Starting May 2, 2011, all households in Canada will be receiving a yellow census package. The town of Carlyle reminds community members to complete this year's census in their March newsletter. "Population statistics from the 2006 census indicated Carlyle had a population of 1,257. We're sure that our population was greater than that. Any population based grants we get will be based on the number that Statistics Canada determines in this census, accurate or not."
Statistics Canada uses the census data for a number of reasons. Some of the reasons that often slip our minds, but have a large impact on our communities include determining representation in Parliament, calculating transfer payments between levels of government, developing programs such as daycare and selecting sites for schools, and planning important public services such as fire and police protection.
Statistics Canada hires approximately 35,000 field staff across Canada to work on collecting this data. Households will be asked to complete their questionnaire online, by telephone, or on paper. Statistics Canada requests that households complete their census questionnaire immediately or within 10 days of receiving the package.
