Introduction
As Canadians grow older, access to nursing and residential care becomes an important part of supporting well being in later life. Understanding how these services are distributed across cities helps reveal how communities support their aging populations. The availability of these facilities also reflects civic vitality, as it shows how communities care for older residents and how inclusive and supportive they are across diverse populations. Demographic features such as income, immigration history, ethnicity, and population size shape both the demand for care and the ability to access it.
This project explores how these demographic factors relate to the number of senior care facilities in six Canadian cities: Montreal, Toronto, St. Catharines-Niagara, London, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. The analysis uses the Open Database of Healthcare Facilities data from Statistics Canada and the 2021 Statistics Canada Census data. These cities were selected because they represent different immigration histories, income patterns, and population aging profiles across Canada. Together, they provide a meaningful comparison of how care infrastructure responds to changing community needs. Research shows that aging Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to enter nursing homes than non-Hispanic whites, and that expectations of family based care influenced by filial piety often shape senior care decisions in many Asian communities. These differences suggest that demographics may influence both how many facilities are needed and how they are used. The map below introduces where facilities are currently located and invites readers to explore whether infrastructure aligns with the needs of aging populations across these cities.
