Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 154, Number 29: ORDERS IN COUNCIL

July 18, 2020

STATISTICS CANADA

STATISTICS ACT

2021 Census of Agriculture

P.C. 2020-519 June 29, 2020

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Industry, pursuant to section 20 and subsection 21(1) of the Statistics Actfootnote a, prescribes the questions to be asked in the 2021 Census of Agriculture, as set out in the annexed schedule.

Page 1 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 1 of the Schedule which contains questions 1, 2, and 3 of the business or organization and contact information section of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Questions 1 and 2 ask for the business or organization’s legal and operating name and the contact information for the contact person for the questionnaire. Question 3 asks about the operational status of the business or organization.

Page 2 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 2 of the Schedule of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. It contains question 4 on the agricultural activity of the operation and question 1 on the business number of the agricultural operation.

Page 3 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 3 of the Schedule which contains questions 2 and 3 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 2 asks about other associated businesses while question 3 asks for the names of the agricultural operators on the operation.

Page 4 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 4 of the Schedule which contains questions 5 and 6 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask for each operator’s average weekly time contribution to the agricultural operation and each operator’s average weekly time spent doing paid work at another job.

Page 5 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 5 of the Schedule which contains questions 7, 8 and 9 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about agricultural workers.

Page 6 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 6 of the Schedule which contains questions 10 and 11 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 10 asks about the main farm location of the operation. Question 11 asks for the unit of measure that will be used to report land areas.

Page 7 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 7 of the Schedule which contains question 12 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. This question asks for the area of land on the operation. This page also includes instructions on how to answer the agricultural production questions on the next page.

Page 8 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 8 of the Schedule which contains questions 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask whether any mushroom, sod, nursery, Christmas tree or greenhouse products are grown on the operation. They also ask whether any maple trees were tapped on the operation.

Page 9 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 9 of the Schedule which contains questions 17, 18, 19, and 20 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask whether any fruits, berries, nuts, field vegetables, field crops or hay are grown on the operation. They also ask whether the operation owns any honey bees or other pollinating bees.

Page 10 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 10 of the Schedule which contains questions 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 21 asks if there are any poultry on the operation. Questions 22 and 23 ask whether any chicken, turkeys, table eggs or hatching eggs are produced for sale on the operation. Question 24 asks whether a commercial poultry hatchery is located on the operation.

Page 11 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 11 of the Schedule which contains questions 25 and 26 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 25 asks if there are any livestock on the operation. Question 26 asks if the operation produces any organic products for sale, and asks for the type of certification.

Page 12 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 12 of the Schedule which contains questions 27 and 28 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 27 asks if the operation owns or leases any farm vehicles, machinery or equipment. Question 28 asks for the area of hay or field crops on the operation.

Page 13 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 13 of the Schedule which is a continuation of question 28 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 28 asks for the area of hay or field crops on the operation.

Page 14 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 14 of the Schedule which contains question 29 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 29 asks for the area of field vegetables on the operation.

Page 15 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 15 of the schedule which contains the continuation of question 29 and question 30 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 29 asks for the area of field vegetables on the operation. Question 30 asks for the area of fruits, berries and nuts on the operation.

Page 16 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 16 of the Schedule which contains a continuation of question 30, and question 31 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 30 asks for the area of fruits, berries and nuts on the operation. Question 31 asks for the area of sod, nursery products or Christmas trees on the operation.

Page 17 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 17 of the Schedule which contains questions 32 and 33 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask for the areas of land by use and by type of weed control.

Page 18 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 18 of the Schedule which contains questions 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Questions 34 to 36 ask about the types of tillage, seeding and land practices used on the operation. Question 37 asks about the area from which crop residue was baled.

Page 19 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 19 of the Schedule which contains questions 38 and 39 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about the area of inputs and manure used on the operation.

Page 20 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 20 of the Schedule which contains questions 40, 41, 42, and 43 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 40 asks about the area of land irrigated on the operation. Questions 41 to 43 ask about mushroom production.

Page 21 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 21 of the Schedule which contains questions 44, 45, and 46 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 44 asks about mushroom production. Questions 45 and 46 ask about greenhouse area.

Page 22 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 22 of the Schedule which contains the continuation of question 46, and questions 47, 48, and 49 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 46 asks about greenhouse area. Questions 47 to 49 ask about the number of maple taps and the number of honey bees or other pollinating bees on the operation.

Page 23 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 23 of the Schedule which contains question 50 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 50 asks about the poultry inventory on the operation.

Page 24 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 24 of the Schedule which contains questions 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Questions 51 to 54 ask about the production of chickens, turkeys, table eggs or hatching eggs on the operation. Question 55 asks about the number of birds hatched at a commercial poultry hatchery on the operation.

Page 25 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 25 of the Schedule which contains questions 56 and 57 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about the number of cattle, calves and pigs on the operation.

Page 26 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 26 of the Schedule which contains questions 58 and 59 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about the number of sheep, lambs or other livestock on the operation.

Page 27 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 27 of the Schedule which contains questions 60 and 61 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 60 asks about the types of technologies used on the operation. Question 61 asks about the types of renewable energy produced on the operation.

Page 28 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 28 of the Schedule which contains questions 62 and 63 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 62 asks about the purpose of the renewable energy produced on the operation. Question 63 asks about the estimated present market value of land and buildings of the operation.

Page 29 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 29 of the Schedule which contains question 64 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. This question asks for the number and present market value of the farm vehicles, machinery and equipment that are owned or leased by the operation.

Page 30 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 30 of the Schedule which contains questions 65, 66, and 67 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about the gross farm receipts and operating expenses of the operation.

Page 31 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 31 of the Schedule which contains questions 68, 69, and 70 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. These questions ask about the sale of agricultural products directly to consumers for human consumption.

Page 32 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 32 of the Schedule which contains questions 71 and 72 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 71 asks about the percentage of gross farm receipts from the sale of agricultural products directly to consumers for human consumption. Question 72 asks about the operation’s succession plan.

Page 33 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Description below

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This image is of page 33 of the Schedule which contains questions 73 and 74 of the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Question 73 asks about the best person to contact about the questionnaire. Question 74 invites respondents to leave comments.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order prescribes the questions for the 2021 Census of Agriculture.

Objective

The objective of the Order is to enable Statistics Canada to conduct the 2021 Census of Agriculture by prescribing and making public through publishing in the Canada Gazette the questionnaire that will be used by Statistics Canada.

Background

The objectives of the Census of Agriculture are to provide statistical information and analysis about Canada’s economic and social structure to help develop and evaluate public policies and programs in support of the agriculture sector. Through the Census of Agriculture, Statistics Canada produces critical information to manage federal and provincial government expenditures and improve public and private evidence-based decision-making for the benefit of all Canadians. The Census of Agriculture is also the only source of small-area and benchmarking data that are critical to industry structural analysis, crisis management and environmental programs.

The Statistics Act specifies that a census of agriculture shall be taken by Statistics Canada starting (a) in the year 1971 and in every tenth year thereafter, and (b) in the year 1976 and in every tenth year thereafter, unless the Governor in Council otherwise directs in respect of any such year (subsections 20 (a) and (b)). The Statistics Act gives the Chief Statistician the authority to prescribe the rules, instructions, and, subject to subsection 21(1), requests for information that he or she considers necessary for conducting the work and business of Statistics Canada, the collecting, compiling and publishing of statistics and other information and the taking of any census authorized by the Statistics Act (section 7). The Statistics Act also requires that the questions included in the Census of Agriculture shall be prescribed by order of the Governor in Council and published in Part I of the Canada Gazette (section 21).

All agricultural operations in Canada are legally required to complete the census questionnaire, according to the Statistics Act. The questionnaire can be completed by anyone who is responsible for the management decisions of the operation or another person familiar with the operation. Statistics Canada is bound by law to protect the confidentiality of the information respondents provide in the census.

Implications

The Census of Agriculture collects information on every agricultural operation in Canada related to farm business structure, land use and farm practices, products (crops and livestock), total revenues and expenses; land, buildings and farm machinery values; finance, new technology, direct marketing, succession planning and renewable energy production. It is the main source of data available in a standardized format for small geographical areas. It provides comprehensive, nationally comparable data uniquely able to support detailed complete farm analysis. The Census of Agriculture is taken to support the industry and decision-making by both the public and private sectors, these include governments, industry, researchers and academia.

Although the questionnaire is updated every census to reflect data users’ changing requirements, certain basic or core questions appear on every census. These questions, such as farmland area, livestock numbers and crop areas are considered essential by the major users of Census of Agriculture data because it allows them to measure change over time. Adding new questions and dropping others allows data to be collected that reflect changes in the agriculture industry.

The month of May is chosen to maintain comparability of the survey data with previous censuses, a key requirement for data users. Conducting the Census of Agriculture concurrently with the Census of Population will result in significant cost savings. The two censuses have been conducted jointly since 1956.

The first data release is proposed for May 2022 and will include all farm and farm operator variables for the 2021 Census of Agriculture at all levels of geographic detail. Further data releases will follow for selected historical farm and operator data as well as data from the agriculture-population linkage, which provides a socioeconomic profile of the farm population at the person, family, household and farm levels. There will be analytic articles published in support as well.

Consultations

As the Order only prescribes the census questions, no consultation in relation to the Order was necessary. However, to determine the questions to be asked in the 2021 Census of Agriculture, Statistics Canada conducted comprehensive consultations and received 91 submissions from diverse groups including federal government departments and agencies, provincial ministries, industry organizations, academics, farm services companies and consulting firms. Twelve consultation workshops were conducted for the 2021 Census of Agriculture in September 2017. One-on-one testing of the questions with farmers occurred in January and June 2018, followed by the 2019 Census of Agriculture Test from May to June 2019.

Statistics Canada considered the comments received and based on the feedback, some of the questions were modified to better reflect new or emerging trends and incorporate users’ additional or changing data requirements. For the 2021 census, new emerging categories are added to the commodity questions to identify emerging agricultural products, including hemp, garlic and ducks. Four topics were updated on the 2021 questionnaire: the adoption of technologies, direct marketing, succession planning and renewable energy production. These modifications reflect changes in the industry and the strong user demand for this new information. The revised questionnaire was tested with farm operators across Canada through one-on-one interviews on their farms. Farm operators selected for testing reflected regional diversity — in types of agriculture, production techniques, languages and terminology, and in policies or issues that could affect the sensitivity of questions. This testing further helped to improve the questions and the instructions to complete the questionnaire. The 2021 Census of Agriculture Content Consultation Report can be viewed on the Statistics Canada website.

An accessible version of the 2021 Census of Agriculture is available on the Statistics Canada website. To receive an accessible version, please send an email to the Statistical Information Service at STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca.

Departmental contact

Ziad Shadid
Director General
Agriculture, Energy and Environment Statistics Branch
Census of Agriculture
Statistics Canada
Telephone: 613‑410‑8459
Email: ziad.shadid@canada.ca

STATISTICS CANADA

STATISTICS ACT

2021 Census of Population

P.C. 2020-518 June 29, 2020

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Industry, pursuant to subsections 19(1) and 21(1) of the Statistics Actfootnote a, fixes May 2021 as the month in which a census of population is to be taken by Statistics Canada and prescribes the questions to be asked in the 2021 Census of Population, as set out in the annexed schedule.

Page 1 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of page 1 of the Schedule which contains steps A and B of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Step A asks respondents for their telephone number and the address of the dwelling. Step B asks for the number and names of the usual residents of the dwelling on May 11, 2021. Respondents are instructed on how to complete each step.

A statement at the top of the page informs respondents that the questionnaire is confidential when completed, and that the information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Page 2 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of page 2 of the Schedule which contains steps C and D of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Step C asks respondents if they left anyone out of step B, the name, the relationship and the reason.

Step D asks respondents to copy the names in step B to question 1 and keep the same order. Respondent are informed that if more than five persons live at the dwelling, an extra questionnaire will be needed and to call 1‑855‑340‑2021. Respondents are instructed on whom to include in step B.

Page 3 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of page 3 of the Schedule which is a continuation of instructions on whom to include in Step B of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire and where to include persons with more than one residence. If this address is a secondary residence, a dwelling occupied only by residents of another country visiting Canada, or the home of a government representative of another country, respondents are asked to provide their name, telephone number and address.

Page 4 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 4 of the Schedule which contains questions 1, 2 and 3 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Question 1 asks respondents to copy the names in the same order as in Step B, then answer the following questions which refer to each person’s situation on May 11, 2021. Question 2 and 3 ask for the sex at birth and gender.

Page 5 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 5 of the Schedule which contains questions 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask for date of birth, age and the relationships of household members (including marital or common-law status).

Page 6 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 6 of the Schedule which contains question 8 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Question 8 asks about knowledge of official languages.

Page 7 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 7 of the Schedule which contains questions 9a, 9b, 10 and 11 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about languages spoken regularly at home and languages spoken most often at home, first language learned and veteran and military service.

Page 8 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 8 of the Schedule which contains questions 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Respondents are informed that these questions collect information in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to support education programs in English and French in Canada. Question 12 asks if this dwelling is in Quebec and respondents are instructed on how to answer the following questions based on their answer. Questions 13, 14 and 15 ask about schooling in each official language in Canada.

Page 9 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 9 of the Schedule which contains questions 16, 17 and 18 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 16 and 17 ask about schooling in each official language in Canada. Question 18 (a to f) asks about activities of daily living. A label identifies this section as activities of daily living.

Page 10 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 10 of the Schedule which contains questions 19 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. This question asks for where the person was born. A label identifies this section as sociocultural information.

Page 11 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 11 of the Schedule which contains questions 20, 21a and 21b of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask for where the parents were born and citizenship (Canadian, other citizenship).

Page 12 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 12 of the Schedule which contains questions 22, 23 and 24 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about non-official languages and ethnic or cultural origins. Respondents are instructed to go to question 26 if they answer yes to First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit).

Page 13 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 13 of the Schedule which contains questions 25, 26 and 27 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Question 25 ask about population group and visible minority. Respondents are informed that this question collects information in accordance with the Employment Equity Act and its Regulations and Guidelines to support programs that promote equal opportunity for everyone to share in the social, cultural, and economic life of Canada. Questions 26 and 27 asks if the person is a Status Indian or a member First Nation or Indian Band.

Page 14 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 14 of the Schedule which contains questions 28, 29 and 30 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 28 and 29 ask about membership in a Métis organization or Settlement, enrolment under an Inuit land claims agreement. Question 30 asks about religion.

Page 15 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 15 of the Schedule which contains question 31 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. This question asks about mobility (one year, May 11, 2020). A label identifies this section as mobility.

Page 16 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 16 of the Schedule which contains question 32 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. This question asks about mobility (five years, May 11, 2016). Respondents are informed to continue only for each person aged 15 years and over (born before May 11, 2006).

Page 17 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 17 of the Schedule which contains questions 33, 34a and 34b of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about education. A label at the top of the page identifies the following section as education.

Page 18 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 18 of the Schedule which contains questions 34c, 35 and 36 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire which ask about education.

Page 19 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 19 of the Schedule which contains questions 37a, 37b and 38 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 37a and 37b ask about education. Question 38 asks about labour market activities during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021. A label identifies the following section as labour market activities.

Page 20 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 20 of the Schedule which contains questions 39, 40 and 41 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 39 and 40 ask about labour market activities during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021. Question 41 asks about labour market activities during the four weeks from April 11 to May 8, 2021.

Page 21 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 21 of the Schedule which contains questions 42, 43 and 44 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 42 and 44 ask about labour market activities during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021. Question 43 asks about labour market activities during 2020 and 2021.

Page 22 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 22 of the Schedule which contains questions 45, 46 and 47 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about labour market activities during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021.

Page 23 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 23 of the Schedule which contains questions 48, 49, 50a and 50b of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about labour market activities during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021.

Page 24 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 24 of the Schedule which contains question 51 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. This question asks about place of work. Respondents are informed that the following questions are only for persons aged 15 years and over with a job or absent from their job or business during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021.

Page 25 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 25 of the Schedule which contains question 52a of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. This question asks about commuting to work.

Page 26 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 26 of the Schedule which contains questions 52b, 52c, 53a and 53b of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about commuting to work. Respondents are reminded that these questions are only for persons aged 15 years and over.

Page 27 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 27 of the Schedule which contains questions 54a and 54b of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about labour market activities in 2020.

Page 28 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 28 of the Schedule which contains questions 55a 55b and 56 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Questions 55a and 55b ask about labour market activities in 2020. Question 56 asks about child care expenditures in 2020.

Page 29 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 29 of the Schedule which contains questions 57, 58, E1 and E2 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. Question 57 ask about child and spousal support expenditures in 2020 and question 58 asks about expenditures related to the dwelling. A label identifies the following section as Step E. Respondents are instructed to answer questions E1 to E9 about this dwelling and that the questions refer to May 11, 2021, unless otherwise specified. Questions E1 and E2 ask about housing.

Page 30 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 30 of the Schedule which contains questions E3a, E3b, E4 and E5 of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. There questions ask about housing.

Page 31 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 31 of the Schedule which contains questions E6, E7a, E7b, E7c and E8a of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about housing.

Page 32 of the 2021 Census of Population - Description below

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This image is of the page 32 of the Schedule which contains questions E8b and E9 (a to e) of the 2021 Census long-form questionnaire. These questions ask about housing. End of the Schedule.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order prescribes the questions to be asked for the 2021 Census of Population and fixes May 2021 as the month in which the census is to be conducted by Statistics Canada.

Objective

The objective of the Order is to enable Statistics Canada to conduct the 2021 Census of Population by prescribing and making public through publishing in the Canada Gazette the questionnaire that will be used by Statistics Canada, as well as to fix May 2021 as the month in which the census shall be taken.

Background

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has been mandated to prepare for the long-form census in 2021, including collection and analysis of disaggregated data. In support of this mandate, the purpose of the 2021 Census of Population is to ensure that Canadians have access to timely, relevant and quality statistical information on Canada’s changing economy and society for informed debate, research and decision-making on social and economic issues. Through the Census of Population, Statistics Canada provides information on changes in the Canadian population and its demographic, ethno-cultural and socio-economic characteristics, information that serves as a basis for public and private decision-making, and research and analysis in areas of concern to Canadians.

The Constitution Act, 1867 requires that a census be conducted in 1871 and every ten years thereafter. Due to the expected rapid expansion of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba following Confederation, the Constitution Acts of 1907 and 1930 required population counts to be ascertained by a census or statutory instrument every five years until the populations of these provinces reached certain limits.

Further, the requirement for a nationwide quinquennial census has been part of the Statistics Act since 1970. The Statistics Act specifies that a Census of Population shall be taken by Statistics Canada every 5 years in a month to be fixed by the Governor in Council (subsection 19(1)) and gives the Chief Statistician the authority to prescribe the rules, instructions and, subject to subsection 21(1), requests for information that he or she considers necessary for conducting the work and business of Statistics Canada, the collecting, compiling and publishing of statistics and other information and the taking of any census authorized by the Statistics Act (section 7). The Statistics Act also requires that the questions included in the Census of Population shall be prescribed by order of the Governor in Council and published in the Canada Gazette (section 21).

All residents of Canada are legally required to complete the census questionnaire, according to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada is bound by law to protect the confidentiality of the information respondents provide in the census. Every household in Canada is included, as well as Canadians and their families who are working abroad for the federal and provincial governments, Canadian embassies or the Canadian Armed Forces.

Implications

The Census of Population collects demographic and linguistic information on every person living in Canada. It is the main source of data available in a standardized format for small geographical areas and provides nationally comparable data. The Census of Population is conducted to meet statutory requirements as well as to support decision-making by both the public and private sectors. The questions in the 2021 Census of Population respond to emerging issues in Canadian society and to users’ priority information needs as determined through consultation.

To substantially reduce the burden on Canadians, and improve data quality, the 2021 Census will continue to obtain income information from personal income tax and benefit data files provided by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and admission category and applicant type information from administrative files provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For the first time, in 2021, immigrant status and year of immigration will also be compiled from administrative files provided by IRCC.

The month of May is proposed to maintain comparability of the data with previous censuses which have been conducted in the same month, a key requirement for users. Statistics Canada will release population and dwelling counts in early 2022, then follow with several major census data releases over that year.

Consultations

As the Order only prescribes the census questions and fixes the month in which the census is to be taken, no consultation in relation to the Order was necessary. However, Statistics Canada conducted comprehensive online and face-to-face consultations to help shape the 2021 Census of Population questionnaire.

An unprecedented number of respondents participated in the consultations, demonstrating the high level of interest in helping shape the most important source of demographic and social information for monitoring trends in Canadian society. Responses were gathered from individuals representing various levels of government and other organizations, including federal departments and agencies; provincial, territorial and municipal government organizations; First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations; as well as individuals from organizations representing official language minority communities, organizations representing or providing services to Canadians with disabilities, immigrant and ethnic communities and organizations, LGBTQ+ communities, academia, businesses and non-profit organizations. The general public also participated in the online consultation. All comments received during these consultations were considered and were taken into account in finalizing the questionnaire.

The recommended content changes respond to key priorities identified in consultations, and subsequently tested as statistically feasible, and address content issues that surfaced during the 2016 Census. This includes new questions on gender, veterans, minority language rights holders, Indigenous identity, multiple modes of transportation, and labour market activities.

The complete details of the consultation findings can be found in the final report titled The 2021 Census of Population Consultation Results: What we heard from Canadians, which can be viewed on the Statistics Canada website.

An accessible version of the 2021 Census of Population is available on the Statistics Canada website. To receive an accessible version, please send an email to the Statistical Information Service at STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.

Departmental contact

Geoff Bowlby
Director General
Census Management Office
Statistics Canada
Telephone: 613‑951‑4988
Email: Geoff.Bowlby@canada.ca