As the COVID-19 pandemic slowly winds down in Alberta, residents are continuing to flee the province.
According to the latest population data from Statistics Canada, Alberta lost 3,384 people to other provinces and territories over the first three months of 2021.
The net loss since the second quarter of 2020 comes to 7,633.
Alberta’s economy was the hardest hit among the provinces last year and the unemployment rate was above the national average, which likely led to a net loss of citizens in the first few months of the year.
Ontario also experienced a net outflow of residents in the first quarter (5,629), while the outflow in Manitoba was 2,366 and Saskatchewan 2,157. While B.C. gained the most residents over the same period 9,013.
Through interprovincial migration data, the economic difficulties Alberta has had since the 2015-16 recession are upfront and centre.
From 2010 to 2014 when the economy was strong, Alberta gained over 120,000 residents from interprovincial migration. In contrast, from 2015 to the first quarter of 2021, the province lost 26,531 residents to the rest of Canada.