2006 Aboriginal Population Profile for Kenora

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Introduction

This report examines the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Aboriginal population living in the census agglomeration (CA) of Kenora¹. The 2006 Census and 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), which provide an extensive set of data about Aboriginal people, are the data sources.

The report focuses on the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to those people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.

The term "First Nations" is used throughout the report to refer to people who identified as North American Indian. The term "Aboriginal population" is used to refer to the Aboriginal identity population.

Setting the context

A total of 1,172,790 people in Canada identified themselves as an Aboriginal person in the 2006 Census, accounting for 3.8% of the total population of Canada.

In 2006, a total of 242,500 Aboriginal people lived in Ontario representing 2.0% of the provincial population.

In 2006, the census agglomeration of Kenora, with 2,365 Aboriginal people, had the largest concentration of Aboriginal people of any city in Ontario. About one in six (16%) people in Kenora was Aboriginal. By comparison, Toronto had the largest Aboriginal population (26,575) of any city in Ontario but the Aboriginal population only represented 0.5% of that city's total population.

Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Kenora grew by 40%, from 1,690 to 2,365 people. The First Nations population grew by 28%, while the Métis grew by 59%.

Kenora's Aboriginal population half Métis and half First Nations

In 2006, 1,175 persons identified as Métis accounting for half (50%) of the Aboriginal population. Another 1,150 identified as First Nations people, accounting for almost the other half (48%). Very few (less than 1%) people identified as Inuit. The remaining 2% reported multiple or other Aboriginal responses².

In 2006, nine in ten (92%) First Nations people living in Kenora reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada.

A young population

The Aboriginal population living in Kenora is younger than the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, the median age³ of the Aboriginal population in Kenora was 25.6 years, compared to 44.2 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

In 2006, half (50%) of Aboriginal people were under the age of 25, compared to 27% of non-Aboriginal people. Further, only 5% of Aboriginal people were 65 years and over, compared to 17% of the non-Aboriginal population. One-third (33%) of Aboriginal people in Kenora were under the age of 15, compared to 14% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts (chart 1). For more details, see table 1 in the appendix.

Aboriginal children aged 14 years and under represented 30% of the city's children. Four in ten (40%) of the First Nations population was 14 years of age and under, compared to 27% of Métis.

Chart 1 Population pyramid for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations, Kenora, 2006

Aboriginal children more likely than non-Aboriginal children to live with a lone parent

In 2006, the majority of Aboriginal children aged 14 and under (63%) lived with both parents. Compared with their non-Aboriginal peers, Aboriginal children were more likely to live with a lone mother (22% versus 16%), a lone father (7% versus 2%), or with another relative other than grandparents (7% versus 0%). No Aboriginal children in Kenora were reported to be living with grandparents (with no parents present) (see table 2 in the appendix).

Aboriginal youth more likely to be attending school

Overall, in 2006, Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in Kenora had higher school attendance rates than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (80% versus 64%). Aboriginal people aged 25 to 34 also had a greater tendency to return to school than do non-Aboriginal people. For example, about 33% of Aboriginal men aged 25 to 34 were attending school in 2006, compared to 16% of non-Aboriginal men in the same age group (see table 3 in the appendix).

Majority of Aboriginal women have completed post-secondary education

Over half of Aboriginal women (54%) and over one-third of Aboriginal men (34%) aged 25 to 64 in Kenora had completed postsecondary education compared to 56% and 57%, respectively of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Postsecondary education includes a trades certificate, a college diploma or a university certificate, diploma or degree. Aboriginal men and women were more likely to have completed their post-secondary schooling with a college diploma. In the non-Aboriginal population, men were more likely to have trades or college credentials and women were more likely to have completed their post-secondary eduaction at a college or university (see text table 1).

In 2006, four in ten (39%) Aboriginal men and one in five (19%) Aboriginal women 25 to 64 years of age had less than a high school education, compared to 19% and 12% of non-Aboriginal men and women.

Text table 1 Highest level of educational attainment of people aged 25 to 64 years, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Kenora, 2006

Young Aboriginal men in Kenora more likely to obtain a university degree than their female counterparts

In Kenora, one in five (21%) Aboriginal men aged 25 to 34 reported having a university degree, in the 2006 Census, compared to only 8% of their female counterparts. (This includes all certificates, diplomas or degrees at the bachelor's level or above.) However, older Aboriginal women (35 to 64 years of age) were more likely to have a university degree than Aboriginal men in the same age group (13% versus 2%) (see chart 2).

Also, in 2006, young Aboriginal men aged 25 to 34 years were nearly three times more likely to have a university degree than non-Aboriginal men (21% versus 8%). Young Aboriginal women in the same age group were far less likely than non-Aboriginal women to have a university degree (8% versus 31%).

Chart 2 Percentage of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people 25 to 34 and 35 to 64 years of age with a university degree, Kenora, 2006

Higher unemployment rates

In 2006, the unemployment rate⁴ for the Aboriginal core working age population (aged 25 to 54) in Kenora was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population (14.0% compared to 4.0%). Unemployment rates were higher for men than they were for women, regardless of the population group.

Chart 3 Unemployment rates for people aged 25 to 54 years, by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Kenora, 2006

Unemployment rates were higher for Kenora's young people. In 2006, 18.8% of First Nations youth aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed, as were 14.3% of Métis youth, and 12.7% of non-Aboriginal youth (see table 4 in the appendix).

Métis employment rates most resemble those of non-Aboriginal population

Another measure of labour market performance is the employment rate⁵. In 2006, Métis men and women aged 25 to 54 years living in Kenora had employment rates (80.8 % and 81.8%, respectively) that most resembled those of non-Aboriginal men and women (84.1% and 85.2 %, respectively). First Nations men and women had lower employment rates at, 65.0% and 65.9%, respectively (see table 5 in the appendix).

Aboriginal people as likely as the non-Aboriginal population to be working full-time full-year

Over one in three (36%) Aboriginal people living in Kenora were working full-time full-year⁶ in 2005. This percentage almost mirrors that of the non-Aboriginal population (37%). Men were more likely than women to be full-time full-year workers. Almost four in ten (37%) Aboriginal men and 42% of non-Aboriginal men worked full-time full-year compared to 35% of Aboriginal women and 33% of non-Aboriginal women.

Métis men (44%) in the Kenora labour force were more likely than First Nations men (28%) and non-Aboriginal men (42%) to be working full-time full-year in 2005. A similar trend is observed for women where the percentages of full-time full-year employment among Métis women (42%) was higher than that of First Nations women (27%) and non-Aboriginal women (33%) (see text table 2).

Text table 2 Percentage of full-time full-year workers, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Kenora, 2005

Occupations in 'sales and services' most prevalent

In studying the labour market of a given area, it is helpful to examine its occupational⁷ make-up. In 2006, the two most common occupational categories⁸ for both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal experienced labour forces in Kenora were 'sales and service' and 'trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations'. However, the kinds of jobs people hold differ for men and women. Men were much more likely than women to work in 'trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations'. Women were more likely than men to work in 'sales and service occupations'. This holds true for both the Aboriginal and the non-Aboriginal populations in Kenora.

In 2006, while Aboriginal men were as likely as their non-Aboriginal counterparts to work in 'trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations' (41% versus 40%), Aboriginal women were more likely than non-Aboriginal women to have 'sales and service' jobs (48% versus 38%) (see table 6 in the appendix).

Earnings gap closing

In 2000, the median earnings⁹ of full-time full-year Aboriginal earners in Kenora (measured in 2005 dollars) were $39,304. By 2005, this had increased to $42,147. Even though Aboriginal people who worked full-time full-year in 2005 continued to earn less than their non-Aboriginal counterparts, the gap is closing. In 2000, Aboriginal people in Kenora working full-time full-year earned 86% of what their non-Aboriginal counterparts were earning. By 2005, this percentage had increased to 95% resulting from both an increase in the earnings of Aboriginal earners and a decrease in the earnings of non-Aboriginal earners (see table 7 in the appendix).

Total income lower for Aboriginal people

The census collects a number of measures of income that help in understanding the economic situation of a population. Earnings data have been provided for the population working full-time full-year in 2005. It is also useful to look at total income¹⁰ as sources of income go beyond that of employment. In 2005, three in ten (30%) Aboriginal people with income in Kenora had a total income of $40,000 or over compared to nearly four in ten (38%) of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In 2005, Aboriginal men had the lowest median income whether compared to Aboriginal women or to non-Aboriginal men or women. At $21,625 the median total income of Aboriginal men in Kenora was just over half that of non-Aboriginal men ($40,332) (see table 8 in the appendix).

In understanding these data, it is important to note that, in Kenora, 9% of the Aboriginal population aged 15 years and over and 2% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts reported having no income in 2005 (data not shown).

Nearly one in five Aboriginal people in Kenora living below the low-income cut-off

Statistics Canada uses the concept of low-income cut-off (LICO)¹¹ to indicate an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family. In 2005, in Kenora nearly one in five (18%) Aboriginal people were living under the LICO, compared to 7% of non-Aboriginal people. In addition, one in five (21%) Aboriginal children in Kenora were living under the LICO, compared to 9% of non-Aboriginal children (data not shown). These data are based on the before taxLICO.

Chart 4 Proportion of persons living below the before-tax low income cut-off by Aboriginal identity group and sex, Kenora, 2005

Almost half of Kenora's Aboriginal population moved at least once between 2001 and 2006

The Census counts people where they are living on one particular day. On May 16, 2006 (the date of the 2006 Census) there were 2,365 Aboriginal people living in the census agglomeration of Kenora. This count does not include all of the Aboriginal people who may have lived in Kenora at some point during the year, but only those who were living in Kenora on that particular day¹².

When looking at the Census population counts, it is important to remember that many people move between communities – for example, someone might move from a reserve community to a large city and back again within the same year. In Kenora, in 2006, more than half (56%) of the Aboriginal population had lived at the same address five years ago, compared to 70% of the non-Aboriginal population. From 2001 to 2006, about three in ten (31%) Aboriginal people had moved at least once within Kenora, and the rest (13%) had moved to Kenora from another community. A community may refer to another municipality, or a reserve, or a rural area (see table 9 in the appendix).

One in nine Aboriginal people live in homes needing major repairs

In Kenora, about one in nine (11.0%) Aboriginal people lived in homes requiring major repairs¹³ in 2006, compared to 12.2% in 2001. In comparison, the share of Kenora's non-Aboriginal population living in dwellings in need of major repairs was 9.4% in 2006 and 11.6% in 2001.

The share of Aboriginal people living in crowded¹⁴ homes was 0.6% in 2006 down from 4.9% in 2001. The comparable rates for the non-Aboriginal population were 0.3% in 2006 and 0.4% in 2001 (see table 10 in the appendix).

Majority report being healthy

The majority of off-reserve First Nations and Métis adults (the population aged 15 and over) living in Ontario¹⁵ rated their health as excellent or very good in 2006. When asked as part of the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey whether their health was excellent, very good, good, fair or poor, 52% of the off-reserve First Nations and 58% of Métis adults gave themselves a rating of excellent or very good. A further 26% of First Nations and 25% of the Métis adults reported that their health was good.

Six in ten live with one or more chronic conditions

The 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey also inquired about chronic conditions¹⁶ that had been diagnosed by a health professional. Six in ten of off-reserve First Nations (60%) and Métis (59%) adults living in Ontario reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. Among the First Nations adult population, the most frequently reported conditions were: arthritis or rheumatism (25%), respiratory problems¹⁷ (22%) and high blood pressure, heart problems or effects of a stroke (22%). Among the Métis, arthritis or rheumatism was the most commonly reported condition affecting 24% of adults followed by high blood pressure, heart problems or effects of a stroke (23%) and respiratory problems (22%).

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Notes:

1. The geographic area covered in this report is the census agglomeration (CA) of Kenora. A census agglomeration must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. The census agglomeration of Kenora does not include the Anishinabe of Wauzhushk Onigum First Nation (also known as Kenora 38B) and the Ochiichagwe'babigo'ining First Nation (aka The Dalles 38C). For maps, see: CA of Kenora.
2. Includes people who reported more than one Aboriginal identity group and those who reported being Registered Indian and/or a Band member without reporting an Aboriginal identity.
3. The median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older and the other half is younger.
4. The unemployment rate for a particular group is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day.
5. The employment rate refers to the number of employed people, in a given group, as a percentage of the total population in that group.
6. The term 'full-time full-year workers' refers to persons 15 years of age and over who worked 49 to 52 weeks (mostly full time) in 2005 for pay or in self-employment.
7. Occupation refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration, the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.
8. Occupations contained within the categories can cover a broad range of skill levels. For example, the business and finance occupation category includes professional occupations requiring a university degree, as well as clerical occupations that require a high school diploma or equivalent.
9. Median earnings are earnings levels that divide the population into two halves, i.e., half of the population receiving less than this amount, and half, more. Earnings or employment income refers to the income received by persons 15 years of age and over during calendar year 2005 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income.
10. Total income refers to the total money income received from the following sources during calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over: wages and salaries (total), net farm income, net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice, child benefits, Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, benefits from Canada or Quebec Pension Plan, benefits from Employment Insurance, other income from government sources, dividends, interest on bonds, deposits and savings certificates, and other investment income, retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities, including those from RRSPs and RRIFs, other money income.
11. The low-income cut-off is a statistical measure of the income threshold level below which Canadians are estimated to devote at least one-fifth more of their income than the average family to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. For the 2005 matrix of low income before-tax  cut-offs and additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue no. 92-566-X.
12. For example, students who return to live with their parents during the year are included at their parents' address, even if they lived elsewhere while attending school or working at a summer job.
13. Dwellings in need of major repairs are those that, in the judgment of the respondent, require major repairs to such things as defective plumbing or electrical wiring, and/or structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings, etc.
14. Crowding is defined as more than one person per room. Not counted as rooms are bathrooms, halls, vestibules and rooms used solely for business purposes.
15. Data on health is not available for Kenora so provincial level data has been provided.
16. Chronic conditions were those that had lasted or were expected to last six months or more and had been diagnosed by a health professional.
17. Respiratory problems include asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.