Going grey: latest census numbers show northern Ontario keeps getting older

The latest figures show that the population ofnortheastern Ontario and Canada as a whole continue to get older.

While nationally, the 2016 census is being marked as the first time that seniors outnumber children in Canada, that's been in the case in northern Ontario for many years.

The age of the average Canadian rose up to 41 last year, only slightly younger than the average age in Greater Sudbury: 42.2.

• Census 2016: Big cities home to big share of 35 million Canadians

Timminsremains the youngest of the major cities in the region with an average age of 40.5, while Sault Ste. Marie stands at 44.6 and North Bay at 42.7.

Elliot Lake, which is sometimes discounted by demographers when considering age statistics because it transformed itself into a retirement community, has an average age of 52.7, with 37 per cent of all residents over 65.

However the percentage of people under 30in Elliot Lake, remained steady at 21 per cent, while it fell in most other northern cities.