Oak Bay's population over time
image: Victoria City Directory 1949 (Sun Directories), Oak Bay's municipal 'blue pages' entry, between xxxvi and 1.
How have population numbers changed over more than a century of Oak Bay history, and where do we find those numbers?
2021 is the most recent 5-yearly census reporting year; data will be released by Statistics Canada in 2022.
2021: 17,990 [source] (added 2024)
2016: 18 094 [source] (I have no idea why it appears paired with Nova Scotia...)
2011: 18 015 [source]
2006: 17 908 [source for 1996, 2001 & 2006]
2001: 17 865
1996: 17 798
For 1955-1995, the most readily available resource of population data is the hard-copy historic city directories - we have a mostly complete set on the open shelves in the archives reading room, which are available for researchers to use during the archives' open hours. The archivist can also carry out (limited) directory checks in response to enquiries by email or phone.
1991: 17 815
1986: 17 065
1981: 16 990
1976: 17 658
1971: 18 426
1966: 18 123
1961: 16 935
1958: 15 300 (est.)
1956: 14 000 (est.)
1952: 12 000 (est.)
1949: 12 000 (est.)
Prior to 1945, only the total estimated population of greater Victoria is given. Other municipal statistics for 1955 and earlier are available in the city directories (usually near the beginning, may be in different places in the volumes, depending on the format) digitized online at https://bccd.vpl.ca/index.php N.B. incorporation dates of municipalities.
There have been two big 'building boom' periods in Oak Bay's history, i.e. first houses on lots built:
1) soon after 1906 incorporation 1910-14 as municipal planners laid out networks of streets and the new municipality installed plumbing, sewer & electricity supply infrastructure - this boom was abruptly interrupted by the onset of WW1, and did not resume afterwards until
2) post WW2-1950s, notably as the areas north and south of Lansdowne Road were developed - Henderson and its side streets from the junction with Foul Bay north to Cedar Hill X Rd, and the Carnarvon subdivision on and around the former Willows Fairgrounds/race track site.
The city directories, because they index by street as well as by name (only up to 1998 alas) are hugely useful for tracing development street by street, as addresses are often listed 'under construction' or 'new house' in the first year they appear.
Interested?
- those city directories again https://bccd.vpl.ca/index.php
- census databases to 1926 and other historical census information from Library & Archives Canada,
- recent census information from Statistics Canada
- While census data is not published for almost a century, there are summary reports for Canadian censuses 1931 and later.
Do you have stories about searching Oak Bay census records? Please get in touch!
Website: https://www.oakbay.ca/archives
Photo Search: https://www.oakbay.ca/our-community/archives/photographs-view
Blog posts: https://connect.oakbay.ca/archives
Email: archives@oakbay.ca
Phone: 250-598-3290
- Post by Anna Sander, 16 December 2021.
