Carleton Place Canada’s fastest-growing town, four years running

Fresh data from Statistics Canada puts Carleton Place at the top of the list of Canada's fastest-growing towns, and the mayor says while the pandemic was a key factor, the town's attractiveness also helped drive that growth.

In 2020-2021, Carleton Place experienced the highest growth of any census agglomeration in Canada, at 3.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Carleton Place has held that distinction for four years in a row. Most of the town's newcomers, the agency said, were moving to Carleton Place from elsewhere in Ontario.

“We really have a lot going for us here,” said Mayor Doug Black. “You have all the amenities of a small town, and the proximity of the city of Ottawa for Sens hockey, to other entertainment.”

Black says Carleton Place really benefited from the shift to working from home during the pandemic, which means many people can now work anywhere they have a reliable internet connection.

“We don't have any Internet issues, there's fibre all throughout the town, where our infrastructure is up to speed, so it is ripe for that,” Black told The Sam Laprade Show on CityNews Ottawa.

Black says he thinks the town's challenge now is to manage the high demand for homes in Carleton Place, while limiting density and promoting open space.

In 2019, Lanark County projected Carleton Place's population would nearly double over the following 20 years, to 20,964.