Presenting data in new, modern ways

Released: 2018-12-03

It's no secret that Canadians are living at a faster pace today than in generations past. Data are more and more accessible, and the way in which information is presented continues to evolve.

That's why in 2017/2018 Statistics Canada has made improvements to its website based on feedback from its most helpful resource—users. With their help, we are changing the way we present information to Canadians to better take advantage of evolving technologies and improve user experience, making it easier for them to find the data they need.

As part of these improvements, we have launched a series of innovative portals, hubs, and videos, and enhanced our website and presence on social media—to communicate information in a way that works for users.

Our online hubs

Statistics Canada's suite of online hubs are designed to bring together many sources of data and information from both the agency and, in some cases, other government departments, in a single interactive and analytical tool. Some of those hubs include:

School's in: This new online module provides teachers and students of all ages with access to a wide variety of facts on all topics concerning Canada.

Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub: This hub is a focal point for data produced by Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics, which builds upon the agency's expertise to develop a broader set of indicators and insights on gender and other intersecting identities, such as age and ethnocultural characteristics.

Sustainable Development Goals Data Hub: This is a one-stop online destination that monitors and reports on Canada's progress on the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Transportation Data and Information Hub: Developed in partnership with Transport Canada, this hub offers an array of information on rail, road, air and marine modes of transportation in Canada.

Our data visualization products

Statistics Canada produces a variety of interactive visualization tools that present data in graphical form. These tools help users interpret the trends behind our data on various social and economic topics. Some of our data visualizations include:

Cannabis Stats Hub: This hub provides information on the use, production and distribution of cannabis in Canada using interactive graphs and tables. The statistical information is grouped under the following four themes: health, justice, economy and prices.

Canada and the World Statistics Hub: This hub illustrates the nature and extent of Canada's economic relationship with the world using interactive graphs and tables. The statistical information is presented by theme such as trade, investment, employment and travel.

Population Clock: This is a real-time demographic tool that shows the pace of population renewal in Canada based on the most recent data on births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, non-permanent residents and interprovincial migrants.

2016 Census App: This dynamic web application provides access to data on people, dwellings, families, income and immigration. It allows users to compare data from two geographical areas.

Food Services and Drinking Places Sales: A comprehensive and intuitive one-stop shop for statistical information on food, consumption trends and restaurant sales.

Our new channels

With more and more Canadians turning to online sources for news sources and media, Statistics Canada has launched a new video series, Review of Economic Statistics. This bi-weekly video provides the latest information on the economy in two- to three-minute segments.

Similarly, the agency has enhanced its well-established presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and recently joined the conversation on Reddit and LinkedIn. Since April 2018, the agency has hosted two Reddit Ask Me Anything sessions. Plans for an Instagram account are in the works for December 2018.

For users who want to customize their access to and use of Statistics Canada's data products, the agency launched My StatCan a few years ago. This feature allows users to subscribe to statistics by topic of interest, to customize their access to statistical products and to participate in online discussions on the StatCan Blog, Chat with an expert and Question of the month.

The agency is currently working to upgrade its My StatCan feature to help users subscribe more easily to different data products and better customize their view of the website.

Our new look

In June, Statistics Canada streamlined and reorganized the look of its website by adding additional filters to refine navigation and search results. While data users can still navigate information by subject, then can now also do through the following categories: data, analysis, reference, geography, census program, and surveys and statistical programs.

Quick facts about our new look

The new geography tool allows users to find information by region or area using an interactive map.

Tables and data products are standardized. They now have a consistent look and feel, including a standard viewer functionality with customization features, such as the ability to modify the layout of the table.

Tables are no longer divided into types, such as CANSIM or summary tables. (A brief overview of the history of data tables at Statistics Canada is available in the article "Fifty years of data tables at Statistics Canada," available in today's issue of The Daily.)

Reference maps have been integrated into data tables to show geographic areas.

For sophisticated data users, the agency now offers a new Application Programming Interface to provide direct access to our aggregate data holdings.

Listening to our users

We think of our website as a dynamic platform, and one that is always evolving to meet the needs of our diverse users. Based on recent feedback, we brought modifications to the data download options and other sophisticated features. For example, improvements have been made to the search by vector feature and it is now possible to display vectors in data tables. What's more, users can now save their customized data selections.

Statistics Canada would like to thank you, our users, who continue to provide us with invaluable feedback through discussion forums, usability testing sessions and comments and by rating pages and visiting our website. We hope these changes help users find the information they need!

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).