Communities by provinces and territories of Canada
This is a list of incorporated cities in Canada, in alphabetical order categorized by province or territory. More thorough lists of communities are available for each province.
To qualify as a city in Alberta, a sufficient population size (10,000 people or more) must be present and a majority of the buildings must be on parcels of land less than 1,850 square metres (19,900 sq ft).[1] A community is not always incorporated as a city even if it meets these requirements. The urban service areas of Fort McMurray and Sherwood Park are hamlets recognized as equivalents of cities, but remain unincorporated. Ten towns are also eligible for city status but remain incorporated as towns.
Alberta has 19 cities. Beaumont is Alberta's newest city, incorporating from town status on January 1, 2019.[2]
^Beaumont is Alberta's newest city, incorporated on January 1, 2019. Based on 2016 data, Beaumont is Alberta's smallest city by land area, but in 2017 its area increased to nearly 2,400 hectares, making it larger than Wetaskiwin and Lacombe.[3]
^Calgary is Canada's third-largest city, Alberta's largest city by both population and area, and was Alberta's first city, incorporated on January 1, 1894. The Calgary census metropolitan area (CMA) includes the cities of Airdrie, Calgary and Chestermere.
^Chestermere was known as Chestermere Lake prior to March 1, 1993.[3]
^Edmonton is Canada's fifth-largest city and Alberta's capital. The Edmonton CMA includes the cities of Beaumont, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Spruce Grove and St. Albert.
^The balance of Lloydminster is located within Saskatchewan.
^Wetaskiwin is Alberta's smallest city by population.
In British Columbia, a community can be incorporated as a city if its population exceeds 5,000.[5] Once so incorporated, a city does not lose this status even if its population later declines; the once-larger City of Greenwood, for example, now has a population of just 665 people.
^Vancouver is Canada's eighth-largest city and British Columbia's largest city by population. The Vancouver CMA includes the cities of Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver and White Rock.
^Victoria is British Columbia's capital. The Victoria CMA includes the cities of Colwood, Langford and Victoria.
A community in Manitoba may seek city status once reaching a population of 7,500.[10] Manitoba's newest city is Morden, which changed from town to city status on August 24, 2012.[10]
^Flin Flon is Manitoba's smallest city by population. The balance of Flin Flon is located within Saskatchewan.
^This area does not include 2.37 km2 (0.92 sq mi) in the Saskatchewan portion of Flin Flon. The city's total area in 2016 was 16.24 km2 (6.27 sq mi).
^Morden is Manitoba's newest city, incorporated August 24, 2012.
^Winnipeg is Canada's seventh-largest city and Manitoba's capital and largest city by both population and area. The Winnipeg census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed around the City of Winnipeg.
^Corner Brook is Newfoundland and Labrador's smallest city by population.
^Mount Pearl is Newfoundland and Labrador's smallest city by area.
^St. John's is Newfoundland and Labrador's capital and largest city by both population and area. The St. John's census metropolitan area includes the cities of Mount Pearl and St. John's.
Ontario has 52 cities. In Ontario, city status is conferred by the provincial government, generally upon the request of the incorporated municipality. A municipality may apply for city status anytime after its population surpasses 10,000. This status is not automatically conferred on a community that reaches this population target, but must be requested by the municipality and granted by the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Not all municipalities which reach this population target have pursued city designation. For example, Ajax, Oakville, and Whitby, which all had populations greater than 100,000 in 2011, are still designated as towns.[18] Once designated a city, however, a municipality does not lose this status even if its population later falls back below 10,000 (as, for example, Dryden). Ontario's newest city is Richmond Hill, which changed from town to city status on March 25, 2019.[19]
In Quebec, provincial law does not contain any cities at the current time, although the designation exists. — A ville, though legally a "township", may be informally referred to as a town or a city in English, but this is an arbitrary and subjective distinction. Quebec municipal types are cities (cités), townships (villes), and municipalités (municipalités).
In Saskatchewan, Section 39(1) of The Cities Act indicates a town must have a population of 5,000 or more[25] and meet other criteria in order to incorporate as a city, although in the early 20th century several centres such as Saskatoon and Regina were granted city status despite having a smaller population. The City of Melville retains its city status despite dropping below 5,000 people in the 1990s. Kindersley has expressed an interest in applying for city status upon reaching the 5,000 milestone.[26] Saskatchewan's newest city is Warman, which changed from town to city status on October 24, 2012.[27]
^The balance of Flin Flon is located within Manitoba.
^This population does not include 5,363 in the Manitoba portion of Flin Flon. The city's total population in 2011 was 5,592.
^This area does not include 13.88 km2 (5.36 sq mi) in the Manitoba portion of Flin Flon. The city's total area in 2011 was 16.25 km2 (6.27 sq mi).
^The balance of Lloydminster is located within Alberta.
^This population does not include 18,032 in the Alberta portion of Lloydminster. The city's total population in 2011 was 27,804.
^This area does not include 24.19 km2 (9.34 sq mi) in the Alberta portion of Lloydminster. The city's total area in 2011 was 41.53 km2 (16.03 sq mi).
^Martensville is Saskatchewan's smallest city by area.
^Melville is Saskatchewan's smallest city by population.
^Regina is Saskatchewan's capital and was its first city, incorporated June 19, 1903. The Regina census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed around the City of Regina.
^Saskatoon is Saskatchewan's largest city by both population and area. The Saskatoon CMA includes the cities of Martensville and Saskatoon.
^Warman is Saskatchewan's newest city, incorporated October 27, 2012.
As in the other two Canadian territories, the only incorporated city in the Yukon is its capital, Whitehorse. Dawson was also previously incorporated as a city, but when the criteria were changed in the 1980s, its status was reduced to that of a town due to population. Through special provision, however, it was officially the town of the city of Dawson until 2001.[34]
^Greater Sudbury is Ontario's largest city by area. The Greater Sudbury CMA is formed around the City of Greater Sudbury.
^Hamilton is Canada's tenth-largest city. The Hamilton CMA includes the cities of Burlington and Hamilton.
^The City of Kitchener, as well as the cities of Cambridge and Waterloo, form parts of the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA.
^The London CMA includes the cities of London and St. Thomas.
^Mississauga is Ontario's largest lower-tier city.
^The City of Niagara Falls, as well as the cities of Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold and Welland, form parts of the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA.
^The Oshawa CMA is formed around the City of Oshawa.
^Ottawa is Canada's capital and fourth-largest city. The Ontario portion of the Ottawa–Gatineau CMA includes the cities of Clarence-Rockland and Ottawa.
^The Peterborough CMA is formed around the City of Peterborough.
^Richmond Hill is Ontario's newest city, adopting the name on March 26, 2019.
^The City of St. Catharines, as well as the cities of Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Thorold and Welland, form parts of the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA.
^The Thunder Bay CMA is formed around the City of Thunder Bay.
^Toronto is Ontario's capital and Canada's and Ontario's largest city by population. The Toronto CMA includes the cities of Brampton, Markham, Mississauga, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Vaughan.
^The City of Waterloo, as well as the cities of Cambridge and Kitchener, form parts of the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA.
^The Windsor CMA is formed around the City of Windsor.