List of largest Canadian cities by census
This is a list of the largest cities in Canada by census starting with the 1871 census of Canada, the first national census. Only communities that were incorporated as cities (defined by Statistics Canada as CY, as compared to larger census metropolitan areas (CMA) or census agglomerations (CA) aroundand includingthese CYs) at the time of each census are presented. Therefore, this list does not include any incorporated towns (T) that may have been larger than any incorporated cities at each census. 1871

1881

1891 
Winnipeg, Manitoba, becomes the first city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting The Maritimes from three spots on the liston both (all) of the previous censusesto two. 1901 
Vancouver, British Columbia, becomes the second city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting Ontario from five spots on the liston all three previous censusesto four. 1911 
Calgary, Alberta, becomes the third city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting The Maritimes from two spots on the liston the two most recent previous censusesto two. 1921 
Edmonton, Alberta, becomes the fourth city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, removing all cities in The Maritimes from the list for the first time as of this sixth national census; The Maritimes have never again placed a city in the Top 10 list. Western Canada's four most populous citiesVancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeghave remained in the Top 10 since 1921, joined briefly in 2001 (only) by Surrey, British Columbia. 1931

1941

1951

1956

1961

1966

1971

1976

1981 
After holding two spots on the Top 10 list in all 14 previous censuses, Quebec is reduced to one city on the list. It will briefly return to two positions, in 1996 (19th census) and 2006 (20th census). Through the 1970s, while a number of Canadian cities suffered population losses, the three Canadian Prairies cities on the Top 10 listCalgary, Edmonton and Winnipegsaw significant growth: the two Alberta cities primarily through consistent net migration, with Winnipeg primarily boosted by amalgamation of its surrounding municipalities prior to the 1976 census. 1986

1991

1996

2001 
A wave of amalgamations took place in Ontario during the 1990s and 2000s that affected city population figures. A significant change is that, after holding the position of largest city in Canada on all 19 previous censuses, covering the first 129 years of the nation of Canada, Montreal drops to second place on the list, displaced by Toronto. These two cities have maintained the same top two positions on all subsequent censuses. 2006
A wave of amalgamations took place in Quebec since the previous census, affecting city population figures. In particular, in 2002, both Montreal and Quebec City combined with a number of smaller surrounding cities, though some later chose to leave the amalgamations. 2011

2016

2021

See also

Census in Canada
List of the largest cities and towns in Canada by area
List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population
List of the largest population centres in Canada
Population of Canada by province and territory
Population of Canada by year

References 

Censuses in Canada
Canada municipalities
Cities