Northern Rockies Report Card on the shape of the community from census figures

The Northern Rockies Children and Families Action Committee filed a report on Fort Nelson’s State of the Community, a discussion on local social economic conditions and resources in 2017. The report gives a snapshot of the community which is extremely useful for those attempting to manage the social economic conditions of Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Lorraine Gerwing, Coordinator of the Northern Rockie’s Children and Family Action Committee said the first publication highlighting Fort Nelson’s strengths, opportunities and areas for improvement using local, provincial and national data and statistics from a range of indicators, would help the community to make informed decisions.

The main goal of this report is to provide access to the data needed to make decisions that lead to greater regional well-being.

Here is a condensed version of the statistics contained in the report. In 2016, 5,800 jobs were available in northeast BC. Unfortunately a considerable portion of those jobs are south of Fort Nelson. While natural gas activity remains active throughout the Peace region it has slowed significantly in Fort Nelson. Unemployment in 2016 was nearly 10% for the region and in Fort Nelson unemployment was 13.7%.

In 2013, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality reported just under 800 business licenses. In 2016 this dropped to 600.

The report notes that in the oil and gas sector employment has dramatically decreased in the Northern Rockies. Forestry remains largely dormant because the major tenure holder, Canfor, remains inactive.

Tourism is a bright spot in the economy and attracts 300,000 tourists every year in destination and wheeled traffic .

Agriculture and trapping employs 2.4% of people; approximately 10 individuals work in agriculture full-time with another 25 that contribute part-time farming on their properties.

Demographics

According to the 2016 census, there with 3,366 persons in the region of which 51.5% were men. There was a drop of 25.4% between 2016 and 2006 when 4,514 persons were enumerated. The median age of the population is 35 years. There was a 36% decrease in children aged 0 to 19 between the two census years.

760 residents self identified as having aboriginal identity which means First Nations, Métis, Inuk and those who registered their Treaty Indian status. In 2011, that number was 1,235, a decrease of 38.5% in the aboriginal population in the Northern Rockies between 2011 and 2016; part of the decrease is attributed to the counting strategies between censuses. The 2011 Census included the Northern Rockies region; the 2016 census included only the population centres of the town of Fort Nelson, specifically. The largest number of residents in Fort Nelson list there ethnic origin as European 48%, other North American 30%, North American aboriginal 14%, Asians 7%, and Caribbean 1%. About 10% identify as a visible minority (or 330 people), an increase from 2011 when only 235 identified as a visible minority. Ninety per cent of these list English or French as their first language and ten per cent other languages.

At the last census there were 950 families living in Fort Nelson with average family size of 2.8 people. 81% are couples, 19% are single parent families, and of these 75% are headed by women. 50% of the couple families had children and 17% have more than three children. New in 2011, 12% of children receiving services from the Fort Nelson Family Development Service were officially diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, while in 2017 that number had rocketed to 52% .

In 2014, Northern Health reported 83 births to Fort Nelson mothers with 7 being born at Fort Nelson General Hospital. In 2015, there was 6 babies born in Fort Nelson General Hospital. In 2015, there was 60 babies born to Fort Nelson mothers and 3 of these were born at Fort Nelson General Hospital. In 2016, the total number was 62 births and 3 were born in Fort Nelson General Hospital.

Between 2011 and 2015, 351 babies were born to Fort Nelson mothers. Of these 351 babies approximately 25 were born to teenage mothers, about 7%. Northern Health Child statistics, 2016, reports Northeast BC has twice the provincial average of teen births. There’s been a 63% decrease in children in foster care between the two censuses. In 2016 that was 16 children in care and in 2017 there were 6.

In 2016, 225 seniors lived in Fort Nelson an increase of 45% from the previous census when there were 155 living in the community. 83% of these were living with families or living independently. In 2015, 20% of seniors in Fort Nelson were living in low income households.

20 seniors live in the Grace Manor, 6 in Northern Rockies Pioneer Manor, 4 in Heritage Place and 9 in the long term care facility at Fort Nelson Genera Hospital.

The 2016 census shows there are 1,455 owner and tenant households in Fort Nelson. Just under 1,000 are owned units while 510 are rental units. 10% of owner households in Fort Nelson spend 30% or more of their income on shelter costs, 10% less than the rest of the province as a whole.

The 2016 census found average monthly total costs for ‘own dwelling’ was $1,274 with an average assessed value of $257,120, similar to the 2011 Census findings.

In September 2017 the report notes that a three bedroom, two bathroom home in good condition is valued at $180,000 slightly higher than the average selling price 158,000 for a detached house in Fort Nelson last year. According to BC Assessment, Northern Rockies has seen a 31% decrease in market value in 2017.

In 2017, the vacancy rate in Fort Nelson was 49% within the town compared to 2010 when the vacancy rate was 2%. This has lowered the rental rates with an average monthly rate of just under $1000 and similar to the 2011 average.

Social housing

12% of tenants live in social housing of which Fort Nelson currently has 26 units available to seniors and those living with disabilities. Tenants are required to pay 30% of their income for rent six units are available in Northern Rockies Pioneer Manor, 20 units available in Dorothy’s Place. At the end of November 2017 only one quarter of the units in Dorothy’s Place were occupied.

There are two temporary emergency shelters in the community one for men 19 years and older and the Women’s Transition House that provides nine beds and three cribs.

Education and learning

School enrolment last year saw a 39% decrease with 732 students enrolled in the school year. Over the past five years School District 81’s graduation and completion rates are consistently higher than the provincial average. Chalo and Home School figures are not included in this survey.

45% of adults in British Columbia have limited literacy skills according to a 2013 PIAAC Literacy study. In Fort Nelson this is being addressed through one-on-one tutoring. A full breakdown of educational statistics is contained in the report.

Economic well-being

The highest industry sectors are mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. In 2016, unemployment rose to 14% compared to the Northeast at 10%. Youth unemployment is about the same and lower than for the rest.

The median after-tax earnings for individuals is about $40,000 up 16.2% from the 2011.

This is 8% more than for the average British Columbian.

In 2015 median after-tax earnings for families was $107,180, 11% more than the average BC family. 1/5 of Fort Nelson families are classified as low income. Fort Nelson’s poverty rate in 2015 was 19% was higher than both the provincial 18.3% and the national 17.4% rates.

The team compiling statistics collected prices locally, in 2017, and the average monthly cost of a nutritional food basket in Fort Nelson was $887 for an individual.

Fort Nelson’s food bank had 152 users last year, representing 4.5% population. The report notes that added local food is gathered including berries and wild game, which supplements store-bought items.

Health

Census figures for 2011 to 2015 show that the life expectancy for British Columbia’s was 82.6 years compared to the Northern Rockies of 80 years. Deaths related to smoking in Fort Nelson was 11% over the provincial average between 2011 and 2015. Smoking attributed deaths in the Fort Nelson local health area was 31% over the provincial average. Fort Nelson has a significantly higher rate of alcohol consumption than the province as a whole. The BC alcohol and drug monitoring project noted that the average annual per capita alcohol consumption in Fort Nelson was 15 litres compared to the rest of BC. On average Fort Nelson residents consume three alcoholic drinks per day compared to the provincial average of one per day.

Birth rate of 11.4 is higher than the provincial average of 9.6, and infant mortality was higher at 5.7 per hundred thousand births while the provincial average rate was 3.7. The report also notes that low birth rates are on the rise in Fort Nelson.

The Northern Rockies has a population of one physician per 842 residents.

The 43 page report comprehensively reviews all aspects of life in our local community with statistics gathered mainly from the two censuses. It represents a valuable tool for decision-makers both within the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and outside. The Northern Rockies Children and Families Action Committee commissioned the report. It gives a snapshot of the community which is extremely useful for those attempting to manage the social and economic conditions, and resources of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Lorraine Gerwing, Coordinator of the Northern Rockies Children and Family Action Committee said the first publication highlighting Fort Nelson strengths, opportunities and areas for improvement using local, provincial and national data and statistics from a range of indicators would help the community to make informed decisions.