Statistics Canada
Encyclopedia
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
.
The bureau is commonly called StatCan or StatsCan although StatCan is the official abbreviation. It has regularly been considered the best statistical organization in the world by The Economist
, such as in the 1991 and 1993 "Good Statistics" surveys. Public Policy Forum
and others have also ranked it first.
Statistics is a federal responsibility in Canada and Statistics Canada produces statistics for all the provinces
as well as the federal government. In addition to conducting about 350 active surveys
on virtually all aspects of Canadian life, Statistics Canada undertakes a country-wide census
every five years on the first and sixth year of each decade. By law, every household must complete the Canada Census
form. The Canadian census held in May 2006
, was when an Internet version was made widely available for the first time. The most recent census was held in May of 2011
, again with the internet being the primary method for statistical data collection.
Statistics Canada was formed in 1971, replacing the Dominion Bureau of Statistics
. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was formed in 1918. Internationally, Statistics Canada is held in high regard for the quality of its data and its methodology.
. The heads of Statistics Canada and the previous organization, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, are:
.
, economic
and health
indicators, immigration economics
, income distribution
, and social and justice conditions. It also publishes a peer-reviewed statistics journal, Survey Methodology
. A press release on April 24, 2006, indicated that "effective today, all electronic publications on Statistics Canada's Web site will be available free of charge." though these free publications are only overviews of the raw data, which can often be only available under CANSIM (Canadian Socio-economic Information Management System), a fee-based service. Statistics Canada does not consider CANSIM to be part of its electronic publications, even though it is also available electronically.
such as a 2005 amendment making the privacy restrictions of the census information expire after more than a century. Some groups such as the Freedom Party of Ontario stand in perpetual opposition to census collection as currently performed based on beliefs of how the data is used and privacy issues however their belief that using statistical data to analyze resource allocation is a bad thing does not seem to be a widely held belief. For the most part, issues over the census tend to be lower priority for most Canadians.
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.
The federal Minister of Industry
Tony Clement
initially indicated that these changes were being made based on consultations with Statistics Canada but was forced to admit that the change from a mandatory to voluntary form was not one of the recommendations received from StatCan after the head of the organization Munir Sheikh resigned in protest. Information has since been uncovered that indicates attempts on the part of the government to distance themselves from the decision, instructing Statistics Canada officials to delete the phrase "as per government decision" from documents which were being written to inform Statistics Canada staff of the change. The minister has since claimed that concerns over privacy and the threat of jail time are the reasons for the change and has refused to reverse his decision stating that the Prime Minister supports this legislation. The argument over privacy has subsequently been undermined by a Privacy Commissioner
statement that she was “satisfied with the measures Statistics Canada had put into place to protect privacy”. Other industry professionals have also come out in defense of Statistics Canada’s record on privacy issues. The government has maintained its position, most recently expressed by Lynn Meahan, press secretary to the Industry Minister
, that the new census will result in "useable and useful data that can meet the needs of many users."
Central to the debate on this issue is the effect on the quality of data which will be collected by Statistics Canada under the new system. Many groups have made the claim that a voluntary system will not provide a quality of data consistent with what Statistics Canada is known for while others feel that politically motivated changes to StatCan methodology taints the reputation of the whole organization in the international setting. Supporters of the change have offered models of European countries who are adopting alternate systems, although in these states the census is being replaced with a database of information on each citizen rather than a voluntary poll and none of these systems are planned for the Canadian 2011 census. They also challenge the current system's ability to cope with rapid socio-demographic changes, though this would not be addressed without increasing the frequency of the survey. Some public opposition to the changes has been expressed through the social media network Facebook
.
published an article on this matter.
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...
federal government agency
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
commissioned with producing statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy
Economy of Canada
Canada has the tenth largest economy in the world , is one of the world's wealthiest nations, and is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Group of Eight . As with other developed nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs...
, society, and culture
Culture of Canada
Canadian culture is a term that explains the artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. Canada's culture has historically been influenced by European culture and...
. Its headquarters is in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
The bureau is commonly called StatCan or StatsCan although StatCan is the official abbreviation. It has regularly been considered the best statistical organization in the world by The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, such as in the 1991 and 1993 "Good Statistics" surveys. Public Policy Forum
Public Policy Forum
The Public Policy Forum , is an independent, non-profit Canadian think-tank for public-private dialogue . The organization's stated aim is "to serve as a neutral, independent forum for open dialogue on public policy"...
and others have also ranked it first.
Statistics is a federal responsibility in Canada and Statistics Canada produces statistics for all the provinces
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
as well as the federal government. In addition to conducting about 350 active surveys
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
on virtually all aspects of Canadian life, Statistics Canada undertakes a country-wide 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 on the first and sixth year of each decade. By law, every household must complete the Canada Census
Census in Canada
The Census in Canada is a census that takes place every five years. The census is conducted by Statistics Canada. The census provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services including health care, education, and transportation, determine federal transfer payments, and...
form. The Canadian census held in May 2006
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, was when an Internet version was made widely available for the first time. The most recent census was held in May of 2011
Canada 2011 Census
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...
, again with the internet being the primary method for statistical data collection.
Statistics Canada was formed in 1971, replacing the Dominion Bureau of Statistics
Dominion Bureau of Statistics
The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was a Canadian government organization responsible for censuses.It was formed in 1918 by the Statistics Act and replaced by Statistics Canada in 1971....
. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was formed in 1918. Internationally, Statistics Canada is held in high regard for the quality of its data and its methodology.
Leadership
The head of Statistics Canada is the Chief Statistician of CanadaChief 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...
. The heads of Statistics Canada and the previous organization, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, are:
- Robert H. CoatsRobert H. CoatsRobert Hamilton Coats was Canada's first Dominion Statistician.He was born in Clinton, Huron County, Ontario in 1874, the son of Charles Coats, who came to Canada from Scotland. In 1896, Coats received a B.A. from the University College in Toronto...
(1918–1942) - Sedley A. CudmoreSedley CudmoreSedley Anthony Cudmore, B.A., M.A. , was a Canadian economist, academic, civil servant and Canada's second Dominion Statistician.-Early years:Cudmore was born in County Cork, Ireland...
(1942–1945) - Herbert MarshallHerbert Marshall (Dominion Statistician)Herbert Marshall O.B.E , was a Canadian academic, statistician, and third Dominion Statistician from 1945 until his retirement in 1956.-Early years:...
(1945–1956) - Walter E. Duffett (1957–1972)
- Sylvia OstrySylvia OstrySylvia Ostry, is a Canadian economist and public servant.Born Sylvia Knelman in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 3, 1927, she received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from McGill University in 1948, a Master of Arts from McGill in 1950, and a Ph.D...
(1972–1975) - Peter G. Kirkham (1975–1980)
- James L. Fry (1980)
- Martin B. WilkMartin WilkMartin Bradbury Wilk, is a Canadian statistician, academic, and the former Chief Statistician of Canada. In 1965, together with Samuel Shapiro, he developed the Shapiro-Wilk test which can indicate whether a sample of numbers would be unusual if it came from a Gaussian distribution.Born in...
(1980–1985) - Ivan P. FellegiIvan FellegiIvan 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...
(1985–2008) - Munir SheikhMunir SheikhMunir 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:...
(2008–2010) - Wayne SmithWayne Smith (Chief Statistician of Canada)Wayne R. Smith is the current Chief Statistician of Canada. He was appointed interim Chief Statistician in 2010, after the controversial resignation of Munir Sheikh, and appointed Chief Statistician on January 19, 2011. Smith graduated with honours in Bachelor of Arts and a Master's degree in...
(interim 2010;2011-)
Legislation
Statistics Canada is governed by the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada 1985Statistics 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...
.
Publications
Statistics Canada publishes numerous documents covering a range of statistical information about Canada, including census dataCensus in Canada
The Census in Canada is a census that takes place every five years. The census is conducted by Statistics Canada. The census provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services including health care, education, and transportation, determine federal transfer payments, and...
, economic
Economy of Canada
Canada has the tenth largest economy in the world , is one of the world's wealthiest nations, and is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Group of Eight . As with other developed nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs...
and health
Health care in Canada
Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly-funded health care system, which is mostly free at the point of use and has most services provided by private entities. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act. The government assures the quality of care through federal standards...
indicators, immigration economics
Economic impact of immigration to Canada
The economic impact of immigration is an important topic in Canada. While the immigration rate has declined sharply from its peak early in the 20th century, Canada still holds the title of accepting more immigrants per capita than any other country....
, income distribution
Poverty in Canada
Poverty in Canada remains prevalent with some segments of society. The measurement of poverty has been a challenge as there is no official government measure. There is an ongoing debate in Canada about whether a relative measure of poverty, or absolute measure of poverty, is more valid...
, and social and justice conditions. It also publishes a peer-reviewed statistics journal, Survey Methodology
Survey Methodology
Survey Methodology is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal that publishes papers related to the development and application of survey techniques...
. A press release on April 24, 2006, indicated that "effective today, all electronic publications on Statistics Canada's Web site will be available free of charge." though these free publications are only overviews of the raw data, which can often be only available under CANSIM (Canadian Socio-economic Information Management System), a fee-based service. Statistics Canada does not consider CANSIM to be part of its electronic publications, even though it is also available electronically.
Long-standing issues (census)
Debate over the census and their contents have periodically created changes in the Statistics ActStatistics 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...
such as a 2005 amendment making the privacy restrictions of the census information expire after more than a century. Some groups such as the Freedom Party of Ontario stand in perpetual opposition to census collection as currently performed based on beliefs of how the data is used and privacy issues however their belief that using statistical data to analyze resource allocation is a bad thing does not seem to be a widely held belief. For the most part, issues over the census tend to be lower priority for most Canadians.
Recent changes
On June 17, 2010 an Order in Council was 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.
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....
initially indicated that these changes were being made based on consultations with Statistics Canada but was forced to admit that the change from a mandatory to voluntary form was not one of the recommendations received from StatCan after the head of the organization Munir Sheikh resigned in protest. Information has since been uncovered that indicates attempts on the part of the government to distance themselves from the decision, instructing Statistics Canada officials to delete the phrase "as per government decision" from documents which were being written to inform Statistics Canada staff of the change. The minister has since claimed that concerns over privacy and the threat of jail time are the reasons for the change and has refused to reverse his decision stating that the Prime Minister supports this legislation. The argument over privacy has subsequently been undermined by a Privacy Commissioner
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is a special ombudsman and an officer of parliament who reports directly to the House of Commons and the Senate....
statement that she was “satisfied with the measures Statistics Canada had put into place to protect privacy”. Other industry professionals have also come out in defense of Statistics Canada’s record on privacy issues. The government has maintained its position, most recently expressed by Lynn Meahan, press secretary to the Industry Minister
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...
, that the new census will result in "useable and useful data that can meet the needs of many users."
Central to the debate on this issue is the effect on the quality of data which will be collected by Statistics Canada under the new system. Many groups have made the claim that a voluntary system will not provide a quality of data consistent with what Statistics Canada is known for while others feel that politically motivated changes to StatCan methodology taints the reputation of the whole organization in the international setting. Supporters of the change have offered models of European countries who are adopting alternate systems, although in these states the census is being replaced with a database of information on each citizen rather than a voluntary poll and none of these systems are planned for the Canadian 2011 census. They also challenge the current system's ability to cope with rapid socio-demographic changes, though this would not be addressed without increasing the frequency of the survey. Some public opposition to the changes has been expressed through the social media network Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
Insider trading allegations
Statistics Canada's habit of providing reports to a number of recipients ahead of the public has been questioned on a number of occasions, the latest of which occurred Oct 17, 2011, when BloombergBloomberg
Bloomberg may refer to:* Michael Bloomberg , American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and Mayor of New York City...
published an article on this matter.
Terms
Statistics Canada uses a variety of terms to designate regions in Canada for statistical purposes:- Census Agglomeration: Metropolitan areas where the core city is greater than 10,000 but smaller than 100,000 people
- Census Metropolitan Area: Metropolitan areas where the core city is greater than 100,000 people
- Census divisionCensus divisionCensus division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...
: Collection of census subdivisions - Census subdivision: Cities, towns, municipalities, etc.
- CityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
- Chartered community: found in the Northwest Territories
- County municipality: rural territories in Alberta
- CommunityCommunityThe term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
: villages in Prince Edward Island - Canton: Townships in Quebec
- United cantons: Townships which have been united in Quebec
- District municipalityDistrict municipalityA district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.-Usage in British Columbia:...
: Rural or urban territories of British Columbia - HamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
: Small communities in the territories - Improvement districtImprovement districtImprovement district can refer to:*Business improvement district, a type of urban zoning*improvement district, a type of rural municipality in Alberta...
: Rural territories in Alberta - Indian government district: found in British Columbia
- Inuit land: found in Quebec
- Island municipality
- Local government district: found in Manitoba
- MunicipalityMunicipalityA municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
: Rural territories in Quebec - Municipal districtMunicipal districtA municipal district is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
: Rural territories in Alberta and Nova Scotia - Northern hamlet: found in Saskatchewan
- Nisga'a land
- Northern village: found in Saskatchewan and Quebec (Village nordique)
- Nisga'a village: found in British Columbia
- ParishParishA parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
: rural territories in Quebec (Parish municipalities) and New Brunswick - Indian reserveIndian reserveIn Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
- Rural communityRural communityA rural community is a type of municipality in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.There are five rural communities: Beaubassin East, Saint-André, Upper Miramichi, Campobello Island and Kedgwick.....
- Regional district electoral area: Unorganized rural areas in British Columbia
- RegionRegionRegion is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
- Regional municipalityRegional municipalityA regional municipality is a type of Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipal government level as a county, although the specific structure and servicing responsibilities may vary from place to place...
: At the CSD level, an amalgamation of a large region. Found in Alberta and Nova Scotia - Rural municipalityRural municipalityA rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...
: rural territories in Manitoba and Saskatchewan - Resort village: found in Saskatchewan
- Indian settlementIndian settlementAn Indian settlement is a census subdivision outlined by the Canadian government Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada for census purposes. These areas have at least 10 Indian people who live, more or less, permanently in the given area...
- Special area: rural territories in Alberta
- Subdivision of county municipality: rural territories of Alberta
- Settlement: small communities in the territories
- Subdivision of unorganized: unorganized rural territories of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Summer villageSummer villageSummer villages in Alberta are incorporated communities that have permanent populations generally less than 300 permanent inhabitants, as well as seasonal inhabitants....
: found in Alberta - TownTownA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
- TownshipTownship (Canada)The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
: At the CSD level, only in Ontario - Township and royalty: Rural territories in Prince Edward Island
- Teslin land
- Reserve lands: found in Quebec
- Unorganized area
- VilleVilleVille is the modern French word of Latin origin now meaning city or town, but the first meaning in the middle-ages was farm and then village...
: cities and towns in Quebec - Cree village: found in Quebec
- Naksapi village
- VillageVillageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
- City
- Urban areaUrban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
- Designated placeDesignated placeA designated place or DPL is a type of community or populated area identified by Statistics Canada for statistical purposes. DPLs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages.DPLs are communities that lack...