Statistics Canada has offices throughout Canada. Here is an overview of its regional offices:

Eastern Region

Serving the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island New Brunswick, and Quebec.

Life in Halifax

Halifax enjoys the second warmest climate in Canada. It rarely suffers from extreme winter conditions and has pleasant summers that average temperatures in the mid to high 20s Celsius. Steeped in history and culture, life in Halifax, Nova Scotia revolves around the sea. But there’s so much more to discover!

Life in Montréal

Montréal is an energetic and electrifying city which beats to the rhythm of its festivals: jazz, comedy, fireworks and many more. The city beckons you to discover its fashionable boutiques and famed cuisine.

Central Region

Serving the province of Ontario except the National Capital Region.

Life in Toronto

Toronto offers fascinating new experiences. Applaud a broadway-style musical, or take in a comedy club or a dinner theatre. Shop for designer couture or have a gastronomic adventure exploring one of the city’s 5,000 restaurants.

Western Region and Northern Territories

This region has reference centres serving the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia the Northwest Territories, and the territory of Nunavut.

Life in Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba; more than half the population of the province of Manitoba lives here. Winnipeg is home to many attractions, events and festivals year round.

Life in Edmonton

This is where you’ll find West Edmonton Mall, the world’s largest entertainment and shopping centre. Grab your golf clubs and play at one of the 71 regional golf courses or enjoy a warm latte in the historic Old Strathcona.

Life in Regina

Located in the south eastern region of the Province of Saskatchewan, Regina is the sunniest capital city in Canada. Regina is a busy and prosperous metropolitan centre. The city plays host to some of the best festivals and events in the province and offers miles of pedestrian pathways, recreation facilities, shopping centres, and exhibition grounds.

Pacific Region

Life in Vancouver

Bordered by the Coastal Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is recognized as one of the world's most liveable cities. Greater Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city. It has one of the mildest climates in Canada with temperatures averaging around 3 degrees Celsius in January and 18 degrees Celsius in July. Vancouver has more than 200 diverse parks, including the most famous, Stanley Park. It is one of the largest urban parks in the world, with a 150-year-old forest, 8.85 kilometres of seawall, and many popular attractions.

There’s great energy on Statistics Canada’s main campus—our main offices in Ottawa, Ontario. It is located along the banks of the Ottawa River on a strip of a land called Tunney’s Pasture.

Take a look at the array of on-site facilities and services, and you’ll see there’s something for everyone’s mind, body and spirit.

Then there’s the neighbourhood surrounding our main campus. Whether you have errands to run or just want to explore, it’s all just steps away.

Here's what our campus has to offer you!

For Mind

• On-site private quiet rooms
• On-site meditation areas
• Statistics Canada Book Club

For Body

• On-site fitness, cardio and locker room facilities
• On-site exercise classes/groups
• On-site health practitioner
• StatCan co-ed curling, volleyball, softball and tennis teams
• StatCan ski club
• StatCan swim club

For Spirit

• Religious groups
• Statistics Canada Choir
• Breast Cancer Support Group
• Statistics Canada Diversity Group
• Bible Studies Group

Other services

• Daycare centre
• Enclosed/secured bicycle racks
• On-site bank and ATMs
• Two cafeterias & snack bars

We are all unique, and tapping into these differences makes Statistics Canada stronger. As an employer, we understand that a diversity of perspectives, experiences and cultures ultimately makes our business more efficient and innovative. As such, Statistics Canada promotes the advantages of diversity in the federal government and offers interesting career opportunities and rewarding challenges for everyone. Whether you are, younger, older, a person with a disability, a member of a visible minority group, an Aboriginal person, a woman or an advocate of diversity in any way, you can be assured that you will be welcomed, and valued in our workplace.

Values like respect, inclusivity, cooperation and participation are already part of our culture. Your contribution to our organization can make the manifestation of these values stronger and benefit our entire workforce, our clients, yourself and all future employees.

What makes this work?

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion works on all levels, from the top down and from the ground up.

Our Senior Managers truly get involved through an Employment Equity and Diversity Program championed at the Assistant Deputy Minister level, our Chief Statistician who actively paves the way for diversity in our workplace and senior management champions who advocate inclusive initiatives.

Volunteers who are stakeholders in the challenges and benefits of diversity get personally involved by participating in employee-led working groups. The mandate of these groups is to express the needs, concerns and priorities that our organization has to consider in order to ensure that everyone feels welcome in the workplace, has opportunities for development and can fully participate in reaching our objectives. These working groups also celebrate and value the efficiency of different viewpoints through the commemoration of events such as Aboriginal Awareness Week, the Visible Minority Consultative Group Exhibit of World Cultures, Francophonie Week, etc. Some of these groups include:

• Aboriginal Advisory Circle
• Subcommittee on Disability Issues
• Visible Minority Consultative Group
• Women’s Subcommittee
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+)/Diversity Group
• Positive Space
• Workplace Wellness Committee
• Young Professionals Network
• Chiefs Network

Employment Equity and Diversity professionals are dedicated to supporting the actions of the diversity groups. Together, we work to promote diversity and support initiatives that make our workplace more inclusive for all employees.

If your ideal workplace values and leverages diversity and promotes inclusion, consider joining us here at Statistics Canada!

Business Special Surveys and Technology Statistics Division

This reporting guide provides some background information on the survey and definitions for the data items it collects. It is meant to help you understand the survey context and help you complete the survey. Every attempt was made to make the guide as clear as possible but only you can tell us if it is. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions about the survey, or suggestions on how to make the reporting guide more useful. Contact information is provided on the cover page of the questionnaire.

Who completes the survey?
Is the survey mandatory?
Do all questions apply to my organization?
How is the information used?
Concepts and definitions
Operating revenues
Network and subscribers
Volume
Capital Expenditures

Who completes the survey?

The Quarterly Survey of Telecommunications (QTS) is sent to the largest providers of telecommunication services in Canada. For the purpose of this survey, an organization is considered a telecommunication services provider if it is classified in industry group 517 (Telecommunications) of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

QTS has been conducted since 1999, but two significant changes are introduced for the 2006 reference year:

• Cable operators are now part of the survey universe. This change reflects the growing importance of these enterprises in traditional telecommunication markets and a change in the definition of the telecommunication industry in the North American Industry Classification System
• The concepts and questions are aligned on those of the annual data collection on telecommunication markets conducted by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). This will allow for a better integration of annual and sub-annual statistics for this sector and will hopefully facilitate your task of completing the survey

Is the survey mandatory?

The survey is conducted under the authority of the Statistics Act and is mandatory, as are most surveys of businesses. Please refer to the cover page of the questionnaire for more detailed information, including information on the confidentiality and data sharing provisions of the Act.

We appreciate your contribution. Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued cooperation and goodwill.

Do all questions apply to my organization?

The QTS includes a total of fifty questions on four topics: revenues by type of service provided (13 questions), subscribers by type of service/network connection (11 questions), volume of usage by type of service (18 questions), and capital expenditures (1 question).

Although it is not common at this time, organizations that are active in all telecommunication services markets need to answer all questions. However more and more organizations deliver a wide variety of services, sometimes through more than one operating division. If that is the case and it is not clear which part of your organization is targeted by the survey, please contact us for clarification.

As a general rule, our intent is to be consistent with the CRTC annual data collection, including the way in which entities are defined. That being said, in the event that reporting on the same basis on a quarterly and annual basis is difficult for your organization, we are open to a different reporting arrangement. That includes divisional or consolidated reporting.

How is the information used?

The main uses are:

• The data are aggregated to produce national estimates of activity generated by the telecommunication services industry. They become part of the system of national accounts, the accounting system used to measure the amount of activity and wealth generated by the Canadian economy.
• The aggregated data are used to inform Canadians of developments in this industry. Short articles are published on-line in the Daily, the vehicle with which Statistics Canada provides highlights from its various surveys and studies to the media and Canadians at large.
• The aggregated data are used by industry and policy analysts to monitor developments in telecommunication markets.

Concepts and definitions

For the most part, the concepts and definitions for the quarterly survey of telecommunications are the same as those used for the annual telecommunications data collection by the CRTC. Where the definitions are identical, reference is made in this guide to the relevant CRTC form from the 2009 data collection.

The following conventions apply in the case of financial (revenue) variables:

• Reporting should be in accord with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as set out in the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (C.I.C.A.) Handbook. Please report all accounts on an accrual basis.
• Revenue reported should exclude taxes collected for government (e.g., GST, HST) and should be net of discounts, promotional offers and rebates.
• The Other operating revenue category excludes the following: interest and dividends, gains on the sale of capital assets, unrealized gains as a result of asset revaluation, gains on the translation of foreign currency and any other extraordinary revenue.

Operating revenues

1. Local and access
2. Long distance
3. Data
4. Private line
5. Internet
6. Mobile and paging
7. Broadcast distribution
8. Other operating revenues

1. Telecommunications operating revenues

1. Local and access -
   Revenues from the provision of unlimited access to make wireline calls within a free-calling area. This category also includes revenues from the provision of related retail and wholesale services such as optional features, service charges, inside wiring, terminal equipment rental, switching and aggregation, local interconnection, co-location, transit and bill-and-keep trunk settlement, unbundled network components well as revenues received from the contribution regime. Both access dependent and access independent services are covered by this category [CRTC form 101, line 3, "Total Canadian" column].
2. Long distance -
   Revenues for carrying outgoing or incoming calls between local calling areas. This category includes flat or measured outbound or inbound services (e.g., 1-800, 877, etc.), operator handled calls (e.g., collect calls), overseas calling, card or coin long distance payphone telephony, long distance directory assistance and settlement. [CRTC form 101, line 4, "Total Canadian" column].
3. Data -
   Provision of data protocol (X.25, ATM, Frame Relay, Ethernet, IP-VPN) and related services such as network management and equipment sales to end-users (individual, commercial and institutional customers), and other telecommunication service providers – [CRTC form 101, line 5, "Total Canadian" column].
4. Private line -
   Provision to end users and other telecommunication service providers of a dedicated terrestrial or satellite network segment on which no control or signalling is performed. [CRTC form 101, line 6, "Total Canadian" column].
5. Internet -
   Provision of Internet access and non-access services (such as modem rental, e-mail accounts and web hosting), to residential customers and commercial and institutional end users and the provision of transport services to commercial and institutional end users as well as other Internet services providers. [CRTC form 101, line 7, "Total Canadian" column]
6. Mobile and paging -
   The provision of telecommunications services via wireless access facilities to end users and other telecommunication service providers. This category is the total of Wireless – Retail and Wireless – Wholesale. [CRTC form 101, line 8, "Total Canadian" column].
   • Retail -
     The provision of telecommunications services via wireless access facilities to end users (individuals, commercial and institutional customers). Wireless services include mobile telephone, mobile data messaging (text, photos, audio and video), mobile Internet access and paging services [CRTC form 271, line 21, "Retail" column)]. This category also includes roaming, mobile interconnection and equipment sales. The provision of telecommunications services via wireless access facilities to other telecommunication service providers is classified to Mobile and paging– Wholesale.
   • Wholesale -
     The provision of telecommunications services via wireless access facilities to other telecommunication service providers. [CRTC form 271, line 21, "Wholesale" column]. This category also includes equipment sales.
7. Broadcast distribution (basic and non-basic programming) -
   The provision of analog and digital video and audio entertainment services (in service tiers, à la carte, pay-per-view or on-demand) to residential customers' homes and commercial and institutional customers' place of business [CRTC form 101, line 9, "Total Canadian" column].The provision of audio and video entertainment services to mobile communications devices is classified to Mobile and paging – Retail.
8. Other operating revenues -
   Include all other revenues not falling into the above categories earned as part of your organization's core operating activities. Please exclude the following revenues: interest and dividends, gains on the sale of capital assets, unrealized gains as a result of asset revaluation, gains on the translation of foreign currency and any other extraordinary revenue.

Network and subscribers

a. Fixed network lines by market – Access dependent and independent
b. Number of mobile and paging subscriptions
c. Number of Internet subscriptions
d. Multi-channel video services subscriptions

2. Fixed network lines by market – Access dependent and independent

A network segment between two fixed nodes connecting customer equipment or premise and your equipment OR a network segment that provides an on-site interface for connecting customer equipment or customer premise equipment to your equipment. Please report owned lines, leased lines and re-billed lines in voice grade equivalents.

1. Residential -
   A network segment connecting a residential customer's equipment or premise with your equipment. [CRTC form 212, line 3, "Total" column].
2. Business -
   A network segment connecting a retail business customer's equipment or premise to your equipment OR that provides an on-site interface for connecting customer equipment or customer premise equipment to your equipment. [CRTC form 212, line 11, "Total" column].
3. Wholesale -
   A network segment provided to another telecommunication service provider for resale or for its own use. [CRTC form 212, line 20, "Total" column].
4. Lines for internal use (OTS) -
   Active lines connected to the PSTN used by your organization and for which you do not receive payments. [CRTC form 212, line 22, "Total" column].

3. Number of mobile and paging subscriptions

The number of separate phone numbers with service billed to the customer for usage. Note that this is different than the number of accounts since an account can include many subscribers.

1. Retail (Residential and business) -
   The number of mobile and paging subscribers who are billed directly by your company. Include the number of internal mobile and paging subscribers whose service is paid for by your company. [CRTC form 271, line 24 plus line 25, "Retail" column].
2. Wholesale -
   The number of mobile and paging subscribers of a service provider that resells your services. [CRTC form 271, line 24 plus line 25, "Wholesale" column].
3. Total mobile and paging subscriptions -
   The total number of retail and wholesale subscribers [CRTC form 271, line 24 plus line 25, "Total" column].

4. Number of Internet subscriptions

An IP connection to an end-user which allows the end-user to exchange applications traffic with Internet hosts and other end-users.

1. Dial-up -
   An IP connection using a dialed PSTN connection to initiate and effect a switched communications link with another computer terminal. [CRTC form 253, line 1, "Total" column].
2. High speed – Cable modem -
   An IP connection using a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to initiate and affect a dedicated communications link with another computer terminal. [CRTC form 253, line 2, "Total" column].
3. High speed – Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) -
   An IP connection using a digital subscriber line technology to initiate and affect a dedicated communications link with another computer terminal. Includes ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), and VDSL (Very high data rate DSL). [CRTC form 253, line 3, "Total" column].
4. High speed – Other -
   An IP connection using an access technology not described above. Examples would include; ISDN, fibre, fixed wireless, WiFi (802.11). [CRTC form 253, Sum of lines 4 to 8, "Total" column].
5. Total number of Internet subscribers -
   The total number of Internet subscribers serviced by your company. [CRTC form 253, line 10, "Total" column].

5. Multi-channel video services subscriptions

Video services subscribers -

The number of households, institutions and businesses that subscribe to basic video services billed directly by your company. Include individual apartments where the service is included in the rent. Count each institutional subscriber only once, regardless of the number of individual users, (i.e., hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, other institutional or commercial ventures).

1. By phone line -
   The number of subscribers to video services who receive their service by phone line (DSL, ADSL or VDSL).
2. By cable -
   The number of subscribers to video services who receive their service via co-axial cable.
3. By satellite -
   The number of subscribers to video services who receive their service via satellite.
4. Other -
   The number of subscribers to video services who receive their service through means not listed above. Please indicate the technology.
5. Total multi-channel video services subscribers -
   The total for all types listed above.

Volume

6. Long distance minutes – Fixed

The elapsed period of time in minutes a respondent's switch, circuits, lines or groups of lines are in use for any call, for which the customer is billed (wholesale or retail). This includes calls which terminate outside the local calling area and are billed to the customer, as well as those calls which are received by the customer from outside the local calling area and are billed to the customer (toll-free calls). Domestic and international (USA and Overseas) long-distance calls are also included in this value. For resellers this is the actual conversation time their customers used for calls and messages. Long distance connections are sometimes called toll calls or trunk calls.  [CRTC form 221, line 12, "Retail", "Wholesale", and "Total columns].

7. Short Messaging Service (SMS)

A wireless messaging service that permits the transmission of a short text message from and/or to a digital mobile telephone or terminal, regardless of whether the transmission originates and terminates on a mobile telephone, originates on a mobile telephone and terminates on a computer, or originates on a computer and terminates on a telephone.

1. To mobile devices -
   The number of messages which terminate on the mobile devices of your customers regardless of point of origin for transmission. [CRTC form 277, line 3, "To mobile devices" column].
2. From mobile devices -
   The number of messages originating on the mobile devices of your customers, regardless of destination of message. [CRTC form 277, line 3, "From mobile devices" column].

8. Mobile voice minutes

Minutes of air time used, whether the subscriber pays a flat, fixed or measured rate (in thousands of conversation minutes). If billing increments or pulses are used to measure customer usage (the discrete time intervals telecommunication service providers use to bill customers), please convert to conversation minutes and report the traffic accordingly

Do not include minutes paid or available through service plans, but not used.

Do not report official telephone activity – unbilled telecommunications usage by telecom service providers for their internal communications or systems operations.

1. Toll minutes (Long distance) -
   The number of long distance minutes used, that is, where the connection originates outside the mobile device local calling area and/or which terminates outside the mobile device local calling area. One and only one minute of long distance communication is counted for each billed minute during which that connection is active, even where the call involves two long distance segments [CRTC form 273, line 2, "Total" column].
2. Non-toll minutes (Basic voice) -
   The number of local minutes used, that is, where the connection originates and terminates inside the mobile device local calling area [CRTC form 273, line 1, "Total" column].

Capital Expenditures

9. Capital Expenditures

The cost of procuring, constructing, and installing new durable plant and machinery and equipment, whether for replacement of worn or obsolete assets, as additions to existing assets, or for lease or rent to others [CRTC form 104, line 23, "Total" column].

First phase: The MRTS sample consists of 10,000 groups of establishments (clusters) classified to the Retail Trade sector selected from the Statistics Canada Business Register. A cluster of establishments is defined as all establishments belonging to a statistical enterprise that are in the same trade group and geographical region. The MRTS uses a stratified design with simple random sample selection in each stratum. The stratification is done by sampling groups using the NAICS-three, four or five-digit level, depending on the subsector, and the geographical regions consisting of the provinces and territories, as well as three provincial sub-regions. We further stratify the population by size. The size measure is created using a combination of independent survey data and three administrative variables: the GBI, the GST sales, and the T2 revenue (from corporation tax return).

The size strata consist of one take-all (census), at most two take-some (partially sampled) strata, and one take-none (none sampled) stratum. Take-none strata serve to reduce respondent burden by excluding the smaller businesses from the surveyed population. These businesses should represent at most ten percent of total sales. Instead of sending questionnaires to these businesses, the estimates will be produced through the use of administrative data.

The sample was allocated optimally in order to reach target coefficients of variation at the national, provincial/territorial, industrial, and sampling group by province/territory levels. The sample was also inflated to compensate for dead, non-responding, and misclassified units.

MRTS is a repeated survey with maximization of monthly sample overlap. The sample is kept month after month and every month births are added to the sample and dead units are identified. MRTS births, i.e., new clusters of establishment(s), are identified every month via the BR’s latest universe. They are stratified according to the same criteria as the initial population. A sample of these births is selected according to the sampling fraction of the stratum to which they belong and is added to the monthly sample. Deaths also occur on a monthly basis. A death can be a cluster of establishment(s) that have ceased their activities (out-of-business) or whose major activities are no longer in retail trade (out-of-scope). The status of these businesses is updated on the BR using administrative sources and survey feedback, including feedback from the MRTS. Methods to treat dead units and misclassified units are part of the sample and population update procedures.

Second Phase: The frame from which the QRCS sample is drawn is the set of clusters of establishments in the MRTS sample. As in the first phase, the sampling unit is the cluster of statistical establishments. There is no restratification of the MRTS sample. The take-all (census) strata in MRTS are also take-all in QRCS. Within each of the MRTS take-some (partially sampled) strata, a sample of the MRTS sampled clusters is selected to be in QRCS. The QRCS sample is determined through a multivariate allocation using the Bethel algorithm for nine major commodity groups. The QRCS sample consists of about 8,000 clusters of establishments. Similar to MRTS, the sample is updated each month to reflect changes in the population.

One NAICS-five digit industry that is subject to a different sampling treatment is the New Car Dealers industry (NAICS 444110). For this industry, approximately 20 manufacturers and importers of new cars are surveyed through the New Motor Vehicle Dealer Commodity Survey to collect information on behalf of their dealers.

The concordance of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2007 to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities Revision 4 (ISIC Rev. 4) is shown in the table below. The table shows the Canadian interpretation of the relationships between the two classifications.

The concordance is shown at the lowest level of both classifications, namely at the 6-digit level in NAICS and the 4-digit level in ISIC except in the case of three ISIC classes being linked to 3-digit ISIC codes, where more precise links to ISIC are not possible.

The relationships between the two classifications can be simple or complex. The following examples are presented to illustrate how the table should be read.

In the first example, a NAICS class links exactly to one ISIC class, their coverage of activities being the same. All of the activities in NAICS 212210 are found in ISIC B0710.

In the second example, each NAICS class links to a portion of the same ISIC class. Each of NAICS 311320, 311330 and 311340 is a subset of ISIC C1073.

An asterisk attached to the ISIC alpha-numeric code indicates that a NAICS class is equal to a portion of an ISIC class. The explanatory note provides a short description of the nature of the overlap between the NAICS and ISIC classes.

In the third example, a NAICS class is equivalent to more than one ISIC class. NAICS 115210 is equal to ISIC A0162 plus a portion of ISIC M7500.

Introduction

The 2011 Census Dissemination Discussion Forum was developed to foster the exchange of ideas and suggestions for the 2011 Census dissemination strategy. This online discussion forum is a component of the 2011 Census and geography dissemination consultation process and offers users an opportunity to provide input into the planning of the 2011 Census and geography products and services.

Objectives

A privacy impact assessment for the discussion forum was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality and security issues associated with the web application, and if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Description

As is common practice with such online discussions, before being able to leave comments in the discussion forum, participants are asked to provide a user name (alias) and their e-mail address which may be used to correspond with them if required.

Participants are informed that the username they create will be displayed along with their comments and that Statistics Canada will protect their e-mail address from public disclosure. To ensure the latter, e-mail addresses will be removed from the forum database every work day.

Conclusion

This assessment of the 2011 Census Dissemination Discussion Forum did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Administrative purpose, in relation to the use of personal information about an individual, means the use of that information in a decision-making process that directly affects that individual.

Administrative data describes information collected by persons, organizations or departments of government for their own purposes and subsequently communicated to Statistics Canada for purposes of the Statistics Act.

Confidential information is a term used within Statistics Canada to describe information that is subject to the secrecy provisions of the Statistics Act either because it is directly identifiable, for example, by name, or, when stripped of identifiers, is held in a detail or geographical structure or format which still could permit specific respondents to be identified.

Confidentiality denotes an implied trust relationship between the person providing the information and the individual or organization collecting it.  This relationship is built on the assurance that the information will not be disclosed without the person's permission.

Microdata are files of records pertaining to individual respondent units.

Personal Identifiers are unique numbers (e.g., Social Insurance Number, Personal Health Number) assigned to individuals.

Personal Information means information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form including age or date of birth, marital status, education, medical information, address, identifying number assigned to the individual.

Personal Information Banks (PIB) describe holdings of personal information about individuals held by federal government departments, where the personal information is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person.

Privacy is the right to be left alone, to be free from interference and from intrusions. It includes the right of individuals to determine when, how and to what extent their information is shared with others. The collection of information from respondents by Statistics Canada is by its nature a privacy-intrusive activity.

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a comprehensive process for determining the privacy, confidentiality and security risks associated with the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. It also defines the measures used to mitigate and, wherever possible, eliminate the identified risks. The PIA process ensures that measures intended to protect privacy and ensure the confidentiality and security of personal information are considered at the outset of any new program or service delivery initiative. A PIA also communicates to the public how their privacy is protected and their information kept confidential and secure from unauthorized access.

Public Use Microdata File means a non-identifiable data set containing characteristics pertaining to surveys units (e.g., individuals, households or businesses) that has been authorized for release to the public by the Statistics Canada Microdata Release Committee.

Record Linkage, for purposes of the Statistics Canada Directive on Record Linkage, is defined as the bringing together of two or more micro-records to form a composite record.

Respondent means a person, business or institution in respect of whom or in respect of whose activities any information is sought or provided pursuant to the Statistics Act.

Security is the means used by an organization like Statistics Canada to protect confidential information from unauthorized disclosure or access.

Sensitive Statistical Information consists of data obtained directly from respondents or from third parties in identifiable mode, under the authority of the Statistics Act. It also includes data holdings stripped of identifiers but held in a level of detail or geographical structure or format which could permit a direct relation to be established between such data holdings and identifiable units.

Statistical Aggregates are groupings of data relating to specific units of analysis (e.g., person, family, household, dwelling, farm, company, business, establishment, institution) arranged in a manner that prevents the identification of the individual units.

Statistical Master Files are electronic files containing micro-records from a survey or other statistical activity and which are used as the basic source from which statistical aggregates or public use microdata files are prepared. Micro-records are records containing information about individual respondents or units of observation (e.g., person, family, household, dwelling, farm, company, business, establishment, institution.)

Overall, the objective of Statistics Canada's statistical programs is to provide Canadians with access to timely, relevant and quality statistical information on Canada's changing economy and society for informed debate, research and decision making on social and economic issues. As explained in section 1.3 above, Statistics Canada collects personal information pursuant to its mandate as defined in the Statistics Act. All such information is collected for the statistical purposes of the Agency. Associated with the authority to collect or obtain information, the Statistics Act also requires that the information be kept confidential and not disseminated in a manner that could identify an individual. Statistics Canada has a rigorous process for determining the information collected for any individual program, as well as strict procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of the information.

Section 22 of the Statistics Act details the nature of information that Statistics Canada may cover in its statistical programs:

"22. Without limiting the duties of Statistics Canada under Section 3 or affecting any of its powers or duties in respect of any specific statistics ..., the Chief Statistician shall collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistics in relation to all or any of the following matters in Canada:

• (a) population;
• (b) agriculture;
• (c) health and welfare;
• (d) law enforcement, the administration of justice and corrections;
• (e) government and business finance;
• (f) immigration and emigration;
• (g) education;
• (h) labour and employment;
• (i) commerce with other countries;
• (j) prices and the cost of living;
• (k) forestry, fishing and trapping;
• (l) mines, quarries and wells;
• (m) manufacturing;
• (n) construction;
• (o) transportation, storage and communication;
• (p) electric power, gas and water utilities;
• (q) wholesale and retail trade;
• (r) finance, insurance and real estate;
• (s) public administration;
• (t) community, business and personal services; and
• (u) any other matters prescribed by the Minister or by the Governor in Council."

As described in its Program Activity Architecture (PAA), Statistics Canada has six high-level programs. More detail is available in the PAA report, but a summary of the six programs is included here. Appendix 1 of this PIA contains information on the categories of personal information that Statistics Canada collects from respondents or through administrative data sources.

Program 1: Economic and Environmental Statistics

Through the Economic and Environmental Statistics program, Statistics Canada creates a trusted, relevant and comprehensive source of information on the entire spectrum of Canada's economy to support government priorities and charters and to inform public debate on economic issues; support economic policy development, implementation and evaluation; and guide business decision making. These statistics support various statutory requirements, including those of the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Regulations, and the Comprehensive Integrated Tax Coordination Agreement. The outputs are also vital to research, policy development and evaluation by provincial and territorial governments, and by federal departments and agencies, including the Bank of Canada; Finance Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; and Global Affairs Canada. They are extensively used by the private sector and by international agencies, such as the IMF, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations. Outputs include monthly and annual measures of gross domestic product, the Consumer Price Index, current indicators of retail and wholesale trade, Canada's merchandise export and import statistics, estimates of agricultural income and expenditures, transportation statistics, and statistics relevant to the analysis of relationships between human activity and the environment.

Most of the information collected and used within Program 1 relates to individual businesses, so there is little personal information. However, information is collected on unincorporated businesses which is considered personal information. As well, personal information on contacts with each business are maintained to facilitate collection of information.

Program 2: Socio-economic Statistics

Through the Socioeconomic Statistics program, Statistics Canada provides integrated information and relevant analysis on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of individuals, families and households, as well as on the major factors that affect their well-being. This information is used to support critical government priorities, social policy development, implementation and evaluation; to inform discussion on demographic and socioeconomic issues; and to guide evidence-based decision making. These statistics help fulfill the requirements specified by legislation or regulations in areas such as labour, immigration, official languages and employment equity. Outputs include data derived from administrative and survey sources as well as through data integration, and inform a range of social topics such as labour, income, health, education, justice, tourism, diversity and inclusion, population dynamics and social well-being. The information is used extensively by provincial and territorial governments, by non-governmental organizations, and by federal departments and agencies. The program also provides information, analysis and measures on publicly funded facilities, agencies and systems designed to meet the socioeconomic and physical needs of Canadians; and on the outcomes of the services they provide, such as justice, health and education.

The majority of information collected and used within Program 2 relates to individual persons, so would be considered to be personal information. For programs related to institutions such as schools and hospitals, personal information on contacts with specific institutions are sometimes maintained to facilitate data collection.

Program 3: Censuses

Through the Censuses program, Statistics Canada provides statistical information and analyses that measure changes in the Canadian population and its demographic characteristics, and in the agricultural sector. This information is used to support government priorities and charters and serves as a basis for public and private decision making, and research and analysis in areas of concern to Canadians. The program includes the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture. It meets constitutionally specified statistical requirements, statutory requirements and the requirements of regulatory instruments. Both the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture are mandated by the Statistics Act; the Census of Population is also mandated in the Constitution Act. The Census of Population provides detailed information on population subgroups for small geographic areas, which is required to assess the effects of specifically targeted policy initiatives, and serves as a foundation for other statistical surveys. The Census of Agriculture produces a comprehensive picture of the agriculture sector at the national, provincial and subprovincial levels. These data are used to benchmark the Agriculture Statistics Program, which feeds the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to form the agriculture component of the gross domestic product.

The majority of information collected and used for the Census of Population relates to individual persons, so would be considered to be personal information. Contact information is also collected by the Census of Population for collective dwellings.

The Census of Agriculture provides a comprehensive picture of the agriculture sector at the national, provincial and sub-provincial levels and is mandated by the Statistics Act. For programs related to the Census of Agriculture, information collected for unincorporated farms is personal information. Contact information for farms is maintained to facilitate data collection.

Program 4: Cost-recovered Statistical Services

Through the Cost-recovered Statistical Services program, Statistics Canada conducts special surveys to gather new data; produces high-quality statistics that are currently not part of the agency's data holdings; and conducts on-demand special analytical projects to meet specific needs of federal, provincial and territorial institutions and other clients.

Personal information for this program would mirror that of the first three programs, depending on the nature of individual cost-recovered activities.

Program 5: Centres of Expertise

Through the Centres of Expertise program, Statistics Canada provides support in specific focused domains of expertise, primarily to other Statistics Canada programs. For statistical information programs, the program develops and implements leading-edge statistical methodology; information technology solutions, standardized concepts and classification systems; and an integrated set of registers of addresses, buildings and businesses (including farms, other businesses and organizations). The program provides operational support for data collection activities for surveys and censuses. To support other Statistics Canada programs and external clients of every kind, the program conducts a wide variety of analytical studies focused on current and emerging issues of importance to Canadians. The program also provides research and development activities relating to a number of areas, such as statistical methodology, data collection and operational activities. Finally, this program includes activities associated with the release of the agency's information to the public. Examples include the production of online databases and the dissemination of Statistics Canada's official release vehicle, The Daily.

Personal information used within Program 5 relates to the support of the activities of the statistical programs. Personal information on clients of Statistics Canada is also maintained and used.

Program 6: Internal Services

Internal services comprise groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Personal information collected, maintained and used by Program 6 is out of scope for this generic PIA.

Identifiers

With respect to personal information collected and maintained by Statistics Canada, it is important to understand two categories of identifiers.

A – Direct personal identifiers

Direct personal identifiers are those which may be used for immediate identification of an individual, such as name and address as well as personal identifying numbers such as the Social Insurance Number and Provincial Health Number.

Direct personal identifiers are rarely useful in statistical analysis. Rather they are useful in the statistical operations: collection and processing. For example, names of individuals are used when contacting households to identify the household member from whom we would like to collect information. For telephone interviews, a home telephone number or wireless phone number is collected and used. An example of the use of personal identifiers in processing is when record linkage is involved. Statistics Canada matches the name of the individual in one data file with the same name in another data file.

Only those persons with a work-related "need to know" have access to direct personal identifiers, and even then, only for the period of time when this is required.

B – Indirect personal identifiers

Even without personal identifiers, in some cases a combination of information may identify an individual and therefore would be considered personal information. For example, a very old person may be identified, even without including his name, as he is the only one in a particular city that is this age. Indirect personal identifiers are situations where the information collected for the purposes of statistical analysis may identify an individual. In many cases, indirect personal identifiers may be used in combination with other indirect personal identifiers or with external information to identify an individual. Statistics Canada has procedures for determining whether information is identifiable, as such information is considered confidential under the Statistics Act and protected by the Privacy Act.