The extended Golden Horseshoe

The census counted a population of 6.7 million in the extended Golden Horseshoe, a 9.2% increase from 1996. This region consists of the urban centres of Oshawa, Toronto, Hamilton and St. Catharines-Niagara, plus Kitchener, Guelph and Barrie. It accounted for 59% of Ontario's population and 22% of the nation's population in 2001. Almost one-half of Canada's total population growth occurred there.

The main factor behind this growth was international immigration, most of which was concentrated in the Toronto area. More than 445,000 immigrants settled in the census metropolitan area of Toronto between 1996 and 2001. This added nearly 2% per year to Toronto's population over this period.

Six of the nation's 25 fastest-growing municipalities were in the extended Golden Horseshoe. They include Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Brampton and Barrie, all of which contain populations of 100,000 or more, and all of which increased 20% or more. The population of Caledon increased 26.8% to 50,595.

The census metropolitan area of St. Catharines-Niagara increased only 1.2%, the slowest rate of all CMAs in the extended Golden Horseshoe. It did not attract large numbers of immigrants, and its rate of natural increase was almost zero. St. Catharines-Niagara has one of the oldest populations among all CMAs.