Confidential when completed;

Si vous préférez ce questionnaire en français,veuillez nous téléphoner au 1-800-678-7910.

Correct pre-printed mailing address, if necessary, using the corresponding boxes below:

• C0001 Pension plan fund name
• C0002 Organization name
• C0008 First name
• C0028 Last name
• C0004 Address / P.O. Box
• C0005 City
• C0006 Province / Territory / State
• C0007 Postal code/Zip code

General Information

This information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

COMPLETION OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT UNDER THIS ACT.

Survey purpose

This survey collects financial information on the revenues, expenditures and assets of trusteed pension funds. Trusteed pension funds data are an input to Statistics Canada’s System of National Accounts. Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. For more information on this survey, please access www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/index-eng.htm.

Confidentiality

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

Record linkages

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

Facsimile or other electronic transmission disclosure

Statistics Canada advises you that there could be a risk of disclosure during facsimile or other electronic transmission. However, upon receipt, Statistics Canada will provide the guaranteed level of protection afforded all information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Return of the questionnaire

Please return the completed questionnaire to Statistics Canada by mail, using the enclosed envelope or you can send it by facsimile to 1-888-883-7999.

Further Information

If you require assistance regarding this survey, please contact Statistics Canada by telephone at 1-800-678-7910.

PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE TO STATISTICS CANADA WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RECEIPT.

1. Does this organization operate, either by sponsoring or managing, the trusteed pension fund named at the top of this page? For a definition of a trusteed pension fund, please refer to "Definitions" on the "Notes/Instructions".

• Yes – Please complete the remainder of the questionnaire and return it to Statistics Canada.
• No – Please elaborate
  • Fund closed (MM-YYYY)
  • Fund is deposited in total with an insurance company under an insurance company contract
  • Other, please specify
    
    Please provide your name (bottom of this page), complete question 8 and return the questionnaire to Statistics Canada.

Name of person completing questionnaire (please print)

Name of organization completeing questionnaire (please print)

Telephone ()

Fax ()

E-mail address

Section A: Administrative Data

1. Year of Inauguration of This Fund

2. Fund Fiscal Year End (MM-DD)

3. Investment Decision made by (check one or more)

Note: If a committee is actively involved in directing the investments, indicate which of the following are represented on the committee.

• (a) Trustee(s)
• (b) Employer (includes investment staff of the employer and public sector funds whose investment is governed by legislation)
• (c) Outside investment counsel
• (d) Employee (plan members)
• (e) Other (specify)

4. Insurance Company Holdings

Is any of the money in this pension fund invested with or managed by an insurance company?

• Yes
• No

If yes, what is the amount involved?

• Market value $ (omit cents)

5. Members Covered

Note: Should be as of same time period as assets, preferably December 31.

• (a) Number of employed plan members (including employees on temporary lay-off)
  Indicate year end used:
  • December 31, 2012
  • Other year end between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013
• (b) Number of additional persons having equity in the fund (e.g. retired persons receiving pension, persons who will receive deferred pension, etc.)
  Indicate year end used:
  • December 31, 2012
  • Other year end between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013

6. Contributory Status(for the majority of members)

Are the majority of members required to contribute to the pension fund?

• Yes
• No

7. Type of Plan (for the majority of employed members participating in the fund – check one only)

• (a) Defined benefit / flat benefit
• (b) Defined contribution (money purchase/profit sharing)
• (c) Combination of above or as selected by employee
• (d) Other (specify)

8. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Pension Plan Registration Number(s) (of all plans included in this fund)
(If space insufficient, attach another page.)

Book (cost) value of previous year’s assets

Report the net book (cost) value of assets for the year end occurring between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012.

• $ (omit cents)

Section B: Receipts and Disbursements

Report for one year period ending December 31, 2012 if possible.

Indicate year end used:

• December 31, 2012
• Other year end between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013

Receipts and Net Realized Gains

Note: Do not include any unrealized gains.

• Contributions:
  • employee $ (omit cents)
  • employer $ (omit cents)
• Investment income (interest, dividends, etc.) $ (omit cents)
• Net realized profit on sale of securities $ (omit cents)
• Transfers from other pension plans (specify) $ (omit cents)
• Other receipts and gains (specify) $ (omit cents)
• Total receipts and gains (total of lines 100 to 105) $ (omit cents)

Disbursements and Net Realized Losses

Note: Do not include any unrealized losses.

• Pension payments out of fund to retirees and beneficiaries $ (omit cents)
• Cost of pensions purchased $ (omit cents)
• Cash withdrawals (including transfers to other plans) $ (omit cents)
• Administration costs (if charged against fund) $ (omit cents)
• Net realized loss on sale of securities $ (omit cents)
• Refund of surplus in the fund $ (omit cents)
• Other disbursements and losses (specify) $ (omit cents)
• Total disbursements and losses (total of lines 200 to 206) $ (omit cents)

Section C: Assets

* Note: Detailed asset portfolio is essential for master trust funds (see instructions). Asset detail is not necessary for the participant accounts.

Report as of December 31, 2012 if possible.

Indicate year end used:

• December 31, 2012
• Other year end between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013

Pooled, mutual and investment funds:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • Canadian equity fund
  • Canadian bond fund (fixed income)
  • Canadian mortgage fund
  • Canadian real estate fund
  • Canadian money market fund
  • foreign fund
  • other Canadian fund (specify)
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • Canadian equity fund
  • Canadian bond fund (fixed income)
  • Canadian mortgage fund
  • Canadian real estate fund
  • Canadian money market fund
  • foreign fund
  • other Canadian fund (specify)

Equities:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • Canadian common and preferred stocks
  • foreign common and preferred stocks:
    • United States
    • other
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • Canadian common and preferred stocks
  • foreign common and preferred stocks:
    • United States
    • other

Bonds/Debentures:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • federal
  • provincial
  • municipal
  • other Canadian (corporate)
  • foreign
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • federal
  • provincial
  • municipal
  • other Canadian (corporate)
  • foreign

Mortgages:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • residential
  • non-residential
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • residential
  • non-residential

Real estate (including petroleum and natural gas properties)

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
• Market value $ (omit cents)

Cash, deposits, short-term:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • cash, deposits, GICs
  • Government of Canada t-bills
  • foreign short-term investments
  • other Canadian short-term paper
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • cash, deposits, GICs
  • Government of Canada t-bills
  • foreign short-term investments
  • other Canadian short-term paper

Miscellaneous:

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
  • accrued interest and dividends receivable
  • accounts receivable
  • other assets (specify)
• Market value $ (omit cents)
  • accrued interest and dividends receivable
  • accounts receivable
  • other assets (specify)

Total assets (total of lines 300 to 372)

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
• Market value $ (omit cents)

Deduct: Debts and payables

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
• Market value $ (omit cents)

Net assets (line 380 less line 390)

• Book (cost) value $ (omit cents)
• Market value $ (omit cents)

Thank you for your cooperation

Methodology

In order to produce optimal Inter-city indexes, product comparisons were initially made by pairing cities that are in close geographic proximity. The resulting price level comparisons were then extended to include comparisons between all of the cities, using a chaining procedure. The following initial pairings were used:

Reliable Inter-city price comparisons require that the selected products be very similar across cities. This ensures that the variation in index levels between cities is due to pure price differences and not to differences in the attributes of the products, such as size and/or quality.

Within each city pair, product price quotes were matched on the basis of detailed descriptions. Whenever possible, products were matched by brand, quantity and with some regard for the comparability of retail outlets from which they were selected.

Additionally, the target prices for this study are final prices and as such, include all sales taxes and levies applied to consumer products within a city. This can be an important source of variation when explaining differences in inter-city price levels.

It should be noted that price data for the Inter-city indexes is drawn from the sample of monthly price data collected for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Given that the CPI sample is optimized to produce accurate price comparisons through time, and not across regions, the number of matched price quotes between cities can be small. It should also be noted that, especially in periods when prices are highly volatile, the timing of the product price comparison can significantly affect city-to-city price relationships.

The weights used to aggregate the different product indexes within a city are based on the combined consumption expenditures of households living in the 11 cities tracked. As such, one set of weights is used for all 11 cities. Currently, 2011 expenditures are used to derive the weights. These expenditures are expressed in October 2014 prices.

The Inter-city index for a particular city is compared to the weighted average of all 11 cities, which is equal to 100. For example, an index value of 102 for a particular city means that prices for the measured commodities are 2% higher than the weighted, combined city average.

Additional Information on Shelter

Shelter prices were absent from the Inter-city index program prior to 1999 because of methodological and conceptual issues associated with their measurement. The diverse nature of shelter means that accurate matches between cities are often difficult to make.

To account for some of these difficulties, a rental equivalence approach is used to construct the Inter-city price indexes for owned accommodation. Such an approach uses market rents as an approximation to the cost of the shelter services consumed by homeowners in each city. It is important to note that this approach may not be suitable for the needs of all users. For instance, since the rental equivalence approach does not represent an out-of-pocket expenditure, the indexes should not be used for measuring differences in the purchasing power of homeowners across cities.

 

Reporting Guide

This Guide has been designed to help you complete the Survey of Commercial Rents. If you require assistance or need additional information, please contact us by telephone at 1-877-604-7828 or e-mail bsso@statcan.ca.

Text begins

Lessors of Commercial Rents
Data from this survey is used to produce an index published at the 5-digit NAICS code 53112 – Lessors of Non-Residential Property (except mini-warehouses). Lessors of non-residential buildings are defined as those establishments engaged in the provision of space to others for rent, which are not used as residences or dwellings. Mini-warehouses used by the general public for personal use are excluded from this definition.

Building Information

Question 1
Please verify the pre-filled information on the questionnaire and make any corrections where necessary in the blank section.

If the building initially selected for the survey is no longer owned or managed by the business, select another building in the same sector (e.g., if the building was initially in the retail sector, select another retail location) and in the same province as previously reported. Select the largest building in terms of gross leasing revenue that is not entirely owner occupied. In the absence of a clear choice, please select one of your largest properties, with prices you feel are representative of the market you service.

Note that in some instances, large property owners may be sampled multiple times. If multiple surveys are sent to you, buildings should be selected using the same criteria as above, with additional buildings selected from largest to smallest revenue.

Building Name: (R0100)
The name of the building that has been chosen through sampling, or chosen by the respondent as the largest gross leasing revenue or most representative. If the building does not have a name, this cell can be left blank.

Number and street: (R0101)
Street address for the chosen building.

City: (R0102)
City for the chosen building.

Province or State: (R0103)
Province for the chosen building.

Year Constructed: (R0200)
Year Constructed for the chosen building.

Number of floors: (R0400)
The total number of above ground floors, including the main floor.

Total leasable square footage of the building: (R0500)
Total amount of square feet, for the entire building, that is available for lease to tenants, whether or not the space is currently occupied. This number does not include owner occupied square footage.

Example: A building which has 10,000 square feet available for lease, 7,000 square feet leased by tenants and 1,000 square feet owner occupied, has 9,000 square feet available for lease.

Total SQFT-Owner Occupied = Total SQFT Available
10,000-1,000=9,000

Total leasable square footage occupied by owner: (R0501)
Total amount of square feet that is considered owner occupied, which otherwise could be leased to a tenant.

Question 2
How would you classify this building based on the highest gross leasing revenue during the reference quarter? Please select only one.

Office building: (R0900–1)
This includes high-rise or low-rise office buildings, regardless of whether they are general office buildings, financial office buildings or medical office buildings.

Retail building: (R0900–2)

• Enclosed shopping centre
  A shopping centre where the majority of individual stores are accessed from an indoor common area.
• Open shopping centre
  A shopping centre whose stores are accessed from the outdoors and there is no indoor common area that allows access to all stores. This includes strip malls and convenience centres.
  Note: for the shopping centre configurations described above, if the majority of stores are accessed only from the outside select Open shopping centre, if most of the stores can be accessed through a common area select Enclosed shopping centre.
• Commercial building (excluding shopping centres)
  This includes all commercial or retail buildings that do not fall under the definition of shopping centres. Examples include retail stores (e.g. big box stores not attached to a shopping centre), restaurants, car dealerships, etc.

Industrial building or Warehouse: (R0900-3)
This includes heavy manufacturing buildings, light manufacturing and assembly buildings, research and development buildings, and warehouse and distribution buildings. Mini-warehouses used by the general public for personal use, are excluded from this definition.

Other: (R0900-4)
If the building does not belong to any of the above categories, please list it.

Tenant and Rent Information

Please note Question D3 & D4 are identical to the information below and are only included if the information for the previous quarter is missing.

Question 3 (D3)

a) How many tenants occupied space in the building at the beginning of each month? C1000 C2000 C3000

This includes all tenants who occupied space in the building at the beginning of each month.

b) What was the total square footage occupied by all tenants (ft2)? C1100 C2100 C3100

This is the total square footage of occupied space for all tenants in the selected building excluding common areas and parking.

c) What was the total monthly Net Effective Rent (NER) charged ($)? C1200 C2200 C3200

For the purposes of this survey, monthly net effective rent is the rent charged monthly to tenants to physically occupy space in the building, including any inducements (e.g. rent free periods, tenant improvement allowances, lease buyout values, signing bonuses or volume) and excluding all operating costs or additional rents, etc.
Charged rent is the amount that the tenant is contractually obligated to pay, not the amount collected by the lessor in that particular month.
Operating costs and additional rents not to be included are: utilities (heat, water, electricity, etc.), insurance, taxes of all kinds, common area maintenance (cleaning, repairs, garbage disposal, janitorial services, etc.), elevator expenses, installation of communications equipment, management fees or commissions, parking and storage revenues.

Example:
Contracted Rent (per month) = $15,000
Inducements, incentives or concessions = $50,000
Lease length = 60 months

Monthly Net Effective Rent = ($15,000 x 60 months) - $50,000 (inducements) = $850,000 over the length of the lease / 60 months = $14,166.67 per month.Add the monthly NERs together to report for the entire building.

Note: Net effective rent may already include past rent free periods as well as inducements/ incentives which were amortized over the life of the lease for which they were issued.

*** Please ensure that monthly figures are reported for net effective rent. Any yearly amounts must be divided by 12 (months) to get the monthly net effective rent. ***

d) What was the dollar value of percentage rent, if applicable ($)? C1300 C2300 C3300

This type of rent charged occurs most often in retail, and is defined as a portion of a tenant’s revenue paid to the lessor from an event or the standard operation of a business. Please indicate the dollar amount (or best estimate) and not the percentage.

Example:
If a retail store in a mall must pay 2% of sales as percentage rent and had reached $100,000 in sales for a particular month, the store would be required to pay $2,000 in addition to any Net Effective Rent negotiated in the lease.

$100,000 x 0.02 = $2,000

Question 4 (D4)

Please comment on any large change(s) between the months listed above.

In order to assist Statistics Canada, please give a brief description on any change of 10% or more for each of the following questions:

Reason(s) for changes greater than approximately 10% in the number of tenants who occupied the building: R4100, C4100
For example:

• After holidays, reduction in mall tenants.
• Construction related issues.

Reason(s) for changes greater than approximately 10% in total square feet occupied by tenants: R4200, C4200
For example:

• Renovation increased square footage from 1,500 to 2,000 for tenant.
• Owner occupied 500 square feet
• Loss of large tenant

Reason(s) for changes greater than approximately 10% in monthly net effective rent: R4300, C4300
For example:

• Renegotiation of lease for major tenant.
• Loss of tenant decreased NER by $1,000.

Reason(s) for changes greater than approximately 10% in percentage rent: R4400, C4400
For example:

• High revenues during “Back-to-School” shopping.
• Increase in percentage rents peak shopping times

The Monthly Survey of Large Retailers
Table summary
This table displays the results of The Monthly Survey of Large Retailers. The information is grouped by Legal Name (appearing as row headers), Operating Name (appearing as column headers).

Legal Name	Operating Name
The Food Retailers
Buy-Low Foods Limited Partnership	Buy-Low Foods, Nesters Market
Canada Safeway Limited	Safeway, Safeway - Liquor Store
Loblaw Companies Limited	At the Pumps, Atlantic Gas Bars, Dominion, Extra Foods, Loblaws, Loblaws à plein gaz, Maxi, Maxi & Cie, Provigo, Real Atlantic Superstore, Real Canadian Liquor Store, Real Canadian Superstore, Western Gas Bars, Zehrs, pharmacies in franchised locations (Fortino's, No Frills, Save Easy, Your Independent Grocer)
Metro Inc.	Drug Basics, Food Basics, Metro, Super C, The Pharmacy
Overwaitea Food Group Limited Partnership	Cooper's Foods, Overwaitea Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Save-on-Foods, Save-On-Foods Gas Bar
Sobeys Group Inc.	Foodland, FreshCo., IGA, IGA Extra, Lawtons Drugs, Needs Convenience, Price Chopper, Rachelle-Béry, Sobeys, Sobeys Fast Fuel, Sobeys Urban Fresh, Thrifty Foods, Western Cellars
The Department Stores (including concessions)
Hudson's Bay Company	Home Outfitters/Déco Découverte, The Bay/La Baie, Zellers
Sears Canada Inc.	Sears Appliance & Mattress Store/Magasin de matelas et électroménagers, Sears Department Store/Grand magasin Sears, Sears Home Store/Magasin Sears Décor, Sears Hometown Store/Magasin Local Sears, Sears Outlet Store/Magasin de liquidation Sears
Target Canada Co.	Target
Wal-Mart Canada Corp.	Walmart
The Other Non-Food Retailers
668824 Alberta Ltd.	Visions Electronics
American Eagle Outfitters Canada Corporation	Aerie, American Eagle Outfitters
Best Buy Canada Ltd.	Best Buy, Future Shop
Boutique Marie Claire Inc.	CF Sports, Claire France, Emotions, Marie Claire, Marie Claire Super Boutique, Marie Claire Weekend, San Francisco, Terra Nostra
Boutiques Tristan & Iseut Inc.	Tristan, Tristan & America, Tristan & Iseut, West Coast
Canadian Tire Corporation Limited	Canadian Tire Gas Bar, PartSource, Canadian Tire Corporation
Club Monaco Corp.	Club Monaco
Comark Inc.	Bootlegger, Cleo, Revolution, Ricki's
Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.	Costco, Costco Canada Liquor
Eddie Bauer of Canada Corporation	Eddie Bauer
Fairweather Ltd.	Fairweather
FGL Sports Ltd.	Atmosphere, National Sports, Sport Chek
Foot Locker Canada Corporation	Champ Sports, Foot Locker
Gap (Canada) Inc.	Banana Republic, Gap, Gap Kids
Grafton-Fraser Inc.	George Richards Big & Tall Menswear, Mr. Big & Tall Menswear, Tip Top Tailors
Groupe ATBM Inc.	Ameublement Tanguay, Brault et Martineau
Groupe Bikini Village Inc.	Bikini Village
Harry Rosen Inc.	Harry Rosen
Holt, Renfrew & Co., Limited	Holt Renfrew
Ikea Canada Limited Partnership	Ikea
International Clothiers Inc.	Big Steel, Brogue, INC Men's, International Boys, International Clothiers, Petrocelle, Pinstripe Menswear, Randy River, River Island, Stockhomme
La Senza Corporation	La Senza, La Senza Express
Le Chateau Inc.	Le Chateau
Leon's Furniture Limited	Leon's Furniture/Meubles Léon, The Brick/Brick, The Brick Mattress Store, United Furniture Warehouse
Magasin Laura (P.V.) Inc.	Laura, Laura Outlet, Laura Petites, Laura Plus, Melanie Lyne
Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd.	Mark's Work Wearhouse/L'Équipeur
Moores The Suit People Inc.	Moores Clothing For Men
Northern Reflections Ltd.	Northern Reflections
Nygard International Partnership	Alia, Jay Set, Nygard, Nygard Fashion Park, Tan Jay
Old Navy (Canada) Inc.	Old Navy
Pantorama Industries Inc.	1850, Fixx, Levi's, Levi's l'entrepôt, Pantorama, Pantorama l'entrepôt, Roberto, UR2B
Pharma Plus Drugmarts Ltd.	Rexall, Rexall Pharma Plus
Reitmans (Canada) Limitée	Addition Elle, Cassis, Penningtons, Reitmans, RW & Co., Smart Set, Thyme Maternity
Roots Canada Ltd.	Roots Canada
Sony of Canada Ltd.	Sony of Canada - Retail Division
Talbots Canada Corporation	Talbots Canada
The Children's Place (Canada) L.P.	The Children's Place
The Source (Bell) Electronics Inc. / La Source (Bell) Electronique Inc.	The Source/La Source
Thrifty's Inc.	Bluenotes
Winners Merchants International L.P.	Homesense, Marshalls, Winners
YM Inc. (Sales)	Siblings, Sirens, Stitches, Suzy Shier, Urban Planet
Note: With the exception of Canadian Tire, only sales from corporate stores are included.

1. Who needs to complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire?

Any of the persons responsible for operating a farm or an agricultural operation should fill in a Census of Agriculture questionnaire.

2. What is the definition of an agricultural operator?

The Census of Agriculture uses the word operator to define a person responsible for the management and/or financial decisions made in the production of agricultural commodities. An agricultural operation can have more than one operator, such as a husband and wife, a father and son, two sisters, or two neighbours.

The terms "agricultural operator" and "operation" are used in the census because they are broader in scope than "farmer" and "farm", and better reflect the range of agricultural businesses from which the Census of Agriculture collects data. For example, the term farm would not usually be associated with operations such as maple sugar bushes, mushroom houses, ranches or feedlots.

3. How is an agricultural operation defined?

An agricultural operation is defined as a farm, ranch or other operation that produces agricultural products intended for sale.

The Census of Agriculture considers an agricultural operation to be:

Any operation that grows or produces any of the agricultural products listed below with the intent to sell these products (it is not necessary to have had sales of the products, only that they are being produced with the intent of selling them).

Crops:

• hay and field crops (hay, grains, field peas, beans, potatoes, coriander and other spices, etc.)
• vegetables (all vegetables, herbs, rhubarb, melons, garlic, gourds, etc.)
• sod, nursery products and Christmas trees
• fruits, berries or nuts (apples, other fruit trees, grapes, blueberries and other berries, saskatoons, hazelnuts, etc.)
• seed

Poultry:

• laying hens and pullets
• layer and broiler breeders
• broilers, roasters and Cornish
• turkeys
• other poultry (geese, ducks, roosters, ostriches, emus, pheasants, quail, pigeons, etc.)
• commercial poultry hatcheries

Livestock:

• cattle and calves
• pigs
• sheep and lambs
• other livestock (horses, goats, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, bison, elk, deer, wild boars, mink, fox, donkeys, mules, chinchillas, etc.)

Animal products:

• milk or cream
• eggs
• wool
• fur
• meat

Other agricultural products:

• greenhouse products
• mushrooms
• maple products
• bees owned (for honey or pollination)

Other products or activities considered agricultural operations according to the Census of Agriculture are:

• harvesting wild rice
• sprouting alfalfa or beans
• growing legal cannabis
• growing mushrooms on logs in a controlled environment
• wineries, if they grow any grapes or fruit
• garden centres if they grow any of their products
• hay processing or dehydration plants if they grow hay on land they own or lease
• horse operations that do not sell agricultural products but offer boarding, riding or training services.

The following are NOT considered agricultural operations according to the Census of Agriculture:
Operations that harvest or grow only:

• peat moss
• top soil
• gravel
• fish (wild or aquaculture)
• silviculture products
• wild cones, wild Christmas trees, logs, firewood, pulpwood, evergreen boughs, etc.
• wild berries, wild plants, wild mushrooms, etc.
• all wild animals
• racing pigeons
• worms
• crickets, rats, mice, etc. for pet stores
• laboratory animal production
• all pets (dogs, cats, pot-bellied pigs, guinea pigs, finches, budgies, etc.), including kennels for pets.

For the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories only, the following activities qualify as an agricultural operation for the Census of Agriculture:

• herding wild animals (such as caribou and muskox)
• breeding sled dogs
• horse outfitting and rigging
• harvesting indigenous plants and berries.

4. Are hobby farms included in the Census of Agriculture?

Yes. Farms with very low farm revenues—commonly called "hobby" farms—are included as long as the agricultural products produced are intended for sale.

5. Why do operators of very small operations have to fill in the Census of Agriculture questionnaire?

The Census of Agriculture enumerates small operations because it is important that the total farm area and the total inventory of all crops, livestock and other agricultural products in Canada be counted. There are many small agricultural operations that as a group contribute significantly to agricultural inventories.

6. How does the Census of Agriculture benefit operators?

When an agricultural operator fills out and sends back his or her census questionnaire, it adds another voice to the quarter of a million answers that are reflected in census data. In combination they provide the only definitive statistical picture of Canada's farm sector available to farmers' own organizations and to agriculture policy-makers. The media also interpret census data, bringing current issues to the forefront of public attention.

Although there are other agriculture surveys, only the Census of Agriculture gives data at the local level. Its community-level data ensure that the issues affecting farmers, farm communities and agricultural operations are included when making decisions that affect them and their livelihood.

Operators can use census data to make production, marketing and investment decisions.Producer groups and marketing agencies use census data in their non-government organizations to tell Canadians and government how they are doing economically.

Companies supplying agricultural products and services use the data to determine locations for their service centres.

Government policy advisors use the data to help develop programs related to safety nets and agricultural workers for the agriculture sector.

Operators can keep abreast of trends through the analysis of Census of Agriculture data published by the agriculture media.

Agriculture websites can target their information based on current trends and needs in the sector identified by census data.

Governments and farm organizations use census data to evaluate the impact of natural disasters on agriculture (such as floods, drought and storms) and react quickly.

7. What is the legal authority for the Census of Agriculture?

The mandate to conduct the Census of Agriculture every 10 years comes from the Constitution Act–1867 (formerly the British North America Act [BNA]).

Over the decades the mandate to conduct a census in the Constitution Act–1867 was augmented by the Statistics Act–1970, which stipulates that
"A census of agriculture of Canada shall be taken by Statistics Canada

1. in the year 1971 and in every tenth year thereafter; and
2. in the year 1976 and in every tenth year thereafter, unless the Governor in Council otherwise directs in respect of any such year, 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 19."

8. Is it mandatory to answer and return the questionnaire?

Yes. Under the Statistics Act, agricultural operators are required to complete a Census of Agriculture form.

9. Can a person be identified by the information they provide?

No. All published data are subject to confidentiality restrictions, and any data in which an individual or agricultural operation could be identified are suppressed.

10. Why does Statistics Canada conduct the Census of Agriculture?

The Census of Agriculture collects a wide range of data on the agriculture industry such as number of farms and farm operators, farm area, business operating arrangements, land management practices, livestock inventories and crop area, total operating expenses and receipts, farm capital and farm machinery and equipment.

These data provide a comprehensive picture of the agriculture industry across Canada every five years at the national, provincial and sub-provincial levels.

11. Why doesn't the Census of Agriculture use sampling?

The Statistics Act requires that a census of all farm operations in Canada be conducted every five years. Since a census includes, by definition, every farm operation, sampling only a portion of operations would not honour the Act nor would it provide the complete picture a census can.

The Census of Agriculture is the primary source for small-area data and for survey sampling and it is important that each agricultural operation complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire, regardless of size or geographic location. Samples are used for making agriculture estimates between census years.

12. Why aren't there different questionnaires for different types of agricultural operations?

The Census of Agriculture uses a generalized form for operators across Canada, since all respondents need to answer some questions. Using one form nation-wide ensures consistency across Canada, while tick boxes and different sections for specific types of operations allow operators to answer only those questions pertinent to their type of operation. A single form also keeps development costs down. Every effort is made to keep the questionnaire as concise as possible to minimize respondent burden.

13. How much does the Census of Agriculture cost?

The projected total cost for the 2016 Census of Agriculture over the six-year cycle is $46.9 million. An independently conducted Census of Agriculture would cost at least $13 million more in total than it does by combining it with the Census of Population.

14. Why is the Census of Agriculture taken in May, such a busy time for farmers?

In this particularly busy and stressful period the arrival of the 2016 Census of Agriculture questionnaire in May might seem ill-timed. But by working with the Census of Population, the Census of Agriculture is afforded an opportunity to save millions of taxpayers' dollars by sharing many aspects of collection, including postal costs and the processing centre. The timing of the larger Census of Population is driven by the need to maximize the number of Canadians who are home during enumeration. During the winter our retired “snowbirds” migrate south, and the moment school lets out many Canadian families with school children go on vacation. These factors have led the Census of Population to decide that May 10 will be Census Day. While it may take farm operators away from their work, filling in the questionnaire yields its own benefits.

15. Is Statistics Canada conducting a Farm Financial Survey in addition to the Census of Agriculture?

The Farm Financial Survey is conducted every two years. In 2016, the collection period is in July and August and coincides with the census collection period. To lighten the burden on respondents, overlap with other agriculture surveys is minimized and the sample size is reduced. In 2016 the sample size will be approximately 10,200 farms nationally.

16. What about my income tax return? The census seems to be asking for exactly the same information that I've already given the government.

In 2016 respondents must provide only total operating expenses and total sales for their agricultural operation on the Census of Agriculture questionnaire. In order to reduce the response burden for farmers the detailed expense questions were removed from the 2016 Census of Agriculture questionnaire.

17. Why are other agriculture surveys taken at the same time as the census?

Because timely information on the agriculture industry is required by governments and other users, it is necessary to conduct sample surveys with a shorter time frame than the census. The Census of Agriculture is a national activity that involves collecting information from every agricultural operation in Canada. The collection, follow-up, quality checks, tabulation and publication of data from such an extensive operation take about one year. The census could not replace small-scale surveys, which have a much more rapid turnaround time. It is also more economical to collect certain types of information on a sample basis, especially if the required data are only for specific provinces or population groups. Once available, Census of Agriculture data are used to benchmark farm surveys.

18. What other agriculture surveys are being conducted during the 2016 Census window?

Between mid-April and the end of June Statistics Canada conducts these agriculture surveys:

• the Maple Survey (sample size approximately 600 in Ontario and New Brunswick)
• the National Potato Area and Yield Survey (sample size approximately 250 in the Atlantic Region, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia)
• the Fur Farm Report – Mink and Foxes (sample size approximately 300 nationally)
• the June Farm Survey (Field Crop Reporting Series) (sample size approximately 24,500 nationally)
• the July Livestock Survey (sample size approximately 11,000 nationally)
• the Hay and Straw Prices Survey (Ontario only, sample size approximately 125).

19. How is response burden being reduced?

During the Census of Agriculture collection period, the Agriculture Division cancels some smaller surveys, reduces the sample size for others, and minimizes the overlap with big surveys like the Farm Financial Survey.

Offering farm operators choices in the way they respond to the Census of Agriculture—on paper with return by mail, online, or by telephone—can also make responding easier and faster. A toll-free help line to answer respondents' questions about the Census of Agriculture is also available.

20. How many agricultural operations were counted in the last Census of Agriculture?

The 2011 Census of Agriculture recorded 205,730 census farms.

The 2011 Census of Agriculture
Table summary
This table displays the results of The 2011 Census of Agriculture . The information is grouped by Province (appearing as row headers), 2011 (appearing as column headers).

Province	2011
Newfoundland and Labrador	510
Prince Edward Island	1,495
Nova Scotia	3,905
New Brunswick	2,611
Quebec	29,437
Ontario	51,950
Manitoba	15,877
Saskatchewan	36,952
Alberta	43,234
British Columbia	19,759
Canada	205,730

21. How are Census of Agriculture data used?

Census of Agriculture data are used by:

• farm operators, to formulate production, marketing and investment decisions
• agricultural producer groups, to inform their members about industry trends and developments, to put the viewpoint of operators before legislators and the Canadian public, and to defend their interests in international trade negotiations
• governments, to make policy decisions concerning agricultural credit, crop insurance, farm support, transportation, market services and international trade
• Statistics Canada, to produce annual estimates between censuses for the agriculture sector
• businesses, to market products and services and to make production and investment decisions
• academics, to conduct research on the agriculture sector
• the media, to portray the agriculture sector to the broader Canadian public.

22. What is different about the 2016 Census of Agriculture from 2011?

The 2016 Census of Agriculture questionnaire contains questions asked in 2011 as well as new ones. Some questions remain unchanged to maintain consistency and comparability of data over time. Other questions have been added or deleted to reflect changes in the agriculture industry. For example:

• Technology: A new step (section) was added to request the different technologies used on the farm.
• Direct Marketing: A new step was added to collect information on direct marketing practices farms may have.
• Succession Planning: A new step (section) was added on whether the farm has a formal, written succession plan, and if so, who the successor would be in that plan.
• On-farm practices and land features: Several response categories were eliminated to reduce burden on respondents and to simplify the questions on manure, irrigation and land practices
• Land inputs: A new response category was added: Trace minerals and nutrients (copper, manganese, etc.)
• Organic: This category was simplified to reduce burden on respondents and to allow for emerging issues, such as succession planning, to be added to the questionnaire.
• Renewable energy producing systems: A new step was added to collect information on which renewable energy producing systems, if any, are being used on farms.
• Farm operating expenses: Only the total farm operating expenses is requested in 2016. All the detailed expenses have been removed from the questionnaire.

A detailed explanation of other changes, deletions or additions to the 2016 questionnaire is available by step in the order they appear on the 2016 questionnaire. Please consult “The 2016 Census of Agriculture in detail ”. These changes are a result of user consultations and testing as well as the goal of reducing respondent burden for 2016. Some questions were slightly re-worded in response to suggestions that doing so would make these questions more understandable and easier to answer.

23. Does the Census of Agriculture ask any questions that could be used to assess farming's impact on the environment?

Many of the questions on the census can contribute in some way to forming a picture of Canadian farms and the manner in which they shape the environment.

The Census of Agriculture asks questions about farming practices that conserve soil fertility and prevent erosion, pesticide and fertilizer use, and the land features used to prevent wind or water damage. There is a section on manure use, another on irrigation, one on tillage practices and one on baling crop residue. Data from these questions present a picture of farmers' relationship with the environment and, by evaluating and comparing the data over time, analysts can assess how operators are adapting their methods and fulfilling their role as stewards of the land.

24. Where will Census of Agriculture data be processed?

Once completed paper questionnaires are received by Canada Post, they go to a central processing centre in the National Capital Region where they are scanned and electronically imaged for data capture. Questionnaires submitted online to Statistics Canada are captured automatically. Processing Census of Agriculture questionnaires includes many checks and balances to ensure high quality data. Its many steps—including several kinds of edits (clerical, subject-matter, geographic), matching and unduplicating individual farms, adjusting for missing data, validating data by comparing them to several benchmarks, and providing estimates—have evolved into a sophisticated system that ensures high-quality data. The data that emerge at the other end are stored on a database and used to generate publications and users' custom requests.

25. What steps are taken to ensure that all agricultural operations are counted?

In 2016, Canada Post delivers an invitation letter to fill out a Census of Agriculture questionnaire on the internet to addresses where it is believed a farm operator lives. The addresses are determined from Statistics Canada’s business register, populated from the previous census and other agriculture surveys. Census of Population questionnaires were delivered by Canada Post as well, but may have been delivered by an enumerator in rural areas.

On the Census of Population questionnaire respondents are asked if there is a farm operator living in the household. This question triggers a follow-up from Head Office to help ensure that new farms are identified and counted.

Respondents were able to complete their questionnaires on paper, by telephone or via the Internet. Telephone follow-up will be conducted with those respondents who received invitation letters or questionnaires but did not return them.

In addition, the data processing sequence includes several safeguards that can find “missing” farms that were counted in 2011 but did not return a questionnaire in 2016 or, conversely, farms that did not exist in 2011 but have been identified on subsequent agriculture surveys since then.

26. When will the 2016 Census of Agriculture data be available to the public, and how can I keep track of releases?

First release: May 10, 2017 from the Census of Agriculture database.

Statistics Canada's official release bulletin, The Daily, lists the full range of census data with highlights on major trends and findings.

Data from both the Census of Population and Census of Agriculture will appear in the general media and farm media. Users may also contact Statistics Canada general enquiries toll free number at 1-800-263-1136.

27. Why does it take a year to release results from the Census of Agriculture?

The Census of Agriculture is a national activity that involves collecting information from every agricultural operation in Canada. The collection, follow-up, quality checks, processing, tabulation and publication of data from such an extensive operation take about one year.

All of these steps must be made to assure that data are accurate, even at very low levels of geography. This is critical since census data are used to benchmark estimates and draw survey samples between censuses.

28. For what geographic areas are Census of Agriculture data available?

Census of Agriculture data are available for Canada, the provinces and territories, and for areas corresponding to counties, crop districts and rural municipalities. User-defined areas are also available by calling Statistics Canada general enquiries toll free number at 1-800-263-1136. All tabulated data are subjected to confidentiality restrictions, and any data that could result in the disclosure of information concerning any particular individual or agricultural operation are suppressed.

Changes, additions or deletions from the 2011 questionnaire by topic in the order they appear on the 2016 questionnaire.

Text begins

Cover page and Step 1: Business information and contact information for the person completing the questionnaire

• In 2011, some of the information requested in Step 1 was asked in Step 4 (business number, farm and corporation name) whereas the name and contact information of the person completing the questionnaire is new. By requesting the contact information for the person completing the questionnaire, it is no longer necessary to request the contact information for each operator as was done in Step 2 in 2011.
• The email address of the person completing the questionnaire is being asked for the first time in 2016. In 2006, the email address of the first operator was requested. In 2011, this question was replaced with an alternate telephone number question for the first operator instead of the email address.
• Instructions for completing the paper questionnaire and via the Internet were removed as this information is now included in the invitation letter, which is sent to all respondents. In 2011, a paper questionnaire was sent to all respondents. This is the first time a paper questionnaire will not be sent to all respondents and instead they will receive an invitation letter with a Secure Access Code inviting them to complete the questionnaire electronically.

Step 2. Operator identification for up to three operators per farm

• The information requested in Step 2 is a combination of information requested in Step 2 and Step 3 in 2011 with some response categories removed and some questions revised:
  • Residence on the farm is no longer requested.
  • The address of each operator is no longer requested in 2016 (however, the postal code question remains).
  • The wording of the questions regarding on-farm and off-farm work was revised to improve comprehension of these questions.

Step 3. Main farm location

• Formerly Step 5.
• Postal code was added to the civic address question.
• To ease reporting for Western producers and to include respondents in the Peace River region of British Columbia, the following instruction was added to the first question of this section: "For the Prairies and parts of British Columbia, report in question 8." Question 8 provides space for the respondent to report the farm location in terms of Quarter, Section, Township, Range and Meridian rather than civic address.
• On the French questionnaire, further precision was required: the term "the Prairies" was replaced with "Prairie provinces" to further clarify who could respond to question 8.

Step 4. Unit of measure

• Formerly Step 6.
• No content changes.

Step 5. Workable and non-workable land (land tenure)

• Formerly Step 7.
• Wording and spatial changes were made to the explanation of non-workable land to visually split it out into definitions of idle land and the land that buildings are located on. The following explanation was added:
  • Workable land includes all cropland, nursery, sod, summerfallow, pasture, etc.
  • Non-workable land includes:
    • All idle land: woodlots, bush, ponds, bogs, marshes, buffer zones, etc.
    • All land buildings are located on: greenhouses, mushroom houses, farm house, barns, etc.
• There is no change in the response categories from 2011.
• For the net area of the operation, the instruction to report on this area throughout the questionnaire was revised and the parentheses removed to increase the visibility and understanding of this instruction.

Step 6. Hay and field crops

• Formerly Step 8.
• In an effort to discourage respondents from reporting production on land that they are not themselves operating (which introduces double counting of land), the following instruction was added to all the steps on which land based production occurs:
  • Do not include land used by others.
• "Caraway seed" was removed as a separate response category (formerly question 46) and was added to "Other field crops."

Step 7. Vegetables

• Formerly Step 9.
• In an effort to discourage respondents from reporting production on land that they are not themselves operating (which introduces double counting of land), the following instruction was added to all the steps on which land based production occurs:
  • Do not include land used by others.
• The number of lines to report "Other vegetables" was reduced from four spaces to three.

Step 8. Fruits, berries or nuts

• Formerly Step 11.
• In an effort to discourage respondents from reporting production on land that they are not themselves operating (which introduces double counting of land), the following instruction was added to all the steps on which land based production occurs:
  • Do not include land used by others.

Step 9. Sod, nursery products and Christmas trees

• Formerly Step 10.
• Further clarification was added to the question on the total area of nursery products grown for sale to include products also grown "in cold frames or tunnels."
• The English questionnaire was revised to match the French questionnaire for the instruction on calculating the total area of Christmas trees.

Step 10. Land use

• Formerly Step 12.
• Further clarification was added to the question on summerfallow area. In 2011, the instruction was to "include chemfallow." In 2016, this was expanded to say "include cropland on which no crops will be grown during the year but that will have weeds controlled by tillage or chemical application."

Step 11. Weed control on summerfallow land

• Formerly Step 13.
• No content changes.

Step 12. Tillage practices for land seeded or to be seeded

• Formerly Step 15.
• No content changes.

Step 13. Practices and land features

• Formerly Step 14.
• The wording of the question was revised to ease reporting.
• "No / Yes" responses are now required for each practice listed.
• Three practices were removed from the response categories:
  • crop rotation
  • nutrient management planning
  • buffer zones around water bodies.
• Examples for "winter cover crops" now include "fall rye, winter wheat, red clover, etc." which should improve reporting of this question.

Step 14. Area from which crop residue was baled

• Formerly Step 16.
• To reduce the number of respondents reporting for baled residue that they have taken off someone else's land, further precision was included in the instruction to include only area "of this operation" from which crop residue was baled for bedding or sale.

Step 15. Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, commercial fertilizers, lime, trace minerals and nutrients (copper, manganese, etc.)

• Formerly Step 17.
• A new instruction was added to exclude treated seed from being reported in this step.
• The question was revised to include one new response category: Trace minerals and nutrients (copper, manganese, etc.)

Step 16. Manure

• Formerly Step 19.
• In 2011, this step consisted of two questions. For 2016, one question with five response categories was removed:

Which of the following apply to the manure used or produced on this operation in 2010?

• Applied on this operation
• Applied on land that was rented TO others
• Sold or given to others
• Bought or received FROM others
• Other (composted, processed, dried, stored, etc.)
  Specify:

• In the second question, one of the response categories was also removed (there are now four response categories instead of five):
  • Manure spread naturally by grazing livestock

Step 17. Irrigation

• Formerly Step 18.
• The instruction to exclude the area of land where only manure was applied by irrigation was removed to improve comprehension of this question.
• The heading on the response box was revised to include the word "irrigated" (i.e. "Area irrigated in 2015" rather than "Area in 2015") to help improve reporting.
• For 2016, the following five response categories were replaced with "total area of land irrigated":
  Report the area of land irrigated for each of the following in 2010:
  • Irrigated alfalfa, hay and pasture
  • Irrigated field crops
  • Irrigated vegetables
  • Irrigated fruits
  • Other irrigated areas (nursery, sod, etc.)
    Specify:

Step 18. Organic products

• Formerly Step 35.
• A new instruction to include certified products or those in the process of becoming certified was added.
• In 2011, this step consisted of three questions with nine response categories. In 2016, one question with six response categories was removed following consultations with data users:
  Report the status in 2011 for the organic products produced for sale.
  (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Field crops (grains, oilseeds, etc.) or hay
  • Fruits, vegetables or greenhouse products
  • Animals or animal products (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.)
  • Maple products
  • Herbs, spices or garlic
  • Other - Specify:

Step 19. Greenhouse products

• Formerly step 20.
• To improve reporting of this step an instruction was added: "For unheated cold frames or tunnels, report these areas in Step 7 or Step 8."

Step 20. Mushrooms

• Formerly Step 21.
• No content changes.

Step 21. Maple tree taps

• Formerly Step 22.
• No content changes.

Step 22. Bees

• Formerly Step 23.
• No content changes in the English questionnaire.
• A minor wording change was made to the question in French to improve comprehension; the Census only wants respondents to report for the bees they own. Therefore, the words "is the owner of bees" was added to the French question because the verb to own (possède) does not necessarily imply one is the owner of the bees.

Step 23. Technology used on the operation

• This step is new for 2016. It expands on a previous question that asked if a computer, the Internet and high-speed Internet were used for the farm business. This new step consists of one question with 11 response categories:
  
  In 2015, which of the following TECHNOLOGIES were used on this operation?
  
  Include work done by others on this operation.
  (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Computers/laptops for farm management
  • Smart phones/tablets for farm management
  • Automated steering (auto-steer)
  • GPS technology
  • GIS mapping (e.g., soil mapping)
  • Greenhouse automation
  • Robotic milking
  • Automated environmental controls for animal housing
  • Automated animal feeding
  • Other technology — Specify:
  • None of the above

Step 24. Poultry inventories

• No content changes.

Step 25. Chicken and turkey production

• No content changes.

Step 26. Eggs

• No content changes.

Step 27. Commercial hatcheries

• No content changes.

Step 28. Livestock

• Minor changes were made to this step:
  • The four headings on the response box columns were revised to include the census date. They now read: "Number on May 16, 2016" instead of "Number."
  • The order the animals are listed was revised in the "Other livestock" category.
  • "Wild boars" was removed as a separate response category and was added to the examples in the response category: "Other livestock—Specify."
  • On the French questionnaire, the word "chevreuils" was changed to "cerfs" as this is the proper French term.

Step 29. Market value of land and buildings

• No content changes.

Step 30. Farm machinery and equipment

• Some changes were made to the inclusion instructions to clarify what is to be reported where:
  • The "include" instruction was revised to specify that equipment "owned or leased by this operation" as well as machinery owned jointly with a different operation should be included.
  • An additional instruction was added to "Report fixed equipment in STEP 29" instead of in Step 30.
• The dollar amounts used in the example were updated.
• Some changes were made to this step to combine response categories to simplify reporting
  • In 2011, the number of response categories for tractors was four. This has been reduced to three response categories for 2016.
  • In 2016, the two response categories for pick-up trucks and farm passenger vehicles were amalgamated into one response category.
  • In 2016, the "combines" response category became "grain combines" to add more precision. In addition, the four response categories: "Combines," "Swathers and mower-conditioners," "Balers," and "Forage harvesters" were combined into two response categories as follows:
    • "Grain combines and swathers"
    • "Forage harvesters, balers, mower-conditioners, etc."
  • In 2016, the "All other farm machinery and equipment" response category was revised to include "other harvesting equipment and Christmas tree balers." The example of "workshop equipment" was removed.

Step 31. Total gross farm receipts and total farm operating expenses

• Formerly Step 31 and Step 32; these two steps have been combined into one for 2016.
• For the gross farm receipts, the following instructions were removed:
  • Account books or completed income tax forms, if available, are useful in completing this page.
• For the gross farm receipts and farm operating expenses, the following instructions were revised:
  • Do not include "the sale of any goods purchased only for retail sales" was replaced with "the sale of any goods purchased only for resale."
  • The instruction to report for the calendar year "In 2015" replaces the instruction "in 2010 (calendar year) or for the last complete accounting (fiscal) year."
• Only the total farm operating expenses is requested in 2016. All the detailed expenses have been removed from the questionnaire:
  • Fertilizer and lime
  • Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc.
  • Seeds and plants (Do not include materials purchased for resale.)
  • Feed, supplements and hay
  • Livestock and poultry purchases
  • Veterinary services, drugs, semen, breeding fees, etc.
  • Custom work, contract work and hired trucking
  • "Wages and salaries (including all employee benefits):
    • paid to family members
    • paid to all other persons
  • All fuel (diesel, gasoline, oil, wood, natural gas, propane, etc.)
  • Repairs and maintenance to farm machinery, equipment and vehicles
  • Repairs and maintenance to farm buildings and fences
  • Rental and leasing of land and buildings (including community pasture and grazing fees)
  • Rental and leasing of farm machinery, equipment and vehicles
  • Electricity, telephone and all other telecommunications services
  • Farm interest expenses (Do not include payment of principal or amount of debt outstanding.)
  • All other farm business operating expenses not reported above, such as property taxes, packaging materials, farm and crop insurance premiums, irrigation levies, legal and accounting fees, etc. (Do not include depreciation or capital cost allowance.)

Step 32. Paid employees

• Formerly Step 33
• This step was completely modified in its structure. In 2011, there was a table to be completed; in 2016, there are a series of questions similar in layout to the rest of the steps on the questionnaire.
• A specific instruction to include family and non-family members was also added.

Step 33. Direct marketing

• This step is new. It consists of two questions with six response categories:
  In 2015, did this operation SELL any agricultural products DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS for human consumption?
  Do not include the sale of any goods purchased only for resale
  • No Go to STEP 34
  • Yes
• In 2015, which of the following products were sold directly to consumers for human consumption?
  (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Unprocessed agricultural products (such as fruits, vegetables, meat cuts, poultry, eggs, maple syrup, honey, etc.)
  • Value added products (such as jellies, sausages, wine, cheese, etc.)
• In 2015, which of the following methods were used to sell directly to consumers for human consumption? (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Farm gate sales, stands, kiosks, U-pick
  • Farmers' markets
  • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
  • Other methods—Specify:

Step 34. Operating arrangement

• Formerly Step 4.
• No content changes were made to the English questionnaire.
• To clarify the meaning of "Société de personnes avec contrat écrit (incluant les sociétés en nom collectif," the acronym "SENC") was added.

Step 35. Succession plan

• This step is new. It consists of one question with two response categories:
  As of May 10, 2016 did this operation have a WRITTEN SUCCESSION PLAN?
  A succession plan is more extensive than a will. It is a formalized plan that ensures the future continuity of this farm business.
  It contains three elements: transfer of management and control; transfer of assets and ownership; and transfer of labour.
  • No Go to STEP 36
  • Yes
  In your written succession plan, will the successor(s) for this operation be:
  (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Family member(s)
  • Non-family member(s)

Back page

Step 36. Renewable energy producing systems

• This step is new. It consists of one question with seven response categories.
  In 2015, were there any renewable energy producing systems, regardless of ownership, on this operation?
  Include systems that produce energy for this operation or for sale.
  • No End of questionnaire, thank you.
  • Yes
• In 2015, which of the following renewable energy producing systems were on this operation?
  (Fill in all applicable circles.)
  • Solar panels
  • Wind turbines
  • Anaerobic biodigester (biogas or methane)
  • Biodiesel production systems
  • Geothermal electric power generator
  • Hydro electric power generator
  • Other renewable energy producing systems — Specify:
• The information provided on the back page was simplified.
• The first paragraph includes the following two new statements:
  • The data are needed to make informed decisions about business management strategies, agricultural policies, programs and services that directly affect farmers and rural communities.
  • Census data provide a reliable source of information to farm organizations, government departments, agriculture suppliers and service providers, and researchers that help them to understand and respond to changes in agriculture.
• The following three bullets were removed:
  • Census information on livestock counts, crop area and types of crops planted give a historical picture of the changes in Canadian agriculture over time.
  • The census collects information on minimum and no-till seeding, organic products, new crops or livestock and other innovations in agriculture.
  • It tracks partnerships and corporations, computer use and major farm expenses to paint a statistical picture of the business of farming."
• The answer to "But why in May" was reduced from two paragraphs to one and now reads:
  • Statistics Canada recognizes that mid-May is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers. However, collecting the data at the same time as the Census of Population streamlines procedures and saves millions of dollars.
• Information on the "Use of record linkages" replaces the information on "Why not use tax data instead of asking financial questions?" and now reads:
  • To enhance the data from this census and to minimize the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
• Information on "The law protects what you tell us" was reduced from two paragraphs to one and now reads:
  • The confidentiality of your census responses is protected by law. All Statistics Canada employees have taken an oath of secrecy. Your personal census information cannot be given to anyone outside Statistics Canada without your consent. This is your right.
• Information on fax or e-mail transmission disclosure is new and reads as follows:
  • Statistics Canada advises you that there could be a risk of disclosure during facsimile or other electronic transmission. However, upon receipt, Statistics Canada will provide the guaranteed level of protection afforded all information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

To obtain a copy of any of the following documentation, contact Client Services (613-951-1746; fax: 613-951-0792; hd-ds@statcan.gc.ca).

• CCHS Annual Component – Content Plan 2007-2014
• Canadian community health survey content overview (2013-2014)
• Optional content selection, 2013-2014
• CCHS 2014 and 2013-2014 Microdata User Guide
• CCHS 2013-2014 Derived Variables Documentation 
• CCHS 2013-2014 Alphabetic Index
• CCHS 2013-2014 Topical Index
• CCHS 2013-2014 Data Dictionary (rounded frequencies)
• CCHS 2013-2014 Record Layout
• Household Weights
• CCHS 2013-2014 Share File Approximate Sampling Variability Tables
• Canadian Community Health Survey – Errata (updated June 2015)
• Income Imputation for the Canadian Community Health Survey
• Interpreting Estimates from the Redesigned CCHS
• Mode Study
• Health Surveys - Aspects that may explain differences in the estimates obtained from two different survey occasions