# I just got my census forms! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330 "2006-05-04T00:53:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/1 "2006-05-04T00:53:16Z")
Yes, it’s census time in Canada. Last week I got a notice in my mailbox that the census forms were on the way, and I also got one in, oddly, my hydro bill yesterday. Today the actual form arrived. Unfortunately, it is the simple one. Name, address, sex, date of birth, marriage status, mother tongue, and “Can we release your information to the public in 2098?” for each person in the household. I was hoping for the long form that tallies religion and other things. It would be so much fun to skew the statistics so that the average Canadian appears to be Jedi, have 2.4 legs, and own a llama. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/2 "2006-05-04T01:08:22Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes, it’s census time in Canada. Ours is on 8 August this year. > [@Sunspace](#): > > Unfortunately, it is the simple one. Name, address, sex, date of birth, marriage status, mother tongue, and “Can we release your information to the public in 2098?” for each person in the household. Are there two census forms: a simple and a more complex one? Who chooses which one each household gets? This year’s Australian census form will have about 60 questions on it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/3 "2006-05-04T01:24:02Z")
There’s the short form, which I think goes out to 6 out of 7 households, and the long form, which goes out to 1 out of 7 households. (And when I say “form”, I of course mean “two forms”, one in English and one en français. You fill in the one in your language preference, and toss the other.) The short form is, well, real short: who lives in the house, their relationship to each other, and that’s about it. The long form apparently has about 50 qq. on it, but I’ve never received it. Ours arrived today as well - just the short form, as usual. Any CanDopers around who have got the long form? what super-secret information do they ask you to give? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/4 "2006-05-04T01:25:27Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Ours is on 8 August this year.Are there two census forms: a simple and a more complex one? Who chooses which one each household gets? This year’s Australian census form will have about 60 questions on it. Here’s [Statistics Canada](http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/info/questions/index.cfm) on the subject: > [@Reasons why the questions are asked](#): > > The first part of this booklet contains the 53 questions asked on the 2006 Census of Population long form questionnaire which will be completed by 20% of the population. The short form questionnaire contains 8 questions – the first six and questions 16 and 53 from the long questionnaire. But they don’t say how they choose who gets the short form versus the long form. I got the short form last time too. I so want to mention that the language of my household is Esperanto. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/5 "2006-05-04T01:30:53Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > Any CanDopers around who have got the long form? what super-secret information do they ask you to give? Here are the [questions](http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/info/questions/index.cfm?S=11). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/6 "2006-05-04T01:54:34Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Here are the [questions](http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/info/questions/index.cfm?S=11). Yes, they look like the sort of questions the Australian census form usually includes. Although the Canadian form’s grammar is superior. I love the instruction: \*\*_Whom \*\* to include in Step B_. I’m pretty sure that there’s only the one type of census form in Australia (i.e. the long one with 60 or so questions) and that every household gets it. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/7 "2006-05-04T13:51:04Z")
I got mine yesterday but I haven’t opened it yet. It feels a little on the thick side, so I may have gotten the long one. I’ll have to open it up this evening and check. I wonder if they’d object if I filled out both the French and English forms, but answered each differently? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/8 "2006-05-04T19:37:27Z")
The boyfriend and I got ours yesterday (short form) and filled it out online. He won the rock-paper-scissors contest for who got to be “Person 1”. Hmph. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/9 "2006-05-05T01:36:39Z")
I got the long form. The book is 40 pages long. I plan on filling it out online (with my super secret access code), and then sending in the English and Francais versions, all three with different answers. Serves them right for sending out tons of useless paper when the whole thing is doable over the net. I realise some people don’t have internet access, but make the paper version by request. Typical government waste. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/10 "2006-05-05T02:26:46Z")
Apparently (based on a radio thing I heard about the census) only about 60% of canadians have immediate access to the internet. I like paper forms - more fun. But then again, I like filling in surveys and questionnaires. I’m weird that way. We received the long form. We also got a fairly long one last time, too, I think (during the mini-census 5 years ago). they only sent us a copy in English, though. I guess there aren’t enough French people in Hamilton to warrant sending both? Isn’t it a crime to not fill in the census, or to lie on it or something? The radio ads seem to imply that this year, they might actually come after you! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/11 "2006-05-05T02:27:57Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes, it’s census time in Canada. _points at **Sunspace** _ AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA yeah, I got mine too. Time to do more paperwork. _dives back into pile of sheets from atop a chair_ ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/12 "2006-05-05T04:25:58Z")
Whoa, if the long form book is 40 pages long, I’m glad we got the short form. Filled it out yesterday sitting in the back yard. Took about six minutes, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Daffyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daffyd/32/8923_2.png) [@Daffyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daffyd)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/13 "2006-05-05T04:43:02Z")
The thing that bothers me the most is that as a married Gay couple, my husband and I are supposed to check off “Other” - or if we don’t like that, we can check off “husband and wife” and they’ll be smart enough to figure out we’re two men… I would have liked to at least have my relationship listed instead of having two crappy choices… Oh well, I guess in 2116 they’ll have updated the forms… ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/14 "2006-05-05T04:45:49Z")
I was really happy when I got the long form for ours back in 2000. As a genealogist who uses all the early censuses I kinda viewed it as an opportunity to talk to my descendants 200 years from now. Unfortunately my parents can’t recall filling out the census in 1990 or 1980. I hope they were just forgetful as I’ll be 78 before I find out if they did it. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/15 "2006-05-05T12:50:10Z")
> [@Daffyd](#): > > The thing that bothers me the most is that as a married Gay couple, my husband and I are supposed to check off “Other” - or if we don’t like that, we can check off “husband and wife” and they’ll be smart enough to figure out we’re two men… > > I would have liked to at least have my relationship listed instead of having two crappy choices… > > Oh well, I guess in 2116 they’ll have updated the forms… It’s not like that question is specific to heterosexual couples! To know that Person 1 and Person 2 are a hetero couple in our home, they will have to go back and see which sex we marked off, because we have to choose the same “husband or wife of Person 1” box as you do. You ARE your husband’s husband, aren’t you? You are not an “other”. I see it differently - for once, you are actually being treated exactly the same as the rest of us married people. Isn’t that what you want? I’m sure their software will go back and calculate the stats on straight or gay marriages. As for the other options, of “same sex common law partner” or “opposite sex common law partner”, well, if the software can handle the husband/wife thing, I don’t know why they need to specify these. I think it should simply read “common-law partner of person 1”. 10 years from now, I hope THAT’s the option that changes. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/16 "2006-05-05T15:51:58Z")
> [@Daffyd](#): > > The thing that bothers me the most is that as a married Gay couple, my husband and I are supposed to check off “Other” - or if we don’t like that, we can check off “husband and wife” and they’ll be smart enough to figure out we’re two men… [Canadian census form problematic for same-sex couples:](http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/05/050406canada.htm) > [@](#): > > The census form instructs same-sex couples who are married to check the `Other'' category at the bottom of the list of relationships, rather than checking the top box marked `Husband or wife.’’ > > Egale Canada is urging same-sex married couples to list their relationships as `Husband or wife'' rather than `Other;’’ it assures same-sex couples that Statistics Canada will record either response correctly as a married same-sex couple. > > Egale also wants all concerned Canadians to add a comment on Page 6 of the questionnaire, such as ``same-sex couples deserve equal treatment.’’ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/17 "2006-05-05T16:40:48Z")
As to the same sex issue, I don’t know what form you’re looking at, \*\*matt\_mcl \*\* and **DaffyD** , but I’m looking at the short form census. The relationship choices would enable you to mark “Legally married” and “Husband or wife of Person 1.” What’s the problem? You check “Legally married” and then you check “Husband or wife of Person 1.” How’s that a problem? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/18 "2006-05-05T16:52:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As to the same sex issue, I don’t know what form you’re looking at, \*\*matt\_mcl \*\* and **DaffyD** , but I’m looking at the short form census. The relationship choices would enable you to mark “Legally married” and “Husband or wife of Person 1.” What’s the problem? You check “Legally married” and then you check “Husband or wife of Person 1.” How’s that a problem? If the instructions say to mark ‘other’, that’s a problem. I’ll have to go back and look at my forms again. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/19 "2006-05-05T19:08:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As to the same sex issue, I don’t know what form you’re looking at, \*\*matt\_mcl \*\* and **DaffyD** , but I’m looking at the short form census. The relationship choices would enable you to mark “Legally married” and “Husband or wife of Person 1.” What’s the problem? You check “Legally married” and then you check “Husband or wife of Person 1.” How’s that a problem? Page 4 of the census form says this: > [@](#): > > Examples of “Other” relationships to Person 1: > [snip] > > - same-sex married spouse I agree with you [and Egale] that same-sex married couples can and should check “Husband or wife of person 1.” The problem is with the instructions, which tell us otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330/20 "2006-05-05T21:40:43Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I agree with you [and Egale] that same-sex married couples can and should check “Husband or wife of person 1.” The problem is with the instructions, which tell us otherwise. I noticed that last night and was rather annoyed. Unfortunately, I’d already submitted my census and so couldn’t make a comment about it. I wonder why it ended up like that… did someone just not realize that, yes, “husband” and “wife” are the terms that married same-sex couples use, too? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-my-census-forms/355330.md?page=2)