Manitoba's population pegged at 1.24 million

Manitoba's population has risen by 16,000 in the last 12 months, bringing the total estimated population to 1.24 million as of Oct. 1, Statistics Canada reports.

In the past quarter Manitoba's population was up by 4,600 mainly due to 4,100 new international immigrants the highest level of immigration since 1971.

In the past 10 years, Manitoba has grown by nearly 92,000 people, an increase roughly equivalent to the populations of Brandon, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Winkler combined.