While the number of people aged 65 and older has increased by more than 14 per cent since 2006, the growth in the under-five population is the biggest it has been since the baby boom, according to the 2011 Census.
The results, released Tuesday, reveals that Canada has a higher proportion of seniors than ever before. Ottawa has a senior population of close to 117,000 people.
The number of toddlers between the ages of 0 to four has increased by 11 per cent from five years ago.
That's something that Two Monkeys, a coffee and tea shop in Barrhaven is embracing. It encourages young people and their parents to come in together.
"There definitely needs to be more places like this across the city," said mom Kristin Tittley-Murphy.
Karyn Jacobson-Hughes agrees.
"It seems to be turning around. It's a whole new way of thought to encourage family life," she said.
The shop's owner Rob Kay says "you don't see it slowing down because you see the new faces all the time, especially here."
Some say the government needs to do more to adapt to Canada's changing population
"I don't think enough is being do to ensure there are enough daycare spots available for the kids or if there's enough funding for the parents either. It's not cheap to put your kids in daycare," said Tittley.
Dora Workman lives in a retirement home. She worried about her daughter's future.
"Careful planning for retirement is very, very important when you are younger. I know my daughter, she's 50 now, she says ‘mom I'll never retire,'" she said.
Experts say the cost of caring for aging baby boomers will make saving for retirement even tougher.
"I think everyone young or old has going to be have to be paying higher taxes in the future to provide services for the senior citizens," said David Gray, economics professor at the University of Ottawa.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua.
