five to six petals. The blooming period is early July into September. The plant’s root is a strong woody taproot with numerous fibrous side shoots that form a dense mat. The dense mat of roots can choke out the other vegetation and purple loosestrife becomes the dominant species and a monoculture develops. As native plant species die off, native wetland animals such as ducks, geese, rails, bitterns, muskrats, frogs, toads and turtles have to find new habitat because the shelter and source of food provided by native plants is eliminated. Many rare and endangered wetland plants and animals are at risk. A major reason for purple loosestrife's expansion is a lack of effective predators in North America. Several European insects that only attack purple loosestrife are being tested as a possible long-term biological control in North America. 2.6 Human Characterization 2.6.1 Population Distribution, Density and Change A summary of the population of the Lakehead Source Protection Area was created based on statistics provided on the Statistics Canada website www.statcan.ca. The information used was published in 2002 and at the time of the development of this report was the most current data available. During the period from 1996 to 2001, the total population in the Lakehead Source Protection Area decreased from 126,454 to 121,829 (approximately 3.7 percent). Most of the net population loss occurred within the City of Thunder Bay which lost 4646 people (4.1 percent) of its population from 1996 to 2001. Other areas which experienced population declines included the Townships of Dorion (-6.4 percent) and O’ Connor (-2.0 percent) and the Municipalities of Neebing (- 2.5 percent), and Oliver Paipoonge (-0.8 percent). Communities experiencing growth included the Townships of Conmee (2.6 percent) and Gillies (5.0 percent) and the Municipality of Shuniah (5.1 percent). The area within the jurisdiction of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, which includes the City of Thunder Bay and the organized Townships surrounding the City, has a population ratio is 0.44 persons per hectare. The density of people per hectare for the Lakehead Source Protection Area was estimated at less than 0.11 persons per hectare. Township of Conmee During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Township of Conmee experienced a growth in population of 2.6 percent as a result of the total population increasing from 729 to 748. The population breakdown for Conmee indicates a relatively young population with 185 individuals (24.7 percent) 14 years of age or younger and a total of 50 (6.7 percent) persons aged 65 or older. Lakehead Source Protection Area Watershed Characterization Report © Lakehead Region Conservation Authority Draft Report for Consideration of the Lakehead Source Protection Committee – March 2008 Page 109 of 219 Figure 10: Population Demographics for the Township of Conmee Population Demographics for Conmee Township (2001 Census Data) 800 Male Female 700 Total 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Township of Dorion During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Township of Dorion experienced a 6.4 percent decline in population as a result of the total population decreasing from 472 to 442. This decline represents the largest per capita loss in the Lakehead Source Protection Area. The population breakdown for Dorion indicates a relatively young population with 90 individuals (20.4 percent) 14 years of age or younger and a total of 30 (6.8 percent) individuals who are aged 65 or older. Figure 11: Population Demographics for the Township of Dorion Population Demographics for Dorion Township (2001 Census Data) 500 Male 450 Female Total 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Township of Gillies During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Township of Gillies experienced a growth in population of five percent as a result of the total population increasing from 497 to 522. The Township of Gillies is the only municipality in the Lakehead Source Protection Area Lakehead Source Protection Area Watershed Characterization Report © Lakehead Region Conservation Authority Draft Report for Consideration of the Lakehead Source Protection Committee – March 2008 Page 110 of 219 with more than 20 percent of its population aged 14 (approximately 105) and under and over ten percent (approximately 55) of its population aged 65 and older. Figure 12: Population Demographics for the Township of Gillies Population Demographics for Gillies Township (2001 Census Data) 600 Male Female 500 Total 400 300 200 100 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Municipality of Neebing During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Municipality of Neebing experienced a 2.5 percent decline as result of the total population decreasing from 2,102 to 2,049. The population breakdown for the Municipality of Neebing indicates that 20.7 percent of the population (425 individuals) is 14 years of age or younger while 7.8 percent of the population (160 individuals) are aged 65 or older. Figure 13: Population Demographics for the Municipality of Neebing Population Demographics for Municipality of Neebing (2001 Census Data) 2500 Male Female Total 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Lakehead Source Protection Area Watershed Characterization Report © Lakehead Region Conservation Authority Draft Report for Consideration of the Lakehead Source Protection Committee – March 2008 Page 111 of 219 Township of O’ Connor During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Township of O’Connor experienced a two percent decline in population as a result of the total population decreasing from 739 to 724. The population breakdown for the Township of O’ Connor indicates a relatively young population with 155 individuals (21.4 percent) 14 years of age or younger and 60 individuals (8.3 percent) who are aged 65 or older. Figure 14: Population Demographics for the Township of O’Connor Population Demographics for O' Connor Township (2001 Census Data) 800 Male Female 700 Total 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge experienced an 0.8 percent decline in population as a result of the total population decreasing from 5,907 to 5,862. The population breakdown for Oliver Paipoonge indicates a relatively young population with 1235 individuals (22 percent) 14 years of age or younger and 570 individuals (9.7%) who are aged 65 or older. Figure 15: Population Demographics for the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge Population Demographics for Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge (2001 Census) 7000 Male Female 6000 Total 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Lakehead Source Protection Area Watershed Characterization Report © Lakehead Region Conservation Authority Draft Report for Consideration of the Lakehead Source Protection Committee – March 2008 Page 112 of 219 Municipality of Shuniah During the period from 1996 to 2001, the Municipality of Shuniah experienced a 5.1 percent growth as the total population increased from 2,346 to 2,466. The increase in population may be attributed to the conversion of seasonal cottages to full time residences. This factor may also account for some of the reduction in population in the City of Thunder Bay. The Municipality of Shuniah has 390 individuals (15.8 percent of the population) aged 14 and under and 335 individuals (13.6 percent of the population) that is aged 65 and over. Figure 16: Population Demographics for the Municipality of Shuniah Population Demographics for Municipality of Shuniah (2001 Census Data) 3000 Male Female Total 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Total Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age 0-4 5-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over City of Thunder Bay The City of Thunder Bay is the largest community in northern Ontario with a total population exceeding 100,000 people. The City is also the largest community within the Lakehead Source Protection Area. During the period from 1996 to 2001, the City of Thunder Bay experienced a 4.1 percent decline in population as the total population decreased from 113,662 to 109,016. This decline represents the largest total population loss in a single community in the Lakehead Source Protection Area. One factor in the decrease in the population of Thunder Bay may be caused by residents moving to other local Municipalities for year round country or lakeshore living. The City of Thunder Bay has 17,130 individuals (18 percent) aged 14 and under and 15,205 individuals (15.7 percent) aged 65 or older. Together these two demographic age groups total approximately 33.7 percent of the total population of the City of Thunder Bay.