The Town of Bonnyville released its 2012 municipal census results earlier this month and according to CAO Mark Power, the Town's rate of growth is right around projected levels.
According to a press release, the Town's population has increased to 6,837 from 6,470 since the last municipal census was taken in 2009.
The federal census, taken in 2011, indicated there were 6,216 people living in Bonnyville, which was one of the main reasons the Town elected to complete their own census. According to Power, many provincial and federal grants are based on population size and the lower population number would mean the Town received less money.
“According to the federal number, our population went down from the 2009 census and that happened in 2006 as well…We had to do a census if we wanted to continue to get the current level of grant funding,” he explained, adding the federal census does not put the same level of effort into ensuring everyone is counted.
“As it turns out,” Power said, “It's a bonus because what we paid to do the census is more than offset by the initial residents.”
The municipal census also reports there are 3,548 male residents and 3,289 female and breaks down each gender by age group as well.
The census was undertaken by St. John's United Church, Power explained, who took the job on as a community project and a fundraiser.
The Town had considered moving to an electronic form of census-taking but Power said statistically the first attempt at an online census usually only results in 25 per cent of the population being counted.
“It doesn't save having to send people out door-to-door, it just saves on how many doors you have to send them to,” Power said.
“We thank all the residents for participating,” he added, thanking the church for their participation as well. “It worked very well.”
Each person counted in the municipal census helps the town receive an estimated $350 per person in grant funding and is used to calculate cost-sharing agreements with the MD o Bonnyville and the City of Cold Lake.
