The rate of population growth in the region has been consistently higher than the provincial average, although there has been a province-wide slowing trend over time. The population of the SLRD more than doubled from 16,232 residents to 35,225 residents in the thirty year period from 1976 to 2006 (Census Canada). During this time period, the population in the region increased at an annual rate of approximately 3.9%, while the provincial population only increased by 2.3% for the 1976 – 2006 period. Some of the primary factors driving growth include lifestyle reasons, increasing demand for recreational services, economic and employment opportunities, natural beauty and environmental qualities, and proximity to the Lower Mainland.
Strong, sustained growth is predicted for the SLRD in the next thirty years. The population of the region is projected to almost double again in the period from 2003 to 2031: from 35,141 residents to 68,153 residents (Urban Futures). Figure 1 shows a gradual increase in the annual growth rate from less than one percent in the near term to approximately 2.8 % per year by 2016 before declining to 2.2 percent by 2031 (Urban Futures).
Figure 3
Source: Urban Futures, 2004
took it from the regions planning docs that they published in Jan. 08
So 68,153 people in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
