Much has been seen and heard about the aging of the Canadian population over the past decade. This aging is the result of two main factors: decreases in fertility and increases in life expectancies. This change in the character of the population has effects on everything from the diaper industry to educational services, the job market and shopping patterns. Most importantly, the expected increases in the number of elderly will affect the need for health services and will put a great deal of pressure on government pension funds. The trends that exist today help us to better understand the challenges of the future.

The age breakdown used for this issue was determined by definitions of senior or elderly and that used for youth. The group, the elderly, refers to those 65 years of age and over, while the old elderly, for the purposes of this portrayal, is the group 75 years of age and over. The youth group refers to those under 15 years of age. The rest of the population, those 15 to 64 years of age, are simply referred to as the working-age population.

The layers contained in this issue can be put together in various ways to help you understand the patterns of population in Canada. The population ecumene can be combined with the various population maps to see where the majority of the Canadian people are located. Overlaying populated places allows you to see the urban/rural patterns. You may even want to try and overlay two different age groups, elderly with youth, using a pattern for one of the layers. This will allow you to see areas where there are high proportions of both youth and elderly. There is also the possibility of simply printing out the various maps and doing a visual comparison. The choice is yours. Ask the question and find the answer.

• Population Pyramids