How does filling out your census help organizations in Waterloo Region?

CTV’s Heather Senoran learns how the census can help connect communities to services they need.

The deadline to fill out the 2026 Canadian census is here, and the results could help organizations close to home.

The census is sent out every five years, and, by law, it must be filled out. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $500. The deadline to complete the census was May 12.

Although the fine acts as a deterrent, local groups are also stressing how important those results are to the work they do.

Immigration

According to the last census in 2021, one-in-four Waterloo Region residents were immigrants. That number increased 22 per cent compared to data collected in 2016, and it was higher than the national average by approximately six per cent.

“We definitely had one of the fastest rates of growth in Canada, largely driven by immigration,” Tara Bedard, Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership’s executive director, said.

Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership works with more than 70 local organizations. Bedard said census data informs how their programs operate.

“[Census data helps] to make decisions about the changes we need to make to policies, to programs, to services and what investments are needed in our community,” she explained.

Part of the immigration population boom during the last census period could be attributed to an increase in international students. International student enrolment at Conestoga College grew by 1,579 per cent between 2014/2015 and 2021/2022.

Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership said the number of international students could start to decline this year due to the federal government’s cap on international student permits.

“They’ve started to bring down immigration levels to try to stabilize a little bit of the growth happening across communities,” Bedard said.

The organization also collects information using their own survey every two years. That survey is available until May 31.

Social infrastructure

Local governments predict Waterloo Region could reach a population of one million people by 2040. The non-profit Waterloo Region Community Foundation said the area will need more than just buildings to ensure those residents thrive.

“If we’re not building a social infrastructure, a way for people to actually connect with each other, we’re just going to be bigger. We’re not going to be better,” Eric Avner, president and CEO of Waterloo Region Community Foundation, said. “We’re not going to be more connected or more sustainable or more equitable.”

In the last census, Waterloo Region was also flagged for having a younger demographic than both the provincial and national averages.

Avner believes having a younger population could present challenges.

“Because as a generation changes, it’s harder to get people to connect with a place,” he said.

Avner said filling out the census will help shape the future for residents.

“It gives us an opportunity to serve the community better, and it gives us an opportunity to tell the story of this community in a factual way,” he said.

Cities on census data

The City of Waterloo’s Executive Director of Economic Development Justin McFadden said the city relies on data from the census to guide planning for infrastructure, services and community development.

“The more we know about the people who choose to call Waterloo home, the better we can focus our programs and services to meet their needs. Several major provincial and federal funding grants to cities are based on the population and demographic data from the census,” McFadden said.

He said it is also an important tool for economic development.

“Businesses use census information to understand our local markets and available workforce, which contribute to their decision to locate or expand in Waterloo,” he said.

The City of Kitchener said census data helps the city understand how the city’s population is changing and what needs the community may have in the future.

“It enables the city to make data-informed decisions on things like new roads, pipes, and community centers, make smarter housing decisions, and support economic growth,” a spokesperson from the city, said in an email.