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Census Media Round-up

September 20, 2010 in canada, Census, policy, politics by Tracey | 3 comments

IT World: Why IT must oppose Tories on long-form census
National Post:The 10 issues MPs face as Parliament resumes
The Globe and Mail: Census changes to complicate central bank’s analyses, Carney says
Canadian Press: Quebec suggests solution to census debate
Study: Potential Impact of Voluntary Survey on Selected Variables: June 21, 2010 CSMS.
The Record: Quebec’s stats agency suggests solution to debate over federal census
The Toronto Sun: Carney’s census issues take precedence
Toronto Sun: Retired StatsCan boss still in the building
CBC News: Canada must study census best practices: agency
The Daily Graphic: RM supports long-form census
St. Albert Gazette: Quebec’s stats agency suggests solution to debate over federal census
Penticton Western News: Council steps-in on census debate
Eaves: Census Update: It’s the Economy, Stupid
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative: The experts weigh in: Four very good commentaries on the census in Canadian Public Policy
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative: Will a voluntary census be more truthful?
Macleans: The present and future of the census
The Institut de la statistique du Québec: Recensement 2011 : le questionnaire long doit être obligatoire
Canadian Public Policy: The Politics of the Census: Lessons from Abroad
Canadian Public Policy: The Importance of the Long Form Census to Canada
Canadian Public Policy: The Value of the Long Form Canadian Census for Long Term National and International Research
Canadian Public Policy: 2B or Not 2B? What Should Have Happened with the Canadian Long Form Census? What Should Happen Now?
York Region: Services suffer if census scrapped: York
Progressive Economics Forum: The Rules of Disengagement
L’Institut de la statistique du Québec: Recensement 2011: le questionnaire long doit être obligatoire
Now Magazine: Making no census HARPER AIMS TO GIVE BIG CORPORATE BUDS A MONOPOLY ON INFO
Global Times: Canadian politicians, bureaucrats brawl over compulsory census
The Windsor Star: Why the census matters
National Post: Build it, and they will vote
Then when you have the data – Tightened muzzle on scientists – your not allowed to talk about it! The Coast also discusses this issue Muzzling Enviro Canada Canada’s largest environmental body, once a rich source of scientific information, is hiding from the public. and a discussion on Slashdot.
Daily Herald: Census changes concern health community
People’s Daily Online: Canada debates removal of compulsory fill-out in 2011 census
The Vancouver Sun: Canada will pay price for census decision: authors Will raise the cost of information, U.S. statisticians say
Maple Ridge News: Maple Ridge council supports long-form census
The Toronto Star: Health at risk if long-form census scrapped: experts
Winnipeg Free Press: Harper’s Tories looking for new narrative as Parliament sitting looms
Telegraph Journal: Tool can help governments form policy, developer says
The Ottawa Citizen: The coalition era begins
The Spec: Harper peddling anti-census paranoia to public
Business News Network: The census and the state of Canadian statistics

Census Q & A – A data librarian asked

September 20, 2010 in canada, Census, federal government, government, policy, politics by Tracey | 1 comment

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?

And now for something completely different – E-Waste

September 12, 2010 in canada, infrastructure, policy by Tracey | Permalink

I have always had issues with labeling the Internet Age as green. The power use of data & server farms, electronics waste, third world dismantling of toxic materials from e-waste, the massive materiality of the communication infrastructure, satellite waste in space, the conversion to flat screens, the want for a shiny new phone or ipod, old batteries and so on. Just cuz there is a claim that we use less paper, by no means makes the Internet and computer age green. Over the years I have written about electronic waste and in my housing coop we invariably get members dropping off all sorts of nefarious electronics that do not always get picked up by the neighbours let alone the fine waste removal folks. I am always struggling to find good educational material to share as often in an annoyed state I start sounding like a nag. Until now! Check out this City of Toronto add about collecting e-waste! Corny awesomeness! (via BoingBoing)

Articles:

Big Census Media Round-up

September 11, 2010 in canada, Census, government, policy, politics by Tracey | 1 comment

I was busy with this thing called a job and was delayed in my census work. But here you have it, a round up for the week. I have not searched my #census yet, but will do so tomorrow.

Also, it ain’t too late to save the census! They just need to put a sticky note on the envelope or insert a new cover page that says : this is a CENSUS and it is MANDATORY.

Senior’s Daily Online: CARP opposes plans to scrap long form census
Globe and Mail: Government study reveals significant errors in voluntary census
Inside Halton: Long-form census is a valuable tool
The Hamilton Spectator: You can’t set good policy without good census data, say local leaders
Cape Breton Post: Clarke’s declaration has stirred the pot
National Post: Liberals plan to take census issue to Commons
The Mark: The StatsCan study was conducted before the government announced its plan to scrap the mandatory census.
Toronto Star: Time to remove Clement
Globe and Mail: Digital age mapping delivers productivity gains
CBC Podcast: 09/09/10: Pt 3 – Munir Sheikh spent almost 40 years as a civil servant in Ottawa. It’s hardly the kind of work that makes you a household name … unless you end your career by resigning from Statistics Canada at the height of the controversy over the mandatory long-form census. We talk to Munir Sheikh about the importance of good data and why he felt he had to resign his post.
Audio: Spaces, Places and Faces: Ernie Boyko and Wendy Watkins: The 2011 Canadian
Guelph Mercury: Voluntary long census form will bias data says doctor Census
Ottawa Citizen: Letter to PM: Let chief statistician decide the census Former top bureaucrats launch unusual appeal to Harper
CAUT Bulletin: Harper Told: ‘Restore Long-Form Census’
Globe and Mail: Let top statistician resolve census issue, former civil servants urge PM
The Hamilton Spectator: Removing threat, not the census
Durham Region: Durham opposed to change in census form
MapleRidge News: Council supports long form census
Toronto Sun: We’re about to find out how smart Stephen Harper is: Den Tandt
The Hamilton Spectator: You can’t set good policy without good census data, say local leaders
The Montreal Gazette; The challenge: Getting Canadians to fill out the voluntary census
The China Daily: Roundup: Canada debates removal of compulsory fill-out in 2011 census
The Sudbury Star: Census yields less reliable data
The Mark: This fall, the Liberal Party will fight to make the census reputable and statistically reliable.
The Cranbrook Daily Townsman: The new voluntary census
The Briefing Note: GSA Census
HQ Prince George: CFS AGAINST SCRAPPING THE LONG FORM CENSUS
Media Daily News: A Census-ational Summer
Evening Telegraph: 2011 census so important for Peterborough
Globe and Mail: Why does the Harper government do what it does? Beats us
The Haliburton County Echo: Scrapping census will hinder funding opportunities, service organizations say
The Western Standard: The Long Census Goodbye
University of Lethbridge: SACPA September 9 — Is Scrapping the Mandatory Census Long Form Short Sighted?
Medicine Hat News: Residents talking census, gun registry
Brandon Sun: Switch to voluntary census puts vulnerable at risk, coalition charges

Working with Census Data – Ontario’s Social Landscape: Socio-demographic trends and conditions in communities

September 8, 2010 in canada, Census, Open Data by Tracey | Permalink

Many of the Social Planning Network of Ontario’s (SPNO) members in collaboration with the Community Social Data Strategy purchase Census data as a consortium to produce reports of the like of this latest report, Ontario’s Social Landscape: Socio-demographic trends and conditions in communities across the province. The report provides valuable information about Ontario and its evolving communities. Chalk-full of demographic and socio-economic data, the report is offered as a resource for program planning, needs assessments, advocacy initiatives, public policy development, research projects and more.

“Ontario’s Social Landscape paints a picture of our communities, telling us where we’re at and where we’re headed”, commented SPNO Board Chair Janet Gasparini. Key indicator data quantify social realities in Ontario communities – from the recession’s impact on the economy to the issues of affordable housing and electoral participation. This information is essential for planning services to meet the needs of changing communities, engaging and mobilizing residents and taking action to create the communities we want.

Ted Hildebrandt, Research team member
thildebrandt@cdhalton.ca

Janet Gasparini, President, Social Planning Network of Ontario
jgasparini@spcsudbury.ca

Download Full Report

Download Report Summary

Weekend Census Media Roundup

September 7, 2010 in campaigns, canada, Census, federal government, policy, politics by Tracey | Permalink

Toronto Star: Health at risk if long-form census scrapped: experts
AM630 CHED Radio: Support grows for the long form census
Montreal Gazette: PM’s top aide expected step aside
Radio Canada: Levée de boucliers des professionnels de la santé
Digital Journal: Losing the census will impact Canadian’s health
CBC News: EKOS Extra: Who <3s you, mandatory long form census?
Northern Life: Mandatory long form census influences health policy, research
Winnipeg Free Press: Switch to voluntary census puts vulnerable at risk, coalition charges
Cranbrook Daily Townsman: Voluntary long-form census will be more accurate than mandatory, says Abbott (just because there are more does not mean it is more accurate!)
Digital Journal: Census Canada 2011 : Short Form Instructions
The Sudbury Star: Census yields less reliable data
The Daily Herald: Census changes concern health community
The Hill Times: Summer Census crisis of 2010 was bizarre, unnecessary, overblown, says Powers
Canadian School Board Association: The Census Debate: How Will the Elimination of the Long-Form Census Affect Education in Canada?
Toronto Star: Tories are clever tacticians
Edmonton Journal: Poll showing Grits even with Tories deceiving
Rabble.ca: Not Rex: The long and the short – census, guns and more
The McGill Daily: Student government opposes census changes

Special Cmtee Meeting on the Census available on CPAC

August 31, 2010 in canada, Census, federal government, policy, politics by Tracey | 1 comment

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.

ALERT – An Act to amend the Statistics Act (mandatory long-form census) + INDU Cmtee

August 26, 2010 in canada, Census, policy, politics by Tracey | Permalink

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.