Canada 2011 Census
Encyclopedia
The Canada 2011 Census is a detailed enumeration of the Canadian
population on May 10, 2011. Statistics Canada
—an agency of the Canadian government—conducts a nationwide census
every five years. In 2011, it
consists of a mandatory short form census questionnaire and an inaugural National Household Survey (NHS), a voluntary survey which replaces the mandatory long form census questionnaire; this substitution has been the focus of much controversy. Completion of the census is mandatory for all Canadians, and those who do not complete it may face penalties ranging from fines to jail time.
The Statistics Act
mandates a Senate
and/or House of Commons
(joint) committee review of the opt-in clause (for the release of one's census records after 92 years) by 2014.
The 2011 Census is the fifteenth decennial census, required by section 8 of the Constitution Act, 1867
. As with other decennial censuses, the data will be used to adjust federal electoral district
boundaries.
As of August 24, 2011, Canada's overall collection response rate was 98.1%, up over a full percentage point from 96.5% in the 2006 Census. Ontario
and Prince Edward Island
each hold the highest response rate at 98.3%, while Nunavut
holds the lowest response rate at 92.7%.
, Part I on August 21, 2010. The 2011 Census will actually consist of the same eight questions that appeared on the 2006 Census short-form questionnaire, with the addition of two questions on language. The federal Minister of Industry
Tony Clement
announcement that questions about language would appear on the mandatory short-form census came in response to a lawsuit brought by the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities, which claimed that the voluntary status of the long-form census would impact language-related government services.
In addition to possible questions on activity limitation, various organizations have already called for changes for the upcoming census:
Various industry professionals have indicated that the data collected by the NHS will not be compatible with the data previously collected by the long form questionnaire. Many of the same professionals have indicated that the data gathered by a voluntary survey will not be of the same quality as the previous mandatory long form.
(CRA) given the Business Number of the farm.
on June 26, 2010, however a news release was not issued by Minister of Industry Tony Clement until July 13, 2010. This release stated in part "The government will retain the mandatory short form that will collect basic demographic information. To meet the need for additional information, and to respect the privacy wishes of Canadians, the government has introduced the voluntary National Household Survey" On July 30, 2010, Statistics Canada published a description of the National Household Survey, intended to be sent to about 4.5 million households. Industry minister Tony Clement
stated that the change to voluntary forms was made because of privacy-related complaints, though he acknowledged that the decision was made without consulting organizations and governments that work closely with Statistics Canada. Clement had previously said that this change was made on the advice of Statistics Canada.
The move has been criticized by a number of organizations and individuals and has been the subject of some amusing satirical articles. The new voluntary form is judged to be less accurate than the mandatory long form by many industry professionals and the organizations which make use of the data. Ivan Fellegi
, the former Chief Statistician of Canada
originally appointed in 1985 by the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, said that he would have quit his job if the government had taken this change during his tenure. He claims that those who are most vulnerable (such as the poor, new immigrants, and aboriginals) are least likely to respond to a voluntary form, which weakens information about their demographic. Munir Sheikh
, Fellegi's successor as Chief Statistician appointed by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper
on February 15, 2008, resigned on July 21, 2010, in protest of the Conservative government's change in policy. In a public letter, Sheikh wrote that he could not legally comment on what advice he had given the government regarding the census, but he did comment against the government's decision, writing:
The National Citizens Coalition
and the Fraser Institute
support the change. The strongly libertarian
National Citizens Coalition, which claims a membership of between 40,000 and 45,000, is continuing to campaign against the mandatory long form census.
Groups against the change come from all parts of the political spectrum, and include the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
; Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
; City of Toronto; National Statistics Council
; Canadian Jewish Congress
; Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
; Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
; Canadian Medical Association
; Statistical Society of Canada; the
American Statistical Association
; Registered Nurses Association of Ontario; Canadian Conference of the Arts
; and the governments of Ontario, Quebec
, New Brunswick
, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba
.
On July 19, 2010, representatives from several institutions signed a letter expressing their disapproval of the change, and their desire to speak to Clement to find another solution. The organizations represented were:
A House of Commons industry committee special hearing on July 27, 2010, heard that during the previous census, out of approximately 12 million forms, 166 complaints were known to be received directly or indirectly. In answer to Clement's claim that those who don't fill out the census risk jail time, Jack Layton, leader of the national New Democratic Party
, noted that in the entire history of the census, the government had not prosecuted and jailed a single person for failing to complete the census, and pointed out that the threat could be removed entirely by amending the legislation so that incarceration is no longer a penalty for refusal to complete the census. In response, the government announced plans to introduce legislation to remove the threat of jail time for anyone refusing to fill out any mandatory government surveys.
Some groups have argued that the decision was motivated by a wish to destroy a useful tool for social advocacy, by making it harder to identify and count disadvantaged groups. However, the Conservative government maintains that its reasoning for the cancellation is that they do not believe it is appropriate to force Canadians to divulge detailed personal information under threat of prosecution.
On October 20, 2010, Statistics Canada predicted that a voluntary long-form would result in a decline of total respondents from 94% to 50%. Consequentially, they expect a "substantial risk of non-response bias" and plans to "[adapt] its data collection and other procedures to mitigate as much as possible against these risks." The response rate also led them to predict an increased risk of sampling error
s, due to the fact that only 16% of the Canadian population would be surveyed, as opposed to 19% under a mandatory long-form similar to the one in 2006. The government announced in August 2010 that it would be spending $30 million dollars on a campaign aimed at increasing the response rate to the voluntary form but information released by Statistics Canada in December 2010 revealed that half of this money would be required for tasks unrelated to the promotional campaign.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
population on May 10, 2011. Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
—an agency of the Canadian government—conducts a nationwide census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
every five years. In 2011, it
consists of a mandatory short form census questionnaire and an inaugural National Household Survey (NHS), a voluntary survey which replaces the mandatory long form census questionnaire; this substitution has been the focus of much controversy. Completion of the census is mandatory for all Canadians, and those who do not complete it may face penalties ranging from fines to jail time.
The Statistics Act
Statistics Act
The Statistics Act was an Act by the Canadian government in 1918 which created the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, now called Statistics Canada since 1971...
mandates a Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
and/or House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
(joint) committee review of the opt-in clause (for the release of one's census records after 92 years) by 2014.
The 2011 Census is the fifteenth decennial census, required by section 8 of the Constitution Act, 1867
Constitution Act, 1867
The Constitution Act, 1867 , is a major part of Canada's Constitution. The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system...
. As with other decennial censuses, the data will be used to adjust federal electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
boundaries.
As of August 24, 2011, Canada's overall collection response rate was 98.1%, up over a full percentage point from 96.5% in the 2006 Census. Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
each hold the highest response rate at 98.3%, while Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
holds the lowest response rate at 92.7%.
Forecasts
Statistics Canada has projected that Canada's population will reach 34.5 million people in 2011.Short form
The original schedule of the short form questions for the 2011 Census of Population was published in the Canada GazetteCanada Gazette
The Canada Gazette is an official publication by the government of Canada that publishes all laws and Orders in Council issued by the government. It also contains other information on things such as hearing and tribunals, proposed changes and any thing else the government feels should be told to...
, Part I on August 21, 2010. The 2011 Census will actually consist of the same eight questions that appeared on the 2006 Census short-form questionnaire, with the addition of two questions on language. The federal Minister of Industry
Minister of Industry (Canada)
The Minister of Industry is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's economic development and corporate affairs department, Industry Canada. The Minister of Industry is also the minister responsible for Statistics Canada...
Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
announcement that questions about language would appear on the mandatory short-form census came in response to a lawsuit brought by the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities, which claimed that the voluntary status of the long-form census would impact language-related government services.
In addition to possible questions on activity limitation, various organizations have already called for changes for the upcoming census:
- Adding "Aboriginal identifier" to the short form (already found on the long form).
- Relationship of same-sex married couples.
- Place of work and transportation-related questions.
- Food security questions.
National Household Survey
The National Household Survey (NHS) began within four weeks of the May 2011 Census and included approximately 4.5 million households. The information collected by the NHS is intended to replace the data from the previous long-form census questionnaire. This questionnaire will cover most of the same topics as the 2006 Census.Various industry professionals have indicated that the data collected by the NHS will not be compatible with the data previously collected by the long form questionnaire. Many of the same professionals have indicated that the data gathered by a voluntary survey will not be of the same quality as the previous mandatory long form.
Census of Agriculture
The Census of Agriculture will add options allowing Statistics Canada to access the respondents' financial data from Canada Revenue AgencyCanada Revenue Agency
The Canada Revenue Agency is a federal agency that administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces and territories, international trade legislation, and various social and economic benefit and incentive programs delivered through the tax system...
(CRA) given the Business Number of the farm.
Voluntary long-form survey controversy
Ahead of the 2011 Census, the Conservative government announced that the long-form questionnaire will no longer be mandatory. This decision was made by the June 17, 2010, Order in Council created by the Minister of Industry defining the questions for the 2011 Census as including only the short-form questions; this was published in the Canada GazetteCanada Gazette
The Canada Gazette is an official publication by the government of Canada that publishes all laws and Orders in Council issued by the government. It also contains other information on things such as hearing and tribunals, proposed changes and any thing else the government feels should be told to...
on June 26, 2010, however a news release was not issued by Minister of Industry Tony Clement until July 13, 2010. This release stated in part "The government will retain the mandatory short form that will collect basic demographic information. To meet the need for additional information, and to respect the privacy wishes of Canadians, the government has introduced the voluntary National Household Survey" On July 30, 2010, Statistics Canada published a description of the National Household Survey, intended to be sent to about 4.5 million households. Industry minister Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
stated that the change to voluntary forms was made because of privacy-related complaints, though he acknowledged that the decision was made without consulting organizations and governments that work closely with Statistics Canada. Clement had previously said that this change was made on the advice of Statistics Canada.
The move has been criticized by a number of organizations and individuals and has been the subject of some amusing satirical articles. The new voluntary form is judged to be less accurate than the mandatory long form by many industry professionals and the organizations which make use of the data. Ivan Fellegi
Ivan Fellegi
Ivan Peter Fellegi, OC is a Hungarian-Canadian statistician and was the Chief Statistician of Canada from 1985 to 2008.Born in Szeged, Hungary, Ivan Fellegi was in his third year of studying mathematics at the Eötvös Loránd University, when the Hungarian uprising was crushed in 1956...
, the former Chief Statistician of Canada
Chief Statistician of Canada
The Chief Statistician of Canada is a deputy of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada - the Minister of Industry.The Chief Statistician advises on matters pertaining to statistical programs of the department and agencies of the Government of Canada...
originally appointed in 1985 by the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, said that he would have quit his job if the government had taken this change during his tenure. He claims that those who are most vulnerable (such as the poor, new immigrants, and aboriginals) are least likely to respond to a voluntary form, which weakens information about their demographic. Munir Sheikh
Munir Sheikh
Munir A. Sheikh, Ph.D., is a Canadian public servant, economist, academic and the former Chief Statistician of Canada. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Queen's University.-Early career:...
, Fellegi's successor as Chief Statistician appointed by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
on February 15, 2008, resigned on July 21, 2010, in protest of the Conservative government's change in policy. In a public letter, Sheikh wrote that he could not legally comment on what advice he had given the government regarding the census, but he did comment against the government's decision, writing:
The National Citizens Coalition
National Citizens Coalition
The National Citizens Coalition is a Canadian conservative lobby group that campaigns against public services, trade unions, and in favour of smaller government and lower taxes. Incorporated in Ontario in 1975, the NCC was founded by insurance agent Colin M. Brown, who began an advertising...
and the Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
support the change. The strongly libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
National Citizens Coalition, which claims a membership of between 40,000 and 45,000, is continuing to campaign against the mandatory long form census.
Groups against the change come from all parts of the political spectrum, and include the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal...
; Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council is a Canadian independent, non-partisan research and educational institution founded in 1954 whose objective is to promote the economic development of Atlantic Canada.It accomplishes this by:...
; City of Toronto; National Statistics Council
National Statistics Council
The National Statistics Council is a Canadian government government agency which advises the Chief Statistician of Canada on Statistics Canada’s activities, primarily on program priorities....
; Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
; Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is a national parachurch association of over . All affiliated groups identify themselves as part of the evangelical movement in Canada....
; Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is the national assembly of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943 and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of Episcopal Conferences,...
; Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Medical Association
The Canadian Medical Association , with more than 70,000 members, is the largest association of doctors in Canada and works to represent their interests nationally. It formed in 1867, three months after Confederation...
; Statistical Society of Canada; the
American Statistical Association
American Statistical Association
The American Statistical Association , is the main professional US organization for statisticians and related professions. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts on November 27, 1839, and is the second oldest, continuously operating professional society in the United States...
; Registered Nurses Association of Ontario; Canadian Conference of the Arts
Canadian Conference of the Arts
The Canadian Conference of the Arts is an Ottawa-based not-for-profit, member-driven organization that represents the interests of over 250,000 artists, cultural workers and supporters from all disciplines of the nation’s vast arts, culture and heritage community...
; and the governments of Ontario, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
On July 19, 2010, representatives from several institutions signed a letter expressing their disapproval of the change, and their desire to speak to Clement to find another solution. The organizations represented were:
- Canadian Association for Business Economics
- Canadian Nurses AssociationCanadian Nurses AssociationThe Canadian Nurses Association is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial registered nurses associations representing more than 139,893 Canadian registered nurses and nurse practitioners...
- Caledon Institute of Social PolicyCaledon Institute of Social PolicyThe Caledon Institute of Social Policy, also Caledon Institute, is a private Canadian think tank focused on social policy. It was founded in 1992.It is primarily funded by ....
- Canadian Institute of PlannersCanadian Institute of PlannersThe Canadian Institute of Planners is a professional organization in Canada for those involved in land use planning.Founded in 1919, its primary aim is "the advancement of responsible planning throughout Canada"....
- Institute for Research on Public PolicyInstitute for Research on Public PolicyThe Institute for Research on Public Policy is Canada's oldest non-partisan public policy think tank. Based in Montreal and founded in 1972, it publishes Policy Options, edited by L. Ian MacDonald...
- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
- Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
- Canadian Labour CongressCanadian Labour CongressThe Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
- Canada West Foundation
- United Way of CanadaUnited Way of CanadaUnited Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
- Glendon School of Public and International Affairs
- National Specialty Society for Community Medicine
- Environics AnalyticsEnvironics AnalyticsEnvironics Analytics is a Canadian marketing and analytical services company, established in 2003, by founder and current President Jan Kestle. The company is based in Toronto, Ontario. Environics Analytics was one of a group of companies to object to the removal of the Canada 2011 Census long form....
- The University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
School of Public Policy and GovernanceUniversity of Toronto School of Public Policy and GovernanceThe University of Toronto School of Public Policy and Governance is a public policy and public administration school located in Toronto, Ontario. The SPPG is headquartered in the Canadiana Gallery at 14 Queen's Park Crescent West....
and Rotman School of ManagementRotman School of ManagementThe Joseph L. Rotman School of Management commonly known as Rotman School of Management is the University of Toronto's business school, located in St. George Street in Downtown Toronto. The school, named after Joseph L... - Nanos Research
- Canadian Public Health Association
- Canadian Association of University TeachersCanadian Association of University TeachersThe Canadian Association of University Teachers is a federation of independent associations and trade unions representing approximately 65,000 teachers, librarians, researchers and other academic professionals and general staff at 120 universities and colleges across Canada.-Principal Aims:The...
- Canadian Council on Social Development
- Canadian Economic Association
- Toronto Board of TradeToronto Board of TradeThe Toronto Board of Trade is Toronto's chamber of commerce, the largest local chamber of commerce in Canada, representing more than 10,000 business and individual members with about 500,000 employees across Canada and annual revenues of more than $200 billion .It is a non-profit organization with...
A House of Commons industry committee special hearing on July 27, 2010, heard that during the previous census, out of approximately 12 million forms, 166 complaints were known to be received directly or indirectly. In answer to Clement's claim that those who don't fill out the census risk jail time, Jack Layton, leader of the national New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, noted that in the entire history of the census, the government had not prosecuted and jailed a single person for failing to complete the census, and pointed out that the threat could be removed entirely by amending the legislation so that incarceration is no longer a penalty for refusal to complete the census. In response, the government announced plans to introduce legislation to remove the threat of jail time for anyone refusing to fill out any mandatory government surveys.
Some groups have argued that the decision was motivated by a wish to destroy a useful tool for social advocacy, by making it harder to identify and count disadvantaged groups. However, the Conservative government maintains that its reasoning for the cancellation is that they do not believe it is appropriate to force Canadians to divulge detailed personal information under threat of prosecution.
On October 20, 2010, Statistics Canada predicted that a voluntary long-form would result in a decline of total respondents from 94% to 50%. Consequentially, they expect a "substantial risk of non-response bias" and plans to "[adapt] its data collection and other procedures to mitigate as much as possible against these risks." The response rate also led them to predict an increased risk of sampling error
Sampling error
-Random sampling:In statistics, sampling error or estimation error is the error caused by observing a sample instead of the whole population. The sampling error can be found by subtracting the value of a parameter from the value of a statistic...
s, due to the fact that only 16% of the Canadian population would be surveyed, as opposed to 19% under a mandatory long-form similar to the one in 2006. The government announced in August 2010 that it would be spending $30 million dollars on a campaign aimed at increasing the response rate to the voluntary form but information released by Statistics Canada in December 2010 revealed that half of this money would be required for tasks unrelated to the promotional campaign.
Data releases
In late 2010, Statistics Canada issued the release dates of the first five census topics from the forthcoming 2011 census. The topics and its release dates are as follows:- Population and dwelling counts – February 8, 2012;
- Age and sex – May 29, 2012;
- Families, households and marital status – September 19, 2012;
- Structural type of dwelling and collectives – September 19, 2012; and
- Language – October 24, 2012.
External links
- 2011 Census home page (English) (Statistics Canada)
- Page d'accueil du Recensement de 2011 (français) (Statistique Canada)
- Census of Agriculture and Census of Population questions (English) (PDF)
- National Household Survey questions (English) (PDF)
- 2011 Census dissemination discussion forum (Statistics Canada)
- 2011 Census and Geography Dissemination Guide (Statistics Canada)
- 2011 Census Content Consultation Report (Statistics Canada)
- 2011 Census Content Consultation Guide (Statistics Canada)