The population of the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has grown 6.6% since 2011, according to the initial 2016 Census results released today.

The RDEK now has 60,439 residents, up from 56,685 in 2011, with a population density of 2.2 people per square kilometre.

The City of Cranbrook is home to one-third of the region’s population, now pushing over the 20,000 mark, with a 3.8% growth rate in the past five years. The city has a population density of 626 people per square kilometre.

 

The second largest municipality in the region, the City of Kimberley, grew by 11.6% since 2011, with a population now of 7,425.

Kimberley has a population density of 122.5 people per square kilometre.

The third largest municipality in the region, the City of Fernie, experienced the largest growth rate in the region, at 18%.

The city’s population is now 5,249, with a population density of 388.7 people per square kilometre.

The gigantic District of Sparwood, weighing in at 191.6 square kilometres, had a 3.2% growth rate since 2011, with a 2016 population of 3,784. Thanks to the large size of the district, Sparwood has a population density of 19.7 people per square kilometre. In comparison, the City of Cranbrook is 32 square kilometres, the City of Fernie is 13.5 square kilometres and long and skinny Kimberley is 4.42 square kilometres.

The District of Invermere continues to clip along at a brisk pace, experiencing 14.8% growth in the past five years. The district now has 3,391 residents and a population density of 315.9 people per square kilometre in its 10.73 square kilometre boundary.

The District of Elkford is one of three regional municipalities to experience a population decline, dropping one per cent to 2,499. Like bigger sister Sparwood, Elkford covers a sprawling 108.4 square kilometres, giving it a population density of 23 people per square kilometre.

Things are about as stable as can be in terms of the Village of Radium Hot Springs’ population. The community lost one resident in the last five years, with a 2016 population of 776 residents and a population change of -0.1%.

The 6.34 square kilometre village has a population density of 122.4 people per square kilometre.

The hardest hit community, economy-wise, the past five years is the Village of Canal Flats.

Thanks to the closure of the Canal Flats Mill, the village had a -6.6% drop in population since 2011.

The village population is now 668, with a 60.9 people per square kilometre population density in its 10.96 square kilometre boundary.

Community           Population 2016       Population 2011       % Change

RDEK                          60,439                          56,685                       6.6%

Cranbrook                  20,047                          19,319                      3.8

Kimberley                  7,425                          6,652                          11.6.0

Fernie                         5,249                          4,448                          18.0

Sparwood                   3,784                          3,667                          3.2

Invermere                  3,391                          2,955                          14.8

Elkford                       2,499                          2,523                          -1.0

Radium HS                 776                             777                             -0.1

Canal Flats                 668                             715                             -6.6

The Province of British Columbia’s population grew by 5.6%, with 4,648,055 souls now calling B.C. home. The province has a roomy population density of five people per square kilometre.

Nationally, Canada’s population grew by five per cent since 2011, now sitting at 35,151,728 residents. The second largest nation in the world at 8,965,588.85 square kilometres, Canada has a population density of 3.9 people per square kilometre.

e-KNOW

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