Statistics Canada to hold news conference to present 2021 Census data on immigration, place of birth and citizenship, ethnocultural and religious diversity, and mobility and migration

Media advisory

October 19, 2022, OTTAWA, ON -

On October 26, 2022, Statistics Canada will release the sixth set of results from the 2021 Census. This release will focus on immigration, place of birth and citizenship, ethnocultural and religious diversity, and mobility and migration.

The release will be published in Statistics Canada's Daily at 8:30 a.m. eastern time on October 26, 2022. Information about subsequent releases throughout 2022 is available here.

Statistics Canada officials will hold a news conference to present high-level national, provincial, and territorial findings for the sixth release from the 2021 Census. Officials will be available to answer questions from the media following their remarks.

On October 26 and the following days, Statistics Canada will also grant interviews regarding this 2021 Census data release. Members of the media are invited to submit their requests for interviews and/or custom tabulations ahead of the release date to the Media Hot Line.

Date

October 26, 2022

Time

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT)

Location

The news conference will be held virtually and in person from the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

Address:
Room 200, Sir John A. Macdonald Building
144 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario

Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is for accredited members of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca to request temporary access. A teleconference line is also available for media who wish to listen to the event:

Toll-free dial-in number (Canada/US): 1-866-206-0153
Local dial-in number: 613-954-9003
Participant passcode: 8914352#

Associated link:

2021 Census of Population – Backgrounder for Media

Contact:

Media Relations
Statistics Canada
STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@statcan.gc.ca

The Representative Products of the Consumer Price Index

The list below consists of the representative products in the Consumer Price Index's (CPI) basket of goods and services as of October 2024. Representative products are added and deleted each month as goods and services appear and disappear from the market. This list will be updated on a periodic basis.

Food

  • Almond butter
  • Almond milk
  • Apples
  • Avocados
  • Baby food
  • Bagels
  • Bagged salad
  • Bananas
  • BBQ sauce
  • Beef chuck/blade roast
  • Beef or chicken concentrate
  • Beef rib roast
  • Black pepper
  • Bran flakes cereal with raisins
  • Bran muffins
  • Breaded or battered fish fillets
  • Broccoli
  • Butter
  • Cabbage
  • Canned baked beans in tomato sauce
  • Canned chickpeas
  • Canned corn
  • Canned fruit
  • Canned green beans
  • Canned luncheon meat
  • Canned peas
  • Canned salmon
  • Canned soup with meat
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Canned tuna
  • Canned vegetable soup
  • Cantaloupe
  • Carbonated soft drinks
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Chewing gum
  • Chicken breast
  • Chicken drumsticks
  • Chicken thighs
  • Chocolate candy bar
  • Chocolate chip cookies
  • Chocolate milk
  • Cocoa
  • Cola type carbonated soft drink
  • Cooking or salad oil
  • Corn flakes cereal
  • Crackers
  • Cream cheese
  • Creamed cottage cheese
  • Crispbread
  • Cucumber
  • Doughnuts
  • Dried herbs
  • Dried pulses
  • Dry pasta
  • Dry soup mix
  • Evaporated milk
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Fast food restaurant breakfast sandwich
  • Fast food restaurant cup of coffee to go
  • Fast food restaurant hamburger meal
  • Fast food restaurant sandwich
  • Flavoured gelatin powder
  • Fresh asparagus
  • Fresh blueberries
  • Fresh garlic
  • Fresh goat cheese
  • Fresh grapes
  • Fresh green beans
  • Fresh or frozen trout
  • Fresh pears
  • Fresh raspberries
  • Fresh salmon fillets
  • Fresh strawberries
  • Fresh tomatoes (various varieties)
  • Fresh white mushrooms
  • Frozen berries
  • Frozen chicken nuggets
  • Frozen chicken wings
  • Frozen cod fillets
  • Frozen fish sticks
  • Frozen French fried potatoes
  • Frozen haddock fillets
  • Frozen hamburger patties
  • Frozed iced cake
  • Frozen lasagna
  • Frozen meat pie
  • Frozen shrimp (cooked)
  • Frozen shrimp (raw)
  • Frozen sole fillets
  • Frozen uncooked prepared pizza, family size
  • Frozen vegetables
  • Frozen waffles
  • Fruit pie
  • Granola bars
  • Grapefruit
  • Green peppers
  • Ground beef
  • Ground pork
  • Ground turkey
  • Half and half cream
  • Ham
  • Hamburger buns
  • Homogenized milk
  • Honey
  • Hot sauce
  • Ice cream
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Infant formula
  • Instant coffee
  • Jam
  • Juice boxes
  • Large eggs
  • Lemon
  • Long grain rice
  • Macaroni and cheese dinner
  • Mandarins
  • Maple syrup
  • Margarine
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Mustard
  • Nuts
  • Oat milk
  • Onions
  • Oranges
  • Other non-cola type carbonated soft drink
  • Other pure fruit juice
  • Partially skimmed milk
  • Peanut butter
  • Pickled olives
  • Pickles
  • Pineapples
  • Plain cookies
  • Plain spaghetti sauce
  • Plant-based burgers
  • Plant-based sausages
  • Popped popcorn
  • Pork loin chops
  • Pork loin roast
  • Pork ribs
  • Pork sausage
  • Pork shoulder roast
  • Potato chips
  • Potatoes
  • Processed cheese slices
  • Protein powder
  • Pure apple juice
  • Pure orange juice
  • Red peppers
  • Regular Italian dressing
  • Roast leg of lamb
  • Roasted coffee
  • Rolled oats
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Salami sausage
  • Salsa
  • Sandwich cream cookies
  • Scallops
  • Seedless raisins
  • Single serve frozen prepared meals
  • Single-serve ground coffee
  • Single-serve ice cream
  • Sliced packaged cooked ham
  • Sliced packaged cooked meat
  • Sliced pork bacon
  • Smoked salmon
  • Sour cream
  • Sparkling water
  • Specialty tea
  • Stewing beef
  • Striploin beef steak
  • Sugar
  • Sweet potatoes/yams
  • Table salt
  • Table service restaurant - breakfast meal
  • Table service restaurant - dinner meal
  • Table service restaurant - luncheon meal
  • Takeout Chinese food
  • Takeout fried chicken
  • Takeout pizza
  • Tea bags
  • Tilapia fillets
  • Toasted oat cereal
  • Tofu
  • Tomato juice
  • Tomato ketchup
  • Top inside round beef steak
  • Top sirloin beef steak
  • Tortilla chips
  • Turnips/rutabagas
  • Vegetable juice cocktail
  • Water
  • White bread
  • White flour
  • White pea beans
  • Whole chicken
  • Whole rotisserie chicken
  • Whole turkey
  • Whole wheat bread
  • Whole wheat cereal
  • Whole wheat flour
  • Wieners
  • Yogurt

Shelter

  • Broadloom carpet (nylon)
  • Commission fees
  • Driveway sealant
  • Drywall compound
  • Electricity rates
  • Furnace filter
  • Furnace fuel oil
  • Homeowner's home insurance
  • Homeowner's replacement cost
  • Labour cost (painting)
  • Labour cost (roofing)
  • Laminate flooring
  • Latex caulking tube
  • Lumber
  • Mortgage interest cost
  • Natural gas rates
  • Paint
  • Property taxes and other special charges
  • Rent
  • Shingles
  • Stain
  • Tenant's insurance
  • Vinyl flooring
  • Water rates (flat)
  • Water rates (metered)

Household operations, furnishings and equipment

  • Accounting services
  • Alkaline dry cell batteries
  • Aluminum foil wrap
  • Appliance repairs
  • Automatic washer
  • Babysitting service
  • Bank fees
  • Bath towel
  • Bathroom tissues
  • Bedroom suite
  • Bedsheets
  • Cat food, canned
  • Cat litter
  • Cat treats
  • Cellular phone service
  • Charcoal barbecue
  • Children's bedroom set
  • Clothes dryer
  • Comforter
  • Compact fluorescent bulbs
  • Cookie sheet
  • Cookware
  • Cordless drill/driver
  • Cut flowers
  • Daycare centres
  • Dining room suite
  • Dishwasher
  • Dishwasher detergent tablets
  • Disinfecting wipes
  • Dog food, canned
  • Dog food (dry/moist)
  • Electric circular saw
  • Electric kettle
  • Electric lawn mower
  • Electric range
  • Envelopes
  • Everyday dishes set
  • Everyday glassware
  • Fabric softener sheets
  • Facial tissues
  • Foam mattress (queen)
  • Freezer
  • Funeral goods – casket
  • Funeral goods - cremation container
  • Funeral goods – urn
  • Funeral services - cremation fee
  • Funeral services - embalming services
  • Funeral services - professional and staff services fees
  • Garbage bags
  • Gas barbecue
  • Government services - passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate
  • Hammer
  • Hand mixer
  • House cleaning services
  • Internet services (broadband)
  • Kitchen table set
  • Laundry detergent box
  • Laundry detergent unit dose
  • Lawn care services
  • Lawn fertilizer
  • Lawn mower (gasoline)
  • Leather sofa
  • LED light bulb
  • Liquid all-purpose cleaner
  • Liquid bleach
  • Liquid dishwashing detergent
  • Liquid fabric softener
  • Liquid laundry detergent
  • Liquid toilet bowl cleaner
  • Local home telephone basic service
  • Long distance home telephone service
  • Microwave oven
  • Non-abrasive cream cleanser
  • Non-stick frying pan
  • Nursery plants
  • Online tax software
  • Paper table napkins/serviettes
  • Paper towels
  • Parcel post (various destinations, regular and express shipping)
  • Patio furniture set
  • Plastic storage bags
  • Plastic wrap
  • Pliers
  • Postal fees - counter Xpresspost (various destinations)
  • Postal fees - oversize letter (various destinations)
  • Postal fees - registered mail (various destinations)
  • Postal fees - standard letter mail (various destinations)
  • Potted flowers
  • Reclining chair
  • Refrigerator - bottom mount freezer
  • Refrigerator - top mount freezer
  • Retail club membership
  • Roses
  • Screwdriver
  • Single cup coffeemaker
  • Snow blower
  • Sofa
  • Spring/coil mattress (queen)
  • Spring/coil mattress (twin)
  • Stainless steel flatware set
  • Toaster
  • Upright vacuum cleaner
  • Veterinarian services - annual exam and vaccination of a dog
  • Veterinarian services - spaying of a cat
  • White paper
  • Window blinds
  • Window drapes
  • Window sheers
  • Wine glass set

Clothing and footwear

  • Boys' athletic shoes
  • Boys' briefs
  • Boys' casual pants
  • Boys' dress pants
  • Boys' dress shirt
  • Boys' dress shoes
  • Boys' jeans
  • Boys' sleepwear
  • Boys' spring jacket
  • Boys' swim trunks
  • Boys' winter boots
  • Children's athletic socks
  • Children's rain boots
  • Children's shorts
  • Children's sweatshirt
  • Children's T-shirt
  • Children's winter jacket
  • Coin operated laundry, washer
  • Coin operated laundry, dryer
  • Dry cleaning men's suit
  • Dry cleaning women's dress
  • Girls' athletic shoes
  • Girls' briefs
  • Girls' casual pants
  • Girls' dress shoes
  • Girls' jeans
  • Girls' pullover sweater
  • Girls' sleepwear
  • Girls' socks
  • Girls' summer dress
  • Girls' winter boots
  • Infants' bodysuit
  • Infants' sleeper
  • Men's athletic shirt
  • Men's athletic shoes
  • Men's athletic shorts
  • Men's athletic socks
  • Men's briefs
  • Men's casual lightweight jacket
  • Men's casual pants
  • Men's casual shoes
  • Men's dress pants
  • Men's dress shirt
  • Men's dress socks
  • Men's jeans
  • Men's lace-up dress shoes
  • Men's non-gold wedding band
  • Men's work boots
  • Men's parka
  • Men's polo shirt
  • Men's sandals
  • Men's ski jacket
  • Men's slip-on dress shoes
  • Men's sport jacket
  • Men's suit
  • Men's sweatshirt
  • Men's swim trunks
  • Men's T-shirt
  • Men's wallet
  • Men's winter boots
  • Men's winter coat
  • Men's wristwatch
  • Umbrella
  • Women's athletic pants
  • Women's athletic top
  • Women's blazer
  • Women's bra
  • Women's briefs
  • Women's camisole
  • Women's cardigan
  • Women's casual lightweight jacket
  • Women's casual pants
  • Women's casual sandals
  • Women's dress blouse
  • Women's dress pants
  • Women's flats
  • Women's gold chain
  • Women's gold wedding band
  • Women's handbag
  • Women's high heel sandals
  • Women's jeans
  • Women's panty hose
  • Women's pullover sweater
  • Women's pumps
  • Women's silver chain
  • Women's skirt
  • Women's summer dress
  • Women's bathing suit
  • Women's tank top
  • Women's trench coat
  • Women's T-shirt
  • Women's winter boots
  • Women's winter dress coat
  • Women's winter jacket
  • Women's wristwatch
  • Youths' snow pants

Transportation

  • Air filter (car)
  • Airfares (various city pairs)
  • All-season tires & installation (various sizes)
  • Brakes & installation (car)
  • Brakes & installation (truck)
  • Car rental
  • Daily parking rate
  • Driver's licence
  • Driving lessons
  • Ferry rate (cash)
  • Gasoline (premium)
  • Gasoline (regular unleaded)
  • Hourly parking rate
  • Inter-city bus fares
  • Local transit (various fares types)
  • Mechanic labour (one hour)
  • Monthly parking rate
  • Motor oil (regular)
  • Motor oil (synthetic)
  • Motor oil change (car)
  • Motor oil change (truck)
  • New passenger vehicle purchase (various makes and models)
  • Passenger vehicle insurance premiums
  • Passenger vehicle registration
  • Ride sharing - base fare
  • Ride sharing - booking fee
  • Ride sharing - per-kilometre distance rate
  • Taxi rate - departure rate
  • Taxi rate - per-kilometre distance rate
  • Toll road or bridge (cash)
  • Toll road or bridge (transponder)
  • Train fares (various routes)
  • Tunnel access fee (cash)
  • Tunnel access fee (transponder)
  • Used passenger vehicle purchase (various makes and models)

Health and Personal Care

  • Analgesic (acetaminophen)
  • Analgesic (acetylsalicylic acid)
  • Analgesic (acetylsalicylic acid, low dose)
  • Analgesic (Ibuprofen)
  • Antiseptic mouthwash
  • Bandages
  • Bar of soap
  • Body lotion
  • Body wash
  • Chiropractic services (subsequent visit)
  • Cold remedies
  • Contact lenses
  • Cough remedies
  • Dental scaling and polishing
  • Dentures
  • Deodorants or antiperspirants
  • Disposable masks
  • Eau de toilette
  • Eye examination
  • Eyeglass lenses
  • Eyeglasses (metal frames)
  • Eyeglasses (plastic frames)
  • Facial cleanser
  • Facial moisturizer
  • Foundation
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Infant's disposable diapers
  • Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
  • Laser eye surgery
  • Latex condoms
  • Lipstick
  • Liquid bandage
  • Liquid hand soap
  • Mascara
  • Medicinal cannabis (dried flower)
  • Medicinal cannabis (oil)
  • Men's haircut
  • Multivitamins
  • Nail service
  • Periodic Oral Examination
  • Physiotherapy (subsequent visit)
  • Portable hair dryer
  • Prescription antiarthritic (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription antihyperlipidemic (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription bronchial therapy (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription cardiovascular (generic)
  • Prescription cardiovascular, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (brand name)
  • Prescription cardiovascular, angiotensin II receptor blocker (brand name)
  • Prescription cardiovascular, calcium channel blocker (brand name)
  • Prescription diabetes therapy (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription gastrointestinal (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription neurological (brand name and generic)
  • Prescription psychotherapeutic (brand name and generic)
  • Razor blades (triple bladed)
  • Root canal therapy
  • Sanitary napkins
  • Shampoo
  • Shaving cream
  • Soaking solution for contact lenses
  • Tampons
  • Thermometer
  • Tooth restoration (amalgam)
  • Toothpaste
  • Women's hairdressing

Recreation, education and reading

  • Admission to hockey game
  • Admission to motion picture showing
  • Admission to stage performance
  • Alpine ski boots
  • Alpine ski lift fee
  • Alpine skis
  • Audio on demand (subscription)
  • Ballpoint pen
  • Bicycle (all-terrain)
  • Board game
  • Boat
  • Book (hardcover, various titles)
  • Book (paperback, various titles)
  • Bowling fees
  • Calculator
  • Children's bicycle
  • Coloured pencils
  • Computer equipment
  • Cruise package (various destinations)
  • Daily newspaper (single copy)
  • Daily newspaper (yearly subscription)
  • Digital camera
  • Doll
  • E-book
  • Exercise bike
  • Fitness centre (one-year adult membership)
  • Flat screen televisions (various sizes)
  • Golf balls (package)
  • Golf club set
  • Golf green fees
  • Golf membership fee (full season)
  • Guitar
  • Hockey shinguards
  • Hockey stick (one-piece composite)
  • Hockey stick (wooden)
  • Home theatre audio system
  • Magazine (annual subscription, various titles)
  • Magazine (single copy, various titles)
  • Martial arts lesson (adult)
  • Martial arts lesson (child)
  • Men's hockey skates
  • Motorcycle purchase (various makes and models)
  • Music lesson
  • Notebook
  • Other sporting and athletic equipment
  • Outboard motor
  • Package holiday (various destinations)
  • Portable MP3 player
  • Puzzle
  • School books for university courses
  • SDHC memory card
  • Sleeping bag
  • Smartphone
  • Smartwatch
  • Snowboard
  • Spinning rod
  • Student association fees
  • Tablet personal computer
  • Television broadcast distribution (basic package)
  • Television broadcast distribution (extended package)
  • Toy construction set (plastic)
  • Toy vehicle (plastic)
  • Toy vehicle (plastic/metal)
  • Travel trailer
  • Traveller accommodation (weekend leisure travel)
  • University tuition fees
  • Video game
  • Video game console (non-portable)
  • Video game console (portable)
  • Video on demand (subscription)

Alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and recreational cannabis

  • Beer served in restaurants
  • Beer sold in stores (bottles)
  • Beer sold in stores (cans)
  • Bottle of wine served in restaurants
  • Canadian brandy sold in stores
  • Canadian gin sold in stores
  • Canadian liqueurs sold in stores
  • Canadian red table wine sold in stores
  • Canadian rum sold in stores
  • Canadian rye whisky sold in stores
  • Canadian vodka sold in stores
  • Canadian whiskey served in restaurants
  • Canadian white table wine sold in stores
  • Cannabis-recreational (dried flower)
  • Cannabis-recreational (oil)
  • Cigarettes, discount brand (package and carton)
  • Cigarettes, premium brand (package and carton)
  • House wine served in restaurants
  • Imported brandy sold in stores
  • Imported gin sold in stores
  • Imported liqueurs sold in stores
  • Imported red table wine sold in stores
  • Imported rum sold in stores
  • Imported Scotch whisky sold in stores
  • Imported vodka sold in stores
  • Imported white table wine sold in stores
  • Liquor coolers sold in stores
  • Tequila sold in stores
  • Vaping cartridge
  • Vaping device
  • Vaping juice

Statistics Canada Fees Report, Fiscal year 2021-22

Catalogue no. 892600012022001
ISSN 2562-1602

Statistics Canada Fees Report, Fiscal Year 2021–22 (PDF, 569.46 KB)

Table of contents

Minister's message

Photo of The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne

I am pleased to present Statistics Canada's report on fees for 2021–22.

Statistics Canada reports to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Its mandate is to produce data that help Canadians better understand their country - its population, resources, economy, environment, society and culture. As Canada's central statistical office, Statistics Canada is legislated to serve this function for Canada and each of the provinces and territories. The agency must also conduct the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture every five years, providing a detailed picture of Canadian society. Statistics Canada operates under the authority of the Statistics Act and is committed to protecting the confidentiality and privacy of the information it is entrusted with.

As part of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio, Statistics Canada has the authority to collect fees set by contract from external clients for cost-recovered statistical services.

I welcome the increased transparency and oversight that the Service Fees Act's reporting regime embodies.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

About this report

This report, which is tabled under section 20 of the Service Fees Act, the Low Materiality Fees Regulations, and subsection 4.2.8 of the Treasury Board Directive on Charging and Special Financial Authorities, contains information about the fees Statistics Canada had the authority to set in fiscal year 2021–22.

The report covers fees that are subject to the Service Fees Act.

For reporting purposes, fees are categorized by fee-setting mechanism. There are three mechanisms:

  1. Act, regulation or fees notice
    The authority to set these fees is delegated to a department, minister or Governor in Council pursuant to an act of Parliament.
  2. Contract
    Ministers have the authority to enter into contracts, which are usually negotiated between the minister and an individual or organization, and which cover fees and other terms and conditions. In some cases, that authority may also be provided by an act of Parliament.
  3. Market rate or auction
    The authority to set these fees is pursuant to an act of Parliament or a regulation, and the minister, department or Governor in Council has no control over the fee amount.

No fees under Statistics Canada's authority are set by act, regulation or fees notice. This report therefore only covers fees set by contract. It provides total revenue and costs only.

Although the fees Statistics Canada charges under the Access to Information Act were subject to the Service Fees Act, they are not included in this report. Information on Statistics Canada's access to information fees for 2021–22 is in our annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Access to Information Act: Corporate Management Reporting.

Overall totals, by fee setting mechanism

The following table presents the total revenue, cost and remissions for all fees Statistics Canada had the authority to set in 2021–22, by fee-setting mechanism.

Overall totals for 2021–22, by fee-setting mechanism
Fee setting mechanism Revenue ($) Cost ($) Remissions ($)
Fees set by contract 18,921,397 18,921,397 Remissions do not apply to fees set by contract.

Endnotes

Statistics Act

Service Fees Act

Low Materiality Fees Regulations

Directive on Charging and Special Financial Authorities

Corporate Management Reporting

Guidelines Financial Information of Universities Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) 2021/2022

Skip to text

I. Preamble

II. General Information

III. Detailed Instructions for Institutions Reporting Financial Data

Text begins

I. Preamble

Financial Information of Universities is an annual publication prepared by Statistics Canada for the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO). CAUBO obtains the financial data for the publication by undertaking an annual survey of its degree granting member institutions. Users have indicated that the publication is a comprehensive reference source for the financial data of universities and colleges in Canada.

The financial data in the publication is based on an annual return completed and submitted by each member institution. The hard copy of the publication reports the financial data individually, by institution, and in aggregate, by province, region and nationally.

A. General

These Guidelines are intended to assist both users and preparers of the financial data reported in the annual return; specifically, these Guidelines will assist

  • Users –
    • to understand the limitations of the financial data;
    • to understand the different and distinct purposes between an institution's audited financial statements, its internal management reports and its annual return; and,
    • to understand, in general terms, the prescribed reporting practices underlying the financial data in the annual return.
  • Preparers –
    • to understand, in general terms, the users of the annual return and their information requirements;
    • to appreciate the differences between accounting principles for audited financial statements, internal management reports and prescribed reporting practices; and,
    • to appreciate that the financial data in the annual return must be consistent from one year to the next, and comparable between institutions.

The Guidelines are organized as follows:

Section II provides general information for both users and preparers of the annual return. This section discusses financial reporting by institutions and identifies the users of the annual return and their needs, as well as the relationship of generally accepted accounting principles to the financial data and the prescribed reporting practices underlying that data.

This section will assist users and preparers of the annual return to appreciate the differences between accounting principles for audited financial statements and prescribed reporting practices for the annual return. In addition, by understanding the information requirements of the users of the annual return, preparers should be better able to complete the annual return form in a manner that encourages consistency in reported data for each institution over time and, in accordance with the Guidelines, facilitates comparability between institutions.

Section III provides detailed instructions for institutions reporting financial data. This is the "how-to" section for preparers to refer to when completing the annual return, and will be of interest to users who seek additional information on specific terms or particular line items used in the annual return.

B. Limitations

While users require financial data that are consistent from one year to the next and comparable between institutions, users must also appreciate that notwithstanding the use of detailed Guidelines to assist preparers, there are limitations in the comparability of the data. The data is most useful when aggregated and used for trend analysis. As users move from aggregated data to data that directly compares institutions, either individually or even between provinces or regions, the comparability of the data has limitations.

Limitations in the comparability of the data can result because of differences in the underlying accounting practices followed by institutions. Even the most stringent of reporting guidelines cannot eliminate differences resulting from different underlying accounting practices. Limitations can also result from other inherent differences. Institutional comparisons are subject to interpretation and clarification because of differences such as size, academic programs, structure, physical environment, management philosophy, and budgetary and accounting procedures. Interregional comparisons must also recognize differences such as various sources of funding, fiscal year-end dates varying from March 31st to June 30th, and variations in provincial policies and provincial funding responsibilities.

Specific examples where differences between institutions result in limitations in the comparability of financial data include:

  • Definition of research – The definition of research used by an institution will determine the income and expenditures that are reported in the Sponsored research fund. For example, clinical trials may or may not be defined as research and therefore may or may not be reported as sponsored research expenditures.
  • Hospitals and hospital based medical research – The amount and level of detail reported by institutions for hospitals and for hospital based medical research varies depending upon the corporate relationship between the institution and the hospital.
  • Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) – Provincial matching grants – while an institution separately reports certain specific provincial government grants that are earmarked as CFI matching grants, not all provincial CFI matching grants are separately reported because not all are specific and earmarked.
  • Internal sales and cost recoveries – Depending upon particular management information systems and business practices, an institution may report amounts by reducing offsetting expenditures or as internal cost recoveries.
  • Computing and communication costs – The amount reported by institutions for computing and for communication costs will vary depending upon whether an institution has a centralized or decentralized structure for computing and for communications.

In addition, comparisons of financial data over multiple years should be done with caution because of changes in generally accepted accounting principles that could alter the underlying data and changes in the Guidelines that govern the reporting of the data.

II. General Information

This section provides general information for both users and preparers of the annual return. It discusses financial reporting by institutions and identifies the users of the annual return and their needs, as well as the relationship of generally accepted accounting principles to the financial data and the prescribed reporting practices underlying that data.

This section will assist users and preparers of the annual return to appreciate the differences between accounting principles for audited financial statements and prescribed reporting practices for the annual return. In addition, by understanding the information requirements of the users of the annual return, preparers should be better able to complete the annual return in a manner that encourages consistency in reported data for each institution over time and, in accordance with the Guidelines, facilitates comparability between institutions.

A. Financial Reporting by Institutions

As previously stated, the CAUBO annual return is a comprehensive reference source for the financial data of universities and colleges in Canada. The annual return, however, is not the only source for financial information for individual institutions. An institution's primary financial report is its annual financial statements.

An institution's financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are subject to audit by external auditors. The financial statements are a public document and represent an accounting by the institution's Board of its financial stewardship of the institution as a whole.

An institution's annual return is prepared in accordance with prescribed reporting practices. An institution's annual return is not subject to audit, but is reconciled to its audited financial statements. The annual return is also available to the public, but rather than representing an accounting of financial stewardship, the annual return provides financial data for statistical comparisons among institutions and for trend analysis.

These two reports serve different and distinct purposes. Using audited financial statements, detailed comparisons of financial data between institutions are difficult, if not impossible. For statistical comparisons between institutions and for trend analysis, users of the financial data should refer to the CAUBO annual return. While the CAUBO annual return reports financial data that is more comparable between institutions and lends itself to validation, users should be aware of the limitations in the comparability of the data (see Section I.B).

B. Users of the Annual Return

Participating institutions submit the completed annual return to CAUBO for data verification and compilation by Statistics Canada. Once compiled and published, comparative statistics can be calculated and analyzed either for all institutions combined or for a group of institutions based on one or more characteristics common to the group. Examples of common characteristics include size, location, graduate programs and medicine.

The financial data is used for many and varied purposes. For example, at the aggregate level, the annual return is the principal source of financial data for the estimates of higher education research and development expenditures that are reported in Canada, and reported internationally, for Canada. At the institutional level, the financial data is used to establish the eligibility levels for funding under programs such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The financial data is available to many and varied users. Common users include Statistics Canada and clients of Statistics Canada, associations such as AUCC (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada), granting councils, other Federal and Provincial government departments and agencies, university analysts and other internal university constituencies, and the external research community.

By identifying users of the annual return and understanding their information requirements, reporting practices that best meet user needs can be determined. A point that cannot be overemphasized, however, is that the financial data reported by each institution will only be useful to users of the annual return when the data has been prepared consistently over time and has been prepared in accordance with the Guidelines to facilitate comparability between institutions.

C. Prescribed Reporting Practices

The audited financial statements of reporting institutions are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). For individual institutions, adherence to GAAP results in consistency of reported financial results from one year to the next.

In certain situations, however, GAAP permits individual institutions to choose between equally acceptable alternatives. To the extent institutions make different choices, the financial data, while consistent for one institution from one year to the next, may not be comparable between institutions. As an example, institutions can choose either the deferral or restricted fund method of revenue recognition, and reporting nuances of each method may make comparisons between institutions difficult.

In addition to the differences that exist between the financial data of institutions when they choose different practices from equally acceptable alternatives, the users of the annual return may require, in certain situations, financial data based on an accounting practice that deviates from GAAP. For example, users of capital expenditure data generally require line item reporting of income and expenditures based on the flow of funds, rather than on capitalized and amortized amounts.

By way of highlights, users and preparers of the financial data should note the following points that apply to the annual return, even though they may represent differences from the practices normally followed by individual institutions in reporting financial information:

  • Restricted funds include both external and internal restrictions, rather than external only.
  • Certain restricted income not expended in the year, such as income in the Sponsored research fund, is reported on the funds flow approach, rather than deferred (see Section II.E.4).
  • Capital expenditures are reported on the funds flow approach, rather than capitalized and amortized (see Section II.E.6).
  • Certain expenditures, such as vacation pay, pension costs and future benefits, are reported on the cash basis, rather than accrued (see Section II.E.7).
  • Institutions are encouraged to minimize interfund transfers by reporting income and the corresponding expenditures in the same fund (see Section II.E.9).
  • Users require income and expenditure data, only; therefore, a complete set of financial statements is not reported.

These Guidelines are not intended to conform an institution's annual return to its financial statements or its internal management reports. The prescribed practices, including the uniform reporting practices that follow, may or may not be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. These Guidelines are intended to promote comparability of financial data between institutions, while maintaining consistency.

D. Reconciliation to Audited Financial Statements

By following prescribed reporting practices, each institution will have one or more differences between its annual return and its audited financial statements. To ensure credibility of the financial data reported by an institution, each is required to reconcile the data in its annual return to its audited financial statements.

The reconciliation is reported in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (Section III.C.4). While the types of items causing the differences between the two reports may vary among institutions, the number of such items is relatively few. The common reconciling items have been identified and can be reported on specified lines in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund.

E. Uniform Reporting Practices

For comparability of financial data between institutions, while maintaining consistency, reporting institutions and the preparers of the annual return within those institutions must comply with the Guidelines in general, and specifically with the uniform reporting practices. The uniform reporting practices, and the detailed instructions that follow in Section III, have been developed recognizing that balance is required between the information requirements of the users of the annual return and the response burden that is placed on the preparers. The uniform reporting practices are as follows:

1. Basis of Consolidation

For related and affiliated entities and except for certain research activities as noted below, each institution is to report financial data in the annual return on the same basis as that used for its consolidated financial statements. If the financial data for the entity is only reported in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, then the financial data is not reported in the annual return. To allow users to better understand the contents of the annual return and its limitations, each reporting institution is required to complete an affiliation report providing information for each legal entity that is consolidated with the annual return (see Section III.C.6 – Part I).

Sponsored research data are sometimes used for allocation purposes and users often look to the sponsored research reported by institutions as the main source of data for total funding of research activities of academic staff in Canada. As a result, institutions may wish to report separately certain additional research activities of their academic staff.  Therefore, as an exception to the above practice whereby financial data in the annual return is reported on the same basis as that used for the consolidated financial statements, institutions are permitted, under certain conditions, to report separately sponsored research that is granted to academic staff of the reporting institution, but conducted in entities that are not consolidated (see Section III.C.1 – Sponsored research). Institutions that report sponsored research data that is conducted in entities that are not consolidated are required to complete an affiliation report identifying each non-consolidated entity and the amount included in the annual return (see Section III.C.6 – Part II).

Given the different relationships existing across Canada between institutions and their affiliated hospitals, for example, this exception will also increase the comparability of research data across institutions.

For clarity, the financial data for a Charitable Foundation will only be included in the annual return if the Charitable Foundation is consolidated in the financial statements of the institution.

2. Funds

The financial data will be reported following a form of fund accounting. Fund accounting classifies resources for accounting and reporting purposes in accordance with activities or objectives as specified by donors, in accordance with regulations, restrictions, or limitations imposed by sources outside the institution, or in accordance with directions issued by the governing body of the institution.

A fund is an accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts for recording assets, liabilities, a fund balance, and changes in the fund balance. Funds have been identified as either unrestricted or restricted. Restricted funds, other than Endowment, account for resources that may be used for current purposes, but with some limitations imposed by external or internal sources.

For accounting and reporting purposes, institutions combine the funds with similar characteristics into distinct fund groups. The fund groups reported in the annual return, with a brief explanation of each, are as follows:

General operating is an unrestricted fund that accounts for the institution's primary operating activities of instruction and research, other than sponsored research.

Special purpose and trust is a restricted fund. The funds, including donations, may be restricted by external sources, or internally restricted by the institution's governing body, for purposes other than sponsored research (Sponsored research fund), or capital (Capital fund).

Sponsored research is a restricted fund that accounts for income and expenditures for all sponsored research. Amounts are separately reported for entities consolidated and entities not consolidated (see Section II.E.1).

Ancillary is an unrestricted fund that separately accounts for all "sales-producing" operations or "self-supporting" activities that are supplementary to the institution's primary operating activities of instruction and research.

Capital is a restricted fund that accounts for resources provided to the institution for capital purposes and not reported in any other fund.

Endowment is a restricted fund that accounts for the capitalization of externally or internally restricted amounts, primarily donations, which cannot be spent.

Section III.C.1 provides additional information and explanatory comments on each of the above funds.

3. Accrual Concept

As a general reporting practice, institutions follow the accrual, rather than the cash basis of accounting. The accrual concept refers to the method of recording transactions where income is reported in the period in which the income is considered to have been earned, rather than received; and expenditures, in the period in which the expenditures are considered to have been incurred, rather than disbursed. An example of the application of this concept to an income item is the accrual for interest earned, but not received; and, to an expenditure item, is the accrual for retroactive salary costs earned, but not paid.

Exceptions in the annual return to the accrual concept include –

  • the funds flow approach for reporting income in the Special purpose and trust, and Sponsored research funds (see Section II.E.4),
  • the funds flow approach for reporting income and expenditures for capital asset transactions (see Section II.E.4), and
  • the cash basis for reporting vacation pay, pension costs and future benefits (see Section II.E.7).

4. Funds Flow Approach

For specific types of activities, income will be reported in the annual return following a funds flow approach; that is, for both Special purpose and trust, and Sponsored research (see Section III.C.1), the funds are reported as income in the period in which the funds are received or receivable. The corresponding expenditures, on the other hand, are reported consistent with the accrual concept; that is, in the period in which the expenditures are incurred. For example, when an institution is awarded a research contract, the income is reported when the funds are received or receivable under the terms of the contract.

For CAUBO reporting purposes, income and the corresponding expenditures are to be reported in the same fund (see Section II.E.9).

Where an institution defers the income noted above in its audited financial statements, the difference between the funds flow approach and the deferral method must be a reconciling item in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund between the institution's annual return and its audited financial statements (see Section III.C.4 – line 11).

5. Guidance on Use of the Correct Fund

For all funds the matching principle applies; that is the revenue and related expenditure should be recorded in the same fund. it is not as straightforward to decide whether the revenue or expenditure source should dictate the fund where they are recorded. Depending upon the fund, there is not one method that says that expenditures should be recorded in the same fund as the revenue (expenditures follow revenues) or vice versa (revenues follow expenditures). Other reporting considerations have taken precedence over this consideration. However, while the applicable method may not be consistent across all funds, it is consistent within a given fund. The following shows the method to follow for each fund:

Operating Fund – expenditures follow revenues; Special Purpose & Trust Fund – expenditures follow revenues; Sponsored Research Fund – expenditures follow revenues; Ancillary Fund – expenditures follow revenues; Endowment Fund – revenues follow expenditures; Capital Fund – expenditures follow revenues.

6. Capital Assets

The uniform reporting practice in the annual return for capital expenditures is to follow the funds flow approach, rather than to capitalize and amortize. Funds received to acquire capital assets are reported as income in the period in which the funds are received or receivable. Funds used to acquire capital assets are reported as expenditures in the period in which the funds are paid or payable.

For CAUBO reporting purposes, capital expenditures are to be reported in the same fund as the corresponding income. Specifically, capital expenditures are only reported in the Capital fund when the corresponding income is reported in the Capital fund.

The difference between the funds flow approach and capitalized and amortized expenditures must be a reconciling item in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund between the institution's annual return and its audited financial statements (see Section III.C.4 – lines 9 and 10).

7.Vacation Pay, Pension Costs and Future Benefits

Vacation pay, pension costs and future benefits, including benefits arising as a result of early retirement, are to be reported on the cash basis. The cash basis refers to the method of recording transactions where expenditures are reported in the period in which cash is disbursed.

Where an institution accrues the expenditures noted above in its audited financial statements, the difference between the cash basis and the accrual basis must be a reconciling item in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund between the institution's annual return and its audited financial statements (see Section III.C.4 – lines 12 and 13).

8. Sales and Cost Recoveries

The practices followed by institutions in reporting sales and cost recoveries in their financial records vary significantly and, for the most part, are dependent upon the particular management information systems and business practices of the respective institutions.

For the annual return, as a general practice, sales and cost recovery amounts are to be reported at "gross", rather than "net". "Gross" means that the sales and the corresponding cost are reported as separate items. "Net" means that the sales and corresponding cost are combined, and the difference is reported as a separate item. Reporting amounts at "gross" provides users of the financial data with better information than reporting at "net".

Sales and cost recovery transactions can generally be classified as external sales, internal sales, external cost recoveries and internal cost recoveries.

  • (a) External sales and external cost recoveries – "third party" transactions, where the price to the external party is determined based on either the commercial value of the services or product, or the cost of the services or product. The price may or may not include a profit component.
  • (b) Internal sales – transactions between funds or functions, where the price to the internal party is determined based on either the commercial value of the services or product, or the cost of the services or product. The price includes a profit component. Internal sales exclude transactions based specifically on indirect or overhead costs. For the purposes of the annual return, internal sales will be categorized by those sales originating from ancillary services (see Section III.C.1 – Ancillary) and those sales originating from other funds or functions.
  • (c) Internal cost recoveries – the recovery, allocation, charge-out or transfer of costs between funds or functions. Internal cost recoveries refers specifically to indirect or overhead costs.

External sales, external cost recoveries and internal sales originating from ancillary services are to be reported as sale of services and products (see Section III.C.2 – line 25).

As an exception to reporting amounts at "gross", and also to avoid double counting of income and expenditures, the preferred method of reporting internal sales, other than those originating from ancillary services, is to report the amounts at "net". To report at "net", income in the fund or function selling the services or product is netted against the expenditures in that same fund or function. The fund or function purchasing the services or product reports the expenditure. Alternatively, where "netting" is not possible or feasible within a fund or function, the internal sales can be reported separately under an expenditure line item (a recovery) in both the fund or function selling the services or product and the fund or function purchasing the services or product (see Section III.C.3 – line 20).

Internal cost recoveries are also to be reported in such a manner as to avoid double counting of expenditures. The preferred method is direct allocation – that is, by reducing the expenditure types in the fund or function from which the costs are allocated, offset with a corresponding increase in the same expenditure types in the fund or function to which the costs are allocated. This approach provides users with better functional comparisons of individual expenditure line items. Alternatively, where direct allocation is not possible or feasible, the internal cost recoveries can be reported separately under an expenditure line item (a recovery) in the fund or function from and to which the costs are allocated (see Section III.C.3 –line 20).

9. Interfund Transfers

Situations arise where in the normal course of operations, an institution reports income in one fund, but reports the corresponding expenditure in another fund. In such situations, the institution records a transfer from the fund in which the income was received, to the fund in which it is expended. This transfer is referred to as an interfund transfer.

These Guidelines encourage institutions to report, to the extent possible, income and the corresponding expenditure in the same fund. For example, capital expenditures are to be reported in the same fund as the corresponding income and investment income earned on trust and endowment funds is to be reported in the same fund as the corresponding expenditures. This approach provides users with better financial data to calculate statistics such as the relationship between income and expenditures, by fund.

The transfer of an operating surplus from the Ancillary fund to the General operating fund is an example of an interfund transfer. Other examples include interfund transfers approved by the institution's governing body. Interfund transfers are reported in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – lines 5 and 8).

10. Gifts-In-Kind

Gifts-in-kind that are recorded in an institution's audited financial statements will be reported in the annual return as both an income and expenditure item. As an income and expenditure item, gifts-in-kind must be reported consistent with the CAUBO uniform reporting practices.

11. Internally Restricted Net Assets

Internally restricted net assets or fund balances are commonly referred to as appropriations or reserves. Changes in fund balances reported in an institution's financial statements occur in part as a result of approved transfers or the appropriation of funds for specific future purposes. For the annual return, an increase or transfer to appropriations should not be recorded as an expenditure, nor should a decrease or transfer from appropriations be recorded as income (see Section III.C.4 – line 19).

12. Borrowing and Principal Repayment

The borrowing and repayment of principal will not be reported as income or expenditure. Any such amounts, however, will be separately reported in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – lines 6 and 7). However, interest payments will be reported as expenditures in the appropriate fund.

13. Full Costing of Ancillary Services

Ancillary services (see Section III.C.1 – Ancillary) should include all direct expenditures and cost allocations related to ancillary operations. Cost allocations, for example, should include a reasonable allocation for utility (unless the utility is an ancillary service) and plant maintenance, and for the institution's management and administrative support. Cost allocations to ancillary services are internal cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8) in the fund or function from which the costs are allocated.

14. Use of Estimates

To complete the annual return in accordance with these uniform reporting practices, costs may have to be allocated among funds and functions. Where cost allocations are required, the allocations can be based on best estimates.

15. Double Counting

In certain situations, an institution receives funds and subsequently disburses or transfers all or part of the funds to one or more related or affiliated entities that are included in the annual return. These entities could be included in the annual return for either reason noted in the uniform reporting practice on "Basis of Consolidation" (see Section II.E.1). In such situations, the institution submitting the annual return must ensure that total income and total expenditures are only reported once. The types of income to be reported should correspond to the original source of the funds. The types of expenditures to be reported should correspond to the final use of the funds. The intervening disbursements or transfers of funds between related or affiliated entities should not be reported. Furthermore, the institution must ensure that the income and expenditures are reported in the same fund (see Section II.E.9).

Also, care should be exercised in situations where a reporting institution receives funds and subsequently disburses or transfers all or part of the funds to other reporting member institutions of CAUBO. This is particularly important in the case of large research grants such as Networks of Centres of Excellence, where one institution, the administrative centre, is responsible for disbursing funds to other participating institutions. In such situations, the reporting institution should report the funds received "net" of the funds disbursed or transferred. This practice avoids double counting of income and expenditures when annual return data is aggregated for provincial, regional and national totals.

III. Detailed Instructions for Institutions Reporting Financial Data

This section provides detailed instructions for institutions reporting financial data. This is the "how-to" section for preparers to refer to when completing the annual return, and will be of interest to users who seek additional information on specific terms or particular line items used in the annual return. Preparers of the financial data should review the previous sections of the Guidelines before proceeding.

A. Comparable Financial Data

Normally, the criteria for placement of a particular income or expenditure item within a fund or function in the annual return is the same as that used by an institution in its financial statements or internal management reports. However, where the Guidelines specifically designate the placement of an item, the item must be shown under the designated heading regardless of the institution's practice. Consequently, the classification of activities or items of income and expenditure in the annual return may differ from the classification used by an institution in its financial statements or internal management reports. For example, health services and athletics are to be reported in the Student services function in the annual return (see Section III.C.5 – Student services) although they may be reported as ancillary services in the institution's financial statements or internal management reports.

The financial data reported by each institution will only be useful to users of the annual return when the data has been prepared consistently over time and is comparable to other institutions. In order to satisfy user information needs, preparers must comply with these Guidelines.

B. Annual Return

The detailed financial data requested in the annual return is reported in Tables 1 to 7. The contents of the annual return are as follows:

  • General Information and Instructions
  • Table 1. Income by Fund
  • Table 2. Expenditures by Fund
  • Table 3. Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund
  • Table 4. General Operating Expenditures by Function
  • Table 5. Affiliation Report
    • Part I: Separate Legal Entities Consolidated
    • Part II: Separate Legal Entities not Consolidated
  • Table 6. Other Federal Government Departments and Agencies – Grants and Contracts
  • Table 7. Provincial Government Departments and Agencies – Grants and Contracts

In certain situations, an institution may determine that while it has complied with the Guidelines, it has provided financial data that may not be comparable to other institutions. In such situations, the institution can provide either accompanying notes of explanation, or observations and comments in the space provided at the bottom of each Table. This additional information would be useful for Statistics Canada in its review of the annual return for reasonableness. Examples could be any "material" extraordinary or non-recurring income or expenditure item included in a fund and/or functional area.

An institution may also use the space provided at the bottom of each Table for any observations and comments that the institution wishes to make regarding items not covered in the annual return.

Preparers should recognize that users of the annual return are prepared to accept reasonable allocations where exact numbers are not available (see Section II.E.14).

C. Definitions, Explanations and Examples

The funds are discussed first to assist the preparer to segregate the various income and expenditure items for reporting purposes. The financial data should be reported by fund in Tables 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the annual return. Following the discussion of funds, the financial data to be reported on the applicable lines in each Table is discussed.

1. Funds

Fund accounting (see Section II.E.2) classifies resources for accounting and reporting purposes in accordance with activities or objectives as specified by donors, in accordance with regulations, restrictions, or limitations imposed by sources outside the institution (external restrictions) or in accordance with directions issued by the governing body (internal restrictions). Funds have been identified as either unrestricted or restricted. Restricted funds, other than Endowment, account for resources that may be used for current purposes, but with some limitations imposed by external or internal sources.

For accounting and reporting purposes, institutions combine the funds with similar characteristics into distinct fund groups. For the annual return, the fund groups are General operating, Special purpose and trust, Sponsored research, Ancillary, Capital, and  Endowment.

Preparers should note the following:

  • restricted funds include both external and internal restrictions,
  • income and expenditure within Sponsored research is separately reported for entities consolidated and entities not consolidated (see Section II.E.1),
  • interfund transfers should be minimized by reporting income and the corresponding expenditure in the same fund (see Section II.E.9),
  • differences resulting from compliance with the uniform reporting practices in these Guidelines (see Section II.E) and the principles followed in the institution's financial statements will be reconciling items in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4).

General operating is an unrestricted fund that accounts for the institution's primary operating activities of instruction and research, other than sponsored research. The general operating fund includes the costs of privately funded and non-credit programs.

Fund income includes provincial government grants (including research other than sponsored research), student tuition and other fees (for credit and non-credit courses), and income from private and other unrestricted sources. Fund income also includes investment income, if the corresponding expenditures are reported in the General operating fund.

Fund expenditures are for the general operating costs of the institution including instruction and research (other than sponsored research), academic support services, library, student services, administrative services, plant maintenance, external relations and other operating expenditures of the institution. Fund expenditures also include the purchase of capital assets, if the corresponding income is reported in the General operating fund.

Special purpose and trust is a restricted fund. The funds, including donations, may be restricted by external sources, or internally restricted by the institution's governing body, for purposes other than sponsored research (Sponsored research fund), or capital (Capital fund). Income is to be reported following the funds flow approach (see Section II.E.4).

Fund income includes designated gifts, benefactions and grants. Fund income also includes investment income, if the corresponding expenditures are reported in the Special purpose and trust fund.

Fund expenditures include the purchase of capital assets, if the corresponding income is reported in the Special purpose and trust fund.

Sponsored research is a restricted fund that accounts for income and expenditures for all sponsored research. Amounts are separately reported for entities consolidated and entities not consolidated (see Section II.E.1). Income is to be reported following the funds flow approach (see Section II.E.4).

Fund income includes funds to support research paid either in the form of a grant or by means of a contract from a source external to the institution. Income sources include government, private industry and donors. The federal grant allocation for Indirect Costs of Research would be included here. The corresponding expenditures should be reported as an internal cost recovery between the Operating and Sponsored Research Funds, similar to the treatment of overheads. Fund income also includes investment income, if the corresponding expenditures are reported in the Sponsored research fund.

Fund expenditures include activity funded from Sponsored research income and exclude activity funded from the General operating fund. Fund expenditures include the purchase of capital assets, if the corresponding income is reported in the Sponsored research fund. Fund expenditures also include internal cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8).

Funds from Canada Foundation for Innovation, along with applicable matching funds, are to be reported as Sponsored research income. The corresponding expenditures, including the purchase of capital assets, are to be reported as Sponsored research expenditures.

Funding related to Canada Research Chairs are to be reported as Sponsored Research income. The corresponding expenditures, including the purchase of capital assets, are to be reported as Sponsored Research expenditures.

Within the Sponsored research fund, the first column in the applicable Tables is used to report income and expenditures for entities consolidated, and the second column, for entities not consolidated. Both columns combined represent the total Sponsored research reported by the institution. For the first column, "Entities Consolidated", reported amounts are based on the financial data of entities included in the consolidated financial statements of the institution.

For the second column, "Entities not Consolidated", institutions are permitted to separately report sponsored research, including hospital based medical research funding, that is granted to academic staff of the reporting institution, but conducted in entities that are not consolidated. Reporting of the sponsored research is permitted if all the following four conditions are met:

  • the entity not consolidated must be an affiliated institution as established by an affiliation agreement with the reporting institution. The term affiliated institution refers to all federated, affiliated and associated entities (see Section III.C.6).
  • academic staff from the reporting institution lead the sponsored research project and conduct the research at the non-consolidated affiliated institution,
  • the financial data (income and expenditure) for the sponsored research are reported in the financial statements of the non-consolidated affiliated institution, and
  • the sponsored research would be reported in the Sponsored research fund had the research been conducted at the reporting institution, rather than at the affiliated institution.

In addition, for "Entities not Consolidated", the amounts reported as income (Table 1, line 27, column 4) must equal the amounts reported as expenditures (Table 2, line 24, column 4).

To provide financial data that is consistent and comparable, the income and expenditure items for sponsored research for entities not consolidated are to be reported in accordance with these Guidelines. Although this financial data has not been subject to audit by the reporting institution, there is an expectation that the data has adequately documented support.

Institutions that report sponsored research for such entities are required to

  • acknowledge and represent in the Transmittal Letter that the four conditions above have been met, and
  • complete Part II of Table 5 identifying each entity and the amounts reported in the annual return (see Section III.C.6).

Ancillary is an unrestricted fund that separately accounts for all "sales-producing" operations or "self-supporting" activities that are supplementary to the institution's primary operating activities of instruction and research. Ancillary services exist to provide goods and services to students, faculty, staff, and others. Ancillary services charge a fee directly related to, although not necessarily equal to, the cost of the goods or services.

Ancillary services typically include bookstores, food services (dining hall, cafeterias, vending machines), residences and housing, parking, university press, publishing, laundry services, property rentals, university facility rentals, theaters, and conference centers.

All sales, external and internal, from ancillary services are reported as income (see Section II.E.8).

To report expenditures, full costing of ancillary services is required (see Section II.E.13). The preferred method of reporting internal cost recoveries or cost allocations is direct allocation, but where direct allocation is not possible or feasible, the internal cost recoveries can be reported under a separate expenditure line item (see Section II.E.8). Any capital items purchased directly from Ancillary income are to be reported in the Ancillary fund on the appropriate expenditure line.

Capital is a restricted fund that accounts for resources provided to the institution for capital purposes and not reported in any other fund. Income and expenditures are to be reported following the funds flow approach for capital assets (see Section II.E.6).

Fund income includes grants and related investment income, donations, and other resources made available to the institution by external funding sources, such as government and donors, specifically for capital purposes.

Fund expenditures include building programs, acquisitions of major equipment and furniture, major renovations and alterations, space rental and buildings, land and land improvements.

Because capital expenditures are to be reported in the same fund as the corresponding income, not all capital expenditures will be reported in the Capital fund. For example, funds from Canada Foundation for Innovation, along with applicable matching funds, are to be reported as Sponsored research income. The corresponding expenditures, including the purchase of capital assets, are to be reported as Sponsored research expenditures.

Endowment is a restricted fund that accounts for the capitalization of externally or internally restricted amounts, primarily donations, which cannot be spent.

Investment income generated by endowments may be used for various purposes, with these purposes often restricted by donors. Investment income should be reported in the same fund as the corresponding expenditures. Expenditures, excluding those incurred to earn investment income, are to be reported in an appropriate fund other than the Endowment fund.

Expenditures incurred to earn investment income are to be reported "net" of the investment income. Investment income that is used to preserve the capital value of the Endowment fund is reported as income in the Endowment fund.

2. Income by Fund (Table 1)

The funds described in Section III.C.1 are reported in columns 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in Table 1, with the total of the funds reported in column 9. Column 5 reports the sub-total for the Sponsored research fund. Within Sponsored research, column 3 reports "Entities Consolidated" and column 4 reports "Entities not Consolidated".

The types of income to be reported in Table 1 are identified on the left-hand side of the Table. If there is uncertainty as to which line to use to report a type of income, report the income on the line best describing the activity. For example, government funds to pay tuition fees for participants in a non-credit program should be reported on line 13 (Non-credit tuition), rather than under government grants and contracts. Furthermore, where the designation of a particular type of income in this Table differs from that used by an institution in its financial statements or its internal management reports, the type of income must be shown per the Guideline instructions regardless of the institution's practice.

As a general reporting practice, institutions follow the accrual, rather than the cash basis of accounting (see Section II.E.3). For reporting income, exceptions to the accrual concept in the annual return include the funds flow approach for reporting funds received to acquire capital assets (see Section II.E.6) and for reporting income in the Special purpose and trust, and Sponsored research funds (see Section II.E.4).

Income includes gifts-in-kind that are recorded in an institution's audited financial statements (see Section II.E.10).

Borrowings will not be reported as income (see Section II.E.12). Any such amounts, however, will be separately reported on the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – line 6).

The six major categories of income are –

  • government departments and agencies – grants and contracts,
  • tuition and other fees,
  • donations, including bequests
  • non-government grants and contracts,
  • investment, and
  • other (including sale of services and products, and miscellaneous).

(i)  Government departments and agencies – grants and contracts

Lines 1 to 11 include grants from, and contracts with, federal government departments and agencies, provincial government departments and agencies, and municipal governments. Grants and contracts from other provincial governments and from foreign governments are also reported in this category.

Government grants provide financial support to institutions and the grants may or may not be restricted.

Government contracts provide financial support to institutions under certain stipulations and conditions, including the provision of a deliverable product, such as a piece of equipment, a service, or a report. A contract normally includes provisions for institutions to recover certain indirect or overhead costs, with the contract specifying or documenting the basis for the calculation of the recoverable costs.

To avoid double counting of government grants and contracts, income must only be reported once. In other words, where an institution receives funds and subsequently disburses or transfers all or part of the funds to one or more related or affiliated entities that are included in the annual return, the transfers must be eliminated (see Section II.E.15).

Furthermore, and again to avoid double counting, where a reporting institution receives funds and subsequently disburses or transfers all or part of the funds to other reporting institutions of CAUBO, the funds received should be reported "net" of the funds disbursed or transferred (see Section II.E.15).

Federal

Lines 1 to 7 include all research grants, research contracts, grants and contributions from the Government of Canada and its departments and agencies, including the federal portion of capital and other grants that flow through a provincial government. Income received from the six major federal government agencies is reported on lines 1 to 6, as applicable.

The line items under "federal" are as follows:

Line 1 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Line 2 Health Canada

  • Income from Health Canada not reported under line 4 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – should be reported in this line.

Line 3 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Line 4 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Line 5 Canada Foundation for Innovation ( CFI )

  • CFI income is reported under the Sponsored Research fund.

Line 6 Canada Research Chairs

  • Funding for Canada Research Chairs is reported under the Sponsored Research Fund.

Line 7 Other federal (see Table 6)

  • Income from all other federal government departments and agencies is reported on this line with the details provided in Table 6 (see Section III.C.7). This would include grant allocations for the Indirect Costs of Research. A separate line is provided in Table 6 for Indirect Costs of Research.

Other

Lines 8 to 11 include all grants from, and contracts with, the province and its departments and agencies, municipal governments, other provinces, and foreign governments.

The line items under "other" are as follows:

Line 8 Provincial (see Table 7)

  • Income from provincial government departments and agencies, including provincial CFI matching grants, is reported on this line with the details provided in Table 7 (see Section III.C.8).
  • Provincial CFI matching income from the Ministry responsible for the institution is reported under the Sponsored research fund.

Line 9 Municipal

  • Examples of income to be reported on this line include grants from urban transit, communication and parking authorities.

Line 10 Other provinces

  • This line includes grants from, and contracts with, provinces other than the province with jurisdiction.

Line 11 Foreign

  • Examples of income to be reported on this line include grants from the National Endowment for Humanities, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.

(ii) Tuition and other fees

The types of revenue (Lines 12 to 14) include credit course tuition, non-credit tuition and other fees.

Line 12 Credit course tuition

  • Credit courses are courses of instruction or programmed learning that are offered within a degree program; or, that may be granted status equivalent to a credit course within a degree program.
  • Credit courses are offered during the fall and winter sessions of a semester type operation, all three terms of a trimester operation and the year round operation of graduate schools and include intersession, spring session and summer session credit courses and credit extension.
  • Credit course tuition includes tuition and other mandatory fees related to the instruction of the courses, such as computer and laboratory fees.
  • Credit course tuition also includes fees for "make-up" or special courses that are related to the credit offerings of the institution, and fees for auditing in credit courses.
  • Credit course tuition should be reported on this line whether the cost of the credit course is subsidized or fully recoverable.

Line 13 Non-credit tuition

  • Non-credit programs are courses of instruction or programmed learning that are not credit courses (see line 12).
  • Non-credit tuition includes fees for lectures, courses and similar activities that are not recognized by the institution for the purpose of granting credit. Non-credit programs are usually offered through continuing education units.
  • Government funds to pay tuition for participants in a non-credit program should be reported as non-credit tuition, rather than as government grants and contracts.

Line 14 Other fees

  • Other fees include all compulsory and non-compulsory fees charged to students such as health services, athletics, library, applications, late registrations, lockers and transcripts. These fees would be reported under the General operating fund.
  • Other fees exclude fees collected by the institution acting in an agency capacity. An example would be student fees collected on behalf of student controlled and administered activities such as student councils or federations.

(iii) Donations, including bequests

Donations are a voluntary transfer of cash or negotiable instruments made without expectation of return or benefits of any kind to the donor. Bequests flow from wills. Donations, including bequests, are considered to be gifts for tax purposes. Amounts received that are eligible to be receipted as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes are to be reported on lines 15 to 17, as applicable.

Lines 15 to 17 categorize "donations, including bequests" by individuals, business enterprises, foundations and not-for-profit organizations.

In addition, donations designated for specific purposes and donations that cannot be spent are reported in the Endowment fund (see Section III.C.1 – Endowment). Donations also include gifts-in-kind that are recorded in an institution's audited financial statements (see Section II.E.10).

With the exception of circumstances outlined in the preceding paragraph, donations are to be reported in the same fund as the corresponding expenditures (see Section II.E.9).

Line 15 Individuals

  • This line includes families.

Line 16 Business enterprises

  • Business enterprises include unincorporated businesses as well as privately or publicly incorporated companies that are operated for profit and derive revenue mainly from the sale of goods and services. The common forms of unincorporated businesses are sole proprietorships and partnerships, and examples include farmers and professional practitioners.

Line 17 Not-for-profit organizations

This includes foundations and other not-for-profit organizations.

  • A foundation is an entity that can either be a corporation or a trust constituted and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. Funds contributed to an institution by a non-consolidated charitable foundation would be reported here.
  • Not-for-profit organizations include associations or societies, and examples include religious organizations, labour unions, professional organizations and fraternal societies.

(iv) Non-government grants and contracts

Non-government grants and contracts provide financial support under certain specific stipulations and conditions, including the provision of a deliverable product, such as a piece of equipment, a service, or a report. The amounts received by an institution are not considered as charitable donations for tax purposes and therefore are ineligible to be receipted as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

Lines 18 to 20 categorize "non-government grants and contracts" by individuals, business enterprises, foundations and not-for-profit organizations.

Line 18 Individuals

  • This line includes families.

Line 19 Business enterprises

  • Business enterprises include unincorporated businesses as well as privately or publicly incorporated companies that are operated for profit and derive revenue mainly from the sale of goods and services. The common forms of unincorporated businesses are sole proprietorships and partnerships, and examples include farmers and professional practitioners.

Line 20 Not-for-profit organizations

This includes foundations and other not-for-profit organizations.

  • A foundation is an entity that can either be a corporation or a trust constituted and operated exclusively for charitable purposes.
  • Not-for-profit organizations include associations or societies, and examples include religious organizations, labour unions, professional organizations and fraternal societies.

(v) Investment income

Investment income includes income from dividends, bonds, mortgages, short-term notes and bank interest. Bond interest would include an accrual for stripped bonds (see Section II.E.3). Investment income also includes realized and unrealized gains and losses on investment transactions, if the gains and losses are reported in the audited financial statements, regardless of how investments have been designated by the institution (held for trading or not).

Investment income excludes income from a non-consolidated charitable foundation. Income from a non-consolidated charitable foundation should be reported on line 17 (Not-for-profit organizations).

Included in this section are endowment and other investment income (Lines 21 and 22).

Line 21 Endowment

  • Investment income earned on endowment funds is reported on this line under the same fund as the corresponding expenditures.
  • Investment income earned on endowment funds and used to preserve the capital value of the Endowment fund is reported on this line under the Endowment fund.
  • Expenditures incurred to earn investment income, such as the cost of an investment manager(s) to manage the endowment funds, are to be reported "net" of the investment income.

Line 22 Other investment

  • Investment income earned on all funds other than endowment funds is reported on this line under the same fund as the corresponding expenditures.
  • Other investment income also includes charges for deferred or installment payments and for unpaid student tuition and other fees.
  • Any significant non-recurring items should be explained by way of accompanying notes or in the observations and comments section at the bottom of Table 1.

(vi) Other

  • Other income (Lines 23 and 24) includes sale of services and products, and miscellaneous.

Line 23 Sale of services and products

  • This line includes external sales and external cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8).
  • External sales and external cost recoveries include sales to outside organizations, such as those for laboratory tests, space rental, utilities and incidental income (including athletic gate receipts, parking fees, conferences and various medical clinics).
  • This line also includes rental income from residences and parking.
  • Payments received from non-consolidated federated or affiliated entities for the provision of instructional, administrative or other services are reported as sale of services and products.
  • For ancillary services (see Section III.C.1 – Ancillary), this line includes both external and internal sales (see Section II.E.8).
  • Internal sales, other than those originating from ancillary services, and internal cost recoveries are not reported as income.

Line 24 Miscellaneous

  • Miscellaneous income includes commissions, royalties and fees from the use of institution owned rights or properties, or fees for services rendered. Miscellaneous also includes library and other similar fines, rentals, net gain or loss on sale of fixed assets and any type of income not identified in the other categories of income.
  • Payments received from non-consolidated federated or affiliated entities for the provision of instructional, administrative or other services are reported as sale of services and products (line 23).

3. Expenditures by Fund (Table 2)

The funds described in Section III.C.1 are reported in columns 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in Table 2, with the total of the funds reported in column 9. Column 5 reports the sub-total for the Sponsored research fund. Within Sponsored research, column 3 reports "Entities Consolidated" and column 4 reports "Entities not Consolidated".

The types of expenditures to be reported in Table 2 are identified on the left-hand side of the Table. Where the designation of a particular expenditure in this Table differs from that used by an institution in its financial statements or its internal management reports, the expenditure must be shown under the designated Table heading regardless of the institution's practice.

As a general reporting practice, institutions follow the accrual, rather than the cash basis of accounting (see Section II.E.3). For reporting expenditures, exceptions to the accrual concept in the annual return include the funds flow approach for reporting funds used to acquire capital assets (see Section II.E.6) and the cash basis for reporting vacation pay, pension costs and future benefits (see Section II.E.7).

Expenditures include gifts-in-kind that are recorded in an institution's audited financial statements (see Section II.E.10).

The repayment of principal will not be reported as an expenditure (see Section II.E.12). Any such amounts, however, will be separately reported in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – line 7).

Lines 1 to 20 report expenditures that are generally recurring, with a sub-total for lines 1 to 20 reported on line 21. Lines 22 and 23 report significant periodic expenditures such as those for buildings, land and land improvements (line 22) and unusual or non-recurring expenditures, referred to as lump sum payments (line 23), such as those for special assisted early retirement programs. The total of all expenditures is reported on line 24.

The types of expenditures to be reported in Table 2, by line, are as follows:

Salaries and wages

Salaries and wages are categorized as academic salaries (lines 1 and 2) and other salaries and wages (line 3). Academic salaries are reported by academic ranks (line 1) and by other instruction and research (line 2).

The following types of payments are to be reported as salary and wage expenditures:

  • compensation payments, such as payments for salary continuance during sick leave or maternity leave,
  • severance payments as a result of terminations in the normal course of business, and
  • vacation pay (see Section II.E.7).

Certain lump sum payments for current and future fiscal periods to employees who have terminated employment with the institution are reported on an accrual basis as lump sum payments (line 23).

With the exception of vacation pay, the amounts to be reported as salaries and wages in the annual return are to be calculated following the same practices as those used by the institution for its audited financial statements.

Academic salaries

Academic salaries are reported by academic ranks and by other instruction and research.

Line 1 Academic ranks

  • This line includes payments to both full and part time staff members who hold an academic rank at the reporting institution and are engaged in instruction and research activities.
  • The academic ranks include deans, professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers.
  • Academic salaries also include payments to staff members in the academic ranks for various types of leave such as administrative, academic or sabbatical.

Line 2 Other instruction and research

  • This line includes payments to both full and part time staff and non-staff members without academic rank at the reporting institution, but who are engaged in instruction and research activities.
  • The staff and non-staff members include instructors, tutors, markers, laboratory demonstrators, teaching assistants, research assistants, invigilators, clinical assistants, post-doctoral fellows, and others.
  • Other instruction and research salaries also include payments made to graduate and undergraduate students undertaking instruction and research activities.

Line 3 Other salaries and wages

  • This line includes salaries and wages not reported on lines 1 and 2. Specifically, other salaries and wages includes payments to all full and part time non-instructional (support) staff including among others, technicians, teaching and research laboratory technicians, clerical and secretarial, professional and managerial, janitorial, trades and maintenance.
  • Other salaries and wages also includes payments to individuals who may hold an academic rank, or equivalent thereto, but are engaged in activities other than instruction and research. Examples of such individuals include the president, vice-presidents, certain professional librarians and computing center personnel.

Line 4 Benefits

  • Pension costs and future benefits, including benefits arising as a result of early retirement, are to be reported on the cash basis (see Section II.E.7). Otherwise, the amounts to be reported as benefits in the annual return are to be calculated following the same practices as those used by the institution for its audited financial statements.
  • Benefits include the cost of an institution's contributions (with respect to salaries) for pensions (including payments for actuarial deficiencies and past service liability), group life insurance, salary continuance insurance, dental plans, workers' compensation, health taxes, tuition remission, employment insurance and other costs of an employee benefit programs.
  • Benefits also include the cost of benefits paid during early retirement periods, as well as the cost of post retirement benefits.
  • Whenever an institution pays a premium or sets aside a negotiated amount for an employee, these amounts should be included as Benefits.
  • Memberships or other perquisites of employment are not reported as Benefits.

Line 5 Travel

  • Travel includes expenditures on recruitment, travel, moving and relocation of staff, field trips and all other types of travel necessary for the operation of the institution.

Line 6 Library acquisitions

  • Library acquisitions include all purchases of, and access to (including electronic access), books, periodicals and other reference materials for the institution's main branch and faculty or departmental libraries.
  • Cost of binding may also be included if normally considered part of the acquisition cost.

Line 7 Printing and duplicating

  • This line includes expenditures that would normally be consumed in the fiscal year such as printing, duplicating, photocopying, reproductions, illustrations, publishing and the related supplies.

Line 8 Materials and supplies

  • Materials and supplies include expenditures that would normally be consumed in the fiscal year such as sports supplies, stationery, computer and other office supplies.
  • Also included are material and supplies for teaching and laboratories. Laboratory supplies include chemicals, instruments, animals, feed and seed.
  • Small dollar value equipment and computer software items should be reported under furniture and equipment purchase (line 18).

Line 9 Communications

  • Communications includes telephone, data communications, mailing and courier, but excludes expenditures reported as equipment rental and maintenance (line 19).
  • Telephone includes watts lines, line services, long distance and other charges.

Line 10 Other operational expenditures

  • This line includes space rental, property taxes, institutional membership fees, insurance, meals, advertising and promotion, and doubtful accounts.
  • Space rental includes the cost of renting space and land on a long-term basis.
  • Property taxes include all taxes paid directly to municipalities by the institution, whether assessed on property values or based on student population.
  • Institutional membership fees include fees paid by the institution to organizations such as AUCC and CAUBO.
  • This line includes all other expenditures that are not reported elsewhere.

Line 11 Utilities

  • Utilities include expenditures for items such as electricity, water, natural gas, fuel and sewer.
  • Utilities also include the generating costs for electricity, steam, water, and natural gas.

Line 12 Renovations and alterations

  • This line includes expenditures for renovations and alterations to the existing space of the institution, whether the expenditures are internally performed or external contracted.

Line 13 Scholarships, bursaries and prizes

  • This line includes payments to students (except those for which the student is required to perform service for the payment) such as those for fee remission, prizes and awards.
  • Payments for which the student is required to perform service for the payment are reported as other instruction and research (line 2), and include payments to graduate and undergraduate students who are instructors, tutors, markers, laboratory demonstrators, teaching assistants, research assistants, invigilators, clinical assistants, postdoctoral fellows, and others.

Line 14 Externally contracted services

  • This line includes all expenditures for services contracted to external agencies except for renovations and alterations (line 12), professional fees (line 15), equipment rental and maintenance (line 19), and buildings, land and land improvements (line 22).
  • Examples of expenditures to be included are cleaning contracts, security services, snow removal and similar time and material contracts, and food services.
  • Where food services are contracted, the contract amount in total should be shown on this line and not as cost of goods sold (line 16) or any other expenditure types, even though the contractor may provide a breakdown of costs.

Line 15 Professional fees

  • Professional fees include all fees paid to legal counselors (including retainers for the negotiations of collective agreements), auditors, and computer, human resource and other consultants.
  • This line excludes consulting fees for renovations and alterations (line 12), equipment rental and maintenance (line 19), and buildings, land and land improvements (line 22).

Line 16 Cost of goods sold

  • Cost of goods sold is to be used where an inventory method of accounting is normally employed, (e.g. bookstore, food services) and should include the laid down cost of goods purchased for resale only. The remaining costs of operating the service, such as salaries and supplies, are to be shown in their respective expenditure types.
  • Where a service is externally contracted, particularly for ancillary services, the total costs of the contract should be included in externally contracted services (line 14). For example, contracted food services are to be reported on line 14, under the Ancillary fund.
  • The cost of goods sold is to be reported under the same fund as the income from the sale of the product (see Section III.C.2 – line 25).

Line 17 Interest

  • This line includes all interest expenditures to service debts of the institution. Examples include bank interest, mortgage or debenture interest and related charges, and the interest component of installment or lease payments.
  • Repayments of principal such as principal reductions on loans, mortgages, debentures or repayable grants are not reported as expenditures (see Section II.E.12).

Line 18 Furniture and equipment purchase

  • This line includes laboratory equipment (other than consumables), computing equipment and computer software packages, administrative equipment and furnishings (including carpets and drapery), copying and duplicating equipment, and maintenance equipment. Installation expenditures for the above items are to be included as part of their cost.
  • This line also includes installment payments and payments under lease purchase contracts, where the lease is a capital lease for accounting purposes. The interest component of any such payments should be reported on line 17.
  • This line includes small dollar equipment and computer software items that would normally be expensed in the accounting records of the institution.
  • Furniture and equipment purchases are reported under the same fund as the corresponding income (see Section II.E.6). For example, purchases made from CFI grants are reported under Sponsored research (see Section III.C.1 – Sponsored research). Purchases made or to be made from current or future ancillary services income are to be reported under Ancillary (see Section III.C.1 – Ancillary).
  • Amortization is not reported as an expenditure, but is included as a reconciling item in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – line 10).
  • Provisions for the replacement of furniture and equipment are considered to be transfers to appropriation or reserve accounts; consequently, such provisions are not to be reported as expenditures (see Section II.E.11).

Line 19 Equipment rental and maintenance

  • This line includes all rental and maintenance expenditures for furniture and equipment including laboratory equipment (other than consumables), administrative equipment and furnishings (including carpets and drapery), copying and duplicating equipment, computing equipment, maintenance equipment and telephone equipment.
  • This line also includes lease purchase contracts, where the lease is an operating lease for accounting purposes.
  • This line also includes expenditures for equipment repairs and maintenance contracted to external agencies.

Line 20 Internal sales and cost recoveries

  • The preferred method of reporting internal sales, other than those originating from ancillary services, is to report the amounts at "net" (see Section II.E.8). The preferred method of reporting internal cost recoveries is direct allocation (see Section II.E.8). Where the preferred method is not possible or feasible, this expenditure type can be used, but when it is used, the internal sales and cost recoveries for all funds, when added together, must equal zero.
  • This line includes internal sales, other than those originating from ancillary services, and internal cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8).
  • Internal sales originating from ancillary services are to be reported as sale of services and product (see Section III.C.2 – line 25).
  • Common examples of internal cost recoveries include the overhead recovery of administrative costs and the indirect costs of research between the General Operating fund and the Ancillary and Sponsored research funds, and the overhead recovery of utility (unless the utility is an ancillary service) and maintenance costs between the General operating fund and the Ancillary fund.
  • To provide better functional comparisons of types of expenditures, institutions are asked to minimize the use of this line to the extent possible.

Line 21 Sub-total

  • This line is the sub-total of all expenditures reported on lines 1 to 20.

Line 22 Buildings, land and land improvements

  • Buildings include all expenditures that are normally considered part of the construction cost as well as costs incurred during the construction period such as utilities. Land and land improvements include acquisition costs and site preparation such as landscaping, sewers, tunnels and roads. All fees and planning costs related to buildings, land and land improvements are also included.
  • Furniture and equipment purchases are reported on line 18.
  • The expenditures for buildings, land and land improvements are reported under the same fund as the corresponding income (see Section II.E.6). For example, purchases made from CFI grants are reported under Sponsored research (see Section III.C.1 – Sponsored research). Purchases made or to be made from current or future ancillary services income are to be reported under Ancillary (see Section III.C.1 – Ancillary).
  • Amortization is not reported as an expenditure, but is included as a reconciling item in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (see Section III.C.4 – line 10).
  • Provisions for the replacement of buildings are considered to be transfers to appropriation or reserve accounts; consequently, such provisions are not to be reported as expenditures (see Section II.E.11).

Line 23 Lump sum payments

  • This line includes certain lump sum payments for current and future fiscal periods to employees who have terminated employment with the institution. The characteristics of the payments are such that similar transactions or events are not expected to occur frequently over several years, or do not typify normal business activities of the institution.
  • Lump sum payments are reported on an accrual basis.
  • Examples of lump sum payments include payments under downsizing or special assisted early retirement programs.
  • Severance payments as a result of terminations in the normal course of business are reported as salary and wage expenditures (lines 1 to 3).

4. Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund (Table 3)

The Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund identifies, for each fund in the annual return, the changes between the net asset balances at the beginning of the year and the net asset balances at the end of the year. The changes between the beginning and ending net asset balances are more than the difference between total income (Table 1, line 27) and total expenditures (Table 2, line 24). The changes also result from the addition and deduction of transactions that are neither income nor expenditures. These transactions are reported on lines 4 to 7 and include prior year adjustments, interfund transfers, borrowings, and the principal portion of debt repayments.

In addition, the statement identifies the uniform reporting practices that cause differences between the institution's annual return and its audited financial statements (see Section II.D). While the specific types of items causing the differences may vary among institutions, the number of such items is relatively few. These items are reported on lines 8 to 15. The uniform reporting practices that cause the differences include funds flow (see Section II.E.4), capital assets (see Section II.E.6), and vacation pay, pension costs and future benefits (see Section II.E.7).

The Statement of Changes in Net Assets by Fund, then, reconciles the net asset balances at the beginning of the year with the net asset balances at the end of the year. As more clearly indicated in the details for lines 16 to 21, both the beginning and ending net asset balances are based on information reported in the institution's audited financial statements.

The details of each line in the statement are as follows:

Line 1 Net asset balances, beginning of year

  • The net asset balances, by fund, at the beginning of the year must equal line 16 of the prior year's return.

Line 2 Income (Table 1, line 27)

  • This line must equal the total reported in Table 1 (Income by Fund), line 27.

Line 3 Expenditures (Table 2, line 24)

  • This line must equal the total reported in Table 2 (Expenditures by Fund), line 24.

Line 4 Prior year adjustments

  • This line should be used infrequently and generally only when the net asset balances reported in the audited financial statements at the end of the prior year have been subsequently adjusted.
  • An example of a prior year adjustment includes a retroactive change in accounting policies.

Line 5 Interfund transfers

  • Institutions have been encouraged to minimize interfund transfers in the annual return by reporting income and the corresponding expenditures under the same fund (see Section II.E.9). For example, capital expenditures are to be reported under the same fund as the corresponding income. Investment income earned on trust and endowment funds is to be reported under the same fund as the corresponding expenditures.
  • Where the amount of an interfund transfer is not material to an institution's reported financial data, the amount should be restated to an appropriate fund.
  • After following the above guidelines, any remaining interfund transfers would be reported on this line. An example would be the transfer of an operating surplus from the Ancillary fund to the General operating fund. Other examples include transfers approved by the institution's governing body.
  • The total in column 9 on line 5 must equal 0.

Line 6 Add: borrowings

  • This line reports debt borrowings (see Section II.E.12).

Line 7 Deduct: principal portion of debt repayments

  • This line reports repayment of principal (see Section II.E.12).
  • Repayments of principal include principal reductions on loans, mortgages, debentures or repayable grants.
  • Interest to service debts of the institution is reported as an expenditure (see Section III.C.3 – line 17).

Line 8 Interfund reallocations

  • Normally, the criteria for placement of a particular income or expenditure item within a fund in the annual return is the same as that used by an institution in its financial statements or internal management reports. However, where the Guidelines specifically designate the placement of an item, the item must be shown under the designated heading regardless of the institution's practice. Consequently, items may be classified under one fund for the purposes of an institution's annual return, but a different fund in its audited financial statements or internal management reports (see Section III.A).
  • In addition, institutions have been encouraged to minimize interfund transfers in the annual return by reporting income and the corresponding expenditures under the same fund (see Section II.E.9). For example, capital expenditures are to be reported under the same fund as the corresponding income. Investment income earned on trust and endowment funds is to be reported under the same fund as the corresponding expenditures. To the extent interfund transfers have been minimized, items may be classified under one fund for the purposes of the institution's annual return, but a different fund in its audited financial statements.
  • Differences in ending net asset balances, by fund, between the annual return and audited financial statements resulting from the above guidelines, can be adjusted on line 8. Column 9, the total for all interfund reallocations reported on line 8, must equal 0.

Line 9 Add: capital expenditures

  • Funds used to acquire capital assets have been reported as expenditures in the annual return based on the funds flow approach (see Section II.E.6). This line reports the difference between capital asset expenditures as reported in the annual return and the same amounts that have been capitalized during the year in the audited financial statements.
  • This line also includes differences that result from installment payments and payments under lease purchase contracts where the lease is a capital lease for accounting purposes (see Section III.C.3 – line 18).
  • The differences that result from amortizing capital assets are reported on line 10.

Line 10 Deduct: amortization

  • Funds used to acquire capital assets have been capitalized in the audited financial statements and amortized on an annual basis (see Section II.E.6). This line reports the amortization expense that has been recorded in the audited financial statements.
  • The differences that result upon the acquisition of capital assets are reported on line 9.

Line 11 Add or deduct: deferred income

  • Certain restricted income not expended in the year is reported in the annual return following a funds flow approach (see Section II.E.4). This line reports the difference between amounts that have been reported as income in the annual return following a funds flow approach and the same amounts that have been reported as income in the audited financial statements following the deferral method.

Line 12 Add or deduct: pension costs and vacation pay accrual

  • Vacation pay and pension costs are reported in the annual return on a cash basis (see Section II.E.7). This line reports the difference between amounts that have been reported as expenditures in the annual return on a cash basis and the same amounts that have been reported as expenditures in the audited financial statements on an accrual basis.

Line 13 Add or deduct: future cost of employee benefits

  • Future cost of employee benefits are reported on this line and represent employee benefit costs not already reported in the annual return on a cash basis. An example would be the cost of future benefits on early retirement programs.

Line 14 Add or deduct: related or affiliated entities

  • In certain situations, the reporting institution may report financial data for a related or affiliated entity in its audited financial statements, but not report the same data in its annual return (see Section III.C.6 – Part I). In such situations, the change in the net asset balances of the related or affiliated entity between the beginning of the year and the end of the year should be reported on this line.

Line 15 Add or deduct: other

  • This line reports any other amounts such as the net book value of asset disposals where there are differences between the institution's annual return and its audited financial statements.
  • For amounts reported on this line, provide details in the "Observations and Comments" space at the bottom of the Table.

Line 16 Net asset balances, end of year

  • For a number of institutions, the audited financial statements may not specifically disclose net asset balances, by fund, in a format similar to the annual return. As a minimum, total net asset balances reported in column 9 should equal the total net assets reported in the institution's audited financial statements.
  • In certain situations, the reporting institution will report sponsored research in Column 4 that is attributable to the institution, but conducted through entities that are not consolidated. In such situations, the amount reported for column 4, on line 16, must equal 0 (see Section III.C.1 – Sponsored research).
  • The net asset balances, by fund, reported on this line, should equal the net asset balances, by fund, reported on line 21.
  • The net asset balances, by fund, reported on this line, should also equal the net asset balances, by fund, at the beginning of the next year; that is, line 16 of the current year's annual return must equal line 1 of next year's annual return.

Net asset balances are comprised of:

The net asset balances reported on lines 17, 18, 19 and 20 agree with certain net asset balances in the institutions audited financial statements.

Line 17 Unrestricted net assets

  • The net asset balance in column 9 should equal the accumulated surplus or deficit reported in the institution's audited financial statements.

Line 18 Investment in capital assets

  • Investment in capital assets represents the funds expended to acquire capital assets, less accumulated amounts amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related capital assets. The funds expended are reduced by amounts financed by long term debt and, where applicable, deferred capital contributions. These funds are not available for other purposes since they have been invested in capital assets.
  • The net asset balance in column 9 should equal the investment in capital assets reported in the institution's audited financial statements.

Line 19 Internally restricted net assets

  • An increase or transfer to appropriations should not be recorded as an expenditure, nor should a decrease or transfer from appropriations be recorded as income (see Section II.E.11).
  • The net asset balance in column 9 should equal the internally restricted appropriations, including internal endowments, reported in the institution's audited financial statements.

Line 20 Externally restricted net assets

  • The net asset balance in column 9 should equal the externally restricted funds, including external endowments, reported in the institution's audited financial statements.

Line 21 Net asset balances, end of year

  • The net asset balances, by fund, reported on this line, should equal the net asset balances, by fund, reported on line 16.

5. General Operating Expenditures by Function (Table 4)

Expenditures by Fund (see Section III.C.3) and this section of the Guidelines are very similar in that types of expenditures are identified on the left-hand side of both Tables. Table 2, however, is organized by fund, and Table 4 is organized by operational or functional areas, within the General operating fund, that represent the major areas of institutional activity. The functions are Instruction and non-sponsored research, Non-credit instruction, Library, Computing and communications, Administration and academic support, Student services, Physical plant and External relations. These functions are reported in columns 1 to 8, with the total of the functions reported in column 9. The amounts in Column 9 should be identical to the amounts in Table 2, Column 1 (General operating).

This section provides details to assist preparers to segregate, by function, the various activities and types of expenditures under the General operating fund. Unless otherwise indicated, the definitions, explanations and examples presented in Section III.C.3 for types of expenditures also apply to this section. In addition, as noted previously, where the designation of a particular expenditure in this Table differs from that used by an institution in its financial statements or its internal management reports, the expenditure must be shown under the designated Table heading regardless of the institution's practice. For example, health services and intramural and intercollegiate athletics are to be reported under the Student services function although they may be reported as ancillary services in the institution's financial statements or its internal management reports.

In reporting General operating fund expenditures by function, preparers should be familiar with the uniform reporting practices (see Section II.E). In particular, preparers should be familiar with the practices on internal and external cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8) and use of estimates (see Section II.E.14).

The functions in the General operating fund are as follows:

(i) Instruction and non-sponsored research

The Instruction and non-sponsored research function in the General operating fund includes all direct costs of faculties, academic departments (including salaries of academic deans and their offices), graduate school, summer school, credit extension, and other academic functions and expenditures attributable to this function.

(ii) Non-credit instruction

The Non-credit instruction function in the General operating fund includes lectures, courses and similar activities that are not recognized by the institution for the purpose of granting credit. Non-credit programs are usually offered through continuing education units. Normally where there is non-credit tuition income reported on line 13 under the General operating fund in Table 1, the corresponding expenditures (not necessarily equal to the income) will be reported under this function.

(iii) Library

The Library function in the General operating fund includes the institution's Archives and other activities related to the institution's main branch and faculty or departmental libraries. The expenditures include the salary and wage costs of providing the library services as well as the cost of books and periodicals.

(iv) Computing and communications

The Computing and communications function in the General operating fund includes only the activities of centralized computing and communication facilities.

A centralized computing facility refers to computer related activities and resources that have been organized under the management of a central administration. The computing facility is usually seen as an institutional resource that is available on an institution-wide basis and is the most effective way of providing certain services supportive of the institution's research and administrative activities. Such a facility usually results from factors including economies of scale, a large number of users who require a wide variety of services, and a high degree of technical expertise required in computer operations.

This function does not include the activities of local or decentralized stand-alone computer installations that are under the management of, and were established for the main purpose of providing services to, a single division or department. The expenditures for decentralized computing facilities are to be included under the related functions and funds, as appropriate.

A centralized communications facility includes the costs of telephone equipment rental, service, acquisition and switchboard, including related personnel and other costs. The expenditures for decentralized communications facilities are to be included in the related functions and funds, as appropriate.

If an institution employs a charge-out system for central computing time or communications equipment usage, expenditures should be combined and reported under this function.

Any sales to, or recoveries from, other functional areas or funds, or outside users, are considered to be either an internal or external cost recovery and are to be reported according to the uniform reporting practice for internal and external cost recoveries (see Section II.E.8).

(v) Administration and academic support

The Administration and academic support function in the general operating fund covers expenditures in the two broad areas of academic support and other support services. Other support services include administration. These areas are combined and reported in Table 4 under Administration and academic support.

The academic support area of the Administration and academic support function includes all activities provided by an institution in direct support of Instruction and non-sponsored research. This area includes the following types of activities:

  • the positions of vice-president academic and research (or their equivalents) and their offices
  • faculty and instructional support services
  • research administration (including grants and contracts administration)
  • registrar's and graduate students office (including calendars, admissions, student records and related reporting)
  • convocation and ceremonies
  • co-op program administration
  • central animal services
  • central shops for instruction and research (machine shop, glass blowing, electronics shop)
  • distance education support
  • instructional technology and audio visual services
  • academic class scheduling

The administration area of the Administration and academic support function includes the following activities:

  • administration, planning and information costs and activities associated with the positions of president and vice-president (or their equivalents) and their offices, except for the positions of vice-president academic and research (or their equivalents) and their offices, which are included in the academic support area. Administrative costs for activities such as fundraising, development, alumni and external communications are included in the external relations area.
  • finance, including investment management, internal audit and accounting
  • human resources (personnel)
  • institutional research
  • board and senate secretariat
  • printing and duplicating services

Specific types of expenditures in the administration area include the following:

  • professional fees including legal, audit, human resource and other consulting fees that are not specifically attributable to another function. Computer consulting fees are included if the computing facilities are decentralized.
  • general university memberships including AUCC and CAUBO
  • liability and E & O insurance (fire, boiler and pressure vessel, and property insurance are reported under the Physical plant function).

The appropriate reporting for computing, communications, purchasing, receiving and stores will depend upon whether the institution operates with centralized or decentralized facilities. If the institution has centralized facilities for computing and communications, the activities should be reported under the Computing and communications function. If the institution has centralized facilities for purchasing, receiving and stores, the activities should be included in the administration area of the Administration and academic support function. If any of computing, communications, purchasing, receiving or stores is decentralized, then these activities should be included under the related functions and funds, as appropriate.

(vi) Student services

The Student services function in the General operating fund includes the cost of services (other than direct teaching, research and administrative services) provided to students by the institution. Generally, these services will include:

  • the dean of students and the dean's office
  • counseling and chaplaincy services
  • career guidance and placement services
  • intramural and intercollegiate athletics (not physical education)
  • student health services
  • student accommodation services (not residences)
  • student transportation services
  • student financial aid administration
  • bursaries, scholarships and prizes
  • grants to student organizations, including the student union
  • student programs, including music, drama and student center
  • student day care center
  • any other student services, social or cultural activities funded by the institution

These services may be provided from General operating fund income in whole, or in part by a specific fee included in the student incidental fee structure. Where an institution acts in an agency capacity, however, and collects student fees on behalf of student controlled and administered activities such as student councils or federations, the fees collected by the institution are to be excluded from income of the institution. The amount turned over to the benefit of the student council or federation is to be excluded from expenditures of the institution.

(vii) Physical plant

The Physical plant function in the General operating fund includes expenditures related to the physical facilities of the institution. The expenditures include the physical plant office, space planning, maintenance of buildings and grounds, custodial services, utilities, vehicle operations, security and traffic, repairs and furnishings, renovations and alterations, mail delivery services, long-term space and property rental, and municipal taxes (including those for which compensatory grants are received from government).

Physical plant also includes fire, boiler and pressure vessel, and property insurance. All other insurance is reported in the administration area of the Administration and academic support function.

(viii) External relations

The external relations area includes all activities provided by an institution in support of ongoing external relations. These activities include fundraising, development, alumni, public relations and public information or external communications. The related administrative costs from the office of the vice-president(s), or equivalent, responsible for one or more of these activities should be included in this area.

6. Affiliation Report (Table 5)

For each reporting institution, there could be one or more separate legal entities that are related or affiliated to the reporting institution and for which financial data is included in the annual return (see Section II.E.1).

To allow users to better understand the contents of the annual return and its limitations, each reporting institution is required to identify and provide additional information in Table 5 for each such entity.

Depending upon an institution's circumstances, two parts of the affiliation report may be required. The first part is for entities consolidated in the institution's audited financial statements; the second is for entities not consolidated in the institution's audited financial statements, but for which some data is nevertheless included in the annual return.

(i) Part I: Separate Legal Entities Consolidated

Normally, an institution will report financial data in the annual return on the same basis as that used for its consolidated financial statements. This means that the financial data for a separate legal entity that is consolidated in the audited financial statements will be included in the annual return.

As an exception, there could be financial data for an affiliated entity that is included in the institution's consolidated financial statements, but not reported in the annual return. This exception could arise where an affiliated entity is also submitting an annual return as a member institution of CAUBO.

Information to be provided in the affiliation report for "entities consolidated" is based on the separate legal entities consolidated in the institution's financial statements and includes –

  • Legal name of affiliated institution
  • Category of affiliation – columns 1 to 7. Indicate the category of affiliation with an "x" in the appropriate column. For further information see the section below on Categories of Affiliation.
  • Basis of reporting – columns 8 and 9. Indicate with an "x" in the appropriate column whether the separate legal entity is included (I) in the annual return (the norm) or excluded (E) from the annual return (the exception).

(ii) Part II: Separate Legal Entities not Consolidated

Under certain conditions, institutions are permitted to report separately sponsored research that is granted to academic staff of the reporting institution, but conducted in entities that are not consolidated (see Section III.C.1 – Sponsored research). This sponsored research data must be reported under column 4 (Entities not Consolidated) in the applicable Tables in the annual return. Part II of the affiliation report requests additional information on this data.

For clarity, financial data for a Charitable Foundation is only included in the annual return if the Charitable Foundation is consolidated in the financial statements of the institution.

Separate legal "entities not consolidated" are individually identified on lines 11 to 18 in the affiliation report when the amount reported in the annual return is over $100,000. For the entities individually identified, information to be provided includes –

  • Legal name of affiliated institution
  • Category of affiliation – columns 1 to 7. Indicate the category of affiliation with an "x" in the appropriate column. For further information see the section below on Categories of Affiliation.
  • Amount included in annual return – column 10. The amount for the separate legal entity must be over $100,000.

All other separate legal entities with amounts under $100,000 are to combined and reported on line 19.

The total amount reported on line 20 in column 10 must agree with the amount reported in Table 1, line 27, column 4 and with the amount reported in Table 2, line 24, column 4.

(iii) Categories of Affiliation

For the purposes of the affiliation report in Table 5, a parent institution is defined as a university with federated, affiliated or associated institutions, research institutes or hospitals. In the Guidelines and the affiliation report, the term affiliates and affiliatedinstitutions are used to simplify the text and refer to all federated, affiliated and associated entities. For the same reason, the term institution may refer to universities, university-colleges, colleges, institutes and hospitals.

An affiliatedinstitution is responsible for its own administration but does not have the power to grant degrees. An associated institution is a public or private education, health, or research oriented, legal entity that is neither federated nor affiliated with the parent institution, yet has academic, research, or administrative ties to that parent institution. A federated institution is responsible for its own administration and has the power to grant degrees, but during the term of federation agreement it suspends some or all of its degree-granting powers.

Please note that in the cases of affiliated and federated institutions, the parent institution supervises instruction in the programs covered by the federation or affiliation agreement, and grants degrees to the students who successfully complete those programs.

7. Other Federal Government Departments and Agencies – Grants and Contracts (Table 6)

Table 6 reports grants and contracts by federal government departments and agencies, other than the grants and contracts reported on lines 1 to 6 in Table 1. In section A in Table 6, a separate line is provided for reporting the federal government allocation for the Indirect Costs of Research. The column totals in Table 6 must agree with the amounts reported on line 7 (Other federal) in Table 1.

In section B in Table 6, where the aggregate grants and contracts provided by a separate federal government department or agency is in excess of $100,000, identify the department or agency and report the amount, by fund.

On line C in Table 6, where the aggregate grants and contracts provided by a separate federal government department or agency is less than $100,000, combine the departments and agencies and report the total amount, by fund.

Please note that double counting of government grants and contracts is to be avoided and in certain situations grants or contracts received should be reported "net" of the funds disbursed or transferred (see Section II.E.15).

For additional information on the funds and on federal government grants and contracts, preparers should refer to Section III.C.1 (Funds) and Section III.C.2 (Income by Fund), with particular emphasis in Section III.C.2 on the details in the government departments and agencies – grants and contracts category.

8. Provincial Government Departments and Agencies – Grants and Contracts (Table 7)

Table 7 reports grants and contracts, including certain specific and earmarked provincial CFI matching grants, by provincial government departments and agencies. The column totals in Table 7 must agree with the amounts reported on line 8 in Table 1.

Grants and contracts from provincial government departments and agencies only include those from the province with jurisdiction. Grants and contracts from other provinces are reported on line 10 (Other provinces) in Table 1.

In section A (Ministry responsible) in Table 7, please report the following information on lines 1 and 2:

  • Line 1: identify the primary provincial government department or agency responsible for the institution and report, by fund, the total of the grants and contracts received from that department or agency, excluding the CFI matching funds reported on line 2. The types of grants might include funding formula operating grants.
  • Line 2: under column 3 or 4, as appropriate, for sponsored research, report the total of the specific grants received, if any, from the "Ministry responsible" that are earmarked as CFI matching funds.

In section B (Other) in Table 7, where the aggregate grants and contracts provided by a separate provincial government department or agency is in excess of $100,000, identify the department or agency and report the amount, by fund.

On line C in Table 7, where the aggregate grants and contracts provided by a separate provincial government department or agency is less than $100,000, combine the departments and agencies and report the total amount, by fund. These types of departments and agencies are primarily funded by the provincial government and include Councils, Grants Commissions, and commissions and boards that perform various functions delegated to them by public authorities.

Please note that double counting of government grants and contracts is to be avoided and in certain situations grants or contracts received should be reported "net" of the funds disbursed or transferred (see Section II.E.15).

For additional information on the funds and on provincial government grants and contracts, preparers should refer to Section III.C.1 (Funds) and Section III.C.2 (Income by Fund), with particular emphasis in Section III.C.2 on the details in the government departments and agencies – grants and contracts category.

 

Canadian Health Measures Survey – COVID-19 safety measures at the Mobile Examination Centre

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This information sheet provides answers on additional procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and should be read at the same time as the Information and Consent Booklet.

Why are COVID-19 safety measures being implemented?

Additional safety measures are being implemented to ensure a safe work environment for the Mobile Examination Centre personnel and to protect the participants against SARS-CoV-2 infections (COVID-19) throughout their survey participation.

What COVID-19 measures will be taken when the interviewer visits you at home?

A Statistics Canada interviewer will visit your home and give you (or someone from your household) information about the survey. The interviewer will remain at the door to explain the survey while respecting the COVID-19 safety guidelines. Going back to their vehicle, the interviewer will make an appointment to contact your household by phone to collect information on who lives in the household and randomly select one or two household member(s) to participate in the survey. A second appointment will be scheduled to conduct the interview with the selected household member(s). With the consent of the selected participants, the interviewer will call again to ask a series of questions over the phone. The interviewer will make a third appointment to come to your home and collect the tap water samples at the door.

What COVID-19 measures will be taken during my visit to the Mobile Examination Centre?

All individuals entering the Mobile Examination Centre are required to follow these mandatory COVID-19 screening protocols and guidelines:

  • We will take your temperature upon arrival. We will also ask some COVID-19 screening questions. Only individuals with no COVID-19 symptoms will be permitted to enter the Mobile Examination Centre.
  • Individuals aged 5 and up will be provided with a mask to wear for the duration of their visit. Children under the age of 2 will not be required to wear a mask.
  • Hand sanitizer stations will be installed. Please use hand sanitizer when you enter the Mobile Examination Centre.
  • To enforce social distancing, we have limited the number of interactions between participants and the personnel of the Mobile Examination Centre.
  • Testing stations will be cleaned and sanitized between every individual appointment. The Mobile Examination Centre personnel will follow extensive cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
  • We ask you reschedule your appointment if you are symptomatic, have travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, have tested positive to COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone who has tested positive within the past 5 days.

If you have any additional questions about safety measures, please do not hesitate to contact the Mobile Examination Centre staff whose contact information appears at the end of the Information and Consent Booklet.

Canadian Health Measures Survey – Report of physical measurements information sheet

The physical measurements collected at the mobile clinic will help us understand the health status of the Canadian population. They are not meant to be used as medical diagnoses. Please consult your doctor or other health care professional to understand what these measurements mean about your general health or that of your child.

Blood pressure and heart rate

Resting blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood against the artery walls created by the heart as it pumps blood throughout the body. Resting blood pressure comprises two measurements: systolic pressure (the upper number) is measured when the heart contracts, and diastolic pressure (the lower number) is measured between two heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed.

Elevated blood pressure at a young age is a risk factor for developing high blood pressure later in life.

Resting blood pressure for children and youth is calculated based on age and sex, and then classified as a percentile. The table below lists the resting blood pressure percentile cut-offs along with the respective categories and recommended follow-ups. Blood pressure was not measured on participants aged 3 to 5.

Table 1. Resting blood pressure follow-up guidelines for children and youth aged 6 to 17
Systolic or diastolic percentile Resting blood pressure category Recommended follow-up
Less than 90th percentile Normal Recheck at next check-up
90th to 94th percentile High end of normal range Recheck within the next 2 months
95th to 99th percentile High Recheck within the next week
Above the 99th percentile Very high Recheck at a clinic or hospital emergency room today
Source: National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. 2004.
"Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents." Pediatrics, Vol. 114, Supplement
Table 2. Blood pressure follow-up guidelines for individuals 18 and older with no history of hypertension
Systolic pressure
(mm Hg)Footnote 1
Diastolic pressure
(mm Hg)Footnote 1
Blood pressure category Recommended follow-up
Below 120 Below 80 Optimal Recheck within two years
120 to 129 80 to 84 Normal Recheck within one year
130 to 139 85 to 89 Normal to high Recheck within two months
140 to 159 90 to 99 Mild hypertension Recheck within one month
160 to 179 100 to 109 Moderate hypertension Recheck within one week
180 and above 110 and above Severe hypertension Recheck today at a clinic or hospital emergency room
Footnote 1

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (or mm Hg).

Return to the first footnote 1 referrer

Source: "The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure" 1997.

Resting heart rate

The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats (or contracts), recorded as beats per minute (bpm).

The resting heart rate is an indicator of cardiorespiratory (or aerobic) fitness. It tends to be lower in individuals who are more aerobically fit.

Body composition

Body mass index

The body mass index (BMI) indicates whether a person's weight is appropriate for their height. However, it does not provide information on the distribution of body fat or the composition of the weight (fat, muscle, bone, etc.).

Children and youth who are above a healthy body mass index (BMI) weight range are at risk of developing short- and long-term health problems. They are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, or are more likely to develop pre-diabetes and bone and joint problems. They are also likely to be overweight or obese as adults and, therefore, at a greater risk of adult health problems such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Health problems associated with being below a healthy BMI weight range include malnutrition and a tendency to get sick more often.

Unlike adults, BMI for children and youth is calculated based on age and sex, then classified based on the deviation from the mean for the child's age and sex. The tables below list the BMI categories for children and youth aged 3 to 18. The 5-year-olds included in Table 3a are exactly 60 months. Table 3b includes children 61 months and over.

Table 3a. BMI classification for children aged 3 to 5 years
BMI result for the child's age in months and sex BMI classification
Less than or equal to 2 standard deviations below the mean Thin
Greater than 2 standard deviations below the mean and less than or equal to 1 standard deviation Normal weight
Greater than 1 standard deviation and less than or equal to 2 standard deviations above the mean At risk of being overweight
Greater than 2 standard deviations and less than or equal to 3 standard deviations above the mean Overweight
Greater than 3 standard deviations above the mean Obese
Source: World Health Organization. 2008. Training Course on Child Growth Assessment.
Table 3b. BMI classification for children and youth aged 5 to 18 years
BMI result for the child's age (in months) and sex BMI classification
Less than or equal to 2 standard deviations below the mean Thin
Greater than 2 standard deviations below the mean and less than or equal to 1 standard deviation above the mean Normal weight
Greater than 1 standard deviation and less than or equal to 2 standard deviations above the mean Overweight
Greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean Obese
Source: De Onis, Mercedes, Adelheid W. Onyango, Elaine Borghi et al. 2007."Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents." Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 85, p. 660 to 667.

Table 3c below applies to individuals 19 years and older. BMI levels and categories for adults do not take age and sex into account. The BMI is not used for pregnant women.

The health problems associated with being overweight or obese include type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain cancers. The health problems associated with being underweight include malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility, and a tendency to get sick more often.

Table 3c. BMI categories and guidelines for individuals 19 years and older
BMI category
(kg/m2)
Classification Risk of developing health problems (BMI only)
Less than 18.5 Underweight Increased
18.5 to 24.9 Normal weight Low
25.0 to 29.9 Overweight Increased
30.0 to 34.9 Obese, class I High
35.0 to 35.9 Obese, class II Very high
40.0 or higher Obese, class III Extremely high
Source: Health Canada. 2003. "Health risk classification according to Body Mass Index (BMI)," The Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults.

Waist circumference

Waist circumference is measured to assess the health risks associated with abdominal (or stomach) fat.

The health risks associated with a large waist circumference include type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure. The health benefits of a waist circumference below these guidelines include less stress on bones and joints, decreased risk of injury and disability, and better psychological well-being. The guidelines below apply to individuals 19 years and older with a BMI between 18.5 kg/m2 and 39.9 kg/m2. Waist circumference does not provide information on the health risks for adults with a BMI of 18.4 kg/m2 or less or 40.0 kg/m2 or more.

Table 4. Waist circumference guidelines for individuals 19 years and older
Sex Waist circumference associated with increased health risks
Men 102 centimetres (40 inches) or more
Women 88 centimetres (35 inches) or more
Source: Health Canada. 2003. "Health risk classification according to waist circumference," The Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults

Interpreting the combined BMI and waist circumference measurements

When possible, the body mass index and waist circumference are used to estimate health risks and benefits. If either measurement is missing, the other is used to determine the benefits and risks (Tables 3c and 4).

Table 5. Health risk guidelines for individuals 19 years and older
BMI category
(kg/m2)
Waist circumference, men
(cm)
Waist circumference, women
(cm)
Risk of developing health problems below the waist circumference cut-off Risk of developing health problems at or above the waist circumference cut-off
Less than 18.5 Not applicable Not applicable Increased Increased
18.5 to 24.9 90 or higher 80 or higher Low High
25.0 to 29.9 100 or higher 90 or higher Increased Very high
30.0 to 34.9 110 or higher 105 or higher High Extremely high
35.0 to 35.9 125 or higher 115 or higher Very high Extremely high
40.0 or higher Not applicable Not applicable Extremely high Extremely high
Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. 2013. Physical Activity Training for Health, first edition.

Densitometry

A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner is a fully automated measuring system and is currently the gold standard methodology for analyzing body composition and bone health. It quantifies bone, fat, and lean tissue mass of the body. Three scans will be done – lower back, hip, whole body.

The DXA emits low levels of ionizing radiation while in operation, amounts lower than a typical cross-Canada flight. Still, much like exposure to other sources of radiation, such as natural background radiation in our environment, exposure to radiation has the potential to harm the tissue cells of an individual. To ensure the amount of radiation used is as low as reasonably achievable, the DXA is regularly calibrated, inspected and operated by qualified medical radiation technologists that have received extensive training in the use of the equipment.

Oral Health

Oral health is part of your overall health and it is important to understand the risk factors that can affect your oral health. Risk factors that can affect oral health include age, oral hygiene routine, diet and smoking, diabetes, HIV infections, certain medications and hormonal changes. The health problems associated with poor oral health include cavities caused by tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis (gum disease), and oral cancer.

The oral health assessment is not a substitute for a full mouth examination by an oral health professional. There are no x-rays taken nor other diagnostic tools used. Respondents do not receive treatment; however the dentist will outline any potential treatment needs based on the assessment, including a recommended timeframe for follow-up with an oral health professional.

Table 6. Time frame for follow-up with an oral health professional
  No Treatment Needed Regular Treatment Needs Urgent Treatment Needs Immediate Treatment Needs
Time Frame for Follow-up It is prudent to consult with an oral health professional routinely for a full mouth assessment. We suggest you see a dentist in the near future for a full mouth examination. You should see a dentist within the next WEEK to have your mouth re-assessed. You should see a doctor or dentist or go to a clinic or hospital emergency room TODAY to have your mouth re-assessed.

For more information on…

Canadian Health Measures Survey – Information and consent brochure – Cycle 7

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An innovative national health survey

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) collects physical measures from Canadians aged 1 to 79 across the country. Data from this survey will:

  • provide Canadians with accurate and comprehensive information on the health of the population
  • highlight current issues and identify future challenges to health and health care
  • provide researchers and health professionals with an important source of data not available elsewhere.

Participate to help make a difference!

By participating in the CHMS, you will provide quality information that will help guide future research, health care policies and public health programs that will benefit you and your family for years to come.

Why participate in this survey?

By participating in this survey you will receive:

  • your test results, which provide more information about your health than you would get from a regular doctor's and dentist's visit
  • $150 to cover expenses to travel to the mobile examination centre (MEC) ($300 if two people in the household are selected).

What we have learned so far

Statistics Canada has conducted the CHMS in partnership with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada since 2007. The survey's latest results (2015-2019) highlighted several facts regarding health issues, such as:

  • In 2017, just over 8 in 10 Canadians had bisphenol A (BPA) detected in their urine. Bisphenol A is found in some types of plastic containers. However, most Canadians were exposed to low levels that are not thought to pose a health risk.
  • 3 in 10 adults with high blood pressure were unaware of their condition.
  • 1 in 2 males with high blood cholesterol were diagnosed and controlled with medication. This was significantly higher than the proportion of females (1 in 3).
  • 1 in 2 boys and 1 in 4 girls aged 5 to 17 met the recommendation of an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.
  • Today, less than 1% of Canadians have blood lead levels above the Canadian blood lead intervention level. This proportion was 27% just 30 years ago.

Your participation is important

While this is a voluntary survey, you have been randomly selected to represent others in your community. By participating in our survey, you will be representing up to 6,000 other Canadians whose demographic characteristics are similar to yours. Your participation in the CHMS is essential to help provide us with the most accurate, reliable results possible.

A two-step process

Step one: An in-home interview

A Statistics Canada interviewer will visit you at your home and provide you with information on the survey. The interviewer will then ask you a series of questions on the following topics:

  • General health
  • Level of physical activity
  • Nutrition
  • Medication use.

One or two people per household will be selected to participate in the survey. Each interview will last approximately one hour.

Step two: A visit to the mobile examination centre

Once the in-home interview has been completed, we will make an appointment for you at the CHMS mobile examination centre (MEC) at a convenient time for you. Measures to comply with local COVID-19 public health guidance will be in place.

This temporary MEC will be set up in or near your community. The MEC has been designed to ensure comfort, safety and privacy.

At the MEC, trained and certified health specialists will:

  • take your physical measurements, including height and weight
  • administer a series of tests to assess your blood pressure, muscle and bone health
  • collect saliva, blood and urine samples, which will then be analyzed to evaluate the state of your cardiovascular health, your nutritional status, your exposure to environmental contaminants (e.g., lead), and chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes).
  • A dentist will assess your oral health (teeth, gums, tongue) free of charge.

The MEC appointment will take approximately two hours, depending on your age.

At the end of your MEC visit, we will provide you with a report of your physical measure results, which are available immediately. The report includes the results of your oral exam, which you can take to you dentist, if necessary.

After your visit to the MEC

With your consent, the interviewer will return to your home to collect a tap water sample. This sample will be analyzed for the presence of fluoride and metals.

We will ask you to wear a physical activity monitor for seven days following your MEC visit. It will record data about your physical activity patterns and body movements throughout this period.

We will also ask you to provide a second urine sample. Collecting the two samples (one at the MEC; the other in the week following your visit to the MEC) will help us to obtain more accurate results.

We will provide prepaid packaging to return the activity monitor and the urine sample.

Six to seven months after your visit to the MEC, if you gave your consent, we will send you a final report of your results for many of the tests that were administered.

The tests are not intended to be used as diagnoses. However, if you have any questions about your results, we encourage you to take the report to your doctor or health care professional for further follow-up.

Our priorities: Safety and confidentiality

  • Statistics Canada takes every precaution to ensure the safety of survey participants.
  • Data and samples are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, which guarantees that all your personal information remains confidential and secure.
  • Your data are also protected under the Privacy Act of Canada.

To ensure that the CHMS meets the highest ethical standards, we consulted with federal and provincial privacy commissioners, as well as a research ethics board.

  • No measurements will be taken and no tests will be carried out without your consent.
  • To ensure anonymity, the results will be published in aggregate form, meaning that any information you provide will be combined with those of other participants and published as averages, totals or proportions.
  • We do not release any information that could identify you or any member of your household.

Support from health organizations and associations

The CHMS has received the support of many key Canadian health organizations, including the following:

  • Canadian Public Health Association
  • Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
  • Canadian Association of Optometrists
  • ParticipACTION
  • Hypertension Canada
  • Osteoporosis Canada
  • College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Best Start Resource Centre
  • World Health Organization
  • Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
  • Obesity Canada
  • Red Cross
  • Canadian Medical Association
  • Canadian Dental Hygienists Association
  • Canadian Dental Association

Participate in the Canadian Health Measures Survey… because your health matters!

Contact us

Toll-free number: 1-888-253-1087
Email address: chms-ecms@statcan.gc.ca
TTY: 1-866-753-7083
Web page: Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)

Canadian Health Measures Survey – Information and Consent Booklet – Cycle 7

PDF version (PDF, 5.74 MB)

Table of contents

At a glance

One or two members of your household are invited to take part in a major health initiative led by Statistics Canada called the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

By participating in this survey, you will receive valuable information about your health and help to improve the delivery of health services in Canada.

The CHMS is a voluntary survey. Before you decide to participate, it is important that you understand why we are conducting this survey and what your participation involves.

We invite you to read this booklet. Additional information, including videos, is available at Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

What is the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

The CHMS is a collaborative project between Statistics Canada, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It is a national survey that collects health information from Canadians.

This survey is unique at Statistics Canada since it combines an interview with a physical examination.

What is the purpose of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

The CHMS aims to help us better understand how the health of Canadians aged 1 to 79 is affected by their lifestyle and environment. Questionnaire answers, physical measurements and biological samples from participants provide data that support ongoing research and contribute to exploring emerging public health issues. The main purpose of this survey is to help improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and to promote health and wellness across Canada.

Who uses the information collected?

Objective statistical information is vital to researchers, analysts and decision makers across Canada. CHMS results could be used by

  • Parliament and other policy makers to track major initiatives, set priorities for prevention and research programs, and evaluate policy and program outcomes
  • epidemiologists and biomedical and health service researchers to understand trends in diseases and the relationship between observed risk factors to diseases
  • individual physicians to evaluate the health and risk factors of their patients (for example, by using the reference standards for height, weight and blood pressure that will be developed)
  • public health professionals to track preventable illnesses and evaluate the impact of prevention and intervention programs
  • advocacy groups to raise awareness and help them monitor health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, child nutrition, obesity and health disparities.

How did I get selected to participate in this survey?

Your household was randomly selected. Participants are then chosen based on a selection formula that takes into account the number of people living in the household and the age of each person. The goal is to ensure that the sample represents the Canadian population. By participating, you will be representing up to 6,000 other Canadians.

Why should I participate in this survey?

By participating in this survey, you will give valuable information that will help us better understand the health factors affecting Canadians. Your information will improve health services in Canada, and this will benefit all Canadians.

You will also receive a free comprehensive health report. This report includes many physical and laboratory test results that you would not typically receive during a regular visit to a medical doctor or other health professional. You may learn something new about your physical health!

What does participating in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) involve?

The CHMS is a two-step survey:

First step: An in-home interview

The questions cover topics that include

  • Nutrition
  • Tobacco use
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Medical history
  • Current health condition
  • Lifestyle
  • Physical activity
  • Environment (including a tap water sample)
  • Demographic, social and economic data.

Second step: A visit to the mobile examination centre (MEC)

The mobile examination centre (MEC) is made up of three semi-trailers temporarily set up in or near your community. The MEC was designed to ensure your comfort, safety and privacy.

Trained and certified health specialists will

  • measure your height and weight
  • measure your blood pressure and heart rate at rest
  • measure your bone density and body composition
  • assess your oral health
  • collect blood, urine and saliva samples.

For more information on how much blood is collected, see the "Blood sample" section.

Do I need to agree to everything?

If you feel uncomfortable answering certain questions, you do not need to answer. Also, if you have concerns about certain measurements, the biological samples (such as blood, urine or saliva) or the survey, please speak to a staff member.

Are there any risks in participating in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

Participation in the CHMS should not cause you any harm. As with any health examination, some procedures may cause slight discomfort (for example, the sting of a needle during the blood sample). Rest assured that we have chosen these measures and tests because they are safe. We will not ask you to take part in a procedure or test that is not appropriate for your current health status.

Statistics Canada takes all necessary precautions to ensure that the health information and biological samples are collected in a way that is safe for participants. Qualified and accredited specialists take all the measurements, and they follow strict standard clinical procedures when administering tests.

How will my information be kept private and confidential?

Statistics Canada goes to extraordinary lengths to protect you. Your information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, which ensures that it will be kept strictly confidential.

The CHMS also uses the following safeguards:

  • No unauthorized people outside Statistics Canada will ever be allowed to see your individual responses.
  • All Statistics Canada employees are under oath. This means they are subject to severe penalties, including prosecution, if they do not safeguard the confidentiality of your information.
  • Statistics Canada never releases personal information collected in surveys, such as your name, address and phone number. All publications and other releases are carefully reviewed to ensure that no individual or identifiable data are ever published.
  • For the CHMS, we consulted with Health Canada's Research Ethics Board and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to ensure that we have every safeguard in place to store your samples securely and to protect your privacy and the confidentiality of your data.

How do I withdraw my consent after participating in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

You can withdraw your consent at any time. You can request to have any part of the survey removed, including the stored blood, urine or saliva samples. We will contact participants who reach the age of 15 to reconfirm their consent to continue storing their biological sample. To withdraw your consent, visit our web page (Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)) or see the last page of this booklet for contact information.

Will my travel expenses be reimbursed?

Yes. Every person who takes part in the testing at the MEC and completes the survey will receive $150. This amount is to reimburse you for transportation, child care services and parking expenses related to your appointment at the MEC. If two people are selected from the same household and they both complete the survey, each one will receive $150.

Can I receive a volunteering letter?

Yes. If you need one, we can provide you with an official volunteering letter, upon request, to recognize the time spent participating in the survey.

Household interview

What happens during the household interview?

A Statistics Canada interviewer will visit you at your home and give you information about the survey. With your consent, the interviewer will ask you a series of questions. Once the questionnaire has been completed, we will schedule an appointment for you to visit the CHMS mobile examination centre at a time that suits you.

With your consent, the interviewer will return to your home to collect a tap water sample after your MEC appointment. Only participants who take part in the MEC part of the survey will receive their tap water analysis results. It will be tested for fluoride and certain heavy metals to determine how common exposure to these substances is in Canada.

If children (aged 1 to 11) or youth (aged 12 to 17) are selected to participate, the interviewer will ask them questions similar to those asked of the adults. Parents or guardians of children will answer questions on their behalf. However, if the child is present, they may participate. Youth participants will be able to answer most questions themselves, but their parent or guardian can help if needed.

Why do I need to provide my consent?

The interviewer will ask all participants for their verbal consent at the start of the household questionnaire (for the parent or guardian of participants aged 1 to 14 and for respondents aged 15 to 79).

The interviewer will also confirm verbal assent from 12- to 14-year-olds, since they will be asked to answer the household questions. The interviewer will not ask for assent from respondents younger than 12, since they do not have to be present for the household interview.

Household steps

  • Respondent receives intro letter by mail
  • Interviewer schedules an in-home interview with an adult member of the household
  • Interviewer visits selected household on scheduled date
  • Application randomly selects 1-2 respondents
  • A video is shown to respondents
  • Consent
  • Interviewer administers the survey questions
  • Interviewer assists in scheduling the MEC appointment

Mobile examination centre

What happens at the mobile examination centre (MEC)?

At the end of your in-home interview, the interviewer will provide the pre-testing instructions (e.g. clothing to wear, medications to bring, fasting requirements, etc.). For more information please see Appendix B. The purpose of the pre-testing instructions is to make sure you are comfortable and safe and to control some factors that could affect certain test results.

Do I have to participate in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)?

Participation in this survey is voluntary. In other words, you decide whether or not you want to contribute to this health initiative. If you decide to participate, we will ask you to sign a consent form at the beginning of your visit at the MEC.

Why do I need to provide my consent?

By signing the consent form, you are confirming your willingness to take part in the survey. In particular, you confirm that

  • you have been informed of the purpose of the survey, of how the information collected will be used and of who will use it
  • you have had the opportunity to review the information about the survey and ask questions
  • you understand what is involved in taking part in the survey
  • you have been informed that you can withdraw from the survey at any time or can decline to participate in any test or measurement.

What is the consent process at the mobile examination centre (MEC)?

If you are 15 years or older, we will ask you at the beginning of your appointment to provide your written consent to

  • participate in the physical measurement tests
  • have X-rays taken
  • receive reports of your test results
  • allow Statistics Canada to test your blood and urine for diseases and contaminants that might require mandatory reporting in your province of residence and to contact you, as well as the appropriate provincial authorities, if the results are outside the established reference range
  • allow your blood, urine and saliva to be stored for use in future health studies.

If a child aged 1 to 14 is selected to participate in the survey, we will ask their parent or guardian to accompany them to the MEC and to sign the consent form. For children 1 to 2 years, an adult must accompany them at all times during the appointment.

Children aged 6 to 14 will be asked to provide their assent to participate. The form describes a few examples of the tests we will administer and informs the child that

  • we would like them to take part in some tests for the CHMS
  • we will collect a small amount of their blood and urine
  • they do not have to participate in any part of the survey they do not wish to.

Mobile examination centre steps

  • Respondent identity check
  • Consent process
  • Urine sample
  • Screening questions
  • Questionnaires
  • Direct physical measures
  • Blood test
  • Report of physical measures
  • Sign-out
  • $150 reimbursement for travel costs

Which physical measurements will be taken at the mobile examination centre (MEC)?

The measurements are based on age group. Most of the measurements are not taken during a regular visit to the doctor. Therefore, this is an opportunity for you to get extra information about your health. We will not do any tests or take any measurements without your consent, and the data we collect will remain confidential. One of our health specialists will monitor you throughout the process, and if for any reason, you cannot continue, we will stop the test. You will receive the results for many of these tests on the day of your appointment.

Physical measurements taken at the mobile examination centre
Physical measures Age group (years)
1 2 3 to 5 6 to 79
Test results available at the mobile examination centre
Body composition: Recumbent height (height while lying down) Yes No No No
Body composition: Standing height No Yes Yes Yes
Body composition: Sitting height No No Yes Yes
Body composition: Weight Yes Yes Yes Yes
Body composition: Waist circumference No No Yes Yes
Resting blood pressure and heart rate No No No Yes
Oral health Yes Yes Yes Yes
Test results available after six to seven months
Blood sample Yes Yes Yes Yes
Urine sample No No Yes Yes
Saliva sample Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bone and muscle health Yes Yes Yes Yes
Activity monitor (at home) No No Yes Yes

Body composition (1 to 79 years)

A health specialist will measure your height, weight and waist circumference. For participants 19 years and older, we will use your height and weight measurements to calculate your body mass index (BMI). The results will provide accurate data on how common obesity is in Canada.

Resting blood pressure and heart rate (6 to 79 years)

A health specialist will measure your resting blood pressure and heart rate using an automated device. The device measures the pressure that the blood exerts on the walls of your blood vessels. The results will provide information on the health of your heart and blood vessels. They will also provide a clear picture of how common hypertension, or high blood pressure, is in Canada. These results are key in diagnosing hypertension and other heart conditions.

Densitometry (1 to 79 years)

A DXA scanner is a medical device that emits very low levels of X-ray radiation to measure bone density and body composition (amount of muscle and fat). The procedure will be performed on a DXA system under the supervision of a certified medical radiation technologist. You will be asked to wear appropriate clothing (see the pre-testing instructions in Appendix B for more information). If needed, clothing without metal parts will be provided by Statistics Canada. The technologist will ask you to lay flat on the table of the DXA scanner for two or three scans (total body, hip and lower back). You must stay still for up to 7-8 minutes. The mobile arm of the DXA scanner will move over you to create the image and will not touch you. No discomfort will be experienced during the scan. The technologist may reposition you if needed.

Although the exposure to radiation is extremely low – approximately equivalent to a typical dental x-ray for one scan and a flight from Ottawa to Vancouver for the complete exam – extra precautions will be taken to avoid radiation exposure to a fetus. All female participants aged 7 to 59 will be asked the pregnancy screening questions designed to exclude anyone who is pregnant or at risk for pregnancy.

The parts of your body to be scanned will vary depending on your age.

Parts of body scanned, by age group
Age group (years) Total body Left hip Lumbar spine (lower back)
1 to 5 Yes No Yes
6 to 79 Yes Yes Yes

Blood sample (1 to 79 years)

Certified medical laboratory professionals will collect blood samples from participants. These professionals have received extra training on blood collection techniques specifically for 1- to 2-year old children. Numbing cream patches (EMLA) will be available to reduce the discomfort caused by the prick of the needle. Before taking the blood sample, we will ask you if your child is allergic to these patches.

As part of this survey, we will collect a small amount of blood from you or your child.

Amount of blood collected, by age group
Age group Tablespoon (tbsp.) Millilitre (mL)
1-2 years ¼ tbsp. 3.7 mL
3-5 years 2 ¼ tbsp. 33.3 mL
6-11 years 2 ¾ tbsp. 40.7 mL
12-19 years 5 tbsp. 73.9 mL
20-79 years 5 ¼ tbsp. 77.6 mL

Restrictions on sampling for participants 1 to 19 years old

If you or your child is aged 1 to 19 and have had blood tests in the past 8 weeks or are scheduled to have a blood test within 8 weeks of your visit to the MEC, we will not collect any blood samples during your visit.

If, within 8 weeks of your visit to the MEC, you or your child require a blood test, we recommend that you inform your doctor or other health care professional of the blood sample taken at the MEC.

The blood tests results will give information about how common certain diseases are and the risk factors. They will also give baseline information on the health and nutritional status of the population and environmental contaminants.

Urine sample (3 to 79 years)

We will ask you to provide two urine samples. The first will be collected at the MEC. We will use the results of that sample to produce national information on the general health and lifestyle of Canadians for a variety of characteristics.

We will also give you instructions on how to collect a second urine sample at home. This second sample will help us better assess your nutritional intake. We will provide prepaid packaging to return the sample.

Oral health (1 to 79 years)

A dentist will check your teeth, gums and tongue to determine the general health of your mouth,. We will also collect a sample of your saliva for future health studies.

Poor oral health can cause tooth decay, gum and bone (periodontal) disease and infections, as well as pain, tooth loss and bad breath. Periodontal disease has also been linked to a higher risk of general health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.

The results will allow us to assess the oral health of Canadians and will contribute to developing policies for oral care services.

Activity monitor (3 to 79 years)

We will ask you to wear an activity monitor for seven days following your MEC visit. This small, portable monitor, called ActiGraph, tracks your physical activity and sleep. It is waterproof and must be worn on your right hip. The device will record data on your physical activity patterns and body movements. For more information on the device and how you should wear it, visit our website, Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). We will provide prepaid packaging to return the device.

The results will allow us to learn more about the physical activity levels of Canadians and better understand the links between physical activity, sleep quality and overall health status.

Laboratory tests

Which blood and urine tests are conducted at the mobile examination centre (MEC)?

Appendix A lists all the blood an urine tests conducted for the CHMS. The results you will receive in your report will depend on your age, sex, fasting status, and whether the test is conducted on a smaller group of survey participants. Your participation in a smaller group is selected at random. The different types of blood and urine tests are described below.

Blood tests

Chemistry panel (3 to 79 years)

We will analyze a variety of elements in your blood to assess the functioning of different organs, such as the kidneys and liver. Examples of what we measure in the chemistry panel include calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Cardiovascular health (various age groups)

We will test your blood for levels of high-density lipoprotein, known as "good cholesterol" ( helps remove cholesterol from the blood), and for levels of low-density lipoprotein, known as "bad cholesterol" (can cause cholesterol build-up in the blood vessels). We will also test for total cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat that the body uses to produce energy) and many fatty acids.

Complete blood count (1 to 79 years)

We will evaluate many components in your blood, including white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets.

Diabetes (various age groups)

Diabetes is a chronic disease that stems from the body's inability to use and store glucose, a type of sugar that provides energy to cells. We will analyze your glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin (A1C). This gives an indication of your average blood sugar levels over the last two to three months.

Environmental exposure (various age groups)

We will analyze your blood samples to determine your exposure to substances found in the environment. These substances include cadmium, total arsenic, total mercury, nicotine, flame retardants and polycyclic musks.

Nutritional status (various age groups)

We will analyze your blood sample to evaluate your nutritional status. For example, we will measure vitamin and mineral levels, including folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D and iron.

Thyroid status (3 to 79 years)

The thyroid is a gland that helps regulate body temperature and the metabolism of proteins, fats and sugars. A thyroid disorder can lead to many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Urine tests

Environmental exposure (various age groups)

We will analyze your urine samples to determine your exposure to substances found in the environment. These substances include flame retardants, parabens, pesticides (DEET) and herbicides (glyphosate).

Nutritional status (various age groups)

We will analyze your urine samples for indicators of your nutritional status, including iodine, which is essential for the thyroid gland to function properly.

Reportable environmental contaminants

We will test your samples for environmental contaminants only if you consent to

  • have these tests performed
  • allow the CHMS medical advisor to contact you if your results are outside the normal healthy range
  • allow Statistics Canada to contact you if your results are outside the established reference range and require a follow-up
  • allow Statistics Canada to contact the appropriate provincial authorities if your results require mandatory reporting (such as for cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in Quebec).

If you do not want your information to be shared with local public health authorities, we will not test your blood.

For a full list of the environmental contaminants tested, please see Appendix A.

Results

What happens once I complete the survey?

At the end of your MEC appointment, you will receive a report of the results of your physical measures that are available.

With your consent, six to seven months after your appointment, we will send you a final report of your results for some of the tests that were administered. The final report will include

  • laboratory analysis results of your blood samples
  • laboratory analysis results of your urine samples
  • information on your level of physical activity
  • your bone density and body composition results
  • laboratory analysis results of your tap water samples.

Tests conducted as part of the CHMS do not replace regular health care and are not intended to be diagnoses. However, if a test result is outside a normal range and you provided consent to receive test results, you will receive an early report before the final report. Our medical advisor will contact you if your test results require immediate attention. We will also provide a letter to give to your doctor or other health care professional in case you need a follow-up or if you want further explanation of the results.

Youth aged 15 to 17 who consent to participate in the survey and receive their results will receive them by mail. The results for participants younger than 15 will be sent to their parent or guardian.

Note

Many of the substances we analyze in blood and urine have never been measured at a national level. One of the objectives of the CHMS is to establish national levels for these substances in order to support future health research. Your final report may not contain all the results for these substances, as the healthy ranges are still unknown. If you wish to receive results that are not in your final report, please contact us.

Biobank

Why will my blood, urine and saliva samples be stored?

With your consent, some of the blood, urine and saliva samples are stored in freezers in a secure location for future health studies.

The main purpose of the Statistics Canada biobank program is to support health research that will benefit all Canadians. For more information on the biobank, please visit the web page at Statistics Canada Biobank.

In addition, storing your biological samples

  • reduces the need for researchers to collect new samples from participants for each research project
  • gives researchers quicker and easier access to samples for their research needs
  • helps Canadians benefit from advances in science and medicine.

Before samples can be used, research projects undergo a thorough scientific, ethical and security review process.

How are my samples stored?

Each biological sample tube is labelled with a barcode. No other personal information is associated with your samples.

Only authorized Statistics Canada employees can access this information on a need-to-know basis. A limited number of employees can associate the barcodes with other information you have provided. Your name and address are kept in a separate file at our head office. No one outside Statistics Canada will have access to your personal information.

Where will my samples be stored?

The blood, urine and saliva samples are frozen and stored at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory. This is a high-security facility that meets international security standards for laboratories. Samples are stored in accordance with Statistics Canada's strict confidentiality requirements.

How will researchers access my data and biological samples?

Researchers can access data and biological samples for their study by following strict security guidelines. To gain access to the samples, they must

  • submit a research project that receives support through an established scientific review process and from Statistics Canada
  • obtain approval for the project by a research ethics board
  • take an oath to protect data confidentiality.

Canadian Health Measures Survey publications and data sharing

How are the survey results made available?

To ensure anonymity, results are published at a high level. This means that any information you provide will be combined with the information of other participants and published as averages, totals or proportions. We do not release any information that could identify you or any member of your household.

Where can I find published survey results?

The results of previous cycles of the CHMS have been published in a variety of scientific and medical publications and on Statistics Canada's website. Links to Statistics Canada publications and external publications that have used CHMS data can be found on the CHMS web page.

What is data linkage and could my data be used?

During the survey, we will tell you about the possibility of linking the information you provide to the CHMS with information from other surveys or administrative data sources.

Data linkage combines information on survey participants from at least two different sources. This is done only for statistical and research purposes. Linking data helps governments monitor, evaluate and modify health policies. If you agree to data linkage, we will

  • ask you for your health card number to help with the linkage process
  • combine the information we collect in this survey with some of your information that your provincial health ministry, health registries or other recognized health organizations already have on file
  • remove personal identifiers such as your name, address and health card number from the linked file as soon as the linkage is complete
  • destroy all linkage files at the end of the project.

Only Statistics Canada employees will link data. All linked data will remain confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act. We will not provide any information about you to your provincial health ministry or any other organization.

For more information on data linkage, visit Microdata Linkage at Statistics Canada.

How could my data be shared?

We will ask you whether you consent to share the information you provide through the CHMS with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Sharing data allows researchers to fully use the information we collect to improve health policies and, in turn, the health of Canadians. Data sharing also enables us to reduce the number of times we have to survey Canadians.

If you consent, we will share your data under the following conditions:

  • We will remove your name, address (except postal code), date of birth and health card number from all files before we share them.
  • We will not share any information from the health ministry in your province or from your health records.
  • We will not share your information with any other party without your consent.
  • Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will use this information only for statistical and research purposes, and they must ensure its confidentiality.

We will not share or link your data if you do not want to. You can always decline any linking or sharing request, in which case Statistics Canada will not link or share the collected information.

Support from health organizations and associations

The CHMS has received the support of many key Canadian health organizations, including the following:

  • Canadian Public Health Association
  • Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
  • Canadian Association of Optometrists
  • ParticipACTION
  • Hypertension Canada
  • Osteoporosis Canada
  • College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Glaucoma Research Society of Canada
  • Best Start Resource Centre
  • World Health Organization
  • Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
  • Obesity Canada
  • Red Cross
  • Canadian Medical Association
  • Canadian Dental Hygienists Association
  • Canadian Dental Association

For more information about the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)

Appendix A: Laboratory tests

Whole blood, plasma, and serum measures

Diabetes biomarkers (Ages 6-79)

Cardiovascular health

  • Apolipoproteins – Fasting (Ages 20-79)
    • Apolipoproteins A1
    • Apolipoproteins B
  • Lipid profile & hsCRP – Fasting (Ages 6-79)
    • Total cholesterolFootnote *
    • High sensitivity C-reactive protein
    • High density lipoprotein cholesterol
    • TriglyceridesFootnote *
    • Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, direct measure
    • Total cholesterol/High density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio
    • Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol
  • Lipid profile & hsCRP – NonFasting (Ages 3-79)
    • Total cholesterolFootnote *
    • High sensitivity C-reactive protein
    • High density lipoprotein cholesterol
    • Total cholesterol/High density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio
  • Homocysteine (Ages 3-79)

Nutrition biomarkers (Ages 3-79)

  • FerritinFootnote *
  • Red blood cell folate
  • Vitamin B12Footnote *
  • Vitamin D
    • Total 25-OH Vitamin DFootnote *
    • Vitamin D3 [25(OH)]
    • Vitamin D3 [3-epi-25(OH)]
    • Vitamin D2 [25(OH)]

Nicotine and its metabolites (Ages 6-79)

  • Free cotinine (non-smoking)
  • Free cotinine (smoking)

Metals and Trace Elements (Ages 1-79)

Complete blood count (CBC) (Ages 1-79)

  • White blood cell countFootnote *
  • Red blood cell count
  • Mean corpuscular volume
  • Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
  • Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
  • Red cell distribution width
  • HemoglobinFootnote *
  • Hematocrit
  • Platelet countFootnote *

Thyroid status (Ages 3-79)

Red blood cell fatty acids profile (Ages 20-79)

  • Alpha-Linolenic acid
  • Docosahexanoic acid
  • Omega-3 docosapentanoic acid
  • Eicosapentanoic acid
  • Adrenic acid
  • Arachidonic acid
  • Dihomo-gamma-Linolenic acid
  • Omega-6 docosapentanoic acid
  • Gamma-Linolenic acid
  • Linoleic acid
  • Lauric acid
  • Myristic acid
  • Palmitic acid
  • Stearic acid
  • Palmitoleic acid
  • cis-Vaccenic acid
  • Oleic acid
  • Palmitelaidic acid
  • Elaidic acid
  • Trans-10-Octadecenoic acid
  • Trans-Vaccenic acid
  • Total saturated fatty acids
  • Total trans-18:1 fatty acids
  • Total trans-18:2 fatty acids
  • Total trans fatty acids
  • Total cis-18:1 fatty acids
  • Total cis-monounsaturated fatty acids
  • Total omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Total omega-6 fatty acids (18:3; 20:3; 20:4; 22:4; 22:5)
  • Total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Total omega-3 fatty acids (18:4; 20:4; 20:5; 22:5; 22:6)
  • Total polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Omega-3 index
  • Total omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids /Total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio
  • Total long-chain omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids/Total long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio
  • Alpha-Linolenic acid/Eicosapentanoic acid ratio
  • Arachidonic acid/Eicosapentanoic acid ratio
  • Eicosapentanoic acid/Arachidonic acid ratio

Flame retardants: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)

  • Metabolites (Ages 3-79)
    • Pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB)
    • 2-ethyl-1-hexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB) or (TBB)
    • Bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH)
    • 5-hydroxy-2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (5-OH-BDE-47)
    • 6-hydroxy-2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (6-OH-BDE-47)
    • 6-methoxy-2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (6-MeO-BDE-47)
    • 4'-hydroxy-2,2',4,5'- tetrabromodiphenyl ether (4'-OH-BDE-49)
  • Parents (Ages 3-79)
    • 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 47)
    • 2,2',4,4',5-Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 99)
    • 2,2',4,4',6-Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 100)
    • 2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 153)

Chemistry panel (Ages 3-79)

Flame retardants: SCCPs (Ages 20-79)

  • Short-chained Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs ) [short chain: C10-C13]
    • Congener C10H17Cl5
    • Congener C10H16Cl6
    • Congener C10H15Cl7
    • Congener C10H14Cl8
    • Congener C10H13Cl9
    • Congener C10H12Cl10
    • Congener C11H19Cl5
    • Congener C11H18Cl6
    • Congener C11H17Cl7
    • Congener C11H16Cl8
    • Congener C11H15Cl9
    • Congener C11H14Cl10
    • Congener C12H21Cl5
    • Congener C12H20Cl6
    • Congener C12H19Cl7
    • Congener C12H18Cl8
    • Congener C12H17Cl9
    • Congener C12H16Cl10
    • Congener C13H23Cl5
    • Congener C13H22Cl6
    • Congener C13H21Cl7
    • Congener C13H20Cl8
    • Congener C13H19Cl9
    • Congener C13H18Cl10

Polycyclic musks (Ages 3-79)

  • Tonalide
  • Galaxolide

Urine measures

Nutrition biomarkers (Ages 3-19 M; 3-39 F)

  • Iodine
  • Iodine/Creatinine ratio

General characterization (Ages 3-79)

  • Creatinine
  • Specific Gravity

Environmental phenols (Ages 3-79)

  • Bisphenol 4-4' (BP44)
  • Bisphenol A (BPA)
  • Bisphenol B (BPB)
  • Bisphenol E (BPE)
  • Bisphenol F (BPF)
  • Bisphenol S (BPS)
  • Bisphenol Z (BPZ)
  • Bisphenol AF (BPAF)
  • Triclosan

Flame retardants: OPFootnote 2 (Ages 3-79)

  • Bis(2-chloropropyl) phosphate (BCIPP)
  • Bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP)
  • Diphenyl phosphate (DPHP)
  • Bis-2-(chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP)
  • Para-isopropylphenyl phenyl phosphate (ip-PPP)
  • Dibutylphosphate (DBP)

Food additives/antioxidantsFootnote 2 (Ages 3-79)

  • 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (BHT-acid)

Electrolytes (Ages 3-79)

  • Sodium
  • Potassium

Pesticides (Ages 3-79)

  • Pesticides 1Footnote 2
    • N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)
    • m-[(N,N-diethylamino)carbonyl] benzoic acid (DCBA)
    • N,N-Diethyl-m-hydroxymethylbenzamide (DHMB)
    • 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY)
  • Pesticides 2Footnote 2
    • Glyphosate (GLYPH)
    • Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA)
    • Glufosinate (GLUF) (or glufosinate ammonium)
    • 3-Methylphosphinicopropionicacid(3-MPPA)
  • Phenoxy herbicide
    • 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)

ParabensFootnote 2 (Ages 3-79)

  • Ethylparaben
  • Methylparaben
  • Propylparaben
  • Butylparaben
  • Benzyl-paraben
  • Iso-butylparaben

Metals and trace elements (Ages 3-79)

NeonicotinoidsFootnote 2 (Ages 3-79)

  • Acetamiprid (NXL)
  • Clothianidin
  • Dinotefuran (DTQ)
  • Imidacloprid (ICP)
  • Nitenpyram (NTM)
  • Thiacloprid (TAP)
  • Thiamethoxam (THM)
  • Sulfoxaflor
  • 4-Hydroxyimidacloprid
  • 5-Hydroxyimidacloprid
  • N-Desmethylacetamiprid
  • N-Desmethylclothianidin
  • N-Desmethylthiamethoxam

Household urine measures

Nutrition biomarkers (Ages 3-79)

  • Iodine (home)
  • Iodine/Creatinine ratio (home)

General characterization (Ages 3-79)

  • Creatinine (home)

Electrolytes (Ages 3-79)

  • Sodium (home)
  • Potassium (home)

Tap water measures

Fluoride in tap water (Ages 3-79)

Metals and trace elements in tap water (Ages 1-79)

Footnote *

Laboratory measures for which respondents will receive an early report if their test results are equal to or outside the cut-off range.

Return to the first footnote * referrer

Footnote ⁺

Environmental contaminants reportable to local public health authorities in Québec (Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic) for Québec Respondents only.

Return to the first footnote referrer

Footnote 1

Fasting

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Subsample

Return to the first footnote 2 referrer

M = Males; F = Females

Disclaimer: The above tests are randomly selected, and you may not receive all the results.

Appendix B: Pre-testing instructions

Pre-testing instructions — Fasting appointment

My appointment

Date (dd/mm/yyyy):
Time:

To book an appointment

Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  1. Call the mobile examination centre at 1-866-498-8518 (toll-free).
  2. Provide your Clinic ID number:
  3. Provide your name and indicate that you need a fasting appointment.
  4. If you need to reschedule your appointment, please call the MEC at least 24 hours in advance.

Instructions for your appointment

  • Children under 15 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for some components of the appointment.
  • Children 1-2 years of age must be accompanied by a non-selected parent or guardian for all components of the appointment.
  • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
  • 8 hours before your appointment (for respondents 6-79 years old):
    • Do not eat or drink anything other than water (no food, candies, gum, cough lozenges, flavoured water, coffee, alcoholic beverages, etc.)
  • 6 hours before your appointment:
    • It is not recommended to smoke or consume cannabis.
  • 2 hours before your appointment:
    • Do not urinate as you will be asked to provide a urine sample upon arrival (for respondents 3-79 years old)
    • Do not smoke or use other tobacco and nicotine products
  • On the day of your appointment:
    • Take your medications as usual
    • Do not exercise
    • Remove all piercings and jewellery (if possible)

What to bring to your appointment

  • All medications (prescription or over-the-counter), natural health products, or supplements.
  • Dental prosthetics (with their case) and your toothpaste.
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear (short-sleeved top, flat indoor footwear and socks, shorts or loose-fitting clothing, avoid clothing with metal parts, such as zippers, rivets and underwire in bras).
  • Provincial health insurance card.
  • Information of two contact persons (name, address and phone number).

Pre-testing instructions — Non-fasting appointment

My appointment

Date (dd/mm/yyyy):
Time:

To book an appointment

Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  1. Call the mobile examination centre at 1-866-498-8518 (toll-free).
  2. Provide your Clinic ID number:
  3. Provide your name and indicate that you need a non-fasting appointment.
  4. If you need to reschedule your appointment, please call the MEC at least 24 hours in advance.

Instructions for your appointment

  • Children under 15 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for some components of the appointment.
  • Children 1-2 years of age must be accompanied by a non-selected parent or guardian for all components of the appointment.
  • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
  • 6 hours before your appointment:
    • Do not drink any alcoholic beverages. It is not recommended to smoke or consume cannabis.
  • 2 hours before your appointment:
    • Do not urinate as you will be asked to provide a urine sample upon your arrival (for respondents 3-79 years old)
    • Do not smoke or use other tobacco and nicotine products
  • On the day of your appointment:
    • Take your medications as usual
    • Do not exercise
    • Remove all piercings and jewellery (if possible)

What to bring to your appointment

  • All medications (prescription or over-the-counter), natural health products, or supplements.
  • Dental prosthetics (with their cases) and your toothpaste.
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear (short-sleeved top, flat indoor footwear and socks, shorts or loose-fitting clothing, avoid clothing with metal parts, such as zippers, rivets and underwire in bras).
  • Provincial health insurance card.
  • Information of two contact persons (name, address and phone number).

Data ethics part 2: Ethical reviews

Catalogue number: 892000062022004

Release date: October 17, 2022

In this video, you will learn the answers to the following questions:

  • What are ethical reviews?
  • How do ethical reviews help Statistics Canada apply data ethics principles throughout the data journey?

Using a case example, this video will show you how Statistics Canada uses ethical reviews to apply data ethics principles throughout the data journey.

Data journey step
Foundation
Data competency
  • Data quality evaluation
  • Data security and governance
  • Data stewardship
Audience
Basic
Suggested prerequisites
Data ethics: An introduction
Length
11:20
Cost
Free

Watch the video

Data ethics part 2: Ethical reviews - Transcript

(The Statistics Canada symbol and Canada wordmark appear on screen with the title: "Data ethics part 2: Ethical reviews - A case study")

Gathering, exploring, analyzing and interpreting data are essential steps in producing information that benefits society, the economy and the environment. In this video, we will discuss the importance of considering data ethics throughout the process of producing statistical information.

Learning goals

(Text on screen: In this video, you will learn the answers to the following questions:

  • What are ethical reviews?
  • How do ethical reviews help Statistics Canada apply data ethics principles throughout the data journey?

Pre-requisite viewing: "Data Ethics: An introduction"" also available in Statistics Canada's Data Literacy Training Learning Catalogue.)

As a pre-requisite to this video, make sure to watch the video titled "Data Ethics: An Introduction" also available in Statistics Canada's data literacy training catalog. In this video, you will learn the answers to the following questions:

  • What are ethical reviews?
  • And how do ethical reviews help Statistics Canada apply data ethics principles throughout the data journey?

Using a case example, this video will show you how Statistics Canada uses ethical reviews to apply data ethics principles throughout the data journey.

Steps of the data journey

(Diagram of the Steps of the data journey: Step 1 - define, find, gather; Step 2 - explore, clean, describe; Step 3 - analyze, model; Step 4 - tell the story. The data journey is supported by a foundation of stewardship, metadata, standards and quality.)

This diagram is a visual representation of the data journey from collecting the data to exploring, cleaning, describing and understanding the data. To analyzing the data and lastly to communicating with others the story the data tell.

Data ethics principles are relevant throughout all steps in the data journey.

What is an ethical review?

(Text on screen:

  • Series of questions, comments and statements that are meant to obtain enough information about a given project to have a rational discussion on its ethical merits.
  • Always conducted by more than one individual. Each member of this ethics committee should have a professional background in science and/or ethics.
  • Aimed at providing ethical guidance to those working on the project.
  • Organized following the 6 guiding principles of Data Ethics at Statistics Canada.)

In part one of this video series on data ethics, we introduced you to the concept of data ethics and why data ethics are important. We also touched on how ethical reviews helped to obtain enough information about a given data acquisition or project in order to have a rational discussion on its ethical merits. This discussion always involves more than one person, and each person should have a professional background in science and or ethics in order to provide ethical guidance to those working on the project.

The ethical review we will use in this case study is organised to follow Statistics Canada's six guiding principles of data ethics.

Six guiding principles

(Text on screen: The six guiding principles of data ethics at Statistics Canada are...

  • Data are used to benefit Canadians
  • Data are used in a secure and private manner
  • Data acquisitions and processing methods are transparent and accountable
  • Data acquisitions and processing methods are trustworthy and sustainable
  • The data themselves are of high quality
  • Any information resulting from the data are reported fairly and do no harm)

At Statistics Canada, the ethical review of a project is generally based on 6 guiding principles:

  • Data are used to benefit Canadians.
  • Data are used in a secure and private manner.
  • Data acquisitions and processing methods are transparent and accountable.
  • Data acquisitions and processing methods are trustworthy and sustainable.
  • The data themselves are of high quality.
  • Any information resulting from the data are reported fairly and do no harm.

Case study: Survey on Narcotics Among Minors

(Text on screen: The Centre for Population Health Data is currently developing a new survey, the 2022 Canadian Survey on Narcotics among Youth (CSNY). Given that youth are a vulnerable population and the subject matter could be considered sensitive, the purpose of the following ethical review is to help make informed decisions with respect to this data acquisition, as well as to assist in completing the documentation required in order to justify its use.

The 2022 Canadian Survey on Narcotics among Youth (CSNY) is a fictitious survey to be used as an example throughout this video.)

The following is a fictitious survey that will be used as an example throughout this video.

The Centre for Population Health Data is currently developing a new survey, the 2022 Canadian Survey on Narcotics among Youth, or CSNY. Given that youth are a vulnerable population and that the subject matter could be considered sensitive, the purpose of the following ethical review is to help make informed decisions with respect to this data acquisition, as well as to assist in completing the documentation required in order to justify its use.

Benefits to Canadians.

(Text on screen: Data should be used to make informed decisions and manage resources effectively, ultimately aiming to clearly benefit the lives of Canadians.

  • Why is this data necessary? Who will it benefit and how?
  • What are some examples of ways in which these data could be used to help Canadians?)

When asking about the benefits to Canadians, the intention of an ethical review is to ensure that the data acquisition is necessary and provide examples of the ways in which these data could be used to help Canadians.

Case Study: Benefits To Society

(Text on screen: Obtaining data on narcotic use among youth is necessary in order to allocate resources and create prevention programs tailored to address the specific variables shown to impact drug use among young Canadians.

  • Example: Survey responses could suggest a link between experiencing bullying at school and drug use. Programs could aim to address bullying.
  • A persistent data gap in this area could have negative consequences.)

In regards to our case study, the justification for collecting data on the use of narcotics among youth, is that data on narcotics or opioids, specifically among minors, was previously unavailable and by collecting these data, there could be an opportunity to allocate resources and create prevention programs tailored to address the specific drivers shown to impact drug use among young Canadians.

For example, should the analysis of these data suggest a link between experiencing bullying at school and narcotic use, such prevention programs could aim to address bullying. Inversely, it might be argued that not going forward with the survey could have negative consequences. Most severely of which being a number of deaths which possibly could have been avoided had the current data gap been filled, and prevention programs put in place.

Privacy and Security.

(Text on screen: There is a fine balance between respecting privacy and producing information. We must ensure that any intrusion our statistical activities may cause is proportional to the requirements identified as absolutely necessary in order to produce that information.

  • Every data point counts. Is all of the information being requested, needed?
  • What measures are being taken in order to protect the privacy of Canadians?)

There is a fine balance between respecting privacy and producing information. We must ensure that any sense of intrusion our statistical activities may cause is proportional to the requirements identified as absolutely necessary in order to produce that information.

  • Remember, every data point counts. So is all of the information being requested actually needed?
  • What measures are being taken in order to protect the privacy of Canadians?

Case Study: Privacy and Security

(Text on screen:

  • Why are we asking for this information?
    • A data gap currently exists regarding use of narcotics among youth. Meaning, no existing sources are available.
  • What measures are being taken in order to protect the privacy of respondents?
    • The questionnaires will be password-protected and have a quick-exit option to help ensure privacy throughout the survey completion process.)

Our fictional survey proposes to ask potentially sensitive questions to youth, therefore we need to explain how the acquisition of these data is proportional to the benefit it aims to achieve. In this case, there is no other reliable data available, and so this survey would become a viable option for programs requiring this kind of information.

The ethical review process also allows us to take a deeper dive into what security measures are being taken to avoid any breach of privacy, as well as any countermeasures in place, should a breach occur. For this particular survey, there are safety mechanisms in place to protect the privacy of respondents who, as miners might feel more comfortable knowing their answers, will remain confidential. We will discuss the specifics of these measures later on in the video.

Transparency and Accountability.

(Text on screen: Statistical organizations have the responsibility to be transparent about where the data come from, how they are used and the steps taken to ensure confidentiality.

  • It is common to make available such details as what strategies they intend to put in place to inform Canadians about this data acquisition.
  • How are we communicating the benefits of the acquisition and the measures taken to protect their privacy?)

Statistical activities have the responsibility to be transparent about where the data comes from, how they are used and the steps taken to ensure confidentiality.

Questions commonly asked at this stage include a request to provide more detail on what strategies they intend to put in place to inform Canadians about this data acquisition, as well as how the data acquisition benefits Canadians and measures taken to protect their privacy.

Case Study: Transparency and Accountability

(Text on screen:

  • What strategies will be put in place to inform Canadian youth about this survey?
    • Information about the survey will be placed on Statistics Canada's website to be accessed by all interested parties. In the survey questionnaire itself, young respondents will be informed of the goals of the survey.
    • The questionnaire will also inform respondents how the survey plans to benefit society, the measures taken to protect privacy and how their information will remain confidential.)

In our case study, aspects around transparency and accountability will be addressed when the strategies to be put in place to inform Canadian youth about this survey are specified.

Information about the survey will be placed on Statistics Canada's website for all interested parties to view freely. Then, via the survey questionnaire itself, young respondents will be informed of the goals of the survey.

The questionnaire will also inform respondents how the survey plans to benefit them and society as a whole, the measures taken to protect their privacy and how their information will remain confidential even if the data are used by other government agencies for their research and programs purposes. In this case, such agencies might include Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Data Quality

(Text on screen: Acquired data must be as representative and accurate as possible.

  • Have any potential sources of bias for this data source been identified so far? If so, how will they be managed?)

Canadians should expect that the data acquired and statistical information provided by their government be as representative as possible. Maintaining this expectation means ensuring that biases and errors do not compromise the potential benefits of a project. At Statistics Canada, we meet this expectation by applying scientifically proven and statistically rigorous methods in all steps of the data journey.

Case Study: Data Quality

(Text on screen:

  • What strategies will be put in place to inform Canadian youth about this survey?
    • Information about the survey will be placed on Statistics Canada's website to be accessed by all interested parties. In the survey questionnaire itself, young respondents will be informed of the goals of the survey.
    • The questionnaire will also inform respondents how the survey plans to benefit society, the measures taken to protect privacy and how their information will remain confidential.)

A potential threat to data quality is the fact that respondents often live with their parents, and some of them may not benefit from total privacy in order to give honest answers to questions, especially concerning questions on drug use, be these illegal or prescribed. there could be significant bias if respondents do not answer honestly. In this case, the questionnaires will be password protected and have a quick exit option to help preserve privacy, but the potential for bias still exists if the respondent finds the questions too personal.

Fairness and Do No Harm

(Text on screen: When conducting statistical activities, it is necessary to consider all the potential risks that a statistical activity may pose to the well-being of individuals or specific groups.

  • Can you foresee any negative consequences an individual might experience as a result of this data acquisition?
  • Might any part of the data acquisition process cause undue stress to Canadians?)

It is necessary to consider all the potential risks to the well-being of Canadians. How statistical activities are carried out and how the resulting information is communicated must be considered in order to promote equity among all Canadians. To be fair and do no harm means any negative consequences an individual might experience as a result of this data acquisition must be foreseen before any data is collected or obtained. Is it possible that any part of the data acquisition process might cause undue stress to Canadians?

Case study: Fairness and Do No Harm

(Text on screen:

  • What, if any, negative consequences might a respondent experience as a result of answering this survey?
    • Some of the topics covered in the survey can trigger emotional responses: Bullying, mental health, school performance
  • How will you address questions that might be distressing to respondents?
    • Mental health resources will be provided to respondents along with the questionnaire, and interviewers have received training to deal with difficult situations.)

When thinking about potential negative consequences to taking part in our fictional survey, respondents to the Canadian Survey on Narcotics among Youth might have emotional responses triggered by questions on their experiences with bullying, mental health or school performance. In this case, the ethical review committee should have inquired about the steps taken to mitigate the risk and in response, confirmed that mental health resources will be given to respondents throughout the duration of the questionnaire completion process and, afterwards, should they be required.

Trust and Sustainability

(Text on screen: Statistics Canada needs active participation from Canadians to ensure that we can continue our statistical activities going forward.

  • How will we ensure we are able to continue producing high quality information that matters to Canadians while maintaining the trust of the public long-term?)

Statistics Canada needs active participation from Canadians to ensure that we can continue our statistical activities going forward. Assuring confidentiality, protecting personal information, producing representative data, and being accountable are all choices Statistics Canada makes in order to show Canadians that their trust is well-placed. This trust is essential if Statistics Canada is to continue producing high quality information that matters to Canadians while maintaining the trust of the public long-term.

Case Study: Trust and Sustainability

(Text on screen:

  • The survey will inform respondents that any information that they provide will not be shared with legal authorities, parents or guardians of any kind.
  • Explaining our statistical business processes, including our ethical reviews, will help maintain the trust of Canadians and, thus, ensure the sustainability of our statistical programs.)

In order to maintain the trust of Canadian youth, we will explain to respondents that any information that they provide will not be shared with legal authorities or their parents. Explaining our statistical business processes, including our ethical reviews, will help maintain the trust of Canadians, their confidence in our processes and our promise of confidentiality. Because, in the absence of such trust, we cannot continue to produce high quality information that benefits society, the economy and the environment.

Recap of Key Points

(Text on screen:

  • Ethical reviews are a series of questions and comments that are meant to obtain enough information about a given project to have a rational discussion on its ethical merits.
  • Ethical reviews are organized following the 6 Guiding Principles of Data Ethics at Statistics Canada.)

In this video entitled Data ethics part 2: Ethical reviews, we learned that ethical reviews are a series of questions and comments that are meant to obtain enough information about a given project to have a rational discussion on its ethical merits.

At Statistics Canada, ethical reviews are organized following the six guiding principles of data ethics.

(The Canada Wordmark appears.)

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