Retail Commodity Survey: CVs for total sales (first quarter 2021)

Retail Commodity Survey: CVs for total sales (first quarter 2021)
NAPCS-CANADA Quarter
2020Q1 2020Q2 2020Q3 2020Q4 2021Q1
Total commodities, retail trade commissions and miscellaneous services 0.52 0.53 0.61 0.54 0.67
Retail Services (except commissions) [561] 0.52 0.53 0.60 0.53 0.66
Food at retail [56111] 0.59 0.69 0.66 0.71 1.16
Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, at retail [56112] 0.43 0.48 0.52 0.58 0.61
Cannabis products, at retail [56113] 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Clothing at retail [56121] 0.71 1.35 0.80 1.00 0.98
Footwear at retail [56122] 1.18 2.87 1.93 1.76 1.98
Jewellery and watches, luggage and briefcases, at retail [56123] 5.87 18.57 9.67 2.02 2.53
Home furniture, furnishings, housewares, appliances and electronics, at retail [56131] 1.67 0.57 0.55 0.56 0.58
Sporting and leisure products (except publications, audio and video recordings, and game software), at retail [56141] 2.41 1.98 3.23 2.19 1.70
Publications at retail [56142] 6.90 9.43 7.47 6.14 6.31
Audio and video recordings, and game software, at retail [56143] 6.13 3.27 5.69 5.95 4.61
Motor vehicles at retail [56151] 1.86 2.03 2.18 1.91 2.45
Recreational vehicles at retail [56152] 2.39 4.20 2.68 5.37 3.94
Motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies, at retail [56153] 1.40 1.40 1.57 1.31 1.95
Automotive and household fuels, at retail [56161] 1.91 2.94 2.23 2.04 2.48
Home health products at retail [56171] 2.62 2.70 2.62 3.36 3.05
Infant care, personal and beauty products, at retail [56172] 2.88 2.82 2.12 2.76 2.97
Hardware, tools, renovation and lawn and garden products, at retail [56181] 1.38 1.84 1.46 1.14 1.52
Miscellaneous products at retail [56191] 2.01 2.69 2.34 2.36 1.99
Total retail trade commissions and miscellaneous services Footnotes 1 1.52 1.54 1.71 1.65 1.58

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Comprises the following North American Product Classification System (NAPCS): 51411, 51412, 53112, 56211, 57111, 58111, 58121, 58122, 58131, 58141, 72332, 833111, 841, 85131 and 851511.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

List of ethnic or cultural origins 2021 - note on special characters

Due to computer system constraints, a small number of ethnic or cultural origin 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
1020222 Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw origins
102022201 Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, n.o.s.
102022202 Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w
102022208 'Na̱mǥis
102022212 Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw origins, n.i.e.
10202310214 Stó:lō
10202310217 W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich)

The CSV version of the List of ethnic or cultural origins 2021 shows the correct spelling of all of the names on the list.

CSV Format

List of ethnic or cultural origins 2021 - Classification structure (CSV, 16.02 KB)

Opening remarks by the Chief Statistician - Canadian Centre for Energy Information May 12, 2021 Meeting

  • I'm honoured to be speaking to you from Ottawa, the unceded territory of the Algonquin people – and to show respect to all the Indigenous people who have walked these lands.
  • I would like to welcome you to this meeting of the External Advisory Committee for the CCEI. I am extremely grateful and excited about your participation on this important strategic committee, which is critical to the long-term success of this initiative.
  • Over the past year, your advice, insights and contributions have been essential in our quest to begin addressing a long-term gap that Canadians have faced with respect to centralized, integrated, and quality energy data to enable analysis and inform decision making.
  • We all witnessed the substantial impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the energy sector at a critical time in history as countries race to address climate change.
  • Canadian production of crude oil and equivalent products saw the largest annual decline since 1999, while pandemic-related measures resulted in reduced electricity demand from industrial and commercial consumers.
  • In fact, electricity generation in 2020 fell to the lowest level of production since 2015.
  • In parallel, as part of the energy transition, utilities dialed back electricity generation from combustible fuels and nuclear generation in favour of electricity generation from renewable sources – reflecting the growing drive and commitment to pursue cleaner energy sources.
  • In 2020, electricity generation from renewables rose to their highest level since the beginning of this series in 2008!
  • This transition will result in new jobs as investments are made; however, there will also be an impact on traditional oil and gas jobs in the energy sector many of which employ various marginalized groups such as immigrants and Indigenous people.
  • Now more than ever, Canadians need quality data on the energy sector to inform policy and investment decisions by public and private sector organizations. The CCEI has a vital role to play towards providing data and insights to support the post-COVID-19 recovery phase and the transformation of our energy sector that the government and private sector partners strive to achieve towards a net-zero scenario.
  • Your participation this past year has helped support us in achieving some really important and exciting foundational milestones to house this information.
  • We launched a user-centric website in October 2020, currently reflecting more than 550 data sets from over 80 data providers from across Canada - forming the foundation for the program for the eventual addition of more robust data collection and integration in coming years and for the roll out more powerful tools enabling modelling and collaboration.
  • In addition, your advice was fed into the CCEI's federal-provincial-territorial collaborative governance process, which culminated in approval by Deputy Minister Tremblay's and my colleagues across provincial/territorial energy ministries, the Canada Energy Regulator, and Environment and Climate Change Canada, of an extensive work plan for 2021.
  • Our work plan and priorities were endorsed with overwhelming support for the work that we are doing. Each one of you has played an important role in your area of expertise – your insights ensured that diverse perspectives and needs across Canada were considered.
  • Over the past year, we have also launched a variety of new interactive data tools, analytical articles and other exciting products through the CCEI, improving the accessibility of relevant energy information: new tools to track trends on energy use for various industries and households, infographics on zero-emission electric vehicles and data and tools on GHG emissions of energy industries.
  • For example, we released infographics and analysis on labour displacement in coal mining and oil and gas to provide insights on how workers in these industries fared a year after job loss. We found that nearly three-quarters of workers permanently laid-off found paid employment in the year following job loss, but the jobs were predominantly outside the sector and at lower pay.
  • This is just the start of our work – we all know we have a lot more work to do. But I am proud of all the work we have done to date and the exciting partnerships we have created to build a strong foundation for the CCEI.
  • I expect more great things from this program in the coming year, including additional data tools and products to support user needs.
  • In the 2021-22 federal budget, the federal government announced plans for significant investment in Statistics Canada to better integrate social, economic and environmental data, disaggregated at much finer levels into our core programs throughout the agency. This will enable Statistics Canada to expand its role in providing the evidence-based foundation upon which strong, effective policies can be built.
  • As an example, later this summer the CCEI will share highly anticipated tools that will provide rich information on demographics in the energy sector, including participation of women, Indigenous peoples and new immigrants – obtained through analysis of rich data sets from the Natural Resources Satellite Account.
  • This data provides powerful insights into energy workforce, for example:
    • Women represent just under one-third of the total energy workforce, where the wage-gap between the sexes has declined from 78 cents per dollar in 2009 to 85 cents per dollar in 2019.
    • Immigrant workers in the oil and gas sector accounted for 41% of workers in the sector in 2019, up from 26% in 2009.
    • Indigenous people represented 6% of all workers in the oil and gas sector, compared to 4% in 2009.
  • We will also continue to make progress towards establishing common standards and data reconciliation with FPT partners, as well as ongoing work with NRCan and the CER on our real-time electricity data initiative.
  • With so many varying needs and interests to consider in creating integrated and trusted data for the CCEI, ongoing strategic priority setting is critical to our success, so that our resources are invested in the most impactful areas.
  • I am excited to see the rich experience and backgrounds you collectively bring to the table as we start the deep dives required to achieve the CCEI objectives of creating a space for trusted, coherent, and high quality energy information. With our focus this year on data reconciliation on initial topics identified in the CCEI work plan and development of energy standards, your knowledge, advice and especially your networks will continue to play a key role on ensuring the relevance and credibility of the CCEI.
  • This work cannot be done by Statistics Canada alone – we need to bring the right data experts to the table, and collectively, we can make a meaningful difference. We will look to you for help in identifying these contacts.
  • In addition, we must keep working in our agile and iterative way, so that we are responsive to stakeholder needs, and that we are constantly shifting to reflect current priorities in the CCEI's annual work plans. We will continue to be open, transparent, and inclusive – building strategic partnerships and continuously engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders and Indigenous communities.
  • Thank you again for your support, and I look forward to leveraging your insights and advice through this committee to support informed decisions by the FPT Deputy Minister Steering Committee to establish the key priorities for this program to tackle over the next few years.

Canadian Centre for Energy Information external stakeholder meeting - May 12, 2021

Meeting Summary: Key Points and Action Items

Participants

EAC participants: Andrew Leach, Annette Hester, Allan Fogwill (EAC co-chair), Ben Brunnen, Brad Griffin, Colleen d'Entremont (EAC co-chair), Channa Perera, Ericka Wicks, Louis Beaumier, Krista Nelson, Saad Sarfraz, Sonia Hernandez

Statistics Canada (StatCan) participants: Anil Arora, Christine Poon, Greg Peterson, Ziad Shadid, Mary Beth Garneau, Jennifer Johnson, Rene Beaudoin, Angelo Elias, Kristin Daley, Brent Wakeford

Federal observers: Eric Sancartier (NRCan), Nick Macaluso (ECCC), Karen Morton (CER)

Regrets: Samantha Morton, Bruce Lourie

Introduction from the EAC co-chairs

The Committee co-chairs welcomed members and advised the group of the newest member of the EAC, Sonia Hernandez, Director, National Bank of Canada.

Opening address from the Chief Statistician

Anil Arora, Canada's Chief Statistician, made opening remarks to the EAC members, discussed the importance of each member's insight and advice towards the support of the Canadian Centre for Energy Information (CCEI) as it achieves its objectives. The Chief Statistician spoke to the success of the Centre and addressed that member insights are essential to address long-term gaps to inform decision making. Mr. Arora also spoke to the substantial impact the energy sector has witnessed due to the pandemic. Mr. Arora thanked the committee members for their time and commitment to the initiative.

Action Items:

  1. StatCan will provide a copy of the Chief Statistician's opening remarks to EAC members.

Strategic update

StatCan presented an update on the federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) collaborative governance and priority setting process and DM approval of the CCEI work plan for the next 12 months, in addition to providing an overview of new energy information products produced by StatCan and an early look at new content and tools to be added to the CCEI website in 2021-22.

Members were supportive of the process to establish the CCEI priorities and work plan and were particularly interested in new, upcoming products to be released under the CCEI umbrella this year. Specific questions were raised with respect to the availability of these products in open formats and the timeliness of data to be released (e.g., data to be released under the Natural Resources Satellite Account and the Report on Energy Supply and Demand both have a reference year of 2019). StatCan spoke to the work being undertaken to improve the timeliness of the supply and use tables – this would enable more timely Physical Flow Accounts that connect energy and environmental data. A member asked if it would be possible to expand supply and use tables to the municipal level, and some members indicated they are interested in municipal-level data, while others preferred StatCan focus on provincial data with less data suppression. While there are no plans to extend supply and use tables to a municipal level, StatCan is currently working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to identify high-priority items, but will follow up with members to have a discussion on methods to allocate data to the municipal level.

Members were extremely pleased with progress on the CCEI website, and wanted to know more about upcoming additions, including the expanded energy end use web page. StatCan indicated that foundational pieces are currently being developed, and that the website will continue to grow, integrating new interactive elements, and integrating data external to StatCan over the coming years. StatCan invited members to provide feedback on the current website or the information housed, as well as suggestions for future improvements, which are welcome at any time. StatCan reiterated that feedback such as this is critical to the continuous improvement of the website.

Committee members were also interested in recent StatCan's federal Budget 2021 allocations related to the environment, and how it relates to the work of the CCEI. StatCan provided a brief overview on the new Census of the Environment, which will allow StatCan to measure the condition of ecosystems and goods and services derived from ecosystems. In addition, StatCan indicated that other Budget elements are also complementary to the CCEI, including items related to disaggregated data and the measurement of social inclusion.

Action items

  1. A separate meeting will be set up with two of the EAC members to discuss methods to allocate provincial data to the municipal-level.
  2. Members will provide any additional feedback on the CCEI website or recommended future improvements.

CCEI engagement and communications

StatCan provided an overview of planned engagement and communications activities for the CCEI to seek strategic advice from members, including how best to reach specific stakeholder groups and Indigenous communities.

Members recommended that the CCEI communicate more frequently with the EAC and better leverage members when looking to share new product releases, as they could re-share social media and they may also have their own platforms to assist with re-broadcasting content related to the CCEI. One member offered to be the CCEI's interface with the modelling community. The EAC advised StatCan to be cautious when promoting energy information products on special days such as Earth Day, as the selection of specific days to feature may be perceived as biased. StatCan will continue to work with their communications team on the CCEI's communication strategy to mitigate the risk of unintentional bias.

The EAC recommended that the CCEI consider developing webinars to go along with product releases to increase visibility of the CCEI – cognizant of capacity limitations. Members also suggested that the CCEI leverage energy organizations or EAC members to provide the content.

With respect to Indigenous engagement, several members offered to make connections for the CCEI. StatCan was cautioned that Indigenous groups and individuals must be compensated for their time to provide data input.

Action Items:

  1. StatCan will provide members with details on the social media platforms that StatCan are currently using for EAC members to follow, and will provide more frequent communications to members on product releases.
  2. StatCan will provide members with tailored write-ups on the CCEI that could be used in meetings or in publications to promote the CCEI by their respective organizations.
  3. Meetings will be set up with individual members to further explore opportunities for Indigenous engagement and regional engagement.

Data suppression

StatCan provided an overview of strategies being explored to address the challenges of data suppression in the energy space, while ensuring full compliance of the Statistics Act, such as seeking waivers from companies to enable access to their suppressed data.

Members agreed that data suppression is an important topic, and not one that can be easily resolved. Members thought that there is a real challenge related to confidentiality and privacy and that it becomes an issue of national interest if a sector is dominated by only a few players. Often, there is better data on Canada from the U.S., and Canada should be exploring options to reduce suppression, including the pursuit of waivers. There was agreement that there is a need to revise the Statistics Act to better reflect the needs of the digital age and to ensure critical information is available to inform on pressing issues. It was also suggested that the federal government explore single window reporting, which would create less burden for respondents, and build good will for them to provide the additional data.

StatCan explained that although the Statistics Act (s. 17.2) does provide exemptions where data can be released where it would otherwise be considered confidential, it does not necessarily apply to the energy sector. A key strategy to increase access to data, when StatCan is legally bound to suppress it, is to seek waivers from companies. While some companies are not necessarily opposed to release of information, they sometimes have competing priorities – members can support StatCan in this area by leveraging their networks and providing opportunities to discuss these challenges directly with the companies to facilitate obtaining waivers.

The CSAC representative informed the EAC that CSAC has a working group looking at the Statistics Act to identify specific limitations on what can currently be done within the legal bound of the Act, and will be making recommendations to the Chief Statistician.

Action items:

  1. Members will explore how they can leverage their existing relationships and networks in highly concentrated industries to emphasize the importance of waivers to increase access to data.
  2. StatCan is collaborating with an external partner holding a workshop on data suppression challenges, strategies and to identify options to improve data access and availability in Fall 2021, and will reach out to EAC members to ensure the participation of key stakeholders.

Roundtable

The committee welcomed Sonia to the committee and for her participation today. StatCan reminded members that any additional comments related to the meeting topics or regarding the CCEI website more generally can be sent directly to the CCEI mailbox.

Conclusion and Next Steps

StatCan thanked the Committee members for their continued support and participation, noting that this is just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue.

Business or organization information

1. Which of the following categories best describes this business or organization?

  • Government agency
  • Private sector business
  • Non-profit organization
    • Who does this organization primarily serve?
      • Households or individuals
        e.g., child and youth services, community food services, food bank, women's shelter, community housing services, emergency relief services, religious organization, grant and giving services, social advocacy group, arts and recreation group
      • Businesses
        e.g., business association, chamber of commerce, condominium association, environment support or protection services, group benefit carriers (pensions, health, medical)
  • Don't know

2. In what year was this business or organization first established?

Year business or organization was first established:

OR

Don't know

3. In the last 12 months, did this business or organization conduct any of the following international activities?

Select all that apply.

  • Export goods outside of Canada
    Include both intermediate and final goods.
  • Export services outside of Canada
    Include services delivered virtually and in person.
    e.g., cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
  • Make investments outside of Canada
  • Sell goods to businesses or organizations in Canada who then resold them outside of Canada
  • Import goods from outside of Canada
    Include both intermediate and final goods.
  • Import services from outside of Canada
    Include services received virtually and in person.
    e.g., cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
  • Relocate any business or organizational activities or employees from another country into Canada
    Exclude temporary foreign workers.
  • Engage in other international business or organizational activities
    OR
  • None of the above

4. Over the next three months, how are each of the following expected to change for this business or organization?

Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

  • Number of employees
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Vacant positions
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Sales of goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Selling price of goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Demand for goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Imports
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Exports
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Operating income
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Operating expenses
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Profitability
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Capital expenditures
    e.g., machinery, equipment
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
  • Training expenditures
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable

Business or organization obstacles

5. Over the next three months, which of the following are expected to be obstacles for this business or organization?

Select all that apply.

  • Shortage of labour force
  • Recruiting skilled employees
  • Retaining skilled employees
  • Shortage of space or equipment
  • Rising cost of inputs
    An input is an economic resource used in a firm's production process.
    e.g., labour, capital, energy and raw materials
  • Cost of personal protective equipment (PPE), additional cleaning or implementing distancing requirements
  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
  • Maintaining inventory levels
  • Insufficient demand for goods or services offered
  • Fluctuations in consumer demand
  • Attracting new or returning customers
  • Cost of insurance
  • Transportation costs
  • Obtaining financing
  • Government regulations
  • Travel restrictions and travel bans
  • Increasing competition
  • Challenges related to exporting goods and services
  • Maintaining sufficient cash flow or managing debt
  • Speed of internet connection
  • Intellectual property protection
  • Other
    • Specify other:
    OR
  • None of the above

Flow condition: If the business or organization is a private sector business, go to Q6. Otherwise, go to Q8.

Expectations for the next year

6. In the next 12 months, are there any plans to expand or restructure this business, or acquire or invest in other businesses?

Restructuring involves changing the financial, operational, legal or other structures of a business to make it more efficient or more profitable.

  • Yes
    • Does this business plan to:
      Select all that apply.
      • Expand current location of this business
      • Expand this business to other locations
      • Restructure this business
      • Acquire other businesses or franchises
      • Invest in other businesses
  • No
  • Don't know

7. In the next 12 months, are there any plans to transfer, sell or close this business?

  • Yes
    • Does this business plan to:
      • Transfer to family members without money changing hands
      • Sell to family members
      • Sell to employees
      • Sell to external parties
      • Close the business
      • Don't know
  • No
  • Don't know

Flow condition: If "Export goods outside of Canada" or "Export services outside of Canada" is selected in Q3, go to Q8. Otherwise, go to Q14.

Digital ordering

Extranet:
A closed network that uses internet protocols to securely share enterprise's information with suppliers, vendors, customers or other businesses partners. It can take the form of a secure extension of an Intranet that allows external users to access some parts of the enterprise's Intranet. It can also be a private part of the enterprise's website, where business partners can navigate after being authenticated in a login page.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI):
The electronic transmission of data suitable for automated processing between businesses or organisations. Generally, EDI allows for the sending or receiving of messages (e.g., payment transactions, tax declarations, orders) in an agreed or standard format suitable for automated processing, and does not require an individual to type a message manually.

8. It was reported in a previous question that in the last 12 months, this business or organization exported goods or services outside of Canada. What percentage of these export sales were digitally ordered?

Include all sales of this business's or organization's goods or services where the order was received, and the commitment to purchase was made, over the Internet, including through web pages, applications, platforms, extranet or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

Exclude orders made by telephone, facsimile and email.

  • 100%
  • 50% to less than 100%
  • 1% to less than 50%
  • None

Flow condition: If "Export goods outside of Canada" is selected in Q3 and "100%", "50% to less than 100%" or "1% to less than 50%" is selected in Q8, go to Q9. Otherwise, go to the next flow.

Digital ordering of goods

9. In the last 12 months, which digital methods were used to order goods by customers or clients in other countries?

Select all that apply.

  • Electronic data interchange (EDI)
    The electronic transmission of data suitable for automated processing between businesses or organizations. Generally, EDI allows for the sending or receiving of messages (e.g., payment transactions, tax declarations, orders) in an agreed or standard format suitable for automated processing, and does not require an individual to type a message manually.
  • E-commerce, through this business's or organization's own website, application or platform
  • E-commerce, through a third-party website, application or platform
  • Extranet
    A closed network that uses internet protocols to securely share enterprise's information with suppliers, vendors, customers or other businesses partners. It can take the form of a secure extension of an Intranet that allows external users to access some parts of the enterprise's Intranet. It can also be a private part of the enterprise's website, where business partners can navigate after being authenticated in a login page.
    OR
  • Goods were not digitally ordered by customers or clients in other countries from this business or organization

Flow condition: If "Export services outside of Canada" is selected in Q3 and "100%", "50% to less than 100%" or "Less than 50%" is selected in Q8, go to Q9. Otherwise, go to the next flow.

Digital ordering of services

10. In the last 12 months, which digital methods were used to order services by customers or clients in other countries?

Select all that apply.

  • Electronic data interchange (EDI)
    The electronic transmission of data suitable for automated processing between businesses or organizations. Generally, EDI allows for the sending or receiving of messages (e.g., payment transactions, tax declarations, orders) in an agreed or standard format suitable for automated processing, and does not require an individual to type a message manually.
  • E-commerce, through this business's or organization's own website, application or platform
  • E-commerce, through a third-party website, application or platform
  • Extranet
    A closed network that uses internet protocols to securely share enterprise's information with suppliers, vendors, customers or other businesses partners. It can take the form of a secure extension of an Intranet that allows external users to access some parts of the enterprise's Intranet. It can also be a private part of the enterprise's website, where business partners can navigate after being authenticated in a login page.
    OR
  • Services were not digitally ordered by customers or clients in other countries from this business or organization

Flow condition: If any digital method to order services was selected in Q10, go to Q11. Otherwise, go to Q14.

11. In the last 12 months, for services digitally ordered by customers or clients in other countries, how were the services delivered to them by this business or organization?

Select all that apply.

  • Services were delivered digitally
    e.g., service provider and client remain in their respective countries with services delivered outside of Canada via electronic data interchange (EDI), video conferencing with clients, file sharing, websites, applications or platforms, or extranet
  • Services were delivered in person
    Include services delivered through a subsidiary or sub-contractor in country of client, or travel of service provider or client to have service delivered in-person.
    e.g., services related to the installation of goods, on-site environmental assessments

Flow condition: If "Services were delivered digitally" is selected in Q11, go to Q12. Otherwise, go to Q14.

12. In the last 12 months, how have sales of digitally delivered services to customers or clients in other countries changed?

e.g., Service provider and client remain in their respective countries with services delivered outside of Canada via electronic data interchange (EDI), video conferencing with clients, file sharing, websites, applications or platforms, or extranet

  • Increased
  • Remained stable
  • Decreased
  • Don't know

13. Which of the following is this business's or organization's preferred means for digitally delivering services to customers or clients in other countries?

  • Electronic data interchange (EDI)
  • Over the internet, through online websites, file sharing, video conferencing, applications or platforms
  • Extranet
  • Other
    • Specify other:

Environmental activities

14. Which of the following environmental practices does this business or organization have currently in place or plan to implement in the next 12 months?

Select all that apply.

  • Reducing waste
  • Reducing energy or water consumption
    e.g., sensor lights, LED lights, automated faucets
  • Encouraging employees to adopt environmentally friendly practices
    e.g., teleworking, using public transit, recycling
  • Using recycled or waste materials as inputs
  • Using one or more clean energy sources
    e.g., hydroelectricity, solar, wind
  • Choosing suppliers based on their environmentally responsible practices or products
  • Designing products or services to have a minimal impact on the environment
    e.g., eco-design that considers the product's lifecycle
  • Performing carbon sequestration activities
    e.g., planting trees, purchasing carbon credits
  • Measuring the business's or organization's environmental footprint
  • Obtaining or maintaining one or more eco-responsible certifications
  • Being zero waste
  • Having a written environmental policy
  • Hiring an external auditor to evaluate the business's or organization's environmental practices
  • Other environmental practices
    OR
  • None of the above

15. In the next 12 months, what is this business's or organization's main barrier for adopting more green practices?

  • COVID-19 has delayed the business's or organization's plans for green projects
  • The business or organization doesn't have the financial resources
  • The business's or organization's clients aren't willing to pay a higher price
  • Other
    • Specify other:
    OR
  • None of the above
    i.e., The business or organization has no barriers or no plans to adopt green practices

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

16. Where does this business or organization get or plan to get its personal protective equipment or supplies from?

e.g., masks, eye protection, face shields, gloves, gowns, cleaning products, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, plexiglass or sneeze guards, thermometers

Select all that apply.

  • Domestic producer
  • International producer
  • Domestic wholesaler
  • International wholesaler
  • Domestic retailer
  • International retailer
  • Other
    OR
  • None of the above

17. Since March 2020, which of the following products has this business or organization manufactured?

Select all that apply.

  • Respirators
  • Surgical masks
  • Medical gowns
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Face shields
  • Nitrile gloves
    OR
  • None of the above

18. 12 months from now, which of the following products does this business or organization plan to manufacture?

Select all that apply.

  • Respirators
  • Surgical masks
  • Medical gowns
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Face shields
  • Nitrile gloves
    OR
  • None of the above

COVID-19 Rapid Testing

COVID-19 Rapid Test kits are self-testing kits that are used to assess and monitor the infection status of individuals with or without symptoms. Typically such kits provide a result within 15 minutes and can be used by employers to screen for COVID-19 among employees in settings where in-person work is required. Positive test results typically require confirmation by more accurate laboratory-based tests administered by public health authorities.

19. Over the last month, has this business or organization used COVID-19 Rapid Test kits to test on-site employees for COVID-19 infection?

e.g., periodic testing of employees with or without symptoms

  • Yes
    • Over the last month, what percentage of this business's or organization's on-site employees was tested using a COVID-19 Rapid Test kit at least once?
      • Percentage:
      • Don't know
    • Over the last month, on average, how frequently were employees at this business or organization tested using COVID-19 Rapid Test kits?
      • Less than once a week
      • Once a week
      • Twice a week
      • More than twice a week
  • No
    • In the next three months, does this business or organization plan to use COVID-19 Rapid Test kits to test on-site employees for COVID-19 infection?
      • Yes
      • No
      • Don't know
  • Not applicable to this business or organization
    e.g., all employees work remotely

Flow condition: If "No" is selected in Q19 and then "No", or "Don't know" is selected, go to Q20. Otherwise, go to Q21.

20. For which of the following reasons does this business or organization not have plans to use COVID-19 Rapid Test kits in the next three months?

Select all that apply.

  • Lack of awareness
  • Difficulty procuring
  • Cost of tests
  • Cost of administering tests
  • Not needed
  • Other
    • Specify other:

Funding or credit

21. Due to COVID-19, was funding or credit for this business or organization approved or received from any of the following sources?

Select all that apply.

  • Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
    e.g., loan of up to $60,000 for eligible small businesses and non-profits
  • Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy
  • Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
  • Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)
  • Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA)
  • Export Development Canada (EDC) Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan and Guarantee program
  • Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) Co-Lending Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
  • Innovation Assistance Program
  • Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF)
  • Provincial, Territorial or Municipal government programs
  • Funding from philanthropic or mutual-aid sources
  • Financial institution
    e.g., term loan or line of credit
  • Loan from family or friends
  • Other
    • Specify other approved source of funding or credit:
    OR
  • None of the above

Flow condition: If "None of the above" is selected in Q21, go to Q22. Otherwise, go to Q23.

22. For which of the following reasons has this business or organization not accessed any funding or credit due to COVID-19?

Select all that apply.

  • Funding or credit not needed
  • Waiting for approval or in process of applying
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Application requirements or complexity
  • Lack of awareness
  • Terms and conditions
    e.g., interest rate, payment period
  • Public perception
  • Other
    • Specify other:

Liquidity and debt

23. Does this business or organization have the cash or liquid assets required to operate for the next three months?

  • Yes
  • No
    • Will this business or organization be able to acquire the cash or liquid assets required?
      • Yes
      • No
      • Don't know
  • Don't know

24. Does this business or organization have the ability to take on debt?

  • Yes
  • No
    • For which of the following reasons is this business or organization unable to take on debt?
      Select all that apply.
      • Cash flow
      • Lack of confidence or uncertainty in future sales
      • Request would be turned down
      • Too difficult or time consuming to apply
      • Terms and conditions are unfavourable
        e.g., interest rate, payment period
      • Credit rating
      • Other
        • Specify other:
  • Don't know

Outsourcing

25. In the last 12 months, has this business or organization outsourced any tasks, projects or short contracts to freelancers, "gig" workers or other businesses or organizations?

Examples of tasks, projects or short contracts might include delivery driving, cleaning, translation, and web or graphic design.

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don't know

Flow condition: If "Yes" is selected in Q25, go to Q26. Otherwise, go to Q27.

26. In the last 12 months, has this business or organization used third-party digital platforms, applications or websites to outsource tasks, projects, or short contracts?

e.g., UberEats, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, Upwork, Amazon Turk
Exclude online job boards.

  • Yes
    • In the last 12 months, what kind of business or organizational activities did this business or organization subcontract through third-party digital platforms, applications or websites?
      Select all that apply.
      • Data entry, tagging photos or videos, and other clerical tasks
      • Copywriting, editing, translation, transcription
      • Graphic design, audio-visual production
      • Website or software development, computer programming
      • Sales and marketing support
      • Delivery driving, errands
      • General labour, repairs, cleaning services
      • Accounting, law or other professional services
      • Other
        • Specify other:
  • No

27. In the last 12 months, has this business or organization bid on tasks, projects, or short contracts using third-party digital platforms, applications or websites?

e.g., Fiverr, TaskRabbit, Upwork, Amazon Turk

  • Yes
  • No

Teleworking

28. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, what percentage of the workforce is anticipated to continue to primarily telework?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

Flow condition: If 1% or more of this business's or organization's workforce is anticipated to continue to primarily telework in Q28, go to Q29. Otherwise, go to Q30.

29. Does this business or organization foresee shrinking office locations because more of the workforce is teleworking?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don't know

Future outlook

30. Over the next 12 months, what is the future outlook for this business or organization?

  • Very optimistic
  • Somewhat optimistic
  • Somewhat pessimistic
  • Very pessimistic
  • Don't know

31. How long can this business or organization continue to operate at its current level of revenue and expenditures before having to consider the following options?

Select "12 months or more" if this business or organization can operate indefinitely.

  • Laying off staff:
    • Less than 1 month
    • 1 month to less than 3 months
    • 3 months to less than 6 months
    • 6 months to less than 12 months
    • 12 months or more
    • Don't know
  • Closure or bankruptcy:
    • Less than 1 month
    • 1 month to less than 3 months
    • 3 months to less than 6 months
    • 6 months to less than 12 months
    • 12 months or more
    • Don't know

Flow condition: If the business or organization is a private sector business, go to Q32. Otherwise, go to "Contact person".

Ownership

The groups identified within the following questions are included in order to gain a better understanding of businesses owned by members of various communities across Canada.

32. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by women?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

33. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit peoples?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

34. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by immigrants to Canada?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

35. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by persons with a disability?

Include visible and non-visible disabilities.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

36. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by LGBTQ2 individuals?

The term LGBTQ2 refers to persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or two-spirited.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

37. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities?

A member of a visible minority in Canada may be defined as someone (other than an Indigenous person) who is non-white in colour or race, regardless of place of birth.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

Flow condition: If more than 50% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities, go to Q38. Otherwise, go to "Contact person".

38. It was indicated that over 50% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities. Please select the categories that describe the owner or owners.

Select all that apply.

  • South Asian
    e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
  • Chinese
  • Black
  • Filipino
  • Latin American
  • Arab
  • Southeast Asian
    e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
  • West Asian
    e.g., Afghan, Iranian
  • Korean
  • Japanese
  • Other group
    • Specify other group:
    OR
  • Prefer not to say

Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) Non response bias – Fasted subsample

Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) - Fasted subsample
Table summary
This table displays the results of Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) - Fasted subsample. The information is grouped by Age group and sex (appearing as row headers), Combined response rate (%) (appearing as column headers).
Age group Sex Combined response rate (%)
Ages 6 to 11 Males 33.7
Females 27.2
Ages 12 to 19 Males 35.3
Females 35.2
Ages 20 to 39 Males 35.0
Females 37.2
Ages 40 to 59 Males 39.3
Females 36.6
Ages 60 to 79 Males 41.6
Females 38.9

Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) Data accuracy – Fasted subsample

Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) - fasted subsample
Table summary
This table displays the results of Canadian Health Measures Survey - Cycle 6 (2018-2019) - fasted subsample. The information is grouped by age and sex (appearing as row headers), Average Glucose (mmol/L) calculated using Average (mmol/L) and c.v. percentage (appearing as column headers).
Age Group Sex Average Glucose (mmol/L)
Average (mmol/L) c.v. (%)
Ages 6 to 11 Males 4.99 1.17
Females 4.9 1.22
Ages 12 to 19 Males 5.1 0.56
Females 4.96 1.20
Ages 20 to 39 Males 5.22 0.88
Females 4.94 0.79
Ages 40 to 59 Males 5.78 1.88
Females 5.48 2.27
Ages 60 to 79 Males 6.28 4.18
Females 5.77 2.70

Monthly Survey of Food Services and Drinking Places: CVs for Total Sales by Geography - April 2021

Monthly Survey of Food Services and Drinking Places: CVs for Total sales by Geography - April 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of CVs for Total sales by Geography. The information is grouped by Geography (appearing as row headers), Month and percentage (appearing as column headers).
Geography Month
202004 202005 202006 202007 202008 202009 202010 202011 202012 202101 202102 202103 202104
percentage
Canada 1.21 0.75 0.34 0.35 0.19 0.21 0.21 0.20 0.25 0.20 0.19 0.44 1.00
Newfoundland and Labrador 2.03 1.30 1.05 0.82 0.36 0.62 1.53 0.30 0.48 1.08 0.48 2.23 2.41
Prince Edward Island 52.43 11.92 9.11 8.73 0.95 0.63 0.84 1.08 1.81 1.63 1.04 1.07 18.65
Nova Scotia 4.09 3.94 0.88 1.50 1.39 0.37 0.77 0.36 1.03 0.91 0.40 0.88 3.06
New Brunswick 2.39 2.08 0.82 0.60 2.28 0.50 0.33 0.39 0.49 0.98 0.50 0.44 1.26
Quebec 1.93 1.66 0.70 0.77 0.48 0.56 0.65 0.55 0.79 0.68 0.67 0.42 1.04
Ontario 2.24 1.33 0.63 0.70 0.26 0.31 0.25 0.28 0.45 0.34 0.24 0.99 2.16
Manitoba 5.60 2.47 0.81 0.70 0.34 0.34 0.72 0.93 0.78 0.89 0.46 0.48 1.53
Saskatchewan 5.72 3.08 0.58 1.55 0.67 0.99 0.91 1.04 0.75 0.91 0.52 0.52 1.60
Alberta 2.62 1.76 0.63 0.53 0.23 0.55 0.33 0.36 0.54 0.52 0.33 0.79 1.87
British Columbia 3.21 2.19 1.03 0.83 0.67 0.58 0.72 0.68 0.39 0.33 0.56 0.97 2.75
Yukon Territory 10.07 3.77 3.06 1.41 1.57 1.64 1.72 1.71 4.34 5.07 1.96 3.13 73.01
Northwest Territories 6.95 3.24 2.48 1.43 1.94 2.14 2.10 2.04 1.97 6.05 1.83 3.05 79.73
Nunavut 315.64 5.07 3.93 1.82 0.56 2.60 2.45 67.48 2.75 2.54 2.39 2.53 4.52

Retail Trade Survey (Monthly): CVs for Total sales by geography - April 2021

CVs for Total sales by geography - April 2021
This table displays the results of Annual Retail Trade Survey: CVs for Total sales by geography - April 2021. The information is grouped by Geography (appearing as row headers), Month and Percent (appearing as column headers).
Geography Month
202104
%
Canada 0.7
Newfoundland and Labrador 1.3
Prince Edward Island 2.2
Nova Scotia 1.9
New Brunswick 2.1
Quebec 1.6
Ontario 1.3
Manitoba 1.0
Saskatchewan 2.2
Alberta 1.5
British Columbia 1.2
Yukon Territory 1.7
Northwest Territories 0.6
Nunavut 1.1

Data Access Division newsletter - Spring 2021 edition

PDF Version (PDF, 257.76 KB)

A message to our staff and clients

With the arrival of spring and warmer weather comes a sense of hope with the development of new vaccinations across the globe as we move beyond the one-year mark since the first COVID-19 lockdown. The Data Access Division (DAD) would like to take a moment to thank its beloved staff. The success of our program comes from the hard work and dedication that each member has continued to show collectively throughout these changing times. We could not have achieved our advancements without your great efforts and continued collaboration. We would also like to thank our clients and friends for their continued patience and support as we are constantly reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of such a strong community. We remain devoted to continuing our work to ensure that you are provided with the real-time data and services that you need.

Celebrating accomplishments and focus for the upcoming year

DAD would like to highlight and celebrate some of its greatest accomplishments within the last few months. The Self-Serve Access (SSA) section provided virtual access to clients and successfully onboarded new users to the Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) Collection, provided free access and created accounts for research data centre (RDC) researchers for Real Time Remote Access (RTRA), and had 82 Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) member institutions. The Virtual Data Lab (VDL) team successfully onboarded its first set of users in the new cloud environment for its first pilot project back in February, bringing the team one step closer to a production environment. DAD, in partnership with the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN), recently opened two new RDCs! One centre is located at Carleton University in Ottawa, and a new satellite centre opened its doors to researchers at the University of Calgary. In addition, the first Business Research Microdata (BRM) file that uses real, not synthetic, data was released to the RDCs. To help support researchers working in RDCs and in the VDL, we have produced a series of short training videos to help support researchers in producing their statistical output for release.

For the upcoming year, DAD will continue to focus on collaboration efforts with various teams and partners. We will focus on leveraging new technologies to help drive Statistics Canada's modernization efforts by developing new and innovative ways to access microdata, such as developing the Virtual Research Data Centre (vRDC) and the VDL, increasing granularity while meeting researcher needs, and continuing to provide the research community increased and faster access to data to support better decision making for policies and programs across the country. In the RDC Program, we will be opening another centre to researchers, as well as increasing our business data holdings.

Self-serve access

Data Liberation Initiative Team Updates

Welcome to another DLI program membership year. The SSA section has added the following new services to the program:

  • one free RTRA account per institution starting April 1, 2021
  • limited number of free custom tabulations
  • access to training offered by Regional Services.

External Advisory Committee

The External Advisory Committee (EAC) sent a call-out in February to the Listserv for two volunteers to represent the Atlantic and Ontario regions. The SSA section and the EAC would like to welcome Jane Fry as an Ontario Region representative and to thank two members who have stepped down from the committee: Peter Webster, Co-Chair of the EAC and Atlantic Region representative, and Claire Wollen, Ontario Region representative.

Professional Development Committee

The chair of the committee, Alex Cooper, sent an email to the Listserv confirming to the DLI community that face-to-face training has been cancelled again this year, but we will be doing national training again with regional sessions.

The Professional Development Committee (PDC) sent a call-out to the Listserv in March for a volunteer to represent the Quebec Region.

The SSA section and the PDC would like to take this opportunity to welcome Vivek Jadon from McMaster University as the new Ontario Regional Training Coordinator.

The PDC is working on several initiatives:

  • Contacts and Alternates Survey – a working group is in place to revise the survey
  • DLI Training Repository – the committee is looking at options
  • colleges – a sub-committee met with college representatives from each region to discuss their needs
  • training – a working group is in place to discuss training needs and coordinate with other data-centric organizations, such as the Canadian Research Data Centre Network and Portage.

Statcan web redesign project

The newly designed DLI website is now live! The website includes the updated DLI Contact and Alternate's Survival Guide, information on the program, and resources. You can also easily navigate through the different data access programs.

Public Use Microdata Files online project

We are working on putting PUMFs online in a downloadable format. Newly released PUMFs are being added to the website as they become available, and older PUMFs are being added in phases. As part of this project, digital object identifiers are being assigned to PUMFs.

Data releases to DLI since January 2021

  • National Travel Survey (NTS) 2019 PUMF
  • General Social Survey (GSS) Cycle 33, 2018 PUMF
  • Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS) 5 PUMF
  • Labour Force Survey (LFS) January 2021 PUMF
  • Provincial Symmetric Input-Output Tables (2016 and 2017)
  • December 2020 Business Counts
  • Input-Output Multipliers Link 1961
  • Hate Crimes (Province) Table E and Table F
  • Human Trafficking Data Table
  • Postal Code Conversion File Plus (PCCF+) Version 7D, November 2020
  • Labour Force Survey (LFS) February 2021 PUMF
  • Canadian Housing Survey (CHS) 2018 and 2019 PUMF

A list of all DLI products is available on the website: Data Liberation Initiative.

Real Time Remote Access updates

RDC researchers have had their access extended to March 31, 2022.

SAS Assistant

The graphical user interface has been launched! The number of surveys available is currently limited. However, more surveys will be added throughout the year.

The SAS Assistant will help users with little SAS experience to generate successful tables. You will be able to use buttons and dropdown menus to build your SAS code, and your code is created as you select the variables.

Data releases To RTRA since January 2021

  • Labour Force Survey (LFS) – monthly
  • Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS) 2019 (January 2021)
  • Crowdsourcing 1: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – All weeks
  • Crowdsourcing 2: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Your Mental Health
  • Crowdsourcing 3: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Perceptions of Safety
  • Crowdsourcing 4: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Trust in Others
  • Crowdsourcing 5: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Parenting During the Pandemic
  • Crowdsourcing 6: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Living with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities
  • Crowdsourcing 7: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Experiences of Discrimination
  • Survey of Household Spending (SHS) 2005
  • Survey of Household Spending (SHS) 2007
  • Survey of Household Spending (SHS) 2009

A list of all RTRA products is available on the website: Real Time Remote Access.

Research Data Centres

Research Data Centre updates

While RDCs are still operating under reduced capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions, we are excited to announce the opening of a new centre at Carleton University and new satellite centre at the University of Calgary. Researchers now have access to two sites in both Ottawa and Calgary to facilitate demand for access across the cities.

The high-level Joint Task Force, co-chaired by Martin Taylor (Executive Director, CRDCN) and Jacques Fauteux (Assistant Chief Statistician, StatCan), focused on developing and aligning data access strategies for academic researchers and provided a report to the CRDCN executive board and the Chief Statistician in February. The report gave an overview of the technical infrastructure of the vRDC, identified possible intersections with the VDL platform, and highlighted critical business questions that will be explored in partnership between the CRDCN and StatCan in the coming months. Presentations on the report and next steps will be provided to StatCan staff and CRDCN academic directors in April.

We are pleased to announce that our pilot to test the VDL access platform with academic researchers was launched in March! Starting with selected projects in four universities, a StatCan cloud infrastructure platform will make StatCan microdata securely accessible outside RDC facilities. This pilot project involves the University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, McMaster University, and University of Calgary to start, but will be implemented on a broader scale after pilot testing is complete and the vRDC infrastructure is available. For more information on the pilot testing, please see the Modernization of Access section below.

New Research Data centre holdings

On February 23, the CRDCN hosted a very well-attended webinar on the BRM. This will be the first business dataset released to the RDCs using real, not synthetic, data. It is expected that it will take extra time for researchers to become familiar with the data. As well, vetting will take longer than for a typical social data project because we will be using the BRM to create and test business data vetting rules. For these reasons, it is not recommended that students undertake their thesis or dissertation work with the BRM. Researchers can start applying for access in April.

A total of 25 products were added to our data holdings in the fourth quarter of the 2020/2021 fiscal year. These include two new surveys (Survey of Digital Technology and Internet Use and Impacts of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers: Infection Prevention and Control), one new linked data file (Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning linked to Postsecondary Student Information System–Registered Apprenticeship Information System–T1 Family File), as well as updated survey cycles and administrative files.

New Data Access Training Video Series

Partial list of data files updated from January to March 2021

  • Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY) 2019
  • Vital Statistics - Death Database (VSDD) 2019
  • Survey of Household Spending (SHS) 2017
  • General Social Survey (GSS) – Caregiving and Care Receiving, Cycle 33
  • General Social Survey (GSS) – Victimization, Cycle 34
  • Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) 2019
  • Canada Education Savings Programs (CESP) linked to 2016 Census
  • Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS)

For a complete list of data available in RDCs and government access centres, visit Data available at the Research Data Centres.

We will soon be releasing our Data Access Training Video Series! These short videos will provide practical instruction to StatCan microdata users on a variety of topics related to access and data analysis. Our initial series of videos will cover how to prepare your output for confidentiality vetting, such as applying rounding techniques and testing for homogeneity and dominance using a variety of statistical software packages.

Government Data Access Federal Research Data Centres

The Government Data Access team has started plans to merge the Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC) and the Social Data Access Centre and the Business Data Access Centre (formerly known as CDER), both located at Tunney's Pasture, into one location by the end of spring 2021. This new centre will provide access to both social and business data for federal government users. The integration of business and social data access into one physical location is a significant step in completing the full integration of the Business Data Access program under the FRDC umbrella.

DAD is also working with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to facilitate access and address research needs for the emergency response data linked to StatCan datasets. ESDC will undergo an accreditation process and training, and data access will be available from home for researchers.

Provincial secure access points

Two provincial secure access points continue to operate in British Columbia and Alberta. Two more sites will open in spring 2021 in Ontario at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. For more information about these initiatives, please contact statcan.maddlidamidd.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.

Welcome Shelley Jeglic!

We would like to welcome Shelley Jeglic, who has joined DAD as the new chief of the Government Data Access Program. Shelley previously worked in the Centre for Population Health Data and is excited to make the switch from client to service provider.

Modernization of access

Pilot projects and testing

The VDL team is excited to announce that eight researchers from the University of Toronto, University of Calgary, McMaster University and Université de Montréal, and four researchers from the Public Health Agency of Canada are now accessing the VDL environment as part of the academic pilot! They are accessing microdata files with low to medium levels of sensitivity. This is the first set of users to be granted access to anonymized microdata in the cloud environment using the VDL. The VDL team has been working hard to establish and expand governance and system capabilities to support this virtual access. This is a big milestone for the team, and a step forward in enabling secure virtual access to data for more accessible research, and, in turn, better decision making. We could not have reached this level of success on this project and our pilots without the collaborative effort of many teams and individuals.

Going forward, the VDL project will continue to onboard users identified for our pilots. The established pilots will help evaluate the nuances of onboarding different types of researchers, as well as help inform how the user experience of the environment can be improved leading up to production. Once the VDL team has successfully conducted the pilots using data with low to medium levels of sensitivity, the team will conduct additional pilots using data with medium to high levels of sensitivity, as this is more representative of the data that are typically used by researchers. StatCan will select pilots based on several criteria to learn about and improve the VDL process to meet the project's objectives.

Overall, with the VDL, StatCan will be better positioned to advance its user-centricity by introducing this new mode of access and contribute to the agency's modernization efforts.

Virtual Data Lab project updates

The VDL will vastly improve access to statistical information for researchers by providing users 24/7 remote access to data housed at StatCan using a secure IT connection and a protected cloud environment. Progress is ongoing on a number of key initiatives to increase virtual data access and promote collaboration. These include the development of analytics platforms and monitoring capabilities, and continued assessment and development of the Client Relationship Management System (CRMS) and the Microdata Search Tool.

A number of monitoring mechanisms have been approved and are available to StatCan for deemed employees to access protected microdata in the cloud environment. Staff from DAD will use a variety of mechanisms to monitor for potential security incidents and follow the established incident protocol when required, which supplements the Information and Privacy Breach Protocol at StatCan.

Development on the CRMS corporate project continues under the Dissemination Division. The Dissemination team is currently working with IT to establish development priorities and DAD for pilot assessments. Stay tuned for more information!

Questions or comments? Visit Access to microdata.

Check out the StatCan Blog.

Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Report a problem or mistake on this page
Date modified:
Subscribe to
Date modified: