To the Editor:
On behalf of Weyburn city council, I am writing to remind all eligible local residents to complete the 2016 long-form census to help shape the future of our community and the services they rely on.
Earlier this month, Statistics Canada sent out census letters and packages to all Canadian households. This is the first long-form census to take place in a decade. The long-form census was reinstated last fall by the newly-elected federal government following its cancellation in 2010.
We were pleased when the federal government made the smart decision to reinstate the mandatory long-form census last fall. The loss of data that occurred when the census was cancelled in 2010 severely hampered municipalities’ ability to analyze future infrastructure needs, and to plan for transportation, recreation facilities, police and fire protection, and other essential municipal services.
Residents should have received notice of the census by mail and will have the option to complete the 2016 questionnaire online or on paper. According to the Statistics Act, all residents of Canada are legally required to complete the census.
It is vital for local decision makers to have access to accurate and reliable information collected through the census when developing policies that will shape our province’s future. We rely on this data to make decisions that will affect the lives of everyone who lives in our community now and for years to come.
Not only do municipalities use census data to plan for the long term, the funding we receive from other levels of government is also determined by the data collected. Census data can be used to produce population estimates, which are in turn used to calculate transfer payments from the federal government to the province, and from the provincial government to Saskatchewan municipalities.
By completing the long-from census, local residents will ensure that our city receives the funding we deserve from other orders of government.
The data collected ensures we can make good evidence-based policy decisions, plan for population changes, and provide the services necessary for the continued growth of our community – and ultimately our province.
For more information on how we use census data to plan for the future, I encourage you to visit the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association website at: www.suma.org.
Debra Button
Mayor, City of Weyburn
