Date: December 2023

Program manager: Director, Centre for Population Health Data (CPHD)
Director General, Health Statistics Branch 

Reference to Personal Information Bank (PIB):

Personal information collected through the voluntary Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences - Primary and Specialist Care (SHCAE-PSC) is described in Statistics Canada’s “Health Surveys” Personal Information Bank (PIB) (StatCan PPU 806) and is published on the Statistics Canada website under the latest Information about Programs and Information Holdings chapter. The PIB refers to information collected on a voluntary basis through Statistics Canada's health surveys under the authority of the Statistics Act. 

Description of statistical activity:

Statistics Canada is conducting the Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences - Primary and Specialist Care (SHCAE-PSC), under the authority of the Statistics Act^Footnote1. The purpose of this survey is to better understand how Canadians navigate the health care system, including challenges or barriers they may face. Topics covered include the access to and use of primary health care and specialist care, care coordination, barriers to care, prescription medications, and out-of-pocket expenses.

The SHCAE-PSC is a new, voluntary survey being conducted by Statistics Canada’s Centre for Population Health Data. The goal is to collect data on how respondents are interacting with the health care system. Work on the survey began with the formation of a working group consisting of members from Statistics Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI). Together, this working group identified health data needs, which were grouped into themes such as access, barriers, and patient experiences and satisfaction. The group then worked to develop survey content to address these data needs. The results may be used by Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial ministries of health, and for Quebec residents, the Institut de la statistique du Québec to help inform the delivery of health care services, and to develop and improve programs and policies to better serve all Canadians. 

A dwelling-based sample will be selected from the Statistical Building Register (SBgR)^Footnote2. The survey will target approximately 75,000 individuals aged 18 years and over living in the ten provinces for direct collection by way of a self-reported electronic questionnaire and/or telephone interviews. Individuals living on reserves or in an institution for six months or more are excluded from the sample. Each dwelling in the sample will receive an invitation letter and secure access code to complete the survey on Statistics Canada’s secure website. Within each dwelling, one individual will be selected to complete the survey using age order selection. Instructions for this process will be provided in the introductory letter. The process can be completed by the interviewer in the case of telephone interviews. After seven and a half weeks of collection, interviewers will follow up with individuals that have not yet responded to re-issue the invitation and provide respondents with the opportunity to complete the survey over the telephone with a trained Statistics Canada interviewer. The collection will take place over two waves, with each wave lasting approximately 21 weeks. Responses will be aggregated to ensure that no individuals can be directly or indirectly identified.

The questionnaire content covers a variety of health-related topics. Questions on health include self-perceived health, mental health, daily stress, life satisfaction, chronic conditions, and disability status. 

Questions on primary health care include whether the respondent has a regular health care provider. If they do, they are asked a series of questions about this provider, including wait times to see them and languages spoken with them. If they do not have a regular provider, they are asked why they do not have a regular health care provider and how long they have been without one. 

Respondents are asked about their most recent consultation for a primary health care need in the past 12 months and details regarding its purpose, with whom and where it took place, the wait time for the consultation and its impact on the respondent, their views on how they were treated by the health care provider and their rating of the quality of the consultation. They are asked a similar series of questions for their most recent initial consultation with a specialist in the past 12 months. Finally, respondents are asked about any difficulties they experienced accessing any primary health or specialist care that they needed in the past 12 months and what they did because of these difficulties.

The survey content also includes questions on care coordination between providers, barriers and discrimination experienced in health care settings, unmet health care needs, prescription medications, insurance coverage, and out-of-pocket expenses. 

In addition, respondents will be asked to provide their name, and other demographic information such as postal code, province of residence, date of birth, age, sex at birth, gender, disability status, Indigenous identity and whether they are a Status Indian, population group, immigration and citizenship, languages, sexual orientation, and highest level of education. The purpose of including these questions is to determine if there are differences in the experiences accessing health care among various groups.

A master microdata file will be produced and made available in Statistics Canada’s Research Data Centres (RDCs)^Footnote3, including the survey data file without direct identifiers^Footnote4other than postal code and date of birth, will be made available to researchers in the RDCs upon approval of requests to access the data for statistical research. A subset of the master file which contains only information of respondents who have consented to share their information, called the share file, may be made available to Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial ministries of health, and for Quebec residents, the Institut de la statistique du Québec. 

The SHCAE-PSC collects the following personal information: 

• Name  
• Specialist care use
• Postal code    
• Health care barriers
• Province     
• Unmet health care needs
• Household size
• Prescriptions
• Number of household members aged 18 and over
• Insurance coverage
• Date of birth  
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Age   
• Indigenous identity
• Sex at birth   
• Population group
• Gender   
• Place of birth
• Self-perceived health   
• Immigration
• Life satisfaction    
• Citizenship status
• Stress   
• Language
• Disability status      
• Sexual orientation
• Chronic conditions    
• Education 
• Primary health care use   
• Provincial health card number

Other information, such as household income will be linked via administrative data.

Collection is scheduled to take place in two waves, wave one between January to June 2024 and wave two June to November 2024.

Reason for supplement:

While the Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) addresses most of the privacy and security risks related to statistical activities conducted by Statistics Canada, this supplement describes additional measures being implemented due to the sensitivity of the information being collected. The Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences - Primary and Specialist Care will collect information on respondents’ use of primary and specialist health care as well as issues related to access, including wait times, experiences of discrimination, barriers to care, unmet needs and their impacts on the individual. Sensitive personal information such as name, date of birth, sexual orientation, and gender identity will also be collected for the purpose of record linkage and to analyze the experiences accessing health care among different groups. Given the overall sensitive nature of the topics covered, this supplement was developed to describe how Statistics Canada is considering the possible impact on vulnerable populations. As is the case with all PIAs, Statistics Canada's privacy framework ensures that elements of privacy protection and privacy controls are documented and applied.

Necessity and Proportionality

The collection of personal information for the Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences - Primary and Specialist Care can be justified against Statistics Canada’s Necessity and Proportionality Framework: 

1. Necessity:

   Health care is an important topic for Canadians and has become even more important with the recent COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the delivery and types of services provided. There are few recent sources of information on these topics. Administrative data can provide some information, but it does not provide any measure of the impact of wait times and other access issues on the individual. The SHCAE-PSC will help fill this data gap. The results of this survey may be used by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, provincial ministries of health to help inform the delivery of health care services, and to develop and improve programs and policies to better serve all Canadians.

   All the data to be collected are necessary to fulfill the purpose of the survey as described in the description section. All questions and response categories were carefully considered to ensure their relevancy to developing and improving programs and policies to better meet the health care needs of Canadians, and that they accurately capture the data in question to help inform the delivery of health care services.

   Only individuals living in the provinces are eligible to participate. The territories are excluded from the survey due to the small population size and to reduce response burden. The demographic data collected will be used for analysis of subgroups of the population. The sample will be stratified by province; it was determined that a sample size of 75,000 should allow the production of reliable and accurate results by province, gender, and age group (where the groups considered are 18-44, 45-64, and 65+). Given that health care is a provincial responsibility, one goal of the survey is to be able to understand how the experiences of individuals of different age groups and in different provinces are impacted by issues related to access and use of health care services.

   There is a plan to undertake record linkage to tax data records to collect the income information for respondents. This will reduce the survey’s response burden as the income module is no longer needed. There are currently no other plans for record linkage, however, direct personal identifiers such as name, address, postal code, date of birth, and health care number will be retained on a separate file in a secure location for potential linkage opportunities in the future.

2. Effectiveness - Working assumptions: 

   Conducting surveys is the only way to get estimates of individuals experiences and opinions about accessing health care. A questionnaire was developed by following Statistics Canada’s processes and methodology to produce results that are representative of the population. The questionnaire underwent qualitative testing through Statistics Canada’s Questionnaire Design Resource Centre (QDRC) with some modifications made to the content as a result of feedback received during this testing.

   All Statistics Canada directives and policies for the development, collection, and dissemination of the survey are followed, and survey responses will not be attached to respondents’ addresses or phone numbers, other than postal code. The goal is that data will be representative of the general population aged 18 and over in the ten provinces. 

   When the quality of the estimates is sufficient and the identity of respondents is protected, disaggregation by other demographic characteristics (such as ethnicity, gender, age groupings) may be possible to provide further insight that aggregate information will not provide. The survey collects this personal information and may produce estimates or analysis related to these data as the experiences of health care or outcomes may be different in a marginalized population than in the non-marginalized population. For example, members of marginalized populations may experience discrimination in health care settings.

3. Proportionality:

   Data on health care use, discrimination, barriers to care, mental health and its impacts, as well as sociodemographic data that may identify marginalized groups are considered sensitive. For these reasons, experts at Statistics Canada have been consulted on the scope and methodology of the survey. All the data to be collected are required to fulfill the purpose of the survey as described above. All questions and response categories were carefully considered ensuring they accurately capture the data in question to help inform and develop policies and programs related to health care use. Wherever possible, questions on these topics from existing surveys or Statistics Canada harmonized content have been used. The questionnaire content was developed to limit the amount of personal information required to meet data needs. For example, general questions are asked about the purpose of appointments with health care providers or whether the respondent had any prescriptions, but no details on the respondents’ specific medical conditions or medications are asked. The questionnaire also underwent qualitative testing and review through the QDRC to ensure that there were no topics that were too sensitive to respondents. No problems or concerns were noted at that time by QDRC or the potential respondents.

   The findings support decision-making at all levels of government and improve knowledge of Canadians’ use of the health care system for both primary and specialist health care, as well as critical research at all levels. They help improve the understanding of the impact of barriers to care including reasons such as discrimination, cost, and lack of access to care. Information on the socio-demographics characteristics of respondents will allow for the study of access and experiences by various groups, including marginalized groups. The privacy measures taken are proportional to the potential risks to an individual’s privacy.

4. Alternatives:

   Research was conducted on existing administrative data and other surveys related to health care service use. It was determined that these types of data sources would not provide the details needed to fully understand the experiences of individuals accessing the Canadian health care system, especially considering the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care system. Administrative data does not contain information on the impact of things such as wait times or discrimination on the individual. As a result, it was determined that a survey to collect this type of information was required.

Mitigation factors:

The overall risk of harm to the survey respondents has been deemed manageable with existing Statistics Canada safeguards that are described in Statistics Canada’s Generic Privacy Impact Assessment, with particular emphasis on the following measures: 

• Prior to collection, individuals selected to participate in the survey will be clearly informed of its voluntary nature, as well as the survey’s purpose and topics so that they can make an informed decision about whether they want to participate. This notification will be provided to all potential respondents in writing on the questionnaire, or verbally by the interviewer before any questions are asked. 
• Information about the survey, as well as the survey questionnaire, is published on Statistics Canada’s website. 
• Statistics Canada’s directives and policies on data publication will be followed to ensure the confidentiality of any data released from the Research Data Centres. Only aggregate results, which are fully anonymized and non-confidential, without direct identifiers, which precludes the possibility of re-identifying individuals, can be released from the Research Data Centres.
• Respondents may request that their income tax information not be linked to SHCAE-PSC responses.
• Respondents may request that their SHCAE-PSC responses not be used in any future linkages. 
• Individual responses will be aggregated with those of others when reporting results. Adequate suppression of potentially identifying responses for very small groups will be implemented to protect the privacy of respondents. 
• Additional consideration and suppression may be applied to ensure that the privacy of marginalized and vulnerable communities is not disproportionally impacted by any results prior to their release. 
• Consent will be sought from respondents to share this information, as permitted by the Statistics Act^Footnote5 , and only with that consent will Statistics Canada share survey responses with Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial ministries of health, and for Quebec residents, the Institut de la statistique du Québec, strictly for statistical and research purposes, and in accordance Statistics Canada’s security and confidentiality requirements. 
• Statistics Canada’s microdata linkage and related statistical activities were assessed in Statistics Canada’s Generic Privacy Impact Assessment^Footnote6 . All data linkage activities are subject to established governance ^Footnote7 and are assessed against the privacy principles of necessity and proportionality^Footnote8 . All approved linkages are published on Statistics Canada’s website.^Footnote9
• A relatively small (75,000) sample size is being used instead of a census of all persons receiving healthcare in Canada.

Conclusion:

This assessment concludes that with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Formal approval:

This Supplementary Privacy Impact Assessment has been reviewed and recommended for approval by Statistics Canada’s Chief Privacy Officer, Director General for Modern Statistical Methods and Data Science, and Assistant Chief Statistician for Social, Health, and Labour statistics. 

The Chief Statistician of Canada has the authority for section 10 of the Privacy Act for Statistics Canada, and is responsible for the Agency’s operations, including the program area mentioned in this Supplementary Privacy Impact Assessment.

This Privacy Impact Assessment has been approved by the Chief Statistician of Canada.

Date: November 2023

Program manager: Director, Centre for Social Data Integration and Development
Director General, Social Data Integration and Development

Reference to Personal Information Bank (PIB)

Personal information collected through the Human Rights Tribunal Project is described in Statistics Canada's "Justice Research" Personal information Bank (PIB), which collects information related to complaints filed pursuant to part III of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Complaints under part III of the Act may be filed against any federally regulated organization and concern allegations of discriminatory practices based on any of the prohibited grounds.

This bank describes justice-related files that contain personal identifiers and are used in statistical and analytical research. Sources of information may include selected databases from federal, provincial and municipal government bodies that are mandated to collect data pertaining to the justice system, which are submitted to Statistics Canada for specific research studies. Personal information (where available) may include name, date of birth, address and the following categories of information: biographical, citizenship status, educational, language and government issued identification.

The "Justice Research" Personal Information Bank (Bank Number: PPU 028) is published on the Statistics Canada website under the latest Information about Programs and Information Holdings chapter.

Description of statistical activity

Under the authority of the Statistics Act^{Footnote 1}, Statistics Canada, is conducting a pilot project to acquire administrative data on human rights tribunal cases in Canadian jurisdictions on a voluntary basis. Statistics Canada is collecting data for the project on behalf of the Department of Justice. The project aims to generate information on the impacts of filing a human rights complaint on complainants, up to, and following, resolution of the matter.

Surveys such as the General Social Survey and the Canadian Legal Problems Survey provide a wealth of data on self-reported instances of discrimination. The most recent data from the General Social Survey on Social Identity found that more than 38% of Canadians reported experiencing some form of discrimination between 2015 and 2021^{Footnote 2}. While survey data plays a crucial role in understanding the prevalence of discrimination and harassment in Canada, a vast amount of administrative data can be leveraged to advance the understanding of this critical social issue.

In Canada, every province and territory has enacted human rights legislation and a complaints mechanism. The Canadian Human Rights Act also covers sectors that fall under federal responsibility, such as the federal public service, transportation, and banking. Each administrative body collects administrative data, but only a limited amount of the data is released to the public, usually in the form of annual reports. This administrative data could inform policy and program decision-making at federal, provincial, and territorial levels, in efforts to address discrimination issues related to the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The administrative data collected through the pilot project will be integrated with other information including Census data, tax data, justice data (police and criminal courts) and health data (ambulatory care, hospitalization, and mortality). Statistics Canada's microdata linkage and related statistical activities were assessed in Statistics Canada's Generic Privacy Impact Assessment^{Footnote 3}. All data linkage activities are subject to established governance^{Footnote 4}, and are assessed against Statistics Canada's principles of necessity and proportionality^{Footnote 5}. All approved linkages are published on Statistics Canada's website^{Footnote 6}. All linked data will remain at Statistics Canada and the data will be used by Statistics Canada to produce analytical outputs for Justice Canada and the data providers, in the form of custom tables, fact sheets, and an analytical report. Confidentiality rules will be applied to all products to there is no possibility of re-identification of individuals.

More specifically, the project will aim to provide information on the characteristics of complainants of discrimination^{Footnote 7} and harassment^{Footnote 8}. It will also outline the outcomes of the complaints across social markers, which includes health, criminal justice system involvement, income and other demographics (relationship status, employment status, etc.).

The type of information being requested includes personal information about the complainant and information about the human rights complaint. The final list of variables and the reference periods of the data will be determined once the human rights jurisdictions' needs are established, and may differ between jurisdictions. It should be noted that the acquisition of these data, as well as the dissemination of analytical results, will be the outcome of partnerships developed with the jurisdictions that collect and act as stewards of these data. As a result, consultations with these jurisdictions are necessary prior to any data acquisition to ensure that only the required variables for this pilot project are provided to answer the research objectives.

Variables (microdata) to be collected include:

Personal identifiers:

• First name
• Last name
• Date of birth
• Phone number
• Email address
• Mailing address (including postal code)

Information about the human rights case:

• Case ID or file number (if available)
• Date the act of discrimination was committed
• Case filing date
• Area of discrimination
• Grounds for discrimination
• Case commencement date
• Relief sought in the case
• Case outcome
• Case closure date
• Whether an appeal was filed or not
• Outcome of appeal
• Whether there is legal representation or not

The data obtained from this pilot project will also provide a better understanding of complainants' circumstances, including whether certain groups of people are more likely to be impacted by harassment and discrimination than others. The use of record linkage will reduce burdening the complainant compared to collecting additional information from the complainants. The insights generated from the project will provide a better understanding of the magnitude of impacts on these individuals so that patterns can be recognized and in turn improve processes and/or outcomes. Information that allows us to accurately characterize the issues faced by complainants can provide value to those who have filed complaints or will file complaints in the future, as well as Canadians generally. These benefits are described below under Necessity and Proportionality.

Reason for supplement

While the Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) addresses most of the privacy and security risks related to statistical activities conducted by Statistics Canada, this supplement was developed due to the breadth (both in terms of the number of variables being collected as well as the wide jurisdictional coverage) and overall sensitivity of the personal information being requested with relation to the affected individuals. As is the case with all PIAs, Statistics Canada's privacy framework ensures that elements of privacy protection and privacy controls are documented and applied.

Necessity and Proportionality

The collection of personal information for the Human Rights Tribunal pilot project can be justified against Statistics Canada's Necessity and Proportionality Framework:

Necessity

Human rights continue to be a topic featured in the news at local, provincial, and national levels. A recent media scan conducted by the Centre for Social Data Insights and Innovation (CSDID) found that coverage surrounding human rights complaints has focused on themes such as Indigenous rights (particularly at the federal level), complaints on the grounds of disability, race and gender and the implications experienced by individuals after they file a complaint with a provincial or federal human rights body. However, the lack of reliable, consistent, and comparable data about human rights complaints makes it difficult for Canadians, policymakers, human rights advocates, and researchers to assess the trends and issues surrounding human rights complaints in Canada.

Given the long and successful history of collaboration between the two departments, the Department of Justice Canada approached Statistics Canada (StatCan) to launch a new initiative focusing on human rights complaints in Canada. This pilot project proposes to collect data from four tribunals and/or commissions which would provide valuable new insights at federal and provincial levels. The project will attempt to generate information on the impacts of filing a human rights complaint on complainants, up to, and following, resolution of the matter. The research questions driving this proposed pilot project focus on identifying the characteristics of complainants of discrimination and harassment, and shedding light on the outcomes (e.g., health, incomes, employment and social assistance, criminal justice system involvement, and other demographics) for complainants who file human rights complaints. It will be useful to know which social services are being leveraged by these individuals so that the jurisdictions can better determine where to best place support.

By collecting these datasets and integrating them with other data sets via the Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE)^{Footnote 9}, there is a significant opportunity to contribute to an improved body of knowledge about the prevalence, nature, and impact of filing a human rights complaint. The advantage of such a project is its ability to move past anecdotes about human rights and provide each tribunal or commission with robust data about the conditions that may contribute to and result from filing a human rights complaint. Research that accurately characterizes the issues faced by tribunals, commissions and complainants can provide value to current and future members of all groups, as well as Canadians in general.

These data could assist decision-makers in advocating for more resources to better support parties during the process, address the complaint resolution mechanisms, and implement processes to address the lengthy periods and/or delays that could be monitored with prospective data capture. In addition, a successful demonstration of the pilot project could also serve as a model to onboard other jurisdictions towards the potential development of a sustainable national database should there be interest. Ultimately, this work would facilitate better evidence-based decision-making at local, provincial, and national levels.

Effectiveness - Working assumptions

The project team identified potential partner jurisdictions and conducted consultations to discuss the project. At the time of the development of this assessment, consultations were ongoing with British Columbia's Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT), Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Tribunal (AHRT), the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) and the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC).

The AHRC and AHRT and the CHRC have confirmed the willingness to provide the data to support the project. CHRT manifested its support for the project, indicating that they need to obtain approval from their own information providers before proceeding. The BCHRT are willing to provide the information, however, capacity limitations on their side prevent them for doing so at this time. StatCan will continue to work with these partners to mitigate the existing impediments and obtain access to their data in the near future.

For the purpose of this project, Statistics Canada is acquiring microdata related to the complaints process and the individuals involved. The focus of the project pertains specifically to the human rights complaints process as governed by provincial tribunals, CHRT and CHRC.

Some of this information may be publicly available at an aggregate level. However, microdata is being requested for this initiative and is not generally available to the public.

The data will provide insights to better characterize the individuals who file human rights complaints and the outcome(s) of filing a complaint. Once linked within the SDLE, these data will allow for deeper analysis of demographics and social system interactions of those who file human rights complaints. By combining these administrative data sets with other data sets linked within the SDLE, Statistics Canada will be able to provide the Department of Justice Canada and partner jurisdictions with information needed to address their research questions on the prevalence of complaints, characteristics of complainants and the impacts of filing human rights complaints.

Proportionality

Consideration was given to the inclusion of data for complaints filed by, or on behalf of, minors. As most of the human rights complaints are in and around the workplace and harassment, it is not foreseen that much data will contain information on minors. Should there be a decision to proceed to collect information on minors from the human rights bodies, the SPIA will be updated accordingly to address this collection.

As administrative data, there are the usual limitations to the data in terms of quality, most specifically that these are limited – by their nature – to reported human rights complaints. Additionally, the data coming from the jurisdictions will follow standard, documented concepts and definitions to aid interpretability. Coherence between sources from different jurisdictions will need to be part of discussions with these partners.

Statistics Canada will produce all analytical outputs and will ensure that all results are vetted to prevent disclosure of confidential information. Furthermore, Statistics Canada will ensure there is a balanced and informed research approach which considers the context of complaints.

Internal access will be given only to Statistics Canada employees who have an approved need to access the data for their analytical work.

The personal identifiable information will be treated as described above in Section 2 and the information contained in the project's files will be retained in accordance with Statistics Canada's data sharing agreement with each participating jurisdiction, and their individual stipulated terms.

Alternatives

A very small part of the population files human rights complaints. The use of a general population survey would require a very large sample size to ensure this sub-population is reached, thus placing burden on Canadians who would be out of scope for the survey and incurring significant costs. A targeted survey that collects information directly from the individuals concerned would be feasible but would require the use of the same administrative files to identify and contact these individuals for participation in the survey.

Additionally, the survey questions would ask for the information elements already captured in the administrative records. Asking for the information that can be obtained through linkage would also be burdensome and would likely yield lower quality, especially in accuracy due to recall errors. However, consent to link could simply be sought. This would reduce the burden but would still require linkage as well as increased collection costs and tracing of individuals who may have moved in the interim (this worsens with the more years of data that are brought into the project). There would then be the potential for significant bias from non-contact or nonresponse in collection as well as non-consent to linkage.

Overall, a survey of this type is not recommended over microdata linkage, as the only reasonable and cost-effective method to identify the profile of individuals in terms of understanding social, economic, health, and demographic trends related to housing issues and insecurity.

Mitigation factors

The overall risk of harm to the survey respondents has been deemed manageable with existing Statistics Canada safeguards that are described in Statistics Canada's Generic Privacy Impact Assessment, as well as with the following measures:

The acquisition of these data, as well as the dissemination of analytical results, will be the outcome of partnerships developed with the jurisdictions that collect and house these data. These organizations have strict policies around the use of their data. As a result, many conversations have taken and will continue to take place between Statistics Canada and these organizations prior to this data acquisition in order to ensure that only the necessary data variables required to answer the research objectives will be provided.

Personal identifiers are required and will only be used to integrate the human rights complaints data with other Statistics Canada data holdings. Upon receipt of the files, the project team will store the identifiable data separately from the analytical information. An anonymized person key will replace any identifiable information on the analytical files.

In addition, Statistics Canada's Centre for Social Data Integration and Development will continue to ensure that all Statistics Canada directives are adopted and followed for acquiring and integrating alternative data into statistical programs. The team is also required to release an administrative data request for information where we publicly post this request for data on the Statistics Canada website, informing the general public and allowing them the opportunity to review and respond with any questions or concerns.

Conclusion

This assessment concludes that, with the existing Statistics Canada safeguards, any remaining risks are such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Formal approval

This Supplementary Privacy Impact Assessment has been reviewed and recommended for approval by Statistics Canada's Chief Privacy Officer, Director General for Modern Statistical Methods and Data Science, and Assistant Chief Statistician for Social, Health and Labour Statistics.

The Chief Statistician of Canada has the authority for section 10 of the Privacy Act for Statistics Canada, and is responsible for the Agency's operations, including the program area mentioned in this Supplementary Privacy Impact Assessment.

This Privacy Impact Assessment has been approved by the Chief Statistician of Canada.

Why are we conducting this survey?

The survey will collect information to measure the month-to-month trends of payroll employment, paid hours and earnings of employees; including working owners of incorporated businesses. Your participation is critical to ensure an accurate reflection of your industry, region and business size.

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 response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce the response 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, Centre for Labour Market Information
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk 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.

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 information if needed.

2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.

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

4. 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 month

1. What was the total number of employees in the last pay period of the survey reference month? Include: any person receiving pay for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

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

3. Did you have more than 1 payroll for any category of employees for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Multiple payroll: when you pay at different pay frequencies or if you have multiple pay periods with different start and end dates.

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

1. Number of payrolls for non-teaching staff.
2. Number of payrolls for teaching staff. Exclude supply or substitute teachers.
3. Number of payrolls for working owners of incorporated businesses.
4. Number of payrolls for supply or substitute teachers. Teachers who are called in to teach whenever their services are needed

Non-teaching staff during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about non-teaching staff. Include the president, vice-president, librarian, registrar, bursar, accountant, guidance counsellor, laboratory technicians, personnel officers, and other services such as janitors, caretakers and bus drivers. Exclude teachers and academic staff.

5. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

6. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

7. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, what is the pay frequency?

8a. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime, for the last pay period?

8b. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, what was the overtime pay payable included in question 8a? Enter "0", if no overtime was paid.

10. For payroll x of the non-teaching staff, what was the average number of scheduled working hours in a week? Report the number of hours in exact hours and decimal e.g., 37.25.

11. This is a summary of your reported data for all your non-teaching staff.

Special payments paid to non-teaching staff during the month of the survey reference month

13. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to non-teaching staff? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

14. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to non-teaching staff? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

15. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to non-teaching staff? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Teaching staff during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about teaching staff. Include those classified as teachers, instructors or academics in the payroll records, whether they teach during the day or evening, such as the principal, vice-principal, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, deans, heads of departments, masters, associate masters, assistant masters and teachers. Exclude supply or substitute teachers.

16. For payroll x of the teaching staff, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Exclude supply or substitute teachers. Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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

18. For payroll x of the teaching staff, what is the pay frequency?

20. For payroll x of the teaching staff, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

21. For payroll x of the teaching staff, what was the average number of scheduled working hours in a week? Report the number of hours in exact hours and decimal e.g., 37.25.

22. This is a summary of your reported data for all your teaching staff.

Special payments paid to teaching staff during the month of the survey reference month

24. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to teaching staff? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

25. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to teaching staff? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

26. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to teaching staff? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

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

The following questions are about working owners of incorporated business. Include working directors, working owners, partners and other officers of incorporated businesses for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip.

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 month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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

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 month

33. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

34. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to working owners? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

35. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Supply or substitute teachers during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about supply or substitute teachers. Include all the teachers who are called in to teach whenever their services are needed, either to augment existing staff or as short-term replacements for full or part-time teachers.

36. For payroll x of the supply or substitute teachers, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

37. For payroll x of the supply or substitute teachers, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

38. For payroll x of the supply or substitute teachers, what is the pay frequency?

39. For payroll x of the supply or substitute teachers, 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 supply or substitute teachers.

Special payments paid to supply or substitute teachers during the month of the survey reference month

42. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to supply or substitute teachers? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

43. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to supply or substitute teachers? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

44. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to supply or substitute teachers? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Contact person

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

Feedback

46. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire? Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

47. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Date and location:

November 7, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Hybrid meeting

• MS Teams
• The Ivan P. Fellegi Boardroom, 26th floor, R.H. Coats Building
  100 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa

Members:

• Chantal Bernier, Co-chair, Global Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, Dentons Canada LLP (Chair)
• Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada
• Len Garis, Researcher and Adjunct Professor, University of the Fraser Valley 
• Ali Ghorbani, Cyber Security Chair, University of New Brunswick
• Robert Gordon, Executive Director, Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange
• David Robichaud, Ethics Professor, University of Ottawa

Regrets:

• Mary Dawson, former Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Lawyer

Statistics Canada guests/support:

• Antonio Bakopoulos
• Martin Beaulieu
• Josée Bégin
• Miguel DaCostaeSilva
• Pierre Desrochers
• Stéphanie Dion
• Tom Dufour
• Rebecca Kong
• Tony Labillois
• Lucie Léonard
• Guillaume Maranda
• Patrice Martineau
• Nicolas Rahal
• Eric Rancourt

1. Introductions and opening remarks

Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada
Chantal Bernier, Co-chair, Global Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, Dentons Canada LLP (Chair)

Mr. Arora opened the meeting by welcoming members to the seventh meeting of the Advisory Council on Ethics and Modernization of Microdata Access (ACEMMA). He also informed the Council that Mary Dawson had decided to step down from the Council and thanked her for her participation over many years. He added that she contributed greatly with her pertinent questions and always judicious interventions, and that she will be greatly missed.

Mr. Arora went on to talk about the changing environment in which Statistics Canada must evolve, and the various impacts on the organization. In particular, he discussed the growing need for disaggregated data to inform decision-making, the evolution of individual and collective rights, notably in terms of privacy, and new technologies which offer undeniable opportunities, but also present certain threats.

Mr. Arora pointed out that Statistics Canada remains very active, both nationally and internationally, to adapt quickly to change and maintain the trust of its partners, including Canadians.

He then introduced the members of Statistics Canada present at the meeting, as well as his team of Assistant Chief Statisticians.

Ms. Bernier went on to say how nice it was to have the chance to see each other in person again. Virtual meetings have their advantages, and were very useful during the recent pandemic, but face-to-face meetings offer undeniable intangible benefits.

Ms. Bernier also reiterated the importance of quality statistics and organizations like Statistics Canada for a better understanding of the world's challenges. She concluded by outlining the agenda for the meeting and introducing the members of the Council.

2. Management of the continuum between privacy protection and the production of statistical data to inform Canadians

Pierre Desrochers, Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, Statistics Canada

Mr. Desrochers spoke of the importance for Statistics Canada of managing relationships with partners to maintain their trust and reiterated that this represents specific challenges and made a presentation to the Council on Social Acceptability in the Context of Microdata Access and Privacy.

Social acceptability includes maintaining direct and constant contact with Canadians, who inquire about how Statistics Canada uses and protects their information. Drivers towards change and social acceptability include the context of misinformation, the general level of trust in government, citizens concern about data protection in reaction to significant breaches as well as legal and technological developments in the public and in the private sector. Keeping abreast of technological and potential legislative changes is important.

Council members were pleased with the presentation and with Statistics Canada's concern with social acceptability. In reply to Statistics Canada's specific requests for guidance, with respect to necessary laws and regulations, the Council members raised the challenge for legislation to keep pace with technological advances, and therefore insisted on the importance of adopting guiding principles that can be adapted to new technologies, rather than strict policies that can quickly become outdated. Second, they underscored the renewed importance of Statistics Canada in quality statistics production, in the age of fake news and disinformation. Thirdly, it was recognized that trust remains a cornerstone to produce quality data, and an organization like Statistics Canada should maintain relationships with all Canadians.

In conclusion, the Council recommends that Statistics Canada continue to pay particular attention to social acceptability, since it materializes into trust. To maintain this trust, Statistics Canada must continue to represent all Canadians, explain its approaches and objectives transparently, and remain consistent and predictable.

3. Use of nudge to encourage participation in statistical programs

Guillaume Beaulac, Manager, Behavioural Insights and Impact, Shared Services Canada

Mr. Beaulac presented the concepts of nudge and choice architecture to the Council. He explained that our choice architecture decisions always have an impact. We should therefore opt for a structure aligned with nudge principles. He then defined the concepts underlying nudge and distinguished it from sludge, whose intentions are not necessarily benevolent.

Mr. Beaulac then provided several examples of nudge. He pointed out, however, that impacts can be difficult to predict and differ from one person or group to another. He therefore recommended to use experimentation and randomized controlled trials to assess impact.

Council members were pleased with the presentation. They support the use of nudge to encourage participation in statistical programs, especially in a context where response rates are declining. However, the use of nudge must respect ethical principles: first, before implementing a nudge, its necessity should be justified; second, the use of the nudge must be transparent; third, the option to withdraw should always exist (except for mandatory surveys); finally, it was suggested to offer, in return for accepting to participate in statistical programs, to receive the results. The use of experiments should also be considered.

4. Do no harm when publishing data on more vulnerable populations

Rebecca Kong, Assistant Director, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Statistics Canada
Guillaume Maranda, Lead Analyst, Data Ethics Secretariat, Statistics Canada

Ms. Kong and Mr. Maranda shared the guiding principles used in different contexts including ethical reviews and the publication of disaggregated data:

• Benefits for Canadians
• Fairness and do no harm
• Transparency and accountability
• Quality
• Trust and sustainability
• Privacy and security
• Nothing about us without us

They also presented concrete, recent examples to illustrate each of these principles, and show how they can pose significant challenges. Their suggestion to help manage these situations is to establish guiding principles, guidelines and best practices for Statistics Canada employees and external users.

Council members were pleased with the presentation. They agreed with the challenges presented by the publication of disaggregated data, and in particular the concept of do no harm. There are sometimes several elements to consider, and no single solution. They also supported the use of guiding principles, guidelines, and best practices, although Statistics Canada must remain realistic about their use by external users.

The concept of nothing about us without us also raised questions. For example, could a group object to data concerning them (do they have a right of veto)? And who makes the decision, given that several groups may be involved? The Council reiterated two important principles when it comes to statistics: unless there is a major problem, the data collected should be published, and the rules should be established in advance and apply equally to all. Statistics Canada will need to clarify the scope of this principle and how it intends to manage its application.

The Council would like Statistics Canada to present the concrete results of the application of the various guiding principles at a future meeting.

5. Familiarizing statistical agencies and other organizations with data ethics

Walter Radermacher, Chair, Advisory Board on Ethics of the International Statistical Institute

Mr. Radermacher presented to the Council the tools his Advisory Board has put in place to promote the use of ethical principles in organizations, particularly statistical organizations. For example, they promote the establishment of values and guiding principles such as respect, integrity, and professionalism. He also shared tools for promoting data ethics, such as a periodic table of open data elements and a stakeholder analysis matrix for ethical purposes.

Council members were pleased with the presentation. Interestingly, the presentation bridged the three previous presentations, and provided ideas for solutions. In the Council's opinion, the whole presentation is an excellent reference tool.

6. Roundtable and closing remarks

Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada
Chantal Bernier, Co-chair, Global Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, Dentons Canada LLP (Chair)

Mr. Arora and Ms. Bernier thanked members and invited them to share their final thoughts.

Advisory council action items and considerations

Action Items:

• Next meeting: Before April 2024.
• Find a replacement for Mary Dawson.
• Present the concrete results of the application of the various guiding principles related to the publication of disaggregated data at a future meeting.

Recommendations for Statistics Canada:

1. Management of the continuum between privacy protection and the production of statistical data to inform Canadians
   • Adopt guiding principles that can be adapted to new situations.
   • Remain a model when it comes to quality data.
   • Continue to pay particular attention to social acceptability.
   • Continue to represent all Canadians, explain Statistics Canada approaches and objectives transparently, and remain consistent and predictable.
2. Use of nudge to encourage participation in statistical programs
   • Use nudges to encourage participation in statistical programs.
   • Consider the use of experimentation to build knowledge.
3. Do no harm when publishing data on more vulnerable populations
   • Produce guiding principles, guidelines, and best practices to help users.
   • Clarify the scope of the nothing about us without us principle and how Statistics Canada intends to manage its application.

Why are we conducting this survey?

The survey will collect information to measure the month-to-month trends of payroll employment, paid hours and earnings of employees; including working owners of incorporated businesses. Your participation is critical to ensure an accurate reflection of your industry, region and business size.

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 response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce the response 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, Centre for Labour Market Information
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk 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.

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 information if needed.

2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.

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

4. 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 month

1. What was the total number of employees in the last pay period of the survey reference month? Include: any person receiving pay for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

2. Which category of employees are you reporting for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Select all that apply.

3. Did you have more than 1 payroll for any category of employees for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Multiple payroll: when you pay at different pay frequencies or if you have multiple pay periods with different start and end dates.

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

1. Number of payrolls for employees paid by the hour.
2. Number of payrolls for salaried employees. Exclude working owners of incorporated businesses.
3. Number of payrolls for working owners of incorporated businesses.
4. Number of payrolls for other employees. Employees paid exclusively by commission, piecework or other form of payments.

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

The following questions are about employees paid by the hour. Include any employee whose basic wage is expressed as an hourly rate.

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 month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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 month?

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 period?

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 month

13. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to employees paid by the hour? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

14. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

15. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

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

The following questions are about salaried employees. Include any employee whose basic remuneration is a fixed amount for a period of at least one week. Exclude working owners.

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 month? Exclude working owners. Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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

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? Report the number of hours in exact hours and decimal e.g., 37.25.

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 month

24. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to salaried employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

25. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to salaried employees? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

26. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to salaried employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

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

The following questions are about working owners of incorporated business. Include working directors, working owners, partners and other officers of incorporated businesses for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip.

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 month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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

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 month

33. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

34. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to working owners? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

35. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

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

The following questions are about other employees not already reported. Include any employee whose basic remuneration is only from commissions, piece rates, mileage, or a similar form of remuneration.

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 month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

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

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 month

42. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to other employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

43. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to other employees? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

44. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to other employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Contact person

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

Feedback

46. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire? Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

47. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Why are we conducting this survey?

This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy. This survey collects data essential for the statistical analysis of the passenger bus industry and its impact on the Canadian economy.

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 response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce the response 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 Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island and Northwest Territories, as well as with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

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.

There is also a Section 12 agreement with Transport Canada. Federally-regulated carriers under the authority of the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and pursuant to the Transportation Information Regulations do not have the right to object to sharing their information with Transport Canada. Carriers which are not federally regulated may object to sharing their information with Transport Canada by writing to the Chief Statistician. Transport Canada will use the information obtained from federally-regulated carriers in accordance with the provisions of the CTA and Regulations.

Statistics Canada will also share your information under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Infrastructure Canada, unless you refuse.

Business or organization and contact information

1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.

Note: Legal name should only be modified 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 for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if 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 (Zone Improvement Plan) code
• Country
  • Canada
  • United States
• Email address
• Telephone number (including area code)
• Extension number (if applicable)
• Fax number (including area code)

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

• Operational
• Not currently operational - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
  Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
  • Seasonal operations
    • When did this business or organization close for the season?
      • Date
    • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
      • Date
  • Ceased operations
    • When did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Date
    • Why did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Bankruptcy
      • Liquidation
      • Dissolution
      • Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
  • Sold operations
    • When was this business or organization sold?
      • Date
    • What is the legal name of the buyer?
  • Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
    • When did this business or organization amalgamate?
      • Date
    • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
    • What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
  • Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
    • When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
      • Date
    • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
      • Date
    • Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
  • No longer operating because of other reasons
    • When did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Date
    • Why did this business or organization cease operations?

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

Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.

The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.

The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the "Answering this questionnaire" section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.

The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.

Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.

The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.

Description and examples

• This is the current main activity
• This is not the current main activity

Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity.

e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

Reporting period information

1. What is the start and end date of this business or organization's reporting period for MM-YYYY ?

Start date

End date

2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover at least 28 days?

Select all that apply.

• Seasonal operations
• New business
• Change of ownership
• Temporarily inactive
• Change of fiscal year
• Ceased operations
• Other - Specify other reason the reporting period does not cover at least 28 days

Operating information

1. What were the total operating revenues?

Exclude subsidies.

• CAN$

2. What was the total number of passengers?

• Number of passengers

Attach Files

1. If you have revisions to previous months' data, you can now attach up to five files by following the instructions provided below.

To attach files 

• Press the Attach files button.
• Choose the file to attach. Multiple files can be attached.

Note: 

• Each file must not exceed 5 MB.
• All attachments combined must not exceed 50 MB.
• The name and size of each file attached will be displayed on the page.

Changes or events

1. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.

Select all that apply.

• Strike or lock-out
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Exchange rate impact
• Price changes in goods or services sold
• Contracting out
• Organizational change
• Price changes in labour or raw materials
• Natural disaster
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Recession
• Change in product line
• Sold business or business units
• Expansion
• New or lost contract
• Plant closures
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Acquisition of business or business units
• Other
  • Specify the other change or event
• No changes or events

Contact person

2. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.

Is the provided given name 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)
• Fax number (including area code)

Feedback

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

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

Hours:

Minutes:

4. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Enter your comments

Why are we conducting this survey?

This survey collects the main financial and operational data from the Canadian Level I air carriers needed to measure the growth and the performance of the airline industry. The information is also used by Statistics Canada as input to the Canadian System of National Accounts.

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 response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce the response 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 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, 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 Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.

Note that there is no right of refusal with respect to sharing of data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect this information on a mandatory basis pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations. Transport Canada will use the information obtained in accordance with the provisions of its Act and Regulations.

Business or organization and contact information

1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.

Note: Legal name should only be modified 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 for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if 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 (Zone Improvement Plan) code:
• Country
  • Canada
  • United States
• Email address
• Telephone number (including area code)
• Extension number (if applicable)
• Fax number (including area code)

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

• Operational
• Not currently operational - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
  Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
  • Seasonal operations
    • When did this business or organization close for the season?
      • Date
    • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
      • Date
  • Ceased operations
    • When did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Date
    • Why did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Bankruptcy
      • Liquidation
      • Dissolution
      • Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
  • Sold operations
    • When was this business or organization sold?
      • Date
    • What is the legal name of the buyer?
  • Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
    • When did this business or organization amalgamate?
      • Date
    • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
    • What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
  • Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
    • When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
      • Date
    • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
      • Date
    • Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
  • No longer operating because of other reasons
    • When did this business or organization cease operations?
      • Date
    • Why did this business or organization cease operations?

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

Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.

The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.

The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the "Answering this questionnaire" section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.

The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.

Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.

The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.

Description and examples

• This is the current main activity
• This is not the current main activity

Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity.
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

Main activity

5. You indicated that _ is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as _ ?

• Yes

When did the main activity change?

• Date
• No

Major air carriers key financial and operating statistics monthly survey

1. Please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation during this reporting period.

Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns - domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.

Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.

Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).

Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).

Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.

Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers ^{Footnote 1} who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.

Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.

Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:

Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805

Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288

The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.

Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.

Available seat-kilometres
Represents the aircraft kilometres flown on each flight stage multiplied by the number of seats available for use on that stage. This represents the total passenger carrying capacity offered. Seats not actually available for the carriage of passengers should be excluded.

Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.

Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.

Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.

Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:

Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805

Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288

The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.

Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.

Available tonne-kilometres
Represents the aircraft kilometres flown on each flight stage multiplied by the usable weight capacity of the aircraft. This represents the load carrying capacity offered for passengers and/or goods.

Please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation during this reporting period.

	Domestic	Transborder (Canada-US)	Other international	Total
Scheduled services
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of available seat-kilometres
d. Enplaned goods (kilograms)
e. Goods tonne-kilometres (tonne-kilometres)
f. Available tonne-kilometres (tonne-kilometres)

2. Please provide the details of this business's charter services during this reporting period.

Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.

Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document “Starting a Commercial Air Service” outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 “Air Operator Certification Manual” as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: Air Operator Certification Manual – TP 4711.

Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers ^{Footnote 1} who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.

Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.

Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:

Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points (km) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805

Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points (km) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288

The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.

Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.

Available seat-kilometres
Represents the aircraft kilometres flown on each flight stage multiplied by the number of seats available for use on that stage. This represents the total passenger carrying capacity offered. Seats not actually available for the carriage of passengers should be excluded.

Please provide the details of this business's charter services during this reporting period.

	Total
Charter services
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of available seat-kilometres

3. What were the hours flown and the fuel consumed by this business during this reporting period?

Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.

Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.

Provide the quantity of turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Include fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.

Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.

What were the hours flown and the fuel consumed by this business during this reporting period?

	Total
All services - scheduled and charter services
a. Number of hours flown
b. Quantity of turbo fuel consumed (litres) Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.

4. What was the total operating revenue earned by this business during this reporting period?

Include revenue from air transportation services and all other sources.

Report this amount in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Total operating revenue
Include revenue from air transportation services (for example, transportation of passengers, transportation of goods and other flight-related revenue) and all other sources.

Total operating revenue

Attach files

5. Any revisions to previous submissions can be added to this questionnaire. Please attach the files that provide the information required for this survey.

To attach files

• Press the Attach files button.
• Choose the file to attach. Multiple files can be attached.

Note:

• Each file must not exceed 5 MB.
• All attachments combined must not exceed 50 MB.
• The name and size of each file attached will be displayed on the page.

Changes or events

6. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization compared with the last reporting period.

Select all that apply.

• Strike or lock-out
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Exchange rate impact
• Price changes in goods or services sold
• Contracting out
• Organizational change
• Price changes in labour or raw materials
• Natural disaster
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Recession
• Change in product line
• Sold business or business units
• Expansion
• New or lost contract
• Plant closures
  • How many days in _ was this business or organization open?
• Acquisition of business or business units
• Other
  • Specify the other change or event:
• No changes or events

Contact person

7. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is the Provided Given Name, 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)
• Fax number (including area code)

Feedback

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

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

• Hours
• Minutes

9. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Enter your comments

PDF version (PDF, 541.4 KB)

Jenneke Le Moullec, Chief, Longitudinal Social Data Development Program
Charles Uwitwongeye, Survey Manager, Centre for Social Data Integration and Development
James Falconer, Chief, Census Futures
Sonia Bataebo, Account Executive, Centre for Social Data Integration and Development

Abstract

This report presents the findings from the deliberative public engagement research project conducted by Statistics Canada from October to December 2022. The qualitative research study explores the social acceptability surrounding the use of person-based linked administrative data^{Footnote 1} in statistical programs. A total of 45 participants were recruited, and each participated in 10 sessions in either English or French. During these sessions, participants were informed on the topic, brainstormed, deliberated, and finally voted on a set of final statements. This report presents summaries of the findings in terms of overall themes, representative quotes from session participants, and the results of short participant surveys.

While the aim overall was to understand the conditions under which the Canadian public finds the use of linked social (person-based) administrative data acceptable and the guiding principles on the use of such data for statistical insights, we heard that this research question must be answered within the greater context of Statistics Canada's mandate, privacy and confidentiality, data impact, and public awareness.

The research is intended to illuminate why individuals hold particular views on the use of data for statistical insights. Guided by the deliberative research design process, the informed views of the 45 participants culminated in a set of 14 final overarching statements. These statements, which are non-binding, are an artifact of the research process and should not be taken out of context.

Methodology

This project is a qualitative study that employed a deliberative public engagement research framework. Deliberative research is a qualitative technique increasingly used within the social sciences and is distinguished from other forms of qualitative research in two ways: (1) participants are provided appropriate information on which they base their opinions, allowing them to provide meaningful input, and (2) a set of final statements are developed by the participants and voted on according to the premise that, like in real social and political life, members of society may have differences in values, opinions, and interests, yet they need to strive for common rules and practices that all can live with.

The steps undertaken in this research process were as follows:

Phase 1: Participant recruitment
Phase 2: Introductions and information sharing
Phase 3: Brainstorming
Phase 4: Deliberations on identified topics
Phase 5: Statement review
Phase 6: Final statement voting
Phase 7: Closeout and evaluation

Participant recruitment emphasized diversity more than strict representativeness. Because the results of deliberative research are not intended to be generalized to the overall population, our recruitment of participants instead maximized the diversity of opinions and perspectives by age, gender, region, and racialized and Indigenous status. Two concurrent deliberative panels were conducted in English and French over the course of 10 weekly sessions from October to December 2022. The constraints of the deliberative sessions meant that bilingual sessions with simultaneous interpretation were impracticable, so the research design opted for separate, concurrent sessions in each language, with the deliberative statements emerging from each group synthesized afterward by the moderator.

How deliberative statements were formed

A common technique used in deliberative research is to explore the topic, listen to the underlying principles of what is being said, and have the participants develop the statements facilitated by the moderator. The guiding statements are not limited to addressing gaps in what Statistics Canada currently does. That is, while some statements may be aspirational, others point to activities already undertaken at Statistics Canada.

• Listen: The researchers listened to the brainstorming and deliberative discussions.
• Summarize: The underlying principles from the brainstorming and deliberative discussions were summarized into a total of nine bilingual statements.
• Propose statements: These nine statements were shared with participants in advance of the discussion.
• Discuss: The nine statements were assessed one by one by participants in group sessions. Participants suggested changes to statement wording (English and French), question intent, omissions, and proposed additional statements.
• Finalize: Feedback on the nine statements was incorporated into final bilingual versions. The number of statements grew from nine to fourteen.
• Vote: Participants voted on their level of agreement with each of the fourteen statements. Participants were given the opportunity to discuss and criticize the final statements, though no further changes were made.

Final statements and voting

Table 1 shows that the final deliberative statements achieved a high level of consensus among group participants.

Table 1: Level of agreement with final deliberative statements

Statements	English (N = 24)					French (N = 21)
	SA	A	N	D	SD	SA	A	N	D	SD
As the national statistical agency, Statistics Canada maintains an essential role in providing quality information to inform decision making in Canada.	71%	25%	4%	0%	0%	62%	33%	5%	0%	0%
Statistics Canada is an important source of high quality and credible information.	79%	21%	0%	0%	0%	71%	29%	0%	0%	0%
Statistics Canada is an important source of high quality and credible information.	33%	58%	4%	4%	0%	57%	38%	5%	0%	0%
The following are all appropriate ways for Statistics Canada to fulfill its role: (1) collecting information from surveys, (2) collecting administrative data from public and private organizations, and (3) linking across survey and administrative data.	38%	54%	4%	4%	0%	38%	57%	5%	0%	0%
When considering its role of providing quality information to inform decision making, Statistics Canada must be held accountable to a very high standard in terms of data quality.	88%	13%	0%	0%	0%	90%	10%	0%	0%	0%
To improve well-being in Canada, Statistics Canada data should be used effectively by decision makers.	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%	67%	24%	10%	0%	0%
Statistics Canada data should have an impact on improving well-being in Canada, but unfortunately, sometimes this impact is not visible.	50%	38%	8%	4%	0%	48%	33%	19%	0%	0%
The public needs to hear where, why, when and how data are used to have a measurable and positive impact.	42%	46%	13%	0%	0%	67%	29%	5%	0%	0%
To ensure the continued support of the public and to enhance its reputation, Statistics Canada should proactively communicate its impartiality.	54%	29%	17%	0%	0%	67%	33%	5%	0%	0%
It is important that Statistics Canada produce data that highlights the experiences of specific population groups, especially those who experience disadvantage.	63%	21%	17%	0%	0%	38%	48%	10%	5%	0%
Statistics Canada should actively communicate information about the data releases and analytical publications to the public using a variety of strategies and platforms.	58%	38%	0%	4%	0%	57%	38%	5%	0%	0%
When considering the amount of information it holds, Statistics Canada must be held accountable to a very high standard in terms of privacy protection.	88%	13%	0%	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%
It is important that Statistics Canada data are protected from any use that is not for the public good. This includes threats of misuse which are (1) internal to Statistics Canada, (2) within the rest of government and (3) external to government, now and in the future.	71%	29%	0%	0%	0%	81%	19%	0%	0%	0%
Statistics Canada should have sound measures and accountabilities in place for (1) collecting data and linking data, (2) protecting data, (3) disclosing data, (4) retaining and destroying data, and (5) managing privacy breaches. These measures may need to evolve over time. These measures should also be actively and well communicated to individuals, agents of parliament and parliament itself.	75%	21%	0%	4%	0%	81%	14%	5%	0%	0%
Table key: SA = strongly agree, A = agree, N = neither agree nor disagree, D = disagree, SD = strongly disagree

Findings

Four major themes were identified: (1) the use of linked administrative data, (2) privacy and confidentiality, (3) social data impact, and (4) public awareness.

Theme 1: The use of linked administrative data

The use of administrative data was accepted, but with consideration for the volume and types of data.

The vast majority of participants accepted the use of linked administrative data in statistical programs, and many participants expected such use. When hearing about when, why, and how Statistics Canada used linked administrative data in statistical programs, many participants either already knew, expected, or were unsurprised to learn of such uses and did not express concerns. A few participants were not enthusiastic about the data held by Statistics Canada but viewed these holdings as necessary and that the current approach was better than other alternatives. The functions of a national statistical agency in Canada were viewed as imperative, even among those who preferred their data not to be included.

"I don't really have any issues when it comes to the use of administrative data. I think with the anonymity of it all and the way it's collected and as well as knowing that it's kept in a really safe place with no risk of data breaches, it's not really a big concern for me."

Male, aged 31 to 40, Atlantic

"I hear what the concerns are—collecting data and connecting it to government. But there seems to be agreement in the group here that it is important to collect all this data. How would you propose to collect this data and somehow not have it connected to government? What is the other option?"

Male, aged 71 or older, Prairies

Participants generally understood Statistics Canada's role in providing statistical insights through surveys and administrative data and supported it; this included those concerned about Statistics Canada's survey and administrative data holdings. Some participants were concerned with the quality of administrative data and its fitness for use in statistical programs. Participants recognized the varying degree of control that Statistics Canada has over different data sources, with the greatest control over surveys and less control over administrative data collected by other organizations. Some participants expressed concern for the quality of administrative data, over which they acknowledge Statistics Canada has less control.

"I don't know why, but I fear that there are more data errors coming from companies in the private sector. I am concerned that there are errors in the transmission of data to Statistics Canada. That is an impression I have."

Female, aged 31 to 40, Ontario

When considering the types of administrative data held by Statistics Canada, some participants drew distinctions from where Statistics Canada received the data. It was explained to participants that, under the authority of the Statistics Act, Statistics Canada receives administrative data from different types of organizations, including public and private organizations. Participants understood that sharing these data went through a thorough review and justification process and that this was reported publicly on the Statistics Canada website. While participants accepted and supported this, a few continued drawing distinctions on where the data was received from.

The potential for administrative data biases was important to participants, and participants noted that inherent biases might come with data collected through administrative systems. Examples of these biases included those stemming from traditional Western perspectives, which may not accurately reflect diversity in Canada.

Most participants accepted the reception, use, and storage of personal identifiers such as first and last names. Participants understood that personal identifiers such as first and last names were sometimes required for record linkage and were, therefore, sometimes included on administrative data files from other organizations. It was explained to participants how these identifiers were used and how they were stored apart from analytical files and not disclosed. While a few participants expressed concern about the volume and type of data Statistics Canada holds, concerns were not specifically directed to the receipt of personal identifiers or the nature of the linkage activities Statistics Canada carries out.

Participants recognized that much information about an individual could be brought together through record linkage. However, participants did not express the need to define a specific limit for record linkage activities. Participants considered record linkage a statistical technique and, while recognizing it as privacy-invasive, did not specifically suggest limits on its use provided it was being used in statistical programs. While most participants accepted Statistics Canada's use of linked administrative data, a few expressed discomfort. If given the option, some participants preferred responding to surveys directly, while others preferred their administrative data being used instead.

"In one of the presentations, it was brought up that administrative data reduces response burden, and I think that is a good thing. I don't like filling out long surveys, so if Statistics Canada can get the information through another way, then go for it."

Female, aged 31 to 40, Quebec

"I prefer to fill out the questionnaire, actually."

Male, aged 51 to 60, Atlantic

Theme 2: privacy and confidentiality

Participants hold Statistics Canada to a high standard of accountability, but trust Statistics Canada to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their personal information.

At the beginning of the DPER project, participants were asked in the entry survey whether they trusted Statistics Canada to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their personal information and whether they trusted Statistics Canada to protect their personal information from cyberattacks. As shown in Table 2 and Table 3, at the beginning of the DPER, participants had a high level of trust in this respect.

Throughout the DPER, participants became increasingly knowledgeable on the types, volumes, and nature of administrative data held by Statistics Canada, including data on sensitive topics and personal identifiers. Participants also become aware of the risks associated with cyberattacks and data breaches, resulting in a slight downward shift in the responses to the trust questions when measured in the exit survey. Despite this increased knowledge, participants continued trusting Statistics Canada to protect their personal information.See Table 2 and Table 3 below.

Table 2: Entry and exit survey responses to "I trust Statistics Canada to protect the privacy and confidentiality of my personal information."

I trust Statistics Canada to protect the privacy and confidentiality of my personal information
	English				French
	SD	D	A	SA	SD	D	A	SA
Entry	0%	0%	13%	88%	0%	0%	33%	67%
Exit	0%	0%	35%	65%	0%	5%	29%	67%
Table key: SD = strongly disagree, D = somewhat disagree, A = somewhat agree, SA = strongly agree

Table 3: Entry and exit survey responses to "I trust Statistics Canada to keep my personal information safe from theft or cyberattack."

I trust Statistics Canada to keep my personal information safe from theft or cyberattack
	English				French
	SD	D	A	SA	SD	D	A	SA
Entry	4%	0%	25%	71%	0%	0%	50%	50%
Exit	0%	0%	43%	57%	0%	10%	62%	29%
Table key: SD = strongly disagree, D = somewhat disagree, A = somewhat agree, SA = strongly agree

Regarding privacy management, participants expected Statistics Canada to be held to an equal or higher standard than other organizations. While all participants believed it was of utmost importance for Statistics Canada to protect privacy, there was no agreement as to whether Statistics Canada should be held to the same standard, or a higher standard, as other organizations.

"I would hold Statistics Canada to the same level of expectation that I would hold any public body that has been granted custodianship of any individual's personal data. I don't think Statistics Canada should be held to a specifically higher level because of the volume or type or breadth of data that it contains, and it certainly should not be held to a lower level."

Male, aged 31 to 40, Atlantic

Participants wanted to know what measures and frameworks were in place to protect their data. Participants were informed on a range of measures Statistics Canada uses to protect data, including legislative authorities and obligations, employee responsibilities, and technical details such as data anonymization. Participants were generally interested in understanding these measures, did not express specific concerns and generally seemed satisfied.

Despite being comfortable with the privacy protection safeguards, some participants remained concerned about the potential misuse of personal data, presently and in the future. Participants expressed varying degrees of concern related to the potential misuse of personal data. While most participants did not dispute that data misuse was theoretically possible, many participants did not focus on the risk of misuse. Those who did express concern raised different reasons. Some participants cited the risk of partisan use of data in the future, while other participants were concerned with bad actors or identity theft. Participants recognized the possibility of a data breach, the harm this could have on individuals, and the importance of breaches being properly managed.

"I'm concerned with the connection, even though you said that Statistics Canada works at arm's length from the government. Yeah, that bothers me. Any government of the time—the former, the current, the next—how are they going to use our data? How they are going to manipulate our data and take advantage of our data, that concerns me. My biggest concern is the connection between Statistics Canada and the government and that they invade our private lives."

Female, aged 41 to 50, Ontario

"A data breach is one thing when you consider the fact admin data has everything from your social insurance, your healthcare number, your address, your name, your babies, your everything. They have access to anything and everything and we give them more when they ask."

Female, aged 61 to 70, Prairies

Given the inherently privacy-invasive nature of data linkage, along with the mandatory collection of some survey and administrative information, and the inability for individuals to opt out or give informed consent, Statistics Canada should understand Canadians' perspectives toward its important obligation to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals' data.

Theme 3: social data impact

Participants trust that Statistics Canada will use their data for the public good but want to see more evidence that their data have a positive real-world impact.

Beyond how data are collected and stored, participants focused on what data are used for and the social impact this has. The social contract surrounding the use of personal data by Statistics Canada is predicated on the data being used responsibly for the public good. That is, to improve the lives of those living in Canada. However, beyond trusting that Statistics Canada will keep their data safe, participants want to trust that how Statistics Canada is using their data will improve the lives of those in Canada.

"I agree that any data should be used for whatever it is meant to be [by Statistics Canada]. But I still have my concerns about how it's stored and how it is used now more than ever."

Female, aged 41 to 50, Ontario

At the beginning of the DPER project, participants were asked in the entry survey if they felt Statistics Canada used their data for the public good. As shown in Table 4, at the beginning of the DPER, most participants felt strongly that this was the case.

Throughout the DPER process, participants increasingly considered the types of social insights Statistics Canada could produce, including the status of water quality in Indigenous communities, child maltreatment, housing conditions, and the association between environmental exposure and health outcomes. With this consideration, participants increasingly found "using data for the public good" to be challenging to define, as there are multiple and competing priorities.

At the end of the DPER, as shown in the exit survey responses in Table 4, participants felt that Statistics Canada used their information for the public good. However, fewer participants strongly agreed this was the case. This shift can be explained by the deeper consideration participants gave to the concept of public good throughout the DPER process.

Table 4: Entry and exit survey responses to "I feel Statistics Canada will use my information for the public good."

I feel Statistics Canada will use my information for the public good
	English				French
	SD	D	A	SA	SD	D	A	SA
Entry	0%	0%	21%	79%	6%	6%	22%	67%
Exit	0%	4%	39%	57%	0%	0%	38%	62%
Table key: SD = strongly disagree, D = somewhat disagree, A = somewhat agree, SA = strongly agree

Participants wanted to know how research priorities were set at Statistics Canada, including the role of the rest of the government in setting these priorities and how funding was allocated. When discussing how their data were being used, participants were keen to understand the larger context of how research priorities were set.

The importance of social data impact on minority and equity-seeking groups or people was underscored by some participants. Indigenous data topics were discussed throughout the sessions. These discussions were informed by presentations from Statistics Canada's Centre for Indigenous Statistics and Partnerships and an Indigenous data expert external to Statistics Canada. Some participants raised the apparent invisibility of the impact that studies on Indigenous topics have had. Some participants also mentioned the high importance of social data impact for minority and equity-seeking groups, such as linguistic minorities, people with disabilities and gender-diverse groups.

Participants were generally less focused on which data were collected, linked, and analyzed from a privacy perspective, if safeguards are in place. Instead, they were more concerned with the "right" things being studied and that these studies led to change. When asking participants about their impressions on the types of data held by Statistics Canada and the linkage activities that were undertaken, participants persistently connected this discussion not only to the research question their data would be used to answer but also to the impact the research study would have.

"I had some time this week to look around on the Statistics Canada website and was looking specifically at Indigenous people. The first statistic on Indigenous people is homicide trends in Canada. Then another one is Indigenous people and income and women's full-time employment. Then housing conditions among First Nations and Inuit, and Indigenous shelters for victims of abuse. These stats are pretty negative if you ask me. So, I just think: Why are we collecting this data if nothing is changing, if nothing is happening?"

Female, aged 61 to 70, Prairies

Participants held different opinions on the degree to which Statistics Canada should influence government policy. Participants were divided as to the role Statistics Canada should play in terms of setting research priorities and the influence the research findings should have in shaping policy and program decisions by the government. For example, one participant suggested that Statistics Canada should have a role in identifying important social issues, while another participant believed that Statistics Canada should operate autonomously from the rest of the government.

Participants viewed Statistics Canada as important in providing quality information, particularly in an environment where misinformation and disinformation exist. Some participants distinguished between statistical information provided by Statistics Canada compared with other private and non-profit organizations that provide statistical information. Statistics Canada was viewed as holding a stronger reputation for higher quality information. Some participants also mentioned that Statistics Canada played an important role in fighting against misinformation and disinformation.

"I am really quite concerned about misinformation today and where people are getting their information from. Has Statistics Canada been talking about how to keep a good reputation?"

Female, aged 61 to 70, Prairies

Theme 4: public awareness

Participants want to hear more from Statistics Canada: What data do we have? How are we collecting, storing, and analyzing data? What interesting research findings have we discovered?

Participants stressed the importance of public awareness through active and transparent communications. Most participants believed that Statistics Canada should be transparent and actively communicate information about its data holdings and how it uses personal information.

Early in the research process, a few participants raised the topics of active consent and mandatory disclosure statements in the context of Statistics Canada's use of administrative data. Throughout the sessions, participants learned that Statistics Canada does not generally seek consent for using administrative data, nor does it include mandatory disclosure statements on the data collected by another organization and brought into Statistics Canada.

"It's important that the information that is being requested is used only for the purposes that it's being requested for and not shared in any other way so that I fully know what information I'm giving, where it's going, how it's going to be used."

Male, aged 71 or older, Prairies

After learning this, participants did not suggest implementing active consent or mandatory statements. Instead, they stressed the importance of transparency and actively communicating information about data holdings and the use of personal information. Beyond making such information available on the website, many participants felt Statistics Canada should try to actively communicate this information to those living in Canada.

Most participants believed that Statistics Canada should be transparent and actively communicate information about how their data are protected, including information about data breaches. While participants generally agreed that information on data breaches should be actively communicated, some participants mentioned that this communication should not be limited to those directly affected by a breach but should be communicated more broadly, for example, through the media. Additionally, before becoming informed about this research, some participants believed they would only find out if they had been a victim of a data breach through the media and did not know that Statistics Canada would contact them directly.

Most participants believed that Statistics Canada should be transparent and actively communicate information about analytical products and research studies. Participants became more aware of Statistics Canada's analytical products throughout the research process. Many participants became more interested in these, visiting the Statistics Canada website to read and learn more about various subjects. Many participants expressed that the information produced by Statistics Canada is interesting, relevant, and useful to Canadians and that the information should be actively communicated so that it can be well leveraged. Some participants suggested communication channels that may be effective for Statistics Canada, including traditional media, social media, and other platforms such as podcasts.

Limitations

Limited information and perspectives from outside Statistics Canada were shared with participants. The evaluation survey results suggest that participants believed the information provided was unbiased and comprehensive; however, it is recognized that the inclusion of different information may have impacted the study results.

While the research included topics related to minority and equity-seeking groups, this was not the main research question. As such, further studies should be carried out to address the unique circumstances of different subpopulations, including distinctions-based Indigenous groups.

Discussion

The use of linked administrative data must be situated within the greater context of Statistics Canada's mandate, authorities, and obligations. Participants did not separate guiding principles on the use of linked administrative data from the activities of Statistics Canada overall.

While the objective of this research was to listen to deliberations on the use of linked administrative data in statistical programs, the discussions repeatedly gravitated away from the core topic towards the greater context of the role and activities of the national statistical agency.

Statistics Canada organizes its legal framework, policies and directives, data governance, and business processes around managing different classifications of data, such as survey data, administrative data, and identified and de-identified data. Participants, however, did not necessarily delineate different types of data in this way and were focused instead on the role and mandate of Statistics Canada, privacy and confidentiality, data impact, and public awareness.

Because of this perspective, discussions on the boundaries of social acceptability did not focus specifically on the conditions under which administrative data linkages were acceptable. However, the boundaries of social acceptability and the conditions under which administrative data linkage is acceptable can be inferred from the other key findings and themes, such as privacy and confidentiality, using data for the public good, and transparency.

Even after being made knowledgeable of the volume, types, nature, and purposes of linkage activities at Statistics Canada, including details on the Social Data Linkage Environment and the use of administrative data in programs like the Census of Population and the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts, participants did not narrow the discussions or deliberative statements to the conditions under which data linkage was appropriate.

Participants were recruited from different demographic profiles and backgrounds with varying levels of trust in government and public institutions. While the overarching aim of the DPER was to understand the conditions under which the diverse Canadian public finds the use of linked administrative data acceptable and the guiding principles on the use of data for statistical insights, it was both expected and confirmed that participants would not fully converge and that some minority views would sustain. Most participants upheld the deliberative statements, providing insights into guiding principles. However, it is essential to recall that underlying the statements and their support rests diverging views that highlight the diversity of views in Canada.

This research not only informs the conditions under which Canadians find the use of person-based linked administrative data socially acceptable but helps highlight that the use of administrative data must be situated within the greater context of the role and activities of the national statistical agency.

Conclusion

Statistics Canada enjoys an extraordinarily high level of public goodwill, evidenced by Canada's world-leading response rate to the census; the high regard with which Statistics Canada is held as an agency domestically and globally; and the authoritative position of its data for use in academic research, public policy, and in the national conversation on social, economic, and environmental issues. Canadians are invested in the reputation of Statistics Canada and are willing to give up some of their time, trust, and privacy to ensure the quality of the data making up the diverse portrait of our country. Statistics Canada can capitalize on its trust relationship with Canadians to enhance its statistical programs, without depleting its supply of trust, as long as it can maintain and enhance its trust-building activities and demonstrate the use of Canadians' data for the public good.

We learned that our research participants don't necessarily perceive a boundary or limit on the use of linked administrative data for statistical programs. As long as high-quality data are being analyzed in a protected environment and the necessity and proportionality of the data can be justified to the public, participants generally accept that microdata linkages can and should be used to produce powerful new insights. This evidence suggests that Statistics Canada can consider being bolder in its vision for an integrated statistical infrastructure if the corresponding transparency and accountability measures are clearly communicated and demonstrated to the public.

The questions and insights from participants should provoke a careful introspection about how Statistics Canada should shape its "identity" as an agency vis-à-vis the public and the government. For example, can Statistics Canada retain scientific rigour and credibility while responding to the evolving data needs of society? Is disseminating truthful information where its obligation ends, or must Statistics Canada wage public battle against misinformation? The value of such questions becomes realized when we acknowledge the gaps between what the public expects from Statistics Canada and what we can hope to accomplish. We must continue the dialogue with Canadians as we define ourselves as an agency.

Several recommendations emerged from the DPER sessions that, if adopted, will meaningfully contribute to Statistics Canada's trust relationship with the Canadian public. Some recommendations were explicitly suggested by participants, while others were proposed by the project team in response to participants' stated needs and desires. First, participants suggested taking ongoing measures about public trust in Statistics Canada and other data issues. Statistics Canada should consider longitudinal public opinion research to keep a pulse on the perspectives in the general population. Nearly all DPER participants would be willing to join a citizen advisory panel that Statistics Canada can use for brainstorming and pilot testing public opinion questions. Second, participants value open and transparent communication about how Statistics Canada is using data. Statistics Canada should consider proactively using external communications channels in traditional and digital media and optimize the use of the Trust Centre for transparency, accountability, and responsive communication. Third, participants want to see the impact of their data. Statistics Canada should innovate a new type of assessment tool that, to our knowledge, has not yet been considered: a "data impact assessment" should evaluate whether, and how, data products are being used to effect real-world change. As Statistics Canada continues to increase the use of administrative data in statistical programs, the result could be fewer and fewer direct interactions with the public upon which a trust basis can be built. Implementing these recommendations would open new avenues for direct public interaction and trust building on which the quality of our data depends.

One of the major strengths of this research method, and of this project in particular, was our privileged access to insights from regular Canadians. It's humbling to discover that most Canadians don't give Statistics Canada a moment's thought during the course of their daily lives. But when Canadians are brought together in a discussion forum, educated about what we do, and compelled to decide about what they think, it generates a wealth of qualitative data that we can use to course correct the direction of our agency, its statistical programs, and its public communication. This research method should be adopted as a recurring study to further investigate bigger and deeper issues facing Statistics Canada's future.