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Version française


Monday, December 15, 1997
For release at 8:30 a.m.

MAJOR RELEASES

OTHER RELEASES

FEATURES

PUBLICATIONS RELEASED

ADDENDUM TO THE DAILY


MAJOR RELEASES


Travel between Canada and other countries

October 1997

In October, Canadians travelled less to the United States than in September. In particular, the number of same-day car trips was at its lowest level since February 1995.

Fewer same-day car trips by Canadians to the United States

Canadians made 0.7% fewer same-day car trips to the United States in October compared with September. This second consecutive monthly decrease brought the number of such excursions to its lowest level since February 1995 (2.9 million). The Canadian dollar was worth US$0.72 in October, relatively unchanged from the previous month.

Chart: The Canadian dollar and same day car trips to the United States

Since early 1996, the number of same-day car trips by Canadians to the United States has edged down. However, the decline in same day car trips by Canadians to the United States between the peak of November 1991 (5.4 million) and early 1994 was sharper. During that period, the Canadian dollar also dropped, from US$0.88 to US$0.72.

In October, Americans undertook 2.1 million car excursions to Canada, up 0.8% from September. The trend in this type of travel, which peaked in February 1997, has been up since hitting a low of 1.4 million in January 1994.



Table: Car excursions between Canada and the United States
______________________________________________________________________________
                                Americans to Canada           Canadians to    
                                                                the United    
                                                                    States    
______________________________________________________________________________

                               Oct. 1997(p)  Oct. 1996 to         Oct.1997(p) 
                                                 Oct.1997                     
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                             unadjusted                       
                           _______________________________________________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                    '000         % change             '000    
                                                                              
Canada                             1,985              6.7            2,863    
                                                                              
Place of entry/re-entry                                                       
New Brunswick                        125             -4.2              446    
Quebec                               100             -5.5              264    
Ontario                            1,542              8.1            1,377    
Manitoba                              20             -2.7               50    
Saskatchewan                           5              6.8               16    
Alberta                                6              1.2               11    
British Columbia                     186              8.6              698    
Yukon                                  2              4.1                1    

______________________________________________________________________________


                            Canadians to    
                              the United    
                                  States    
______________________________________________________________________________

                             Oct.1996 to    
                               Oct. 1997    
                                            
                                            
                              unadjusted    
                                            
                                            
                                % change    
                                            
Canada                              -3.8    
                                            
Place of entry/re-entry                     
New Brunswick                        5.2    
Quebec                              -8.5    
Ontario                             -3.0    
Manitoba                            -7.7    
Saskatchewan                        -8.8    
Alberta                             -7.5    
British Columbia                    -8.2    
Yukon                               10.5    

______________________________________________________________________________


(p)  Preliminary figures.

Americans continued to make more car excursions (+71%) to Canada via the Rainbow and Whirlpool bridges in Niagara Falls compared with the same period a year earlier. A casino located on the Ontario side opened in December 1996.


Note to readers

Unless otherwise specified, the data are seasonally adjusted (adjusted for variations that repeat annually and for variability caused by the different volumes of travellers associated with different days of the week).

Month-to-month comparisons use seasonally adjusted data. Year-over-year comparisons use unadjusted data (the actual traffic counts). An excursion is a same-day trip.


Drop in overnight trips to Canada by overseas residents

Overseas visitors spent at least one night in Canada on 353,000 occasions in October, down 1.3% from the previous month. The trend has been downward since peaking at 401,000 trips last February. Until then, overnight trips by overseas residents had been upward from mid-1992.

Chart: Overseas residents making fewer overnight trips to Canada

Meanwhile, Americans undertook 0.9% more overnight trips to Canada than in September. The number of trips of this type has fluctuated around 1.1 million since mid-1994.

Overall, the net result was a 0.4% increase in overnight trips by foreigners to Canada, to 1.5 million.



Table: Number of trips of one or more nights to Canada by residents of
selected overseas countries
______________________________________________________________________________
Origin                          Oct.1997(p)   Oct.1996 to    
                                                Oct. 1997    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                     unadjusted              
                           ______________________________    
                                                             
                                                             
                                    '000         % change    
                                                             
Europe                               168              3.2    
France                                34              8.3    
Germany                               30             -4.8    
United Kingdom                        58             16.3    
Other European         
  countries                           45             -8.8    
                                                             
Asia                                 103            -19.2    
Hong Kong                             10            -38.9    
Japan                                 47            -19.0    
South Korea                            9            -15.8    
Taiwan                                11               --    
Other Asian countries                 26            -17.8    
                                                             
Other countries                       40             -2.7    
Australia                             11              7.8    
Other countries                       29             -6.2    

______________________________________________________________________________


(p)  Preliminary figures.
(--)  Amount too small to be expressed.

Canadians made more trips to countries other than the United States

Canadians made 334,000 trips to overseas countries in October, up 0.7% from September. The trend in Canadians' trips to countries other than the United States has been up since early 1991.

Nonetheless, the United States remain the most visited country by Canadians. Canadians made 1.2 million overnight trips in October, down 0.4% from September.

In December 1991, the Canadian dollar was worth US$0.87 and the number of trips of one or more nights by Canadians to the United States peaked at 1.8 million. The Canadian dollar then gradually lost ground compared with the American currency and the trend was clearly down until mid-1994. Since then, the number of trips of at least one night by Canadians to the United States has fluctuated between 1.2 and 1.3 million.

The total number of overnight trips outside the country by Canadians remained relatively stable over the last four months.

Available on CANSIM: matrices 2661-2697, 5780-6046 and 8200-8328.

The October 1997 issue of International Travel, advance information (66-001-PPB, $8/$73) will be available shortly. See How to order publications.

For further information on this release, contact Luc Dubois (613-951-1674; fax: 613-951-2909; Internet: duboluc@statcan.gc.ca), International Travel Section, Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.



Table: Travel between Canada and other countries
______________________________________________________________________________
                               Aug. 1997(r)    Sept. 1997(r)     Oct. 1997(p) 
______________________________________________________________________________

                                         seasonally adjusted                  
                           _______________________________________________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                '000                          
                           _______________________________________________    
                                                                              
Canadian trips abroad                                                         
Car trips to the       
  United States                                                               
  Same-day                         3,003            2,873            2,854    
  One or more nights                 761              736              737    
                                                                              
Total trips, one or    
  more nights                                                                 
  United States(1)                 1,247            1,244            1,238    
  Other countries                    329              332              334    
                                                                              
Travel to Canada                                                              
Car trips from the     
  United States                                                               
  Same-day                         2,066            2,078            2,095    
  One or more nights                 689              686              706    
                                                                              
Total trips, one or    
  more nights                                                                 
  United States(1)                 1,101            1,104            1,114    
  Other countries(2)                 353              358              353    

______________________________________________________________________________


                              Sept. 1997    
                            to Oct. 1997    
______________________________________________________________________________

                              seasonally    
                                adjusted    
                                            
                                            
                                % change    
                                            
Canadian trips abroad                       
Car trips to the           
  United States                             
  Same-day                          -0.7    
  One or more nights                 0.1    
                                            
Total trips, one or        
  more nights                               
  United States(1)                  -0.4    
  Other countries                    0.7    
                                            
Travel to Canada                            
Car trips from the         
  United States                             
  Same-day                           0.8    
  One or more nights                 3.0    
                                            
Total trips, one or        
  more nights                               
  United States(1)                   0.9    
  Other countries(2)                -1.3    

______________________________________________________________________________


                               Oct. 1997(p)  Oct. 1996 to(p)     Jan.-Oct.(p) 
                                                Oct. 1997             1997    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                             unadjusted                       
                           _______________________________________________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                    '000         % change             '000    
                                                                              
Canadian trips abroad                                                         
Car trips to the       
  United States                                                               
  Same-day                         2,863             -3.8           29,671    
  One or more nights                 662             -3.3            8,249    
                                                                              
Total trips, one or    
  more nights                                                                 
  United States(1)                 1,116             -0.5           13,281    
  Other countries                    264              6.9            3,449    
                                                                              
Travel to Canada                                                              
Car trips from the     
  United States                                                               
  Same-day                         1,985              6.4           21,621    
  One or more nights                 562              6.0            7,579    
                                                                              
Total trips, one or    
  more nights                                                                 
  United States(1)                   925              7.0           11,942    
  Other countries(2)                 310             -6.2            3,882    

______________________________________________________________________________


                               Jan.-Oct.    
                                  1996to    
                               Jan.-Oct.    
                                    1997    
______________________________________________________________________________

                              unadjusted    
                                            
                                            
                                % change    
                                            
Canadian trips abroad                       
Car trips to the           
  United States                             
  Same-day                          -3.8    
  One or more nights                -3.9    
                                            
Total trips, one or        
  more nights                               
  United States(1)                  -1.3    
  Other countries                    8.3    
                                            
Travel to Canada                            
Car trips from the         
  United States                             
  Same-day                           6.1    
  One or more nights                 0.2    
                                            
Total trips, one or        
  more nights                               
  United States(1)                   2.2    
  Other countries(2)                -3.1    

______________________________________________________________________________


(p)  Preliminary figures.
(r)  Revised figures.
(1)  Estimates for the United States include counts of cars and buses, and
     estimated numbers for planes, trains, boats and other methods.
(2)  Figures for other countries exclude same-day entries by land only, via
     the United States.



OTHER RELEASES


Steel primary forms

Week ending December 6, 1997 (preliminary)

Steel primary forms production for the week ending December 6, 1997, totalled 301 614 metric tonnes, up 2.6% from the week-earlier 293 865 metric tonnes and up 0.9% from the year-earlier 298 982 metric tonnes. The cumulative total at the end of the week was 14 449 873 metric tonnes, a 6.8% increase compared with 13 528 515 metric tonnes for the same period in 1996.

For further information on this release, contact Huguette Montcalm (613-951-9827; Internet: monthug@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.


Pulpwood and wood residue statistics

October 1997

Pulpwood receipts in October totalled 3 421 131 cubic metres, down 7.5% from 3 696 946 cubic metres in October 1996. Wood residue receipts totalled 6 480 931 cubic metres, a decrease of 1.0% from 6 548 249 cubic metres in October 1996. Consumption of pulpwood and wood residue totalled 9 150 566 cubic metres, down 2.4% from 9 372 647 cubic metres in October 1996.

The closing inventory of pulpwood and wood residue fell 15.4% to 12 125 599 cubic metres, down from 14 336 067 cubic metres in October 1996. Year-to-date consumption of pulpwood and wood residue (91 026 201 cubic metres) increased 2.0% from 89 245 862 cubic metres a year earlier. Figures for 1996 have been revised.

Available on CANSIM: matrix 54.

The October 1997 issue of Pulpwood and wood residue statistics (25-001-XPB, $8/$73) will be available shortly. See How to order publications.

For further information on this release, contact Gilles Simard (613-951-3516; Internet: simales@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.


Construction type plywood

October 1997

Canadian firms produced 151 612 cubic metres of construction type plywood during October, up 3.5% from the 146 404 cubic metres produced during October 1996.

January-to-October production totalled 1 539 079 cubic metres, an increase of 0.5% from the 1 530 744 cubic metres produced during the same period in 1996.

Available on CANSIM: matrix 122 (level 1).

The October 1997 issue of the Construction type plywood (35-001-XPB, $7/$62) will be available shortly. See How to order publication.

For further information on this release, contact Ted Brown (604-666-3694), Pacific Region.


Dairy statistics

October and November 1997 (preliminary)

Dairy statistics for October and November 1997 are now available. These data will be included in the October-December 1997 issue of The dairy review (23-001QXPB, $36/$119), which will be released in February. See How to order publications .

For further information, contact Debbie Dupuis (1 800 465-1991; fax: 613-951-3868), Agriculture Division.


Inter-corporate ownership

Fourth quarter 1997

Today, Statistics Canada releases the Inter-corporate ownership on CD-ROM. This latest edition of Statistics Canada's directory, showing who owns and controls what corporations in Canada, covers more than 70,000 corporations. It presents the data in a user-friendly tiered format, showing the hierarchy of subsidiaries within each enterprise.

The information is based on non-confidential returns filed under the Corporations and Labour Unions Returns Act, and extensive research of public sources.

Inter-corporate ownership on CD-ROM (annual subscription with quarterly updates: $3,000; single copy without updates: $1,750) is now available. The Inter-corporate ownership 1996 directory is also available in hard copy (61-517-XPB, $361).

For further information or to order these products, contact Ron Vanasse (613-951-3469; fax: 613-951-0318; Internet: vanaron@statcan.gc.ca), Industrial Organization and Finance Division.



FEATURES


1996 Census of Agriculture: Profile of farm operators

An addendum, which appears at the end of today's Daily, profiles farm operators using 1996 Census of Agriculture data.



PUBLICATIONS RELEASED


Oil pipeline transport, September 1997
Catalogue number 55-001-XPB
(Canada: $12/$114; outside Canada: US$12/US$114).

All prices exclude sales tax.


ADDENDUM TO THE DAILY


1996 Census of Agriculture: Profile of farm operators

Statistics Canada today issues its second of three releases from the Census of Agriculture with data profiling Canada's farm operators as of May 14, 1996.

This release provides a national overview of the men and women who manage the nation's 276,550 farms, with details on their age, the management structures of their farms, their farm-related injuries, the hours they work on and off the farm, and the types of non-agricultural businesses many of them now operate.

Between 1991 and 1996, the number of farm operators in Canada declined 1.3% to 385,610, which mirrored a 1.2% decrease in the number of farms. A farm operator is defined as a person responsible for the day-to-day management decisions in the operation of a census farm or agricultural operation.

Women represented just over one-quarter of all farm operators, virtually the same proportion as in 1991. British Columbia reported the highest share of female farm operators (35%).

The management profile of Canada's farms changed little between census years. Just under two-thirds of Canada's farms were run only by men in 1996. Women ran the operation on 5% of farms, while the remaining 30% were operated by male-female teams.

An aging trend has been occurring among farm operators as well as the general working population. About 84% of all farm operators were over the age of 34 in 1996, up from 80% five years earlier. The average female farm operator was two years younger than her male counterpart.

Women were best represented on livestock and specialty farm operations, such as goat or horse farms. They tended to manage smaller farms both in terms of area and sales than men. Compared with their female counterparts, men made up the highest percentage of operators on field crop operations, and managed farms with higher sales.

The majority (54%) of farm operators worked only on the farm. But more operators - both men and women - had non-farm work in 1995 than in 1990. Those with non-farm work included two groups of operators, those who worked off the farm or operated another business to help make ends meet, as well as those who had non-farm work and farmed as a hobby or for reasons other than earning a living.

Chart: Over one-third of operators in British Columbia were female, 1996

The census also found that more than 15,000 operators, or 4% of the total, were injured on the farm in 1995, the last full year prior to the census. Most of these individuals were injured on a livestock operation.

Further data on farm operators, such as their education, marital status, income and labour force activity, will be released in late 1998.

Male farm operators outnumber women three to one

Of the 385,610 farm operators in Canada in 1996, one-quarter, or 97,345, were women. While the absolute number of women operators declined 3% between 1991 and 1996, their proportion of total operators remained virtually unchanged.

The number of male farm operators declined about 1% to 288,260 during the five-year period. (Comparisons to data before 1991 cannot be made because the 1991 Census was the first to allow Canadians to report more than one operator for each farm.)

British Columbia and Quebec were the only provinces in which the absolute numbers and proportion of women operators both increased over the five-year period. Women accounted for 35% of all farm operators in British Columbia (the highest percentage of any province) and 26% in Quebec.

British Columbia had 11,685 female operators in 1996, a 17% increase from 1991, and 21,265 male operators, up 12%. Both increases were the strongest in Canada. This growth was the result of a 14% increase in the number of farms in British Columbia since 1991, also the highest in the country.

The number of women farm operators increased from 1991 in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, while the number of male operators rose in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta and British Columbia.



Table: Male and female operators on farms managed by one, and two or more
operators
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
                                           Total operators                    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                        Male                        Female    
                           ______________________________    _____________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                  Number                %           Number    
                                                                              
Canada                           288,260             74.8           97,345    
Newfoundland                         755             81.6              170    
Prince Edward Island               2,515             85.8              415    
Nova Scotia                        4,555             79.6            1,165    
New Brunswick                      3,650             84.1              690    
Quebec                            39,495             74.3           13,665    
Ontario                           71,045             73.3           25,895    
Manitoba                          26,075             78.4            7,180    
Saskatchewan                      58,315             80.0           14,610    
Alberta                           60,585             73.5           21,870    
British Columbia                  21,265             64.5           11,685    

______________________________________________________________________________


                                   Total    
                               operators    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Female    
                                            
                                            
                                       %    
                                            
Canada                              25.2    
Newfoundland                        18.4    
Prince Edward Island                14.2    
Nova Scotia                         20.3    
New Brunswick                       15.9    
Quebec                              25.7    
Ontario                             26.7    
Manitoba                            21.6    
Saskatchewan                        20.0    
Alberta                             26.5    
British Columbia                    35.5    

______________________________________________________________________________


                                Operators on farms with one operator          
______________________________________________________________________________

                                        Male                        Female    
                           ______________________________    _____________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                  Number                %           Number    
                                                                              
Canada                           158,945             92.8           12,305    
Newfoundland                         500             91.7               45    
Prince Edward Island               1,500             95.2               75    
Nova Scotia                        2,910             90.5              300    
New Brunswick                      2,415             94.5              145    
Quebec                            19,170             92.5            1,570    
Ontario                           36,695             92.0            3,205    
Manitoba                          15,195             95.6              700    
Saskatchewan                      38,060             95.1            1,955    
Alberta                           33,110             93.4            2,320    
British Columbia                   9,395             82.5            1,995    

______________________________________________________________________________


                            Operators on    
                              farms with    
                            one operator    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Female    
                                            
                                            
                                       %    
                                            
Canada                               7.2    
Newfoundland                         8.3    
Prince Edward Island                 4.8    
Nova Scotia                          9.3    
New Brunswick                        5.7    
Quebec                               7.6    
Ontario                              8.0    
Manitoba                             4.4    
Saskatchewan                         4.9    
Alberta                              6.5    
British Columbia                    17.5    

______________________________________________________________________________


                            Operators on farms with two or more operators     
______________________________________________________________________________

                                        Male                        Female    
                           ______________________________    _____________    
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                  Number                %           Number    
                                                                              
Canada                           129,315             60.3           85,040    
Newfoundland                         255             67.1              120    
Prince Edward Island               1,015             74.6              340    
Nova Scotia                        1,645             65.4              870    
New Brunswick                      1,235             69.4              550    
Quebec                            20,325             62.7           12,100    
Ontario                           34,355             60.2           22,690    
Manitoba                          10,885             62.7            6,475    
Saskatchewan                      20,255             61.6           12,655    
Alberta                           27,470             58.4           19,550    
British Columbia                  11,875             55.1            9,690    

______________________________________________________________________________


                            Operators on    
                              farms with    
                             two or more    
                               operators    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Female    
                                            
                                            
                                       %    
                                            
Canada                              39.7    
Newfoundland                        31.6    
Prince Edward Island                25.0    
Nova Scotia                         34.6    
New Brunswick                       30.9    
Quebec                              37.3    
Ontario                             39.8    
Manitoba                            37.3    
Saskatchewan                        38.5    
Alberta                             41.6    
British Columbia                    44.9    

______________________________________________________________________________

Larger proportion of women running a farm on their own

The proportion of women who were operating a farm alone increased during the past five years. In 1996, 13% of female operators ran their farm business by themselves, up from 10% in 1991. The remainder ran the operation as part of a team, most often with a man.


Note to readers

Farm operators are those persons responsible for the day-to-day management decisions made in the operation of a census farm or agricultural operation. The terms "farmers", "farm operators" and "operators" can be used interchangeably.

The definition of a census farm was expanded for the 1996 Census of Agriculture. Across Canada, 138 commercial poultry hatcheries and 1,593 operations producing only Christmas trees were counted for the first time on the 1996 Census of Agriculture.

Non-farm work consists of paid work not related to the agricultural operation done by operators, as well as businesses other than farms operated by farmers in 1995.


Men were four times as likely as women to operate a farm on their own. Over half (55%) of all male operators did so in 1996.

The Atlantic provinces recorded the highest proportions of women who operated a farm by themselves, ranging from 26% in Newfoundland to 18% in Prince Edward Island. However, the absolute numbers of women operators in each province were relatively small.

There were other fundamental differences between male and female farm operators in 1996. Women operators tended to be younger. The average age for male operators was 49.0 and for women 46.7 - both increased by about one year since 1991. Similar trends were evident in the general working population.

Chart: Canada's farm operators getting older

About 83% of female operators were aged 35 or older in 1996, compared with 79% in 1991. Similarly, 84% of men were over 34 in 1996, compared with 81% five years earlier.

Quebec had the youngest farm operators on average in the country - 43.1 years for women and 46.0 for men. Overall, one out of every five farm operators in Quebec was under the age of 35, the highest proportion in that age group of any province.

While men were more concentrated on large field crop operations, women were found in higher proportions on smaller, specialty farms. For example, women accounted for 43% of all individuals who ran a goat farm, 39% of all those who had a horse farm and 37% of those on sheep, tobacco and greenhouse operations. They also represented 31% of the 31,600 operators on Canadian farms with gross sales of less than $2,500, the highest share they occupied in any sales class.

In contrast, men represented 82% of the operators on farms with gross sales of $500,000 and over. They also accounted for over 80% of all operators on potato, fur, maple and Christmas tree, wheat, small grains, forage seed and oilseed farms.

Two out of three farms run by one operator

The management profile of Canada's farms has changed little over the last five years.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of Canada's 276,550 farms were run by one operator in 1996. Another 32% of farms were the responsibility of two operators, and three or more operators ran the remaining 5%. This is virtually the same profile that existed at the time of the 1991 Census of Agriculture.

Women were involved, either by themselves or with a man, in running 95,815 farms, just over a third of the total. Women ran the operation by themselves on 5%, or 13,190 farms. Another 82,625, or 30%, were operated by male-female teams. The majority - 180,730 farms or just under two-thirds of the total - were run only by men.

In British Columbia, just under half (47%) of all farms were managed by two or more operators - the highest percentage of any province. This was followed by Quebec (42%) and Ontario (40%). In contrast, in Newfoundland and New Brunswick, just 24% of farms were run by two or more operators.

Dairy farms were the only category in which the majority of farms, about six out of every 10, were run by two or more operators. In contrast, only one operator was at the helm of three-quarters of Canada's wheat farms.



Table: Percentage of farms run by one, and two or more operators
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
                             Total farms       Farms with       Farms with    
                                             one operator      two or more    
                                                                 operators    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Number                  %                   
                           _____________    ______________________________    
                                                                              
Canada                           276,550             63.0             37.0    
Newfoundland                         745             75.8             24.2    
Prince Edward Island               2,215             72.0             28.2    
Nova Scotia                        4,455             73.0             26.9    
New Brunswick                      3,405             75.6             24.4    
Quebec                            35,990             58.3             41.7    
Ontario                           67,520             59.8             40.2    
Manitoba                          24,380             65.9             34.1    
Saskatchewan                      56,995             72.0             28.0    
Alberta                           59,005             61.5             38.5    
British Columbia                  21,835             52.7             47.3    

______________________________________________________________________________

In addition, farms with higher sales were more likely to be run by a number of operators. A total of 27,945 farms reported gross sales of at least $250,000 in 1995. The majority (58%) had two or more operators making the management decisions. On the other hand, only a third of the 151,360 farms reporting gross sales of less than $50,000 were run by two or more people.

Majority of operators work only on the farm

The majority of operators worked only on the farm in 1995. But more operators - both men and women - had non-farm work in 1995 than in 1990. Those with non-farm work included two groups of operators: those who worked off the farm or operated another business to help make ends meet; and those who had non-farm work and farmed as a hobby, or for reasons other than earning a living.

In 1995, about 54% of all operators had no other job than farming, while the rest either worked for pay off the farm (31%) or ran a business other than their farm (15%), such as a bed and breakfast, construction company or machinery repair shop.

The proportion of individuals who did some non-farm work increased since the last census when 37% reported at least one day of off-farm work for pay in 1990. However, while this was the case, changes to the census questionnaire for 1996 resulted in a better count of operators who ran a business other than farming.

Two-thirds of the 176,220 farmers who had non-farm work in 1995 managed a farm with gross sales of less than $50,000 that year.

About 61% of Canada's 52,110 specialty farmers, such as horse, sheep and goat farmers and maple syrup producers, had non-farm work, as did half of the country's beef farmers and fruit growers. On the other hand, only 17% of dairy farmers worked off the farm.

This reflects the differences in these types of farms. Dairy farms have a workload that is more demanding than many types of farms, and differs little from day to day or season to season. Many of the specialty types of farms are more seasonal and relatively small in nature.

The single largest group of farmers who worked only on the farm were individuals who worked an average of more than 40 hours a week on their farm. Farmers in this group were most likely to be older men, who were operating a livestock farm, particularly a dairy farm. More than half of them (55%) were also in charge of farms with gross sales of $100,000 or over.



Table: Percentage of male and female operators by time spent working for the
agricultural operation
1995
______________________________________________________________________________
                                        Male                        Female    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Number                %           Number    
                                                                              
Average hours per week 
  worked on the farm                                                          
                                                                              
less than 20 hours per 
  week                            61,515             21.3           37,460    
20-40 hours per week              68,100             23.6           29,945    
more than 40 hours per 
  week                           158,645             55.0           29,935    

______________________________________________________________________________


                                  Female    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                       %    
                                            
Average hours per week     
  worked on the farm                        
                                            
less than 20 hours per     
  week                              38.5    
20-40 hours per week                30.8    
more than 40 hours per     
  week                              30.8    

______________________________________________________________________________

Women were just as likely as men to work off the farm - about 46% of each group did some non-farm work. Compared to their male counterparts, women farmers tended to work fewer hours, both on the farm and in cases where they worked off the farm for pay. New data on unpaid work should help round out the work profile of women operators in late 1998, when the Census of Population data are matched to the Census of Agriculture.

Quebec farmers least likely to have non-farm work

Farmers in Quebec were least likely to have non-farm work. Only one-third did any work off the farm in 1995. The major reason for this was the heavy concentration of dairy farmers in Quebec. More than a third of all Quebec farmers were milk producers, and an extremely low percentage of them worked off the farm.

On the other hand, there were three provinces in which more than half of all farmers worked off the farm -- British Columbia (56%), Nova Scotia (52%) and New Brunswick (51%). The rate was high in those three provinces mainly because of the predominance of beef, specialty and fruit farms, which tend to be smaller or more seasonal in nature.



Table: Percentage of operators by their participation in non-farm work
1995
______________________________________________________________________________
                                   Total        Operators        Operators    
                               operators          without             with    
                                            non-farm work    non-farm work    
______________________________________________________________________________

                                  Number                  %                   
                           _____________    ______________________________    
                                                                              
Canada                           385,605             54.3             45.7    
Newfoundland                         925             50.8             49.2    
Prince Edward Island               2,935             55.9             44.1    
Nova Scotia                        5,725             48.3             51.7    
New Brunswick                      4,340             48.6             51.3    
Quebec                            53,155             67.8             32.2    
Ontario                           96,940             52.7             47.3    
Manitoba                          33,255             55.1             44.9    
Saskatchewan                      72,930             55.9             44.1    
Alberta                           82,455             50.4             49.6    
British Columbia                  32,950             44.4             55.6    

______________________________________________________________________________

More than one in five British Columbia farmers ran a business other than their farm

In 1995, 15% of Canadian farm operators ran a business other than their farm.

Non-farm businesses were operated by 23% of all operators in British Columbia, the highest proportion of any province. This was followed by 19% of Nova Scotia operators and 18% of those in Alberta. Quebec was the only province where less than 10% of operators ran a business other than their farm.

Men were more likely than women to operate a non-agricultural business. In 1995, 16% of male operators did so, compared to 11% of women farmers.

Operators of farms with relatively low gross sales were more apt to run a non-farm business, either to supplement their farm income, or because their non-farm business was their prime income source while their farm was a hobby. On farms with gross sales under $10,000, 21% of operators ran another business. This compared to 9% of operators of farms with $250,000 or more in gross sales.

Of all of the non-agricultural businesses reported, 46% were described as services, such as an accounting business or bed and breakfast. Sales, such as real estate, accounted for another 23% of businesses, followed by construction (17%) and manufacturing (7%).

Men operators twice as likely as women to get hurt on the farm

A farm can be a dangerous place to work and live. On average, 100 work-related fatalities occur on farms annually, according to the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program. Children under the age of 15 account for about 10% of these fatalities.

In 1996, the Census of Agriculture collected new data about farm-related injuries sustained by farmers. Although these data cover only one segment of the population exposed to the dangers of farming, they provide a useful profile of the operators who sustained injuries in 1995, the types of farms on which they were injured and the types of injuries they received.

In 1995, the last complete year before the census, 15,460 farm operators, or 4% of the total, received a farm-related injury requiring medical attention. Male operators were twice as likely to get injured as their female counterparts. The injury rate for men was 4.6%, compared to 2.3% for women.

Farm operators in the three Prairie provinces had a higher rate of injuries than those in Eastern Canada. Manitoba's operators reported the highest injury rate at 4.6% of all operators. Those in Alberta and Saskatchewan also had injury rates higher than 4%. Operators in Newfoundland reported the lowest rate (1.1%).

Farmers who worked around animals were most prone to injuries. About 5% of operators on mixed livestock and dairy farms sustained a farm injury in 1995, followed by 4.5% on cattle and hog farms.

Younger operators were more likely to get hurt. About 4.2% of individuals under the age of 55 received some form of injury in 1995. In contrast, only 3.7% of those aged 55 and over reported an injury.

Three in every 10 injuries were open wounds, the most common injury, followed by fractures (27%), and sprains and strains (16%).


Note to readers

All data in this release have been subject to a confidentiality procedure known as random rounding. This has been done to prevent the possibility of associating statistical data with any identifiable individual. Under this method, all figures including totals are randomly rounded either up or down to a multiple of "5" or "10".

While protecting the data from disclosure, this technique does not add significant error to the census data. However, there are some consequences for data users. Since totals are independently rounded, they do not necessarily equal the sum of individually rounded figures in distributions. Also, minor differences can be expected in corresponding totals and cell values in various census tabulations. Similarly, percentages, which are calculated on rounded figures, do not necessarily add up to 100.

Percentage distributions and rates, for the most part, are based on rounded data, while averages are based on unrounded data.


For further information on this release, contact Lynda Kemp (613-951-3841), Census of Agriculture, or Media Relations (613-951-4636).

Other tables


1996 Census of Agriculture: Data, products and services

Farm operator variables from the 1996 Census of Agriculture are now available at Canada, provincial and sub-provincial levels. These variables present characteristics and activities of Canada's farm operators including age, sex, residence status, hours of farm and non-farm work, types of non-agricultural businesses operated, and farm-related injuries.

The data publication, Profile of Canadian farm operators (93-359-XPB, $39), released today, presents 1996 Census of Agriculture data at Canada and provincial levels on farm operator characteristics and selected agricultural variables cross-classified by the number of operators per farm and their age, sex and non-farm work. The publication also includes 1991 and 1996 comparison tables.

In February 1998, Census of Agriculture data will be available for the first time on CD-ROM. Entitled the1996 Census of Agriculture CD-ROM: Release 1 (93F0031XCB, $2,500), it will contain all farm variables and selected operator variables from the 1996 Census of Agriculture at Canada, provincial and small area levels.

In late 1998, data showing socio-economic characteristics of farm operators and their families will be released from the 1996 Census of Agriculture-Population Linkage database at Canada and provincial levels. Variables will include marital status, labour force activity, income, and education.

In late 1998, the 1996 Census of Agriculture CD-ROM: Release 2 (93F0031XCB, $2,500, or free for those who purchased Release 1) will contain all data from the first release plus the following national and provincial level data: selected cross-classified data from the 1996 Census of Agriculture-Population Linkage database; and selected historical data from previous Censuses of Agriculture and Agriculture-Population Linkage databases.

In Spring 1999, the analytical publication, Canadian agriculture at a glance, (96-325-XPB, $49) will be available. The publication will present and analyse Census of Agriculture and related data through short analytical articles, maps and graphs.

The User Services Unit of the Census of Agriculture can tailor data products to meet your special requirements, subject to confidentiality constraints. Custom tabulations allow users to create personalized tables from the 1996 Census of Agriculture and historical databases. Thematic maps can also be produced to clients' specifications.

Users may obtain a schedule of upcoming releases for data and products from the 1996 Census of Agriculture.

For more information, or to order summary tabulations or standard and custom data, contact your nearest Statistics Canada Regional Reference Centre, or User Services, Census of Agriculture (1 800 465-1991; 613-  951-2889; Internet: villros@statcan.gc.ca). To order publications, call (1 800 267-6677).