Canada’s Population Pyramid
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
Examine the following:
In groups of 2-3…
 What do you see as challenges or pros and cons
for Canada in the next 20 years based on your
observations of the two pyramids?
Canadian Population Patterns
1. More than ½ of us live in large cities, why?
•
•
Pattern began in the 1920’s when farm workers moved to
cities to find work in factories
Immigrants settle in cities because work is easier to find
Canadian Population Patterns
2. The majority of Canadians
live in Southern Canada
•
•
The strip from Windsor,
Ontario to Quebec City,
Quebec is about 1100km
long, but contains nearly ½
of the total population of the
country
Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut
have 39% of Canada’s total
land, but only about 0.3% of
the total population
Let’s make a Cartogram of Canada
 On graph paper each square represents 100 000
people
 Try to make map look like the shape of Canada
Canadian Population by Province 2014
You just need chart paper and pencil
Does yours look like this?
Population Patterns- The Baby Boom
 In 1966, more than 50% of the population of Canada
was under the age of 24.
 Large population of young people led to a rapid
social change.
 Started in 1950’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDlhORJLKg (11:12) ‘Youth Culture 1950s’
Birth Rates & Death Rates post WWII
Birth Rates and Births in Canada 1921-1971
Year
1921
1926
1931
1936
1941
1946
1951
1956
1961
1966
1971
Birth Rate
29.3
24.7
23.2
20.3
22.4
27.2
27.2
28.0
26.1
19.4
16.8
Live Births
265 000
240 000
247 000
227 000
263 000
344 000
381 000
451 000
476 000
388 000
362 000
Results of the Boom
1. Wealth and Prosperity:
 -Canada became a source of natural resources during
the war, this continued
 -American companies invested $12 billion between
1945-1960
 -Marvin Harris developed the Cultural
Materialist school of thought around the idea that
economic factors change society
Results of the Boom
2. Suburbia:
 Limited urban land = subdivisions outside of city
limits = cars = manufacturing jobs = Pleasantville!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT_A9PFOY18 (3:41) ‘1950s Homelife
suburban Sprawl and the baby boom’
Results of the Boom
Education:
 1950s and 60s schools built in huge
numbers.
 Mid to late 60s new Universities and
Community colleges had to be built
 Change from authoritarian education
(3 R’s) to progressive education
(student driven)
 Ontario’s college system started in 67, St
Lawrence opened in 1969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC83eDLuh3c (1:47) ‘Dr Spocks Baby and Child
Care- Revised by Dr. Robert Needlman from MetroHealth’
Schools, schools, schools
Article- Dr Benjamin Spock
Dependency Ratio
Age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force
(the dependent part) and those typically in the labor force (the
productive part). It is normally expressed as a percentage:
(# of people 0-14 + # of people 65+)
Dependency Ratio= _______________________________
# of people aged 15-64
Dependency Ratio
• The (total) dependency ratio can be decomposed
into the child dependency ratio and the aged
dependency ratio:
Number of people aged 0-14
 Child dependency ratio=____________________________
Number of people aged 15-64
X 100
Number of people aged 65 and over
 Aged dependency ratio= ___________________________
X 100
Number of people aged 15-64
Lets do it- Calculate the following…
 According to the World Bank – these are Canada’s
stats in 2011.
• Total population = 34 500 000
• Aged 65 and above = 4 981 800
• Young, 0-14
• Aged 15-64
= 5 623 500
= 23 894 700
 Calculate Child, Old and Total Dependency Ratios
Brainstorming- Dependency Ratio
 1. Make a prediction for the future dependency ratio
of Canada. What will happen to the proportion of
youth, senior and working age populations? Why?
 2. What are some of the potential impacts of high
dependency ratios?
 3. Suggest some possible ways of relieving the
burden of an aging population.
Future Implications
As the ratio increases there may be an increased burden on the
productive part (you soon) of the population to maintain the
upbringing and pensions of the economically dependent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4r0S5qoIXc (2:09) ‘HOW AN AGEING
POPULATION WILL CHANGE THE WORLD - BBC NEWS
In partners or groups of three:
• Brainstorm what you imagine your future will look like.
•When will your career start?
•How many careers do you imagine you’ll have?
•When will retirement start for you?
•What will it look like? What activities will you be doing?
http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/the_media/clips/16743/
(5:44) ‘Sherry Cooper- the new retirement’
Doczone- Generation Boomerang
• How the Baby Boomers continue to affect change via
their choices and their children’s choices.
• The impact of the Echo Generation and Gen Y.
• http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/Doc+Zone/
2011-12/ID/2167363287/?sort=MostPopular (45:11)