Question from a university data librarian to Statistics Canada:

I am wondering about the impact of cancelling the 2011 Census https://www.datalibre.ca/ on the downstream products that are populated with Census long form data:  E-STAT, Topic Based Tabulations, Community and CT and Cumulative Profiles.. etc.. and the data used for thematic mapping.

I am thinking of all the research programs and academic courses that have built these downstream products into their curriculums and programs. What should I be telling students and profs about the future of these products?

What is StatCan’s strategy to deal with the downstream products?

I note there is a Main page for the new National Household Survey athttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/5178-eng.htm.  Will the data collected from the National Household Survey simply be ported into these products? Will there be caveats added to each of these products informing users of the potential hazards of trying to compare 2006 and 2011 data?

After 10 days, the answer from Statistics Canada Communications:

This is the first time Statistics Canada will conduct the National Household Survey (NHS) and the Agency is currently working on many aspects of its development and implementation.

Information pertaining to custom, off-the-shelf, and downstream products that were previously populated with census long-form data has not yet been finalized.

Additional information will be added to Statistics Canada’s website (www.statcan.gc.ca)  by following the hyperlink for the National Household Survey as it becomes available.

Thank you for your interest in the 2011 Census and the new National Household Survey. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

So ah! StatCan is saying they dunnoh?