The expected rate of population growth in the Lower Mainland is “a bit too much,” especially if the federal government does not properly plan for the infrastructure required to accommodate it, says Metro Vancouver Regional District chair Mike Hurley. Last week, Metro Vancouver released new population projections showing the region of 23 local governments is expected to grow, on average, by 50,000 new residents each year until 2050 when the total population reaches 4.21 million people.
If that pace proves true, that’s a 1.7 per cent annual compound growth rate from 2021 when population reached about 2.6 million.
Metro Vancouver stated the new growth rate is based on “evolving federal immigration policy, and trends in non-permanent residents.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was expecting 35,000 new residents annually to reach 3.8 million.
The new analysis shows a low-growth scenario of 3.98 million people and a high-growth scenario of 4.39 million people.
“I think the growth rate is a bit too much,” said Hurley. “I think that — and this is just my personal opinion, not Metro Vancouver's — until our infrastructure really starts to catch up and there's infrastructure deficit everywhere, including schools, hospitals, not just the Metro Vancouver infrastructure and other cities’ infrastructure, I just think it's a lot to be put on to municipalities,” said Hurley, who is also the mayor of Burnaby. And the federal government, which applies GST on n.
