Banff’s official population is 8,244 people, including 7,251 permanent residents and a shadow population of 993 people.
That’s according to the 2011 municipal census results, released to council on Monday (Sept. 26). The numbers compare to a 2007 count of 8,721 people and the 2005 municipal census that counted 8,352.
“There were some difficulties with the census, and in this town there’s always going to be non-responses,” said Kelly Gibson, Banff’s corporate services manager. “But we feel comfortable with the numbers.”
Highlights of the census report, which was prepared by Edmonton-based Pivotal Research, include:
• men slightly outnumber women in Banff, in that 50.5 per cent of the population are male and 48.8 per cent are female. The remainder was unknown;
• more than half (56.1 per cent) of the population is between the ages of 20 and 49. The largest age group was 20-29, which included 22.6 per cent of the overall population;
• almost 40 per cent of residents have lived in Banff for 10 years or more;
• more than a quarter of the people who have moved to Banff in the past five years came from outside Canada;
• almost a third of residences in Banff (32.1 per cent) are apartments;
• more than 60 per cent (62.2 per cent) of adult residents are employed full-time;
• more than half of Banff workers (51.8 per cent) indicated their primary employment is in the food and beverage, accommodation or retail industries.
The census also showed that the number of retired people is 402, which is down from 413 in 2007. The number of people who identify themselves as primary homemakers is 93, compared to 125 in 2007.
Of note, the number of people who walk or bike to work in summer was down to 48.9 per cent, compared to 55 per cent in 2007.
Councillor Grant Canning voiced concerns about the number of people driving their cars to work instead of taking public transportation.
To get to their primary employment, 1,043 people drove their own vehicle in summer, compared to 99 who took public transportation, and in winter 1,265 people drove to work compared to 128 taking the bus.
“It’s very telling in a community of our size how many drive, compared to taking public transportation,” he said.
Census data is not only used to determine the official population, but also trends in census figures for housing, age groups and other areas that can help the Town plan for the future.
The data also affects the Town of Banff’s ability to access provincial grants on a per capita basis. The lower count means Banff will get roughly $82,000 less in 2011, or around $1.4 million.
To check out the full census report, go to www.banff.ca
