Since Jean Talon conducted the first census in 1666, in what was then the colony of New France, the questions posed to respondents have served as a window into the life and times of an ever-changing Canada.
As the country's most fundamental information source, census data collected by Statistics Canada are indispensable for government, business and private decision-making. The exercise, which takes place at five-year intervals, is a broad inquiry into the social and economic conditions in Canada. Census questions must reflect their times, however, if they are to provide useful information for census data users such as business associations, ethnic and cultural groups, educational institutions and governments. Small wonder, then, that many questions have been added and removed since Talon recorded the age, sex, marital status and occupation of his colony's 3,215 inhabitants. In 1921, for example, questions on insanity and idiocy were dropped because the wording was no longer deemed appropriate and the resulting data were not considered useful. In 1931, families were asked if they owned a radio because no other survey collected information to accurately measure Canadians' use of this important invention. The question was dropped after the 1931 Census.
The 1941 and 1971 censuses posed extensive questions on housing, including the presence in homes of a bathtub or shower, and whether dwellings had a flush toilet and piped water. As improved municipal infrastructure delivered these household services and as levels of public health improved, there was no need to gather such data and the questions did not appear after 1971.
The changing social reality in Canada led to changes in the 1976 Census: for the first time since 1891, either a husband or a wife-rather than just a husband-could be listed as the head of a household. In 1981, the phrase 'head of the household' was dropped completely and the term 'Person 1' substituted. As sensibilities of the day dictated, no member of the household who took part in a census after 1981 was deemed more important than any other.
By 1991, it was evident that many men and women were living together without being legally married. Accordingly, the 1991 Census was the first to ask Canadians if they lived in a common-law relationship.
A new question on the 1996 Census revealed that public transportation concerns were high on public and government agendas. That year, Canadians were asked whether they got to work by car, truck, van, public transit, foot, bicycle, motorcycle, taxicab, or some other means. The resulting data were intended to help cities plan for future transportation needs.
The 2001 Census will mirror further changes in Canadian society by giving common-law couples the opportunity to say whether they are living in same-sex or opposite-sex relationships.
While numerous adjustments have been made to the line of questioning over the years, it's been no simple task. Prior to every census, the proposed content is reviewed and analysed by Statistics Canada, with input from more than 1,000 potential census data users and organizations. After rounds of meetings and submissions from interested parties, Statistics Canada tests the proposed changes for effectiveness.
The Chief Statistician of Canada submits recommendations for census questionnaire content to the federal Cabinet for approval. After Cabinet approval is granted, the questions are prescribed by the Governor in Council and are published in the Canada Gazette, Part I as required by the Statistics Act.
