The seven host communities are home not only to long-term residents but also to migrants and immigrants as well. Table 4-19 shows the 1991 mobility status of the population in each of these communities within a one-year time span, while Table 4-20 shows the residents’ mobility status over a five-year period. At first glance, the two tables seem to be comparable, but upon closer inspection it is evident that there are important differences between them.
For example, Table 4-19 includes children who are 1-4 years of age, while Table 4-20 does not. Also, the columns entitled "Intraprovincial migrants" in the two tables are not strictly comparable. Specifically, whereas Table 4-20 includes a separate column entitled "Non-migrants" (referring to individuals who merely changed their address but not their city of residence), Table 4-19 lumps the non-migrant category together with those who changed their city of residence under the "Intraprovincial migrants" column. This exaggerates the percentage of intraprovincial migrants in Table 4-19, relative to the same category in Table 4-20. To correct for this, it appears that there are about twice as many non-migrants as there are individuals who actually changed their city of residence (judging from the ratio of "intraprovincial migrants" to "non-migrants" in Table 4-20). Accordingly, a more plausible proportion for the category of intraprovincial migrants within a one-year time span is anywhere from 5.5%-6.0%, and not 17.9% as shown in Table 4-19. Also, it is estimated that about 12% of the Alberta population were non-migrants who merely changed their address but not their city of residence (Table 4-19).
Taking these corrections into account, it appears that about 85%-90% of the population in all seven centres did not move during the past twelve months, and the balance, accounting for 10%-15% of the population, were movers. Also, most of the movers were intraprovincial migrants. The communities with the largest proportions of intraprovincial migrants within the specified one-year time span include Grande Prairie, Red Deer, and Fort McMurray. Intraprovincial migrants are slightly less prevalent in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
In 1991, the proportions of interprovincial (out-of-province) migrants were highest in Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie (3.7% each), Calgary (3.3%), and Red Deer (3.0%). The comparable proportions are lower for Medicine Hat (2.5%), Edmonton (2.3%), and Lethbridge (1.9%).
With reference to immigrants received within a one-year time span, the numbers were highest in Edmonton (8,290) and Calgary (9,985), and much lower in the remaining five centres (ranging from 520 in Lethbridge to only 85 in Grande Prairie). However, as a proportion of the total community population, immigrants who moved within the past 12 months ranged from 1.4% in Calgary, 1.0% in Edmonton, 0.9% in Lethbridge to anywhere from 0.3%-0.5% in the remaining communities (Table 4-19).
If geographical mobility is measured in terms of a five-year rather than one-year time span, one would expect the proportions of movers to be higher. Table 4-20 shows the 1991 mobility status of the population in each of seven host communities, over the preceding five-year time span. The results are clearly in line with expectations. In all of these communities, the movers ranged from one-fifth to one-fourth of the population, resulting in an average of about 76% of the Alberta population being non-movers. The proportions of movers during the specified five-year time span were highest in Red Deer and Fort McMurray, but the comparable proportions for the remaining communities are only slightly lower.
The communities with the largest proportions of intraprovincial migrants within the specified five-year time span include Red Deer (21.1%) and Grande Prairie (20.6%), followed by Lethbridge (15.6%), Fort McMurray (13.4%), Edmonton (11.9%), Medicine Hat (11.0%) and Calgary (7.6%). In 1991, about one in 10 residents of Calgary, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat and Grand Prairie came from out-of-province within the past five years, compared to only one out of 20 residents of Edmonton and Lethbridge being out-of-province migrants.
As a proportion of the total community population, immigrants who arrived within the past five years ranged from 4.9% in Calgary, 3.9% in Edmonton, and 2.7% in Lethbridge to anywhere from 1.6%-2.0% in Red Deer, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie.
It is noteworthy that Tables 4-19 and 4-20 show a high degree of geographical mobility among the populations of Edmonton and Calgary, as well as among the populations of the smaller centres. When measured in terms of a five-year span, compared to one-year span, the proportions of movers in the population tend to be twice as high.