2006 Aboriginal Population Profile for Thunder Bay

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Introduction

This report examines the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Aboriginal population living in the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Thunder Bay¹. 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

There were 1,172,790 Aboriginal people in Canada in 2006, accounting for 3.8% of Canada's total population.

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

There were 10,055 Aboriginal people living in the CMA of Thunder Bay in 2006, making up 8% of the city's total population. By way of comparison, Toronto had the largest Aboriginal population (26,575) of any city in Ontario, and Kenora had the largest concentration of Aboriginal people of any city in Ontario (16%).

Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Thunder Bay grew by a 23%, from 8,200 to 10,055 people. The First Nations population grew by 22%, while the Métis grew by 32%.

First Nations - largest Aboriginal group in Thunder Bay

In 2006, 7,420 persons identified as First Nations people accounting for nearly three-quarters (74%) of the city's Aboriginal population. Another 2,370 identified as Métis and 45 as Inuit. The Métis accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of the Aboriginal population while Inuit accounted for less than 1%. Another 2% reported multiple or other Aboriginal responses².

Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2006, almost nine in ten (87%) 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 Thunder Bay is younger than the non-Aboriginal population. In 2006, the median age³of the Aboriginal population in Thunder Bay was 26.3 years, compared to 42.8 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

In 2006, nearly half (48%) of Aboriginal people were under the age of 25, compared to 28% of non-Aboriginal people. Further, only 4% of Aboriginal people were 65 years and over, compared to 16% of the non-Aboriginal population. Three in ten (30%) Aboriginal people in Thunder Bay were under the age of 15, compared to 15% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts (Chart 1). For more details on the age distribution see, table 1 in the appendix.

Aboriginal children aged 14 years and under represented 15% of the city's children. About one-third (32%) of the First Nations population was 14 years of age and under, compared to 22% of Métis.

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

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

In 2006, half (50%) of Aboriginal children aged 14 and under lived with both parents. Compared with their non-Aboriginal peers, Aboriginal children were more likely to live with a lone mother (39% versus 16%), a lone father (4% versus 3%), a grandparent (with no parent present) (2.5% versus 0.7%) or with another relative (3.8% versus 0.5%) (see table 2 in the appendix).

Aboriginal youth less likely to be attending school

Overall, in 2006, Aboriginal youth aged 15 to 24 living in Thunder Bay had lower school attendance rates than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (65% versus 73%). However, Aboriginal people have a greater tendency to return to school later in life than do non-Aboriginal people(see table 3 in the appendix). About one in ten (11%) Aboriginal people 35 years of age or older were attending school in 2006, compared to 5% of non-Aboriginal people in the same age group(data not shown).

Majority of Aboriginal women have completed post-secondary education

Over half (52%) of Aboriginal women aged 25 to 64 had completed postsecondary education compared to 47% of Aboriginal men and 61% of non-Aboriginal men and women. Postsecondary education includes a trades certificate, a college diploma or a university certificate, diploma or degree. Aboriginal men and non-Aboriginal men were more likely to have completed their post-secondary schooling with trades credentials than their female counterparts. However, women were more likely than men to have obtained a college or university certificate, diploma, or degree, regardless of the population group (see text table 1).

In 2006, three in ten (31% and 30% respectively) Aboriginal men and women 25 to 64 years of age had less than a high school education, compared to 15% of non-Aboriginal men and 13% of non-Aboriginal women.

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

Aboriginal women in Thunder Bay more likely to obtain a university degree than their male counterparts

Aboriginal women in Thunder Bay were more likely than Aboriginal men to have a university degree regardless of their age group. Over one in five (22%) Aboriginal women aged 25 to 34 reported having a university degree, in the 2006 Census, compared to 8% of their male counterparts. (This includes all certificates, diplomas or degrees at the bachelor's level or above.) Furthermore, 12% of Aboriginal women aged 35 to 64 had a university degree compared to 8% of Aboriginal men in this age group (see chart 2).

Regardless of their age group or sex, Aboriginal people living in Thunder Bay in 2006, were less likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to have a university degree.

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

Higher unemployment rates

In 2006, the unemployment rate⁴ for the Aboriginal core working age population (aged 25 to 54) in Thunder Bay was higher than that of the non-Aboriginal population (13.0% compared to 5.2%). While the unemployment rate was higher for First Nations women than First Nations men, the inverse was true for Métis and non-Aboriginal men and women.

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

Unemployment rates were higher for Thunder Bay's young people. In 2006, 20.9% of First Nations youth aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed, as were 18.9% of Métis youth, and 14.3% of non-Aboriginal youth (see table 4 in the appendix).

Métis more likely to be employed than First Nations

Another measure of labour market performance is the employment rate⁵. In 2006, while Métis men (66.9%) and Métis women (68.6%) aged 25 to 54 living in Thunder Bay were less likely to be employed than non-Aboriginal men (83.4%) and non-Aboriginal women (78.9%) in this age group, their employment rates were higher than First Nations men (63.1%) and First Nations women (52.4%) (see table 5 in the appendix).

Aboriginal people less likely to be working full-time full-year

Just over one in four (27%) Aboriginal people living in Thunder Bay were working full-time full-year⁶ in 2005, compared to 35% of the non-Aboriginal population.

Métis and non-Aboriginal men were more likely than their female counterparts to be full-time full-year workers. However, the inverse was true for First Nations full-time full-year workers, with 23% of men and 25% of women working full-time full-year (see text table 2).

Text table 2 Percentage of full-time full-year workers, by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal identity and sex, Thunder Bay, 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 most common occupational category⁸ for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal experienced labour forces in Thunder Bay was 'sales and service'. 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 much more likely than men to work in 'business, finance and administrative occupations'. This holds true for both the Aboriginal and the non-Aboriginal populations in Thunder Bay.

In 2006, Aboriginal men were somewhat more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to work in 'sales and service' (27% versus 22%). Aboriginal women were more likely than non-Aboriginal women to work in 'occupations in social science, education, government service and religion' (21% versus 13%) (see table 6 in the appendix).

Earnings decreased for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal earners

The median earnings⁹ of full-time full-year Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal earners in Thunder Bay (measured in 2005 dollars) decreased between 2000 and 2005. In 2000, the median earnings of full-time full-year Aboriginal earners were $39,238 and by 2005, this had decreased to $38,886. By comparison the corresponding earnings for their non-Aboriginal counterparts were $44,912 in 2000 and $44,592 in 2005.

Aboriginal people who worked full-time full-year in 2005 continued to earn less than their non-Aboriginal counterparts and the gap had not closed. In 2000, Aboriginal people in Thunder Bay working full-time full-year earned 87% of what their non-Aboriginal counterparts were earning. By 2005, this percentage had not changed (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 above 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, one in five (19%) Aboriginal people with income in Thunder Bay had a total income of $40,000 or over compared to about one-third (34%) of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In 2005, Aboriginal women had the lowest median total income ($16,301), whether compared to Aboriginal men ($17,196) or to non-Aboriginal men ($36,955) or non-Aboriginal women ($21,906) (see table 8 in the appendix).

In understanding these data, it is important to note that, in Thunder Bay, 8% of the Aboriginal population 15 and over and 4% of the their non-Aboriginal counterparts reported having no income in 2005 (data not shown).

Almost four in ten Aboriginal people in Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay almost four in ten (37%) Aboriginal people were living under the LICO, compared to 11% of non-Aboriginal people. In addition, 44% of Aboriginal children in Thunder Bay were living under the LICO,compared to 13% of non-Aboriginal children (data not shown). These data are based on the before tax LICO.

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

More than half of Thunder Bay'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 10,055 Aboriginal people living in Thunder Bay. This count does not include all of the Aboriginal people who may have lived in Thunder Bay at some point during the year, but only those who were living in Thunder Bay on that particular day and who identified themselves as Aboriginal people¹².

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 Thunder Bay, in 2006, over four in ten (44%) Aboriginal people had lived at the same address five years ago, compared to 68% of the non-Aboriginal population. From 2001 to 2006, one-third (34%) of Aboriginal people had moved at least once within Thunder Bay, and the rest (22%) had moved to Thunder Bay 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 seven live in homes needing major repairs

In Thunder Bay, about one in seven (14.6%) Aboriginal people lived in homes requiring major repairs¹³ in 2006, compared to 16.4% in 2001. In comparison, the share of Thunder Bay's non-Aboriginal population living in dwellings in need of major repairs was 6.7% in 2006 and 8.0% in 2001.

The share of Aboriginal people living in crowded¹⁴ homes was 3.3% in 2006 compared to 5.2% in 2001. The comparable rates for the non-Aboriginal population were 0.7% in 2006 and 0.8% in 2001 (see table 10 in the appendix).

Majority report being healthy

The majority of off-reserve Aboriginal 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 adult First Nations population and 58% of Métis adults gave themselves a rating of excellent or very good. A further 26% of First Nations adults and 25% of the Métis adult population reported that their health was good.

Six in ten adults 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 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 metropolitan area of Toronto. A census metropolitan area (CMA) is a large urban centre. Census metropolitan areas are formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centered on a large urban area (known as the urban core). A Census metropolitan area must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the urban core. Fort William First Nation is included within the CMA boundaries of Thunder Bay. For maps, see: CMA of Thunder Bay.
2. Includes people who reported more than one Aboriginal identity group and those who reported being Registered or Treaty Indian and/or member of an Indian band or First Nation 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 (May 16, 2006).
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, studentswho 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 the CMA of Thunder Bay 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.