The Census and University and College Students
Your participation in Canada’s census is important. Below are the answers to some questions you may have about the census.
When is the next census?
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 is Census Day. In the first two weeks of May, every household will receive a census form which must be completed and returned online or by mail by Census Day.
Why is the census important?
Census information is used to plan many programs including health and education services and subsidized housing. This information is also used to identify future employment needs and plan education and training programs, set up job programs for young people, and to identify the need for roads, schools, day-care centres and public transit.
Do I have to complete my census questionnaire?
Yes. The information collected in the census is highly important and is required by law.
Is the information on census questionnaires confidential?
Yes. Employees working on the census must follow specific instructions and procedures to ensure that confidentiality is maintained. Only those employees who need to use completed census forms for their work will see individual forms.
Statistics Canada is bound by law to protect the identity of individuals in all published data. All data releases are screened so that anonymity is assured—data are randomly rounded to the nearest multiple of five or ten and no detailed data are released for areas with populations below a certain size.
Will I receive a form if I am living in a school residence?
Yes. A school residence is considered a collective dwelling. All persons who live in collective dwellings must complete a census questionnaire. Each residence will have a contact person who is responsible for distributing questionnaires and envelopes. You should complete the first two pages of this form, seal it in the envelope provided, and return it by May 16th to the location in your residence noted on the outside of the envelope. Your room number should also be on the envelope. The contact person will ensure that all people in your residence have completed and returned a form. Remind your parents to include you on their questionnaire.
Where should I be enumerated if I am living in an apartment while attending school?
If you live in an apartment during the school year and return home when school is not in session, you should be included on your parents’ questionnaire. However, you must complete the first two pages of the questionnaire that was left at your apartment.
Where should I be enumerated if I live in an apartment full-time while attending school?
If you live in an apartment year-round while in school (have signed a lease for a complete year and do not return home for the summer), you should complete the entire census form that was left at your apartment.
Where should I be enumerated if I attend school out-of-town and return to my parents’ home when school is not in session?
If you attend school out-of-town but return home when school is not in session, you should be included on your parents’ questionnaire. However, you must complete the first two pages of the census questionnaire that was left at your out-of-town residence.
Where should I be enumerated if I am working out-of-town on Census Day?
If there is someone at home in your regular household, this person should include you on your household’s questionnaire on May 16th. If you are staying in a hotel or motel because of your job, at a camp or at a YMCA-YWCA, you must complete the first two pages of the census questionnaire which you receive at that location. If you are staying with a friend on Census Day, your friend should complete Step 3 on the census questionnaire for their household.
I’ll be on a work farm on Census Day. How do I make sure I’m included in the census?
If you are a seasonal employee on a work farm (tree planting, geological survey, mining, etc.) on Census Day, someone in your regular household should include you on the household census form. However, you must complete the first two pages of the questionnaire that was left at the work farm.
If you are employed and live on the work farm full-time, you should complete the census form that was left at the farm.
I plan to be traveling abroad during May 2006. Do I still need to be included in the census?
Sometime during the first two weeks of May your census questionnaire will arrive at your regular household. If there is someone at home, this person should include you when the questionnaire is completed by May 16th. Otherwise, it will be waiting for you on your return and should be completed as soon as you get home. If you will be away from your home until long after the census, please telephone 1 877 594-2006 starting April 1st, and staff will fill in a questionnaire with you over the telephone. Canadians abroad, if not residents of another country, can also complete the census questionnaire at a Canadian embassy if their normal place of residence is Canada and no one is available to include them on the household form.
If you need help or additional information...
You can call the Census Help Line free of charge starting May 1st, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1 877 594-2006. TTY/TDD users can call 1 888 243-0730 (no charge).
