Table of contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Privacy Act
  • Organizational Structure of Statistics Canada
  • Delegation Order
  • Performance 2023-2024
  • Other requests
  • Disposition of completed requests
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Complaints and Investigations
• Implementation: Privacy
  • Costs
• Training and Awareness
• Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
• Initiatives and Projects to Improve Privacy
  • Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints
• Material Privacy Breaches
• Privacy Impact Assessments
  • Talent Bank project
  • Enterprise Service Management Solution
  • NetSupport
  • Canadian Correctional Services Survey
  • Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements – Children with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities
  • Collection of Police-reported Indigenous and Racialized Identity Data through the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
  • Canadian Agricultural Partnership Survey
  • 2023 National Cannabis Survey
  • Oral Health Statistics Program
  • Survey Series on People and their Communities – Participation and Experiences in Community Sports – Wave 4
  • Survey Series on People and their Communities – Social Cohesion and Experiences of Discrimination – Wave 5
  • Human Rights Tribunal Project
  • Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences – Primary and Specialist Care
  • Intensive Rehabilitative Custody Supervision Project
  • Survey on Financing and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises
  • 2024 Census Test
  • Canadian Survey on the Provision of Child Care Services
  • Employee Wellness Surveys and Pulse Check Surveys – Systems Update
  • Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform
  • Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events, Cycle 2
  • Canadian Covid-19 Antibody and Health Survey – Longitudinal Follow up to Cycle 2
• Microdata Linkage
• Public Interest Disclosures
• Monitoring Compliance
• Appendix A: Delegation Order
• Appendix B: Statistical Report
• Appendix C: Microdata Linkage

Introduction

The Privacy Act gives Canadian citizens and people living in Canada the right to access their personal information being held by federal government institutions. The Act also protects against unauthorized disclosure of that personal information, and it strictly controls how the government collects, uses, stores, discloses, and disposes of any personal information.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Privacy Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 72 of the Act, and it covers the period from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Statistics Canada's mandate is to produce data that helps Canadians better understand their country – its population, resources, economy, environment, society and culture. The agency is legislated to serve this function for Canada and each of the provinces and territories. The agency must also conduct the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture every five years, providing a detailed picture of Canadian society.

Statistics Canada did not have any non-operational subsidiaries during the reporting period.

Implementation: Privacy

The Privacy Act has a substantial impact on Statistics Canada, but the impact cannot be measured only by the number of requests processed. Although society seeks a broader range of detailed information, it also demands more accountability on the part of government about the collection of personal information and the purposes served by the information.

The Agency has a strong track record of respecting the privacy of Canadians and has taken a number of initiatives to address the privacy concerns of Canadians.

Statistics Canada has internal directives that reflect the basic principles found in the Privacy Act. The Agency's Directive on Informing Survey Respondents requires that all respondents be informed of the expected use of the statistics produced from the survey results, the authority under which the survey is taken, their obligation to respond, the confidentiality protection given to all information collected under the Statistics Act, and any data-sharing arrangements pursuant to provisions of the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada also developed the Directive on Microdata Linkage to respond to concerns of both respondents and privacy advocates on the potential of matching an individual's information gathered from a variety of sources.

These two directives not only support compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Privacy Act, but also demonstrate the Agency's commitment to the protection and appropriate use of the personal information under its control, while still meeting its mandate.

The Agency has also developed and implemented a Necessity and Proportionality framework that ensures that any collection of personal information for its statistical programs is duly justified.

As we chart new paths and methods of collecting data, respecting and protecting the rightful privacy of Canadians sit at the heart of everything we do. Statistics Canada's Trust Centre underlines how we meet Canadians' information needs while keeping their data safe and private.

Statistics Canada continues to work diligently to ensure that the confidentiality it has committed to in law and in principle, is upheld. This includes ensuring that privacy remains at the forefront of all our activities.

Statistics Canada's very mandate requires that it produce information that helps Canadians better understand their country – its population, resources, economy, environment, society and culture. To achieve this, the Agency must collect a considerable amount of personal information directly from Canadians through surveys, or indirectly from private and public organizations. Parliament has given Statistics Canada this mandate to better serve Canadians, but with such authority comes great responsibility. Statistics Canada continually adjusts to new realities and adapts existing mechanisms or develops new ones to protect Canadians' privacy and ensure that their data will not be misused. The Agency must demonstrate and provide assurances to Canadians that it can be trusted with their information.

As Statistics Canada continues to modernize, it is committing to Responsible Privacy. Responsible Privacy is instrumental in honouring our promise to diligently collect, use, disclose and protect Canadians' personal information. It ensures that we indefatigably strive to go beyond what is required and encompasses innovative privacy checks and balances that ensure due diligence when handling personal information. It requires that privacy be imprinted in all our activities.

To foster the Responsible Privacy approach and meet the demands of a digital world in the 21st century, senior management at Statistics Canada has committed to a formalized Privacy Management Program (PMP). Statistics Canada's Privacy Management Programs ensures that the Agency is equipped to manage and protect any personal information in its custody and control. It provides transparency and accountability through a structured framework designed to ensure the protection of personal information and compliance with laws and regulations.

While many of its components were already part of the Agency's regular activities, the PMP instils a systematic and strategic approach that reinforces our commitment to Canadians regarding their personal information.

Training and Awareness

In 2023-2024, the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office expanded its formal training program for all staff across the Agency. Informal one-on-one training was made available, until such time as the formal training was implemented. The informal training assists staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informs them about policies and directives related to personal information at Statistics Canada. In 2023-2024, the ATIP Office continued to offer training on procedures to new liaison officers. There was very little turnover among the liaisons, who maintained their good relationship and open lines of communication with the ATIP Office.

Statistics Canada's Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination offers courses on a variety of subjects related to the Statistics Act and the Privacy Act as well as supporting policies and directives. These include sessions on "Privacy Impact Assessment" and "Privacy and Confidentiality", with a focus on personal information collected about employees of Statistics Canada, clients or the public, and appropriate use of such personal information.

Statistics Canada also requires employees to complete computer-based courses on confidentiality. A mandatory course for new employees offers a brief overview of confidentiality, illustrating its importance at the Agency.

Additionally, the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination (OPMIC) sponsored a Data Privacy Day in January 2024, which highlighted the activities and services provided by the Privacy Management Team. The OPMIC noted that there was a high level of engagement with strong feedback received. Bilateral meetings between the OPC and StatCan are occurring on a regular basis, where StatCan programs and activities are discussed.

Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP sector contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating privacy requests. These tools include a concise checklist outlining steps to follow when providing responsive records for privacy requests, and a responsible contact from the ATIP team throughout the process. There are also a variety of directives and policies provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat, about the protection of personal information. Personal and confidential information is protected by the Privacy Act and the Statistics Act and will only be disclosed as permitted by these Acts.

During the reporting period, updates to administrative procedures were made to facilitate the retrieval of human resource documents for ATIP. Given that requests for human resource documents are typically less intricate and more recurrent, new administrative procedures expedited access to these documents, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the retrieval process and response rates for requesters.

Statistics Canada developed and published a privacy framework that identifies the full scope of privacy controls within the operations of Statistics Canada as a collection of approved practices, procedures and governance related to privacy. This includes the identification of the Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, as the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for Statistics Canada, as designated by the Chief Statistician. The CPO provides leadership on matters related to privacy, develops business strategies and processes that ensure that privacy is considered and accounted for in business decision, and ensures the safeguarding of the information through administrative policy instruments and best practices.

As the functional authority on statistical methods within the Government of Canada, StatCan has provided extensive inputs to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) regarding the Privacy Implementation Notice on De-identification. TBS and StatCan have begun partnering on a multi-year initiative to develop a Framework on de-identification for the Government of Canada, which will include standards, guidance, and tools that will enable institutions to appropriately leverage de-identification as a privacy preserving technique.

Given its unique position in the federal government in collecting personal information solely for statistical and research purposes, Statistics Canada has determined that the privacy issues associated with its statistical activities undertaken under the authority of the Statistics Act could be addressed by means of a Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

Although the Generic PIA is comprehensive and reflects most of Statistics Canada's operations, in the instance of extraordinary activities, specific PIAs are conducted with input from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC). Statistics Canada prepares supplements to the Generic PIA for all new and significantly redesigned surveys and statistical programs involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks that have not been addressed in the Generic PIA.

Initiatives and Projects to Improve Privacy

The ATIP Office uses the ATIP Online Reporting Tool to receive and respond to requests submitted electronically. During this reporting period, the Online Reporting Tool was updated to allow for release packages to be sent securely to requesters who created a profile. This method allows for documents to be sent securely, with larger packages being sent than can normally be accommodated via email.

The agency has decided to acquire the ATIPXpress software and is anticipating having the software beginning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Once the software has been implemented, the retrieval process will be streamlined and the amount of time it takes to process a request should be reduced.

Material Privacy Breaches

The Privacy and Information Breach Protocol provides clear identification of the various roles and responsibilities in the event of a breach. It includes the requirement to complete an enhanced process which incorporates the elements in the Treasury Board Secretariat's guidelines on how to respond to a privacy breach. The template has been approved by the Agency's senior management. At a minimum, the incident report will contain the following information:

• a description of the incident (who, what, when, where, why, how)
• the actions already taken and planned for the future
• a description of the risks/impacts
• any other information that might be helpful in locating any lost item(s) or in assessing the consequences of loss or compromise
• recommendations for mitigating or eliminating the risk of the event recurring in future
• information on whether the individuals or organizations whose information was breached were informed of the incident
• indication if the individuals, Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and Treasury Board Secretariat will be informed of the incident and if not, a rationale for not informing them.

Best practices to eliminate or reduce future recurrences that are identified during an investigation must be communicated to other employees to prevent a recurrence of the breach.

Breaches are coordinated by a centralized group in the Privacy Management team to ensure that all programs impacted by the breach provide input.

There were 15 privacy breaches at Statistics Canada during the reporting period, and of these breaches, none were material in nature. A total of 6,513 people were affected by these 15 breaches.

Amongst the 6,456 people affected, 5,840 were the result of 1 incident related to a Webinar email invitation sent to external partners in CC rather than BCC, and 415 were the result of the government-wide Brookfield Global Relocation Services (BGRS) and SIRVA breach.

Privacy Impact Assessments

The Statistics Canada Directive on Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) specifies the roles and responsibilities of its senior managers and privacy specialists regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. This directive applies to all statistical and non-statistical programs that engage in the collection, use or disclosure of personal information.

Statistics Canada's Generic PIA covers all aspects of the Agency's statistical programs that collect, use and disseminate information in support of the mandate under the Statistics Act. The Generic PIA addresses the ten privacy principles and includes a threat and risk assessment for various collection and access modes.

Supplements to the Generic PIA are produced for new and significantly redesigned collections, uses or disclosures of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality, or security risks. The Generic PIA and its supplements are posted on the Statistics Canada website: Generic privacy impact assessment.

When it relates to the administration of the institution other PIAs are conducted for new or redesigned administrative programs and services that involve the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that are not addressed in the Generic PIA. Summaries of completed privacy impact assessments can be found on the Statistics Canada website: Privacy impact assessments.

In the current reporting period, 21 privacy assessments, including three PIA, 14 supplements, and four amendments or addendums were approved and submitted to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Treasury Board Secretariat. The following are brief descriptions:

Microdata Linkage

As outlined in Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage, linkages of different records pertaining to the same individual are carried out only for statistical purposes and only in cases where the public good is clearly evident. One of the primary objectives of these linkages is to produce statistical information that facilitates a better understanding of Canadian society, the economy, and the environment.

All microdata linkage proposals must satisfy a prescribed review process as outlined in the directive. In addition to demonstrating the public benefit, each submission must provide details of the output. The public dissemination of any information resulting from microdata linkage, like all other statistical information, is only at an aggregate level which protects the confidentiality of the information of individuals.

In 2023-2024, there were 28 approved microdata linkages that involved personal information. A summary of these microdata linkages is found in Appendix C.

Public Interest Disclosures

No disclosures were made under paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act during the reporting period.

Monitoring Compliance

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgement of the request is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area, Office of Primary Interest (OPI), for responsive records. If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, the ATIP Office contacts the client. Statistics Canada is currently working to procure a new software solution that will assist in modernizing and improving the processing of requests received by the Agency. The procurement process is being led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on behalf of the Government of Canada.

The retrieval form provided to the OPI was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based upon the Policy on Access to Information and the Directive on Access to Information Requests from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. The form includes the text of the request, the name and phone number of the ATIP Officer, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). The form includes a checklist, which the OPIs complete to confirm that they have conducted a thorough search, and a recommendation schedule for identifying sensitive information and the specific nature of the injury that could be caused by release. The individual providing the records is asked to identify any records which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., legal issues, Cabinet confidences, personal information, company information, advice to the Minister), which may require consultations, and/or which may generate media interest. The Director General, or appropriate delegate, of the program area sign-off the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with administrative procedures related to the retrieval of records. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures a retrieval form is duly completed by the program executive. The OPI and program executives are reminded of the importance of responding to ATIP requests in a timely and comprehensive manner. The performance of OPIs to respond to requests for records is reported to senior management in a monthly dashboard, to ensure that any issues are identified and addressed.

When reviewing responsive records, if there are documents that were created by or pertain to another department, we only consult under the Privacy Act if we have reason to believe that redactions would be applied. Under the Privacy Act we seek to limit consultations as much as possible, to retain the confidentiality of the requester. For Privacy requests received this fiscal year, our only consultations have been to the Department of Justice where there was an active court case.

The information requested under the Privacy Act can typically be provided within the 30-day time period. Census information can be requested under the Act, or through the Census and Pension Search Centre. The volume of requests received by the organization is not onerous enough to necessitate creating an alternate method of availability.

Appendix A: Delegation Order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 202-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of requests recevied

1.2 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and completion time

3.2 Exemptions

3.3 Exclusions

3.4 Format of information released

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

3.5.2 Relevant pages processed by request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

3.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

3.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

3.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

3.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

3.5.7 Other complexities

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

3.7 Deemed refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

3.7.2 Request closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

3.8 Requests for translation

Section 4: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Section 5: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for extensions

6.2 Length of extensions

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

10.2 Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks

Section 11: Privacy Breaches

11.1 Material Privacy Breaches reported

11.2 Non-Material Privacy Breaches

Section 12: Resources Related to the Privacy Act

12.1 Allocated Costs

12.2 Human Resources

Appendix C: Microdata linkages 2023-2024

Approved microdata linkages containing personal information

Assessing socio-demographic and health characteristics of people who received Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) (009-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a linked dataset that will allow the study of socio-demographic and health characteristics of people who have accessed MAID. In order to achieve this purpose, decedent information from Health Canada will be linked to the T1FF to obtain income and employment data, the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) to obtain hospital discharge records, and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) and the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS) to obtain information on use of health care services. The MAID data will also be linked to the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database (CVSD) to obtain coded cause of death data, as well as the Canadian Cancer Registry to obtain information cancer diagnosis and treatment. Linking the MAID data to other data sources at Statistics Canada will allow the identification of possible barriers and inequalities in accessing MAID supports in Canada.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Exact outputs and products are still to be determined but will be based on needs to address key research questions. It is anticipated that high-level findings will be shared with Health Canada in the form of reports, presentations, data tables, and data visualization dashboards. It is possible that high-level findings may also be published for public use through reports, web tables, data dashboards or other means. The analytical file, without identifiers, will be made available via Statistics Canada Secure Access Points (such as Research Data Centres), and access will only be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process.

Comparing the innovation performance of multinational and non-multinational enterprises (010-2023)

Purpose: The goal of this project is to measure the contribution of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and non-multinational enterprises (non-MNEs) to innovation, advanced technology use and the high-tech sector in Canada. The analysis can provide insights into factors that contribute to innovation success and inform policies that promote innovation and competitiveness in all types of firms.

In the initial usage of this linkage Statistics Canada's Investment, Science and Technology Division will analyze the differences between MNE and non-MNEs across a variety of indicators. This will allow Statistics Canada to analyse to what extent MNEs contribute to the structural changes in the economy. Particularly, as it pertains to the adoption and implementation.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. These outputs will include aggregate statistical tabulations showing the difference in MNEs and non-MNEs in terms of innovation rate, advanced technology use, and patents for high-tech and non-high-tech sectors.

Estimating participation in the tax and benefit system (011-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to investigate the participation of specific groups in the Canadian tax and benefit system, and these groups' access to this system. More specifically, it will attempt to evaluate how many low-income earners may be missing out on the Canada workers benefit by not filing a tax return. It will also examine the filing rates for social assistance recipients to estimate whether this behaviour precludes this vulnerable population from receiving certain benefits. The information will help improve targeted outreach efforts to increase uptake of specific benefits and encourage Canadians to file a tax return.

Output: Non-confidential aggregate tables will be produced to summarize filing rates for individuals with low earnings and asocial assistance recipients. The initial products will be two analytical papers that will compare limited sociodemographic characteristics, including age, gender, presence of children and geography. Only non-confidential aggregated data estimates that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS) to census and immigration data (012-2023)

Purpose: Expansion of the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS) dataset through data linkage will allow for complex investigations, descriptive and inferential, on the demographic, socioeconomic and health-related variables that contributed to the experience of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection of biospecimens as part of the CCASH, both Dried Blood Spot (DBS) and Saliva (PCR) samples, will provide information about the virus, including how the presence of antibodies from infection and vaccination varied across time in the Canadian population. The linkage aims to extend the level of disaggregation of the survey findings across Canadian subpopulations based on immigration characteristics, known and spoken languages, and income levels. This is particularly important as the CCAHS cycle 2 collected information on chronic disease prevalence and the longer-term impacts of SARS CoV-2 infections, including which Canadians might be at greater risk of experiencing the post-COVID-19 condition. The findings may lead to the identification of populations at risk during and following a pandemic, as well as provide evidence to enact effective policies and mitigation strategies that support greater health equity for Canadians.

Output: Only non-confidential statistical aggregates will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The linkage will produce separate analytical files.

1. Research file: an analytical file without identifiers will be accessible for research purposes via Statistics Canada's secure access points following the standard approval process for access, including becoming Statistics Canada deemed employees.
2. Linked analytical share files, without identifiers, will be accessed via Statistics Canada secure access points by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and by the Covid-19 Immunity Taskforce (CIT), who have signed data sharing agreements under the Statistics Act and where respondents have consented to share their information. Where applicable a disclosure order under the Statistics Act will be in place to disclose tax information to PHAC where respondents have consented. Access will require researchers from PHAC and CIT to become Statistics Canada deemed employees.

Exploring the socioeconomic factors associated with contact with police, courts and correctional services (013-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to explore the extent and nature of new criminal justice system contacts among groups of people who have had a previous contact with the criminal justice system, as well as the demographic and socio-economic factors associated with criminal justice system contacts (for example, employment, education, household composition, health, and use of social services). Previous research has shown that a small group of people is responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime, and that this group is more likely to be economically marginalized, have higher mortality rates, and be hospitalized more frequently. Therefore, understanding the characteristics associated with criminal justice system contacts is important for criminal justice policy, programs, and initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing crime.

Output: Linked analytical files and anonymized linking keys will be used by Statistics Canada to produce non-confidential aggregate statistical tables and analytical reports, such as reports for Statistics Canada's flagship justice and public safety publications, Juristat. The analytical files and linking keys, without identifiers, will be made available via Statistics Canada Secure Access Points (such as Research Data Centres). The collection of these analytical files and linking keys will be called the Criminal Justice Relational Database and access will only be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process.

Gender-based analysis plus of federal tax expenditures using microdata linkage between Census 2021 and tax data (014-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to conduct a Gender-based plus impact analysis of federal personal income tax expenditures for racialized groups, immigrants and Indigenous peoples using information resulting from a linkage between census and tax microdata. This project aims to provide a better understanding of the income characteristics among specific identity groups.

As part of this cost-recovery project, Statistics Canada will be linking select variables from the 2021 Census to income and tax deduction data from the T1 Family File and the T1 Personal Master File. Immigration, ethnicity and gender variables from the Census will be merged with income and claims information to estimate the share of Canadians with immigration and ethnocultural characteristics who are claiming and benefiting from various available federal tax expenditures among Canadians.

Output: The final linked analytical files without personal identifiers will be made available within Statistics Canada secure access points. Access will only be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process. Research reports and presentations will be generated from the analysis of files. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and tables conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY) to explore the neurological adverse effects of air pollution on children (016-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to examine the association of air pollution exposure to both pre-conception and during the prenatal period (based on the mother's address in the Canadian Vital Statistics – Births database and the T1FF tax file) with health outcomes of children (based on the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth). Future research could also use the linked file to examine the association of perinatal outcomes with other child health outcomes. This project will enhance our understanding about associations between air pollution and child health outcomes.

Output: Only aggregate statistical outputs that confirm to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be disseminated. All products specifically delivered to Health Canada will contain aggregate outputs (no microdata). All products from the linked data will be disseminated in accordance with Statistics Canada's policies, guidelines and standards. The analytical file will not contain any personal identifiers. Outputs from this file may include a wide range of data and analytical products.

Production of demographic analyses to support the preparation of population projections using the Demosim microsimulation model (017-2023)

Purpose: As part of the microsimulation Population Projections Program, we aim to link data that will be used to produce various demographic analyses, which, in turn, will serve to produce projection parameters and assumptions required to update the population projections, produced with the Demosim microsimulation model, of several sub-groups of the Canadian population, such as Indigenous populations, immigrant populations, racialized groups, language groups, etc.

These projects will be used by a wide variety of users inside and outside Statistics Canada, including partners from various federal and provincial departments, researchers, academics, and the general public. The project also aims at documenting the demographic analyses produced during the preparation of the projections and at publishing the results of these analyses in different formats, including scientific articles, technical reports, feasibility studies, internal or external presentations.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. The different datasets will be anonymized and will respect the restrictions specific to each dataset (e.g., vital statistics, Indian Register). The key results from the demographic analyses will be used to produce projection assumptions and parameters, and will be published as technical documents, analytical reports, scientific articles and/or presentations.

Linkage of the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability to the 2021 Census of Population (018-2023)

Purpose: The main objective of the microdata linkage is to create a detailed statistical portrait of persons with disabilities in Canada. The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) analytical file is used in part to estimate disability rates, but also to compare the characteristics of persons with and without a disability at various levels of geography.

Output: Only aggregate statistical estimates that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Linked information from the 2022 CSD and the 2021 Census of Population will be used in analytical articles and other data products released from the 2022 CSD, beginning with the initial release of the data on December 1st, 2023. This coincides with the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).

To support the first release on December 1st, 2023, and subsequent releases taking place in March 2024, researchers from Employment and Social Development Canada will sign a Microdata Service Contract to give them access, as Statistics Canada deemed employees, to a preliminary 2022 CSD file linked with 2021 Census data. This will enable them to provide expertise in data validation for certain variables, as well as conduct data development and analysis. All work undertaken by deemed employees will take place in Statistics Canada's Federal Research Data Centre.

The final linked file is released to the Statistics Canada Research Data Centres in the winter of 2024, and used to support projects such as the SPSD-M (microsimulation model for persons with disabilities).

All products containing linked data will be disseminated in accordance with Statistics Canada's policies, guidelines and standards.

Addition of the National Household Survey to the Linkable File Environment (LFE) of Statistics Canada (019-2023)

Purpose: The proposed activity would link the enterprises in the Linkable File Environment (FLE) of the Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) to the National Household Survey. The initial usage of the linkage of the NHS and the FLE is part of the Business Innovation and Growth Support project between the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) and Statistics Canada. BIGS requires the linkage of the NHS to the LFE so that TBS can evaluate whether the federal government support programs to businesses are efficient, equitable, diversified, and inclusive for specific population groups, such as women, indigenous peoples, visible minorities, people with disabilities, single parents, and members of official language minority communities.

Output: Analytical datasets will be placed in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. No analytical datafile will be released. Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose assigned work duties require such access. Deemed employees may access the anonymized microdata in short-term projects following the standard approval process for access via Statistics Canada's RDCs.

Outputs will include data tables which provide more detailed descriptive statistics regarding the types of entrepreneurs and workforce of Canadian enterprises for specific population groups benefitting from federal government support. TBS, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and other government bodies and researchers will utilize these outputs to build and enhance policies, programs and tools that promote fairness, equity, and inclusion across the diversity of entrepreneurs and employees, with the goal of boosting Canada's economic health, sustainability, and productivity.

Linkage of the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database to Pension Plans in Canada to conduct analysis on the labour market impacts of employer-pension plans (020-2023)

Purpose: The first goal of this project is to determine the characteristics of firms offering pension plans and how employer-pensions have been shaped by public policies. The second goal is to assess how these pensions affect the type and pace at which workers join and exit these firms. Finally, the project will look at how these pensions affect the earnings of workers of different ages. The findings of the study will help identify gaps in pension coverage across Canadian society and provide valuable information for the design of pension legislation.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The release of the vetted outputs will be done by Statistics Canada staff. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics related to the project's goal. The anonymized analytical file will be made available through Statistics Canada Secure Access Points (such as research data centres), and access will be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process. The clients will also have to become Statistics Canada deemed employee to access the data through an approved secure access point.

Linkage of beneficiary enterprises of R&D and innovation grants from the Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy of the Government of Quebec from 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 to the Linkable File Environment (021-2023)

Purpose: This project aims to link beneficiary enterprises of R&D and innovation grants from the Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy of the Government of Quebec from 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 to the Linkable File Environment of Statistics Canada. The linked list of enterprises will then be used to produce custom tables of non-confidential aggregated statistics and an analytical report on the impact of R&D, innovation grants and tax credits on business productivity by comparing, between the receipt of support and after support, observed outcomes between beneficiary enterprises from the treatment group and non-beneficiary enterprises from the control group.

Output: The final output will be custom tables of non-confidential aggregated statistics and an analytical report on the impact of R&D, innovation grants and tax credits on business productivity by comparing, between the receipt of support and after support, observed outcomes between beneficiary enterprises from the treatment group and non-beneficiary enterprises from the control group.

Only non-confidential aggregated statistical results and analysis in compliance with the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the Canadian Internet Use Survey to tax, immigration and Census data for the addition of other statistical variables (023-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of the linkage is to respond to the data needs of the Government of Canada to measure the digital economy, including informing the Universal Broadband Fund. As the barriers to accessing digital technologies and their impacts can vary by different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, it is important to include this perspective when producing statistics where possible to inform relevant policies and programs. Income, language and Immigration statistics are important when looking at differences in Internet access and use to determine barriers and to address gaps specific to the different demographics which influence the digital divide. These data are not collected in the questionnaire and can only be obtained through microdata linkage.

This linkage offers the opportunity to reduce response burden by not having to asking additional questions and increases data quality through the use of administrative data.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Findings are expected to be used to inform policy, for research papers, internal and external reporting documents, presentations at workshops and conferences, and external publications.

An anonymized analytical dataset will be made available via Statistics Canada Secure Access Points, and access will only be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process. In addition, a public use microdata file (PUMF) will be made available through Statistics Canada's PUMF platform.

Diversity indicators for businesses participating in the Canada Digital Adoption Program (025-2023)

Purpose: The goal of this project is to fill a data gap for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on the number of businesses participating in the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) that are owned by Employment Equity groups.

To undertake this project, a list of businesses participating in CDAP will be linked to Statistics Canada's Business Register and the Canadian Employer Employee Dynamics Database. The resulting linked data will be used to produce counts of businesses by province or territory and industry for the following groups based on majority ownership: Indigenous peoples, racialized groups (and sub-groups, if possible), women, persons with disabilities, and newcomers to Canada (within the last five years).

Output: Statistics Canada will provide tables to ISED containing counts of businesses by province/territory and industry for the following groups based on majority ownership: Indigenous peoples, racialized groups (and sub-groups if possible), women, persons with disabilities, and newcomers to Canada (within the last five years, determined using the year of landing in Canada based on the Longitudinal Immigration Database).

Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Social Linkage of the Agricultural Population to determine the social characteristics of those employed in the agriculture sector and farm owners (027-2023)

Purpose: The Social Linkage of the Agriculture Population will provide a wealth of socio-economic data on farm operators and the people who work in agriculture, without increasing respondent burden. The linkage will enable a detailed analysis on social indicators (disability, immigration status, sex) that are present among agriculture employees and farm operators. The linkage will provide a wealth of information to develop informed policy and address diversity and inclusion priorities for the farming community.

Output: Only aggregate statistical estimates that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Outputs will include Common Output Database Repository (CODR) tabulations to be released on the Statistics Canada website, ad-hoc data requests from clients on demand, as well as other analytical, research or technical articles that may be released.

Record linkage between tax data and the 2021 Census to examine the characteristics of emigrants (028-2023)

Purpose: The goal of the linkage is to identify and establish the demographic and socioeconomic profile of emigrants for 2021. This linkage will provide high-quality information on emigrants and on their characteristics that cannot be found elsewhere while reducing costs and response burden on the Canadian population.

Output: The linked data will be used to compute estimates that will feed analytical products. Only aggregate statistics and analyzes that comply with the Statistics Act will be disseminated outside Statistics Canada.

Study on mortality and cancer diagnoses in Quebec employees of the Rio Tinto Alcan primary aluminum refinery, update of the linkage between the Rio Tinto Alcan Workers file and the Canadian Vital Statistics – Death database (CVSD) (030-2023)

Purpose: This study follows on a series of four epidemiological studies on mortality and new cancer diagnoses in workers at Rio Tinto Alcan's Quebec aluminum smelters. It is an update (as of December 31, 2019) of data on mortality and cancer incidence in workers hired between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 2019.

Output: The research team will receive de-identified files from Statistics Canada (deaths), from the Quebec Cancer Registry (cancers incidence) and from Rio Tinto Alcan (demographic data; work experience; exposure to PAHs; tobacco use), each with a unique identifier key created for this study. Only members of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) research team who signed a confidentiality agreement will look at, analyze and use these microdata files. These files will be accessed through Statistics Canada's research data centres in accordance with the required standard approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and in compliance with the restrictions in place related to the variables for source datasets (e.g., hospitals, vital statistics and the assessed record file). The data from these files will help to produce mortality rate and cancer incidence indicators. The results of the analysis will be presented in the form of aggregated tables, in a study report and in scientific articles in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act. The CHIRP (Children with IncarceRated Parents) Study: Microdata

Linkage of Corrections Data with Vital Statistics, Child Tax Benefits and Hospital Discharge Data (031-2023)

Purpose: The main objective of the CHIRP (Children with IncarceRated Parents) Study is to identify children who experience parental incarceration, using data from the Canadian Correctional Services Survey (CCSS), the Canadian Vital Statistics Database, the Discharge Abstract Database, and the Canadian Child Tax Benefits database. Through this data linkage, an estimate of the actual number of children experiencing parental incarceration can be determined, as well as the health status and outcomes of this population relative to general population. This project will address data gaps regarding the lack of population-level data on the number of children who experience parental incarceration. The findings of this project could be used to increase the visibility of this population in national and provincial policies, and ultimately to inform the design and delivery of initiatives to better support children who experience parental incarceration.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated tables, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The analytical file, without personal identifiers, will be made available via Statistics Canada's Secure Access Points (such as Research Data Centres) and access will only be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process. Academic researchers involved in the CHIRP project are planning to author an article in a peer-reviewed academic journal detailing the results of their analysis using the linked data from Statistics Canada. In addition, to help facilitate wider public access, a plain language summary of the findings will be developed and posted to the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada and the Canadian Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (CCCIP) websites.

Government cleantech programs and environmental innovation (032-2023)

Purpose: The proposed activity would link enterprises in the Business Linkable File Environment (LFE) of the Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) to Canadian businesses from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program open database, as part of the Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) project between the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) and Statistics Canada. BIGS requires descriptive statistics and data models to better understand determinants of intellectual property development to evaluate government programs and expenditures, with the goals of optimizing Canadian innovation, environmental footprints, patents, inventions, research and development, and employment in research and development.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose assigned work duties require such access. The linked microdata file will not contain identifiers. Deemed employees will access the linked microdata files in Statistics Canada's secure password-protected server located at the head office using their Statistics Canada laptops from their secure remote work location.

Outputs will include data tables providing descriptive statistics of enterprises related to environmental innovation, and potentially data models to better understand determinants of environmental innovation. TBS will utilize these data products to tailor policies, programs and tools to help Canadian enterprises innovate and improve their environmental footprints and R&D, with the ultimate goal of boosting Canada's economic prosperity through green innovation.

Linkage of the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act Program to the Business-Linkable File Environment (034-2023)

Purpose: The main objective of this project is to estimate the effect of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) program on the financial performance of the recipients. The initial phase will involve preparing profiles of program participants and comparing them to eligible non-participants using the variables in the Business-Linkable File Environment (B-LFE) and the Diversity and Skills Database (DSD). The second phase will involve the use of matching to build a control group, and the use of regression models to study the effect of the program on the financial performance of the recipients (e.g., revenues).

Outputs: The output will be in the form of summary tables and a fix effects model which will examine the economic performance of businesses that received AAFC financing support to non-supported businesses. The linked AAFC list of businesses will be housed at Statistics Canada's Centre for Business for Special Business Project (CSBP).

A research dataset will be produced, and the full integrated database will be used by a deemed employee research team to produce an analysis and custom-designed table of non-confidential aggregate statistics for AAFC. The output will be analysed for confidentiality by CSBP employees. The output of this project will not be sent to the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).

Linkage of the Canadian Cancer Registry to Statistics Canada administrative data on child and mother to explore outcomes among pediatric cancer patients (036-2023)

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between environmental pollutant exposures during pregnancy and childhood and paediatric cancer incidence using population-based data linking the Vital Statistics Birth Data (1992-2021) and the Canadian Cancer Registry (1992-2021). This project will enhance our understanding about associations between air pollution and child health outcomes.

Output: Only aggregate statistical outputs that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be disseminated. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose assigned work duties require such access. All products specifically delivered to Health Canada will contain aggregate outputs (no identifiable microdata). All products from the linked data will be disseminated in accordance with Statistics Canada's policies, guidelines and standards. The analytical file will not contain any personal identifiers. Outputs from this file may include a wide range of data and analytical products. A file will be prepared for use in Statistics Canada Research Data Centres, with appropriate vetting rules.

2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey to the 2021 Census of Population, and 2022 Annual Person Income Masterfile (037-2023)

Purpose: This project is part of Stream 5 of Indigenous Service Canada's Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data (TAID) which relates to leveraging Statistics Canada's expertise to support the Indigenous Delivery Partners (IDPs) in building Indigenous data capacity and to improve the visibility of Indigenous People in Canada's national statistics. The objective of the TAIS is to support First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nations to build the sustainable data capacity they will need to deliver effective services to their citizens, and to participate meaningfully with other levels of government.

By integrating data pertaining to income, market rents and shelter costs with the 2022 IPS content, indicators for low-income, housing affordability and core housing needs will be produced. Outputs from this linkage will support IDPs in building Indigenous data capacity and to improve the visibility of Indigenous People in Canada's national statistics. This project will meet the objective of improving the visibility of Indigenous People in Canada's national statistics as the outputs include research products related to key Indigenous priorities.

Output: The analytical file, without identifiers, will be made available via Statistics Canada Secure Access Points, such as Research Data Centres (RDCs) where access will only be granted following the standard approval process. Only non-confidential aggregated data and analytical products that conform to the confidentiality provision of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Outputs for this project will be centred on Core Housing Need and will be disseminated via CODR tables, new variables on the Indigenous Peoples Survey Masterfile and an infographic.

Linkage of the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability to Tax Data to Generate Enhanced Statistics on People with Disabilities (039-2023)

Purpose: The Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) analytical file will be used in part to estimate disability rates for various geographies but also to compare characteristics of persons with and without disabilities, which includes analyses of the financial situation and income support gaps faced by persons with disabilities in Canada. The main objective of the proposed record linkage is therefore to enhance Statistics Canada's capacity to provide these statistics, through a linkage between the 2022 CSD and tax data.

Output: Results from this data linkage will inform around the current economic context for persons with disabilities in Canada and be used in the development of the Government of Canada's Disability Inclusion Action Plan. The analytical file, with no personal identifiers, will be made available to deemed employees (researchers) within the Research Data Centres (RDC) and the Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC) that have a valid research topic for the production of statistical materials. Only non-confidential aggregated data and analytical products that conform to the confidentiality provision of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linking the Home Care Reporting System to Tax Data to provide Insights into Publicly Funded Home Care for Seniors (040-2023)

Purpose: The objective of the project is to estimate the prevalence of publicly funded formal long-term home care use among Canadian seniors, examine the main demographic and income characteristics of senior home care clients, document the ability of senior home care clients to perform basic daily selfcare activities, assess the availability of informal care to these clients and present several important metrics related to their access to formal home care services. The study will also examine the financial well-being of long-term senior home care clients and provide aggregate statistics related to income and income sources. For this purpose, data from the Home Care Reporting System (HCRS) will be linked to the T1 Family File (T1FF).

Output: Non-confidential aggregate data will be used for possible dissemination products such as research article(s), presentation decks, and/or reports to stakeholders. The main output of the study will be in the form of a comprehensive technical report summarizing the methodology and key findings. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees. The linkage will be performed at Statistics Canada by Statistics Canada staff, and the linked files will be kept on a secure, password-protected server. The linked microdata file will not contain identifiers.

National Social and Affordable Housing Database linkage to administrative tax and immigration, Census and Canadian Housing Survey (002-2024)

Purpose: The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has developed a research plan to understand characteristics of persons and households living in social and affordable housing. The statistics produced will help inform the evaluation and further the implementation of the National Housing Strategy.

As part of this plan, a linkage between the National Social and Affordable Housing Database (NSAHD) to multiple data sources held by Statistics Canada will be performed. Combining information from several sources (tax, employment, immigration, housing and the Census) will contribute income and sociodemographic information, as well as housing indicators to the linked database for those living in NSAHD units. Analytical work in this domain is expected to help researchers, the general public and government to understand and to improve housing policies or programs.

Output: The analytical file, once personal identifiers are removed, along with anonymized linkage keys will be placed in the Research Data Centre (RDC) for access by CMHC as Statistics Canada deemed employees for the first four months. After this period, the files will be made available in the RDC network and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. Only non-confidential aggregated statistics and analyses conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Microdata linkage for exploring the socio-economic outcomes of individuals who have received services from British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development (004-2024)

Purpose: This data linkage is being carried out on a cost-recovery basis by Statistics Canada for British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development (BC MCFD).

The purpose of the data-linking initiative is to analyze the socio-economic outcomes of a cohort of individuals who have received BC MCFD services, by linking BC MCFD data with Statistics Canada data for the same cohort of individuals that BC MCFD would otherwise not have access to. The inclusion of a vast array of BC MCFD data gathered through service delivery, linked with Statistics Canada economic data will allow BC MCFD analysts to explore connections and variables that could not be gleaned from BC MCFD data alone.

The outputs will allow BC MCFD to evaluate the efficacy of the services provided by BC MCFD and strengthen the assessment of services provided by BC MCFD and support future policy development.

Output: Statistical tables will be prepared at the aggregate level while meeting the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics such as counts, percentages and sums will be provided to the client and only after appropriate suppression has been applied. A total of ten tables will be provided to the client, one for two variables of interest, giving information for data that will be used by the BC MCFD analysts. A short report on the methodology and results will also be delivered to the client. An analytical file will be made available for the exclusive access of the BC MCFD analysts as deemed employees via a Statistics Canada secure access point follow the standard approval process.

Custom data request: Student Work Placement Program linked to the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), T1 Family Files (T1FF), and the 2021 Census of Population long form (006-2024)

Purpose: The Student Work Placement Project (SWPP) project will provide Employment and Social Development Canada with policy-relevant information that will allow them to evaluate the success of the SWPP. The project builds upon the information currently available to ESDC by including data pertaining to education and labour market integration and outcomes of postsecondary graduates who had a work-integrated learning placement through the SWPP, such as earnings and employment. The project will also allow disaggregated by sociodemographic characteristics with a focus on underrepresented groups, where possible.

Output: Statistics Canada will provide aggregate, non-confidential custom tables to Employment and Social Development Canada. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analysis conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. If the client later wishes to access the linked source microdata files in the Research Data Centres to perform their own analysis, the source files used in the linkage with no direct identifiers will be made available to the client as Statistics Canada deemed employees through the Research Data Centre (RDC) program using the normal RDC project approval procedures.

Linkage of Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database to demographic data to analyze Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada (007-2024)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to link the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database to select variables from the Census of Population, the National Household Survey, and the Canadian Community Health Survey to analyze Indigenous-owned businesses. This data linkage will help Statistics Canada, and other Canadian government departments analyze data related to Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada to assist in policy making decisions.

Output: The resulting analytical file will be used to update CODR tables 33-10-0631-01: Private enterprises by sex and Indigenous identity of ownership, province or region and enterprise size, 33-10-0632-01: Private enterprises by sex and Indigenous identity of ownership, age group of primary owner and enterprise size on the Statistics Canada Website. The data linkage will also allow Economic Analysis Division to address several requests from other government departments related to Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada. Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Service Fees Act
  • Organizational Structure
  • Delegation Order
  • Statistical Report
• Access to Information requests
  • Types of records requested
  • Other requests
  • Trends in the disposition of completed requests
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Training and Awareness
  • Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
  • Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the ATIA
  • Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints
  • Reporting on Access to Information fees
  • Costs
  • Monitoring Compliance
• Appendix A: Delegation order
• Appendix B: Statistical report

Introduction

The Access to Information Act establishes the principle that the general public has the right to access information controlled by federal government institutions, and that exceptions should be limited and specific.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 94(1) of this Act and covers the period from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada co-ordinate the national statistical system, specifically to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data-collection or data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial, and territorial government departments pursuant to provisions of the Act.

By virtue of section 24 of the Access to Information Act, which is a mandatory provision, information collected under the Statistics Act, and protected by section 17 of that Act, cannot be made available to anyone attempting to obtain it using the Access to Information Act. This exception enables the Agency to continue giving a clear and unqualified assurance to its respondents that the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act are preserved by the Access to Information Act.

Statistics Canada did not have any non-operational subsidiaries during the period of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.

Access to Information requests

The following table shows the latest five-year trend of the Agency's processing of access to information requests.

Appendix A: Delegation order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

1.2 Sources of requests

1.3 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

2.5 Pages re-released informally

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

4.2 Exemptions

4.3 Exclusions

4.4 Format of information released

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

4.5.2 Relevant pages processed by request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

4.5.7 Other complexities

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

4.7.2 Request closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

4.8 Requests for translation

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

5.2 Length of extensions

Section 6: Fees

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

Section 8: Requests with Legal Services

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding

9.1 Investigations

9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated Costs

11.2 Human Resources