These Manitoba communities are seeing some of the highest population growth in Canada

Three Manitoba communities are seeing some of the highest population growth out of all the municipalities in the country, according to the 2021 census.

On Wednesday, Statistics Canada released the 25 municipalities (census subdivisions) with at least 5,000 residents that saw the highest rate of population growth between 2016 and 2021 -- and three Manitoba communities made the top 15.

The numbers show that Niverville saw the fifth-highest population growth, increasing by 29 per cent.

West St. Paul saw the tenth-highest population growth of Canadian municipalities, with a population increase of 24.5 per cent.

Statistics Canada is also reporting that Neepawa saw the thirteenth-highest population growth at 23.3 per cent.

These three communities were among the top five Manitoba municipalities that saw the highest population growth along with Morden (14.5 per cent increase) and Macdonald (13.4 per cent increase).

The 2021 census numbers also show that Winnipeg has the sixth-highest city population in Canada at 749,607.

From 2016 to 2021, Winnipeg’s population grew by more than 44,000 people – an increase of 6.3 per cent.

As for municipalities that saw a population decrease, the report shows that Thompson saw the 13th biggest decrease.

Thompson’s population went from 13,678 to 13,035 between 2016 and 2021, which is a 4.7 per cent decrease.

The numbers also show that four other Manitoba communities that saw their populations decline are Rhineland, St. Andrews, the R.M. of Portage la Prairie, and the city of Portage la Prairie.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF POPULATION GROWTH

In an interview on Wednesday, Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck said it’s a great day for the town; however, population growth does have its challenges.

“We’re very thankful for all the people that can celebrate their participation in what this means,” he said.

Dyck noted the town has been taking steps to increase the population for many years, including through the addition of senior housing, the new high school, and a recreation facility.

“It’s just the investment of risk that others have taken. Whether it’s business owners, whether it’s developers and home builders, to say they thought that Niverville would be a place where it would be good for them to invest,” he said.

“Because of the investments they’ve made, people have come and set up their businesses and bought their homes.”

Dyck added there are a number of reasons that people are drawn to Niverville, noting safety, the quality of school division, and the new businesses opening up and creating jobs.

“It’s a place where people want to raise their family,” he said.

“Where they want a chance for their children to have friends, to be on a street where there are other kids that they can play and feel there’s that security.”

Dyck noted that population growth has posed some challenges, particularly when it comes to infrastructure.

He explained these difficulties come when the town is trying to create plans and timeframes for certain projects, for example, water treatments plants.

“You suddenly realize your 30-year plan is a 20- or 15-year plan,” the mayor said.

“Those kinds of projects, you need other levels of government assistance. We’ve been very fortunate in Niverville that we’ve had both provincial and federal support for these projects.”

As for whether Niverville’s population will continue to grow at a steady rate, Dyck said that the past three census reports have shown the municipality growing at about 30 per cent.

“So in the last 15 years these numbers have remained basically static,” he said.

“So to say that it’s going to be any different when we have basically 15 years of history now to say otherwise. We have different levels of planning now.”