Winnipeg's Aboriginal Population Increasing
Jan 24, 2008
canadians, million, one, population, winnipeg
Statistics Canada has recently released some of the data collected in the 2006 census and it shows that the Winnipeg region has experienced a sharp increase in the number of aboriginal people living in Canada in general and Winnipeg and surrounding regions in particular over the last few years. However, analysts have already stated that existing programs and services have not provided the jobs and education necessary for these people to play a role in Manitoba’s growth.
Canada’s aboriginal population has increased 36 percent over the last decade and surpassed the one million mark for the first time since records have been kept, new census data indicate. In contrast, the non-aboriginal component of Manitoba’s population decreased by one percent between 1996 and 2006.This same information has shown that more than 68,000 people living in the Winnipeg census metropolitan area identify themselves as aboriginal. This is an increase of more than 22 percent since the previous census. Winnipeg now has the highest number of urban aboriginals of any major city in Canada.
Approximately 72 percent of Canada’s aboriginal population now live in urban centres. Traditionally, aboriginal Canadians have tended to move to cities in search of better jobs and living conditions. The problem for them is that they have tended to find that the support systems that are in place for them in reserves - such as federally-funded services - do not exist in urban areas.
Aboriginal peoples have also historically been hesitant to participate in the census. But since Statistics Canada made it a priority to get a higher aboriginal participation rate for this most recent census, it has revealed that more Canadians than ever identify as aboriginal. This number is now are approximately 1.17 million, which is up from 976,000 in the 2001 census.
Aside from the higher participation rate this time around, there are other reasons for the increase. Aboriginal Canadians have to have a higher birth rate than non-aboriginals, for one. And a cultural awakening has more Canadians coming forth to identify as aboriginal.
With the increasing number of aboriginal Canadians moving to more urban areas, it becomes that much more imperative that all levels of government ensure that the necessary frameworks are in place to enable them to prosper in these environments.
Obviously, programs that were designed to assist aboriginal people in integrating into the workforce over the last few decades have not succeeded. As the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics has indicated that aboriginals and immigrants will soon become the major component of Manitoba’s labour force, business, government and society will have to ensure that the proper support mechanisms are in place so that people from these groups have the education and skills they require to replace retiring workers.
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The bottom line is reserves are racist, they do not work , and we need to make everyone in this country equal. The government goes to great ends to prop up the crooked reserve system, spending $30,000 per year for every man women and child on reserves. Women on reserves have no rights, there are no property rights on reserves, and corruption is everywhere. Let's just give the people the money directly and let them move to places where they will have rights.
jimcotton - -0001-11-30 00:00