Population boom projected for Sudbury by 2046

The Nickel City might see another population boom in the coming years.

It's only a projection, but the city seems fairly optimistic that Sudbury's population couldslowly but steadily increase by up to 15,000 in the year 2046.

The data was presented by staff to city council in a report titled "City of Greater Sudbury Outlook for Growth to 2046" using numbers gathered from the 2016 Census, and its own numbers on building permits.

Kris Longston, Manager of Community and Strategic Planning with the city, said they enlisted the services of Hemson Consulting to forecast the trends in population.

"So we're anticipating between 7,000 and 15,000 new people, over that [30-year] time period," Longston said. "Between 6,000 and 8,400 new households, and between 6,400 to 11,000 new jobs over that timeframe."

The mining industry, and the jobs it attracts, will be "a key factor" to Sudbury's population increase, he added.

"But with Sudbury's role as a regional centre we're also seeing diversification in the service categories."

Senior demographic continuing to grow

Longston explained the city compiles the data and makes these projections to keep in line with provincial guidelines for land use, but also to help the city make informed decisions on growth and service policy.

Sudbury, he said, will have more senior citizens than other areas of the province, which means the city will have to shift some of its attention to that demographic's needs.

"Given the fact that we're going to see a significant increase in the seniors population we need to really look at the services that we provide and make sure we're providing services and facilities that can accommodate this aging population," Langston said.

"We need to be cognizant of that when we plan for our community and when we plan for the services we provide as a municipality."

Longston said that Sudbury is the only major urban centre in Northern Ontario projected to grow. Other cities, like Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay are expected to either flatline, or slowly decrease in population.