With the recent completion of data releases from the 2006 Census, Dr. Doug Norris, chief demographer at marketing services company Environics Analytics, will look back at the major findings and offer a comprehensive portrait of the Canadian populace. Drawing on eight data releases provided over the last year by the Census, Norris will lead an online web seminar on August 13th to assist the public and business leaders in understanding the implications of the survey’s findings. In addition, he will be available to the media for interviews on more in-depth assessments of leading trends and implications for specific industries and regions.

Dr. Norris’s analysis will focus on the changing demographic trends, growth rates and geographic shifts of the Canadian population between 2001 and 2006. Among the highlights:

• The population grew by 5.4 percent to 31.6 million people—the fastest growth rate of any member of the G8 group of industrialized nations;


• Immigration fueled two-thirds of Canada’s population growth, with one in five now foreign-born—the highest proportion in the population since 1931;


• Many of these newcomers migrated from Asia and Middle East—as opposed to previous immigrants who came from Europe—and Canada is now home to 5 million visible minorities;


• Women are now more highly educated than men, with 33 percent of women aged 25 to 34 having a university degree compared with 25 percent of their male counterparts;


• Canada’s population is migrating westward and coalescing in four urban centres: the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Montreal, the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and Vancouver-Victoria; and


• Canada is experiencing increasing income inequality between its older and younger workers as well as its native-born residents and immigrants;

even ten years after arriving, immigrants are twice as likely to report low incomes.

“The highlights of the 2006 Census show that Canada is ageing, becoming increasingly diverse and experiencing increasing income inequality,” says Norris. “All of these trends have important implications for businesses catering to their changing customers and to a government concerned with addressing the needs of its population.”

Dr. Norris will offer more detailed commentary about the Census during a web seminar and online discussion to be held Wednesday, August 13th at 1:00 pm ET. Pre-registration is available online HERE. For access to the seminar, please connect to www.environicsanalytics.ca five to ten minutes prior to session start and click the link to the WebEx session. A phone number will also be provided for audio.

In addition, media representatives interested in interviewing Norris for quotes and insight into the new Census findings should call Emma Flood at (416) 969-2733, or e-mail.