be on Census Day. Also included are any Canadians who were staying in that area on Census Day and who had no usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada, as well as those considered to be 'non-permanent residents'. For most areas, there is little difference between the number of usual residents and the number of people staying in the area on Census Day. For certain places, however, such as tourist or vacation areas, or those including large work camps, the number of people staying in that area at any particular time could significantly exceed the number of usual residents shown here. The population counts include Canadians living in other countries, but do not include foreign residents living in Canada (the 'foreign residents' category does not include 'non-permanent residents'). Given these differences, users are advised not to interpret population counts as being the number of people living in the reported dwellings.



The dwelling counts refer to total private dwellings in Canada, including dwellings occupied by their usual residents, and/or occupied by temporary or foreign residents as well as private dwellings that are unoccupied. An unoccupied dwelling is a private dwelling that meets the two conditions necessary for year-round occupancy (a source of heat or power and shelter from the elements), but in which no usual, temporary or foreign resident is living on Census Day. The census dwelling counts do not include collective dwellings, which are dwellings of a commercial, institutional or communal nature. The usual residents counted in collective dwellings are, however, included in the population counts.



Care should be exercised in comparing the 2001 Census counts of total dwellings (including both occupied and unoccupied) with dwelling counts from the 1996 and earlier population and dwelling count releases. For 2001, the count of total dwellings in some areas is substantially higher than reported for the 1996 Census of Canada. The increase in the total number of dwellings between 1996 and 2001 is directly linked to our efforts to improve the coverage of seasonal dwellings. Based on our consultation process for 2001 and the requirements to simplify collection procedures and improve overall coverage of dwellings, the 2001 Census private dwelling definition was modified slightly from previous censuses to eliminate one criterion - access to a source of drinking water throughout the year. The result was that more private dwellings were counted in the 2001 Census - specifically more seasonal dwellings (secondary residences such as cottages, cabins and/or chalets) that now meet the private dwelling definition.



For the 2001 Census, a private dwelling is defined as:



A set of living quarters designed for or converted for human habitation in which a person or group of persons reside or could reside. In addition, a private dwelling must have a source of heat or power and must be an enclosed space that provides shelter from the elements, as evidenced by complete and enclosed walls and roof and by doors and windows that provide protection from wind, rain and snow.



Changes occur to the names, boundaries, and other characteristics of geographic areas (e.g., census subdivisions may amalgamate, or there may be an annexation or a change of name or status). Since the geographic framework is used for census data collection, the geographic reference date must be set several months before the date of the census in order to have these changes made in time. For the 2001 Census, the geographic reference date was January 1, 2001.



Users wishing to compare 2001 Census data with those of other censuses should then take into account that the boundaries of geographic areas may change from one census to another. In order to facilitate comparison, the 1996 Census population counts are adjusted as needed to take into account boundary changes between the 1996 and 2001 Censuses.



There are 1,261 designated places for the 2001 Census. There are 602 census subdivisions that contain DPLs or parts of DPLs (82 DPLs straddle two or more census subdivisions). For DPLs that contain parts, the number of parts is displayed beside the DPL name (e.g. part of/partie de 2).



Land area is the area in square kilometres of the land-based portions of standard geographic areas. The land area measurements are unofficial, and are provided for the sole purpose of calculating population density. The population density was calculated, using land area at four decimal places. The land area presented in these tables is rounded off to two decimal places. The data are calculated and stored in square kilometres at the block level, and then aggregated to the higher level geographic units. Land area data for the standard geographic areas reflect the boundaries in effect on January 1, 2001 (the geographic reference date for the 2001 Census of Canada). Users should note that even when the boundaries of standard geographic areas did not change between the 1996 and 2001 Censuses, the land areas differ because the methodology for calculating land area has changed. Land area for 1996 was manually calculated using a planimeter, and for 2001, it is calculated using software applied to the new National Geographic Base. Users should also note that the land area for each geographic unit is an independent aggregation from the block level. Consequently, if users aggregate land areas differently - such as aggregating municipality (census subdivisions) land areas to the provincial level, they may get results with minor differences from the values presented.



Special Notes



Temporary Residents



Unlike previous censuses, the Temporary Resident Study was not carried out in 1996 and 2001. Therefore, the census did not verify, on a sample basis, if temporary residents (persons found on Census Day at a place other than their usual place of residence) were enumerated at their usual place of residence.



Non-permanent Residents



In 1991, 1996 and 2001, the Census of Population enumerated both permanent and non-permanent residents of Canada. Non-permanent residents are persons who held a student or employment authorization, Minister's permit, or who were refugee claimants, at the time of the census. Family members living with these persons are also classified as non-permanent residents.



Prior to 1991, only permanent residents of Canada were included in the census. (The only exception to this occurred in 1941.) Non-permanent residents were considered foreign residents and were not enumerated.



Today in Canada, non-permanent residents make up a significant segment of the population, especially in several census metropolitan areas. Their presence can affect the demand for such government services as health care, schooling, employment programs and language training. The inclusion of non-permanent residents in the census facilitates comparisons with provincial and territorial statistics (marriages, divorces, births and deaths) which include this population. In addition, this inclusion of non-permanent residents brings Canadian practice closer to the UN recommendation that long-term residents (persons living in a country for one year or longer) be enumerated in the census.



According to the 1991 Census, there were 223,410 non-permanent residents in Canada, representing slightly less than 1% of the total population. There were fewer non-permanent residents in Canada at the time of the 1996 Census: 166,715 non-permanent residents, or 0.6% of the total population in 1996.



Total population counts, as well as counts for all variables, are affected by this change in the census universe. Users should be especially careful when comparing data from 1991, 1996 or 2001 with data from previous censuses in geographic areas where there is a concentration of non-permanent residents. Such areas include the major metropolitan areas in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.



Although every attempt has been made to enumerate non-permanent residents, factors such as language difficulties and the reluctance to complete a government form - or to understand the need to participate - may have affected the enumeration of this population. Non-permanent residents can only be identified through the long questionnaire completed by 20 percent of Canadian households. The 2001 Census estimate of non-permanent residents will not be known until the release of the immigration data in January 2003.



Incompletely Enumerated Indian Reserves and Indian Settlements



On some Indian reserves and Indian settlements in the 2001 Census, enumeration was not permitted or was interrupted before it could be completed. Moreover, for some Indian reserves and Indian settlements, the quality of the enumeration was considered inadequate. These geographic areas (a total of 30) are called incompletely enumerated Indian reserves and Indian settlements.



Data for 2001 are therefore not available for the incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements, and are not included in tabulations. Data for geographic areas containing one or more of these reserves and settlements are therefore noted accordingly. Because of the missing data, users are cautioned that for the affected geographic areas, comparisons (e.g. percentage change) between 1996 and 2001 are not exact. While for higher-level geographic areas (Canada, provinces, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations) the impact of the missing data is very small, the impact can be significant for smaller areas, where the affected reserves and settlements account for a higher proportion of the population.



Adjustment of population counts



Statistics Canada is taking additional measures to protect the privacy of all Canadians and the confidentiality of the data they provide to us. Starting with the 2001 Census, some population counts are adjusted in order to ensure confidentiality.



Counts of the total population are rounded to a base of 5 for any block having a population of less than 15. Population counts for all standard geographic areas above the block level are derived by summing the adjusted block counts. The adjustment of block counts is controlled to ensure that the population counts for dissemination areas will always be within 5 of the actual values. The adjustment has no impact on the population counts of census divisions and large census subdivisions. Dwelling counts are unadjusted.

Data table

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Geography = St. John's
Population and Dwelling Counts Values

Footnotes

Population, 2001 172,918
Population, 1996 174,051
Total private dwellings, 2001 69,118

Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0050XCB2001011.

Map – St. John's

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Related data

  • 2006 Census analysis series:
  • 2006 Census reference guides and technical reports: