The next Census of Population will take place in May 2016. This year, the census will be available online, in addition to being send to all Canadian households.
Starting May 2, Statistics Canada will make the census available to all Canadians. The census is designed to collect information about people based on their demographic, social and economic characteristics, and is the primary source of reliable demographic data for specific groups such as lone-parent families, seniors and language groups.
Census information is important for communities and is vital for planning services such as child care, schooling, family services, and skills training for employment.
Marc Hamel, the census program director general, reported that the agency has planned for risks associated with the 2016 census. One of those risks was if a new government decided to bring back the long questionnaire.
“It had already been in the public sphere that opposition parties last year were saying, if they were elected, they would bring back the mandatory long-form census, so we had started to look at how that would be possible.”
The agency designed the questionnaire in a more adaptable format. Rather than sending selected households separate pieces of mail with the short form and then the National Household Survey, the questionnaires were integrated into one document.
“That design was going to be efficient and it was going to work for both approaches,” said Hamel. “From that perspective, no redesign was required. We were simply able to move ahead with the same questionnaires that we had already designed for 2016.”
Also, because most Canadians fill out the census online — 64 per cent in 2011 — changing details in a computer system was not a major overhaul.
The letter that accompanies the questionnaires will allow the agency to underline that the long part is mandatory again. Census staff will also drive home the message.
Fewer people will have to fill out the long form than last time, one in four households rather than one in three with the National Household Survey.
Statistics Canada has had to print more short-form questionnaires as a result of the change.
The main challenge will come from adjusting to the data logistics of bringing back the long-form census.
There will also be a public awareness campaign to make sure that people realize they need to fill out the forms. Hamel said that the agency has never really emphasizes the penalties associated with not filling out the forms — a $500 fine or up to three months in jail, or both.
“Census information is really important, and that’s where we put the focus,” said Hamel. “What do we use the census information for, why is it important for communities, and why is it important for people to participate.”
Census day is May 10, and most people will begin receiving letters and packages on May 2. Statistics Canada is also looking for about 35,000 workers to help with the census.
