Statistics Canada released its 2021 Census population data earlier this year and it shows Clearwater County is losing young residents and attracting older ones.

Below is a breakdown of Clearwater County’s population which includes the Alberta Division 9 Census Region and all municipalities within Clearwater County and the three First Nation Reserves.

Statistics Canada says the world around us changes every day through technology, regulations and market demands, but it transforms through less common and larger impact events like financial crashes, wars, floods, and fires. Officials add, sometimes we get so caught up in the hype and influence of national and international affairs that we miss how our local community is changing and what it can mean to us.

The statistics show Clearwater County and the region have a long-term trend of shrinking in population slightly and aging quickly.

The following are some of the impacts of these demographic changes.

Decrease in people under age 45:

• Fewer children in schools.
• Fewer children in sports, drama clubs, agriculture clubs, etc.
• Fewer teens and young adults for frontline, entry level jobs or apprenticeships.
• Fewer 20-45 year-old residents as employees for all job types.
• Fewer 20-45 year-olds to startup businesses.
• Fewer young families looking at buying or building houses.
• Less need for family housing or first time affordable housing like apartment or townhouses.
• Doctors and healthcare focused on family changes towards senior care.
• Less need for child care services.
• Less need for children’s stores like clothing, sports or hobbies.
• Fewer volunteers under 60 years old for service organizations.

Increase in people over age 60:

• More demand for a variety of health services like doctors, physical rehabilitation, ophthalmology and home care.
• More demand for providing mobility services like rides to doctors’ appointments or shopping.
• More demand for services to care for properties like house or yard work.
• Increase in single person homes.
• More demand for varying levels of seniors housing.
• More demand for professional services that may be lacking employees.
• More demand for social activities built for and around seniors.
• Less demand for groceries and restaurants as seniors eat less.
• More demand for programs like Meals on Wheels that deliver essentials to homes.
• Decline in use of many community amenities like skating rinks, swimming pools, or movie theatres.

According to Stats Canada, much of rural Alberta has been going through this over the past 10-15 years, as oil and gas jobs have changed. Clearwater officials say the municipality’s greatest opportunity lies in the local geography and land distance to major centres, distance to mountains and rivers, natural resources, weather and plenty of land to enable people and businesses to thrive on if the County plans for it.