'Urban spread' continues unimpeded in Canada's largest markets

The populations of downtowns, urban fringes, and near, intermediate, and distant suburbs in Canada’s largest metropolitan regions saw substantial growth from 2016 to 2021, according to the national statistics agency.

The “urban spread” phenomenon was most apparent in the distant suburbs of Toronto (9.4% population increase during the five-year period), Montreal (up 7%), and Vancouver (up 9.5%). All of these suburban population growth rates surpassed those of their respective CMAs, Statistics Canada reported.

“In the CMA of Vancouver, the distant suburbs grew at the fastest pace from 2016 to 2021, while in Toronto and Montreal, the pace of growth in distant suburbs was surpassed only by that of their downtowns,” StatCan said. “In Toronto, close to three-quarters of the total population growth in the CMA stemmed from distant suburbs.”

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Urban spread was also prevalent in the intermediate suburbs (20 to 30-minute drives from downtown cores) of Edmonton (up 23.4%), Calgary (up 23.3%), and Ottawa (up 21.4%).

“The growth in these intermediate suburbs largely surpassed that of their respective downtowns, urban fringes and near suburbs,” StatCan said.

“The sustained population growth in the intermediate and distant suburbs may be attributable to various factors, including limited space to build new housing close to downtown, the desire of some families to have a larger home or property, the lower cost of housing on the outskirts or wanting to be closer to nature.”

Aside from mounting unaffordability in downtown cores, the remote working revolution paved the way for the increased market strength of these relatively remote locations, with StatCan reporting that approximately 40% of the jobs in Canada could “feasibly be done at home.”