New census data shows the population of Sarnia fell below the national growth rate over the last five years.
Data from the 2016 Census released Wednesday, shows a population drop in the city of 1.1% to 71,594.
Mayor Mike Bradley says Statistics Canada's number is a direct contradiction to the latest information provided by BMA Management Consulting that suggested an increase of nearly 4%.
"I have to say that I'm disappointed, because I've watched all of the new building in the community, all of the efforts to attract newcomers and the work of the college and I would say that all of us were very optimistic that the next round of census numbers would be much more positive about the growth in the community," says Bradley. "We'll need to see the full breakdown and then decide what the next strategies are, but we cannot allow the status quo to exist. We need to do more to attract newcomers into the community and to make them welcome."
The census information shows an increase of 3.9% in the population of Petrolia, much to the delight of Mayor John McCharles.
"We've got all the facilities that one could ask for, for a small town, including a hospital, family health team, community centre with fitness centre, arena," says McCharles. "All of the amenities that everybody likes to have."
Plympton-Wyoming's population grew by 2.9% and Kettle Point's by 8%, while Chatham-Kent's population fell 2%.
Canada's total population reached 35.2-million in 2016, an increase of 1.7-million over 2011.
Here is a local breakdown of census population information for communities in the Sarnia region;
Community 2016 2011 % change
- Sarnia 71,594 72,366 -1.1
- St. Clair 14,086 14,515 -3.0
- Dawn-Euphemia 1,967 2,049 -4.0
- Brooke-Alvinston 2,411 2,548 -5.4
- Enniskillen 2,796 2,930 -4.6
- Oil Springs 648 704 -8.0
- Petrolia 5,742 5,528 3.9
- Point Edward 2,037 2,034 0.1
- Plympton-Wyoming 7,795 7,576 2.9
- Lambton Shores 10,631 10,656 -0.2
- Kettle Point 44 1,011 936 8.0
- Warwick 3,692 3,717 -0.7