The Census of Canada and you… or, Why the Census is an important research resource “Census data are more than just a compendium of numbers. They enable us to view the changing face of our country and those who live in it. They allow us to prepare for the future by understanding the past.” Roy Romanow, Globe and Mail, August 11, 2010

First, a bit of history… The first census in what is now Canada was commissioned by Jean Talon in 1666 to survey the 3,215 colonists of New France. There is a history of census-taking on the Statistics Canada websitehistory of census-taking The questions asked in the census have changed over time to collect information to understand the economic and social needs of the country. In 1710 the number of household muskets and swords was counted; in 1931, the extent of unemployment; in 2006 the amount of voluntary work done Since Confederation, the full national census is done in years ending in ‘1’ (1871, 1881, 1891, 1901… 2011) with a smaller census in years ending in ‘6’ since 1956.

Why do we need mandatory census data collection? The data collected by the census is used by government to apportion federal-provincial cost-sharing for things like municipal infrastructure, education, and social programs. Therefore, statistical reliability is critical The structure of the census is carefully designed to provide a useful framework to take into account the geographical distribution of population so that the heavily populated areas don’t mask the needs of the under- populated ones Other government surveys rely on the census methodology as a baseline to test for validity of the response rates to their voluntary survey Because it has been collected at least every 10 years since 1871, census information can be tracked over time to reveal changes and trends because it is reliable and authoritative

Sample size: 100% vs 20% The 100% sample (Census form A) is required to be completed by every adult although there are always some who do not comply either because of a personal situation (homelessness) or other reason. It obtains basic population profile counts. Note: A few people have been fined for non- compliance The 20% sample (Census form B) is distributed by means of a careful algorithm to 20% of the population. This is where the detailed information about occupations, income, ethnic origin, immigration, education, religion, and language is collected and able to be compared geographically The government determines what questions are asked in each census. The data collection and use is protected by the Statistics Act that ensures that personal information is NEVER made publicly available.

Census geography Census data is collected at a very specific local level and then aggregated to a wide variety of geographical categories Census geography categories include: Census geography categories – National, provincial and territorial levels – Census divisions and subdivisions – Census metropolitan areas, Census agglomerations, and Census tracts – Federal electoral districts, Postal Codes and Economic Regions

Let’s take a look at some sources for census data Carleton’s library has a Census Information subject guide to help you find and use Census of Canada dataCensus Information For a quick look-up of information about towns and cities, use the Community Profiles 2006Community Profiles 2006 One of the easiest ways to locate a variety of census data is by using the E-Stat databaseE-Stat If you are looking for census information about Ottawa, the City of Ottawa has census statistics on its websiteCity of Ottawa

What’s Beyond 20/20? Beyond 20/20 is the name of the software that Statistics Canada has selected to produce its detailed census data outputs Beyond 20/20 lets you select and display the data elements you need in a table that can be exported or printed for use There is a guide to Beyond 20/20 to help you work with this softwareBeyond 20/20

To find out more about the current 2011 census issues Go to and click on ‘Census Media roundup’ to see the range of news reports pro and con about the proposed changes to the 2011 census data collectionwww.datalibre.caCensus Media roundup Census Watch at datalibre has a list of the organizations that are concerned about this decision and those in favour of it Census Watch

Canadian Public PolicyCanadian Public Policy, volume 36, number 3, September 2010

Need help?... Be sure to call on us! For assistance in finding and using census information, come to the MADGIC information desk on the main floor of the Library or send us a message online by using our online chat box.