Why are we conducting this survey?

In order to better measure and understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and other organizations, this survey collects data on revised capital spending intentions in Canada. The information is used by federal and provincial government departments and agencies, trade associations, universities and international organizations for policy development and as a measure of regional economic activity.

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 and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

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

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data and mailing it to the following address:

Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at statcan.esdhelpdesk-dsebureaudedepannage.statcan@statcan.gc.ca or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada, Infrastructure Canada, the Canada Energy Regulator and Natural Resources Canada.

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

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
  • Email address
  • Telephone number (including area code)
  • Extension number (if applicable)
    The maximum number of characters is 10.
  • Fax number (including area code)

Capital Expenditures - Revised Intentions 2020

1. For 2020, what are this organization's intentions for non-residential capital expenditures?

Include:

  • non-residential buildings, engineering works, and machinery and equipment
  • new assets, renovations or betterments, and leasehold improvements
  • additions to work-in-progress accounts (capital) during the year.

Exclude land, residential buildings, acquisition of used assets from within Canada, mineral exploration and evaluation, software, and other intangible assets.

Non-residential capital expenditures are the gross expenditures on tangible fixed assets during the year for use in the operations of your organization or for lease or rent to others, excluding residential structures (housing or units with exclusive use of bathroom and kitchen facilities).

Fixed assets are also known as capital assets or property, plant and equipment. They are items with a useful life of more than one year and are not purchased for resale but rather for use in the entity's production of goods and services. Examples are buildings, vehicles, leasehold improvements, furniture and fixtures, machinery, and computer software.

Gross expenditures are expenditures before deducting proceeds from disposals and credits.

Include:

  • land improvements
  • servicing residential areas (powerlines, natural gas distribution)
  • buildings that have accommodation units without self contained or exclusive use of bathroom and kitchen facilities ( e.g. , student residences)
  • townsite facilities such as streets and sewers
  • additions to capital work in progress during the year
  • capital costs such as feasibility studies, architectural, legal, installation and engineering fees
  • capitalized interest charges on loans with which capital projects are financed
  • work done by own labour force (installation, renovations)
  • assets acquired as a lessee through either a capital or financial lease
  • assets acquired for lease to others as an operating lease (as lessor).

Exclude:

  • residential buildings (housing or units with self contained or exclusive use of bathroom and kitchen facilities)
  • acquisition of companies and associated assets
  • acquisition of used Canadian assets
  • transfers from capital work in progress to fixed assets accounts
  • property developed for sale and machinery or equipment acquired for sale (inventory)
  • assets acquired to lease to others under a capital/financial lease (as lessor)
  • software purchases and software development costs
  • mineral exploration and evaluation expenditures.

CAN$ '000

No change from previously reported intentions for non-residential capital expenditures

2. Indicate the reason you are not reporting 2020 intentions for non-residential capital expenditures.

  • Zero capital expenditure intentions for 2020
  • Figures not available at this time but a decrease is expected
  • Figures not available at this time but an increase is expected

Indicate the estimated decrease in percentage.

Percentage

Indicate the estimated increase in percentage.

Percentage

Changes or events

3. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reported intentions.

Select all that apply.

  • Labour shortages or employee absences
  • Disruptions in supply chains
  • Deferred plans to future or projects on hold
  • Projects cancelled or abandoned
  • Price changes in goods or services sold
  • Price changes in labour or raw materials
  • Sold business or business units
  • Expansion
  • New or lost contract
  • Increased or decreased market demand
  • End of business activities
  • Change in business activity
  • Other
    Specify the other changes or events:
  • No changes or events

Contact person

4. 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

5. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Office 365 – Interim Instance - Privacy impact assessment summary

Introduction

An interim implementation of Office 365 will be made available to all Statistics Canada employees to allow for effective collaboration, outside of Statistics Canada’s network, during the COVID-19 crisis. It is expected that this will be in place until October 31, 2020, after which time it will be shut down. Processes will be in place to ensure that information will be managed in accordance with Information Management practices as the interim implementation is shut down.

Objective

A privacy impact assessment for the implementation of Office 365 was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues with this interim solution and, if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Description

An interim implementation of Office 365 will be made available so that Statistics Canada employees are able to work collaboratively on documents that are not protected or classified, using their personal devices. This will reserve limited network bandwidth for mission-critical programs. The Office 365 platform will provide the means for employees to collaborate effectively through the applications that are included in the platform.

Office 365 offers a cloud-based version of the core Microsoft products, such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, with enhanced collaboration functionalities, such as multi-user editing of documents in real time. Office 365 also includes Microsoft Teams, a collaboration hub with integrated instant messaging, video conferencing, group channels and file sharing capabilities.

No protected information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act will be permitted in this environment. No personal information of clients and employees will be collected, used, or stored. Examples of communications that should not take place on this platform include those relating to information protected under the Statistics Act, and other protected information such as an employee’s labour relation status or compensation, memoranda to cabinet or Treasury Board submissions, options or advice to senior management on subjects of national interest, or dealings with companies which include information about their businesses.

The only exception for the inclusion of personal information is the personal profile. An employee may choose to create a personal profile and include some limited personal information, such as a description of their projects, skills and expertise, education, interests and hobbies. Entry of this information is voluntary and requires employees to actively choose to do so.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The PIA identifies the level of potential risk (level 1 is the lowest level of potential risk and level 4 is the highest) associated with the following risk areas:

  Risk scale
a) Type of program or activity
Program or activity that does not involve a decision about an identifiable individual. 1
b) Type of personal information involved and context
Only personal information, with no contextual sensitivities, collected directly from the individual or provided with the consent of the individual for disclosure under an authorized program. 1
c) Program or activity partners and private sector involvement
With other government institutions. 2
d) Duration of the program or activity
Short-term program or activity. 2
e) Program population
The program's use of personal information for internal administrative purposes affects certain employees. 1
f) Personal information transmission
The personal information is transmitted using wireless technologies. 4
g) Technology and privacy
The Office 365 platform comes with a variety of cloud-based applications (such as Teams, Excel, Word, SharePoint, PowerPoint, etc.) that allow employees to collaborate off the Statistics Canada network on non-protected and unclassified material. Employees will not be able to access any material on Statistics Canada’s network using this platform. No changes to existing IT systems are required.
h) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the individual or employee.
There is a very low risk of breach of personal information. With the exception personal profiles that may be created by employees, no personal information should be stored on the Office 365 platform.

Conclusion

This assessment of the interim instance of Office 365 did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Statistics Canada’s Microdata Access Portal: Researcher online registration and project application - Privacy impact assessment summary

Introduction

Statistics Canada is implementing a new web-based application, the Microdata Access Portal (MAP), which will allow researchers (federal, provincial and academic) to apply for access to Statistics Canada’s microdata files, and manage their project application. Through the MAP, researchers will also be able to track the status of their application as it is being processed.

Description

Currently, there are several methods by which research proposals are submitted to various Statistics Canada divisions. As the new single point of entry to register and submit a project proposal, the MAP will accommodate the different processes and requirements in one place, improving users’ experience and the efficiency of Statistics Canada’s administrative processes. The MAP will only be used for new proposals submitted on or after the release date of the portal. Proposals from previous systems will not be migrated to the MAP.

Objective

A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) was conducted to identify and address any potential privacy risks associated with the personal information of researchers who submit proposals through the MAP.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The PIA identifies the level of potential risk (level 1 is the lowest level of potential risk and level 4 is the highest) associated with the following risk areas:

  Risk scale
a) Type of program or activity
Administration of program or activity and services. 2
b) Type of personal information involved and context
Only personal information, with no contextual sensitivities, collected directly from the individual or provided with the consent of the individual for disclosure under an authorized program. 1
c) Program or activity partners and private sector involvement
With other institutions or a combination of federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal governments. 3
d) Duration of the program or activity
Long-term program or activity (ongoing). 3
e) Program population
The program's use of personal information for internal administrative purposes affects certain employees. 3
f) Personal information transmission
The personal information is used in a system that has connections to at least one other system. 2
g) Technology and privacy
This activity requires a new on-line application to support several programs/activities to collect and handle personal information. The functionality would include but will not be limited to: capturing information through online forms, storing information in an electronic database, allowing access to the collected information by Statistics Canada staff for integration into other systems, and allowing limited access by researchers to manage their own profiles and projects. The application will not be created using new software.
h) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the individual or employee.
There is a low risk of a breach of some of the personal information being disclosed without proper authorization. The impact on the individual would be low given the low sensitivity of the information provided in the application.

Conclusion

The assessment of Statistics Canada’s Microdata Access Portal: Researcher online registration and project application, did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

StatCan Professionals Network: Challenges and Events (Update) - Privacy impact assessment summary

Introduction

The StatCan Professionals Network (SPN) (formerly the Statistics Canada Young Professionals Network) periodically holds various challenges and events to bring together experts and students from a variety of fields. The events are designed to engage participants with Statistics Canada data with the goal of creating innovative products to increase data accessibility among Canadians and increase public awareness of Agency programs and services.

Description

The objectives of these events are: to raise public awareness on the importance of statistics in the economic and social development of Canada; to engage experts and students with new technologies; develop solutions to concrete Government of Canada business cases; recruit talented individuals; and/or, develop new partnerships across the public service and academia.

Participants register online and are asked to provide basic personal information, strictly limited to registration purposes. In some cases, participants’ images could be captured for promotional purposes.

Objective

A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for these events, including the online registration process and promotional activities, was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality and security issues, and to make recommendations to resolve them.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The PIA identifies the level of potential risk (level 1 is the lowest level of potential risk and level 4 is the highest) associated with the following risk areas:

  Risk scale
a) Type of program or activity
Administration of program or activity and services. 2
b) Type of personal information involved and context
Only personal information, with no contextual sensitivities, collected directly from the individual or provided with the consent of the individual for disclosure under an authorized program. 1
c) Program or activity partners and private sector involvement
Within the institution (among one or more programs within the same institution) 1
d) Duration of the program or activity
Long-term program or activity (ongoing) 3
e) Program population
The program's use of personal information for external administrative purposes affects certain individuals. 3
f) Personal information transmission
The personal information is transmitted using wireless technologies. 4
g) Technology and privacy
This activity involves the implementation of new software which is a secure platform developed by Statistics Canada using Orchard. The platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure Cloud, which is an approved Government of Canada cloud infrastructure.
h) Potential risk that in the event of a privacy breach, there will be an impact on the individual or employee.
There is a very low risk of a breach of some of the personal information being disclosed. The impact would be minimal as the information is not very sensitive.

Conclusion

This assessment of the events held by the StatCan Professionals Network did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Data quality, concepts and methodology: Explanatory notes on direct program payments to agriculture producers

Payments Enhancing Receipts

Explanatory notes for programs which existed prior to 2007 can be found in the discontinued Direct Payments to Agriculture Producers publication (21-015-X).

Agricultural Revenue Stabilization Account (ARSA) (2000 to 2002)

The objective of the Agricultural Revenue Stabilization Account program was to offer a risk management tool to farming operations in Quebec, based on the operation's gross income. To this effect, the program established two individual funds, for contributions from participants and La Financière agricole du Québec, and made provisions for withdrawals from these funds to compensate for reductions in farm income. The ARSA was a program developed and administered by La Financière agricole du Québec.

Following the introduction of the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program, La Financière agricole du Québec terminated this program in the 2002 program year. Consequently, participants had five years to make withdrawals from their account, at an annual minimum of 20% of the government contribution held on February 1st, 2005.

AgriInvest (2008 to present)

This program was created under the Growing Forward policy framework (2007 – 2013) and has continued under Growing Forward 2 (2013 – 2018) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (effective April 1, 2018). AgriInvest replaces part of the coverage that had been available under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program, and, operates similar to the former Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) program.

Through government and producer contributions, AgriInvest provides cash flow to help producers manage small income declines, as well as provide support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income. Producers can deposit up to 100% of their Allowable Net Sales, with the first 1% matched by governments. The limit on matching government contributions is $10,000 per AgriInvest account. AgriInvest is administered by the Federal government in all provinces except Quebec.

Agri-Québec (2011 to present)

Agri-Québec is a self-directed risk management program offered to all farming and aqua-farming operations in Quebec. The program allows participants to deposit an amount in an account under their name, in order to receive matching contributions from La Financière agricole du Québec. Participants can then withdraw the funds from the accounts, based on their operational needs. Agri-Québec is managed jointly by the provincial and federal governments, as it is similar and complimentary to AgriInvest.

Agri-Québec Plus (2015 to present)

The Agri-Québec Plus program offers additional financial assistance to eligible operations. Agri-Québec Plus complements AgriStability by offering a coverage level of 85% of the reference margin rather than 70%. The program covers agriculture products that are not covered or not associated with the ASRA program (Farm Income Stabilization Program) and are not supply-managed. Participation in the program is linked to the respect of environmental requirements.

AgriRecovery (2008 to present)

The AgriRecovery framework is part of a suite of federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) Business Risk Management (BRM) tools under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (replacing Growing Forward 2, as of 2018).

AgriRecovery was designed to provide quick, targeted assistance to producers in case of natural disasters, with a focus on the extraordinary costs producers must take on to recover from disasters. Federal and provincial governments jointly determine whether further assistance beyond existing programs already in place is necessary, and what form of assistance should be provided. AgriRecovery initiatives are cost-shared on a 60:40 basis between the federal government and participating provinces or territories. The assistance provided will be unique to the specific disaster situation and often unique to a province or region. Examples of programs included in AgriRecovery are the 2017 and 2018 Canada-BC Wildfire Recovery Initiatives, and the 2017 Canada-Quebec Hail Assistance Initiative.

AgriStability (2007 to present)

This program was created under the Growing Forward policy framework (2007 – 2013) and has continued under Growing Forward 2 (2013 – 2018) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (effective April 1, 2018). AgriStability was developed as a margin-based program that provides income support when a producer experiences a large margin decline. AgriStability has replaced part of the coverage that had been provided under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program. Under the current program, a payment is triggered when the production margin falls below 70 percent of the producer's historical reference margin.

AgriStability is delivered in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon by the Federal government. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, AgriStability is delivered provincially.

Assiniboine Valley Producers Flood Assistance Program (2007 to 2011)

This Province of Manitoba program provided financial assistance for Assiniboine Valley agricultural producers who experienced crop loss or the inability to seed a crop in 2005 and 2006 along the Assiniboine River from the Shellmouth Dam to Brandon, due to flooding. This program also provided assistance in 2011, following flooding in 2010.

These programs were managed through the Manitoba Agricultural Service Corporation (MASC).

Beekeepers Financial Assistance Program (2014)

Due to harsh winter conditions in Ontario in 2014, and other pollinator health issues, Ontario's bee colonies experienced higher than normal mortality rates. To help offset these losses, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food provided one-time financial assistance of $105 per hive to beekeepers who have 10 hives or more and lost over 40 per cent of their colonies between Jan. 1, 2014, and Oct. 31, 2014.

Canada-Ontario General Top-Up Program (2005 to 2007)

This was a special top-up payment program which provided whole farm coverage to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program participants in Ontario, who were automatically enrolled. All commodities eligible for CAIS payment were covered under this program. In order to qualify, participants must have experienced a decline in their program year production margin as calculated by the CAIS Program Administrator and be eligible to receive the government portion of the CAIS payment. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs were responsible for the overall administration of the program.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program (2004 to 2008)

The CAIS program was available to producers across Canada and provided assistance to those producers who had experienced a loss of income as a result of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or other factors. The program integrated stabilization and disaster protection into a single program, helping producers protect their farming operations from both small and large drops in income.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Inventory Transition Initiative (CITI) (2006 to 2007)

CITI was a one-time federal government injection of $900 million into Canada's Agriculture and Agri-food industry. The funds were delivered to producers by recalculating how the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program valued inventory change for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 CAIS program years.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Ontario Inventory Transition Initiative (2006 to present)

The Ontario Inventory Transition Payment was an additional one-time payment from the province of Ontario, for the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program participants, as it transitioned to a new method of valuing inventory for CAIS.

Compensation for animal losses (1981 to present)

Formerly a program under the Animal Disease and Protection Act, this compensation program is now administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in accordance with requirements established under the Health of Animals Act. Producers in all provinces are compensated when farm animals infected with certain contagious diseases are ordered to be slaughtered. Compensation also includes applicable transportation and disposal costs and compensation for animals injured during testing.

Cost of Production Payment (COP) (2007 to 2010)

This program helped non-supply managed commodities producers with the rising cost of production. This federal program was based on producers' net sales for 2000-2004 (or in the case of new producers: payments were based on average net sales for 2005-2006).

Cover Crop Protection Program (CCPP) (2006 to 2008)

The CCPP was a Government of Canada initiative designed to provide financial assistance to agricultural producers who were unable to seed commercial crops as a result of flooding in the spring of 2005 and/or 2006.

Crop Insurance (1981 to present)

Crop Insurance (now referred to as AgriInsurance) is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program that stabilizes a producer's income by minimizing the economic effects of production losses caused by natural hazards. AgriInsurance is a provincially delivered program to which the federal government contributes a portion of total premiums and administrative costs. Premiums for most crop insurance programs are cost-shared: 40 per cent by participating producers, 36 per cent by the federal government and 24 per cent by the province, while administrative costs are funded by governments, 60 per cent by the federal government and 40 per cent by the province.

AgriInsurance plans are developed and delivered by each province to meet the needs of the producers in that province. AgriInsurance helps to cover production losses as well as losses from poor product quality. Both yield and non-yield based plans are offered. These plans cover traditional crops such as wheat, corn, oats and barley as well as horticultural crops such as lettuce, strawberries, carrots and eggplants. Some provinces also provide coverage for bee mortality as well as maple syrup production. The provinces constantly work to improve their programs by adjusting existing plans and implementing new ones to meet changing industry requirements.

Crop Loss Compensation (1981 to present)

Crop loss compensation programs are generally one element of a province's Wildlife damage compensation programs, which can also include separate Waterfowl damage and Livestock predation programs. This Big Game program reduces the financial loss incurred by producers in these provinces from wildlife damage to eligible crops, and can include compensation for wildlife excreta contaminated crops and silage in pits and tubes. In some provinces damage to honey producers and leafcutter bee products is also included.

Also see Livestock predation compensation, Waterfowl damage and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Cull Animal Program (2003 to 2006)

This program was intended to assist farmers with the additional cost of feeding surplus animals while the US border was closed to Canadian animals over 30 months of age. With the goal of discouraging on-farm slaughter and encouraging movement of mature animals to domestic markets in an orderly fashion.

Cull Breeding Swine Program (2008)

This federally funded program for 2008, administered by the Canadian Pork Council, was designed to help restructure the industry to bring it in line with market realities. The objective was to reduce the national breeding herd size by up to 10% over and above normal annual reductions. Producers were eligible to receive a per head payment for each animal slaughtered as well as reimbursement for slaughter and disposal costs. Producers had to agree to empty at least one barn, and not restock for a three year period.

Dairy Direct Payment Program (2019 to present)

The objective of the Dairy Direct Payment Program is to support dairy producers as a result of market access commitments made under recent international trade agreements, namely the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The federal government announced in August 2019, that it will make available $1.75 billion over eight years to supply-managed cow's milk producers.

The Dairy Direct Payment Program provided payments in 2019-20 of $345 million to compensate cow's milk producers. The one-year program ended on March 31, 2020. The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) delivered funding.

The federal government will continue to work with the Dairy Farmers of Canada to determine the terms and conditions for future years.

Drought Assistance for Livestock Producers (2007 to 2008)

This program was enacted in 2007, to assist livestock owners in Northern B.C. who suffered economic hardship in 2006 due to drought. Drought conditions in the summer of 2006 reduced hay and forage yields by up to 50% and producers were left with higher costs for feed, water and other expenses.

Ontario Edible Horticulture Support Program for Edible Horticulture Farmers (2018-2019)

This program provides financial support to Ontario producers of edible horticulture products (small and medium-size agricultural operators) to adjust to the changing small business environment. This program is funded by the Government of Ontario and the payments are based on net sales of edible horticulture. Self-Directed Risk Management Program participants are enrolled automatically.

Fed Cattle Set Aside Program (2005 to 2006)  

The program was part of a national strategy to assist Canada's cattle industry to reposition itself to help ensure its long-term viability.

Frost loss Program (2018-2019)

The Frost Loss Program helped Nova Scotia Farmers recover from crop and financial losses from the frost in June 2018.

This program provided financial assistance in addition with other Business Risk Management programs that were available, such as AgriInsurance.

Golden Nematode Disaster Program (2007 to 2009)

The objective of this programs was to assist producers affected by Golden Nematode with the costs of disposing potatoes  and a per hectare support payment to assist potato producers and producers of nursery and greenhouse crops with extraordinary costs not covered under existing programs. The program was funded by the federal government.

Grains and Oilseeds Payment (GOPP) (2006)

The Grains and Oilseeds Payment Program was a one-time program for producers of grains, oilseeds, or special crops, to help address the severe economic hardships they were facing.

Hazelnut Renewal Program (2020-2021)

This provincially funded program provides funds to remove infected trees to mitigate the spread of Eastern Filbert Blight and to provide incentives for the planting of new disease-resistant hazelnut trees in British Columbia.

Types of Program Funding:

  • Hazelnut Renewal: Funding to provide incentives for the planting of new Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB) resistant hazelnut trees in British Columbia.
  • Removal of EFB Infected Hazelnut Trees: Funding to remove infected trees to mitigate the spread of EFB and to protect new orchards.

Hog Transition Fund (2008)

This program was designed to assist Nova Scotia hog producers who were having financial difficulties due to declining market prices in 2006-2007. The program was administered through Pork Nova Scotia.

Lake Manitoba Flood Assistance Program (2011 to present)

This program was designed to provide financial compensation to crop and livestock producers affected by the flooding of Lake Manitoba in 2011. Part A - Lake Manitoba Pasture Flooding Assistance Component and Part B - Lake Manitoba Transportation and Crop/Forage Loss Component, are included. This program is funded entirely by the provincial government.

Livestock Insurance Programs (1991 to present)

The Livestock Insurance Programs include a number of provincially administered livestock insurance programs. These programs include:

The Cattle Price Insurance Program (2009 to present), designed to provide Alberta cattle producers with an effective price risk management tool reflective of their risk. As of 2014, this program is now referred to as the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program.

Dairy Livestock Insurance (1991 to present), implemented to assist Nova Scotia producers when a number of cattle were lost due to disease outbreaks. The program continues to exist for situations resulting in a significant loss in production, causing a loss of revenue.

The Hog Price Insurance Program (2011 to present), designed to provide Alberta hog producers with protection against unexpected declines in Alberta hog prices, over a defined period of time. As of 2014, this program is now referred to as the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program.

Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador (1991 to present) compensates producers for the death or injury to sheep, goats, dairy cattle or beef cattle caused by dogs or other predators.

Livestock Insurance in Prince Edward Island (2009 to present) offers two types of coverage: compensation to cattle producers for the death of an animal due to disease, as well as compensation to dairy producers whose production levels fall beneath a set threshold, causing a loss of income.

The Overwinter Bee Mortality Insurance (2012 to present) insures Manitoban beekeepers against unmanageable wintering losses, including weather-related damages, diseases and pests. As of 2014 the data for this program is included in Crop Insurance.

Poultry Insurance (2008 to present) compensates Nova Scotia producers for the loss of poultry (which includes broilers, breeders, breeder pullets, layer pullets, commercial layers and integrated layers) to the disease infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT).

The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) (2014 to present) enables livestock producers to purchase price protection on cattle and hogs in the form of an insurance policy. It offers protection against an unexpected drop in prices over a defined period of time, and is available to producers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Administration costs are covered by the federal and provincial governments through Growing Forward 2. Premiums will be fully funded by producers, but any deficit after four years will be made up by the federal government. The four-province program will be managed by the Alberta Agriculture Financial Services Corp, which ran the pre-existing Cattle and Hog Price Insurance programs in Alberta. Crop insurance entities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan will deliver the WLPIP in those provinces. The Business Risk Management Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture delivers the program in that province.

Additional notes on the Livestock Insurance Programs

Producer premiums for the Prince Edward Island Livestock Insurance and Dairy Livestock Insurance in Nova Scotia (as of 2006) are partially subsidized by the provincial and federal governments.

Premiums are not subsidized for the Cattle Price Insurance Program, the Hog Price Insurance Program, Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador, Poultry Insurance program in Nova Scotia, or the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program. However, the costs of administrating the programs are funded by provincial governments and/or Crown Corporations.

Prior to 2005, Dairy Livestock Insurance in Nova Scotia and Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador were reported under Programs funded by the private sector.

Livestock Predation Compensation Program

Manitoba (1999 to present) - This program compensates livestock producers in Manitoba for losses from injury or death of eligible livestock that resulted from losses due to natural predators such as black bear, cougar, wolf or coyote. Compensation is available to 100% of the assessed value of the animal, for a confirmed loss due to predation and to 50% of the value for a probable loss. In respect for livestock injured, the payment will be the lesser of the veterinary treatment or the value of the livestock. The government of Manitoba pays 60% of program payments and the Government of Canada 40%. Administration costs are cost-shared 50/50 between the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba.

Saskatchewan (2010 to present) - Under the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program, the Saskatchewan Compensation for Livestock Predation compensates producers for livestock killed or injured by predators. The first 80 percent of the program funding is cost-shared by federal and provincial governments. The provincial government contributes the remaining amount. The program is administered by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation. Other components of the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program include Waterfowl damage compensation and Crops loss compensation (reported separately).

Also see Crop loss compensation, Waterfowl damage and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Manitoba Ruminant Assistance Program (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008, funded jointly by the province of Manitoba and the federal government, allowed cattle producers to receive a direct payment of up to 3% of historical net sales. The payment, administered by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), was provided to all ruminant producers and was in proportion to the size of the producer's livestock operations.

Manitoba Spring Blizzard Livestock Mortalities Assistance Program (2011 to 2012)

The 2011 Manitoba Spring Blizzard Mortalities Assistance program provided assistance to Manitoba producers who experienced livestock losses following the blizzard that hit April 29th and 30th, 2011. Compensation is provided for animal deaths that occurred, as a result of the storm, between April 29th and May 5th 2011. This program is funded and administered by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI).

Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Program (MVIP) (2015-2016)

This program provides funds for eligible vineyard improvements to enable growers in Ontario to produce quality grapes in order to respond to the growing demands of Ontario wine manufacturers and to adapt ongoing and emerging vineyard challenges. This payment will be overseen by Agricorp (a provincial crown corporation) and was created under the Wine and Grape Strategy to promote Ontario VQA (Ontario's Wine Authority) and support vineyard production improvements. Only certain non-capital payments to producers are included in the Direct payments data series (e.g. wine grape vine removal, land preparation, etc.).

Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) (1991 to 2009)

The Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) was established in 1991 under the Farm Income Protection Act.

The purpose of NISA was to encourage producers to save a portion of their income for use during periods of reduced income. Producers could deposit up to 3% of their Eligible Net Sales (ENS) annually in their NISA account and receive matching government contributions. The federal government and several provinces offered enhanced matching contributions over and above the base 3% on specified commodities. All these deposits earn a 3% interest bonus in addition to the regular rates offered by the financial institution where the account is held.

Most primary agricultural products were included in the calculation of Eligible Net Sales (sales of qualifying commodities minus purchases of qualifying commodities), the main exception being those covered by supply management (dairy, poultry and eggs).

The NISA account was comprised of two funds. Fund No. 1 which held producer deposits while Fund No. 2 contained the matching government contributions and all accumulated interest earned on both Fund 1 and Fund 2. Included as payments in the series «Direct Program Payments to Producers» were the producer withdrawals from Fund 2.

Nova Scotia Beef Kickstart Program (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008 provided funding for Nova Scotia's beef industry with the goal of helping the sector move toward greater economic self-sustainability.

Nova Scotia Margin Enhancement Program (2007 to 2008)

This initiative introduced in 2006, was a provincial initiative that provided additional income support to Nova Scotia producers. Using 2003 CAIS program data, reference margins of CAIS participants were increased by 10%.

Ontario Cattle, Hog and Horticulture Program (OCHHP) (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008, funded by the province of Ontario, was to assist farmers suffering from multiple financial pressures due to the stronger Canadian dollar, and lower market prices. Payments for cattle and hog producers were based on 12% of their historic allowable net sales, while payments for horticulture were based on 2% of allowable net sales.

Ontario Cost Recognition Top-up Program (2007 to 2010)

This program was a 40% matching provincial contribution to the federal Cost of Production Payment Program. This program was a direct payment to producers in recognition of rising production costs over the previous few years. The Ontario Top-Up Program payments were distributed after the payment details regarding the federal program were released.

Ontario Duponchelia Assistance Program (2008)

The purpose of this initiative was to provide financial support to horticulture producers in the Niagara Region of Ontario affected by Duponchelia, a reportable pest. The initiative provided a federal share (60%) of financial compensation to assist these producers in addressing plant replacement costs and in dealing with extraordinary expenses incurred due to quarantine measures imposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Ontario Edible Horticulture Crop Payment (2006)

This one-time payment compensates Ontario producers of edible horticulture crops for losses experienced on their 2005 crop.

Ontario Special Beekeepers Fund (2007 to 2008)

The Special Beekeepers Fund, enacted in June, 2007, provided direct compensation to beekeepers who suffered higher than normal hive losses during the winter of 2006. The assistance was designed to help bring Ontario's bee population back to near-normal levels, and beekeepers back to normal business.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Programs (PED)

Prince Edward Island (2014) - The Prince Edward Island PED program provided financial aid to hog farmers for increased sanitation and screening measures to help combat the pig virus. This was a cost-shared program between the federal and provincial governments under Growing Forward 2. The program was administered by the PEI Hog Board.

Québec (2015 to present) - Emergency Fund Program in Response to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Swine Delta Coronavirus (SDCV) in Québec. The purpose of this program is to provide assistance to affected operations, up to a maximum of $20,000 per production site, to cover certain additional expenses required to combat this disease and prevent it from spreading. The program is financed by La Financière agricole and administered by the Québec swine health team (EQSP). The fund has a maximum budget of $400,000.

Portage Diversion Fail-Safe compensation program (2014 to present)

This program was designed to provide financial assistance to Manitoba agricultural producers affected by the 2014 flooding due to the operation of the Portage diversion fail-safe. This program was fully funded by the Manitoba Government and is being administrated by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC).

Prince Edward Island Beef Industry Initiative (2007 to 2008)

This one-time payment for 2008 was designed to assist beef producers in Prince Edward Island to adjust to current market conditions and develop improved quality in their herds. The program provided immediate assistance to producers to help mitigate risk and provided genetics and enhanced herd health incentives. Payments were based on a combination of their average net sales and December 2007 inventory.

Prince Edward Island Hog Transition Fund (2008)

This program was designed to reduce hog numbers through a buyout program. It provided funds for producers to transition out of hog production.

Privately funded programs

Private hail insurance (1981 to present)

Private Hail Insurance is purchased by agricultural producers to protect themselves against the loss of their crops due to hail. Hail insurance is privately funded through producer premiums and producers may have the option to extend coverage for damage to crops due to loss through fire, depending on the insurance provider.

Other Private Programs (2011 to present)

Alberta Hog and Cattle Levy Refund (2011 to present)

In May 2011, Alberta Pork announced it would refund 85 cents for every dollar of levies it had collected from producers during the 2010-2011 fiscal year to assist producers coping with rising feed costs and small profit margins.

Legislation regarding levies in Alberta also changed in 2011. Levies for pork, beef, lamb, and potato producers had been mandatory until a change is legislation gave these producers the right to ask for a refund of the levies paid. Since that time, estimates for the hog and cattle levies refunded have been produced.

Heinz payment (2013)

Due to the closure of the Ontario Heinz processing plant in 2013, Heinz has paid a one-time 'goodwill' payment to compensate the farmers that were under contract to deliver processing tomatoes in 2013. The payment was to help offset costs that farmers may have incurred in preparing for the 2013 crop.

Programme d'aide pour les inondations en Montérégie (2011 to 2012)

This program provided financial assistance to agricultural enterprises affected by the floods of spring 2011, in the Richelieu valley. Compensation was offered to producers for loss of income due to flooded farmland, and/or losses due to unseeded acreage.

Programme d'appui à la replantation des vergers de pommiers au Québec (2007 to 2010)

The first component of this MAPAQ (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec) program offered replanting help in order to improve efficiency, profitability as well as competitiveness. The objective of the second component was to compensate apple producers for the loss of apple trees due to winter-kill (frost) in 1994.

Provincial Stabilization Programs (1981 to present)

Under provincial stabilization programs, payments are made in order to support producer incomes affected by small profit margins, or low prices, for selected commodities. Provincial stabilization programs are partly funded by the provincial government, either directly through the subsidization of producer premiums, or indirectly by absorbing a part, or the whole, of the cost of administering the program. These programs are optional, and producers are required to pay premiums in order to participate.

Farm Income Stabilization Program (ASRA) (1981 to present)

The Farm Income Stabilization Insurance Program is designed to guarantee a positive net annual income to producers in Quebec. Producers participating in the program receive funds when the average selling price falls below a stabilized income, which is based on the average production cost in a specific sector. ASRA is complementary to AgriStability, but participation in AgriStability is not mandatory. Payments under ASRA decrease in accordance to amounts paid out through AgriStability. ASRA premiums are partially funded by the provincial government, which pays two thirds of the cost of premiums, while producers pay the remaining third.

Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP) (2007 to present)

ORMP is a provincial program that offers compensation to Ontario producers for losses of income caused by fluctuating market prices and rising production costs. Commodities eligible for compensation include a variety of grains and oilseeds, as well as certain livestock, including cattle, calves, hogs and sheep. The program also offers compensation for unseeded acres, under certain conditions. In order to participate in this program, producers must also participate in AgriStability, as well as Production Insurance (for grains and oilseeds). Payments made under ORMP count as an advance on the provincial portion of AgriStability for the corresponding program year. Because ORMP is provincially funded, it has no impact on the federal portion of AgriStability payments. ORMP premiums are partly funded by the provincial government, which pays 40% of the cost of premiums, while producers pay the remaining 60%.

Saskatchewan Cattle and Hog Support Program (2009)

This program helped producers retain their breeding herds and address immediate cash flow needs.

Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program - 2011 (2011 to 2012)

This program provided compensation to producers who had to transport additional feed to their livestock, or transport their livestock to alternate locations for feeding and grazing, due to feed shortages caused by excess moisture. In addition, financial assistance was provided to producers who had to reseed hay, forage or pasture land that had been damaged by excess moisture. This provincially-funded program replaces the initial Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program (2010-2011), which was jointly offered by the provincial and federal governments, as part of AgriRecovery.

Self-Directed Risk Management (SDRM) (2005 to present)

SDRM is a provincial program designed to help Ontarian horticultural producers manage farm operation risk. Under the program, over 150 edible horticultural crops are eligible for coverage, including fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and spices, nuts, honey and maple products. To be eligible, producers must also participate in AgriStability, and meet the minimum amount of allowable net sales (ANS). Participating producers can deposit up to a maximum of 2% of their ANS into an account, and have their contribution matched by the provincial government. Payments made under SDRM count as an advance on the provincial portion of AgriStability for the corresponding program year. Because SDRM is provincially funded, it has no impact on the federal portion of AgriStability payments. Amounts received under Production Insurance for a crop also covered by SDRM will be deducted from SDRM payments.

Shoal Lakes Agriculture Flooding Assistance Program (2011)

The purpose of this program is to provide financial support to agriculture producers affected by chronic flooding in the Shoal Lakes Complex in the Interlake of Manitoba.

  1. Land payments on a per acre basis were provided to farm operators to compensate for lost income related to agricultural production that cannot be realized due to flooded acres in 2010 and 2011.
  2. Financial assistance for transportation costs incurred between April 1, 2011 and March 15, 2012 to those farm operators who needed to transport feed to livestock or livestock to feed, due to the flooding.

This payment was administered by the Manitoba Agriculture Corporation (MASC), with the assistance of Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives (MAFRI).

Support Program for the Eradication of Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids (CWD) (2019 to present)

This program implemented by La Financière agricole du Québec offers financial aid to cervid producers affected by the measures taken to eradicate CWD.

There are two categories of aid under this program:

  • The first compensates cervid producers ordered to slaughter and dispose of animals under the Animal Health Protection Act.
  • The second financially supports cervid producers required to implement sanitary measures stipulated under the Animal Health Protection Act.

Syndrome de dépérissement postsevrage (SDP) (2008 to 2010)

This MAPAQ (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec) program granted financial support to Quebec feeder hog operations affected by Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS).

Transitional Production Adjustment Program (1996) (1993 to 1997 and 1999 to 2008)

Under the Tree Fruit Revitalization Program, British Columbia orchardists were guaranteed specific annual revenue per acre during the first three years, following replant of orchards to new high density tree fruit varieties.

Tree fruit grafting/budding and replant program (2008 to 2011, 2012 to present)

In 2008, the Transitional Production Adjustment Program ended and the Tree fruit grafting/budding and replant program started. In July 2007, the federal and provincial governments jointly announced that they were investing $8 million to help British Columbia's tree fruit and grape industries adapt to changing markets. The cost was shared (60% federal, 40% provincial) and the program lasted for three years.  In 2012, the provincial government invested an additional $2 million to replant tree fruit orchards to expand domestic markets through high-quality products by targeting the planting of premium varieties. The program, which also includes a grafting and budding component, concluded in 2014. The 2015 program is the first year of a 7 year commitment by British Columbia of $8.4 million announced in Nov 2014. This is a British Columbia Agriculture Department program that shares the administration of the program with the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association under contract until 2016.

Unseeded Acreage Payment - 2006 (2006 to 2007)

This program provided a payment to Saskatchewan farmers who experienced excess moisture conditions prior to June 20, 2006 and were unable to seed 95% of the acres they would normally intend to seed.

Waterfowl Damage (1981 to present)

Waterfowl damage payment programs are designed to compensate producers for crop losses caused by waterfowl. Compensation is also available for cleaning excreta contaminated grain in some provinces, and for prevention management.

Also see Crop loss compensation, Livestock predation compensation and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Wildlife Damage Compensation Program

British Columbia (2002 to present) - The British Columbia Wildlife Compensation program is part of an Agricultural Environment Partnership Initiative that includes the following programs: The Waterfowl Damage to Forage Fields in Delta, Wild Predator Loss Control and Compensation Program for Cattle and East Kootenay Agriculture Wildlife Pilot Project. These programs are designed to compensate producers for the losses incurred to crops and livestock due to wildlife.

New Brunswick (2014 to present) - This cost-shared program compensates producers who suffer livestock or crop losses due to wildlife. Compensation is available for specified crops and livestock for damage caused by eligible wildlife. The maximum compensation per producer is $50,000 per year. The New Brunswick Agricultural Insurance Commission (NBAIC) administers this program, applicants are not required to be an insurance client to receive compensation.

Nova Scotia (2008 to present) - This cost-shared program, announced in 2008, will help address some of the risks experienced by Nova Scotia farmers regarding damage to eligible agricultural products because of the activities of wildlife, including wildlife predation on livestock and damage to crops. Applicants are not required to have crop insurance.

Ontario (2008 to present) - The Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants whose livestock and poultry have been injured or killed by wolves, coyotes, bears and other species of wildlife identified in the program guidelines, or whose bee-colonies, bee-hives and bee-hive related equipment have been damaged by bears, raccoons, deer and skunks. The program was funded by the provincial government up to the fiscal year of 2008/2009 and became part of Growing Forward - a federal, provincial and territorial initiative starting from fiscal year 2009/2010, when cost-sharing of the program began between the governments of Canada and Ontario.

Also see Crop loss compensation, Livestock predation compensation and Waterfowl damage programs.

Business or organization and contact information

1. Please verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.

2. Please verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.

3. Please verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

4. Please verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

All employees and working owners of incorporated businesses for the survey reference period

1. What was the total number of employees in the last pay period of the survey reference period?

2. Which category of employees are you reporting for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

3. Did you have more than 1 payroll for any category of employees for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

4. How many payrolls for the following categories of employees did you have for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

  1. Number of payrolls for employees paid by the hour.
  2. Number of payrolls for salaried employees.
  3. Number of payrolls for working owners of incorporated businesses.
  4. Number of payrolls for other employees.

Employees paid by the hour during the last pay period of the survey reference period

5. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

6. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference period?

7. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what is the pay frequency?

8a. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime, for the last pay period?

8b. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the overtime pay payable included in question 8a? Enter "0", if no overtime was paid.

9a. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the total number of hours payable including overtime hours worked, for the last pay?

9b. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the total number of overtime hours worked included in question 9a? Enter "0", if no overtime was worked. If necessary, enter a decimal value e.g., 0.25.

11. This is a summary of your reported data for all your employees paid by the hour.

Special payments paid to employees paid by the hour during the month of the survey reference period

13. At any time during the survey reference period, were there any special payments paid to employees paid by the hour?

14. At any time during the survey reference period, how many special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour?

15. At any time during the survey reference period, what special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour?

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Salaried employees during the last pay period of the survey reference period

16. For payroll x of the salaried employees, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

17. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference period?

18. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what is the pay frequency?

19a. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

19b. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the overtime pay payable included in question 19a. Enter "0", if no overtime was paid.

21. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the average number of scheduled working hours in a week?

22. This is a summary of your reported data for all your salaried employees.

Special payments paid to salaried employees during the month of the survey reference period

24. At any time during the survey reference period, were there any special payments paid to salaried employees?

25. At any time during the survey reference period, how many special payments were paid to salaried employees?

26. At any time during the survey reference period, what special payments were paid to salaried employees?

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Working owners of incorporated businesses during the last pay period of the survey reference period

27. For payroll x of the working owners, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

28. For payroll x of the working owners, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference period?

29. For payroll x of the working owners, what is the pay frequency?

30. For payroll x of the working owners, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

31. This is a summary of your reported data for all your working owners.

Special payments paid to working owners of incorporated businesses during the month of the survey reference period

33. At any time during the survey reference period, were there any special payments paid to working owners?

34. At any time during the survey reference period, how many special payments were paid to working owners?

35. At any time during the survey reference period, what special payments were paid to working owners?

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Other employees during the last pay period of the survey reference period

36. For payroll x of the other employees, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference period?

37. For payroll x of the other employees, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference period?

38. For payroll x of the other employees, what is the pay frequency?

39. For payroll x of the other employees, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

40. This is a summary of your reported data for all your other employees.

Special payments paid to other employees during the month of the survey reference period

42. At any time during the survey reference period, were there any special payments paid to other employees?

43. At any time during the survey reference period, how many special payments were paid to other employees?

44. At any time during the survey reference period, what special payments were paid to other employees?

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Special Situation Questions

45. During the last pay period, were there any employees paid for work that were unable to perform their work duties due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic?

46. During the last pay period, how many employees were unable to perform their work duties due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic but were still paid?

Wage Subsidy Questions

47. Which of the following wage subsidies did this business receive?

48. For each claim period, please provide the total amount of the CEWS this business received.

49. What was the withheld amount by which your business reduced its payroll deduction for the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers?

Contact person

50. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is xxxx xxxx the best person to contact?

Feedback

51. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?

52. We invite your comments about this questionnaire.

Data Sharing Agreement

1. Do you agree to share the information you provided with your provincial or territorial statistical agency?

Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP)

Reporting Guide

This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the 2019 Annual Retail Trade Survey. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.

Help Line: 1-800-858-7921 or TTY 1-800-363-7629

Table of contents

Reporting instructions
Business or organization and contact information
Reporting period information
Revenue
Expenses
Industry Characteristics
Sales by type of client
Distribution of operating revenue by method of sale
E-commerce
Appendix 1 - Gasoline service station guide
Appendix 2 - Beer, wine and liquor chains
Notification of intent to extract web data

Reporting instructions

1. Please report all dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars ('000 CAN$).

2. Do not include sales tax.

3. Percentages should be rounded to whole numbers

4. When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimates.

Business or organization and contact information

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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 unit(s) 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.

Reporting period information

Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:

  • May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019
  • June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019
  • July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019
  • August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019
  • September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019
  • October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019
  • November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019
  • December 1, 2018 to November 30, 2019
  • January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019
  • February 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020
  • March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020
  • April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020

Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:

  • September 18, 2018 to September 15, 2019 (e.g., floating year-end)
  • June 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 (e.g., a newly opened business)

Revenue

  1. Sales of goods and services (e.g., fees, admissions, services revenue)

Sales of products and services are defined as amounts derived from the sale of products and services (cash or credit), falling within a business’s ordinary activities. Sales should be reported net of trade discount, value added tax and other taxes based on sales.

Include: Sales from Canadian locations (domestic and export sales); Transfers to other business units or a head office of your firm.
Exclude: Transfers into inventory and consignment sales; Federal, provincial and territorial sales taxes and excise duties and taxes; Intracompany sales in consolidated financial statements.

  1. Rental and leasing

Include: Rental or leasing of apartments, commercial buildings, land, office space, residential housing, investments in co-tenancies and co-ownerships, hotel or motel rooms, long and short term vehicle leasing, machinery or equipment, storage lockers, etc.

  1. Commissions

Include: Commissions earned on the sale of products or services by businesses such as advertising agencies, brokers, insurance agents, lottery ticket sales, sales representatives, and travel agencies – (Compensation could also be reported under this item (for example, compensation for collecting sales tax)).

  1. Subsidies (including grants, donations and fundraising)

Include: Non-repayable grants, contributions and subsidies from all levels of government; Revenue from private sector (corporate and individual) sponsorships, donations and fundraising.

  1. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees

A royalty is defined as a payment received by the holder of a copyright, trademark or patent.
Include: Revenue received from the sale or use of all intellectual property rights of copyrighted materials such as musical, literary, artistic or dramatic works, sound recordings or the broadcasting of communication signals.

  1. Dividends

Include: Dividend income; Dividends from Canadian sources; Dividends from foreign sources; Patronage dividends.
Exclude: Equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

  1. Interest

Include: Investment revenue; Interest from foreign sources; Interest from Canadian bonds and debentures; Interest from Canadian mortgage loans; Interest from other Canadian sources.
Exclude: Equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

  1. Other revenue (please specify)

Include: Amounts not included in questions (1) to (7)

  1. Total revenue

The sum of questions (1) to (8).

Expenses

  1. Cost of goods sold

Many business units distinguish their costs of materials from their other business expenses (selling, general and administrative). This item is included to allow you to easily record your costs/expenses according to your normal accounting practices.
Include: Cost of raw materials and/or goods purchased for re-sale – net of discounts earned on purchases; Freight in and duty.

  1. Employment costs and expenses
  1. Salaries, wages and commissions

Please report all salaries and wages (including taxable allowances and employment commissions as defined on the T4 – Statement of Remuneration Paid) before deductions for this reporting period.
Include: Vacation pay; Bonuses (including profit sharing); Employee commissions; Taxable allowances (e.g., room and board, vehicle allowances, gifts such as airline tickets for holidays); Severance pay.
Exclude: All payments and expenses associated with casual labour and outside contract workers (report these amounts at question 3 - Subcontracts).

  1. Employee benefits

Include contributions to: Health plans; Insurance plans; Employment insurance; Pension plans; Workers’ compensation; Association dues; Contributions to any other employee benefits such as child care and supplementary unemployment benefit (SUB) plans; Contributions to provincial and territorial health and education payroll taxes.

  1. Subcontracts

Subcontract expense refers to the purchasing of services from outside of the company rather than providing them in-house.
Include: Hired casual labour and outside contract workers; Custom work and contract work; Subcontract and outside labour; Hired labour.

  1. Research and development fees

Expenses from activities conducted with the intention of making a discovery that could either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to the improvement of existing products or procedures.

  1. Professional and business fees

Include: Legal services; Accounting and auditing fees; Consulting fees; Education and training fees; Appraisal fees; Management and administration fees; Property management fees; Information technology (IT) consulting and service fees (purchased); Architectural fees; Engineering fees; Scientific and technical service fees; Other consulting fees (management, technical and scientific); Veterinary fees; Fees for human health services; Payroll preparation fees; All other professional and business service fees.
Exclude: Service fees paid to Head Office (report at question 21 - All other costs and expenses).

  1. Utilities

Utility expenses related to operating your business unit such as water, electricity, gas, heating and hydro.
Include:
Diesel, wood, natural gas, oil and propane; Sewage.
Exclude: Energy expenses covered in your rental and leasing contracts; Telephone, Internet and other telecommunications (report this amount at question 8 - Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses); Vehicle fuel (report at question 21 - All other costs and expenses).

  1. Office and computer related expenses

Include: Office stationery and supplies, paper and other supplies for photocopiers, printers and fax machines; Postage and courier (used in the day to day office business activity); Diskettes and computer upgrade expenses; Data processing.
Exclude: Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses (report this amount at question 8 - Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses).

  1. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunications

Include: Internet; Telephone and telecommunications; Cellular telephone; Fax machine; Pager.

  1. Business taxes, licenses and permits

Include: Property taxes paid directly and property transfer taxes; Vehicle license fees; Beverage taxes and business taxes; Trade license fees; Membership fees and professional license fees; Provincial capital tax.

  1. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships

Include: Amounts paid to holders of patents, copyrights, performing rights and trademarks; Gross overriding royalty expenses and direct royalty costs; Resident and non-resident royalty expenses; Franchise fees.
Exclude: Crown royalties

  1. Crown charges

Federal or Provincial royalty, tax, lease or rental payments made in relation to the acquisition, development or ownership of Canadian resource properties.
Include: Crown royalties; Crown leases and rentals; Oil sand leases; Stumpage fees.

  1. Rental and leasing

Include: Lease rental expenses, real estate rental expenses, condominium fees and equipment rental expenses; Motor vehicle rental and leasing expenses; Studio lighting and scaffolding; Machinery and equipment rental expenses; Storage expenses; Road and construction equipment rental; Fuel and other utility costs covered in your rental and leasing contracts.

  1. Repair and maintenance

Include: Buildings and structures; Machinery and equipment; Security equipment; Vehicles; Costs related to materials, parts and external labour associated with these expenses; Janitorial and cleaning services and garbage removal.

  1. Amortization and depreciation

Include: Direct cost depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of leasehold improvements; Amortization of intangible assets (e.g., amortization of goodwill, patents, franchises, copyrights, trademarks, deferred charges, organizational costs).

  1. Insurance

Insurance recovery income should be deducted from insurance expenses.
Include: Professional and other liability insurance; Motor vehicle and property insurance; Executive life insurance; Bonding, business interruption insurance and fire insurance.

  1. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment

Include: Newspaper advertising and media expenses; Catalogues, presentations and displays; Tickets for theatre, concerts and sporting events for business promotion; Fundraising expenses; Meals, entertainment and hospitality purchases for clients.

  1. Travel, meetings and conventions

Include: Travel expenses; Meeting and convention expenses, seminars; Passenger transportation (e.g., airfare, bus, train, etc.); Accommodations; Travel allowance and meals while travelling; Other travel expenses.

  1. Financial services

Include: Explicit service charges for financial services; Credit and debit card commissions and charges; Collection expenses and transfer fees; Registrar and transfer agent fees; Security and exchange commission fees; Other financial service fees.
Exclude: Interest expenses (report at question 19 - Interest expense).

  1. Interest expense

Report the cost of servicing your company’s debt.
Include: Interest; Bank charges; Finance charges; Interest payments on capital leases; Amortization of bond discounts; Interest on short-term and long-term debt, mortgages, bonds and debentures.

  1. Other non-production-related costs and expenses

Include: Charitable donations and political contributions; Bad Debt expense; Loan losses; Provisions for loan losses (minus Bad debt recoveries); Inventory adjustments

  1. All other costs and expenses (including intracompany expenses)

Include: Production costs; Pipeline operations, drilling, site restoration; Gross overriding royalty; Other producing property rentals; Well operating, fuel and equipment; Other lease rentals; Other direct costs; Equipment hire and operation; Log yard expense, forestry costs, logging road costs; Freight in and duty; Overhead expenses allocated to costs of sales; Other expenses; Cash over/short (negative expense); Reimbursement of parent company expense; Warranty expense; Recruiting expenses; General and administrative expenses; Interdivisional expenses; Interfund transfer (minus expense recoveries); Exploration and Development (including prospect/geological, well abandonment & dry holes, exploration expenses, development expenses); Amounts not included in questions 1 to 20 above.

  1. Total expenses

The sum of lines 1 to 21

Industry Characteristics

All revenue reported should exclude sales taxes (GST/HST, PST and QST) and be net of returns, discounts, sales allowances, and charges for outward transportation by common or contract carriers. Do not deduct the value of trade-ins.

  1. Sales of all goods purchased for resale, net of returns and discounts

Include:

  • Excise taxes (such as those on gasoline, liquor, and tobacco) and other taxes that are levied on the manufacturer/importer and included in the cost of products purchased by this business unit;
  • Sales of all goods purchased for resale; please report gross sales of new and used goods less returns and discounts;
  • Parts used in generating repair and maintenance revenue; report the labour portion of repair and maintenance at question 3.

Do not deduct the value of trade-ins.

Exclude:

  • Taxes collected directly from customers and paid directly by this operating unit to provincial and federal tax agencies;
  • Sales and revenue from concessions.
  1. Sales of goods manufactured as a secondary activity by this retailing business unit

Report revenue from sales of goods of own manufacture.

  1. Labour revenue from repair and maintenance

Include:

  • Labour revenue from installations, warranty and repair work;
  • Parts used in generating installation, repair and maintenance revenue are to be included at question 1.
  1. Revenue from rental and leasing of goods and equipment

Include:

  • Video/computer game rental;
  • Rug shampoo equipment rental;
  • Tool rental.
  1. Revenue from rental of real estate

Include:

  • Revenue received from renting out or leasing property owned by this business unit.

Sales by type of client

This section is designed to measure which sector of the economy purchases your services.
Please provide a percentage breakdown of your sales by type of client.
Please ensure that the sum of percentages reported in this section equals 100%.

  1. Clients in Canada

a. Individuals and households
Please report the percentage of sales to individuals and households who do not represent the business or government sector.

b. Businesses
Percentage of sales sold to the business sector should be reported here.
Include:

  • Sales to Crown corporations.

c. Governments, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions (e.g., hospitals, schools)
Percentage of sales to federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments should be reported here.
Include:

  • Sales to hospitals, schools, universities and public utilities.
  1. Clients outside Canada

Please report the percentage of total sales to customers or clients located outside Canada including foreign businesses, foreign individuals, foreign institutions and/or governments.
Include:

  • Sales to foreign subsidiaries and affiliates.

Distribution of operating revenue by method of sale

  1. In-store sales

Please report total operating revenue of goods and services which are purchased in a fixed point-of-sale location accessible to the public.
Include: sales at pumps for gasoline stations.

  1. E-commerce

Please report total operating revenue of goods and services conducted over the Internet with or without online payment.
Include: all revenue where the order is received and the commitment to purchase is made via the Internet, although payment can be made by other means, orders made in web pages, extranet, mobile devices or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
Exclude: orders made by telephone calls, facsimile or e-mail.

  1. Catalogue and mail-order or telephone

Please report total operating revenue of goods and services generated from customer ordering their goods from catalogues and mail order flyers.
Include: sales purchased via telephone and fax.

  1. All other methods

Please report total operating revenue of goods and services generated from all other methods.
Include: sales at trade shows, special events, in-home sales and card lock.

E-commerce

Mobile app

Include: sales through any app, or application, that is downloaded and designed to run on a handheld device such as a smartphone or tablet (for example, places where a user may download these apps include Apple’s App Store, Google Play or Blackberry App World).

Company website

Include: sales through a browser-based website where your organization maintains control of the content.

Third-party website

Include: sales through a browser-based website where a third-party maintains the structure of the website and control of the look and feel while your company only provides the product to be sold (for example, Amazon, Expedia, Etsy).

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

A standard format for exchanging business data. EDI is based on the use of message standards, ensuring that all participants use a common language.

Appendix 1 - Gasoline service station guide

I - Independent retail dealer

An independent retail dealer purchases gasoline for resale from a supplier (e.g., an oil refinery or wholesaler), i.e., owns the inventories.

An independent dealership is a typical retail operation and should report all data as requested on the questionnaire.

A franchisee is usually an independent retail dealer.

Reporting instructions:

Section - Revenue

Exclude:

  • provincial sales taxes (PST and QST);
  • goods and services tax (GST) or harmonized sales tax (HST).

Include:

  • excise taxes;
  • revenue from repairs, rentals, car washes and other services.

II - Retail commissioned agent

A retail commissioned agent sells petroleum products on consignment and does not own the inventory of gasoline; may also purchase and carry inventories of other merchandise for resale.

A retail commissioned agent also receives a commission or flat fee from supplier of products sold on consignment.

Reporting instructions:

Section - Revenue

Please report only the commissions or fees received for consignment sales, plus excise taxes, and total sales of other merchandise not on consignment, as well as revenue from repairs, rentals, car washes and other services.

Exclude:

  • provincial sales taxes (PST and QST);
  • goods and services tax (GST), or harmonized sales tax (HST).

Section - Expenses, questions 1 a), b), c) and d) (Cost of goods sold)

Exclude:

  • inventories and purchases of goods held on consignment.

Include:

  • all other merchandise, preferably valued at cost price.

Section - Expenses, questions 2 a) and b) (Employment costs and expenses)

Report as requested on questionnaire.

III - Lessee

For purposes of the survey, a lessee can be either an independent dealer or a retail commissioned agent.

If a lessee purchases gasoline for resale, i.e., he owns the inventories, he should report as an independent dealer.

If a lessee sells gasoline on consignment, i.e., he does not own the inventories, he should report as a retail commissioned agent.

IV - Oil refinery or other wholesale supplier

An oil-producing company, refinery or other wholesale supplier involved in gasoline retailing through:

a) company owned-and-operated gasoline service stations;
or
b) retail commissioned agents or lessees who sell company-owned gasoline on consignment.

Reporting instructions:

Report for each location, depending upon its type, i.e.:

a) company-owned;
or
b) retail commissioned agent or lessee.

Section - Revenue

a) Company owned-and-operated stations

Include:

  • total retail sales of petroleum products;
  • sales of all other merchandise;
  • receipts from repairs, rentals, car washes and other services;
  • excise taxes.

Exclude:

  • provincial sales taxes (PST and QST);
  • goods and services tax (GST) or harmonized sales tax (HST).

b) Retail commissioned agents or lessees who sell on consignment

Include:

  • only the value of retail sales of petroleum products sold on consignment, including excise taxes.

Exclude:

  • commissions or fees paid to agents or lessees;
  • provincial sales taxes (PST and QST);
  • goods and services tax (GST) or harmonized sales tax (HST).

Section - Expenses, questions 1 a), b), c) and d) (Cost of goods sold)

Report total inventories of petroleum products held at retail locations (both company owned-and-operated and retail commissioned agents or lessees), as well as at any other locations where the inventories are segregated pending sale on consignment or through company owned-and-operated outlets.

Inventories should be reported at transfer or wholesale value.

For company owned-and-operated stations, inventories of other merchandise held for resale (e.g., food, auto parts, etc.) should also be reported.

Section - Expenses, question 1 b) (Purchases)

Report the transfer or wholesale value of all petroleum products sold on consignment or through company owned-and-operated stations.

Purchases of other merchandise sold through company owned-and-operated outlets should also be included, at cost of goods sold.

Section - Expenses, questions 2 a) and b) (Employment costs and expenses)

Report for all employees of company owned-and-operated stations, plus a portion of the administrative salaries (overhead) applicable to both the company owned-and-operated outlets as well as to the stations operated by retail commissioned agent or lessees who sell on consignment.

Important

If none of the above categories applies to your service station business, please enclose a note with your questionnaire.

Appendix 2 - Beer, wine, and liquor chains

The information in this appendix applies, if and only if, your company is requested to complete the Monthly Survey on Sales and Inventory of Alcoholic Beverages.

If you are not sure whether your company receives the Monthly Survey on Sales and Inventory of Alcoholic Beverages, please call us at 1 800 858 7921 or TTY 1-800-363-7629 for clarification.

If you are primarily a retailer of beer, wine and/or liquor and your company also receives the Monthly Survey on Sales and Inventory of Alcoholic Beverages, you are requested to complete the entire questionnaire for both your retail and wholesale trade operations.

The definition of store retailers is included in ‘Business activity’ section. Your retail stores should be reported in the section ‘Details on this business’s locations’ of the questionnaire with NAICS code 445310 - Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores.

Your wholesale distribution centers (i.e., distribution outlets that are not retail stores and that sell directly to commercial accounts) should be reported in the section ‘Details on this business’s locations’ of the questionnaire with NAICS code 413220 - Alcoholic Beverage Wholesaler-Distributors.

It is expected that the total operating revenue that you report on this questionnaire will be similar to the total sales, excluding taxes that have been reported for the relevant months on the Survey on Sales and Inventory of Alcoholic Beverages. If there is a substantial difference and you have not provided an explanation in the Comments section, it is likely that Statistics Canada will telephone you in an attempt to understand the reasons for the differences.

Notification of intent to extract web data

Statistics Canada is piloting a web data extraction initiative, also known as web scraping, which uses software to search and compile publicly available data from organization websites. As a result, we may visit the website for this organization to search for, and compile, additional information. This initiative should allow us to reduce the reporting burden on organization, as well as produce additional statistical indicators to ensure that our data remain accurate and relevant.

We will do our utmost to ensure the data are collected in a manner that will not affect the functionality of the website. Any data collected will be used by Statistics Canada for statistical and research purposes only, in accordance with the agency's mandate.

For more information regarding Statistics Canada's web scraping initiative, please visit About us.

To learn more about Statistics Canada's transparency and accountability, please visit Transparency and accountability.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Statistics Canada Client Services, toll-free at 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629) or by email at infostats@statcan.gc.ca. Additional information about this survey can be found by selecting the following link:

Consult the reporting guide at Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP) for further information.

Environment and Energy Statistics Division
Energy section

This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the
2020 Monthly Natural Gas Storage Survey.

Help Line: 1-877-604-7828

Storage facilities include natural gas storage caverns such as: depleted oil and gas reservoirs, aquifer reservoirs, salt cover reservoirs. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage facilities are out of scope for this survey.

Units: Report Gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas stored during the month under review.

Confidentiality

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

Table of contents

A - General information

Purpose of survey

The purpose of this survey is to obtain information on the supply of, and demand for, energy in Canada. This information serves as an important indicator of Canadian economic performance, and is used by all levels of government in establishing informed policies in the energy area. In the case of public utilities, it is used by governmental agencies to fulfill their regulatory responsibilities. The private sector also uses this information in the corporate decision-making process. Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Data-sharing agreements

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

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

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

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

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

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as well as with the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources, the New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government, the Ministère de l'énergie et des ressources naturelles du Québec, the Manitoba Department of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, the Canada Energy Regulator, Natural Resources Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

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

Data linkage

To enhance the data from this survey, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

B - Reporting Instructions

Please report information for a specific reference month in 2020.

Please complete all sections as applicable.

If the information requested is unknown, please provide your best estimate.

This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the Monthly Natural Gas Storage Survey. If you need more information, please call 1-877-604-7828.

C - Reporting Instructions and Natural Gas Definitions

Question 1: Opening inventory

1a: Opening inventory of base or cushion gas

Report total amount of base or cushion gas held by the establishment on the first day of the month under review. This should equal the closing inventory of the previous month.

Definition:

Base gas, also referred to as cushion gas is the amount of gas that must be present in storage at all times to maintain a storage facility's pressure.

1b: Opening inventory of working gas

Report total amount of working gas held by the establishment on the first day of the month under review. This should equal the closing inventory of the previous month.

Definition:

Working gas is the amount of gas that can be withdrawn from storage while maintaining a storage facility's minimum operating pressure.

Total opening inventory of natural gas

Report total amount of natural gas held by the establishment on the first day of the month under review. This should equal the sum of the base/cushion gas and working gas.

Question 2: Closing inventory

2a: Closing inventory of base or cushion gas

Report total amount of base or cushion gas held by the establishment on the last day of the month under review.

Definition:

Base gas, also referred to as cushion gas is the amount of gas that must be present in storage at all times to maintain a storage facility's pressure.

2b: Closing inventory of working gas

Report total amount of working gas held by the establishment on the last day of the month under review.

Definition:

Working gas is the amount of gas that can be withdrawn from storage while maintaining a storage facility's minimum operating pressure.

Total closing inventory of natural gas

Report total amount of natural gas held by the establishment on the last day of the month under review. This should equal the sum of the base/cushion gas and working gas.

Question 3: Heating value of stored natural gas

3: End of the month heating value of stored natural gas in gigajoules per thousand cubic metres

Report the heat content of your natural gas held in storage for the last day of the month under review.

Question 4: Injected, withdrawn, and inventory adjustments of natural gas storage

4a: Injected in to storage

Report total amount of natural gas received by the establishment for month under review.

4b: Withdrawn from storage

Report total amount of natural gas delivered by the establishment for month under review.

4c: Other adjustments

This calculated amount is the difference between (1) opening and closing inventories and (2) injections and withdrawals. This difference includes discrepancies due to meter inaccuracies and/or leakage or other losses. Inventory adjustments can be a positive or negative value.

Inventory adjustments = (closing – opening inventories) – (withdrawals – injections)

Net withdrawals of natural gas from inventories

This calculated amount is the difference between (1) withdrawals and (2) the sum of injections and inventory adjustments. Net withdrawals can be a positive or negative value.

Net withdrawals = (injections - withdrawals + inventory adjustments)

Question 5: Natural gas held in the United States

5: Natural gas in storage facilities in the United States

Report total amount of natural gas held by the establishment in storage facilities located in the United States for eventual use in Canada.

Thank you for your participation.