Articles by Tracey

• EKOS Politics: RACE DEADLOCKED AS CONSERVATIVES FALTER ON CENSUS DECISION
• Momentum Magazine: Census Counts Bicycles Too
• The Hill Times: How justified are privacy, coercion concerns related to long-form census? Since both the penalties and the content of the questionnaires are the government’s prerogative, why did they not simply address both issues within the context of its review of the census?
• Montreal Gazette: The challenge: Getting Canadians to fill out the voluntary census
• Globe and Mail: Canadian rock star Hawksley Workman on the census controversy
• Winnipeg Free: Press Brouhaha over census farcical
• CPAC sessions on Aug. 27
• The Cranbrook Townsman: The new voluntary census
• Globe and Mail: Census ‘raspberries’ put Tories on par with Liberals
• Calgary Herald: End of mandatory census ‘mindless,’ government warned
• Times&transcript: Taking care of the care givers in New Brunswick
• The Vancouver Sun: Canadians offering donations to Francophone group’s census battle
• Global National: Census changes impact statistical integrity, hearing told
• National Post: Scrap the long form
• Rebuttal to the above: Something more effective
• Post Media News: Long-form census ‘a public good,’ committee hears
• Caledon Enterprise: In response to Mr. Paul Smith and your queries on the census
• Canadian Press: Tories promote ignorance, say Liberals
• Fogarty Law Firm: Canada’s proposed 2011 Census reform: Are concerns of opposition parties and the media legitimate?

MEDIA ADVISORY: Health-care professionals protest cuts to long form census

TORONTO – Sept. 1, 2010 – Medical and population health researchers and health-care professionals are convinced that the cancellation of the mandatory long form census will create a significant health risk for Canadians. That’s why they are participating in a series of media events in cities across the country on Thursday, September 2.

Initiated by the “Save the Census Campaign”, being spearheaded by social planning bodies across Canada, these events will feature Medical Officers of Health, physicians, nurses, medical researchers, representatives of Community Health Centres and other health-care professionals who are concerned about the health implications of this decision.

“Long form census data is used to make decisions about local health care and public health services, and as a foundation for population-based research into medical conditions and diseases. Loss of this data will make it more difficult to address the pressing health needs of Canadians,” said Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto.

Events are planned for Thursday, September 2^nd in Toronto, Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Confirmed participants include Medical Officers of Health, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), the Canadian and Ontario Epidemiological Societies, and front-line medical researchers.

EVENT LISTING

TORONTO

Tomorrow, Thursday September 2^nd, 10:00 a.m.

Women’s College Hospital, Main Lobby, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto (please note there is NO on-site parking)

Organizer: John Campey, Social Planning Toronto (416) 351-0095 x 260

Speakers:

• Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto
• Rob Milling, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
• John McLaughlin, Vice-President, Population Studies and Surveillance, Cancer Care Ontario
• Anne-Marie Holt, President, Ontario Association of Public Health Epidemiologists
• Cherie Miller, Director of Community Health, Regent Park Community Health Centre

OTTAWA

Thursday, September 2^nd, 10:00 a.m. Carlington Community and Health Services, 930 Merivale Road, Ottawa ON

Organizer: Peggy Taillon, Canadian Council on Social Development (613) 236 8977 x 1

Speakers:

• Dr. Isra G. Levy, Chief Medical Officer of Health, City of Ottawa
• Michael Birmingham, Executive Director Carlington Community & Health Services and National Association of Community Health Centres
• Nancy Watters, Registered Nursing Association Ontario, Eastern Ontario Representative

SUDBURY

Thursday, September 2^nd, 10:00 a.m., City of Lakes Family Health Team Sudbury Site, 960 Notre Dame Avenue, Unit C. Sudbury

Organizer: Janet Gaspirini, Social Planning Council of Sudbury (705) 675-3894

Speakers:

• Dr. Chris Bourdon, Chief of Staff, Sudbury Regional Hospital
• Isabelle Michelle, Sudbury District Health Unit
• Dr. David Marsh, Associate Dean, Community Engagement, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

WINNIPEG

Aboriginal Health and Wellness Center of Winnipeg, 181 Higgins Avenue (Time to be confirmed)

Organizer: Wayne Helgason, Winnipeg Social Planning Council (204) 943-2561

Speakers:

• Darlene Hall, Executive Director, Aboriginal Health and Wellness Center of Winnipeg
• Sandra Gessler, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba

EDMONTON

Thursday, September 2^nd, 1:00 PM, Friends of Medicare Office, 10512 122^nd St, Edmonton

Organizer: David Eggen, Friends of Medicare (780) 423-4581

Speakers:

• Dr. Colin Soskolne, President, Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• John Kolkman, Research Coordinator, Edmonton Social Planning Council

VANCOUVER

Organizer: Scott Graham, Social Planning and Research Council BC. (604) 718-8501

For more information, contact:

John Campey, Social Planning Toronto (416)351-0095 x 260 (cell) 647-283-9657

Peggy Taillon, Canadian Council on Social Development (613) 236-8977.

All of the session of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (August 27, 2010) are now available as Video on Demand on CPAC.  The Sessions include:

MPs are continuing to study a plan to change Canada’s long-form census. Several witnesses are appearing to discuss the controversial proposal, which would make the long form voluntary but sent to more homes.

The first panel features Mel Cappe, president of the Institute for Research in Public Policy, Ian McKinnon, chair of the National Statistics Council, Joseph Lam, vice-president of the Canada First Community Organization, James Turk and Michael Ornstein from the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Clément Chartier, president of the Métis National Council, and farmer James Henderson.

The second panel features Micheal Vonn of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Michael Veall, economics professor at McMaster University, Jean-Pierre Beaud, dean of political science and law at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Victor Oh, honourary president of the Mississauga Chinese Business Association, Denis Bélisle, vice-president of the Federation of University Professors of Quebec, talk radio host Dave Rutherford, and Ken Murdoch, coordinator of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

The third panel features Peggy Taillon, president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Social Development, Pierre Noreau, president of the Association francophone pour le savoir, Xinsheng (Simon) Zhong, executive director of the Toronto Community and Culture Centre, and Lawrie McFarlane, an editorial writer with the Victoria Times-Colonist.

Worthwhile Canadian Initiative – aka Prof. Gordon found data in the 2001 Census Handbook pp. 29-34 that did a great comparison of census questions between 1871 and 2001 and then added 2006.  His analysis and the table are very enlightening!

This blog post Census Questionnaires – They’ve been long for a long time!  has links to almost all of the questionnaires / schedules since the BNA Act of 1867.

• Le Devoir: Recensement: Nature sermonne Ottawa Harper a pris une décision à «courte vue», dit le prestigieux magazine américain
• Le Devoir: Ignorance mensongère
• CBC News: Liberals to table census bill
• Orangeville Citizen: Harper, McGuinty: contrasting leadership styles
• Macleans: The census: power, knowledge, and role-reversal
• Macleans: Conservatives slammed by science journal over census scrapping
• CBC News: MPs get earful on long-form census
• PostMedia News: Census the least of Canadians’ privacy concerns: Civil liberties group
• National Post: Census the least of Canadians’ privacy concerns: civil liberties group
• The Globe and Mail: Census burden ‘colossally inflated,’ MPs told
• Troy Media News: Why use coercion to collect census data?
• The Toronto Star: Census changes a ‘disservice’ to Canadians, MPs told
• The Globe and Mail: Canada goes off the statistical standard The leading science journal Nature is right to criticize Canada’s abandonment of the mandatory long-form census
• The Globe and Mail: Science journal attacks Harper’s ban on long census Provides essential information for planning the future, professors say in Nature
• The Vancouver Sun: Census changes impact statistical integrity, hearing told
• Global News: Census changes impact statistical integrity, hearing told
• The Mark: In a knowledge-based economy, we need more, not less, evidence-based policy design.
• Rabble.ca: The census and civil liberties: Interview with Micheal Vonn
• Abbotsford Mission Times: Long-running beef with census
• CFRA Radio: Liberals Slam Feds Over Census
• Inside Toronto.com: Mandatory long-form census paints picture of youth suicide
• Toronto Sun: Grits pushing census law
• Edmonton Journal: Alternatives to census long form road to privacy ‘disaster,’ expert says
  Critics line up to attack Harper government’s elimination of traditional survey
• The Telegraph Journal: A litany of mistakes
• The Toronto Sun: Committee tries to make sense of census
• Financial Post: Survey will ‘never be comparable’ to census
• The Calgary Beacon: WHY USE COERCION TO COLLECT CENSUS DATA?
• National Post: Liberals plan to take census issue to Commons
• Vancouver Sun: Long-form census ‘a public good,’ committee hears
• Western Catholic Reporter: Keep mandatory long form census: Catholic Bishops
• CBC news: Committee wants long-form census reinstated
• The Chronicle Herald: It’s time to hold Harper to account
• The Montreal Gazette: Census ‘least of privacy concerns’ Creating more risk. Civil liberties group fears fallout if changes made
• Macleans: The census show trials
• Radio Canada: Nature dénonce Ottawa
• Sudburry Star: Census debate rages
• CBC: Committee wants long-form census reinstated

I was taking snack break and while doing so perused the #census in twitter and found this little gem. It is a bit long, but I like the idea nonetheless.  This is simply animating a power point with images if how many’s in a 100 in Ottawa.  We can do so much with data, and why not this type of reporting of the findings, and some engaging visualizations like they do in the NY Times while we are at it!  Looks like the Peel Region did something similar with their data!

Ottawa as a 100 person village

Lots of great map examples of how to use and share open data in the UK.

The year open data went worldwide: Tim Berners-Lee on TED.com

Great Video’s on How to visualize and creatively think about data.  I can watch these over and over.

1. Hans Rosling: Asia’s rise — how and when
2. Hans Rosling: Let my dataset change your mindset
3. Hans Rosling on global population growth
4. Hans Rosling shows the best stats you’ve ever seen
5. Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals
6. Hans Rosling’s new insights on poverty

I am taking a Census holiday until Wed. Sept. 2.

Today is the last day I have with my son before he goes to Afghanistan as part of the Canadian Military and I have a dissertation that sorely needs attention.

If you have media stuff, or items to add to the list do send them to tlauriau at gmail doc com and I will address them all on Sept. 2.

The Liberals announce An Act to amend the Statistics Act (mandatory long-form census) today.

The Bill – which will be tabled upon the September 20th return of Parliament – clarifies that 20% of the Canadian population will receive a mandatory long-form questionnaire during the period in which the Government of Canada conducts a census. It will also remove the controversial threat of jail time for not completing the census. (1)

Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology Meeting No. 32, Friday, August 27, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

It is important to keep up with Local Actions and the Canadian Council on Social Development ToolKit is very useful for doing that. There are 20+ days left to get your MP on side.

• Le Devoir: Ignorance mensongère
• Jewsish Gen Blog: Canadian Parliament Committee to Meet On Census Long-Form
• Vancouver Sun: Wayne Smith on the census, staff morale and StatsCan independence
• The Telegram: Matters of fact – A little information is a dangerous thing. Less information is even more dangerous: with changes to Canada’s census system and cuts to federal science programs, that seems to be a message that the federal government is keen on ignoring.
• Amherst Daily News: This many voices can’t be wrong
• The Chronicle Journal: Counting on Canadians
• Le Québécois Libre: I Love to Count – The Census and State Coercion
• Worthwhile Canadian Initiative: The census, evidence-based policy analysis and a reversal of roles
• National Post: Survey will ‘never be comparable’ to census

More Cuts - Aislin, Montreal Gazette

• The Sun Times: Change questions, not methodology
• National Post: Stephen Gordon: Why the right should love the census
• The Montreal Gazette: Morale is fine, says acting StatsCan chief Furor over long-form census. But interim boss acknowledges voluntary survey won’t be comparable to census data
• The Globe and Mail: Science journal laments census ‘assault’ Canada’s decision to scrap mandatory long form part of international attack on vital statistical tool, experts write in Nature

Blackout - Aislin, Montreal Gazette