See the latest data on Heritage, compiled by Doug Elliott from the 2016 Census, in bar-graph form, with comparisons to 2006 numbers and Regina totals.

Highlights:

• Total population: 5,350 (May 2016)
• Lone-parent families: 29.3% (down from 35% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 18%)
• Dwellings owned by occupants: 33.9% (up from 30.2% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 67.9%)
• Dwellings that are crowded: 9.8% (no data collected in 2006; Regina average is 5.3%)
• Dwellings that are unaffordable: 44.2% (up from 36.4% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 23%)
• Self-identified as First Nations: 14.2% (down from 16.7% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 6.1%)
• Self-identified as Métis: 5.4% (up from 5.1% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 3.6%)
• Members of a Visible Minority: 28.7% (up from 10.2% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 19.2%)
• Immigrated to Canada in past 5 years: 9.6% (up from 0.7% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 7.6%)
• Post-secondary Graduates (ages 25-64): 52.2% (up from 44.1% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 62.2%)
• Population living in low-income households: 12.5% (down from 20.5% in 2006; Regina average in 2016 is 6.7%)

What story do these numbers tell about our neighbourhood?

Heritage has always been a dynamic neighbourhood, and these numbers show us some interesting changes in the past decade. While more people in our neighbourhood are employed, and average incomes are higher, housing is much less affordable. This is mainly due to the drastic increase in housing costs over the past few years (not specific to Heritage, but definitely sorely felt here). The result is high vacancy and an increase in crowded homes.

Heritage, which has a long history of becoming home to settlers from around the world, continues to welcome many newcomers to Canada. The sharp increase in people who’ve immigrated here within the past 5 years means our neighbourhood is home to people from a wide diversity of cultures. It has also contributed to a nearly tripling of instances of languages other than English being spoken at home, and the almost tripling of people who are members of a “visible minority” in our neighbourhood.

First Nations and Métis people remain an integral and significant portion of the population of Heritage, despite historic and ongoing colonial violence. Many of these residents are descendants from the original caretakers of the land on which this neighbourhood is built — the Cree, Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and the Métis.