Collingwood, Wasaga Beach make Canada's top 10 fastest-growing smaller urban centres

Fastest growing small towns in Simcoe County Two Simcoe County towns make StatCan’s fastest-growing top 10 list in Canada for smaller urban centres.

Wasaga Beach and Collingwood made the top 10 list of Canada's fastest-growing smaller urban centres, according to Statistics Canada latest census.

"About one in 10 Canadians, or 3.8 million, are living in these small urban areas with a population size that's comprised between 10 and 100,000 inhabitants.  Four of the five fastest-growing small urban centres are actually resort places," said Laurent Martel, Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada reports that as more people work from home, they are opting to leave big cities for smaller towns that offer more affordable housing.

The census also showed that Canada is growing faster than all G7 countries.

StatCanada finds the national population hit almost 37 million last year, up more than five per cent from 2016 and double that of any other G7 country.