Ottawa now has one million residents

City politicians and staff unveil a new sign showing Ottawa’s new population count. (Via Jim Watson/Twitter)

Along with a new sign touting Ottawa’s status as a million-resident town as of Friday, the city unveiled a new slogan: “Canada in one city.”

“This milestone puts Ottawa in a different league of big North American cities,” a city news release says. “Ottawa is the fourth Canadian city to reach a population of one million, after Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. Ottawa, Gatineau and the surrounding municipalities include almost 1.5 million people, one of the six largest metropolitan areas in Canada.”

The growth is not only symbolic, either. The city said having a million residents provides “critical mass” for improved business and employment opportunities, as well as a larger footprint on the global stage.

Most (70 per cent) of the population growth has been from migration into the city. The overall poulation has been growing lately by about 28 people a day from new births and people moving here, the city said.