Major municipalities

The largest municipality in the Palliser Region, according to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census, was the City of Medicine Hat with a population of 56,997 1.  According to the 2006 federal census, Medicine Hat was also the municipality in the Palliser Region with the highest population growth between 2001 and 2006, and experienced an increase of 11.2% or 5,748 residents over that period.  More recently, the municipal census of 2009 showed 61,097 residents in Medicine Hat; a 9.0% increase from the 2005 municipal census number2. 

1 Note: the Census under-estimates the overall population totals for any region or municipality as some people are not counted. The reasons for this under-coverage can range from some households not receiving a census questionnaire to individuals not being included in the questionnaire completed for a household.
2 Numerical differences between the federal and municipal censuses may be ascribed to slight variations in the definition of “usual residence,” as well as how “shadow populations” are treated. While municipalities define the “shadow population” as “temporary residents of a municipality who are employed by an industrial or commercial establishment in the municipality for a minimum of 30 days” and include them in their official population numbers if they consist at least 10% of the municipality’s population or a minimum of 1,000 individuals, the shadow population of transient workers is not accounted for in population counts conducted by Statistics Canada.

Date Updated:
RDP-2367