Source: Summary of Population Growth 1851-61, Historical Atlas of Canada Online Learning Project
Areas shown represent provinces/territories/colonies, and within these, census divisions and selected cities are shown. Within these, settled area (ecumene) is coloured to show where continuous settlement occurred.
Population by census division is shown by dots, each representing 300 people.
Note: First nations people were under-enumerated in all the early censuses, especially in the West. The distribution of native people is better represented using other data sources in the section National Perspectives -> Native Canada.
Dots represent the number of people residing in a given census division or selected city in a given year, where one dot represents 300 people. The dots are placed randomly within the settled area of a given census division or selected city, and are not meant to represent the exact location of individuals.
Cities selected had a population of more than 20 000 people in 1961, and first appear as separate from the surrounding census division when their population became greater than 10 000. Note that when a city is shown as a separate area from its surrounding census division, the population of that city is not included in the census division population.
Data File Download: Population_by_CDs_1851_1961.xls
Dots are positioned within the settled area of each Census Division