Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Monday, March 19, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Statistics showing an 11 per cent growth in the population of the NWT since 2001 is probably exaggerated according to the NWT statistics bureau.

David Stewart, assistant deputy minister of strategic planning, said that the difference in population count between 2001 and 2006 could be attributed to people who were missed during the 2001 Census count, rather than actual population growth.

After the 2001 Census reported a decline in the population, from 39,672 in 1996 to 37,360 in 2001, the GNWT petitioned Statistics Canada to take another look at the numbers.

The 2006 Census reports the population of the NWT as 41,464, probably a better representation of the actual population, said Stewart.

Finance Minister Floyd Roland takes an interest in the Census count as it is one factor effecting federal transfer payments. However, transfer payments are based on a general population estimate, of which the Census count is only one factor. The population estimate directs how much money the territory will receive from the Federal government. That number won't be available until September 2008.

Roland is confident that the difference in population counts between the two previous Censuses' is evidence that officials were successful in catching most of the population this time around.

'We hired a number of individuals that shadowed the people who went out there,' said Roland. 'We just wanted to make sure that when houses looked empty, someone went back to make sure no-one was there.'

In 2001, Statistics Canada brought in staff to administer the surveys. Stewart said because staff weren't familiar with the communities, this led to missing many of the houses. For the 2006 Census, the GNWT drew out a list of residences for Statistics Canada workers in advance.

Another challenge of administering the Census in the North is the large number of transient residents, said Stewart. Transient residents can be confused over whether or not they should fill out the survey as a resident of the NWT. Stewart said the government did a campaign to inform residents about who should be filling out the questionnaire.

After the problems evident in the 2001 Census results, Statistics Canada determined there was an 8.1 per cent under-coverage rate in the NWT and consequently issued a warning that the population growth was probably overstated.

Although Statistics Canada will flag data needing adjustments, Sherry Wallace, communications manager for Statistics Canada, said that the bureau will not change the official numbers. This is what led to the exaggeration in population growth rates of the NWT.

Stewart said the NWT statistics bureau is not counting the 2001 Census numbers in tracking population growth. The bureau is looking at the 1996 Census results to track a better reflection of population growth in the NWT that rose 4.5 per cent between 1996 to 2006.