Canada’s population was estimated to be just over 40,500,000 on October 1.  That’s an increase of more than 430,600 since Canada Day July 1^st. This country’s total population growth in the first 9 months of 2023 exceeded the total for any other full year period since Confederation in 1867.  Our population grew by more than a million people in 2023.  International migration was responsible for 96% of this growth with the remaining 4% the result of natural increase, the difference between births and deaths.  India appears to be the top source of new Canadian immigrants followed by China, the Philippines and Nigeria.  Rounding out the top 10 countries in order would be Afghanistan, the United States, Pakistan, Eritrea, France, and Iran.  The federal government has aggressively increased its immigration targets over the past several years and the level of immigration has been tied to the housing crisis.  Multiple experts have said that the immigration policy has driven up both house prices and rent.  The Bank of Canada said in mid-December housing affordability hit its worst level in more than 40 years.   Let’s hope lots of new homes and condos get built asap and that interest rates start coming back down.   That will be good for Saskatoon as I’m told 14,000 people moved to our city this past year pushing our population over the 300,000 mark. 

That’s Coffeetalk.  I’m Vic Dubois.