Grade by Grade
D. Changing Populations · Changing Populations: Canada's People, Patterns and Trends

Global Population Issues and Canada's Role

D2.4 A2.3About 70 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can identify global population issues that concern people living in Canada.
  • I can explain how world population growth, ageing, urbanization and forced displacement are uneven around the world.
  • I can analyse the roles and actions of individuals, organizations and governments in Canada in addressing global population issues.
  • I can connect a current global event to Canada using geographic thinking.

Words to know

forcibly displaced person
Someone forced to leave home because of conflict, persecution, violence or disaster. They may stay in their own country (internally displaced) or cross a border (refugee).
internally displaced person (IDP)
A person forced from home who stays inside their own country.
asylum seeker
A person who has asked for refugee protection and is waiting for a decision.
refugee resettlement
Moving refugees from a country where they first fled to a third country, such as Canada, that agrees to give them permanent protection.
private sponsorship
A Canadian program in which groups of citizens or organizations sponsor and support refugees for their first year.
climate migration
Movement of people caused partly by climate-related changes, such as droughts, floods or sea-level rise.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
The UN Refugee Agency, which protects and supports refugees and displaced people around the world.

Hook: 8 billion and counting

The United Nations marked November 15, 2022 as the day the world's population reached 8 billion. Growth is now slowing, and the UN projects world population will peak later this century. But growth is very uneven: some countries are young and growing quickly, others are ageing and shrinking, and more than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes (UNHCR, since 2022). Why should a teenager in Ontario care? Because these issues reach Canada through migration, trade, family ties, climate and our shared humanity.

World population milestones (billions)01234567891800185019001950200018041927196019741987199920112022Source: United Nations (World Population Prospects); 8 billion reached Nov. 15, 2022
It took all of human history until about 1804 to reach 1 billion people, but only 11 years to go from 7 to 8 billion. Growth is now slowing.

Global population issues that concern Canadians

  1. Uneven growth. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have young populations and high fertility, so they are growing fast. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Italy have very low fertility and ageing, shrinking populations. Canada, with a TFR of 1.26 (2023), is in the low-fertility group.
  2. Forced displacement and refugees. Conflict, persecution and disasters have displaced record numbers of people. Most refugees stay in neighbouring countries, often lower-income countries. A small share are resettled in countries such as Canada.
  3. Climate migration. Droughts, floods, storms and sea-level rise are making some places harder to live in. Most climate-related movement happens within countries.
  4. Rapid urbanization. More than half of the world's people live in cities, and many cities in Africa and Asia are growing fast, often with informal settlements lacking water and sanitation.
  5. Food and water security. More people and a changing climate put pressure on food and water systems.
  6. Global ageing. Ageing countries compete for workers, including health-care workers; this affects immigration to Canada.
  7. Gender equality and education. Girls' education is closely linked to lower fertility, better health and economic opportunity.

What does Canada do? Governments

  • Refugee resettlement: Canada resettles refugees selected with the help of the UNHCR through Government-Assisted and Privately Sponsored refugee programs. Canada resettled more than 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and February 2016, made special measures for people fleeing Ukraine after 2022, and committed to resettle at least 40,000 Afghans.
  • International assistance: Canada funds health, education, food and humanitarian programs abroad. Since 2017, the Feminist International Assistance Policy has focused aid on women and girls.
  • International agreements: Canada is a member of the United Nations and supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Organizations

  • The Canadian Red Cross responds to disasters in Canada and abroad.
  • WUSC (World University Service of Canada) runs the Student Refugee Program, in which university and college students in Canada sponsor refugee students to come and study.
  • Faith groups, community groups and settlement agencies act as private sponsors and help newcomers settle.
  • Many international development organizations work on water, health and girls' education.

Individuals

  • Joining a sponsorship group, donating, volunteering at a settlement agency or food bank.
  • Learning and sharing reliable information; challenging myths about refugees.
  • Advocating: writing to an MP, or supporting school clubs.
  • Making sustainable choices that reduce climate pressures.

In 1986, the United Nations gave the Nansen Refugee Award to the people of Canada, recognizing Canadians' role in welcoming refugees, including the private sponsorship of tens of thousands of Southeast Asian refugees in 1979 and 1980. It was the first time the award went to an entire nation's people.

Who acts on global population issues? (examples from Canada)GovernmentsOrganizationsIndividualsGovernments:refugee resettlement, foreign aid,UN membership, climate policyOrganizations:Canadian Red Cross, WUSC, aidand refugee-support groupsIndividuals:donate, volunteer, sponsor refugeeswith a group, speak up, learn
Action happens at three levels. Individuals often act through organizations, and organizations work with governments.
Worked example

Let's analyse Canada's role in one issue

Analyse the roles of individuals, organizations and governments in Canada in responding to the Syrian refugee crisis (2015 to 2016).

  1. Issue: civil war in Syria forced millions to flee; most went to neighbouring countries such as Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan.
  2. Government: Canada committed to and resettled more than 25,000 Syrian refugees in about four months, using both government-assisted and private sponsorship.
  3. Organizations: settlement agencies, faith groups and community groups sponsored families, found housing, and offered language and job help.
  4. Individuals: thousands of Canadians joined sponsorship groups, donated furniture, and volunteered as drivers, tutors and friends.
  5. Evidence: the 2021 Census counted 60,795 Syrian-born refugees who arrived from 2016 to 2021 and were still in Canada.
  6. Assessment: a large, quick response with strong public involvement; challenges included finding affordable housing and jobs matching newcomers' skills.

All three levels worked together. Government set the target; organizations and individuals made settlement possible.

Connecting a global event to Canada (A2.3)

When you read about a global population issue, ask:

  • Where is it happening, and why there? (spatial significance)
  • Is it part of a trend? (patterns and trends)
  • How does it connect to Canada: migration, trade, family ties, climate, aid? (interrelationships)
  • How do different people see it: the people affected, the Canadian government, aid groups, Canadians with family there? (geographic perspective)
Hands-on activity

Global issue fact sheet

You need: an internet connection (with an adult), paper or a document.

  1. Choose one global population issue: refugees from a current conflict, climate migration, rapid urbanization, global ageing, food security, or girls' education.
  2. Find two reliable sources: one international (for example UNHCR, UN-Habitat or the World Bank) and one Canadian (for example Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Global Affairs Canada, or a Canadian organization).
  3. Make a one-page fact sheet: What is the issue? Where? How does it concern people in Canada? What are Canadian governments, organizations and individuals doing? What could a teenager do?
  4. Add a simple map or graph and cite your sources.

Look for: accurate facts with sources and years, all three levels of action, and a realistic action for youth (for example joining a WUSC local committee at a future college, organizing a donation drive, writing a letter).

Just for fun

No one knows exactly which baby was the world's 8 billionth person, so the UN simply picked a date: November 15, 2022, the "Day of Eight Billion". Several countries celebrated their own "8 billionth" baby, which is a very friendly way of sharing a title.

Your turn

1

When did the world reach 8 billion people, according to the UN?

2

Give two global population issues that concern people in Canada, and explain one connection.

3

Where do most refugees live?

4

What is private sponsorship?

5

What is WUSC's Student Refugee Program?

6

What award did the people of Canada receive in 1986, and why?

More practice: warm-up

1

What does UNHCR stand for?

2

What is an internally displaced person?

3

Name one country with an ageing, shrinking population.

4

Roughly how many Syrian refugees did Canada resettle from November 2015 to February 2016?

5

Name one Canadian organization that helps refugees or responds to disasters.

More practice: on your own

1

Why does global ageing affect immigration to Canada?

2

Why is girls' education considered a global population issue?

3

Explain one way climate change could affect migration to Canada in the future.

4

Evaluate the impact of an individual donating to an aid organization versus joining a sponsorship group.

5

Why does the UN project that world population growth will slow?

Challenge

1

Choose one global population issue. Analyse the role of each level (individual, organization, government) in Canada and judge which level has the most impact.

2

Some argue Canada should accept far more refugees; others say it should focus on aid in countries near conflicts. Present both perspectives and your view.

3

How might rapid urbanization in another part of the world affect people living in Canada?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

When did the world's population reach 8 billion, according to the UN?

2.

Where do most refugees live?

3.

Which is an example of an individual action?

4.

What did the people of Canada receive in 1986?

5.

Which statement about global population is correct?

6.

Which Canadian program lets students sponsor refugee students?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: D2.4 asks students to identify global population issues of concern to people in Canada and to analyse the roles of individuals, organizations and governments in Canada in addressing them. Connecting global events to Canada practises A2.3.

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking most refugees come to wealthy countries. Most stay nearby.
  • Overlooking individuals' roles. Teens can act through school clubs, donations and learning.
  • Sensitive content. Refugee experiences can be traumatic. Some students may have lived them; let your teen choose how much to engage, and keep the focus on systems and responses.

How to help: If your faith or community group has sponsored refugees, talk with someone involved. Watch a short UNHCR or Canadian Red Cross video together and discuss which level of action it shows.