Regional News
November 27, 2008 08:52 PM
Chris Traber
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
So said English critic and novelist Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963).
York Region, as a municipality, subscribes to the dictum, finding facts an effective measure of our rapidly evolving cultural landscape.
Fact: York Region is the fastest growing census division in Ontario and the third fastest in Canada.
Fact: Our population grew 22.4 per cent from 729,254 in 2001 to 892,712 in 2006.
Fact: There are now 380,525 foreign-born residents living in York Region.
Fact: In 2001, 40 per cent of York Region’s total population were immigrants. That figure grew 3 per cent in 2006.
Fact is, York is a burgeoning community full of fascinating, well, facts.
The region, in partnership with the York Region Social Data Strategy Consortium and the Community Reference Group, this week released the latest installment of Just the Facts About Your Community.
A detailed compendium of actuality, certainty and truth, the municipality has successfully parlayed traditionally dry governmental detail into a form that whets the inquisitive appetite.
“The fact sheets are quite popular,” said Newmarket Mayor and consortium co-chairperson Tony Van Bynen.
“They are an effective way of raising awareness of socio-economic trends in York Region.”
Fact: In York Region, there are approximately 35,000 residents who have no knowledge of English or French. This has increased 49.8 per cent since 2001. Almost half of these residents are senior citizens aged 65 years and older.
“This data will help employers, businesses, educators and community service providers to see the importance of adapting to our growing and diversifying population across the region’s communities,” York Region chairperson and CEO Bill Fisch said.
“We encourage our partners and stakeholders to consider how they can plan programs and services that are welcoming, accessible and adaptable for our residents of all ages and ethno-cultural backgrounds.”
Facts: The 2006 Census identified 204 distinct ethnic groups in York Region, visible minorities are increasing and the number of visible minorities in York has increased by 113,825 or 52.7 per cent since 2001. In 2006, there were 329,955 visible minorities living in York Region, representing 37.2 per cent of the total population.
“These fact sheets provide information of the changing demographics in all nine local municipalities across York Region,” said Regional Councillor Brenda Hogg, chairperson of the region’s community services and housing committee.
“There are unique trends even within individual local municipalities, which tell us that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be used to effectively plan programs and services.”
Facts: York Region had the third largest proportion of visible minorities in Ontario and the fourth-largest in Canada after Peel (50 per cent), Toronto (46.9 per cent) and Vancouver (41.7 per cent).
In 2006, the top visible minorities in York Region were Chinese (138,575), South Asian (80,595), West Asian (20,860), Black (20,770) and Filipino (17,150).
In York Region, 15.6 per cent of all residents are Chinese. This is the highest proportion of Chinese in all census divisions in Ontario.
“By responding more effectively to people’s needs, we can help to ensure that York Region stays robust and versatile and our residents maintain a high quality of life,” United Way of York Region CEO and consortium co-chairperson Daniele Zanotti said.
According to the newest release, which augments previous fact sheets including Community Snapshots: Recent Immigrants Living in York Region (2006), Just the Facts About Your Community (2007) and the recently undated What If York Region Were a Village of Just 100 People?, we’ve eclipsed the million population mark.
Specifically, as of last September, we’re 1,004,327 strong.
It’s forecasted York Region’s population will reach 1.5 million people by 2031.
Adding 500,000 more people in 23 years will be like adding the population of our two largest cities, Markham and Vaughan, combined.
To get your fact fix, visit
www.york.ca/yrcsd