Major changes in the makeup and population of the Canadian federation will come into sharp focus next week as Statistics Canada unveils the first results of its 2011 census.
This glimpse at Canada's people won't be without controversy, however. Some experts have questioned the federal government's 2010 decision to replace its mandatory questionnaire, previously sent to a representative sample of the population, with a voluntary household survey.
Laurent Martel, a senior analyst from Statistics Canada, says the data to be unveiled Wednesday - focused on population and dwellings - should reflect the latest estimates from his agency that show changes in provinces such as Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, which are now seeing increased growth.
"We can certainly see some major shifts in demographics in different provinces and territories," said Martel.
He says other trends, such as the decreasing proportion of Quebec's population within the federation, observed over the past half-century, should also be confirmed next week.
The release of the first results from the 2011 census comes just after the departure of Statistics Canada's chief economic analyst, Philip Cross, who took some parting shots at his employer in an interview with the Globe and Mail over last year's changes to the long-form census. Cross suggested that internal debates were being stifled by the agency with management no longer tolerating dissent.
Statistics Canada's census manager, Marc Hamel, says he has never had any issues about exchanging ideas or views at the agency.
Through questionnaires that are sent out, Statistics Canada conducts a census every five years to update the status of changes in the population.
While the short-form census was maintained as a mandatory survey for all Canadians in 2011, more detailed questions about households, travel habits, culture or ethnicity and other personal information were conducted on a voluntary basis, and as a result, some say, will not necessarily produce reliable statistics.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Mike De Souza
This glimpse at Canada's people won't be without controversy, however. Some experts have questioned the federal government's 2010 decision to replace its mandatory questionnaire, previously sent to a representative sample of the population, with a voluntary household survey.
Laurent Martel, a senior analyst from Statistics Canada, says the data to be unveiled Wednesday - focused on population and dwellings - should reflect the latest estimates from his agency that show changes in provinces such as Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, which are now seeing increased growth.
"We can certainly see some major shifts in demographics in different provinces and territories," said Martel.
He says other trends, such as the decreasing proportion of Quebec's population within the federation, observed over the past half-century, should also be confirmed next week.
The release of the first results from the 2011 census comes just after the departure of Statistics Canada's chief economic analyst, Philip Cross, who took some parting shots at his employer in an interview with the Globe and Mail over last year's changes to the long-form census. Cross suggested that internal debates were being stifled by the agency with management no longer tolerating dissent.
Statistics Canada's census manager, Marc Hamel, says he has never had any issues about exchanging ideas or views at the agency.
Through questionnaires that are sent out, Statistics Canada conducts a census every five years to update the status of changes in the population.
While the short-form census was maintained as a mandatory survey for all Canadians in 2011, more detailed questions about households, travel habits, culture or ethnicity and other personal information were conducted on a voluntary basis, and as a result, some say, will not necessarily produce reliable statistics.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Mike De Souza
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