Canada’s Performance Report 2005

Annex 1 

Glossary

Click on a letter below or use your browser’s Edit-Find function to locate a specific term in this Annex.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U-Z
A
Aboriginal ancestry (ascendance autochtone)
Persons who, in response to the census question on ethnic origin, reported at least one Aboriginal origin (North American Indian, Métis, or Inuit). 
Aboriginal community (collectivité autochtone)
A community either on‑ or off‑reserve, within an urban centre, or representing an amalgamation of several on-reserve communities.
Aboriginal identity (identité autochtone)
Persons who, in the census, reported that they identify with at least one Aboriginal group (e.g. North American Indian, Métis, or Inuit). Also included are individuals who did not report an Aboriginal identity but did report themselves as a Registered or Treaty Indian or a member of a Band or First Nation.
Aboriginal peoples (peuples autochtones)
All the indigenous peoples of Canada. The Constitution Act, 1982, defines the Aboriginal people of Canada as including Indians, Inuit, and Métis. For more information, visit Words First: An Evolving Terminology Relating to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada at http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/pub/wf/index_e.html.
See also: First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
acceptable housing (logement acceptable)
The term is used by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to refer to housing that is in adequate physical condition, of suitable size, and affordable. All three conditions must exist for housing to be acceptable.
See also: adequate housing, affordable housing, suitable housing, and core housing need
adequate housing (logement de qualité convenable)
Dwellings that are reported by their residents as not requiring any major repairs, such as defective plumbing or electrical wiring or structural repairs to walls, floors, or ceilings.
See also: acceptable housing, affordable housing, suitable housing, and core housing need
affirmative action (action positive)
See “employment equity.”
affordable housing (logement abordable)
Dwellings that cost less than 30.0 per cent of before-tax household income.
See also: acceptable housing, adequate housing, suitable housing, and core housing need
agricultural intensification (intensification agricole)
The utilization of additional land for crop production, or the use of existing agricultural land facilities for an increase of livestock production. If not done with proper environmental planning, both practices can have adverse effects on the ecosystem. 
B
Band (bande)
A body of Indians for whose collective use and benefit lands have been set apart or money is held by the Crown, or declared to be a band for the purposes of the Indian Act. (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Words First—An Evolving Terminology Relating to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, September 2004)
C
CO2 equivalent (equivalent CO2)
The amount of CO2 that would cause the same effect as a given amount or mixture of other greenhouse gases. 
core housing need (besoin impérieux de logement)
A household where the housing falls below at least one of the adequacy, suitability, or affordability standards and where the household would have to spend 30.0 per cent or more of its before-tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing.
See also: acceptable housing, adequate housing, affordable housing, and suitable housing
E
economic growth (croissance économique)
The expansion of the national income.
See also: national income 
ecosystems (écosystèmes)
Biological communities of interacting organisms and their physical environment. 
emissions (émissions)
The act of releasing a greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. 
employment equity (équité en emploi)
Various measures designed to eliminate discrimination and to remedy the effects of past discrimination against designated groups, usually in the area of employment. The Employment Equity Act identifies four designated groups: visible minorities, Aboriginal people, women, and persons with disabilities. In Canada, plans in relation to employment are called “employment equity plans” while those that relate to education are sometimes called “education equity plans.” The term “affirmative action,” usually limited to U.S. policies, is only used in Canada’s Perfomance 2005 to reflect the exact wording employed in the mentioned survey. (Environics, Focus Canada—Multiculturalism and Ethnic Tolerance, 2004) 
end‑use sector (secteur d’utilisation finale)
Any specific activity that requires energy (e.g. refrigeration, space heating, water heating, manufacturing process, and feedstock), categorized by the broadest category for which energy consumption and intensity are considered within the Canadian economy (e.g. residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation). 
F
First Nations (Premières nations)
Indian bands. 
See also: band
First Nations people (Membres des Premières nations)
The largest Aboriginal group in Canada, comprising more than 600,000 people (out of the Aboriginal population of close to 1 million). First Nations people live across Canada and are very diverse in language and cultural values; for example, in Canada there are eleven First Nations linguistic families that include between 53 and 70 languages. (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Report, Vol. 3, 1997)
See also: Aboriginal peoples, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
freshwater (eau douce)
Water that generally contains less than 1,000 milligrams per litre of dissolved solids such as salts, metals, and nutrients. 
G
greenhouse gases (gaz à effet de serre)
Gases in the atmosphere that trap energy from the sun. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Without them, the Earth’s average temperature would be about 33°C lower than it is, making the climate too cold to support life. While these naturally occurring gases are what make life possible, a serious concern today is the enhanced effect on the climate system of increased levels of some of these gases in the atmosphere, due mainly to human activities. Schneider, S.H., “The changing climate,” Scientific American, 261(3), September 1989
gross domestic expenditures on research and development (dépenses intérieures brutes en recherche et développement)
A key indicator of government and private sector efforts to obtain competitive advantage in science and technology. It is the total expenditure on research and development (R&D) performed on the national territory during a given period. It excludes R&D expenditures financed by domestic firms but performed abroad (OECD Factbook 2005: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics).
Group of Seven—G-7 (Groupe des Sept—G-7)
The world’s seven largest industrial market economies: the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Canada. 
Group of Eight—G8 (Groupe des Huit—G8)
An informal group of eight countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. 
H
health prevention (prévention de la santé)
The prevention of specific diseases, injuries, and social problems through alcohol and drug abuse programs, family violence initiatives, work safety, etc. 
See also: health promotion, health protection, health surveillance, and population health assessment 
health promotion (promotion de la santé)
Actions taken that affect overall health and well-being. Examples include healthy food and nutrition, sanitation, early childhood development, occupational health and safety, and the promotion and development of physical activity and sport. 
See also: health prevention, health protection, health surveillance, and population health assessment
health protection (protection de la santé)
A wide range of preventive and emergency services. These include responding to threats from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (e.g. SARS, avian flu); immunization; establishing Health Emergency Response Teams; replenishing the National Emergency Stockpile System with the necessary supplies (portable hospitals, mini clinics, blankets, etc.); expanding the Canadian Field Epidemiology Program to address human resource shortages in this important area; understanding and responding to environmental health issues; and providing funding for fellowships, bursaries, chairs and community-based public health apprenticeships. 
See also: health prevention, health promotion, health surveillance, and population health assessment 
health surveillance (surveillance de la santé)
The tracking and forecasting of any health event or health determinant through the continuous collection of high-quality data, the integration, analysis, and interpretation of those data into surveillance products (for example reports, advisories, alerts, and warnings), and the dissemination of those surveillance products to those who need to know. 
See also: health prevention, health protection, health promotion, and population health assessment 
human capital (capital humain)
The knowledge, skills, competencies, and other attributes embodied in individuals that facilitate the creation of personal, social, and economic well-being. (OECD, 2001) This definition extends beyond those capital assets linked directly to productivity to encompass factors that reflect the broader values associated with a healthy, well-educated population. 
I
Indians (Indiens)
In Canada’s Performance, and most often, Indians are referred to as First Nations people. 
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
Indian Register (Registre des Indiens)
An official list of Status Indians maintained by the federal government.
Inuit (Inuit)
The Aboriginal people of Arctic Canada. Inuit live in arctic and subarctic Canada, Nunavut, the Northwest and Yukon Territories and northern parts of Labrador and Quebec. There are approximately 45,000 Inuit in Canada; they share many similarities of language and cultural values. 
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
L
labour costs (coûts de la main-d’œuvre)
Wages, statutory benefits such as government pension plans, and other benefits provided by the employer.
labour force (population active)
The number of people aged 15 and over who are employed (that is, those who currently have jobs) and unemployed (that is, those who do not have jobs but who are actively looking for work). Individuals who do not fall into either of these groups—such as retired people and discouraged workers—are not included in the calculation of the labour force. 
M
Métis (Métis)
A distinct cultural group composed of people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. There are 292,000 people who identified as Métis in the 2001 Census. The Canadian constitution recognizes Métis people as one of the three Aboriginal peoples.
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Registered Indians, Non‑Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians

N
national income (revenu national)
The total production of a country’s goods and services over a given period.
See also: economic growth
natural capital (capital naturel)
The costed and uncosted environmental stocks and systems that provide the many natural materials and services upon which a country relies to sustain economic activity, including natural resources, land, water, and ecosystems. 
Non-Status Indians (Indiens non inscrits)
People who consider themselves Indians or members of a First Nation but whom the Government of Canada does not recognize as Indians under the Indian Act either because they are unable to prove their status or have lost their status rights. Many Indian people in Canada, especially women, lost their Indian status through discriminatory practices in the past. Non-Status Indians are not entitled to the same rights and benefits available to Status Indians. 
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
O
obesity (obésité)
According to World Health Organization and Health Canada guidelines, a person with a body mass index greater than or equal to 30.0 is obese. 
See also: overweight 
off-reserve (hors réserve)
A term used to describe people, services, or objects that are not part of a reserve, but relate to a First Nation.
See also: reserve
overweight (excès de poids)
According to World Health Organization and Health Canada guidelines, a person with a body mass index of 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight.
See also: obesity
ozone (ozone)
An air pollutant that can irritate the lungs and make breathing dangerously difficult for people with asthma or other lung ailments. One of smog’s main ingredients, most ozone at ground level is formed as urban air pollutants mix together on hot summer days. 
P
patent family (famille de brevets)
A set of patents taken in multiple countries to protect the same invention. (OECD, 2005)
population health assessment (évaluation de l’état de santé de la population)
Consists of measuring, monitoring, and reporting on the status of population health by establishing regional centres of excellence in public health and laboratory facilities to advance understanding and action on key priority areas, such as communicable disease epidemiology. 
See also: health prevention, health protection, health promotion, and health surveillance
R
Registered Indians (Indiens inscrits)
Persons registered under the Indian Act.
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Non-Status Indians, Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
reserve (réserve)
A tract of land, the legal title to which is held by the Crown, set apart for the use and benefit of an Indian band. Some bands have more than one reserve. 
See also: off-reserve
S
secondary energy use (consommation d’énérgie secondaire)
The energy used by final consumers for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation purposes. In other terms, it is the energy that Canadians use to heat and cool their homes and workplaces and to operate their appliances, vehicles, and factories. 
social capital (capital social)
The relationships, networks, and norms that facilitate collective action, including both formal and informal institutional arrangements. (OECD, 2001) 
Status Indians (Indiens inscrits)
People who are entitled to have their names included on the Indian Register. Certain criteria determine who can be registered as a Status Indian. Status Indians are entitled to certain rights and benefits under the law.
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, and Treaty Indians
suitable housing (logement de taille adéquate)
Dwellings that have enough bedrooms for the size and makeup of resident households, according to the National Occupancy Standard requirements. 
See also: acceptable housing,adequate housing, affordable housing, and core housing need

T
total expenditures on culture (dépenses totales au chapitre de la culture)
Federal government expenditures on the entire spectrum of cultural, artistic, and heritage activities. For more details, see Statistics Canada’s The Daily, January 27, 2005.
Treaty Indians (Indiens visés par un traité)
Persons who are registered under the Indian Act and can prove descent from a band that signed a treaty. The term is more widely used in the Prairie provinces.
See also: Aboriginal peoples, First Nations people, Indians, Inuit, Métis, Registered Indians, Non-Status Indians, and Status Indians 
triadic patent family (famille de brevets triadiques)
A set of patents registered at all three of the largest patent offices: the European Patent Office, the Japanese Patent Office, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. (OECD, 2005)
W
wildlife species (espèce sauvage)
A species, subspecies, variety or geographically or genetically distinct population of animal, plant, or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years.