'Statistics Canada' (
French: ''Statistique Canada'') is the
Canadian federal government department commissioned with producing
statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. The bureau is commonly called 'StatCan' or 'StatsCan'. It has regularly been considered the best statistical organization in the world by ''
The Economist'',
[1] Public Policy Forum and others.
Statistics is a federal responsibility in Canada and Statistics Canada produces statistics for all the provinces as well as the federal government. In addition to conducting about 350 active surveys on virtually all aspects of Canadian life, Statistics Canada undertakes a country-wide
census every five years on the first and sixth year of each decade. By law, every household must complete the census form.
[2] The last Canadian census was held in
May 2006 and was the first time an Internet version was made widely available.
Leadership
The head of Statistics Canada is the ''
Chief Statistician of Canada''. The heads of Statistics Canada and the previous organization, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, are:
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Ivan P. Fellegi (1985 - Present)
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Martin B. Wilk (1980 - 1985)
★ James L. Fry (1980)
★ Peter G. Kirkham (1975 - 1980)
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Sylvia Ostry (1972 - 1975)
★ Walter E. Duffett (1957 - 1972)
★ Herbert Marshall (1945 - 1956)
★ Sedley A. Cudmore (1942 - 1945)
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Robert H. Coats (1918 - 1942)
Legislation
Statistics Canada is governed by:
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Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada 1985
Publications
Statistics Canada publishes numerous documents covering a range of statistical information about Canada, including
census data,
economic and
health indicators,
immigration economics, and social and justice conditions. A press release on April 24, 2006, indicated that "effective today, all electronic publications on Statistics Canada's Web site will be available free of charge."
[ Access to Statistics Canada's electronic publications at no charge ]
Terms
Statistics Canada uses a variety of terms to designate regions in Canada for statistical purposes:
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Census Agglomeration - Metropolitan areas smaller than 100,000 people
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Census Metropolitan Area - Metropolitan areas greater than 100,000 people
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Census division - Collection of census subdivisions
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Census subdivision - Cities, towns, municipalities, etc.
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City
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Chartered community - found in the Northwest Territories
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County municipality - rural territories in Alberta
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Community - villages in Prince Edward Island
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Canton - Townships in Quebec
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United cantons - Townships which have been united in Quebec
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District municipality - Rural or urban territories of British Columbia
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Hamlet - Small communities in the territories
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Improvement district - Rural territories in Alberta
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Indian government district - found in British Columbia
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Inuit land - found in Quebec
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Island municipality
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Local government district - found in Manitoba
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Municipality - Rural territories in Quebec
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Municipal district - Rural territories in Alberta and Nova Scotia
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Northern hamlet - found in Saskatchewan
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Nisga'a land
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Northern village - found in Saskatchewan and Quebec (Village nordique)
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Nisga'a village - found in British Columbia
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Parish - rural territories in Quebec (Parish municipalities) and New Brunswick
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Indian reserve
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Rural community
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Regional district electoral area - Unorganized rural areas in British Columbia
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Region
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Regional municipality - At the CSD level, an amalgamation of a large region. Found in Alberta and Nova Scotia
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Rural municipality - rural territories in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
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Resort village - found in Saskatchewan
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Indian settlement
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Special area - rural territories in Alberta
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Subdivision of county municipality - rural territories of Alberta
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Settlement - small communities in the territories
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Subdivision of unorganized - unorganized rural territories of Newfoundland and Labrador
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Summer village - found in Alberta
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Town
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Township - At the CSD level, only in Ontario
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Township and royalty - Rural territories in Prince Edward Island
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Teslin land
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Reserve lands - found in Quebec
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Unorganized area
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Ville - cities and towns in Quebec
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Cree village - found in Quebec
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Naksapi village
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Village
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Urban area
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Designated place
See also
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Maxime Bernier
References and notes
1. Canadian Initiative on Social Statistics
2. The Census and University and College Students
External links
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Statistics Canada website
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2006 Census