Date: November 2023

Program manager: Director, Centre for Direct Health Measures
Director General, Health Statistics

Reference to Personal Information Bank (PIB)

In accordance with the Privacy Act, Statistics Canada is submitting a new institutional personal information bank (PIB) to describe any personal information collected through the administrative data acquisition activities and voluntary oral health surveys of the Oral Health Statistics Program. The following PIB is proposed for review and registration. (See Appendix 1)

Description of statistical activity

In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada introduced a national dental program to be implemented by Health Canada, with $23.1 million allocated to Statistics Canada over two years "to collect data on oral health and access to dental care in Canada, which will inform the rollout of the Canadian Dental Care Plan".

The national dental program aims to provide dental coverage for uninsured Canadians with annual family income of less than $90,000, with no co-pays for those with family incomes under $70,000. The implementation of this program aims to address inequities related to oral health such as the differences in health outcomes between different sub-populations and barriers to oral health care access across sociodemographic groups. This program is being implemented through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)^{Footnote 1} which will replace the interim Canada Dental Benefit (CDB).^{Footnote 2} Health Canada is the primary program stakeholder for the CDCP, but will rely on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for administration of the interim CDB, on Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for the maintenance of CDCP applicant data and on a third-party service provider (Sun Life) for the administration of the CDCP.

As such, Statistics Canada, under the authority of the Statistics Act,^{Footnote 3} is establishing the Oral Health Statistics Program (OHSP) to address these data needs through an integrated comprehensive strategy focusing on two core activities: new oral health surveys and administrative data acquisitions and integration. This data strategy aims to collect data to assess and produce information on Canadians' self-reported oral health status, track changes in oral health care needs and oral health outcomes. The data strategy will also enable Health Canada to track the performance of the CDB and CDCP, the impact of the CDB and CDCP on the Canadian dental infrastructure as well as self-reported measures of the oral health of Canadians. While Health Canada is not a financial contributing partner on this initiative and will not be receiving any microdata from Statistics Canada, Statistics Canada and Health Canada will have a signed a Memorandum of Understanding describing both organisations' commitment to steward the OHSP, ensuring the latter is able to provide the statistical information required to accurately and adequately inform the CDCP on an ongoing basis.

Oral Health Surveys

The OHSP will collect and integrate the following survey activities:

Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS): The COHS will be a voluntary household survey collecting information directly from respondents in all 10 Canadian provinces. The COHS will sample 55,000 Canadian dwellings where one adult 18 years and older will be randomly selected to complete the survey. The selected respondent will also answer the questionnaire on behalf of individuals 17 years and younger in the household. The first cycle will take place in 2023.

To better understand the state of Canadians' oral health, the COHS will collect information about:

• self-perceived oral health
• knowledge of publicly funded oral health programs and access to dental care
• oral health-related expenses
• oral health insurance coverage

Results from this survey will help better understand Canadians' oral health status, risk factors and insurance coverage to inform policies and monitor changes in the oral health of Canadians over time. It will support the deployment of dental care services to all Canadians, and fill gaps to support the CDCP.

Prior to starting the survey questionnaire, the COHS will inform respondents that their responses may be combined with sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables such as language spoken at home, immigration status and family income from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census of Population, the Longitudinal Immigration Database, the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile, as well as the Income Tax T1 Family File to further limit the burden of a lengthy questionnaire to respondents and increase the accuracy of results. The respondents are provided with Statistics Canada's contact information for any questions or concerns regarding the record linkage.^{Footnote 4}

Future cycles of the COHS could also include the collection of direct physical health measures at a Statistics Canada's mobile examination centre (MEC),^{Footnote 5} similar to those used in Statistics Canada's Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), from the general Canadian population with a focus on CDCP claimants. The inclusion of direct physical measures, such as oral health assessments by oral health professionals, would be essential in identifying oral health trends in Canada and provide evidence to support the CDCP.^{Footnote 6}

Statistics Canada will also conduct a mandatory business survey of dental care providers, the Survey of Oral Health Care Providers (SOHCP).^{Footnote 7} This survey will target businesses, not individuals, and will not collect any personal information aside from business survey respondent contact information or unincorporated business information, which is addressed in Statistics Canada's Generic PIA (Section 3, Program 1). The SOHCP and any other similar business surveys are out of scope for this SPIA.

Administrative Data Acquisitions and Integration

The OHSP will also collect and integrate the following administrative data about individuals participating in the CDB and CDCP:

• CDB Recipient Data: The CDB has been administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) since November 2022. In this role, the CRA maintains a CDB file that provides socio-economic information about the recipient and their families, including their name, date of birth, social insurance or dependant identification number, address, income, employer, and dental care provider.
• CDCP Applicant Enrollment Data: Once launched, the CDCP will be administered by ESDC, whereby they will maintain data on applicant's and their family for Canadians seeking to enroll in the CDCP, including their name, date of birth, contact information, social insurance number (SIN), plan enrollee identification number, preferred language of communication, and access to private dental benefits.
• CDCP Client Claims Data: The CDCP client claims data will be collected and processed by a third-party administrator (Sun Life)^{Footnote 8} that will be responsible for facilitating the claims system on behalf of Health Canada. This will include information about the enrollee identification number, nature of dental care (procedure), reimbursement amounts, cost of procedure, and the name and address of the dental care service business.

The combined data will help administrators and policymakers better understand the eligible population seeking dental care. Further, the CDCP enrollment data will be used to generate a custom sampling frame for future surveys discussed above. Social insurance or dependant identification number and plan enrollee identification number and other direct identifiers are required to link individuals' microdata effectively and accurately across datasets and sources.^{Footnote 9}

• Existing Statistics Canada Data holdings: The CDB and CDCP administrative data will be integrated with existing Statistics Canada data holdings in the Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE)^{Footnote 10} such as the Longitudinal Immigration Database, the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile, the Income Tax T1 Family File and the 2021 Census of Population, to create a clear and complete picture of populations needing dental care, barriers to dental care, sub-population eligibility for the CDB and/or CDCP, as well as any gaps in program uptake, disaggregated by region and socio-economic characteristics. These insights will enable a better understanding of the eligible populations for the dental care programs, have the potential to highlight issues surrounding access to oral care, and help policymakers in designing targeted outreach strategies, managing risks to dental care supply, and ensuring eligible populations access benefits and receive needed oral health care.

In summary, the OHSP will consist of the following:

The OHSP may enter into agreements to share personal information of identifiable individuals with their consent. Prior to granting or rejecting consent to share, respondents are advised as part of the data sharing consent request question, or by the interviewer, to consult each person in the household on behalf of whom they are answering, including minors. Availability and access to the program data will focus on using existing secure Statistics Canada access mechanisms such as the Federal Research Data Centre (FDRC), research data centre network (RDC),^{Footnote 12}Real Time Remote Access (RTRA), Virtual Data Lab (VDL), and Data Analytics Services^{Footnote 13} such as the Advanced Analytics Workspace. These virtual workspaces continue to offer secure and reliable controlled digital environments in which Statistics Canada can manage and monitor controlled access to and use of datasets by vetted individuals working on approved research. These individuals have undertaken Statistics Canada's Oath of office to become deemed employees under the authority of the Statistics Act (Section 5 & 6). Outputs from these digital workspaces continue to be monitored and reviewed by Statistics Canada disclosure control experts prior to release from the virtual environment. The data will also be available in non-confidential aggregated formats via the Statistics Canada's website.

The necessity and proportionality for the OHSP and the collection and use of each dataset are described below.

Reason for supplement

While the Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) addresses most of the privacy and security risks related to statistical activities conducted by Statistics Canada, this supplement addresses specific privacy and security risks associated with the collection of personal information on adults and minors using a combination of surveys and administrative data acquisitions, including sensitive sociodemographic, financial, health and mental health information about individuals, including minors. As is the case with all PIAs, Statistics Canada's privacy framework ensures that elements of privacy protection and privacy controls are documented and applied.

Necessity and Proportionality

The collection and use of personal information for the program can be justified against Statistics Canada's Necessity and Proportionality Framework:

1. Necessity

In the 2023 Budget, the Government of Canada announced $23 million in funding over two years for Statistics Canada to collect data and produce statistics to address data gaps in oral health and access to dental care and inform the rollout and eventual impact of the CDCP on Canadians, specifically noting the need to disaggregate by region and socio-economic characteristics. As such, data collected by the OHSP are necessary to track changes in Canadians' oral health, access and utilization of dental care services, and help policymakers in the anticipated transformations in the delivery of dental care services. This will help Canadians and policymakers in better understanding the Canadian dental care landscape, as well as inform the rollout and implementation of the CDCP.

1.1 Collection modes & methods

A combination of collection modes and methods is necessary to effectively collect timely and accurate relevant data capable of providing robust statistical information about oral health and support Health Canada's implementation and administration of the CDCP in Canada. Microdata linkage will allow separate but relevant information about individuals to be linked, providing for analysis of multiple related variables.

1.1.1 Surveys

Direct collection from survey respondents is necessary in order to collect up-to-date information about individuals' oral health, dental care access, knowledge of publicly funded oral health programs and insurance coverage. Section 3 of the Statistics Act supports this activity by directing Statistics Canada "(a) to collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people."

1.1.2 Administrative Data Acquisitions

Administrative Data Acquisitions are required to obtain the information as recorded by the dental care programs, which by necessity will contain the most accurate and up-to-date information on service providers and services provided. Administrative data are used for many different statistical purposes, including replacing or complementing direct data collection to reduce respondent burden and supporting foundational statistical operations, such as the creation of survey frames, design of survey samples, validation, imputation, estimation, and the measurement of the quality of other data. Section 3 of the Statistics Act supports this activity by directing Statistics Canada "(d) to promote the avoidance of duplication in the information collected by departments of government; and (e) generally, to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to the whole of Canada and to each of the provinces thereof and to coordinate plans for the integration of those statistics."

1.1.3 Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings

Existing Statistics Canada holdings such as the Census of Population are necessary to develop an accurate survey frame that accurately represents the Canadian population and produce proper statistical weights for statistical products. Other data holdings, such as the Longitudinal Immigration Database, T1 Family File are required in order to provide relevant and accurate sociodemographic, immigrant, income and business information without increasing respondent burden. As above, Section 3 of the Statistics Act supports this activity by directing Statistics Canada "(d) to promote the avoidance of duplication in the information collected by departments of government; and (e) generally, to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to the whole of Canada and to each of the provinces thereof and to coordinate plans for the integration of those statistics."

1.2 Types of information

The information collected and used in the OHSP includes personal information of minors, as the CDCP includes support for minors to obtain dental care.

1.2.1 Sociodemographic information (Surveys, Administrative Data Acquisitions, Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings)

1.2.1.1 Surveys

Sociodemographic information will be collected from surveys and will enable validation and statistical analytical evaluation of dental care disparities, health inequities, and risk factors associated with Canadians' oral health. This information will allow disaggregated statistical analysis that is representative of the Canadian population. This includes information about the gender of respondents and minors in the household, which are required to produce data on gender disparities and transgender identity as it relates to oral health.^{Footnote 14}

1.2.1.2 Administrative Data Acquisitions

Administrative data acquisitions are required in order to produce information about the regional and sociodemographic characteristics of Canadians who are seeking financial help in order to reduce barriers, such as cost, associated with accessing and/or receiving oral care. Direct personal identifiers are also required to ensure the accuracy of linkages performed, in order to adhere to Statistics Canada's Quality Guidelines.

1.2.1.3 Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings

Data linkages will be done with data from the 2021 Census of Population, the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), the Income Tax T1 Family File, and the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile to augment the surveys and administrative data acquisitions with regional and socio-economic information. All data linkages will be conducted in compliance with Statistic Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage, and to meet the priorities established by the Government of Canada.

Together, these data will produce an overarching view of Canadians' oral health, helping policymakers and Canadians evaluate the rollout of the CDCP and highlighting potential dental care access concerns within sub-populations.

1.2.2 Income information (Surveys, Administrative Data Acquisitions, Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings)

1.2.2.1 Surveys

Supplementary information about net household and family income will be obtained via linkage with the T1 Family File and the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile to evaluate the socioeconomic characteristics of Canadians who will enroll in the CDCP, helping policymakers and Canadians better understand the relationships between oral health and socioeconomic indicators.

1.2.2.2 Administrative Data Acquisitions

Information on net household and family income will be collected through the CDB recipient data file. Should income data be missing from the CDB recipient data file, this information will be sought through the T1 Family File, and the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile. Income information is necessary to produce statistic on the socio-economic and regional characteristics of Canadians seeking oral care. This information will help Canadians and policymakers better understand nuanced economic characteristics of Canadians using this benefit program, which will in turn inform the implementation and administration of Canada's Dental Care Program.

1.2.2.3 Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings

For the CDCP applicant enrollment data and the client claims data files, income information will be via linkage with the T1 Family File, and the Administrative Personal Income Masterfile and is necessary to produce statistics on the socio-economic and regional characteristics of Canadians seeking oral care.

1.2.3 Business information (Surveys, Administrative Data Acquisitions, Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings)

The OHSP will collect business information through the Survey of Oral Health Care Providers (SOHCP). However, as mentioned above, no personal information will be collected other than business contact or unincorporated business information, and as such, is out of scope for this SPIA. Business information about the service providers (dental care offices) will also be collected from administrative data acquisition activities and will serve to provide insights into where Canadians are accessing dental care and the costs associated with care. Information regarding dental care providers, such as the office address and procedure cost, will enable an understanding of dental care access, such as the average travel distance between patient residences and their dental care provider by province or sub-population. These data will be integral pieces of information needed so that Statistics Canada can meet the Government of Canada's commitment to define the current state of Canada's dental care infrastructure and potential barriers to access care. Policymakers and Canadians require this information in order to make informed decisions.

1.2.4 Health information (Surveys, Administrative Data Acquisitions, Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings)

1.2.4.1 Surveys

The collection of health information related to the individual's oral health, general health and mental health in combination with sociodemographic information are required to identify risk factors and health inequities amongst sub-populations. The collection of mental health information in combination with oral health information such as on-going and untreated mouth pain or brushing and flossing habits is necessary to understand possible associations, and the direction of those associations, between mental health, oral health behaviours, access to dental care services, oral health status and overall quality of life. Following the launch of the CDCP, this baseline information will be used to compare and assess improvements in Canadians' oral health over time with data collected from future surveys.

1.2.4.2 Administrative Data Acquisitions

Supplemental oral health information about Canadians who are enrolled in, and make a claim under, the CDCP will be acquired from administrative records. These claims data will include information about the procedure and its cost. This information is necessary to infer aspects of oral health and Canadians' approach to oral health behaviours (e.g., are the procedures preventative or for treatment?). This is particularly relevant because the CDCP is seeking to remove the barriers and improve the oral health of populations with oral health and oral care access challenges.

1.2.4.3 Existing Statistics Canada Data Holdings

The CDCP applicant enrollment data will be supplemented with disability tax credit information through linkage with the T1 Family File. This is necessary to measure the CDCP performance and to understand potential barriers to enrollment and use of the program. Linkage to the 2021 Census of Population will further allow for the production of statistics relative to disabilities. This is necessary to produce a holistic picture of the socio-economic and regional characteristics of oral health including populations living with a disability.

1.2.5 Dental insurance coverage information (Surveys, Administrative Data Acquisitions)

The collection of dental insurance coverage information from the administrative data acquisition activities and the oral health surveys will provide information about the status of applicants' CDCP enrollment, and attestations about any health insurance coverage provided through private, employment, or government insurance plans. This information will be used to understand the sociodemographic characteristics of Canadians who lack oral health insurance coverage, which will help inform Canadians and policymakers on the implementation of the CDCP.

2. Effectiveness – Working assumptions:

The OHSP aims to effectively collect and analyze information on the current and future status of oral health and dental care in Canada through the collection of the aforementioned datasets and surveys on an ongoing basis. All of Statistics Canada directives and policies for the collection, linkage, sharing, and dissemination of administrative and survey data and insights will be followed.

2.1 Collection modes & methods

For more information on the effectiveness of Statistics Canada's surveys, administrative data acquisitions and linkage activities, please see Statistics Canada's Statistics: Power from Data! 3.3.1 Data collection methods, 3.4.5 Record linkage or Statistics Canada's Quality Guidelines. Privacy analysis of these standardized Statistics Canada statistical activities are found in Statistics Canada's Generic Privacy Impact Assessment.

2.2 Types of information

2.2.1 Sociodemographic information

The survey questionnaires and sample frame were developed according to Statistics Canada's processes and methodologies ensuring results are representative of the population and provide a sufficient quantity of respondents to allow for privacy-protecting analysis, release and publication. Sociodemographic survey questions are based on previous Statistics Canada surveys such as the 2022 Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the 2022 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The surveys will be administered using a self-reported electronic questionnaire with telephone follow-up.

Administrative records from the CDB and CDCP will contain information about the claimant, and may contain information about their family, if included at time of data entry. This data will include information on all Canadians who enrolled and/or claimed coverage under the CDB and CDCP and will therefore provide the means to achieve the highest quality estimates of sociodemographic characteristics of Canadians who seek improved access to oral care.

The collection of sociodemographic information will be effective in enabling an evaluation of dental care disparities, health inequities, and risk factors associated with Canadians' oral health and producing quality population level estimates that are representative of Canadian adults, households and/or children living in the 10 Canadian provinces. This data could, for instance, indicate the composition or types of households eligible for the CDCP as it rolls out in stages of eligible participants, assisting Canadians and policymakers in its implementation.

2.2.2 Income information

As there are only a few limited public oral health programs available to Canadians, oral health care is typically provided by private businesses with costs that can be a potential barrier to those requiring treatment. To better understand the economic characteristics of Canadians seeking access to oral health care under the CDB and CDCP, accurate and timely income information will be acquired from appropriate administrative records and existing Statistics Canada data holdings. Analysis of income information for CDB recipients will help discern characteristics of the eligible population for the CDCP. Furthermore, income information may help to discern CDCP-eligible populations who have not yet enrolled in the CDCP, further assisting Canadians and policymakers in its implementation.

2.2.3 Business information

Geographic information about dental care offices will be obtained through the CDB recipient and CDCP client claims data. Treatments and associated costs will also be obtained through the CDCP claims data. Information about where Canadians receive their dental care will provide a clearer picture of where Canadians access their dental care and what anticipated future demands will be placed on specific dental care providers as a result of the implementation of the CDCP.

2.2.4 Health information

Health related questions included in the oral health surveys are based on previous Statistics Canada surveys such as the 2022 CHMS and the 2022 CCHS. Comparison and analysis between the collected data from the oral health surveys and the health data collected from these other surveys will allow for effective monitoring of changes in trends around the oral health of Canadians over time and inform policy creation and maintenance. Oral health surveys will be collected annually for effective comparative analysis moving forward.

2.2.5 Dental insurance coverage

Dental insurance coverage data will indicate the cohort of respondents who plan to enroll in the CDCP before and after its implementation. By leveraging the dental insurance coverage data from the administrative data acquisition activities and oral health surveys, the OHSP will also help to improve the survey sampling strategy for future administrative data acquisition activities and surveys, effectively augmenting the quality of resulting statistical products.

3. Proportionality

While the personal information collected by the OHSP from different sources can be deemed sensitive, it is expected to yield benefits such as improving Canadian's access to oral health care, and reducing oral health inequities in Canada. Careful consideration was made to avoid adversely impacting the privacy of respondents by limiting the number of survey questions and incorporating data linkages where possible to increase accuracy and reduce respondent burden. The collection of data directly from individuals on oral health surveys in combination with the collection of data indirectly from administrative data acquisition activities will allow for proportional insights on barriers to oral health in the general population as well as in those seeking and accessing care, respectively. The survey data will include information on all Canadians, irrespective of their CDCP eligibility status (e.g., insurance coverage, travel to dental offices, etc.), while administrative data from the CDCP will provide additional information on the subpopulation that enrolled in the CDCP. This combination of information will allow policymakers to have the necessary evidence to evaluate the CDCP, such as by determining whether the program is improving health equity amongst Canadians. The OHSP is expected to deliver representative and high-quality information on oral health and dental care access in Canada by expanding and filling data gaps not covered in other Statistics Canada surveys.

4. Alternatives

Although Statistics Canada collects some oral health information in surveys such as the CHMS and CCHS, the OHSP collection activities will leverage new and more comprehensive oral health data. Moreover, as timely and consistent data on the oral health of Canadians has become an ongoing data need for the Government of Canada, the cyclical nature of oral health content in Statistics Canada's CHMS and CCHS, which is included to a limited degree only every few survey cycles, a dedicated oral health survey remains the only viable option to obtain comprehensive up-to-date information on oral health care and related factors. Additionally, despite the use of administrative data and microdata linkage activities to fill data gaps and reduce respondent burden, a cross-sectional oral health survey^{Footnote 15} remains required to supplement those activities with first-hand information from affected individuals about conditions and other variables not captured in the administrative data. Alternative sources of data were considered before proceeding with this survey and several oral health questions from other Statistics Canada surveys such as the CHMS and the CCHS were reused or modified for this survey to allow for a comprehensive baseline survey on oral health.

There exist no viable alternatives to collecting administrative data directly from the CDB and CDCP programs themselves, as no other similar national programs exist from which to acquire administrative oral health data. The COHS will be the first primary source of comprehensive oral health data, but it will have limited effectiveness if it is not supplemented by the administrative data integrations, as they become available. As such, the selected combination of survey and administrative data is essential to providing insights on the state of oral health in Canada effectively and objectively, with no suitable substitutions.

Mitigation factors

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

Transparency

Prior to the collection of the Canadian Oral Health Survey, respondents will be informed that the survey is voluntary, of the survey purpose, potential sharing agreements and anticipated data linkage, allowing them to decide whether they wish to participate and consent to sharing their information.

At the beginning of the survey:

Survey Purpose

Statistics Canada and Health Canada have partnered to conduct the Canadian Oral Health Survey. This annual survey gathers information from Canadians on their oral health, including their ability to pay, challenges finding oral services, experiences with the oral health care system, and care needs.

Additionally, the survey collects information on Canadians' knowledge of publicly funded oral health programs and access to dental care expenses and insurance coverage to better understand the state of oral health. Results from this survey will be used to inform policies and monitor changes in the oral health of Canadians over time."

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from Census of Population, the Longitudinal Immigration Database, and tax data from the Canadian Revenue Agency

Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.

At the end of the survey:

Data sharing agreements

To avoid duplication of surveys, Statistics Canada may enter into agreements to share the data from this survey, with provincial and territorial ministries of health. For Quebec residents, Statistics Canada may also enter into an agreement with the Institut de la statistique du Québec to share the same information.

These organizations agree to keep the data confidential and use it only for statistical purposes.

Do you agree to share the data provided?

If you are answering on behalf of other people, please consult each person."

Respondents will be able to reply "Yes" or "No"; if "No" is selected, their information will be excluded from all related share files.

The survey purpose will be provided via a brochure, invitation and reminder letters that will be mailed separately to the targeted respondents, and will also be reiterated at the beginning of the questionnaire. Respondents will also be informed in the brochure, invitation letter, reminder letters, and in the questionnaire itself, that their participation is voluntary before being asked any questions. Information about the survey including a copy of the questionnaire, will also be available on Statistics Canada's website.

Regarding the administrative data acquisitions, Canadians who enroll in the CDCP are informed that the information they provide to access these benefits are collected and managed according to the Department of Health Act, the Dental Care Measures Act, the Privacy Act, the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and other applicable laws and by applying to the CDCP, they consent to the use and disclosure of their information for the purpose of evaluating the implementation of the CDCP.

Confidentiality

As with all Statistics Canada programs, variables that directly identify respondents will be separated from the data files in the first stage of data processing and placed in a secure location with controlled need-to-know access. Variables that might indirectly identify respondents are also examined and modified as necessary in order to further protect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents prior to publication and dissemination. Individual responses provided in a survey will be grouped with those of others when reporting results. Furthermore, careful analysis of the data will be performed prior to the publication and sharing of aggregate data to ensure that marginalized and vulnerable communities are not disproportionally impacted.

Data linkage

Security measures for linkage keys and administrative data files respect the policies, directives and guidelines for information technology security at Statistics Canada and the Government of Canada. When linkage is required, it is done only after strict review and approval, according to Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkages, using anonymized statistical identifiers ("linkage keys") and, as a result, no linked files contain direct personal identifiers such as name, phone number or address (excluding postal code). The personal identifiers used to create linkage keys are removed from the rest of the information and securely stored with highly restricted need-to-know access that is revoked when no longer required.

Conclusion

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

Formal approval

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

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

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

Appendix 1: Personal Information Bank

Oral Health Statistics Program

Description: This bank describes information obtained from respondents to Statistics Canada oral health surveys and from related administrative files of individuals who applied for, are enrolled in, or received reimbursement or payments under the Canada Dental Benefit and/or the Canadian Dental Care Plan. These files are obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the third-party administrator of the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The personal information may include name, contact, biographical, biometric, citizenship status, education, language, health and medical information, employment, marital status, family information (spouse name, gender, preferred language of communication, and dependent name and age), personal and family income, reimbursement for services received/coverage paid, provincial health card number and Social Insurance Number. Additional information such as information about applicants' private or government insurance coverage, their dental care provider (such as office address), and information about dental appointments (costs and dates) may also be collected.

Note: In addition to the requirements specified on the Personal Information Request form, individuals who participated in a health survey and are requesting information described by this bank must provide the name of the survey in which they participated, the year in which the survey was conducted and their address at that time.

Class of Individuals: General public and Canadian families or individuals who applied to, are or were enrolled in, or claimants of the Canada Dental Benefit and Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Purpose: The personal information is used, in aggregate form, for statistical analysis and research of various oral health-related trends and issues over time, to improve the health of Canadians and the delivery of oral health services to them through ongoing research at all levels of government. Personal information is collected pursuant to the Statistics Act (Sections 3, 4, 7, 8, 13).

Consistent Uses: The data acquired may involve data-matching of the above surveys and databases and other Statistics Canada data holdings to meet the objectives of these studies. Information without names or other identifying information may be shared with outside organizations such as other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and university researchers, as permitted under the provisions of Sections 12 and 17(2) of the Statistics Act, for statistical and research purposes.

Retention and Disposal Standards: Information is retained until it is no longer required for statistical purposes, at which point it will be destroyed.

RDA Number: 2018/007

Related Record Number: StatCan HLT 080

TBS Registration: To be assigned by TBS

Bank Number: StatCan PPU 036

The Monthly Survey of Manufacturing (MSM) provides statistics on sales and inventories for Canada and each province. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in estimating sub-provincial sales. Direct estimates of sales can be obtained from the MSM, but they would be reliable only if the sample sizes are large enough. Therefore, a Small Area Estimation (SAE) methodology is now used to improve the quality of sub-provincial estimates, using Goods and Services Tax data provided by the Canada Revenue Agency. This document briefly describes this methodology.

1. Introduction

The demand for sales estimates at smaller geographical levels has greatly increased in recent years. Standard weighted estimates (or direct estimates) at sub-provincial levels can be obtained from the MSM. However, these direct estimates can be considered reliable as long as the sample size in the area of interest is large enough. To address this issue, a SAE methodology is used to improve the quality of sub-provincial estimates by combining survey estimates with data from other sources.

SAE methods attempt to produce reliable estimates when the sample size in the area is small. In this application of the methodology, the small area estimate is a function of two quantities: the direct estimate from the survey data, and a prediction based on a model – sometimes referred to as the indirect, or synthetic estimate. The model involves survey data from the geographical area of interest, but also incorporates data from other areas (as input to the model parameters) and auxiliary data. The auxiliary data must come from a source that is independent of the MSM, and it must be available at the appropriate levels of geography. The SAE model uses the GST sales as the auxiliary data. More precisely, the GST sales along with the direct survey estimates, are used to derive the small area estimates. For the smallest areas, the direct estimates are not reliable and the small area estimates are driven mostly by the predictions from the model. However, for the largest areas, this is the opposite and the small area estimates tend to be close to the direct estimates.

There are two types of SAE models: area-level (or aggregate) models that relate small area means to area-specific auxiliary variables, and unit-level models that relate the unit values of the study variable to unit-specific auxiliary variables. The MSM uses an area-level model.

Section 2 describes the requirements to produce sub-provincial inbound travel spending estimates. In section 3, diagnostics used for model validation and evaluation of small area estimates are briefly discussed.

2. Area-level model

The small area estimates were obtained through the use of the small area estimation module of the generalized software G-Est^{Footnote 1} version 2.02 (Hidiroglou et al., 2019; Estevao et al., 2017). Three inputs need to be provided to the G-Est for each area in order to obtain small area estimates:

Direct estimates from survey data ${\hat{\theta }}_i$

Smoothed variance estimates, which are obtained by applying a piecewise smoothing approach on the variance estimates

Vector of auxiliary variables $z_i$

For the estimation of sales, the domain of interest are defined as: 27 industry groups × 15 Census Metropolitan Areas (M=324).

The 27 industry groups are as follows:

The 15 Census Metropolitan Areas that are used in the SAE^{Footnote 2} are shown in the following table.

3. Evaluation of small area estimates

The accuracy of small area estimates depends on the reliability of the model. It is therefore essential to make a careful assessment of the validity of the model before releasing estimates. For instance, it is important to verify that a linear relationship actually holds between direct estimates from the MSM (${\hat{\theta }}_i$) and payment data ($z_i$), at least approximately.

For the MSM, diagnostic plots and tests in the G-Est are used to assess the model, and outliers are identified iteratively by examining the standardized residuals from that model.

A concept that is useful to evaluate the gains of efficiency resulting from the use of the small area estimate ${\hat{\theta }}_i^{\mathrm{SAE}}$ over the direct estimate is the Mean Square Error (MSE). The MSE is unknown but can be estimated (see Rao and Molina, 2015). Gains of efficiency over the direct estimate are expected when the MSE estimate is smaller than the smoothed variance estimate or the direct variance estimate. In general, the small area estimates in the MSM were significantly more efficient than the direct estimates, especially for the areas with the smallest sample size.

References

Estevao, V., You, Y., Hidiroglou, M., Beaumont, J.-F. (2017). Small Area Estimation-Area Level Model with EBLUP Estimation- Description of Function Parameters and User Guide. Statistics Canada document.

Hidiroglou, M.A., Beaumont, J.-F. And Yung, W. (2019). Development of a small area estimation system at Statistics Canada. Survey Methodology, Statistics Canada, no 12 001 X in the catalog, Vol. 45, no 1.

Rao, J.N.K., and Molina, I. (2015). Small Area Estimation. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

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Misinformation graphic 1

In the age of social media, AI, and deepfakes, discerning fact from fiction is a crucial skill. Nowadays, we’re not just getting our information from the six o’clock news. Friends, family, researchers, influencers, entertainers, news anchors, advertisers… Who can you trust?

Timothy Caulfield, misinformation/disinformation expert, author, University of Alberta professor, and member of the Order of Canada, and Eric Rancourt, Assistant Chief Statistician at StatCan, join us to explore the challenges posed by our information environment and what can be done to counter misinformation.

Host

Tegan Bridge

Guests

Timothy Caulfield, Eric Rancourt

Listen to audio

Sources

Statistics Canada. "Media Consumption in Canada: Are Canadians in the Know?" Statistics Canada. Government of Canada, March 28, 2023.

"Statistics Canada's Trust Centre." Statistics Canada. Government of Canada, February 7, 2023.

Why are we conducting this survey?

This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy.

The statistical information from the IBSP serves many purposes, including:

• Obtaining information on the supply of, and/or demand for, energy in Canada
• Enabling governmental agencies to fulfill their regulatory responsibilities in regards to public utilities
• Enabling all levels of government to establish informed policies in the energy area
• Assisting the business community in the corporate decision-making process.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Other important information

Authorization to collect this information

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Confidentiality

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

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

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

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

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

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

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

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

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as well as with the provincial and territorial government ministries responsible for the energy sector, the Canada Energy Regulator, Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

For a complete list of the provincial and territorial government ministries responsible for the energy sector, you can visit the following link: Information for survey participants

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

Business or organization and contact information

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

Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.

Legal Name

The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.

Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.

To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.

Operating Name

The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.

• Legal name
• Operating name (if applicable)

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

Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.

• First name
• Last name
• Title
• Preferred language of communication
  • English
  • French
• Mailing address (number and street)
• City
• Province, territory or state
• Postal code or ZIP code
• Country
  • Canada
  • United States
• Email address
• Telephone number (including area code)
• Extension number (if applicable)
  The maximum number of characters is 5.
• Fax number (including area code)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description and examples

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

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

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

Main activity

5. You indicated that is not the current main activity.

Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: ?

• Yes
  When did the main activity change?
  • Date
• No

6. Search and select the industry classification code that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.

How to search:

• if desired, you can filter the search results by first selecting this business or organization's activity sector
• enter keywords or a brief description that best describes this business or organization main activity
• press the Search button to search the database for an activity that best matches the keywords or description you provided
• then select an activity from the list.

Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional)

• Farming or logging operation
• Construction company or general contractor
• Manufacturer
• Wholesaler
• Retailer
• Provider of passenger or freight transportation
• Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
• Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
• Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
• Provider of health care or social services
• Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
• Other sector

Method of collection

1. Indicate whether you will be answering the remaining questions or attaching files with the required information.

• Answering the remaining questions
• Attaching files

Coal imported from foreign countries

1. Did this business import coal from foreign countries?

• Yes
• No

2. What was the volume of coal imported from foreign countries?

Please report the volume of all coal imported from foreign countries during the reference month, in metric tonnes.

• Metric tonnes

Coal purchased or received from Canadian (domestic) companies

3. Did this business purchase or receive coal from Canadian (domestic) companies?

• Yes
• No

4. From which provinces or territories did this business purchase or receive coal?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

5. What was the volume of coal purchased or received from the following provinces or territories?

• Purchased during the month

Report the amounts of coal purchased or received during the reference month from Canadian (domestic) companies, by province and territory.

Opening inventory of coal for the month

6. This opening inventory is last month's closing inventory as provided by this business for coal on site and in transit.

Please review the value and if needed, make any modification.

When opening inventory is blank, please provide the opening inventory.

• Opening inventory

Report the total amount of Canadian and imported coal at the beginning of the month. This should equal the stock at the end of the month from the previous month's report.

• Metric tonnes

Disposition of coal for business's own use

7. What was the volume of coal used by this business for its own use?

Summary of total supply of coal for the month of [month]

8. This is a summary of the total supply of coal for the month of [month].

This opening inventory is last month's closing inventory as provided by this business. Correct if needed.

• Inventory adjustments

Coal inventory adjustments includes, for example, washer losses, etc.

Coke production

9. What was the volume of coke produced by this business?

Produced during the month

Report the amount of coke produced in your own plants during the month.

• Metric tonnes

Coke imported from foreign countries

10. Did this business import coke from foreign countries?

• Yes
• No

11. What was the volume of coke imported from foreign countries?

• Coke imported

Please report the total amount of coke imported from foreign countries.

• Metric tonnes

Coke purchased or received from Canadian (domestic) companies

12. Did this business purchase or receive coke from Canadian (domestic) companies?

• Yes
• No

13. From which provinces or territories did this business purchase or receive coke?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

14. What was the volume of coke purchased or received from the following provinces or territories?

Please report the total amount of coke received or purchased from Canadian companies by province.

Please report for the mine location indicated at the start of this questionnaire.

Opening inventory of coke for the month

15. This opening inventory is last month's closing inventory as provided by this business for coke on site and in transit.

Please review the value and if needed, make any modification.

When opening inventory is blank, please provide the opening inventory.

Opening inventory

Report the total amount of coke in stock at the beginning of the month.

Stock of coke at the beginning of the month should be equal to the closing stock from the previous month.

• Metric tonnes

16. What was the average calorific value of the total supply of coke?

Average Calorific Value

Please report the net average calorific value of coke produced in megajoules per metric tonne.

• Megajoules per metric tonne

Total disposition of coke consumed for business's own use

17. What was the volume of coke used by this business for its own use?

Used in blast furnaces

Report the amount of coke (produced or purchased) used in blast furnaces during the month for business's own use.

Used in 'associated works'

Report the amount of coke (produced or purchased) used in other 'associated works' during the month for business's own use.

Sales by types of customer

18. Did this business sell or deliver coke to Canadian (domestic) companies?

e.g., other coke plants, mining and oil, wholesalers or distributors.

• Yes
• No

19. This business sold or delivered coke to which types of customer?

Exclude sales for the purpose of resale.

Select all that apply.

• Manufacturers
  • e.g., other types of coke plants, associated works
• Other coke producers or domestic companies
  • e.g., wholesalers or distributors
• All other types of customer
  Specify all other types of customers
  • e.g., mining, oil and gas extraction.

20. This business indicated that coke was sold or delivered to manufacturers. To which provinces or territories did this business sell or deliver coke?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

21. What was the volume of coke sold or delivered to manufacturers for the following provinces or territories?

22. This business indicated that coke was sold or delivered to other producers or domestic companies. To which provinces or territories did this business sell or deliver coke?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

23. What was the volume of coke sold or delivered to other producers or domestic companies for the following provinces or territories?

24. This business indicated that coke was sold or delivered to [other type of customer]. To which provinces or territories did this business sell or deliver coke?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

25. What was the total volume of coke sold or delivered to [other type of customer] for the following provinces or territories?

Export of coke to foreign countries

26. Did this business export coke to foreign countries?

• Yes
• No

Export of coke to foreign countries

27. What was the volume of coke exported to foreign countries?

Sold for export

Report the total amount of coke sold for export during the month.

• Metric tonnes

Sale of coke to other Canadian companies for resale

28. Did this business deliver or sell coke to other Canadian companies for the purpose of resale?

Exclude storage.

• Yes
• No

29. To which provinces or territories did this business deliver or sell coke for the purpose of resale?

Select all that apply.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

30. What were the volume and value of coke delivered or sold to other Canadian companies for the purpose of resale from the following provinces or territories?

Summary of total supply of coke for the month of [month]

31. This is a summary of the total supply of coke for the month of [month].

This opening inventory is last month's closing inventory as provided by this business. Correct if needed.

• Inventory adjustments

Please report coke inventory adjustments which would include, for example, wasted or scrapped coke.

Changes or events

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

Select all that apply.

• Strike or lock-out
• Exchange rate impact
• Price changes in goods or services sold
• Contracting out
• Organizational change
• Price changes in labour or raw materials
• Natural disaster
• Recession
• Change in product line
• Sold business units
• Expansion
• New/lost contract
• Plant closures
• Acquisition of business units
• Other - specify the other changes or events:
• No changes or events

Contact person

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

Is Provided Given Names, Provided Family Name the best person to contact?

• Yes
• No

Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?

• First name
• Last name
• Title
• Email address
• Telephone number (including area code)
• Extension number (if applicable)
  The maximum number of characters is 5.
• Fax number (including area code)

Feedback

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

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

• Hours
• Minutes

35. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Enter your comments

For the monthly release of the Canadian international merchandise trade in the Daily, a variant of the NAPCS 2022 version 1.0 for merchandise import and export accounts is used to categorize traded products. For more information, please see Variant of NAPCS 2022 – Merchandise import and export accounts.

Merchandise trade is one component of Canada's international balance of payments (BOP), which also includes trade in services, investment income, current transfers, and capital and financial flows.

International trade data by commodity are available on a BOP and a customs basis. International trade data by country are available on a customs basis for all countries and on a BOP basis for Canada's 27 principal trading partners (PTPs). The list of PTPs is based on their annual share of total merchandise trade—imports and exports—with Canada in 2012. BOP data are derived from customs data by adjusting for factors such as valuation, coverage, timing and residency. These adjustments are made to conform to the concepts and definitions of the Canadian System of National Accounts.

For a conceptual analysis of BOP-based data versus customs-based data, see Balance of Payments trade in goods at Statistics Canada: Expanding geographic detail to 27 principal trading partners.

For more information on these and other macroeconomic concepts, see the Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (Catalogue number13-607-X) and the User Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (Catalogue number13-606-G).

The data in this release are on a BOP basis and are seasonally adjusted. Unless otherwise stated, values are expressed in nominal terms, or current dollars. References to prices are based on aggregate Paasche (current-weighted) price indexes (2017=100). Movements within aggregate Paasche prices can be influenced by changes in the share of values traded for specific goods, with sudden shifts in trading patterns—as observed with the COVID-19 pandemic—sometimes resulting in large movements in Paasche price indexes. Volumes, or constant dollars, are calculated using the Laspeyres formula (2017=100), unless otherwise stated.

For information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.

Revisions

In general, merchandise trade data are revised on an ongoing basis for each month of the current year. Current-year revisions are reflected in the customs-based and the BOP-based data.

The previous year's customs-based data are revised with the release of data for the January and February reference months, and thereafter on a quarterly basis. The previous two years of customs-based data are revised annually, and revisions are released in February with the December reference month.

The previous year's BOP-based data are revised with the release of data for the January, February, March and April reference months. To remain consistent with the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts, revisions to BOP-based data for previous years are released annually in December with the October reference month.

Factors influencing revisions include the late receipt of import and export documentation, incorrect information on customs forms, the replacement of estimates produced for the energy section with actual figures, changes in merchandise classification based on more current information, and changes to seasonal adjustment factors. The seasonal adjustment parameters are reviewed and updated annually and applied with the October reference month release.

For information on data revisions for exports of energy products, see Methodology for Exports of Energy Products within the International Merchandise Trade Program.

Revised data are available in the appropriate tables.

For years, Statistics Canada has been providing Canadians with statistics on a variety of topics affecting people across the country. However, as the diversity of the Canadian population increases, more detailed data are needed to derive insights about the lived experiences of these diverse groups. To address this need, the Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP) was launched in 2021. The DDAP aims to improve the quality and availability of statistics on four employment equity (EE) population groups: women, Indigenous peoples (First Nations people, Métis and Inuit), people from racialized populations (various subcategories) and people with disabilities (various subcategories).

Led by Statistics Canada, this initiative adopts a whole-of-government approach to provide all levels of government, businesses, policy makers, data users, non-profit organizations and Canadians with the detailed insights necessary for evidence-based decision making for a more equitable Canada. To the extent possible, data for each population group are broken down into subcategories according to gender, ethnocultural characteristics, age, sexual orientation and disability—or intersections of these and other subcategories, as needed. Data are also disaggregated to the lowest possible level of geography, as events affect people differently depending on where they live.

Following the Disaggregated Data Action Plan Accomplishments Report 2022-2023: Building on a solid foundation, this report highlights accomplishments from the DDAP during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The report is organized into five sections, which align with the key pillars of the DDAP: expanded disaggregated data assets, increased intersectional and longitudinal insights, access to enhanced disaggregated data, national disaggregated data standards, and enhanced engagement and communications.

Expanded disaggregated data assets

Statistics Canada continues to explore new methods and techniques by adding new questions and data elements to existing surveys and administrative data programs, creating new surveys, and expanding sample sizes to better disaggregate data.

Demographic projections

Statistics Canada produced labour force population projections that helped inform the development of labour market availability targets for the four designated EE groups under the Employment Equity Act. Additional labour force data can be found on the Labour Statistics Portal.

In addition, Statistics Canada advanced the rebasing of its Demosim microsimulation model to produce projections for linguistic groups, the ethnocultural diversity of the population—including racialized groups—and Indigenous peoples (First Nations people, Métis and Inuit) in Canada.

For the first time, Statistics Canada produced custom population projections for various clients about municipalities in Canada. Given the rapid demographic changes and the need for infrastructure planning, many stakeholders requested local area-level projections. During the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the agency also produced numerous projection scenarios to support the modernization of the Official Languages Act. One of the objectives of this modernization is to restore the demographic share of francophone communities outside Quebec to levels observed in 1971.

Disaggregated Data Action Plan Administrative Data Fund

Following the launch of the DDAP Administrative Data Fund in 2022-2023, which aims to allow external partners to enhance their own disaggregated administrative data holdings and expand those of Statistics Canada, the agency finalized letters of agreement for four initiatives with multiple external partners.

Funding was granted to the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure to develop more efficient, streamlined and consistent data collection and analysis on municipal asset conditions across Ontario. These data will make it possible to cross-reference municipal-level analysis with demographic data from the census or other sources using characteristics such as sectors and demographic groups.

Funding was also granted to the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to develop a research and evaluation plan, including recommendations, to guide the collection of race-based data on police stops in Nova Scotia, establish a race-based data collection model and determine the next steps for implementation. Such a model will enable the evaluation of policies and practices while enhancing transparency and accountability through the public release of data.

Another of these initiatives provided funding to different universities (the University of Calgary, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Ottawa and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) to conduct a pilot project intended to close data gaps on full-time and part-time academic staff at Canadian postsecondary institutions. The pilot project aimed to assess the feasibility and efficiency of adding diversity-related variables to the University and College Academic Staff System – Full-time Staff Survey. It involved collecting additional personal identifiers to explore data integration with the Canadian Census of Population and other data sources for equity, diversity and inclusion characteristics. Finally, the project included the development of a survey on part-time and contract staff that also incorporates complete diversity variables.

Canadian Survey on Business Conditions

The Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC) plays a vital role in helping governments understand the key economic issues businesses in Canada are facing. Detailed data are published for all provinces and territories by population centre and rural area and by business size and sector. Data for the 20 largest census metropolitan areas are available upon request.

All data in tables released during the 2023-2024 fiscal year were crossed with majority ownership variables, including majority ownership by women, Indigenous people (First Nations people, Métis and Inuit), immigrants to Canada, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ population and members of racialized groups, for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. Also, information on the average percentage of women and men in management positions was released for the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, two analytical articles were released: one on businesses majority-owned by racialized individuals and another on majority women-owned businesses.

Increased intersectional and longitudinal insights

Statistics Canada continues to provide detailed statistical information about the economic, social and health experiences and outcomes of diverse groups in Canada. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, 49% of analytical products released by Statistics Canada included disaggregated data for at least one of the four EE groups (who, as a reminder, are women, Indigenous peoples [First Nations people, Métis and Inuit], people from racialized populations [various subcategories] and people with disabilities [various subcategories]).

Non-profit Organizations

The CSBC dedicated a special module to non-profit organizations in early 2024 to gather data about community, business and government non-profit organizations. The results, published in March 2024, highlighted the profound effect non-profit organizations have on Canadians’ lives and their ongoing significance as vital players in a diverse society and a dynamic economy.

The CSBC released data tables for the first quarter of 2024 on the distribution of board of director and senior management positions held by members of the four EE groups and non-binary individuals. The data can be disaggregated further by region in Canada, business size, non-profit activity and non-profit type (registered charity versus other non-profit organizations).

Social Indicators

Because the care economy (i.e., paid and unpaid care work) is linked to timely and critical issues, such as gender inequity and inequality, disability, immigration, labour, and population aging, Statistics Canada collaborated with Canadian care experts to develop a framework defining the scope and magnitude of the care economy. A report released in November 2023 proposed a conceptual framework for the care economy based on research findings and consultations. This report provides guidance and a foundation for future research and assessment of Statistics Canada’s existing data holdings while pointing toward directions for future data development.

Health Indicators

Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts (CanCHECs), population-based linked datasets, were released in 2023. The CanCHECs combine data from respondents of the census long-form questionnaire (or the National Household Survey) with administrative health data (e.g., mortality, cancer, hospitalizations, ambulatory care, mental health) and annual mailing address postal codes. Data stemming from the CanCHECs can therefore be used to examine health outcomes by population characteristics measured by the census long-form questionnaire (e.g., income, education, occupation, language, ethnicity, immigrant status, Indigenous identity). Using this new data product, an analysis of mortality by income and education was released, demonstrating widening inequalities in mortality rates by income and education for both sexes.

Collection for the new Canadian Oral Health Survey was completed in March 2024. The survey asked a sample of 55,000 Canadians about their sex and gender, educational attainment, and Indigenous identity. The survey will be linked to the census, tax data from the Canada Revenue Agency and the Longitudinal Immigration Database to enhance the potential for producing highly disaggregated data. This will provide relevant information to Health Canada as it rolls out the Canadian Dental Care Program and the Oral Health Access Fund. These programs focus on reducing or removing financial and non-financial barriers for various population groups, including lower-income Canadians without dental insurance, children, seniors, Indigenous peoples, newcomers to Canada, official language minority communities, and rural and remote communities. The official release of this dataset is planned for October  2025.

Disability and Workplace Accommodations

An analytical study published in August  2024 examined the changes in workplace accommodations among employed Canadians with disabilities from 2017 to 2022. It highlighted that unmet needs for workplace accommodations decreased in this period, though the decline varied across sociodemographic groups.

For example, among employed people with disabilities who required workplace accommodations, the percentage of women with unmet needs decreased from 42% in  2017 to 35% in 2022. However, the same cannot be said for men. About 36% of men had unmet needs for workplace accommodations in 2022, similar to the percentage in 2017. Overall, these results contributed to research supporting the Accessible Canada Act and informing the accessibility plans of partners and stakeholders.

Employment and Labour

The release of additional articles in the Quality of Employment in Canada publication in June 2023 highlighted inequities faced by women and some racialized groups regarding their exposure to more challenging working conditions and aspects of lower quality of employment. These data have improved the understanding of how different populations experience the labour market. For instance, according to the publication, a higher proportion of Black and Filipino workers work at night, and employed young women aged 15 to 24 are the demographic group most likely to work part time involuntarily for economic reasons. The results from this analysis also show that the proportion of mothers on parental leave with a child younger than 1 year varies across racialized groups. For example, employed Arab mothers, who had one of the lowest overall labour force participation rates among racialized women, were among the least likely to report being on parental leave in 2022, at 48.4%.

In August 2023, Statistics Canada also released its first results from the Labour Force Survey on the labour market situation of people with and without disabilities. This initiative aims to provide more frequent estimates of key labour market indicators for people with and without disabilities to capture the effects of ongoing changes in the labour market.

Access to enhanced disaggregated data

Statistics Canada securely combines its census and survey data with administrative and other data from other federal, provincial or territorial organizations. This process, known as data integration (or record linkage), creates an opportunity to leverage additional insights from existing data sources and conduct comprehensive analyses, while reducing the number of surveys Canadians are asked to complete.

Access to analytically valid microdata must always adhere to the confidentiality requirements under which the data were obtained. Accordingly, Statistics Canada continues to improve access to disaggregated data while respecting confidentiality and privacy requirements. For example, recent updates to the census public use microdata file (PUMF) strategy ensure that information on racialized status and ethnicity is preserved rather than suppressed. Statistics Canada has also developed high-fidelity synthetic data that support PASSAGES, an open-source dynamic microsimulation model designed for policy analysis and research related to Canadian retirement income system outcomes at the individual and family levels.

Analytical Training

The utility of disaggregated data stems from how they inform policy. Over the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Statistics Canada convened an advisory panel of experienced policy analysts from diverse areas of the federal and provincial public service to better understand how the policy community uses and applies disaggregated data in its work while identifying related challenges.

This process informed the development of a new, self-paced online course for novice policy analysts aimed at building awareness and skills related to how disaggregated data can contribute to analysis at various stages of the policy development cycle. The content of the course has now been fully developed and is available through the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) to all federal public servants. Going forward, Statistics Canada will continue to explore mechanisms for making the course accessible to policy analysts at other levels of government.

In addition to the training led by CSPS, Statistics Canada has released new online courses. These include The Importance of Disaggregated Data: An Introduction (part 1), which explains how disaggregated data can effectively support all levels of government and organizations serving communities in making evidence-informed public policy decisions, and The Importance of Disaggregated Data: An Introduction (part 2), which explains how disaggregated data can help policy makers develop more targeted and effective policies by identifying the unique needs and challenges faced by different demographic groups.

Health Indicators

In April 2024, two articles on the topic of oral health were published in Health Reports. The articles were based on data from the 2022 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth. They provide disaggregated estimates of visits to dental professionals in the previous year, dental insurance coverage and cost-related avoidance of dental care based on adjusted family net income, age, gender, population group, Indigenous identity, rurality, immigrant status and education level.

An adjusted sampling methodology was implemented to select the CCHS DDAP oversample. This innovative approach selects individuals from the four EE groups based on information from the census long-form questionnaire. This method increases the analytical potential of the CCHS for these population groups, building on work from the 2022 CCHS cycle to support the identification of statistically significant differences among racialized groups without compromising data quality, privacy and confidentiality. The 2022 cycle of the CCHS saw a 54% increase in the available sample for each racialized population (most notably for Chinese, Filipino and Arab respondents).

Survey Series on People and their Communities

In  2023-2024, Statistics Canada collected sufficient disaggregated data to examine the experiences of racialized Canadians and immigrants, including newcomers to Canada, through the second, third and fourth waves of the Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC). These newly published data from the SSPC, collected from May to December 2023, provide insight into the diversity of experiences with discrimination and racism in sport, political engagement, workplace culture and shared values.

The SSPC released many publications as part of the DDAP initiative, including articles on participation in Canadian society through sport and work, concerns with misinformation online in  2023, and discrimination and racism in sports in Canada.

Municipalities and Rural Statistics

In addition to disaggregation for the four EE groups, the DDAP collects increasing amounts of provincial-, territorial- and municipal-specific data, allowing more nuanced information to be published on the different living experiences of individuals in those areas. For instance, Enhancing data for rural Canada: Small area estimation of remote work opportunities was released in April 2024.

This methodological report presents the small area estimation (SAE) methodology and the geographic concept of self-contained labour areas, as applied to the CSBC. Notably, the study proposes a novel approach that provides additional value to survey data at a more granular level. The report is accompanied by the Rural Data Viewer, which allows users to examine the application of SAE to the CSBC using maps rather than data tables. 

National disaggregated data standards

A robust methodology and well-defined standards are essential to the production of high-quality data and reliable statistics. The agency focuses on developing methodological infrastructure to enable the linkage and integration of more administrative data with existing data holdings and the creation of rich microdata sets that can be disaggregated according to priority categories and at the lowest possible level of geography.

Statistics Canada continues to support the training of analysts on disclosure control challenges related to disaggregated data through regular workshops that highlight standard methods for identifying and mitigating disclosure risks when releasing detailed estimates.

Statistical and Data Standards

Statistical data and metadata standards are a set of rules that enable the consistent and repeatable description, representation, structuring and sharing of data and metadata. Statistics Canada has published and regularly updates national statistical standards, data sources and methods used for collecting and publishing more detailed data.

In March  2024, Defining and measuring the gig economy using survey data, a report aiming to provide a coherent framework for understanding the different components of the gig economy, was released. The gig economy includes personal transport and delivery services provided through digital platforms, a form of employment in which racialized groups are overrepresented.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression

One of the critical deliverables of the DDAP is to harmonize the standards used across the Government of Canada (GC) to enable interoperability and facilitate national insights about various populations. Over the 2023/2024 fiscal year, efforts to standardize variables included the release of the sexual orientation of person standard, following a four-phase consultation process that involved targeted expert consultation, focus group testing, qualitative testing and consultations with Canadians. Furthermore, Statistics Canada has been working with the Treasury Board Secretariat to promote the adoption of key DDAP standards at the GC level.

Additionally, new standards for gender and sex at birth of person are expected to be adopted during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Further efforts to address gaps include ongoing development work on disability, Two-Spirit individuals and homelessness.

Two new web pages were also released: a web page on standards, data sources and methods designed to promote disaggregated standards and how to make them interoperable, and the Gender of Person Reference Guide to centralize all relevant components to support standard implementation by users.

Confidentiality and Access

Statistics Canada continues to improve its processes with the objective of releasing microdata to support the DDAP. A significant challenge when releasing these PUMFs is ensuring the confidentiality of respondents. A randomization strategy was successfully applied to variables related to racialized groups for the 2021 Census PUMFs, making information that would have been suppressed available. The strategy of randomizing responses rather than suppressing them has been studied and is being promoted as effective for PUMFs.

Municipalities and Rural Statistics

Standards of interest for municipalities, a new web page promoting the adoption of standard concepts and definitions by municipalities and their jurisdictions, was launched in April 2023. This space supports municipalities’ capacity to inform evidence-based decision making on issues directly affecting citizens. Making federally approved standards available to municipal governments allows them to better align their capacity to analyze data with that of the GC, leading to enhanced comparability.

Additionally, the launch of two dashboards, the Municipal Quality of Life Dashboard and the Municipal Diversity Dashboard, enhances the ability of data users to compare different jurisdictions and look at the interrelationships between the different socioeconomic characteristics of municipalities, such as their diversity and the quality of life of their citizens. This ability is further enhanced with the recent release of the new Municipal Financial Data Dashboard in July 2024.

The Municipal Diversity Dashboard highlights data from the 2021 Census of Population across four domains—ethnicity and culture, immigration, knowledge of official languages and languages spoken, and education—allowing for intermunicipal comparisons. Meanwhile, the Municipal Quality of Life Dashboard uses census data to show how municipalities fared in 2021 in terms of housing needs, poverty, postsecondary attainment and more.   

Enhanced engagement and communications

Statistics Canada routinely engages with various partners and stakeholders to meet the increasing information needs of Canadians. Engagement and consultations with partners and stakeholders are crucial for ensuring the relevance of Statistics Canada’s data, statistical programs and statistical standards.

Uniform Crime Reporting Survey

The Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR) expansion initiative continued to engage police services and associations, Indigenous and racialized community organizations, academics, and others to assess needs, concerns and strategies to operationalize data collection. Based on engagement feedback, system changes were made to the UCR Survey, and an updated survey was deployed in February 2024. This allowed for the reporting of Indigenous and racialized identity information for victims and accused individuals involved in criminal incidents. Work is currently ongoing to develop operational guidelines to support police services in adopting this newest version of the UCR Survey.

A newly formed special-purpose committee, which operates under the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, was launched in 2023. This committee comprises representatives from over 40 police agencies of various sizes across Canada and is mandated to support the development of an implementation guide for the consistent and uniform collection of Indigenous and racialized identity data by police.

To ensure ongoing public transparency about the plans and progress for this initiative, Statistics Canada’s Crime and Justice Statistics Hub was updated in July 2023 to include a dedicated section on the UCR Survey expansion. This section outlines key project deliverables, status information and links to related reports published under this initiative. Additionally, a report outlining the progress made and the next steps was published in July 2023.

Longitudinal Social Data Development Program

In February 2024, Statistics Canada released its 2023-2024 executive report on the Deliberative Public Engagement Research Project. This report presents findings from a qualitative research study on the social acceptability of using person-based linked administrative data. While the study aimed to understand the conditions under which Canadians find the use of these data acceptable and the guiding principles for their use in generating statistical insights, the research revealed that this question must be considered within the broader context of Statistics Canada’s mandate, privacy and confidentiality, data impact, and public awareness.

Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics

Statistics Canada’s expertise on gender, diversity, inclusion and Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus resides in the Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS). The CGDIS’s key activities include developing and maintaining the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub; conducting research and analysis on gender-, diversity- and inclusion-related issues in Canada; and building GBA Plus capacity and awareness (internally and externally). The GDIS Hub serves as a front door for users, partners and stakeholders to access disaggregated data on gender, diversity and inclusion.

The CGDIS also conducted tours of the GDIS Hub and provided training on navigating it. Additionally, it has presented to other federal organizations and levels of government on the DDAP. Throughout this process, the CGDIS gathered feedback from partners regarding their satisfaction with the GDIS Hub and suggestions for enhancing it to better meet users’ needs.

To ensure the GDIS Hub remains relevant for federal and non-federal organizations, the CGDIS conducted a consultative engagement to identify successes and gaps for improvement, aiming to enhance the user experience on the GDIS Hub. The CGDIS also led consultations with racialized groups as part of the development of analytical products on various racialized groups. The CGDIS continues to collaborate with stakeholders to support government priorities, such as Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

The CGDIS also developed and implemented a consultative engagement strategy for modernizing the “visible minority” standard. Meetings were held with federal departments, academics, and non-governmental organizations representing racialized and religious communities. The final report with results and recommendations was published in June 2024. 

“Visible Minority” Concept

Statistics Canada has been reviewing the “visible minority” concept. The agency has been consulting and engaging with partners, stakeholders, ethnocultural groups and the general public to identify appropriate terminology and categories to describe the population and properly address data needs in health, education, justice and EE.

Statistics Canada recently completed the 2024 Census Test, the results of which will be used to provide recommendations to Cabinet for the 2026 Census content. Research continues in preparation for the dissemination of data from the 2026 Census and other household surveys. Changes to the derivation method, including processing multiple responses, combining response categories when relevant and merging different variables to obtain more disaggregated data, will be investigated in preparation for the dissemination of data from the 2026 Census.

Survey Series on People and their Communities

The content of the SSPC was developed following extensive consultations on the data needs of various federal departments. These consultations led to a collaborative project between Statistics Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage to develop content for the Participation and Experiences in Community Sports component of the SSPC.

Centre for Municipal and Local Data

In  2023-2024, the Centre for Municipal and Local Data (CMLD) continued its engagement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). This ongoing partnership led to Statistics Canada’s participation as an exhibitor at the FCM’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in May 2023.

The CMLD supported the organization of national and international events targeting municipal or community needs, such as the International Statistical Institute’s 64th World Statistics Congress, which took place in July 2023 in Ottawa. During this event, the CMLD demonstrated its portal and visualization tools and participated in a lengthy discussion with the United States Census Bureau about the role of national statistical organizations in providing municipal statistics. Additionally, the CMLD contributed to the Canadian Urban Institute’s State of Canada’s Cities Report, released in November 2023.

The CMLD engaged directly with internal teams, external organizations and municipalities to advance data integration efforts related to housing and drinking water infrastructure performance.

Ongoing and Future Work

The DDAP will continue to address Canada’s diversity information needs by providing data and analyses that are more disaggregated across different population groups and their intersections. An increase in the quality and size of the agency’s data holdings has the potential to enhance policy and program decision making across all levels of government and within society. By working with federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and other partners to change their approach to data collection, the DDAP responds to a longstanding and well-known need inside and outside the GC for more granular data on the Canadian population and Canadian society.