Please read this Reporting Guide before entering your information on the questionnaire. It will help you to understand the requirements for this survey. Please keep this Reporting Guide for future reference.

Introduction

Survey purpose

The Business Payrolls Survey measures the month-to-month trends of payroll employment, paid hours and earnings. This survey together with data from the Canada Revenue Agency's PD7A payroll deduction remittances, provides the base data for the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) program estimates. Your participation is critical to ensure an accurate reflection of your industry, region and business size. Completion of this survey is a legal requirement under the Statistics Act.

This guide contains definitions and instructions on how to complete the survey.

For the purposes of this survey, an employee is considered any person receiving pay for services rendered in Canada or for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency "Statement of Remuneration Paid" (T4 slip) form. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

Note that Question 1 covers the total number of employees in the last pay period, paid out during the reference month. For Questions 2 to 15, the number of employees, the regular gross pay and hours all relate to the last pay period payable of the reference month for each of the employment categories. The special payments questions collect information on payments made at any time during the reference month and the periods that the payments cover.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Reporting Period

The survey reference month is on the electronic invitation.

All employees including board members (Question 1)

Any person receiving pay for services rendered in Canada or for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

Report the total number of employees that are receiving pay for work performed or employer paid absence for the last pay period of the month. Include part-time employees and board members if applicable.

All employees including board members (Questions 2-15)

The following questions concerning the number of employees, the dates, the regular gross pay and the number of hours all relate to the last pay period payable of the reference month. It does not matter that the payroll cheques have yet to be issued for this period. Be aware of the special payment question, which requires data for payments made at any time during the reference month. The dates to be reported are for the period covered by the payments.

Report your data by employment category. If within each employment category there is only one payroll, report the information in the first column. Use the additional columns on the form to report more than one payroll within an employee category.

Employment Categories:

Employees Paid by the Hour:

Any employee whose basic wage is expressed as an hourly rate.

Salaried Employees:

Any employee whose basic remuneration is a fixed amount for a period of at least one week.

Other Employees:

Any employee not already reported in the previous categories – for example, board members.

Number of employees (Questions 2, 7 and 12)

Select the appropriate employment category and report the number of employees that received pay during the last pay period of the reference month. This pay can be for work performed or for employer paid absence such as statutory holidays, vacation days, etc. Report an employee in only one employment category.

Dates relating to the last pay period

Start and End dates (Questions 3, 8 and 13)

The last pay period of the reference month is the last payroll accounting period recorded in the books as an accrued expense. It does not matter that the payroll cheques have yet to be issued for this period.

Report the start and end dates for the last complete pay period of the reference month for each applicable employee category. If your last pay period runs three days or less into the next month, you may report that period.

Regular Gross Pay (Questions 4a, 9a and 14)

Report the regular gross pay payable for the last pay period of the reference month. Include any overtime pay for hours worked in the same period.

The regular gross pay payable, before deductions, includes:

• regular wages and salaries;
• regularly scheduled or incidental overtime pay relating specifically to overtime worked in the last pay period of the month;
• regularly paid bonuses relating to the last pay period of the month (for example, production, incentive or isolation bonus); and
• employer paid absence for the last pay period of the month.

The regular gross pay payable, before deductions, excludes:

• all payments that are not for the last pay period being reported;
• worker's compensation advances paid pending settlement of a claim;
• compensation in kind;
• taxable and non-taxable allowances and benefits;
• travel expenses; and
• fees for directors who are not employees of the company.

Overtime payments (Questions 4b and 9b)

Report the overtime pay payable. These are payments for all hours worked in excess of the standard workday or workweek in the last pay period of the reference month. Overtime pay represents the payment due after rate factors have been applied. (Please refer to "Regular Gross Pay" and "Special Payments" sections for additional details.)

Total number of hours payable (Hourly Employees only) (Question 5a)

Report the total number of hours payable for work performed and employer paid absence for the last pay period of the reference month. Include overtime hours and other paid hours such as paid absence, holidays, vacation, sick leave, and jury duty. Round the number to the nearest hour.

Total number of overtime hours worked (Hourly Employees only) (Question 5b)

Report the total number of overtime hours worked for the last pay period of the reference month before rate factors have been applied. Only the actual number of overtime hours worked is required.

Average number of scheduled working hours (Salaried Employees only) (Question 10)

Report the average number of hours of work normally scheduled in a workweek for the last pay period of the reference month. It is important that the reported number is for a single week.

If all your salaried employees have the same number of scheduled workweek hours, then report this number of hours. Report partial hours in decimals.

If your salaried employees work a different number of regular hours a week, then report the average number of hours worked by these employees. (See example below)

Special payments made at any time during the month (Questions 6, 11 et 15)

Special Payments are amounts paid to employees for work performed or for other entitlements that:

• do not relate exclusively to the last pay period of the month;
• are made at any time during the month;
• are not part of regular wages and salaries; and
• are usually recorded in the books using the "cash" method of accounting. (Cash basis accounting is financial accountability when obligations are paid or monies received.)

Special payments exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits. The inclusion of special payments in the last pay period payroll, or monthly dates for special payments that cover longer periods would give an inaccurate reflection of average earnings.

If payments are regularly paid (i.e. in each pay period), they can be included with Regular Gross Pay, but if the payments are irregular (i.e. not in each pay period), they must be reported in the special payments section.

The following examples constitute a partial list of possible special payments. There may be other payments unique to your company. Interviewers at the regional office are available for assistance in case of any doubt on whether an amount qualifies as a special payment or not.

• bonuses: annual, contract, Christmas, incentive, monthly, productivity, recruitment, retention;
• cost of living allowance (COLA);
• overtime, covering a different period than the last pay period;
• regular leave (statutory and sick) covering a different period than the last pay period;
• retroactive pay;
• retiring allowance;
• separation/severance pay;
• vacation pay covering a different period than the last pay period;
• board members' salary covering a different period than the last pay period.

Start and End dates that the Special Payment covers (Questions 6, 11 and 15)

Report the start and end dates for the period that the special payment covers for a category of employees. It is essential that the special payments dates reported reflect the period covered by the special payment and not the payroll month in which they were paid. Do not give the dates when this pay was given to the employees.

For all special payments made during the reference month, report the type of special payment, the amount paid and the period that the special payment covers.

General information

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician and returning it with the completed questionnaire. Please specify the organizations with which you do not want to share your data.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Record linkages

Your responses for this survey will be combined with your business' monthly payroll deduction files received from the Canada Revenue Agency. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.

Thank you for your collaboration!

COVID-19 timeline

• On July 7th, the Government of the Northwest Territories announced it had extended the territory-wide Public Health Emergency through July 20th. On July 20th, the Government extended the Public Health Emergency until August 3rd.
• On July 8th, the Government of Nunavut announced it had extended the territory's public health emergency until July 22nd. On July 22nd, the Government extended the public health emergency until August 5th.
• On July 9th, the Government of Nova Scotia announced it was renewing the state of emergency, effective July 11th, until July 25th. On July 23rd, the Government extended the state of emergency until August 8th.
• On July 9th, the Government of Saskatchewan announced it would remove the public health orders related to COVID-19 and lift the state of emergency for the province on July 11th.
• On July 26th, the Government of Manitoba announced it was extending the state of emergency for a period of 30 days.

Selected COVID-19 responses

• The Government of Alberta announced on July 1st that all COVID-19 restrictions were now lifted. The Government said mandatory isolation and quarantine rules would remain in place, and that masking was still required in hospitals, continuing care, mass transit, ride shares, and taxis.
• The Government of Canada announced on July 2nd that beginning July 5th, fully vaccinated travellers, arriving by land or air, who are eligible to enter Canada and who comply with specific criteria, will not be required to quarantine or complete a day-8 test. The Government also said that fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air will not be required to stay at a government-authorized accommodation to await their on-arrival test result.
• On July 19th, the Government announced that on September 7th it intends to open Canada's borders to any fully vaccinated travellers who have completed the full course of vaccination with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine. The Government said that as a first step, starting August 9th, Canada plans to begin allowing entry to fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents who are currently residing in the United States for non-essential travel. The Government also said that in addition to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport, effective August 9th international flights carrying passengers will be permitted to land at the following Canadian airports: Halifax Stanfield International Airport; Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport; Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport; Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport; and Edmonton International Airport.
• On July 30th, the Government announced the extension of certain COVID-19 support measures, including:
  • Extending the eligibility period for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support until October 23, 2021 and increasing the rate of support employers and organizations can receive during the period between August 29 and September 25, 2021;
  • Extending the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) until October 23, 2021; and
  • Increasing the maximum number of weeks available for the CRB, by an additional 4 weeks, to a total of 54 weeks, at a rate of $300 per week, and ensuring it is available to those who have exhausted their employment insurance (EI) benefits.
• The Government of Prince Edward Island announced on July 6th that Canadian travelers could now apply for a PEI Pass to visit the province and that effective July 18th, PEI would welcome visitors from outside Atlantic Canada and the Magdalen Islands, three weeks earlier than originally planned. The Government said that Canadians without the PEI Pass may also travel to PEI but must complete a self-isolation declaration form prior to travel, isolate for eight days, and be tested on their final day of isolation.
• The Government of Quebec announced on July 7th the easing of restrictions effective July 12th, and that the following would apply everywhere in the province:
  • There will no longer be capacity restrictions in retail businesses; and
  • The maximum number of spectators authorized during amateur events is 50 indoors and 100 outdoors.
• On July 26th, the Government announced that additional flexibility for events, audiences, and bars will take effect on August 1st and will apply everywhere in Quebec, and that:
  • For seated events, outdoor capacity will be 500 and indoor capacity will be 250;
  • For stadiums, venues, and festivals, outdoor capacity will be 15,000 and indoor capacity will be 7,500; and
  • Establishments such as bars, restaurants, and microbreweries will be able to serve alcohol until 1 a.m.
• The Government of Ontario announced on July 9th it was moving the province into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen on July 16th and that this included, but was not limited to:
  • Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people;
  • Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
  • Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
  • Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50% capacity; capacity for indoor spectators is 50% or 1,000 people, whichever is less, while capacity for outdoor spectators is 75% or 15,000 people, whichever is less;
  • Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, and festivals with capacity limited to 50% indoors and 75% outdoors;
  • Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at up to 50% capacity indoors and up to 75% capacity outdoors; and
  • Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25% capacity.
• The Government of Nova Scotia announced on July 12th that it would start the fourth phase of its reopening plan on July 14th, and that the following restrictions were being eased provincewide:
  • People can have informal gatherings with their household members and close social contacts to a maximum of 25 indoors or 50 outdoors without physical distancing or masks;
  • Restaurants, licensed establishments, and casinos continue to operate with existing mask and distancing rules; establishments can return to their normal service hours;
  • All retail stores can operate at maximum capacity with public health measures in place;
  • Events hosted by a recognized business or organization can have 50% capacity to a maximum of 150 people indoors or 250 people outdoors;
  • Fitness and recreation facilities such as gyms, yoga studios, pools, and arenas can operate at maximum capacity with public health measures in place;
  • Organized sports practices, games, league play, competition, and recreation programs can involve up to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors without physical distancing; and
  • Museums, libraries, and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia can open at maximum capacity with public health measures in place.
• The Government of Nunavut announced on July 14th the easing of public health measures in Iqaluit, and that as of July 16th:
  • Outdoor gatherings increase to a maximum of 100 people;
  • Indoor gatherings in dwellings increase to 15 people;
  • Restaurants and licensed facilities may open to 50% capacity;
  • Group counselling is permitted for up to 20 people;
  • Fitness classes are allowed for a maximum of 10 people;
  • Museums, galleries, and libraries may allow group tours;
  • The theatre may open at 50% capacity; and
  • Indoor team sports are now permitted.
• On July 28th, the Government announced an easing of public health measures in all Nunavut communities and that as of July 30th:
  • Indoor public gatherings in facilities such as community halls increase to 75% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less;
  • There are no restrictions to outdoor gatherings;
  • Restaurants and bars may open to 75% capacity; and
  • The theatre may open increase to 75% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less.
  • Gyms, fitness centres and swimming pools may increase group sessions to 25 people.
• The Government of Manitoba announced on July 14th it would implement the second phase of its Reopening Path two weeks early, and that effective July 17th the new public health orders would allow the following:
  • Indoor gatherings at private residences are permitted to a maximum of five people; indoor gatherings in public spaces are permitted to a maximum of 25 people;
  • Outdoor gatherings on private property increase to a maximum of 25 people, public outdoor gatherings increase to a maximum of 150 people;
  • Retail businesses increase to 50% capacity;
  • Restaurants, licensed premises, and food court capacities expand to 50% capacity; opening hours extend to midnight;
  • Dance, theatre, and music school capacities increase to 50%;
  • Indoor sporting facilities may host groups up to a maximum of 25 people, interaction between groups and tournaments are not permitted;
  • Outdoor recreation including games and practices may take place to maximum group size of 50 people;
  • Gym and fitness centre capacities expand to 50%;
  • Libraries may open to 50% capacity;
  • The following may now reopen for fully immunized people only, to a maximum capacity of 50%: movie theatres, bingo halls, VLT lounges and casinos, and museums and galleries; and
  • Large-scale, outdoor professional sports or performing arts events may operate with capacities up to 100%.
• The Government of Yukon announced on July 21st that, effective August 4th, it will lift the requirement for people to self-isolate upon entry to the territory, the requirement to wear masks in indoor public spaces, and the requirement for physical distancing at bars and restaurants, allowing these establishments to return to full capacity as it was before the pandemic.
• The Government of New Brunswick announced on July 23rd that the province's mandatory order would not be renewed on July 31st, and that the end of the order would:
  • Lift all mandatory travel and public health restrictions that have been in place over the course of the pandemic;
  • Lift all provincial border restrictions; provincial border checks will cease, and registration will no longer be required to enter New Brunswick from anywhere in Canada;
  • Lift all limits on gatherings and the number of people within facilities; capacity limits in theatres, restaurants, and stores will no longer be required; and
  • End the requirement to wear face masks in public.
• The Government said federal border restrictions would remain in effect.

Wildfires

• The Government of Canada announced on July 4th that it had accepted a formal Request for Federal Assistance from British Columbia, which is dealing with an unprecedented wildfire situation.
• The Government of British Columbia on July 20th declared a provincial state of emergency to support the provincewide response to the ongoing wildfire situation.
• Vancouver-based Canfor Corporation announced the curtailment, beginning July 26th, of approximately 115 million board feet of production capacity at its Canadian sawmills during the third quarter of 2021 due to the significant supply chain challenges and transportation backlog in Western Canada as a result of the extreme wildfire conditions.
• The Government of Ontario announced on July 14th that due to the extreme fire hazard and increased forest fire activity, it had issued an Emergency Area Order for all of Northwestern Ontario.

Resources

• The Government of Alberta announced it had become a 50% equity partner in the Sturgeon Refinery, north of Edmonton, and that Calgary-based Canadian Natural Resources Limited will continue to hold 50% equity. The Government said the 50% ownership interest was previously held by North West Refining Inc. of Calgary and that the agreement includes a 10-year extension of the processing agreement to 2058.
• The Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced an agreement in principle for the financial restructuring of the Lower Churchill Projects, including a federal loan guarantee of $1 billion for the Project's Muskrat Falls and Labrador Transmission Assets.

Manufacturing

• United Kingdom-based Rio Tinto announced it had begun reducing production at its BC Works aluminum smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia due to a strike. The company said production would be reduced to around 35% of the smelter's annual capacity.
• Unifor announced on July 27th that members of Local 112 and 673 at the Downsview plant in Toronto employed by Bombardier Aviation and De Havilland Aircraft Canada had commenced strike action. Unifor said approximately 1,500 Bombardier workers and 700 De Havilland workers were on strike affecting both companies.
• Aurora, Ontario-based Magna International Inc. and Veoneer, a manufacturer of automotive safety technology based in Sweden, announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Magna will acquire Veoneer for an equity value of USD $3.8 billion. The companies said the transaction is expected to close near the end of 2021, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Transportation

• Toronto-based Porter Airlines Inc. announced service would restart at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on September 8th. Porter also said it would be establishing service at Toronto Pearson International Airport for the first time and extending service to destinations throughout North America with the introduction of up to 80 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft into its fleet. Porter said the planes have transcontinental range and will enter into service starting in the second half of 2022.
• Montreal-based Air Canada announced its current summer transborder schedule, including 55 routes and 34 destinations in the United States, with up to 220 daily flights between the United States and Canada. Air Canada said the schedule coincides with the loosening of restrictions on travel between the two countries.
• The Government of Canada announced it was taking the first steps in preparing for the procurement process to build a new train service in the Toronto to Quebec City Corridor.

Other news

• The Bank of Canada announced it held its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of 0.25%. The target for the overnight rate was reduced by 150 basis points during March 2020. The Bank also said that it was adjusting its quantitative easing (QE) program to a target pace of $2 billion per week.
• Washington State-based Amazon.com, Inc. announced on June 28th that it plans to open its first amazon robotics fulfillment center in Parkland County, Alberta, creating more than 1,000 full-and part-time jobs. Amazon said the new robotics fulfillment center is set to launch in 2022.
• Bermuda-based Brookfield Business Partners L.P. announced in late June an agreement to acquire Modulaire Group, a provider of modular leasing services in Europe and Asia-Pacific and based in the United Kingdom, for USD $5 billion. Brookfield said the closing of the transaction is expected by the end of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

United States and other international news

• The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) maintained the target range for the federal funds rate at 0.00% to 0.25%. The last change in the target range was a 100 basis points decrease announced in March 2020. The FOMC also said it would continue to increase its holdings of Treasury securities by at least $80 billion per month and of agency mortgage-backed securities by at least $40 billion per month.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) announced (i) the interest rates on the main refinancing operations, the marginal lending facility, and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50%, respectively; (ii) net asset purchases under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) will continue with a total envelope of €1,850 billion until at least the end of March 2022; and (iii) net purchases under the asset purchase programme (APP) will continue at a monthly pace of €20 billion. The ECB Governing Council said it expects purchases under the PEPP over the current quarter to be conducted at a significantly higher pace than during the first months of the year.
• The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced it will apply a negative interest rate of -0.1% to the Policy-Rate Balances in current accounts held by financial institutions at the BoJ and that it will purchase a necessary amount of Japanese government bonds (JGBs) without setting an upper limit so that 10-year JGB yields will remain at around zero percent.
• The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained the targets for the cash rate and the yield on 3-year Australian Government bonds at 0.10% and the interest on Exchange Settlement balances at zero percent. The last change in the target for the cash rate was a 15 basis points reduction in November 2020. The RBA also said it would continue purchasing government bonds, after the completion of the current bond purchase program in early September, at a rate of AUD $4 billion a week until at least mid-November.
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept the Official Cash Rate (OCR), its main policy rate, unchanged at 0.25%. The last change in the OCR was a 75 basis points reduction in March 2020. The RBNZ also said it had agreed to reduce the current stimulatory level of monetary settings and that it will halt additional asset purchases under the Large Scale Asset Purchase (LSAP) programme by July 23, 2021.
• The Executive Board of Sweden's Riksbank left the repo rate unchanged at 0.00% and said the rate is expected to remain at this level during the forecast period. The Riksbank also said that during the fourth quarter it will buy bonds for an aggregate nominal amount of SEK 68.5 billion and that this means the purchasing rate will continue to be tapered off but that the envelope for asset purchases of SEK 700 billion will be fully utilised up until the end of 2021.
• OPEC and non-OPEC members announced they had resolved to adjust upward their overall production by 0.4 mb/d on a monthly basis starting August 2021 until phasing out the 5.8 mb/d production adjustment and to endeavor to end production adjustments by the end of September 2022.
• California-based Zoom Video Communications, Inc. announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Five9, Inc., a provider of cloud contact center solutions, also of California, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately USD $14.7 billion. Zoom said the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to Five9 stockholder and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Financial market news

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at USD $73.95 per barrel on July 30th, up from a closing value of USD $73.47 at the end of June. Western Canadian Select crude oil traded in the USD $52 to $62 per barrel range throughout July. The Canadian dollar closed at 80.24 cents U.S. on July 30th, down from 80.68 cents U.S. at the end of June. The S&P/TSX composite index closed at 20,287.80 on July 30th, up from 20,165.58 at the end of June.

Under the authority of the Statistics Act, Statistics Canada is hereby requesting the following information which will be used solely for statistical and research purposes and will be protected in accordance with the provisions of the Statistics Act and any other applicable law. This is a mandatory request for data.

• Elementary and secondary education
  • Elementary-secondary (K-12) student data in British Columbia
  • Secondary (Grades 9-12) student data in Ontario
• Postsecondary education
  • Canada Education Savings Program (CESP)
  • Canada Student Financial Assistance (CSFA), formerly named the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP)
  • Sociocultural characteristics of full-time and part-time teaching staff at Canadian universities

Elementary and secondary education

Postsecondary education

Due to computer system constraints, a small number of Indigenous ancestry responses names that include special characters cannot be presented correctly on this page. The following list shows the correct spelling of these names:

Correct spelling of these names

Code	Name
1222	Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw ancestry
122201	Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw, n.o.s.
122202	Dzawada̱'enux̱w
122208	'Na̱mǥis
122212	Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw ancestry, n.i.e.
12310214	Stó:lō
12310217	W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich)

The CSV version of the List of Indigenous ancestry responses 2021 shows the correct spelling of all of the names on the list.

CSV Format

List of Indigenous ancestry responses 2021 - Classification structure (CSV, 5.6 KB)

Changes in legislation and the resulting change in the offence classification creates discontinuity in the historical record of particular criminal offences. Legislative changes to assault, sexual assault, theft, arson, mischief, prostitution and youth crime must be considered when making comparisons over time. Some of the more significant changes are as follows:

Sexual Assault: Bill C-127 (1983):

Bill C-127 abolished the offences of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault and introduced a three-tiered structure for sexual assault offences. C-127 also eased the circumstances under which police could lay charges in incidents of sexual and non-sexual assault.

Young Offenders Act (1984):

With the proclamation of the Young Offenders Act in April 1984, 12 years old became the minimum age for which charges could be laid under the Criminal Code. However, the maximum age continued to vary until April 1985, when the maximum age of 17 (up to the 18th birthday) was established in all provinces and territories. Youths, as defined in this publication, refer to those aged 12 to 17 (inclusive). This definition applies to the target group who fall under the delegation of the Young Offenders Act (YOA).

Traffic Offences: Bill C-18 (1985):

In December 1985, Bill C-18 made major legislative changes with respect to certain traffic offences. It imposed more stringent sentences for dangerous driving and drinking and driving. It also facilitated the enforcement of impaired driving laws by authorizing police to take blood and/or breath samples under certain circumstances. As a result, data previous to 1985 for traffic offences are not comparable and have not been presented.

Property value limits: Bill C-18 (1985) and Bill C-42 (1995):

In 1985, Bill C-18 altered the property value limits from under and over $200 to under and over $1,000. This applied to offences such as Theft, Possession of Stolen Goods, Mischief and Fraud. As of February 1995, Bill C-42 revised the property value limits to under and over $5,000.

Alternative measures: Bill C-41 (1996):

Bill C-41 came into force on September 3, 1996. One of its highlights was the introduction of "alternative measures" for adults, which provided ways of dealing with disputes and minor offences outside of formal court proceedings.

Firearms: Bill C-68 (1997):

Bill C-68, came into force on January 1, 1997, requiring all firearm owners to obtain a firearms license by January 1st, 2001. This license replaces the Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC) in use since 1977. As of October 1, 1998, firearms had to be registered by October 1st 2003 (within 5 years). Bill C-68 also provided for tougher penalties for using a firearm while committing a crime.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act: Bill C-8 (1997):

This legislation came into force on May 14, 1997. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) repealed and replaced the Narcotic Control Act (NCA) and parts of the Food and Drug Act (FDA). With this change in legislation, offences related to the possession, trafficking and importation of certain controlled or restricted substances not identified in earlier statutes were now (since 1997) included in the 'other drugs' category. Comparisons with years prior to 1997 should be made with caution.

Dangerous Operation Evading Police: Bill C-202 (2000):

Bill C-202 came into effect on March 30th, 2000. This legislation modifies section 249 of the Criminal Code, thus creating new offences surrounding the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle when used for evading police.

Youth Criminal Justice Act: Bill C-7 (2003):

The extrajudicial measures encouraged by the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), proclaimed on April 1, 2003, included: taking no further action informal police warnings, referrals to community programs, formal police cautions, Crown cautions, and extrajudicial sanctions programs.

Street Racing: Bill C-19 (2006):

Bill C-19 came into force on December 14, 2006 and addressed the street-racing problem by making four amendments to the Criminal Code. "Street-racing" was defined and five new street-racing offences were added. For three of the new offences, it provided maximum penalties longer than those currently provided for Dangerous Operation or Criminal Negligence in the Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and it introduced mandatory driving prohibition orders for a minimum period of time, with the length of the prohibition increasing for repeat offences.

Unauthorized Recording of a Movie: Bill C-59 (2007):

Bill C-59, came into force on June 22, 2007, addressing the illegal recording of movies in theatres by creating two new offences in the Criminal Code: Recording for Personal Use of a Movie Shown in a Theatre and Recording for Commercial Purposes of a Movie Shown in a Theatre.

Tackling Violent Crime: Bill C-2 (2008):

As a result of Bill C-2, which came into force on February 28, 2008, the age of consent was raised from 14 to 16 for the following Criminal Code offences: Sexual Interference, Invitation to Sexual Touching, Sexual Exploitation, Bestiality and Exposure to Person Under 14. The UCR also created a new violation code for Sexual Exploitation of a Person with a Disability.

Impaired Operation and Failure to Provide a Blood Sample were modified to now differentiate between alcohol and drugs (or a combination of the two). Fail/refuse to provide breath sample and failure to comply or refusal (drugs) will now have a maximum penalty of 25 years.

Bill C-2 also created two additional firearm-related offences, Robbery to Steal a Firearm and Breaking and Entering to Steal a Firearm, both of which carry a maximum penalty of 25 years.

Act to amend the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants) Bill C-14 (2009):

Bill C-14 officially came into effect on October 2, 2009. As a result, two new violation codes were created: Assault Against Peace Officer with a Weapon or Causing Bodily Harm, and Aggravated Assault Against a Peace Officer.

Codifying Identity Theft: Bill S-4 (2010):

Bill S-4 came into effect on January 8, 2010. As a result, two new violation codes were created: Identity Theft and Identity Fraud.

Trafficking in Person's under the age of 18: Bill C-268 (2010):

Bill C-268 came into effect on June 29, 2010. As a result, section 279.011(1) was added to the Criminal Code. This section is incorporated into the existing UCR violation code for Trafficking in Persons.

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings): Bill S-215 (2010):

Bill S-215 became law on December 15, 2010. This bill amended the Criminal Code to clarify that suicide bombings fall within the definition of "terrorist activity" and as such, are included under UCR codes for the following: Participate in Terrorist Activity, Facilitate Terrorist Activity, and Instruct/Carry Out Terrorist Activity.

Tackling Auto Theft and Trafficking in Property Obtained by Crime: Bill S-9 (2011):

Bill S-9 officially came into effect on April 29, 2011. As a result, a new UCR violation code for Motor Vehicle Theft was created, replacing the former UCR violations of Motor Vehicle Theft Over $5,000 and Motor Vehicle Theft $5,000 and Under.

Possession of Stolen Goods was separated into two new categories; Possession of Stolen Goods Over $5,000 and Possession of Stolen Goods $5,000 and Under.

Three new UCR violation codes were also created: Altering/Destroying/Removing a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), Trafficking in Stolen Goods Over $5,000 and Trafficking in Stolen Goods $5,000 and Under.

Amendment to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act: Bill C-475 (2011):

Bill C-475 came into effect on June 26, 2011. As a result, section 7.1(1) was added to the Criminal Code. This section is included under the UCR violation code of Precursor/Equipment (Crystal Meth, Ecstasy).

The Safe Streets Act: Bill C-10 (2012):

Bill C-10 came into effect on August 9, 2012. As a result, two new sections were added to the Criminal Code; Section 172.2(1) and Section 171.1(1). Section 172.2(1) is mapped to the existing UCR code of Luring a Child Via Computer. Section 171.1(1) is mapped to the new UCR violation code of Making Sexually Explicit Material Available to Children.

Combating Terrorism Act: Bill S-7 (2013):

Bill S-7 came into effect on July 15th, 2013. This bill amends the Criminal Code to create the offences of: Leaving or Attempting to Leave Canada to Commit Certain Terrorism Offences, and brought changes to the offence of Harbouring / Concealing Terrorist. Seven new UCR violation codes were introduced mid-2013 in response to this legislation.

Mischief to war memorials: Bill C-217 (2014):

Under Criminal Code sections 430(4.11(a)), 430(4.11(b)) and 430 (4.2), Bill C-217 created a new criminal offence of Mischief Relating to War Memorials when it came into force on the 19th of June, 2014. At the same time, the UCR violation Mischief in Relation to Cultural Property was introduced to the survey.

Recruitment to Criminal Organizations: Bill C-394 (2014):

This bill came into force on September 6th, 2014 and made the recruitment of members by a criminal organization a criminal offence under section 467.111 of the Criminal Code.

Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act: Bill C-36 (2014):

Bill C-36 came into effect in December 2014. The new legislation targeted "The exploitation that is inherent in prostitution and the risks of violence posed to those who engage in it" (Criminal Code Chapter 25, preamble). Violations classified as Offences in Relation to Sexual Services are considered to be violent offences and include: The Purchasing of Sexual Services or Communicating for that Purpose, Receiving a Material Benefit Deriving from the Purchase of Sexual Services, Procuring of Persons for the Purpose of Prostitution, and Advertising Sexual Services Offered for Sale. In addition, a number of other offences related to prostitution continue to be considered non-violent offences and are classified under Other Criminal Code offences. These include Public Communication to Sell Sexual Services and Offences Related to Impeding Traffic to Buy or Sell Sexual Services.

At the same time, the UCR survey was amended to add additional offence codes for the following violent violations: Parent or Guardian Procuring Sexual Activity, and Householder Permitting Prohibited Sexual Activity. The following violations officially expired on December 5, 2014: Bawdy House, Living off the Avails of Prostitution of a Person Under 18, Procuring, Obtains/Communicates with a Person Under 18 for Purpose of Sex, and Other Prostitution.

Effective December 2014, Bill C-36 amended the definition of the offence "Common Bawdy House" in the Criminal Code to remove reference to prostitution. As a result of this amendment, the UCR violation of "Bawdy House" was terminated, and the new violation of "Common Bawdy House" was introduced under 'Other Violations'.

Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act: Bill C-13 (2015):

On March 9, 2015, Bill C-13 Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act came into effect. As a result, a new criminal offence of Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images was added to the Criminal Code and the UCR survey. It also clarified the Criminal Code offence of Harassing / Indecent Communications can be committed by any means of telecommunication.

Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act: Bill C-10 (2015):

On April 10 2015, Bill C-10 Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act came into effect. As a result, this legislation created the Criminal Code offence of Trafficking in Contraband Tobacco which is counted under the UCR violation Offences Against the Administration of Law and Justice. Prior to April 2015, the offence was counted under the Excise Act. As such, comparisons of these two violations to previous years should be made with caution.

Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act: Bill C-26 (2015):

On July 17th, 2015, Bill C-26 increased the maximum penalties for 6 sexual offences against children, including Sexual Interference, Invitation to Sexual Touching, Sexual Exploitation, Making Sexually Explicit Material Available to a Child and Failure to Comply with Order / Breach of Probation (when relating to a sexual offence).

Anti-terrorism Act: Bill C-51 (2015):

Bill C-51 came into effect on July 18, 2015. As a result, a new UCR violation code for the offence of "Advocating or Promoting Commission of Terrorism Offences" was added to the survey to respond to this amendment to the Criminal Code.

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make related amendments to other Acts (medical assistance in dying): Bill C-14 (2016):

On June 17, 2016, Bill C-14 came in effect. As a result, three new UCR violation codes were introduced in response to these amendments: Fail to Comply With Safeguards Forging /Destruction of Documents Related to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), and Failing to Comply with Regulations / Obligations regarding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID).

An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related Amendments to other Acts: Bill C-37 (2017):

On May 18, 2017, Bill C-37 came into effect. As a result, the offence of possessing, producing, selling or importing anything knowing it will be used to produce or traffic in crystal meth or ecstasy was expanded to include all substances listed in Schedule I, II , III, IV or V of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Mischief): Bill C-305 (2017):

On December 12, 2017, the Canadian Government granted royal assent to Bill C-305. This bill amended Section 430 (4.1) of the Criminal Code to include "mischief in relation to property that is used by an identifiable group for educational purposes, administrative, social, cultural, or sports activities or events or as residence for seniors." Previously this section of the Criminal Code only included "mischief to property primarily used for worship."

An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts: Bill C-45 (2018):

On June 21, 2018, the Canadian Government granted royal assent to Bill C-45, An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts. The 'come into force' date for this legislation was October 17, 2018. In response to this new legislation, on October 17, 2018 the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey accepted 22 new violation codes and expired all existing cannabis-specific violations.

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (offences relating to conveyances) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts: Bill C-46 (2018):

On June 21, 2018, royal assent was granted to Bill C-46. The 'come into force' date for Part 1 of this legislation was June 21, 2018. Part 2 came into effect on December 18, 2018 (180 days after Part 1).

Part 1 (effective June 21, 2018)

Part 1 of Bill C-46 amended the provisions of the Criminal Code that dealt with offences and procedures relating to impaired driving. As a result, 7 new UCR violation codes were added to the survey.

Part 2 (effective December 18, 2018)

Part 2 of Bill C-46 repealed the provisions of the Criminal Code that dealt with offences and procedures relating to conveyances, including those provisions enacted by Part 1, and replaced them with provisions in a new part of the Criminal Code. In response to Part 2 of Bill C-46, all existing UCR traffic violation codes have been mapped to new Criminal Code sections or expired. In addition, the UCR survey will no longer be collecting provincial traffic offences.

An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms: Bill C-71 (2019):

On June 21, 2019, royal assent was granted to Bill C-71. Part 1 and part 2 of this Act proposed changes in firearms regulations. Part 1 amends the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code (Code) and the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted.

Part 2 of the bill reintroduced the legislative amendments contained in Bill C-52 An Act to amend Chapter 6 of the Statues of Canada, 2012 (short title: Supporting Vested Rights Under Access to Information Act), which amend the Ending the Long gun Registry Act (ELRA), the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and the Privacy Act. However, in response to this Act no changes were made to the UCR survey.

An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (bestiality and animal fighting): Bill C-84 (2019):

On June 21, 2019, royal assent was granted to Bill C-84. This enactment amends the Criminal Code to define "bestiality"; expand the scope of the offence of encouraging, aiding or assisting in the fighting or baiting of animals or birds so that the offence includes promoting, arranging, receiving money for, or taking part in, the fighting or baiting of animals or birds, and also applies with respect to the training, transporting or breeding of animals or birds for fighting or baiting. It also expands the scope of the offence of building, making, maintaining or keeping a cockpit so that the offence applies with respect to any arena for animal fighting.

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts: Bill C-75 (2019):

On June 21, 2019, the Canadian Government granted royal assent to Bill C-75, "An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts". As a response to the changes outlined in this new legislation, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS) has made adjustments to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey.

Effective June 21, 2019, Criminal Code sections 159 Anal intercourse, 179 Vagrancy, 181 Spreading false news, 210 Keeping common bawdy-house, 211 Transporting person to bawdy-house and 287 Procuring miscarriage have been repealed. As a result, two UCR codes have been expired: Anal Intercourse and Common Bawdy House (to keep, to transport a person to).

Effective September 19, 2019, the general penalty for summary conviction offences (except sections 173(2)(b), 271(b) and 444(2)(b)) has been increased to 2 years. As a result, the maximum penalty for the 9 relevant UCR codes has been increased from 6 months to 2 years at this time: Communicating To Provide Sexual Services for Consideration, Stopping or Impeding Traffic for the Purpose of Offering, Providing or Obtaining Sexual Services for Consideration Betting House, Gaming House, Disturb the Peace, Indecent acts, Trespass at Night, and all Other Criminal Code (includes Part XII.1 CC) and Operation - low blood drug concentration violation codes.

Quarantine Act (S.C. 2005, c.20)

In March of 2020, the Quarantine Act was amended to add Covid-19 to the schedule of communicable diseases. A communicable disease "means a human disease that is caused by an infectious agent or a biological toxin and poses a risk of significant harm to public health, or a disease listed in the schedule, and includes an infectious agent that causes a communicable disease". Public Health orders require travelers returning to Canada by land, air or sea, to follow self-isolation orders for 14 days after arrival, and UCR code 6600 was created to charge anyone who violates these orders.

Comparing UCR Data with Courts and Corrections Data

It is difficult to make comparisons between data reported by police and data from other sectors of the criminal justice system (i.e., courts and corrections). There is no single unit of count (i.e., incidents, offences, charges, cases or persons) which is defined consistently across the major sectors of the justice system. As well, charges actually laid can be different from the Most Serious Offence by which incidents are categorized. In addition, the number and type of charges laid by police may change at the pre-court stage or during the court process. Time lags between the various stages of the justice process also make comparisons difficult.