Berwick Register,
Aug. 22nd, 1901
The Census.
The first census bulletin, giving the population of Canada by provinces and counties, has been issued. The result is, of course, disappointing. The taking of a census has always resulted in dissatisfaction, and always will while human nature remains as now. The returns show the population to be 5,388,883, as compared with 4,833,239 in 1891, an increase of 505,644. It appears however, that returns from the Yukon and other outlying districts have not been received, and the population of these has been "estimated." Those who have a penchant for statistics, therefore, are advised not to commit the above figures to memory, but to wait for another bulletin.
The population by provinces is given as follows: -
Ontario – 2,169,978
Quebec – 1,620,974
Nova Scotia – 459,116
New Brunswick – 331,093
Manitoba – 246,464
British Columbia – 190,000
North West Territories – 145,000
Prince Edward Island – 103,258
Unorganized Territories – 75,000
British Columbia, the N.W. Territories and the unorganized territories are evidently all guessed at.
The population of Nova Scotia by counties is given thus: -
| 1891 | 1901 | |
| Annapolis | 19,350 | 18,842 |
| Antigonish | 16,114 | 13,617 |
| Cape Breton | 34,244 | 48,361 |
| Colchester | 27,160 | 24,899 |
| Cumberland | 34,529 | 38,169 |
| Digby | 19,897 | 20,322 |
| Guysboro | 17,195 | 18,320 |
| Halifax | 71,368 | 74,167 |
| Hants | 22,052 | 20,056 |
| Inverness | 25,779 | 24,746 |
| Kings | 22,489 | 21,930 |
| Lunenburg | 31,075 | 32,380 |
| Pictou | 34,541 | 33,450 |
| Richmond | 14,399 | 13,510 |
| Shelburne and Queen’s | 25,566 | 24,420 |
| Victoria | 12,432 | 10,576 |
| Yarmouth | 22,216 | 22,860 |
| 450,396 | 459,116 |
The Census will doubtless be the centre of many a political storm. It transpired at the last session of Parliament that enumerators in the Province of Quebec had received instructions which were not sent those in the English speaking provinces. The fact that the population of Quebec has increased 132,439 while that of Ontario though nearly twice as great has increased 53,657, will be a very strong argument in favor of the charge that the returns for Quebec included many persons who would not have been counted under the system followed in the other provinces.