Chatham-Kent is still in better shape for growth than it was five years ago, despite a shrinking population, according to a municipal official.
New census data released by Statistics Canada Wednesday morning shows the local population dropped by 2% between 2011 and 2016. If the downwards trend continues, the municipality could dip below 100,000 people by the next census in 2021.
The findings don't surprise Chatham-Kent's Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire, but they don't discourage him either.
"After the 2011 census, we'd seen a real precipitous decline in our population. We dropped by 4.2%. It was really a direct result of having a recession," he says.
The municipality then turned its focus to job creation, and it's starting to pay dividends. The latest jobless numbers are the lowest they've been in a decade.
"It's the same when you see a strong real estate market," Shropshire says. "It's an indication people have increased confidence in the economy, and that's something that stimulates population growth."
Shropshire attributes chipping away at unemployment as something that has helped retain residents and, in turn, cut Chatham-Kent's rate of decline in half.
"The recent report by Stats Canada basically reinforces that council's on the right path," Shropshire says, pointing to Chatham-Kent's "welcoming community" designation by the federal immigration ministry. "Whether that's welcoming Syrian refugees or people [moving here for work], we want to make sure that we're seen as a great place to raise your families."
Census shows growth in Dresden, Tilbury
While Chatham-Kent as a whole shrank by 2% from 2006 to 2011, two communities in the municipality saw small growth over that same period of time.
A breakdown of census statistics from the municipality shows that Dresden gained five residents while Tilbury's population grew by 68 -- every other community listed lost residents.
Chatham's population decreased the most, losing 524 residents. However, percentage-wise, Thamesville posted the biggest decrease, losing 67 residents, which represents a drop of 7.2%.
You can find the full breakdown below:
Statistics courtesy of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.