Annual Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey: Actual, Preliminary and Intentions (CAPEX)

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

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.

Data sharing agreements

To reduce response burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them for statistical purposes only. Statistics Canada will share data from this survey only 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 include 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 data shared will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

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

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

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

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

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

Approved Disclosure

Section 17 of the federal Statistics Act allows for the disclosure of certain information relating to an individual, business or organization. Statistics Canada will only disclose information where there is a demonstrated statistical need and for the public good, and when it will not harm individuals, organizations or businesses if data were disclosed. For the Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey, the Chief Statistician has authorized the release of data relating to carriers, public utilities and non-commercial institutions including, but not limited to, hospitals, libraries, educational institutions, federal government entities and individual provincial, territorial and municipal governments. These include capital and repair expenditure expenditures at the aggregate level.

Record linkage

To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.

The survey asks questions about

• construction
• machinery and equipment
• repair and maintenance
• non-residential building construction
• non-residential engineering construction
• intellectual property products
• enviromental protection activities.

Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.

Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.

Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.

• What is the purpose of the Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey?
• Why was my company selected for this survey?
• There seem to be so many surveys. How is this one different?
• I'm only a small business. Why can you not survey just the big companies?
• Do I have to participate in this survey? Why should I provide this information to Statistics Canada?
• Is the information I provide kept confidential?
• How will the information be used? Who will use the survey results?
• When will the survey results be available?
• If I want more information about the survey, where can I find it?

What is the purpose of the Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey?

The Capital and Repair Expenditure Survey is conducted twice a year in order to produce three sets of data: intentions, preliminary estimates and actual capital and repair expenditures.

Capital expenditures by business and by governments in Canada are one of the most important indicators of Canada's economic situation and are a key element of our National Accounts System.

Why was my company selected for this survey?

Most businesses are randomly selected to represent other businesses with similar characteristics, such as size, industry, revenue or number of employees. However, some companies must be included because they contribute substantially to their industry or region.

There seem to be so many surveys. How is this one different?

Statistics Canada surveys businesses across the country to produce statistics on the economy. By accurately reporting your firm's activity, you are contributing to the measure of the country's worth – the gross domestic product (GDP). All information collected helps provide a clearer picture of the Canadian economy.

I'm only a small business. Why can you not survey just the big companies?

Although Statistics Canada always collects information from large businesses, we cannot overlook the importance of smaller businesses. Small businesses, like yours, have different characteristics from large businesses and make a significant contribution to the economy, particularly at the provincial and territorial level.

Statistics Canada has greatly reduced response burden by using administrative data that businesses have already filed with government. However, other government departments do not have access to individual records from Statistics Canada.

Do I have to participate in this survey? Why should I provide this information to Statistics Canada?

Yes. Because most business surveys feed directly or indirectly into legally mandated programs, mandatory response is required to ensure an adequate response rate and, therefore, reliable results. The Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey is mandatory because of its vital role in monitoring the economy. We seek your cooperation in completing this survey in order that we may produce accurate and reliable information on your industry.

Is the information I provide kept confidential?

By law, Statistics Canada is required to keep the information you provide confidential. The Statistics Act prohibits Statistics Canada from releasing any information that identifies or could be used to identify any individual, business or organization.

Statistics Canada carefully screens final published statistics before releasing them to ensure the confidentiality of information.

How will the information be used? Who will use the survey results?

Statistics Canada's business surveys provide both the private and public sectors with vital information that they use in their decision-making processes. Many businesses and organizations need accurate information to track growth and changes in this industry.

Industry associations, business analysts and investors use the data to better understand rapidly evolving business environments, such as new technologies and trade opportunities, as well as investments in new product lines

Individual businesses use the information to monitor their performance against industry averages.

Schools and universities use survey results to study the economy.

Governments need the information to make decisions about labour and fiscal policies and business assistance programs for industries.

When will the survey results be available?

Survey results are released annually in The Daily, Statistics Canada's official release bulletin.

If I want more information about the survey, where can I find it?

If you have any questions about the survey or need help to complete the questionnaire, please contact us.