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Immigration leads way for population spike in Canada
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The Canadian population jumped by more than 70,000 in the first quarter of 2011, with immigration responsible for the bulk of the increase.
The 0.2 per cent total increase in population was slower than the same period from 2010, when the national head count increased by more than 85,000, according to the preliminary findings that were released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. As of April, Canada's population was recorded at just under 34.35 million.
International migration accounted for nearly 50,000 new people registered in Canada, while the number of births outweighed the number of deaths by 21,500 between January and April.
Alberta boasted the highest spike in population for the first quarter, with a 0.4 per cent increase — representing a spike of 15,500 people.
Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia were among the six provinces that had a jump of 0.2 per cent, but given their high populations, those increases accounted for much of the overall national increase.
With the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories, every province and territory experienced population growth. All three regions recorded drops of 0.1 per cent.
The country's easternmost province represented the largest decrease in the first quarter, with a drop of more than 700 people living in Newfoundland Labrador. Migration to other parts of Canada was noted as the primary reason for the drop.
Nova Scotia's population dipped by 1,080 people, while the Northwest Territories — which remains the most populated territory — decreased by about 50 people.
With more than 13.3 million residents, Ontario is the country's most populated province. Quebec is a distant second, with 7.95 million people. B.C. and Alberta round out the top four, respectively.
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