EDITORIAL: Down, but not out yet

There’s been a lot of talk about Thunder Bay’s population skyrocketing in the coming years.

Census data released Wednesday suggests it might take a little while longer than expected.

The city’s census metropolitan area population was down more than 1,300 residents, to 121,596 from the 2006 totals, discouraging news to those who say Thunder Bay is on the grow.

City proper numbers are down about 0.7 per cent, from 109,160 to 108,359.

While the Ring of Fire may be bringing jobs to Ontario’s North, it appears that, at least for now, they may be finding their way to the Northeast and not the Northwest.

Sudbury, where Cliffs Natural Resources will likely build a ferrachrome processcing facility, is up 1.6 per cent, a sharp contrast to the overall 4.7 per cent decline in the Northwest, according to figures provided by Lakehead University economist Liveo Di Matteo.

The LU professor said employment and gross domestic product dropped about 10 per cent over the past five years as the forest industry collapsed around us.

But, given those numbers, he said, Thunder Bay has showd resiliency, so it’s not all doom-and-gloom.

He even predicts, if the Ring of Fire does proceed as anticipated, growth may not be far behind.