When would Lorne Calvert Learn?

The lesson, again, is when your economy is booming, people will flock to your jurisdiction. Both BC and Alberta are having record low unemployment rate these days, and when people are looking for jobs - they go to places where there are jobs.

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Oil-rich Alberta sees jump in population: StatsCan

Updated Tue. Mar. 28 2006 10:23 AM ET

Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says Alberta's population increased at more than five times the national average during the last three months of 2005, as record numbers of people flocked to the booming province from other regions of Canada.

Estimated at more than 3.3 million on Jan. 1, Alberta's population increased 0.76 per cent during the fourth quarter, with just over two-thirds of the migrants coming from other provinces and territories.

Alberta's growth was well above the 0.14 per cent rate for Canada's population as a whole.

The province's population gain of 25,100 was the highest ever attained in a fourth quarter -- approached only by similar growth during the oil-boom period of 1979-80.

Seven of Canada's 13 provinces and territories suffered population declines during the fourth quarter -- only the second time since 1971 so many regions recorded a decline during the same quarter.

The only two regions to record a growth rate above the national average were British Columbia, at 0.19 per cent, and Nunavut, up 0.37 per cent.

Three others recorded marginal growth -- Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba -- while the four Atlantic provinces, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories all lost population.

Canada's population was estimated at 32,422,900 on Jan. 1, 2006.

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