# You fill out my census... (Canadian Version 2011) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174 "2011-05-08T17:50:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/21 "2011-05-08T23:21:28Z")
Thanks for the reminder, **Mona Lisa Simpson** , I filled mine out just now. Amusing that, immediately after I state (and it confirms) that my children are 6 and 8 years old, it asks what their marital status is (yet, on the same page, it didn’t ask if they were married to me, only had that option for my wife) Your “bring back the long form” comment prompted me to say the same in my comment field, might not ahve thought about it had I filled it in when I wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/22 "2011-05-09T00:07:27Z")
The long form isn’t gone. It’s just been made voluntary, which will skew the data it collects in ways that could only be determined if you already had access to unskewed data. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/23 "2011-05-09T00:51:30Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > This is an excellent way to teach the Boy French. Or at least whatever passes for it in your house. 😉 This. It is definitely an incentive. We have also told him he can only go to [La Ronde](http://www.laronde.com/larondeen/) if he learns French. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/24 "2011-05-10T14:16:10Z")
Bump to remind Canadians that today is the day. Make sure you fill out your census (Damn Annie’s Song again) cause its the law! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/25 "2011-05-10T15:15:55Z")
My husband hid the census form so I only found it this morning (he dropped the mail from that day in a new and obscure spot) so I filled it out during my last meeting. I got the long form and had to text my husband for answers a couple of times and it still only took 20 mins. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/26 "2011-05-10T15:24:10Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > This is the third country we have filled out a census for (UK, US, Canada). I waffled for a long time on the language question: “Does this person speak any other languages on a regular basis at home?” Having established “Jedi” as a religion, perhaps we could establish “Wookiee” as a language… ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/27 "2011-05-10T15:53:23Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > The long form isn’t gone. It’s just been made voluntary, which will skew the data it collects in ways that could only be determined if you already had access to unskewed data. Those who work with statistical data know that the data collected in this “voluntary” way will not be comparable to the data that was collected previously. Essentially, the government has screwed up a data set that goes back to 1871. And we don’t even know exactly _how_ the data is screwed up. Just that it is. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/28 "2011-05-10T21:04:37Z")
I got the long form as well (“[The National Household Survey](http://www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/5178-eng.htm)”). It took about 20 minutes to fill out, and wasn’t particularly intrusive. It it had questions geared towards infrastructure and commuting - the condition of our home (needs no/minor/extensive repairs) and things like what time we leave home for work and how long is our commute home in the evenings. These are things that actually _aren’t_ available from other sources, unlike things like our salary, which they have anyways through our tax papers, but now this information can be linked to income. I think I read somewhere that _anyone_ could voluntarily fill out the survey if they wanted to, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, unless I’m not seeing it on the StatsCan website. If you aren’t required to, but you get the option to, please do fill it out - it will benefit you and other Canadians to do so! I also think the mandatory long form survey should be returned. This information is too important to have. It’s interesting to me that StatsCan basically says that they don’t know how long it might take to validate the data - the voluntary nature of it means that all kinds of factors need to be considered that weren’t considered before. > [@](#): > > Following the 2006 Census release schedule, the first NHS data would be released early in 2013. Statistics Canada will try to follow this schedule. However, this is a new survey so there is some uncertainty as to the length of time required to certify the data prior to release. The more I think of it, the more I worry that this data will be about as valid as an SDMB survey. I hope not! ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/29 "2011-05-11T02:38:48Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Those who work with statistical data know that the data collected in this “voluntary” way will not be comparable to the data that was collected previously. Essentially, the government has screwed up a data set that goes back to 1871. And we don’t even know exactly _how_ the data is screwed up. Just that it is. I thought that’s what I said. 🙂 I was just responding to statements that seemed to be saying the long form was gone completely, not just made largely worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/30 "2011-05-11T03:02:20Z")
Hmmm . . . after the census person gave a census form to my neighbour last week who gave it to me, this week I received a reminder notice in my mail box requiring that I complete the census form. What’s with these people that they couldn’t have simply mailed me the form in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![tingbudong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tingbudong/32/520_2.png) [@tingbudong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tingbudong)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/31 "2011-05-11T03:05:54Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > The long form isn’t gone. It’s just been made voluntary, which will skew the data it collects in ways that could only be determined if you already had access to unskewed data. I swear my thesis supervisor was ready to shoot himself in the head when the decision was made to scrap it. He does A LOT of work with census data in the urban planning field. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/32 "2011-05-11T03:30:57Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I thought that’s what I said. 🙂 I was just responding to statements that seemed to be saying the long form was gone completely, not just made largely worthless. Errr ya. I was just re-stating it in a more confusing way for everyone. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/33 "2011-05-11T08:11:33Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Having established “Jedi” as a religion, perhaps we could establish “Wookiee” as a language… I have no doubt that a few responses will list “Klingon” as a language used in the home. Most likely in Waterloo, Ontario, I’d guess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/34 "2011-05-11T11:51:25Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > What’s with these people that they couldn’t have simply mailed me the form in the first place? Maybe, but did you see job creation numbers from April? The Census is a make work project, to some degree. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/35 "2011-05-11T16:22:29Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Maybe, but did you see job creation numbers from April? The Census is a make work project, to some degree. Fewer census workers needed due to the online version being available, but StatsCan does have some permanent employees that they need to keep busy, so they make them drive out to the middle of nowhere to contend with long addresses and barking dogs? That’s my WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/36 "2011-05-11T16:27:12Z")
**Mr. Mallard** just started working for them yesterday, and it should last through the summer. I don’t know how much work there is, but there’s some. (So if you live in Vancouver, could you hold off on your forms until nagged? Thanks.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/37 "2011-05-11T17:14:32Z")
Ours is all done. That wasn’t too painful. I expected ambiguous, hard to answer questions like when I renewed my passport. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/38 "2011-05-11T17:47:45Z")
I did ours on-line on the weekend. Morceau de gâteau. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/39 "2011-05-11T17:52:26Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I have no doubt that a few responses will list “Klingon” as a language used in the home. > > Most likely in Waterloo, Ontario, I’d guess. 😃 The admission requirements for my degree there required two second languages. FORTRAN counted as one of them. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174/40 "2011-05-12T02:12:08Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The admission requirements for my degree there required two second languages. FORTRAN counted as one of them. Seriously. I graduated from the U of Minnesota and they would count music as a second language. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-fill-out-my-census-canadian-version-2011/581174.md?page=3)