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3. Census collection

3.1 Secure online reporting

In the 2006 Census, for the first time, Canadians could choose to complete their census questionnaire online; just over 18% of responses were made online.

For 2011, the goal is to receive 40% of all census responses online.

By using a code that appeared on their printed questionnaire, respondents were able to access the electronic version on the census collection website. Their answers were sent through a secure government Internet channel that ensured Statistics Canada's commitment to privacy and confidentiality.

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3.2 Delivery of letters and questionnaires

During the month of May, 2011, letters or questionnaires are sent by mail to every household in Canada (over 15 million). To encourage Internet response, 40% of households receive a questionnaire. The other 60% receive a letter explaining to them how they can respond online or, if they prefer, request a paper questionnaire be mailed to them.

Only in remote areas are questionnaires delivered in person by a Statistics Canada enumerator.

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3.3 Self-enumeration

Each household is asked to complete its own questionnaire. This self-enumeration method reduces the possibility of an interviewer misunderstanding a response or recording information incorrectly.

People have the choice of completing the questions online or filling in and mailing back the printed form.

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3.4 Sampling

For the 2006 Census, 80% of households received a short form asking basic demographic questions and 20% received a longer form asking the same questions and covering additional subjects such as education, income and employment.

This time, in 2011, all households receive the same basic census questionnaire, which asks questions on:

• age
• sex
• marital and common-law status
• household relationships
• mother tongue.

After completing the census questionnaire, a sample of one in three households receives the more detailed National Household Survey after completing the census questionnaire.

Enumerating a sample of households produces statistics that are accurate for the entire population. Some advantages of sampling include minimizing the burden on respondents as well as reducing collection and processing costs.

When all the forms are returned to the central processing centre, the responses are scanned and entered into a database. The wealth of data produced is then sorted and cross-referenced. We can find out, for example, the number of school-aged children in Edmonton or the number of people employed in the forest industry in New Brunswick in 2011.

 

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