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Calgary’s status as the nation’s youngest city has been nurtured by a mini baby boom.

A Statistics Canada census for 2016 shows the country is aging and that for the first time, seniors — who comprise 17 per cent of the population — outnumber those aged 14 and under.

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But among the provinces, Alberta has the lowest proportion of seniors, with about 12.5 per cent of the population 65 or older. And Calgary is the youngest among the country’s census metropolitan areas, with just 11 per cent of the population made up of senior citizens.

That age has been nudged down by a climbing number of births at city hospitals and midwifery clinics. In 2015-16, there were 18,984 live births at city acute-care hospitals, up from 18,841 the year before and 17,614 in 2012-13.

Calgary midwives contacted by Postmedia said they are facing a growing demand.

“There’s definitely a longer waiting list for midwives, we’re busy,” said Shireen Mathew, administrator for Red Community Midwives. “There’s a baby boom, definitely.”