Spring... by the numbers

2019

It's springtime! The first green shoots are poking up through the earth, and there are delicate flower buds on trees. Here are some facts on assorted topics related to spring.


April showers bring May flowers

Time to take those snow tires off of your vehicles. Snow has turned to rain, and things are growing again. They say that April showers bring May flowers.

  • 206,624,103 – The number of potted plants produced in Canada in 2017.
  • 278,340,354 – The number of cut flowers produced in Canada in 2017.

Source: Table 32–10–0246–01 Production and sale of greenhouse flowers and plants.

Plenty of people grew their own flowers instead of buying them!

  • 59% – The number of households in Canada in 2015 which reported having grown fruit, herbs, vegetables or flowers for personal use in the previous 12 months.

Source: Table: 38–10–0025–01 Homegrown fruit, herbs, vegetables and flowers.

  • 6,647,582 – The number of tree seedlings produced in greenhouses in Canada in 2017.

Source: Table: 32–10–0021–01 Production of potted plants, cut flowers, cuttings, by variety and tree seedlings.


Go green!

Garden time! Spring evokes images of green pastures and green vegetables. It's the time for tilling the earth and for planting our gardens, greenhouses and fields.

  • 9,994 – The number of farms which reported growing vegetables (excluding greenhouse production), according to the 2016 Census.

Source: Table: 32–10–0418–01 Vegetables (excluding greenhouse vegetables).

  • 270,294 – The number of acres of total vegetable area (excluding greenhouse production) in 2016.
  • 4,674 – The number of acres of asparagus producing area in 2016.
  • 31,737 – The number of acres of green pea producing area in 2016.

Source: 95–634–X Total vegetable area (excluding greenhouse vegetables) by census division (CD), 2016 Canada.

Meanwhile, plenty of greens are grown in greenhouses and by home gardeners. In 2017, the number of pounds of reported production of vegetables in greenhouses included:

  • 454,653,847 – The number of pounds of fresh cucumbers.
  • 13,791,276 – The number of pounds of fresh lettuce.
  • 1,090,849 – The number of pounds of fresh Chinese vegetables.
  • 592,046 – The number of pounds of fresh herbs.

Source: Table 32–10–0456–01 Production and value of greenhouse vegetables.

Rainwater may be used for gardening and other purposes.

  • 1 in 7 – The number of Canadian households which had a barrel or cistern for collecting rainwater in 2015. That's 15% of all households in Canada.

Source: Environment Fact Sheet: Outdoor water use, 2015, The Daily, July 21, 2017.

  • 2 billion cubic metres – The amount of water which Canadian agricultural producers used in 2016.
  • 22% – The increase in usage compared with 2014.

Source: Agricultural Water Survey, 2016, The Daily, September 8, 2017.

  • $5.9 billion – The amount spent by Canadian households on tools and equipment for house and garden in the last quarter of 2018.

Source: Table 36–10–0107–01 Household final consumption expenditure, quarterly, Canada.


Sugar shack time!

Nothing says "I am Canadian" like a springtime visit to a sugar bush! The warmer weather helps the flow of maple sap, which is collected and then boiled in a place called a "sugar shack" to create maple syrup.

  • $384.4 million – The total value of maple products produced in Canada in 2018, including maple syrup. Due to a cold, harsh winter and a short spring in many parts of the country, this was an annual change of a 22.2% drop.
  • $9.796 million – The total value of maple products expressed as syrup produced in Canada in 2018.
  • 9.796 million – The number of gallons of maple syrup produced in Canada in 2018. (Producers report this commodity in gallons, which is why it is not shown in metric measurement.)

Source: Maple Products, 2018, The Daily, December 12, 2018 and Table 32-10-0354-01 Production and value of maple products (x 1,000).

  • 11,468 – The number of farms in Canada reporting taps on maple trees in 2016.
  • 46,995,360 – The number of taps on maple trees in Canada in 2016.

Source: Table 32-10-0423-01 Maple taps.

  • 90% – The percentage of all maple taps in Canada in 2016 which were in Québec.

Source: Online Catalogue 95-640-X Québec leads in dairy, maple, pigs, and fruits, berries and nuts.

  • $405,540,244 – The total value of global exports of maple sugar and maple syrup from Canada in 2018.

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.


The return of patio season!

Sit outside at a café or sip a beer on the patio of a pub and people-watch; it is spring!

  • 5,032 – The number of drinking places (alcoholic beverages) in Canada in 2018.
  • 44,635 – The number of full-service restaurants in Canada in 2018.
  • 38,951 – The number of limited-service eating places in Canada in 2018.

Source: Table 33-10-0105-01 Canadian Business Counts, with employees, December 2018 and Table 33-10-0106-01 Canadian Business Counts, without employees, December 2018.

  • $6.1 billion – the sales for food services and drinking places in Canada for November, 2018. That represented an increase of 1.03% from the previous month.

Sources: "Food services and drinking places, November 2018," The Daily, January 22, 2019 and Table 21-10-0019-01.

  • $2,593 – Total amount spent by the average household in Canada in 2017 on food purchased from restaurants.

Source: Table: 11-10-0222-01 Household spending, Canada, regions and provinces.

  • 54% – The number of Canadians who eat out once a week or more.
  • 52% – The number of Canadians who eat out as a treat, for a special occasions or celebration, to socialize with friends and family.

Source: 11-627-M Infographic Eating out: How often and why?


The great outdoors

Spring is also when we start spending time outdoors. In springtime, areas like parks, greens spaces and our own front or back yards really start to come to life.

  • 87% – The proportion of households that reported they had a park or green space close to home in 2017. Among these, 85% visited one of these nearby parks or green spaces in 2017.

Source: Table: 38-10-0020-01 Parks and green spaces.

  • 87% – The proportion of Canadian households who reported the presence of trees, bushes or hedges on their property in 2015.

Source: Table 38-10-0273-01 Trees, bushes and hedges on property.

  • 72% – The proportion of Canadian households who reported that someone in the household had participated in outdoor activities close to home in 2015.
  • 24% – The percentage of people in Canada who did not participate in outdoor activities close to home in 2015.

Source: Table 38-10-0121-01 Participation in outdoor activities.

  • Nearly 7 in 10 – The number of Canadians who reported participating in outdoor or wilderness activities, some in more than one.
  • 32% – The percentage of people in Canada who reported engaging in wildlife viewing or photography.
  • 24% – The percentage of people in Canada who reported going tent camping.
  • 22% – The percentage of people in Canada who reported going fishing.
  • 20% – The percentage of people in Canada who reported going motor boating or jet skiing.

Source: Infographic: Canadians and the outdoors.


Spring break

Just how many people enjoy Spring Break in Canada each year? Well, here are some numbers about students and teachers, to give you a general idea!

  • 5,553,522 – The total number of students enrolled in elementary and secondary school programs in Canada in 2016/2017.

Source: "Elementary–Secondary Education Survey for Canada, the provinces and territories, 2016/2017," The Daily, November 2, 2018.

  • 755,300 – The total number of teachers, professors and educational counsellors in Canada as of 2018.

Source: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0297-01 Labour force characteristics by occupation, annual (x 1,000).

Spring Break and spring in general can be a great time to travel or to get out and do things in the area where you live. Consider visiting one of the many wonderful museums in Canada or checking out an amusement park, zoo, or botanical garden.

  • $24.1 billion – Tourism spending in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Sources: "National tourism indicators, fourth quarter 2018," The Daily, March, 28, 2019.

  • 0.3% - The percentage increase from the previous quarter

Source: Table 36-10-0230-01.

  • 301 – The number of amusement and theme parks in Canada in December 2017.
  • 302 – The number of history and science museums in Canada in December 2017.
  • 122 – The number of zoos and botanical gardens in Canada in December 2017.

Source: Table 33-10-0037-01 Canadian Business Counts, with employees, December 2017 and Table 33-10-0038-01 Canadian Business Counts, without employees, December 2017.

  • $625.0 million – The amusement parks and arcades industry group's operating revenue in 2017, an increase of 8.7% since 2016.
  • $3.9 billion – Operating revenues for fitness and recreational sports centres in 2017, an 9.1% increase since 2016.
  • $2.8 billion – The operating revenue generated by all other amusement and recreation industries in 2017, yielding a 8.3% operating profit margin. This category includes marinas, bowling alleys, recreational sports teams, observation towers and all other related activities.
Source: Table 21-10-0057-01 Amusement and recreation, summary statistics.

The return of birds… and snowbirds!

The diverse landscapes in Canada support a great abundance and variety of birds, one of the most common types of wild animals Canadians see on a regular basis! Springtime is prime-time for birdwatchers to "spring" into action — pun intended!

  • 25% – The proportion of Canadian households that had bird feeders and bird houses in their yards in 2017.
  • 8% – The proportion of Canadian households that had bought products such as bird identification books or binoculars, or took trips to watch birds in 2017.

Source: Table: 38-10-0015-01 Purchases to feed, shelter or watch birds.

  • 439,626 – The number of binoculars imported to Canada in 2018.
  • $24,468,840 – The value of binoculars imported to Canada in 2018.

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.

Spring is the season when many "snowbirds," a.k.a. Canadians who spend a part of the winter in warmer places, return to their usual place of residence in Canada.

  • 300,000 to 375,000 people – The number of people in the population of Canadian "snowbirds" in the US and Mexico may be in this range.

Source: Online Catalogue 91F0015M Measuring Emigration in Canada: Review of Available Data Sources and Methods.


Spring cleaning

Spring cleaning and redecorating – especially repainting – can be popular in springtime. It is also a great time to declutter or take things to storage.

Cleaning is big business, and decorating is too!

  • $1.409 billion – The GDP of Soap, cleaning compound and toilet preparation manufacturing in 2015.
  • $1.000 billion – The GDP of Paint, coating and adhesive manufacturing in 2015.
  • $3.025 billion – The GDP of Warehousing and storage in 2015.

Source: Table 36-10-0401-01 Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry (x 1,000,000).


Easter celebrations

Easter is a little late this year, coming on April 22nd, but that will just give us more time to let the beautiful warmer weather and flowers appear! Celebrations often include hunts for coloured eggs, Easter candies and chocolates, and of course all the cute little bunny rabbits and adorable yellow chicks!

  • 31.7 million – The approximate average number of layer hens in Canada in 2017.
  • 774,528,000 – The number of dozens of eggs produced in Canada in 2017.

Source: Production and disposition of eggs, annual.

  • 284 – The number of farms in Canada in 2016 raising rabbits and other fur-bearing animals.

Source: Other livestock and poultry in Canada.

  • 378 – The number of manufacturers in the "chocolate and chocolate confectionery manufacturing from cacao beans" sub-category or in the "confectionery manufacturing from purchased chocolate sub-industry in Canada in June 2018.

Source: Table 33-10-0092-01 Canadian Business Counts with employees, June 2018 and Table 33-10-0094-01 Canadian Business Counts, without employees, June 2018.

  • $208 – The average annual expenditure on candies and chocolates by Canadian households in 2017
Source: Table 11-10-0125-01 Detailed food spending, Canada, regions and provinces.

Places in Canada with a hint of spring in their names

  • Beauséjour, Manitoba
  • Bel-Aire, Alberta
  • Bird Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Bird's Point, Saskatchewan
  • Birdtail Creek, Manitoba
  • Campania, Ontario
  • Camper, Manitoba
  • Canoe, British Columbia
  • Clearwater, British Columbia
  • Cottage Cove, Nova Scotia
  • Crocus, Manitoba
  • Eau Claire, Alberta
  • Fauna, Saskatchewan
  • Floral, Saskatchewan
  • Flower's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Gooseberry Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Green Bush, New Brunswick
  • Green Gables, Prince Edward Island
  • Green Lake, Saskatchewan
  • Greenspond, Ontario
  • Greenview (Municipal district No. 16), Alberta
  • Greenwich, New Brunswick
  • Greenwood, British Columbia
  • Latulipe-et-Gaboury, Québec
  • L'Érable, Québec
  • Lac-de-la-Sucrerie, Québec
  • Le Petit-Rainbow, Québec
  • Picnic Grove, Ontario
  • Romance, Saskatchewan
  • Seabird Island, British Columbia
  • Spring Lake, Alberta
  • Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Springfield, New Brunswick
  • Springwater, Ontario
  • Sweet Grass, Alberta
  • The Maples, Ontario

Source: 2016 Census Profile.


Happy spring from Statistics Canada!


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See features on many other subjects in By the numbers.