The purpose of this survey is to collect data on commercial stocks of raw unprocessed corn for grain, and soybeans, stored in your operation's elevators. This survey gathers information on stocks intended for use by your operation or intended for sale to grain or oilseed processing operations for human or animal consumption or for industrial use.
The estimates produced will be used in national supply-disposition analyses to verify production and farm stocks. The data are also used by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and by grain analysts in the public and private sectors.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
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 statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.
Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name
Operating name (if applicable)
2. Verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name
Last name
Title
Preferred language of communication
English
French
Mailing address (number and street)
City
Province, territory or state
Postal code or ZIP code
Country
Canada
United States
Email address
Telephone number (including area code)
Extension number (if applicable)
The maximum number of characters is 5.
Fax number (including area code)
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons for ceased operations
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but will re-open
When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
No longer operating due to other reasons
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS , are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
This is the current main activity
This is not the current main activity
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
Main activity
5. You indicated that is not the current main activity.
Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: ?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
No
6. Search and select the industry classification code that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.
How to search:
if desired, you can filter the search results by first selecting this business or organization's activity sector
enter keywords or a brief description that best describes this business or organization main activity
press the Search button to search the database for an activity that best matches the keywords or description you provided
then select an activity from the list.
Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional)
Farming or logging operation
Construction company or general contractor
Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Retailer
Provider of passenger or freight transportation
Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
Provider of health care or social services
Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
Other sector
7. You have indicated that the current main activity of this business or organization is:
Main activity
Are there any other activities that contribute significantly (at least 10%) to this business or organization's revenue?
Yes, there are other activities
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
No, that is the only significant activity
8. Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?
When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.
Example
Percentage of revenue
Main activity
Secondary activity
All other activities
Total percentage
Physical stocks of unprocessed grains
1. On the reference date, what were the physical stocks in metric tonnes of raw unprocessed grains held in your company's elevators?
Include imports.
Exclude stocks held in elevators licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission.
Example
Stocks on December 31, 2019 (Metric tonnes)
Grain Corn
a. Owned by this company
b. Held for other companies
Total grain corn
Soybeans
c. Owned by this company
d. Held for other companies
Total soybeans
Quantity of grain used for manufacturing or industrial purposes
2. From the beginning of the crop year to the reference date, how many metric tonnes of grain corn did this company use for manufacturing or industrial purposes?
Grain corn
Changes or events
1. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
Strike or lock-out
Exchange rate impact
Price changes in goods or services sold
Contracting out
Organizational change
Price changes in labour or raw materials
Natural disaster
Recession
Change in product line
Sold business or business units
Expansion
New or lost contract
Plant closures
Acquisition of business or business units
Other
Specify the other changes or events:
No changes or events
Contact person
1. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.
Is the provided given names and the provided family name the best person to contact?
Yes
No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
The maximum number of characters is 5.
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
1. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
2. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
Why do we conduct this survey?
The purpose of this survey is to collect data on commercial stocks of raw unprocessed corn for grain, and soybeans, stored in your operation's elevators. This survey gathers information on stocks intended for use by your operation or intended for sale to grain or oilseed processing operations for human or animal consumption or for industrial use.
The estimates produced will be used in national supply-disposition analyses to verify production and farm stocks. The data are also used by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and by grain analysts in the public and private sectors.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
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 statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.
Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name
Operating name (if applicable)
2. Verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name
Last name
Title
Preferred language of communication
English
French
Mailing address (number and street)
City
Province, territory or state
Postal code or ZIP code
Country
Canada
United States
Email address
Telephone number (including area code)
Extension number (if applicable)
The maximum number of characters is 5.
Fax number (including area code)
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons for ceased operations
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but will re-open
When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
No longer operating due to other reasons
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS , are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
This is the current main activity
This is not the current main activity
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
Main activity
5. You indicated that is not the current main activity.
Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: ?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date
No
6. Search and select the industry classification code that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.
How to search:
if desired, you can filter the search results by first selecting this business or organization's activity sector
enter keywords or a brief description that best describes this business or organization main activity
press the Search button to search the database for an activity that best matches the keywords or description you provided
then select an activity from the list.
Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional)
Farming or logging operation
Construction company or general contractor
Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Retailer
Provider of passenger or freight transportation
Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
Provider of health care or social services
Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
Other sector
7. You have indicated that the current main activity of this business or organization is:
Main activity
Are there any other activities that contribute significantly (at least 10%) to this business or organization's revenue?
Yes, there are other activities
Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
No, that is the only significant activity
8. Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?
When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.
Example
Percentage of revenue
Main activity
Secondary activity
All other activities
Total percentage
Physical stocks of unprocessed grains
1. On the reference date, what were the physical stocks in metric tonnes of raw unprocessed grains held in your company's elevators?
Include imports.
Exclude stocks held in elevators licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission.
Example
Stocks on December 31, 2019 (Metric tonnes)
Grain Corn
a.Owned by this company
b.Held for other companies
Total grain corn
Soybeans
c.Owned by this company
d.Held for other companies
Total soybeans
Changes or events
2. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
Strike or lock-out
Exchange rate impact
Price changes in goods or services sold
Contracting out
Organizational change
Price changes in labour or raw materials
Natural disaster
Recession
Change in product line
Sold business or business units
Expansion
New or lost contract
Plant closures
Acquisition of business or business units
Other
Specify the other changes or events:
No changes or events
Contact person
1. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.
Is the provided given names and the provided family name the best person to contact?
Yes
No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
The maximum number of characters is 5.
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
1. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
2. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP)
Reporting Guide
This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the 2020 Annual Civil Aviation Survey - Level IV. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.
Help Line: 1-877-949-9492
Your answers are confidential.
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 information from this survey for statistical purposes.
This section verifies or requests basic identifying information of the business or organization such as legal name, operating name (if applicable), contact information of the designated contact person, current operational status, and main activity(ies).
1. Legal name and Operating name
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
2. Designated contact person
Verify or provide the requested contact information of the designated business or organization contact person. The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire. If different than the designated contact person, the contact information of the person completing the questionnaire can be indicated later in the questionnaire.
3. Current operational status
Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name in question 1. If indicating the operational status of the business or organization is 'Not currently operational' then indicate an applicable reason and provide the requested information.
4. Main activity
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
If the current NAICS associated with this business or organizations is not correct, please provide a brief description of the main activity and provide any additional information as requested.
Statement of Revenues, Annual - Statement 21 (IV)
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (A complete list of activities which are specialty and therefore not subject to filing requirements as charter can be found in the Transport Canada document entitled Starting a Commercial Air Service.)
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight – that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Total operating revenue
Include revenue from air transportation services (for example, transportation of passengers, transportation of goods and other flight-related revenue [such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying]) and all other sources.
Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP)
Reporting Guide
This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the 2020 Annual Civil Aviation Survey - Level III. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.
Help Line: 1-877-949-9492
Your answers are confidential.
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 information from this survey for statistical purposes.
This section verifies or requests basic identifying information of the business or organization such as legal name, operating name (if applicable), contact information of the designated contact person, current operational status, and main activity(ies).
1. Legal name and Operating name
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
2. Designated contact person
Verify or provide the requested contact information of the designated business or organization contact person. The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire. If different than the designated contact person, the contact information of the person completing the questionnaire can be indicated later in the questionnaire.
3. Current operational status
Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name in question 1. If indicating the operational status of the business or organization is 'Not currently operational' then indicate an applicable reason and provide the requested information.
4. Main activity
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
If the current NAICS associated with this business or organizations is not correct, please provide a brief description of the main activity and provide any additional information as requested.
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets – (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
Operating revenue
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (A complete list of activities which are specialty and therefore not subject to filing requirements as charter can be found in the Transport Canada document entitled Starting a Commercial Air Service.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight - related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
Operating expenses
Maintenance - ground property and equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Aircraft operations
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation of aircraft or in the holding of aircraft and aircraft personnel in readiness for assignment to an in-flight status.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on);
expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil (including throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes);
airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada;
navigation fees remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services (air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services);
expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable;
expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements;
all other aircraft operation expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft.
Maintenance - flight equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
General administration
Expenses incurred for in-flight service, aircraft and traffic servicing, promotion and sales and general administration.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on), ground personnel, staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities and all other employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier);
expenses for in-flight service such as passenger food and supplies (in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers), passenger liability insurance (premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance) and all other in-flight service expenses (including passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit);
expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers, expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage;
all promotion and sales expenses such as passenger and cargo commission expenses (the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services), advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses;
general administration expenses such as those for financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are notincluded in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
staff reduction expenses.
Depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment);
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on property and equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
All other expenses
Include any and all miscellaneous operating expenses not reported elsewhere.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the previous six expense items.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses – calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes
Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. . If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.
Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Gasoline consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for gasoline consumed. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, it may be estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of gasoline consumed in litres.
Include gasoline consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for gasoline consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous three items.
Employment
Average number of employees
Refers to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel.
Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
Revenue and expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries
Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns – domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight – that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Scheduled services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
Charter Services, Revenue Operating Statistics, Annual - Statement 12 (III)
Charter services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns – domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight – that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (A complete list of activities which are specialty and therefore not subject to filing requirements as charter can be found in the Transport Canada document entitled Starting a Commercial Air Service.)
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Charter services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
The statistical information produced by the Consumer Price Index Program (CPIP) measures inflationary aspects of the Canadian economy over time and across geographic areas. The outputs are essential for measuring economic activity in real terms in the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts. The program supports the determination of monetary and fiscal policy, including inflation targeting by the Bank of Canada, and responds to requirements of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measures of price change are also used to support contract and pension adjustments and escalation.
The evaluation of the CPIP was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Results (2016) and Statistics Canada's Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2019/2020 to 2023/2024). The primary objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based analysis of the relevance of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and its complementary indexes to municipal governments (MGs); the effectiveness of communication strategies related to the CPI; and the extent to which the planning, design and implementation of innovative activities were effective and aligned with Statistics Canada's modernization initiative. It is expected that the information gathered during the evaluation will help inform future decision making.
The following questions were examined in the evaluation:
What are the needs of MGs and organizations supporting municipalities (OSMs) regarding the CPI, and do proposed changes respond to their needs?
To what extent are the Consumer Prices Division's (CPD) communication strategies effective, and how can they be improved?
To what extent are there effective governance, planning and project management practices to support modernization projects within the CPIP?
To meet the objective and address the associated questions, a utilization-focused evaluation was conducted. The evaluation methodology consisted of a document review, an administrative data review and interviews. Triangulation of data sources was used to determine the consistency of information derived from more than one collection method and was used to arrive at the overall evaluation findings.
It should be noted that the conducting phase of the evaluation, during which all data for the report were collected, was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the findings and recommendations do not consider the activities or decisions that took place after March 2020.
Key findings and recommendations
Relevance—needs assessment (municipal governments and organizations supporting municipal governments)
The evaluation found that Statistics Canada was the main source of CPI information for MGs and OSMs. The CPI's related indexes, including the city indexes, were used at the municipal level for indexation; policy support; budgeting; reporting; and, in some cases, the creation of a municipal price index. There was limited use of the inter-city indexes, primarily because of a lack of need for some users and also a lack of awareness. Interpretability was identified as an area for improvement—more details on concepts and the use of plain language would be beneficial. In terms of gaps, the evaluation found that more detailed geographic data and index categories were desired. Program representatives indicated that they were aware of this and that they continue to pursue alternative sources of reliable information to address the gaps. Finally, interviewees noted that when important changes are going to be made to the CPI, they would like to be informed three to six months in advance to prevent disruption to their activities, and preferably by email.
Effectiveness—communicating changes
The evaluation found that the CPD is transitioning away from a dissemination culture focused primarily on communicating through traditional vehicles such as The Daily and the Integrated Metadatabase, towards a more strategic communication culture aimed at leveraging a variety of communication tools and channels. With the support of corporate communications, the division has used social media to broaden its communications, including by launching a portal. These new actions reflect the CPD's desire to be more strategic with its communication activities. The CPD has also recently increased the degree of planning prior to communication activities. As the program ventures further into this area, it will need greater support from corporate communications to learn about the various products and services available and also to better understand its specific responsibilities. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of these communication activities, the division will need to develop metrics and performance measures.
The Assistant Chief Statistician (ACS), Economic Statistics (Field 5), should ensure that:
Recommendation 1:
Given the CPD's desire to become more strategic with its communications activities, the division engage corporate communications to improve its knowledge of the new communications tools available. Furthermore, the division should update its communication planning process to include the use of measurement tools (in addition to web metrics) to gather information on the effectiveness of activities. This information will help improve activities such as the communication of program changes to users.
Consumer Price Index Program projects supporting the modernization initiative
The evaluation included a review of a sample of ongoing and completed projects and activities undertaken by the CPD. This included Departmental Project Management Framework (DPMF)Footnote 1 projects related to the use of scanner data and non-DPMF activities in support of the DPMF projects. The evaluation found that the DPMF projects are aligned with the modernization initiative and, where possible, the CPD is drawing on lessons and experiences from other countries. In addition, the CPD is sharing information internationally and across the agency, as well as leveraging best practices and lessons learned.
Governance and risk management are in place to monitor the DPMF projects, and the implementation of an agile approach (e.g., "network of teams") proved beneficial during the later stages of the scanner data initiative. The evaluation found that some non-DPMF activities could benefit from stronger governance and risk management practices. In addition, coordination could be improved, as there are strong interdependencies between the various activities and the DPMF projects. Finally, there are also opportunities to better articulate the relationship between inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and benefits. Measurable performance indicators are needed.
The ACS, Economic Statistics (Field 5), should ensure that:
Recommendation 2:
The CPD strengthen its performance measurement framework process for its DPMF projects to ensure that project outcomes are clearly articulated and that indicators are balanced, comprehensive and aligned with the identified outcomes and expected benefits.
Recommendation 3:
The CPD include all activities that have a significant impact on the DPMF projects, such as the high-capacity processing infrastructure activities, within the governance and oversight structures of the DPMF projects. The adoption of this more holistic approach will improve overall coordination and risk management.
The CPD - adapting and responding to the pandemic
Since the end of the reference period for the evaluation (March 2020), the CPD has taken a number of significant steps to address challenges emerging from COVID-19. Beginning in April 2020, the collection and compilation of the CPI were impacted by measures designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, as in-person field collection was conducted remotely, and imputation strategies were required to address an increased number of temporary business closures and out-of-stock products. The strategies were implemented according to international guidelines, and following consultations with other national statistical organizations.
The CPD continued to calculate the official CPI based on the fixed basket approach; however, the division recognized that a new analytical series examining shifts in consumer purchasing patterns would provide valuable insight on the impact of COVID-19. Using various sources of expenditure data, Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Bank of Canada, estimated adjusted consumer expenditure basket weights and an adjusted price index, reflecting shifts in consumption patterns during the pandemic. The ability to respond to this data need was made possible through the CPD's innovative work on scanner data, aggregate expenditure data, household final consumption expenditure data and other sources of information. Scanner data allowed for timely and insightful analysis on how Canadian Consumers Prepare for COVID-19 and how Canadian Consumers Adapt to COVID-19: A Look at Canadian Grocery Sales up to April 11 as well as the dissemination of more detailed data tables on Monthly average retail prices for select products, by province.
Acronyms and abbreviations
ACS
Assistant Chief Statistician
ADSP
Alternative Data Source Project
API
Application programming interface
CMA
Census metropolitan area
CPD
Consumer Prices Division
CPI
Consumer Price Index
CPIEI
Consumer Price Index Enhancement Initiative
CPIP
Consumer Price Index Program
DPMF
Departmental Project Management Framework
HCPI
High-capacity processing infrastructure
IT
Information technology
MG
Municipal government
OSM
Organization supporting municipalities
SISDP
Simple Implementation of Scanner Data Project
UTM
Urchin Tracking Module
What is covered
The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Results (2016) and Statistics Canada's Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan (2019/2020 to 2023/2024). The primary objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based analysis of the relevance of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and its complementary indexes; the effectiveness of communication strategies related to the CPI; and the extent to which the planning, design and implementation of the Consumer Price Index Program (CPIP) innovation projects and their related activities are aligned with Statistics Canada's modernization initiative. It is expected that the information gathered during the evaluation will help inform decision making and accountability for future CPIP modernization projects, communication strategies, and proposed changes related to the content of disseminated statistical information and products about consumer prices.
It should be noted that the conducting phase of the evaluation, during which all data for the report were collected, was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the findings and recommendations do not consider the activities or decisions that took place during the pandemic period.
The Consumer Price Index Program
The CPIP is housed within the Consumer Prices Division (CPD), which is part of the Economy-wide Statistics Branch. According to the program's Performance Information Profile, the CPD is mandated to produce timely, relevant, coherent and accurate data and analysis on consumer price changes over time and across geographic areas.
The CPD collects prices on a wide variety of consumer commodities and compiles them into various price indexes—indicators of changes in prices. The main outputs produced by the CPD include the monthly CPI; a number of spatial index series that provide measures of price change across geographic regions (such as the city and inter-city indexes); and a number of analytical index series, which include weighted medians, trimmed means and other items. These indexes are designed and compiled in accordance with international standards, such as those of the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The CPI measures price changes over a period of time for a "fixed basket"—or a fixed set—of goods and services consumed by Canadian households. Statistics Canada publishes CPI-related indexes on a monthly and annual basis in The Daily and on its website. Other CPI data products, such as updates to the CPI reference manual, analytical and technical papers, and data visualizations, are disseminated at various frequencies throughout the year. The CPI is used by a number of public, private and not-for-profit organizations, as well as by the media, researchers and individual Canadians, to monitor inflation, guide fiscal and monetary policies, index payments, and adjust contracts, among other things.
The CPD currently has two subdivisions that are involved in the creation of the CPI. The Development Subdivision develops methods, processes and techniques to ensure ongoing and sustainable CPI relevance and quality. It is also responsible for the development, maintenance and enhancement of systems related to the CPI. The Production Subdivision is responsible for producing a wide range of temporal and spatial price indexes. It is also responsible for coordinating releases, responding to information requests, and developing and integrating a divisional information management framework.
Projects in the Consumer Prices Division
Given the impact and importance of the CPI, it is vital that the index be updated regularly to provide an accurate and complete picture of Canadian society and to meet stakeholder needs. In the fiscal year 2009/2010, the Government of Canada announced the five-year CPI Enhancement Initiative (CPIEI), whereby $45 million was invested to improve and modernize the CPI, enabling price changes to be estimated more accurately and updates to be more frequent and faster. Statistics Canada's Evaluation Division published an evaluation report on this initiative in 2013.Footnote 2
In support of the CPIEI, Statistics Canada explored the potential issues and opportunities associated with using data from alternative sources, such as scanner dataFootnote 3 and other administrative data (e.g., from web scraping), which were known to better represent purchasing tends than data collected with traditional survey methods. Statistics Canada acquired scanner databases to support the 2009 CPI basket update and the CPIEI. By early 2015, the agency had obtained two years' worth of scanner data from a large industry retailer as a result of the CPD scanner data pilot project.
In May 2015, shortly after the acquisition of the retailer scanner data, a multiphase approach to acquiring, analyzing and implementing scanner data was approved to further explore the benefits of scanner data. In July 2017, the first phase, named the Simple Implementation of Scanner Data Project (SISDP), was officially launched to develop a process to integrate scanner data into the calculation of the CPI. In 2018, the second phase, named the Alternative Data Source Project (ADSP), was launched to migrate 50% of the current field collection sample to data from alternative sources. A third phase is being considered for after the end of the ADSP (in 2021) to integrate more retailers (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Projects in the Consumer Prices DivisionFootnote 4Description - Figure 1 Projects in the Consumer Prices Division
The figure depicts a timeline showing divisional projects. Starting in 2009, the timeline is split into 3 periods: Exploratory research, Pilot studies, and Acquisition and integration.
During the Exploratory period, four projects are listed:
2009: Launch of Consumer Price Index Enhancement Initiative (CPIEI)
2010: Scanner database purchases
2011: First biannual basket update
2015 (March): End of CPIEI
During the pilot studies period, four projects are listed:
2015: Acquisition of scanner data from a major retailer
2015 (May): Launch of a multiphase approach to include scanner data in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
2017 (July): Simple Implementation of Scanner Data Project (Phase 1)
2018 (May): Integration of scanner data in the CPI
During the Acquisition and integration period, two projects are listed:
2018: Alternative Data Source Project (Phase 2)
2021: To be determined (Phase 3)
The evaluation
The scope of the evaluation was established based on meetings and interviews with representatives of the CPIP. The following evaluation issues and questions were identified for review:
Relevance—needs assessment
What are the needs of municipal governments and organizations supporting municipalities regarding the Consumer Price Index, and do proposed changes respond to their needs?
Effectiveness—communicating changes
To what extent are the Consumer Prices Division's communication strategies effective, and how can they be improved?
Consumer Price Index Program projects supporting the modernization initiative
To what extent are there effective governance, planning and project management practices to support modernization projects within the Consumer Price Index Program?
Guided by a utilization-focused evaluation approach, quantitative and qualitative collection methods were used (Figure 2). A particular focus was placed on understanding the CPI needs of municipal governments (MGs) and organizations supporting municipalities (OSMs), as there was a gap in understanding the specific needs of these stakeholders. At the time of the evaluation, the CPD was organizing consultations with other stakeholders to gather their views on a variety of issues, including relevance and effectiveness.
The figure depicts the four collection methods used for the evaluation: administrative reviews, document and literature review, key external informant interviews, and key internal informant interviews. There is also a case study of the Consumer Price Index Portal.
The administrative reviews included a review of Consumer Price Index Program administrative data on activities, outputs and results.
The document and literature review included a review of internal agency strategic documents and international literature.
The key external informant interviews included semi-structured interviews with key users from municipalities, municipal associations, and provincial and territorial governments. There were 20 interviews conducted.
The key internal informant interviews included semi-structured interviews with individuals working in the Consumer Prices Division and partner divisions. There were 11 interviews conducted.
Four limitations were identified for which mitigation strategies were employed (Table 1).
Table 1 Limitations and mitigation strategies
Limitation
Mitigation strategy
Given the wide range of data users, the perspectives gathered through the external interviews may not be generally representative, and they may not be representative of the needs and views of all users from a given organization.
External interviewees, across Canada, were selected with specific criteria to maximize the strategic reach of the interviews. Evaluators were able to find consistent overall patterns.
Some interviewees had low familiarity with the information produced and disseminated by the Consumer Price Index Program (CPIP), limiting their ability to offer a complete response to some of the questions.
During interviews, additional information on the CPIP was provided when required. Furthermore, the data analysis took into consideration both a participant's responses to a given question and the consistency between the response and other information gathered during the participant's interview. Finally, results were presented at an aggregate level.
Limited documentation was available for some of the projects sampled for the evaluation and the results from communication activities.
Key staff working on CPIP projects were interviewed, and a strategy to gather additional documents during the interview sessions was put in place. Additional interviews were conducted, as needed, to fill the gaps.
The scope of the evaluation related to innovation reflected only a selected number of topics (i.e., alignment, project management) rather than the full spectrum of factors that may have an impact.
The evaluation methodology was conducted in such a way that other topics related to innovation could be identified and considered.
What we learned
1.1 Relevance—needs assessment
Evaluation question
What are the needs of municipal governments and organizations supporting municipalities regarding the Consumer Price Index, and do proposed changes respond to their needs?
Summary
The evaluation found that the CPI and related indexes are used for indexation, policy support and budgeting. Overall, while the CPI responds to the needs of these users, more granular data for smaller geographic areas and index categories are desired to ensure better analysis and decision making. In addition, interpretability could be improved. Finally, some of the explored changes would have a limited impact on the work of these users; however, changing the CPI dissemination frequency for specific cities from a monthly to an annual basis would have a negative impact on some MGs.
The Consumer Price Index and related indexes were mainly used for indexation, policy support and budgeting
Consumer Price Index city indexes and municipal price indexes
Consumer Price Index (CPI) city indexes cover price changes experienced by private households at the city (census metropolitan area [CMA]) level. They are produced by Statistics Canada and published for 19 CMAs.
Municipal price indexes are composite indexes developed by individual municipalities using both consumer and product prices. They measure the inflation rate of products and services consumed by municipalities. Depending on the year, indexes can be above or below the CPI rate.
Most of the external interviewees indicated that the CPI and related indexes (e.g., city indexes) were meeting their needs. The data were used primarily for indexation, particularly for property tax and wage increases; for policy and research support (e.g., providing advice and monitoring the economy); and for city budgeting processes. The evaluation found that a growing number of municipalities were either developing or using their own municipal price index (MPI) or were showing interest in one.
Statistics Canada was the main source of CPI information for external interviewees, although most interviewees also used information from other sources, such as banks, international agencies, the Conference Board of Canada, provincial or territorial governments, and other third parties, to complement Statistics Canada information (e.g., to enable international comparisons).
Use of inter-city indexes was limited
Consumer Price Index inter-city indexes
Inter-city indexes estimate the price differential across cities at a single point in time.
These spatial price indexes are produced annually by Statistics Canada for 15 census metropolitan areas and 32 product categories.
A small number of the interviewees from MGs mentioned that they used inter-city indexes. The most common reasons for not using these indexes were a lack of awareness and lack of need. As for the OSMs, all mentioned they were aware of the inter-city indexes, and the majority indicated they were using them. MGs (those using inter-city indexes) and OSMs used the information to make comparisons, particularly in terms of the cost of living in cities in the same geographic region (e.g., Western Canada). Other uses included exploring changes in economic trends across subcomponents and geographic areas, adjusting northern allowance benefits, and forecasting consumer price estimates.
More detailed data wanted
External interviewees expressed a desire for more detailed geographic data, such as city-level information for those without data at the census metropolitan area (CMA) level. Some interviewees indicated that providing information at the CMA level was not sufficient, however, as it failed to capture differences across the municipality, especially for large cities with diverse areas. A desire for more disaggregated data for certain categories, such as food and transportation, at a lower level of geography was also mentioned.
During discussions with program representatives, they indicated that they were aware of this gap; however, they noted that they are limited by the level of granularity available from the Survey of Household Spending (SHS), which is used to calculate weights for the CPI basket. They said that efforts to gain access to transaction information (for example banking data) for the SHS program were meant to help address the gap. They, in conjunction with other parts of the agency, continue to explore alternative sources of reliable expenditure information at lower levels of detail.
Interpretability could be improved
Several external interviewees noted that CPD geographic concepts and terminology could be better communicated in reference documents. For instance, the use of the terms "city index" and "inter-city index" was misleading, given these indexes are really at the CMA level and not the city level. A desire for greater clarity on the comparability of data at different geographic levels (provincial versus CMA) was also mentioned. Lastly, the use of technical jargon in supporting documentation was also noted as an area for improvement.
Changing the monthly city index dissemination frequency would disrupt some activities
Interviewees from MGs were asked for their views on potential changes that would result in the creation or discontinuation of series and tables (see Appendix A). Overall, while most of the potential changes were deemed acceptable, they were viewed as not having a significant impact. The publication of a list of representative products would be welcomed; interviewees noted that it would assist their work by increasing the transparency of the CPI methodology and making it easier to explain how and why they are using CPI data. However, there was one change that was identified as being problematic for some—moving the city index frequency from monthly to annually. Some interviewees noted the information was needed for budgeting and reporting purposes. Finally, the discontinuation of some aggregates could be a challenge for users who lack internal technical resources.
Given the findings from the discussions with MGs and OSMs, the CPD has decided to keep the city index frequency as monthly, and to enhance the spatial (inter-city) price index to further leverage alternative data sources and modeling techniques. More information on upcoming changes and enhancements to the CPI program, many resulting from the interviews with users, can be found in the paper Enhancements and Developments in the Consumer Price Index Program.
1.2 Effectiveness—communicating changes
Evaluation question
To what extent are the Consumer Prices Division's communication strategies effective, and how can they be improved?
Summary
The evaluation found that the CPD is transitioning away from a dissemination culture towards a more strategic communication culture aimed at leveraging a variety of communication tools and channels. However, there was a lack of awareness of all the services offered by corporate communications and of the roles, responsibilities and processes. In addition, there was no performance measurement system in place to monitor the effectiveness of communication activities, although web metrics were being used to monitor access to products.
Lack of awareness of services offered by corporate communications and ambiguity around roles, responsibilities and processes led to inefficiencies
The Daily
The Daily is Statistics Canada's official release vehicle. It comprises one or more announcements, called "releases," which can be major or minor. Major releases contain important information for the Canadian public and provide a national, regional or industrial perspective. Minor releases focus on a particular industry or subject and provide a brief overview of the data.
At Statistics Canada, communication activities are a shared responsibility between the corporate communication function (Strategic Engagement Field) and subject-matter areas. The corporate communication function is composed of a number of divisions that "set the conditions to fulfill Statistics Canada's mandate by ensuring broad public awareness of Statistics Canada and easy access to its information holdings, both directly and through coordination and support provided to subject-matter areas."Footnote 5 Subject-matter areas are responsible for producing statistics, analysis and reference materials to be released to the public and for undertaking activities related to official release announcements in The DailyFootnote 6 (e.g., The Daily text, spokesperson activities). Subject-matter areas are also responsible for maintaining relationships with key partners.
The evaluation found that, in practice, roles and responsibilities were not clear for complex communication campaigns involving many partners. For example, for the CPI Portal project (see Appendix C), a lack of awareness and coordination resulted in duplication of work, increased time pressures and confusion among partners, and led to tasks going unperformed. Clearer information at the outset outlining key contacts, processes and responsibilities would have been beneficial for planning and execution, as expectations and turnaround times would have been clearer. While information on the various products and services offered by the corporate communication function can be found on the Internal Communications Network,Footnote 7 it was not always evident how they could be used or whom to contact.
Looking to be more strategic
Communicating Changes Municipalities and organizations supporting municipalities
These users prefer being informed of changes through an email containing a brief, plain-language description of the change (e.g., what is being changed, where, when, why, and any likely impacts to users), plus a link to additional information. It was suggested that the Consumer Prices Division send multiple reminders using different products and mediums to ensure users receive news of the change broadly. Municipal governments and organizations supporting municipalities would like to be informed about three to six months in advance, with the longest being a year. This would allow time to make necessary changes to processes and prepare explanations of impacts on items such as budgets, spending or contracts. It would also allow time to engage Statistics Canada if necessary.
The evaluation found little evidence of a formal communication strategy to support the planning of communication activities. Rather, decisions about communication activities were based on the type of product, the scope and past experiences. Additionally, formal communication plansFootnote 8 only recently began to be used. Based on internal interviews, historically, communication plans were simply not required as communication activities were more operational, were reoccurring in nature (i.e., official monthly releases) and focused on dissemination. It was assumed that users already knew how to access the program's statistical information. Methodological changes were typically announced in The Daily through a note to readers and in the Integrated MetadatabaseFootnote 9—two main points of access for key stakeholders.Footnote 10 For example, the evaluation found that no formal communication plan was developed for the 2019 basket update or for the methodological change for rent. Users were informed of the basket update through a note to readers in The Daily three months in advance, and selected key users were informed by email.
Of the 19 announcements pertaining to a change or an analytical product since September 2017, The Daily was the predominant channel used in 94.7% of cases and the only channel used in 42.1% of cases. This was followed by direct contact with key stakeholders (36.8%) and social media (31.6%) (Figure 3). The variety of channels increased notably in 2019, when the CPD increased the use of formal communication plans to make new product announcements to the general public (i.e., the CPI Portal, the CPI Data Visualization Tool and the CPI for Seniors).Footnote 11
Figure 3 Channels used to communicate changes, 2017 to 2019 (n=19)Description - Figure 3 Channels used to communicate changes, 2017 to 2019 (n=19)
The figure depicts the percentage of times specific communication channels were used to announce a change or an analytical product since September 2017.
Blog: 5.3%
My StatCan: 10.5%
Media lines: 10.5%
Emails: 36.8%
Social media: 31.6%
The Daily: 94.7%
These findings align with the historical predominance of a dissemination culture focused primarily on The Daily and access mechanisms. As noted previously, this is changing in the CPD. At the agency level, at the time of the evaluation, the corporate communication function was developing an agency-wide communication strategy and new tools (e.g., user personas) to provide more effective direction on the use of communication activities. In addition, the function is restructuring how it provides services to improve both awareness and the delivery of services. Both changes would be welcomed by the CPD, as it had a strong desire to be more strategic with its activities.
The Consumer Price Index Portal as a communication tool
On August 21, 2019, the agency released the CPI Portal as part of its suite of portals. The CPI Portal showcases the CPI Data Visualization Tool, the most recently released key indicators, a variety of featured products and direct access to CPI products. The portal also hosts new data products on consumer prices and serves as a bulletin board for information about the CPI. All the external interviewees (from MGs and OSMs) who were aware of the portal expressed overall satisfaction with it. In particular, they indicated that the portal makes it easier to access Statistics Canada information on consumer prices by consolidating it in one place—enhancing the accessibility of this information was one of the objectives of the portal. Moving forward, the portal can be another vehicle through which the CPD can communicate changes to a wider audience. This approach is taking place in other countries (e.g., the United States).
The case study on the launch of the CPI Portal, conducted as part of this evaluation (see Appendix C), highlighted the importance of having performance measures in place to monitor the effectiveness of the launch communication activities. Internal interviewees recognized that performance measures to determine which communication activities had the greatest impact in driving traffic to the portal were important.
1.3 Projects supporting the modernization initiative
Evaluation question
To what extent are there effective governance, planning and project management practices to support modernization projects within the Consumer Price Index Program?
Summary
The evaluation found that projectsFootnote 12 are aligned with the modernization initiative and with international trends in scanner data innovation. Governance and risk management are in place for Departmental Project Management Framework (DPMF) projects, and the use of an agile approach was effective.Footnote 13 The articulation of outputs, outcomes, benefits and performance measures could be improved, and some non-DPMF activities lacked project management rigour. Lastly, the CPD was leveraging best practices and sharing lessons learned.
Projects are aligned with the modernization pillars and the expected results
Departmental Project Management Framework
While it is recommended that all projects be managed and monitored in accordance with the Departmental Project Management Framework, it is mandatory only for those meeting specific criteria related to timelines, plans, and costs or budgets.
The Departmental Project Management Office is responsible for providing leadership, training and support to users of common project management processes and tools at Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada's modernization initiative is based on a vision of a data-driven society and economy. The modernization of Statistics Canada's workplace culture and its approach to collecting and producing statistics will result in "greater and faster access to needed statistical products for Canadians." Five pillars and their associated expected results guide the modernization initiative (Appendix D).
A sample of projects was selected using the following criteria: level of priority for the CPIP, budget, expected impact (e.g., on data users, respondents, data quality and costs) and perceived contribution to modernization. Additional criteria, such as length, start date and stage of the project, were also considered. Based on this methodology, the following projects were selected.
SISDP: This project was the first phase of a larger initiative to have the CPI largely composed of data from alternative data sources. The objective of this phase was to develop a process to integrate scanner data into the calculation of the CPI. The project involved the replacement of field-collected prices by equivalent scanner data prices for the same products in the same stores (e.g., a one-to-one replacement of data collected in stores by data collected from alternative sources). One retailer was involved and represented an integration of 20% of the field collection sample at the time. This project required the development of a new methodology, a system to process the new data source, and a new functionality within the division. This project spanned 2017 and 2018 and was a DPMF project.
ADSP: This project is the second phase of the broad initiative to integrate scanner data into the CPI. The objective of this phase is to migrate 50% of the current field collection sample to data from alternative sources (representing 20% of the total basket weight) within three years. This includes the use of scanner data, web scraping and an application programming interface. This project spans 2018 to 2021, is a DPMF project and is self-funded by the CPD.
As part of the multiphase approach to integrate scanner data into the CPI, the CPD is also undertaking other activities to support the implementation of the DPMF projects. The CPD did not view these as being part of the DPMF projects, nor did it view them as projects; they were simply referred to as activities.
High-capacity processing infrastructure (HCPI): The objective of these activities is to acquire information technology (IT) infrastructure to meet the need for high-capacity computing for the ongoing integration of scanner data into the CPI (e.g., for the ADSP). The aim is to develop business requirements to suit the needs of the CPD, alongside partners in IT, and to obtain the suitable infrastructure.
Capacity building, data science tools and workforce: These activities target modern and flexible operations through the use of modern analytical techniques, including machine learning, dynamic analysis and Power BI. Activities also include recruitment and staffing, development of data science skills within the division, participation within communities of practice to support advanced methods, and adoption of an agile approach to facilitate a collaborative working environment.
Most of the projects and supporting activities examined aligned with the modernization pillars, particularly leading-edge methods and data integration, and sharing and collaboration (Table 2).
Table 2 Alignment with modernization pillarsFootnote 14
Projects and supporting activities
Timeframe
Alignment with modernization pillars
Simple Implementation of Scanner Data Project
(Departmental Project Management Framework [DPMF])
Start: 2017/2018
Length: 1 year
Stage: Completed
Approximate cost: $745,000
Leading-edge methods and data integration: The project used new sources of data, as well as new methods for collecting data. New methods and technologies, such as scanner data technology, application programming interface data technology, and web scraping technology, were used.
Sharing and collaboration: A key element of the project involved the establishment and maintenance of mutually beneficial partnerships with external data providers.
Alternative Data Source Project
(DPMF)
Start: 2018/2019
Length: 3 years
Stage: Execution
Approximate cost: $3,700,000
Leading-edge methods and data integration: The project involves the use of new sources of data, new methods for collecting data, and new data science methods and machine learning.
Sharing and collaboration: The project involves the growth of partnerships to allow for more open sharing of data.
Leading-edge methods and data integration: These activities will facilitate the integration of data from alternative sources into the CPI, using methods such as machine learning. They also include the acquisition of new infrastructure and tools.
Sharing and collaboration: These activities involve partnerships with other divisions and stakeholders within Statistics Canada.
Capacity building, data science tools and workforce
(non-DPMF)
Start: 2018/2019
Length: Ongoing
Stage: Execution
Approximate cost: $400,000
Modern workforce and flexible workplace: One of the key objectives of these activities is to ensure that the Consumer Prices Division has the right staff with the right skills within an enabling, flexible work environment.
The Consumer Prices Division is benefitting from international experiences and contributing internationally
Efficiency gains still unclear
Based on international experience, efficiency gains remain unclear. The infrastructure and human resources required to manage the significant amount of data received, the time spent to negotiate contracts and analyze data, and the development and implementation of contingency plans are all elements that increase costs for a statistical agency.
The evaluation found that many countries have projects in place to integrate scanner data into their respective CPIs. Most are driven by the opportunities that scanner data offer to reduce collection costs and improve data quality.Footnote 15 While some countries are at the preliminary phases of this undertaking, others have already implemented tools and methods to calculate their CPI based on scanner data.Footnote 16 Factors influencing the rate of adoption include country size, the level of risk appetite, the ability to acquire data, and the availability of technology and resources.
The evaluation found that the CPD's practices are comparable to those of other countries and that the CPD is drawing on the lessons and experiences of others to support the implementation of scanner data. The CPD stayed abreast of the latest methodological and innovative advances through its participation in conferences organized by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat), the United Nations Statistics Division and the Ottawa Group.Footnote 17 When faced with challenges, the CPD looked to its international network for support and to gather information on best practices. The CPD drew from the experiences of the United Kingdom (the Office for National Statistics), the Netherlands (Statistics Netherlands) and Switzerland (the Swiss Federal Statistical Office) when developing its approach, largely through the membership of the Price Measurement Advisory Committee. Lastly, the evaluation found that the CPD shared its knowledge internationally through its participation in a United Nations task force in 2019 on methodological papers on scanner data.
Governance structures and risk management were in place for Departmental Project Management Framework projects
Various committees were established and governance structures were in place for the DPMF projects. Key partners were represented, and the governance mechanisms functioned as intended. While there was some indication that the SISDP committees were used more as checkpoints, oversight appears to be tighter for the ADSP, as the CPD also reports to the Modernization Management Committee in addition to the CPI steering committee (the CPD's main governance structure for all projects and activities). Many internal interviewees noted that, for the most part, issues and challenges were resolved at the operational level (i.e., during team meetings) rather than brought to committees. Committees were used to inform and approve changes or to raise significant horizontal issues. For the ADSP, evidence indicated that weekly monitoring is done between directors and team leaders, and collaboration and project management tools, such as JIRA and Confluence, are used at the working level.Footnote 18
The evaluation found that risk management was taking place for the DPMF projects. Risks were incorporated into the DPMF planning documentation (i.e., project charters) and were monitored, updated and documented on a monthly basis by project teams through the use of risk registers and dashboards. For the ADSP, risks are reported monthly at the divisional level, and significant risks are brought to management committees. The CPD also developed a business continuity plan that outlined various options for short-term solutions (it was being updated at the time of the evaluation) in case issues arose with the acquisition of data.
Agile management facilitated the implementation of the Alternative Data Source Project
Agile management
Agile management is an iterative approach to planning and guiding project processes, whereby projects are broken down into smaller components.
One of the objectives of the capacity building, data science tools and workforce activities was to implement an agile approach to facilitate a collaborative working environment. The adoption of the approach had positive impacts on the DPMF projects. The approach incorporated a "scrum framework," which emphasized multidisciplinary expertise, teamwork, accountability and an iterative progress towards a well-defined goal.Footnote 19
All internal interviewees indicated that the agile approach generally worked well for the projects, especially the implementation of a "network of teams" approach, which aimed to hold an entire team accountable for a given project output rather than one person or a few people. Interviewees noted that the network of teams approach ensured that the right people with the right skills were addressing problems and questions, improved collaboration, and led to a shared sense of accountability because of the blurring of formal roles and responsibilities among teams. In addition, it led to the dissolution of silos within the division, enabling teams to work collaboratively towards joint goals. For example, the methodology team and the production team worked together rather than in isolation, allowing for earlier validation of methods and improved decision making.
In contrast, many internal interviewees noted that traditional project management structures based on DPMF requirements were not ideal, as documentation requirements were too time-consuming.
Managed separately as IT acquisition activities, the HCPI activities involved several stakeholders and partners, both within and outside the agency. The evaluation found that not all aspects of the process were under the CPD's control. The HCPI activities encountered challenges with planning, governance and risk. These challenges have had an impact on both the efficiency of the ADSP and the achievement of objectives.
Challenges at the planning level in terms of business requirements included limited data science expertise, the novelty of the data science methods and a lack of knowledge about machine learning within the agency at the time. These factors, combined with the urgency to obtain IT infrastructure and evolving needs, contributed to the acquisition of an inadequate IT infrastructure that ultimately impacted, among other things, the CPD's ability to attract and retain staff with appropriate expertise.Footnote 20 At the time of the evaluation, updated business requirements were being discussed.
The evaluation found that stronger planning, oversight and risk management could have resulted in earlier recognition and mitigation of the difficulties related to the IT acquisition. More recent ADSP documents (i.e., dashboards and reporting decks) have included risks related to the HCPI. However, no risk register specific to the HCPI was found despite the fact that ADSP is highly dependent on it. In addition, interviewees noted gaps in the oversight mechanisms for supporting the HCPI.
Lastly, because of a lack of supporting documentation and the departure of a key CPD employee, the evaluation could not fully assess the capacity building, data science tools and workforce activities from a risk and governance point of view.
Outputs, outcomes, benefits and performance measures could be improved
The evaluation found that the performance measurement framework could be strengthened and the project outcomes better articulated.Footnote 21 There was little evidence of mechanisms for monitoring the achievement of business outcomes (e.g., indicators, targets, performance measurement strategy). Rather, documentation and progress reports to committees focused on outputs and deliverables (e.g., number of data points). Also, while it is expected that the ADSP will produce higher-quality statistics because of an increase in the number of data points, measures to quantify the increase in quality are unclear. Internal interviewees noted that quality improvements would be technically difficult to quantify for this project (i.e., methodologies cannot be compared). Given these challenges, the CPD may encounter difficulties in reporting on progress in terms of the expected outcomes.Footnote 22 The close-out report of the SISDP was a clear example, as only the number of data points was reported, without explaining how the quality of the food index was actually improved. A description of the methodology for indicators and contextualization would help measure progress.
In addition, the measures related to cost reduction should be comprehensive and balanced. For example, while the implementation of scanner data is expected to reduce field collection costs, the costs for the integration, use and maintenance of scanner data should be considered and stated, as well as part of the DPMF project. That said, within the agency, the scanner data experience is now being used as a case to develop a formula to assess the costs of administrative data acquisitions.Footnote 23
Table 3 Objectives and performance measures
Projects and supporting activities
Outcomes
Indicator
Target
Description
Simple Implementation of Scanner Data Project
Improved quality of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) food index
Number of product offers collected from scanner data
17,000 target product offers
Improve the CPI by integrating a more comprehensive source of price data. At the very least, use data representing a full week of transactions, rather than one point in time in a month.
Solutions and expertise developed to integrate future alternative data sources and facilitate comprehensive implementation of scanner data
Not stated
Not stated
Scanner data are a new data source for the Canadian CPI that has never been used. The project will develop knowledge and expertise with this new data source. In addition, information technology and process solutions developed for this project will be reused as much as possible for future implementation of similar data sources.
Alternative Data Source Project (ADSP)
Decreased field collection cost
No longer need to pay for collection at a retailer that has been switched to the ADSP
Not stated
Alternative data sources have lower costs than field collection.
Enhanced CPI
End user and business sponsor interviews
Comparison of existing collected/imputed prices against web scraped and application programming interface (API) prices
Not stated
Integrating new sources of data, whether scanner data or data from automated Internet collection via web scraping and APIs, is expected to produce higher-quality statistics and more relevant data.
Opportunity to innovate
Comparison of innovative processes with what is being done in the industry
Not stated
Within the project's three years, three different strategies to collect data will be used, and expertise will be built along the way to facilitate better and enhanced solutions for alternative data source handling and integration.
Lastly, outcomes, indicators or targets were either not present or unclear for the non-DPMF activities.
Information sharing was taking place
The evaluation found some evidence that best practices and lessons learned were captured and shared within the CPD. The agile approach created an environment that fostered mutual learning and sharing. Information was regularly shared through committees (e.g., advisory committees) and various forums (e.g., the Economic Statistics Forum). As well, as part of the ADSP, some information sharing occurred between the CPD and the Retail and Service Industries Division, as well as the Data Stewardship Division.
However, internal interviewees noted that more formalized mechanisms to share best practices and lessons learned at the working level would be beneficial. They mentioned more generally that the creation of agency-wide forums or repositories on the Internal Communications Network for specific issues or challenges would be of value. They recognized however that there have been improvements. Since the inception of Statistics Canada's Data Science Division and the Data Science Accelerator (in April 2019), information sharing has improved between the CPD and other divisions. For example, some interviewees noted that CPD staff are increasingly engaged in peer reviews and have shared their expertise. In winter 2019, the CPD also formed a data science unit (formally known as the Big Analytics Data team). One of the goals of the unit is to promote cross-divisional sharing of lessons learned on topics such as data science, machine learning and cloud architecture.
How to improve the program
The Assistant Chief Statistician, Economic Statistics (Field 5), should ensure that:
Recommendation 1:
Given the CPD's desire to become more strategic with its communications activities, the division engage corporate communications to improve its knowledge of the new communications tools available. Furthermore, the division should update its communication planning process to include the use of measurement tools (in addition to web metrics) to gather information on the effectiveness of activities. This information will help improve activities such as the communication of program changes to users.
Recommendation 2:
The CPD strengthen its performance measurement framework process for its DPMF projects to ensure that project outcomes are clearly articulated and that indicators are balanced, comprehensive and aligned with the identified outcomes and expected benefits.
Recommendation 3:
The CPD include all activities that have a significant impact on the DPMF projects, such as the HCPI activities, within the governance and oversight structures of the DPMF projects. The adoption of this more holistic approach will improve overall coordination and risk management.
Management response and action plan
Recommendation 1
Given the CPD's desire to become more strategic with its communications activities, the division engage corporate communications to improve its knowledge of the new communications tools available. Furthermore, the division should update its communication planning process to include the use of measurement tools (in addition to web metrics) to gather information on the effectiveness of activities. This information will help improve activities such as the communication of program changes to users.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
The CPD is working with corporate communications, including the Stakeholder Relations and Engagement Division and the Strategic Communications and Planning Division, to develop a strategic communications and outreach plan. The plan will identify key user groups and specific initiatives (which may include webinars, interactive tools, infographics, analytical papers, videos, use of social media, training) to enhance communication, outreach, awareness and education around the Canadian CPI, and inflation in general.
In parallel, the CPD is working with the Bank of Canada to address a known gap in the inflation perceptions of Canadians. This gap between the official measure of inflation, the CPI, and perceived inflation, highlights the fact that many Canadians cannot see their specific consumer experience in the CPI. Research on potential measurement and behavioural factors to help explain this gap was completed in October 2020 and presented to key stakeholders and partners in the form of four webinars. The gap may be further explained by a lack of general understanding and misconception about what the CPI is and how it is measured.
Work is ongoing to address this, including the release of a Personal Inflation Calculator on November 18, 2020, and a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' event on November 19, 2020. A number of other initiatives are planned in partnership with the Bank of Canada including publishing research, connecting with media influencers, engaging with private and public sector organizations. The CPD is working with corporate communications to help broaden the reach of CPI data products.
The CPD is currently finalizing a document outlining upcoming plans and changes to the CPI, based on user consultations held over the winter of 2020. This document is planned for publication in 2021 and will provide users with information and transparency around the work required to ensure the ongoing quality and relevance of the CPI.
Finally, enhanced metrics on new and existing data products and tools would be useful, particularly as a way of determining which of the new COVID-related initiatives should continue; these include the Adjusted Price Index and measures of consumer demand (price and sales volumes) for specific products during the pandemic.
Deliverables and timelines
The Assistant Chief Statistician, Economic Statistics (Field 5), will ensure the delivery of:
An approved Communications, Dissemination and Outreach strategy, developed jointly by the CPD and corporate communications. This will include tools to gather user feedback and metrics on the usefulness of data and products. (April 2021 – Director CPD)
A proposal for next steps in addressing inflation perception gap - presented to the Statistics Canada - Bank of Canada Statistical Oversight Committee. (April 2021 – Director CPD)
A proposal for specific dissemination and outreach initiatives to enhance CPI awareness and education for all Canadians – plan and initiatives presented to the CPI Steering Committee. (April 2021 – Director CPD)
Recommendation 2
The CPD strengthen its performance measurement framework process for its DPMF projects to ensure that project outcomes are clearly articulated and that indicators are balanced, comprehensive and aligned with the identified outcomes and expected benefits.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
The progress of all DPMF projects is reported regularly through the project dashboards. Going forward, both DPMF and non-DPMF project teams will provide updates through the existing governance mechanism, the CPI Steering Committee. In addition, the Performance Measurement Unit will be consulted to assess the feasibility of using existing indicators or developing new ones to measure outcomes. These actions will ensure the project outcomes are clearly identified and measurable, all known interdependencies are accounted for, robust indicators are developed, and expected benefits are achieved.
The CPI Steering Committee will continue to be the forum to discuss risks and challenges related to achieving project outcomes and benefits.
Deliverables and timelines
The Assistant Chief Statistician, Economic Statistics (Field 5), will ensure the delivery of:
An updated process for project planning and reporting of DPMF and non-DPMF projects to ensure the clear identification of project outcomes and robust indicators. (May 2021 – Director CPD)
Recommendation 3
The CPD include all activities that have a significant impact on the DPMF projects, such as the HCPI activities, within the governance and oversight structures of the DPMF projects. The adoption of this more holistic approach will improve overall coordination and risk management.
Management response
Management agrees with the recommendation.
The CPI is a large program with many interrelated systems, processes and dependencies. In addition, the CPD is at the forefront of many new methods, data sources and tools, which can make it difficult to anticipate the scope of services and costs required. Corporate business solutions for activities such as high capacity processing often take longer than planned and should not limit the consideration of new technologies and tools, which evolve quickly.
Going forward, all relevant activities in the General Survey and Business Process Model (GSBPM) will be identified as part of the project and be reported regularly through project dashboards and the existing governance mechanism, the CPI Steering Committee. This will ensure a holistic approach.
The membership of the CPI Steering Committee will be reviewed to ensure that all services/activities related to the delivery of CPI projects are represented, including IT partners for the storage, processing and analytics of big data. It should be noted that some aspects of these projects may need to be frequently adjusted to take full advantage of new technology solutions outside of the corporate suite of tools.
Deliverables and timelines
The Assistant Chief Statistician, Economic Statistics (Field 5), will ensure the delivery of:
An updated process for project planning and reporting to ensure all relevant activities that impact DPMF projects will be identified and reported on regularly to the CPI Steering Committee. (May 2021 – Director CPD)
A completed review of the CPI Steering Committee Membership to ensure key partners are represented and terms of reference for the committee is up to date. (April 2021 – Director CPD)
Appendix A: Explored changes for the dissemination of Consumer Price Index statistical information
1. Change frequency of some city indexes
Disseminate monthly consumer price indexes (CPIs) for five products—all items; shelter; rented accommodation; owned accommodation; and water, fuel and electricity—for 16 cities once per year in March in a separate data table.
2. Increase the number of average price statistics to include provincial estimates
Expand the number of monthly average price estimates from 52 product categories at the national level to a similar number of product categories by province.
3. Discontinue detailed CPI series in all-items aggregation
Terminate CPI series for 50 detailed products listed in Table 18-10-0004-01. Monthly average price estimates will be made available at the provincial level for many of these product categories.
4. Publish a list of products in the CPI
Publish a list of products used in the calculation of the CPI.
5. Discontinue series for special aggregates
Continue disseminating 10 highly relevant special aggregates and terminate 13 others. Users can calculate the 13 terminated special aggregates using tools and guidelines provided by Statistics Canada.
Appendix B: Examples of communication and dissemination products and services
Strategic Communications and Outreach Branch
Client information and consultations
Day-to-day operational support, as well as administrative support for the Client Relationship Management System community
Client Relationship Management System reporting
Application and website usability testing
Satisfaction surveys
Focus groups
Heuristic evaluation (i.e., evaluation that is conducted by an objective third party)
Corporate communications and media relations
Speeches
Corporate correspondence
Communication products
Media training
Media monitoring
Media coverage reports
Social media and events
Social media
Online collaboration tools
Digital online events
In-person corporate events
Respondent communications
Development and implementation of initiatives to improve respondent relations and offer support to interviewers
Support for regional collection by performing activities including writing communications plans for survey collection activities
Management and updating of the "Information for survey participants" module on the Statistics Canada website
Management of vanity URL requests
Dissemination Division (Data Access and Dissemination Branch)
Dissemination collaborative projects (e.g., development of web portals or enhancements)
Appendix C: Consumer Price Index Portal, March 2020
Description - Screenshot of the Consumer Price Index Portal
A screenshot of the Consumer Price Index Portal. The screenshot of the portal shows a short description of the consumer price index; a menu with shortcuts to the Daily, data, analysis, about CPI, reference, and frequently asked questions; a features box; a key indicators box, a link and description to the consumer price index data visualization took; a CPI news box.
Case study: Launching the Consumer Price Index Portal
On August 21, 2019, the agency released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Portal as a part of its suite of portals.Footnote 24 The CPI Portal showcases the CPI Data Visualization Tool, the most recently released key indicators, a variety of featured products and buttons to easily access CPI products. The portal also hosts new data products on consumer prices and serves as a bulletin board for information about the CPI.
The CPD, in collaboration with the corporate communication function, developed a communication plan identifying the activities and communication tools to be used to inform key stakeholders and the general public of the new portal. The main objective of the communication plan was to maximize the visibility of the portal and website traffic to it. Seven communication activities were identified: an email to stakeholders, an email to My StatCan subscribers, a media advisory, the My StatCan rotator, a notification in The Daily, a social media campaign, and an announcement in the Business and Community Newsletter.
Steps were taken, where possible, to assess the reach and the effectiveness of the communication activities (with the exception of the media advisory email, as the CPD did not pursue this activity). A new tool, called the promotional campaign's Urchin Tracking Module (UTM),Footnote 25 developed by the web analytics team, was used to measure the traffic generated by the different activities. The evaluation team facilitated the implementation of the tracking process, and the CPD was responsible for the implementation of the tracking tool.
By one week after the launch of the CPI Portal (August 21), 721 peopleFootnote 26 had consulted the CPI Portal—this had increased to 1,777 by the end of the first month. The Daily channelled almost half (46.9%).
Communication activities to announce the Consumer Price Index Portal, Urchin Tracking Module results (August 21 to August 27, 2019)
Social media
(LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit)
Number of users who followed the link received
151
20.9%
The Daily July release
Number of users who followed the link mentioned in the note to reader
338
46.9%
The Business and Community Newsletter
Number of users who followed the link mentioned in the article
67
9.29%
Other (e.g., data tables link, search engine)
Number of users
23
3.19%
Total
721
100%
General observations
To successfully measure the effectiveness of the communication activities, the following should be considered:
Partnerships: Developing metrics requires close collaboration among internal stakeholders. Metrics should be developed during the planning phase of the communication activities, and all partners should be involved (e.g., web analytics team) to ensure that the right metrics and processes to measure them are in place.
Baseline: A baseline against which improvements can be measured should be established for each channel and per sector (e.g., social media may be more effective for social statistics than for economic statistics).
Technical constraints: Technical limitations with some channels (e.g., Outlook, My StatCan) hinder opportunities to measure some indicators (e.g., number of emails opened vs. number of emails sent outside Statistics Canada) and should be addressed. Fixing these limitations will allow the success of the activities to be measured using a predefined contact list.
Modernizing Statistics Canada's workplace culture and its approach to collecting and producing statistics will result in greater and faster access to needed statistical products for Canadians. Specifically, the initiative and its projects will:
Ensure more timely and responsive statistics – Ensuring Canadians have the data they need when they need it!
Provide leadership in stewardship of the Government of Canada's data asset: Improve and increase alignment and collaboration with counterparts at all levels of government as well as private sector and regulatory bodies to create a whole of government, integrated approach to collection, sharing, analysis and use of data
Raise the awareness of Statistics Canada's data and provide seamless access
Develop and release more granular statistics to ensure Canadians have the detailed information they need to make the best possible decisions.
The Pillars
User-Centric Delivery Service
Users have the information/data they need, when they need it, in the way they want to access it, with the tools and knowledge to make full use of it.
User-centric focus is embedded in Statistics Canada's culture.
Leading-edge Methods and Data Integration
Access to new or untapped data modify the role of surveys.
Greater reliance on modelling and integration capacity through R&D environment.
Statistical Capacity Building and Leadership
Whole of government, integrated approach to collection, sharing, analysis and use of data.
Statistics Canada is the leader identifying, building and fostering savvy information and critical analysis skills beyond our own perimeters.
Sharing and Collaboration
Program and services are delivered taking a coordinated approach with partners and stakeholders.
Partnerships allow for open sharing of data, expertise and best practices.
Barriers to accessing data are removed.
Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace
Organization is agile, flexible and responsive to client needs.
Have the talent and environment required to fulfill our current business needs and be open and nimble to continue to position ourselves for the future.
Expected Outcome
Modern and Flexible Operations
Reduced costs to industry, streamlined internal processes and improved efficiency/support of existing and new activities.
Appendix E: Innovation Maturity Survey
In 2018, Statistics Canada conducted a survey to measure the innovation maturity level of the agency across six attributes:Footnote 28
client expectations: incorporating the expectations and needs of clients in the design and development of innovative services and policies
strategic alignment: articulating clear innovation strategies that are aligned with the organization's priorities and mandate
internal activities: building the right capabilities aligned with the innovation strategies
external activities: collaborating across the whole of government and with external partners to co-innovate policies, services and programs
organization: fostering the right organizational elements to drive innovation performance at optimal cost
culture: aligning the innovation goals, cultural attributes and behaviours with the innovation strategies.
The Consumer Prices Division had an overall maturity level similar to the agency, the field and the branch.
Figure 4 Results from the Innovation Maturity Survey (five-point scale)Description - Figure 4 Results from the Innovation Maturity Survey (five-point scale)
Results from the Innovation Maturity Survey (five-point scale)
Statistics Canada will be conducting the Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction (SEFJ) in the winter of 2022, and you may be asked to participate.
Your voice matters
In the event that you are selected, please take the opportunity to let your voice be heard. Your feedback will provide a better understanding of:
the quality of conditions in the workplace, including health and safety;
employee access to benefits and flexible work arrangements;
work-life balance, and;
labour relations.
Survey results will also be used to make important updates to the Canada Labour Code.
Participating is confidential and voluntary
All information collected through this voluntary survey will remain confidential and protected by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada does not release any information that could identify an individual or business unless consent has been given, or as permitted by the act. Furthermore, this information cannot be released under any other law, including the Access to Information Act.
What to expect
You may receive an invitation to take part in the SEFJ in the winter of 2022. As your employer, we will have provided your contact information to Statistics Canada. At that time, you will be provided with more information on how to participate in the survey, including a link to the online questionnaire.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Statistics Canada at infostats@statcan.gc.ca or call 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629Footnote *)
Thank you,
Signature block of employer
Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP)
Reporting Guide
This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the 2020 Annual Civil Aviation Survey - Level II. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.
Help Line: 1-877-949-9492
Your answers are confidential.
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 information from this survey for statistical purposes.
This section verifies or requests basic identifying information of the business or organization such as legal name, operating name (if applicable), contact information of the designated contact person, current operational status, and main activity(ies).
1. Legal name and Operating name
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
2. Designated contact person
Verify or provide the requested contact information of the designated business or organization contact person. The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire. If different than the designated contact person, the contact information of the person completing the questionnaire can be indicated later in the questionnaire.
3. Current operational status
Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name in question 1. If indicating the operational status of the business or organization is 'Not currently operational' then indicate an applicable reason and provide the requested information.
4. Main activity
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
If the current NAICS associated with this business or organizations is not correct, please provide a brief description of the main activity and provide any additional information as requested.
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets – (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (A complete list of activities which are specialty and therefore not subject to filing requirements as charter can be found in the Transport Canada document entitled Starting a Commercial Air Service.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
Operating expenses - Ground property and equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of ground property and equipment.
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment.
Include materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft operations
Flight crew wages, salaries and benefits
Include the wages, salaries and benefits for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on).
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Aircraft fuel and oil
Expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil.
Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Landing fees
Include airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada.
Navigation fees
Charges remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services. Air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services.
Aircraft insurance
Expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable.
Aircraft rental
Expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements.
All other aircraft operation expenses
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft which are not elsewhere classified.
Total aircraft operations expenses
The sum of the previous seven expense items.
Operating expenses - Flight equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of flight equipment.
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Materials and supplies
Expenses on materials and supplies for the maintenance of flight equipment.
Purchased repair services
Expenses for repair services for the maintenance of flight equipment purchased from outside suppliers.
All other maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment.
Total maintenance - flight equipment expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - In-flight services
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on);
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on, and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Passenger food and supplies
Include expenses for in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on, and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers.
Passenger liability insurance
Include the premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance paid by the carrier.
All other in-flight service expenses
Include passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit.
Total in-flight service expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft and traffic servicing
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to ground personnel;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Purchased services
Expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers.
All other aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Include expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage.
Total aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
The sum of the previous three expense items.
Operating expenses - Promotion and sales
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other promotion and sales expenses
Include:
passenger and cargo commission expenses;
the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services, advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses.
Total promotion and sales expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Depreciation
Depreciation - flight equipment
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of flight equipment only;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on flight equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability.
All other depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of all non-flight ground and property equipment;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
Total depreciation
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - All other expenses
Include general administration.
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all employees performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Exclude all amounts reported in the previous six wages, salaries and benefits categories.
All other expenses
Include:
all operating expenses and general administration expenses not reported elsewhere;
expenses for general financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are not included in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
all miscellaneous operating expenses not covered elsewhere;
staff reduction expenses.
Total other expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the eight expenses sub-totals, in other words, Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses, Total aircraft operations expenses, and so on.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses – calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes
Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.
Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all non-turbo fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include gasoline, turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous two items.
Employment
Average number of employees
Refer to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel.
Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
Revenue or expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries
Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
Statistics Canada will be conducting the Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction (SEFJ) in the winter of 2022, and you may be asked to participate.
Your voice matters
In the event that you are selected, please take the opportunity to let your voice be heard. Your feedback will provide a better understanding of:
the quality of conditions in the workplace, including health and safety;
employee access to benefits and flexible work arrangements;
work-life balance, and;
labour relations.
Survey results will also be used to make important updates to the Canada Labour Code.
Participating is confidential and voluntary
All information collected through this voluntary survey will remain confidential and protected by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada does not release any information that could identify an individual or business unless consent has been given, or as permitted by the act. Furthermore, this information cannot be released under any other law, including the Access to Information Act.
What to expect
You may receive an invitation to take part in the SEFJ in the winter of 2022. Statistics Canada will have obtained your contact information from administrative files. At that time, you will be provided with more information on how to participate in the survey, including a link to the online questionnaire.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Statistics Canada at infostats@statcan.gc.ca or call 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629Footnote *)
Statistics Canada is conducting 2 surveys on behalf of Employment and Social Development Canada:
The Survey of Businesses under Federal Jurisdiction, now taking place, aims to identify businesses under federal jurisdiction and to collect employee contact information from those businesses.
The Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction, which will take place in the winter of 2021/2022, will cover topics such as quality of work conditions, access to benefits and flexible work arrangements, labour relations, work-related well-being, health and safety.
Information from this survey will guide research and analysis to update the Canada Labour Code.
The business survey is mandatory
To ensure that all employees are properly identified and can be contacted, the survey conducted among businesses such as yours is mandatory under the Statistics Act.
Participating is easy
You only need to access the link included in the invitation.
You will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire, and provide us with a list of your employees if your business is under federal jurisdiction. If your employees are selected, they will be mailed an invitation to participate in the voluntary Survey of Employees under Federal Jurisdiction.
How to prepare for this survey
This survey should be completed by someone who is knowledgeable about your business activities and has access to your employee list. Survey questions will confirm whether the company is under federal jurisdiction. If it is, your organization will be required to provide Statistics Canada with a list of employees who were active in 2020.
The employee list should include regular, seasonal, term, casual or on-call employees, and any interns (paid or unpaid).
You will have to provide every employee's first and last name, a mailing address (work, personal or both) and the work email address, if available.
Information is confidential
All information collected by Statistics Canada is strictly confidential and protected by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada cannot release any information that would identify you, your business, or your employees without your consent. Furthermore, this information cannot be released under any other law, including the Access to Information Act.
Listen to the Eh Sayers podcast to meet the people behind the data and explore the stories behind the numbers. Join us as we meet with experts from Statistics Canada and from across the nation to ask and answer the questions that matter to Canadians.
AI is here and it’s here to stay. Apps like ChatGPT are now allowing us to perform complex tasks with the click of a button.
As we begin to use these new versions of AI, our jobs are destined to change. So, what will an average day of work look like a decade from now? Which jobs will AI impact the most? And is AI coming to replace our jobs altogether?
In this episode, we sat down with AI expert Tahsin Mehdi, an economist in the social analysis and modeling division of Statistics Canada, to answer our questions about how AI will transform our work lives in Canada.
Canada's workforce is among the most educated in the world. But when it comes to worker productivity, we've seen a real slump over the past few years. The quarterly data published by StatCan in June 2024 confirms Canadian workers are continuing to underperform compared to our neighbours to the south. This comes as no surprise to this episode's guest, Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor at StatCan. The latest quarterly numbers are a continuation of an ongoing decline in Canada's productivity that economists have been tracking for years.
But what factors influence worker productivity? And why does it matter if Canadians are less productive? As a matter of fact, what even is productivity? In this episode, we asked Guy to help us understand how we got to this point and why it matters for Canadians.
We can try our best, but its not always easy knowing what's best for the environment. The world is complicated, and it isn't as simple as reduce, reuse, recycle—though that's a great place to start!
In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy bein' green."
We have two stories exploring that theme. The first is one we made in-house asking just how green our digital world really is, and the second comes from the Simply Science podcast exploring the world of urban forests.
Are you feeling like it's a little bit harder to bring home the bacon... from the grocery store? The latest data indicate that food prices have mostly stabilized... but why does it feel like the cost of feeding your family is still going up? Today, we're talking food inflation with StatCan's resident smart cookie Taylor Mitchell.
StatCan released new analysis into the online culture our kids are growing up in, and it's far from the best of all possible worlds: misinformation, bullying, violence… and worse. Analyst Rachel Tsitomeneas joins us to dive into the findings.
In this episode, we speak with Randy Morin and Belinda kakiyosēw Daniels, who share their knowledge of the Cree language with learners at the Nêhiyawak Language Experience, about the wisdom encoded in Indigenous languages, as well as the opportunities for these languages and the barriers they face.
In the age of social media, AI, and deepfakes, discerning fact from fiction is a crucial skill. Nowadays, we're not just getting our information from the six o'clock news. Friends, family, researchers, influencers, entertainers, news anchors, advertisers… Who can you trust?
Canada reached an important milestone June 16, 2023. For the first time, there were 40 million people living in Canada. That means that someone out there is the 40 millionth Canadian. But who is it?
StatCan's Consumer Price Index tells us a lot about the economy… if you know what to look for. Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor at StatCan, joins us at the mic to break down the CPI and answer our questions about the economy. What's the ideal inflation rate? Is no inflation the best kind of inflation? And what is a deflationary spiral?
Andrew DeFazio, Climate Change Advisor at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) joins us to explore how we can climate-proof our housing strategy and home-proof our climate strategy.
It used to be that Statistics Canada didn't measure poverty. Not exactly. Poverty is complex, and there wasn't a single definition that everyone agreed on. So while StatCan did measure low income and other income inequality indicators, it didn't measure poverty per se. That is, until 2018, when the government chose to use the Market Basket Measure, or MBM, as Canada's Official Poverty Line. That means that the government now uses the MBM to track its poverty reduction targets.
We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Ostry's appointment as chief statistician. In this episode of Eh Sayers, featuring interviews with her sons, Adam Ostry and Jonathan Ostry, we are pleased to introduce you to this remarkable woman and to share with you eight pieces of advice inspired by her life.
Over the last few years we have seen plenty of service disruptions, closures of services and delays. But what is the real cause of these disruptions and what is the supply chain that everyone is talking about?
Virtual healthcare was a rarity before COVID-19 but immediately after the pandemic hit in March 2020, Canadians were forced to rethink how they access healthcare. Dr. Gigi Osler joins us to explore the barriers to virtual healthcare, the changes we saw during the pandemic, and what's being done to make virtual care permanent, rather than just a temporary COVID-19 measure.
In this episode, we turn a critical eye to the ways that cognitive bias risks perpetuating systemic racism. Statistics are supposed to accurately reflect the world around us, but are all data created equal?
Our guest, Taylor Mitchell, an economist at Statistics Canada, speaks with us about why you should care about inflation, its impact on different population groups and the cost of living.
This fourth installment of Eh Sayers focusses on the growing market of gigs and their place in an ever-changing landscape of job flexibility and/or instability.
This first episode of Eh Sayers is a heart-felt discussion on disability in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the realities of people living with disabilities, their challenges and all the changes that the pandemic has brought in their daily lives.
Episode 21 - Is AI Coming for Your Job?
Episode 20 - Why Economists Are Sounding the Alarm on Productivity
Episode 19 - It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Episode 18 - Why Food Inflation Is Such A Hard Nut To Crack
Episode 17 - It's 8pm... Do You Know What Your Kids Are Googling?
Episode 16 - How Do You Say "Language Revitalization" in Cree?
Episode 15 - A Little Less Misinformation, A Little More True Facts, Please
Episode 14 - I Got 99 Problems But Being Misgendered on the Census Isn't One
Episode 13 - Will The 40 Millionth Canadian Please Stand Up?
Episode 12 - In a Movie About the Economy, Is Inflation the Bad Guy?
Episode 11 - Green Houses, Not Gases
Episode 10 - Why Haven't We Ended Poverty Yet?
Episode 9 - Sylvia Ostry: Lessons From A Legend
Episode 8 - Dude, Where's My Semiconductor?
Episode 7 - Doctor's Appointment? There's an App for That!
Episode 6 - Created Equal
Episode 5 - Why Should You Care About Inflation?
Episode 4 - Who Wins and Who Loses in the Gig Economy?
Episode 3 - The Craft of Crafting in Canada
Episode 2 - Unravelling: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian families
Episode 1 - Talk about the barriers, not the disability: Activity limitations and COVID-19
National AccessAbility Week 2021