The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 population. Census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census

Canada 2011 Census

The Canada 2011 Census is a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population on May 10, 2011. Statistics Canada—an agency of the Canadian government—conducts a nationwide census every five years...

. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897. This count was lower than the official July 1, 2006 population estimate of 32,623,490 people.

Summary

Over 12.7 million households, 32.5 million people were expected to be counted. Canada Post

Canada Post

Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...

 delivered census forms by mail to 70% of the country, primarily residents in urban areas. Census enumerators delivered to the remaining 30% of households. Every fifth home received the long questionnaire (53 questions versus 8 questions on the short form). For the first time, Canadian residents were able to go online to fill in their forms. Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

 expected approximately 20% of households to file their surveys electronically. Persistent census staff are contacting tardy households. The total estimated cost of the 2006 census is $567 million spread over seven years, employing more than 25,000 full and part-time census workers.

New in the 2006 Census Questionnaire:

• Education. Where did individuals receive their highest level of education? (Only on extended questionnaire)
• Income. Permission to use income information from individual's income tax file. Income from child benefits. Income tax paid. (Also only on extended questionnaire)
• Access to personal information. Permission to make information public in 92 years.

Questions not asked in the 2006 Census:

• Religion. Normally asked only once every 10 years, and the religion question was asked in the 2001 Census
  Canada 2001 Census
  The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
  
  .
• Education. The number of years of schooling received.

Modified questions:

• Education.

Data products

As the data are collected and digitized, Statistics Canada releases various categories of census data. On March 13, 2007, the first batch of data was released, covering population and dwelling counts by geographical unit. This has been followed by other census reports.

Population and dwelling counts

The first release of 2006 Census data was on March 13, 2007, covering population and dwelling counts by geographical unit.

Population of the provinces and territories

Province / territory	Population	% Change (2001–2006)	Total private dwellings	Population density per square kilometre
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...	505,469	-1.5	235,958	1.36
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...	135,851	+0.4	62,753	23.9
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...	913,462	+0.6	425,681	17.63
New Brunswick New Brunswick New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...	729,997	+0.1	331,619	10.5
Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....	7,546,131	+4.3	3,452,300	5.63
Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....	12,160,282	+6.6	4,972,869	13.8
Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...	1,148,401	+2.6	491,724	2.14
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....	968,157	-1.1	387,160	1.67
Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...	3,290,350	+10.6	1,335,745	5.38
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...	4,113,487	+5.3	1,788,474	4.7
Yukon Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....	30,372	+5.9	15,296	0.065
Northwest Territories Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...	41,464	+11.0*	16,774	0.037
Nunavut Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...	29,474	+10.2	9,041	0.015
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	31,612,897	+5.4	13,576,855	3.41

* This change is likely overstated due to improvements in coverage of the Northwest Territories in 2006. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Symbol.cfm?T=101&F=E&G=61&GK=PR

Age and sex

The second release of 2006 Census data was on July 17, 2007, covering age and sex of the Canadian population. Among other findings, Statistics Canada reported that the 65-and-over population was at a record high of 13.7% of the total population of Canada. By comparison, the 2001 census found that the 65-and-over population was 13.0% of the total population of Canada.

Population of each province and territory by age and sex

Province / territory	0 to 14	15-64	65+	Males	Females
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...	78,230	356,975	70,265	245,730	259,740
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...	23,985	91,685	20,185	65,595	70,260
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...	146,435	628,815	138,210	439,835	473,630
New Brunswick New Brunswick New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...	118,255	504,110	107,635	355,495	374,500
Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....	1,252,510	5,213,335	1,080,285	3,687,695	3,858,435
Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....	2,210,800	8,300,300	1,649,180	5,930,700	6,229,580
Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...	225,175	761,340	161,890	563,275	585,125
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....	187,695	631,155	149,305	475,240	492,915
Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...	631,515	2,305,425	353,410	1,646,800	1,643,550
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...	679,605	2,834,075	599,810	2,013,985	2,099,495
Yukon Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....	5,720	22,365	2,290	15,280	15,090
Northwest Territories Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...	9,920	29,570	1,975	21,225	20,240
Nunavut Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...	10,000	18,660	810	15,105	14,365
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	5,579,835	21,697,805	4,335,255	15,475,970	16,136,925

Families, marital status, households and dwelling characteristics

The third release of 2006 Census data was on September 12, 2007 and covered families/households, marital status, and dwelling characteristics.

The following table displays various census data (derived from the 20% sample that completed the long questionnaire) on marital status for the Canadian population aged 15 years or more, as well as data on the number of couples by various criteria, and where available the percentage change from the 2001 census:

	Number	% Change (2001–2006)
Population aged 15 years and over	26,033,060	+7.2
Legally married (and not separated)	12,470,400	+3.8
Separated, but still legally married	775,425	+5.7
Divorced	2,087,390	+12.5
Widowed	1,612,815	+4.6
In a common-law relationship	2,731,635	+19.6
In a same-sex union	90,695	+32.6
Same-sex couples	45,350
Male same-sex married couples	4,010
Female same-sex married couples	3,455
Male same-sex common-law couples	20,730
Female same-sex common-law couples	17,155
All couples	7,482,780	+6.0
Married couples with children	3,443,775	-0.7
Married couples without children	2,662,130	+9.5
Common-law couples with children	618,150	+16.4
Common-law couples without children	758,715	+20.9

Immigration, citizenship, language, mobility and migration

The fourth release of 2006 Census data was on December 4, 2007 and covered immigration, citizenship, language, mobility, migration and other population data.

Aboriginal peoples

The fifth release of 2006 Census data was on January 15, 2008, covering aboriginal peoples.

Labour, place of work/commuting to work, education, language

The sixth release of 2006 Census data was on March 4, 2008, covering labour, education and some other topics going with that.

Ethnic origin, visible minorities

The seventh release of 2006 Census data was on April 2, 2008, covering ethnic origins and visible minorities and commuting to work.

Income/earnings, shelter costs

The eighth release of 2006 Census data was on May 1, 2008, covering income and earnings, and shelter costs.

Advertising

In contrast to 1996 focus-groups that found it important to know the legal requirement at the outset, participants of 2005 focus-groups were annoyed or provoked by draft ads reminding Canadians about the census law. As a result of the finding, Statistics Canada's initial newspaper, radio and TV ads avoided mention of the legal requirement. Instead, reference to the census law was highlighted only in ads appearing after census day, to capture late filers.

To encourage participation, Statistics Canada set aside $13 million for "saturation" advertising, including billboards, bookmarks, inserts in municipal tax bills, and ads on bags of sugar and milk cartons.

Outsourcing

Statistics Canada reports less than 20% of the work will be outsourced, spending $85 million over 5 years. Despite an open public tender process, controversy arose on the announcement of a $43.3 million deal awarded to Lockheed Martin Canada—a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....

, the world's largest defense contractor by defense revenue—for the purchase of scanning and printing software and hardware.

Forms

A variety of forms were available in both official languages, varying in length, colour, and recipient's location.

Most households (80%) received the short form (2A):

• English: orange
• French: yellow

One in five received the long form (2B):

• English: red
• French: purple

Federal and provincial employees and their families working in embassies and National Defence bases abroad (2C):

• English: purple
• French: red

In the three northern territories and on Aboriginal communities and settlements (2D):

• English: orange
• French: yellow

Census of Agriculture (6):

• English: yellow
• French: orange

Controversy

Special interest groups have criticised Statistics Canada over the design of questions, accuracy, and the future of the census data:

• Question 6: Relationship. Couples in same-sex marriages were offended by and/or objected to Statistics Canada's instruction that they use the write-in field "Other" instead of checking the "husband or wife" box.
• Question 16: Mother tongue. An anonymous email misinformation campaign advised bilingual francophones to not mention their knowledge of English.
• Question 53: Election to release census data after 92 years. Genealogists worried that future research will be hampered if Canadians didn't check this box.

Nationally, there was a yes response in respect of 55.58% of persons enumerated in the census. The yes percentage was highest in Prince Edward Island, 64.50%, and lowest in Nunavut, 51.39%. Individual respondents are permitted to change their response to this question by mailing in a request-for-change form.

The quality of data was further hampered by individuals who advocated minimal cooperation or non-cooperation, in protest to the outsourcing contract awarded to Lockheed Martin. Many people believed that Lockheed Martin would have access to their information, and that the US government could then access that information through the USA PATRIOT Act

USA PATRIOT Act

The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...

. However, despite assurances to the contrary (i.e., only Statistics Canada employees would and could handle, store, and access the information), some people refused to participate fully in the Census.

In addition, Statistics Canada's online questionnaire had been criticized over accessibility issues:

• Failure to comply with Treasury Board
  Treasury Board
  The Treasury Board is the Government of Canada's only statutory Cabinet committee and is responsible for the federal civil service much of the operation of the Canadian government. Among its specific duties are negotiating labour agreements with the public service unions and serving as Comptroller...
  
   guidelines to meet W3C accessibility recommendations for the visually impaired.
• Failure to support open source
  Open source
  The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
  
   operating system
  Operating system
  An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
  
  s. Support for Linux
  Linux
  Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
  
  was eventually added, but support for other operating systems was not.

External links

• 2006 Census by topics and regions - Statistics Canada's page on the 2006 Census.
• Census 2006 - 2A (Short Form)
• Census 2006 - 2B (Long Form)