Economy

Canada’s Fastest Growing Cities 2017

The population of the winning city has jumped 20% in five years

    It is possible to have too much of a good thing? You wouldn’t think population growth would ever be counted as one of those problems, but when you grow as fast as Airdrie, Alta. there have been a few strains.

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    Cities don’t cope well when their population surges. Grow too much, too fast and city infrastructures start to buckle. Airdrie, the fastest growing city in Canada is feeling some of the pressure. The population in this manufacturing town, just 20 due north of Calgary, has jumped by 20% in five years. That’s an annual growth rate of almost 4%.

    The rapid growth occasionally sparks the ire of residents. An angry letter to the editor of the Airdrie Echo outlines how this unchecked growth is affecting the city. The list of issues is endless: No hospitals, not enough highway exits, crowded schools, no transit and congested roads. “Who is in charge of this uncontrolled crazy expansion?” begged the Airdrie resident.

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    Still, people don’t flock to a place without a reason. Growth signals that a city is in demand, that it is creating jobs and new opportunities for residents. Keep that in mind as you scroll through this list. In our view healthy growth in a city should be slightly above the national average. Our target is about 7.7% over five years, or about 1.1% a year.

      RankNameProvincePop.Annualized
      5-Yr. Growth
      Rate
      1AirdrieAlta.55,8773.8%
      2ChestermereAlta.19,0223.6%
      3BeaumontAlta.17,0923.4%
      4Mirabel Que.52,0543.3%
      5CochraneAlta.22,2673.3%
      6MiltonOnt.107,2473.3%
      7Leduc CountyAlta.30,8483.2%
      8OkotoksAlta.30,7433.2%
      9Fort SaskatchewanAlta.24,1093.1%
      10Spruce GroveAlta.32,5953.0%
      11HanoverMan.17,2073.0%
      12Sainte-SophieQue.16,2472.9%
      13Saint-ColombanQue.15,7752.8%
      14Lake CountryB.C.14,0782.7%
      15Whitchurch-StouffvilleOnt.45,6832.6%
      16Sylvan LakeAlta.14,9752.6%
      17SaskatoonSask.268,1272.5%
      18Rocky View CountyAlta.43,6632.5%
      19CalgaryAlta.1,326,8192.5%
      20Stony PlainAlta.18,1012.5%
      21Grande Prairie County No. 1Alta.66,9522.4%
      22WetaskiwinAlta.12,9802.4%
      23Cold LakeAlta.17,3832.4%
      24LloydminsterSask.11,8262.4%
      25Saint-Lin-LaurentidesQue.20,4472.4%
      26ParadiseNL21,0952.4%
      27LeducAlta.15,6272.4%
      28EdmontonAlta.973,7552.3%
      29High RiverAlta.15,3062.3%
      30Strathcona County SMAlta.109,6802.3%
      31PrévostQue.14,1202.3%
      32LacombeAlta.12,1932.3%
      33Foothills No. 31Alta.24,9952.2%
      34LangfordB.C.34,4392.2%
      35New TecumsethOnt.35,9742.2%
      36St. AlbertAlta.72,3722.2%
      37Vaudreuil-DorionQue.38,5682.2%
      38Saint-AmableQue.12,5722.1%
      39Mountain View CountyAlta.14,4712.1%
      40Wasaga BeachOnt.20,6132.1%
      41ReginaSask.226,6822.1%
      42Red Deer CountyAlta.106,6202.1%
      43MascoucheQue.48,9882.0%
      44Lacombe CountyAlta.13,6932.0%
      45CandiacQue.23,4492.0%
      46Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-LacQue.18,1742.0%
      47Wetaskiwin County No. 10Alta.14,5612.0%
      48TachéMan.11,8412.0%
      49OakvilleOnt.211,0251.9%
      50Sturgeon CountyAlta.22,7281.9%
      51CantleyQue.11,2541.9%
      52WinklerMan.12,2501.9%
      53KelownaB.C.134,3971.9%
      54Steinbach,Man.15,4641.9%
      55DieppeNB26,5451.9%
      56Parkland CountyAlta.35,2631.9%
      57BramptonOnt.607,1131.9%
      58CollingwoodOnt.22,3641.9%
      59Wood BuffaloAlta.78,0081.8%
      60ChilliwackB.C.88,6451.8%
      61Bradford West GwillimburyOnt.32,6301.8%
      62MercierQue.13,4671.8%
      63VaughanOnt.330,3061.7%
      64StrathmoreAlta.14,1071.7%
      65Saint-JérômeQue.76,9111.7%
      66Halton HillsOnt.67,0941.7%
      67Grande PrairieAlta.23,3271.7%
      68BurlingtonOnt.199,8581.7%
      69MarkhamOnt.344,5571.7%
      70CaledonOnt.67,6971.7%
      71AjaxOnt.124,4891.6%
      72West KelownaB.C.34,6381.6%
      73SquamishB.C.19,5241.6%
      74OrilliaOnt.35,1031.6%
      75LloydminsterAlta.20,6311.6%
      76East GwillimburyOnt.25,5921.6%
      77RichmondB.C.210,5391.6%
      78Lethbridge CountyAlta.95,2931.6%
      79Greater VancouverB.C.14,3841.5%
      80InnisfilOnt.36,2701.5%
      81PincourtQue.15,9081.5%
      82AbbotsfordB.C.150,0151.5%
      83ClaringtonOnt.95,5941.5%
      84SookeB.C.12,8021.5%
      85MissionB.C.40,8571.5%
      86SurreyB.C.527,5471.5%
      87KingOnt.22,4721.5%
      88Langley DMB.C.116,9151.5%
      89AuroraOnt.60,0961.5%
      90WhitehorseYT26,7011.5%
      91ChamblyQue.28,2891.5%
      92OrangevilleOnt.31,4451.4%
      93MarievilleQue.11,2371.4%
      94Val-des-MontsQue.11,5491.4%
      95BrossardQue.87,8421.4%
      96SpringwaterOnt.20,6301.4%
      97Port MoodyB.C.36,7991.4%
      98MississaugaOnt.802,2721.4%
      99EssaOnt.21,0011.4%
      100TinyOnt.12,6321.4%

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