A brief history of the Canadian census

A census history timeline

• 1666

  The first census in North America

  The first ever census taken in what would eventually become Canada was conducted in 1666 by the Intendant of New France, Jean Talon. Talon conducted most of the census himself, going from door-to-door, recording people’s name, gender, age and occupation. This included 7 butchers, 11 bakers, and 3 candlestick makers.

• 1871

  The first Canadian national census

  The Constitution Act (1867) required that a national census be undertaken every 10 years. The first of these was held in 1871. While it was a “national” census, it included only the four original provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), even though both Manitoba and British Columbia were also part of Confederation by this date.

• 1906

  The Prairie provinces census

  In 1906, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta began to conduct the census every five years to keep up with the economic growth in Western Canada.

• 1921

  One questionnaire for agriculture data

  Agriculture data have been collected in what is now Canada since the first pre-Confederation census in 1666. From the first post-Confederation national census in 1871 until 1921, agriculture data were collected through multiple separate census forms. This changed in 1921, when a single questionnaire was used to collect agricultural data. Since then, Canadians have continued to benefit from a dedicated Census of Agriculture, which provides invaluable data on one of Canada’s most important sectors.

• 1941

  Sampling is introduced

  The first Canadian census to use sampling as a method of data collection was the 1941 Census. Previously, all households received the same census questionnaire. However, during the 1941 Census, 9 out of 10 households started receiving a shorter, more basic questionnaire, while 1 out of 10 received a longer, more detailed questionnaire. In 1951, these ratios were changed so that 20% of households received the long-form questionnaire.

• 1971

  The Statistics Act of 1971

  The first steps towards the modern census were taken in 1971. Not only was the agency responsible for the census renamed from the Dominion Bureau of Statistics to Statistics Canada, but the census would now be taken every five years. The 1971 Census was also the first census to include self-enumeration, where each household (outside Indigenous reserves and Northern communities) would complete their questionnaire themselves before sending it back to Statistics Canada. This was also the year that marked the 100^th anniversary of the Canadian national census.

• 2016

  Reinstatement of the long-form census

  In 2010, an order in council was issued to replace the mandatory long-form census questionnaire with the voluntary National Household Survey for the 2011 Census of Population. On December 7, 2016, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development introduced Bill C-36 to amend the Statistics Act, and the mandatory long-form questionnaire was brought back for the 2016 Census.

• 2021

  The first pandemic census

  The 2021 Census was the first Canadian census to take place during a pandemic. A number of changes had to be made to the census in response to the realities of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, including conducting physically distanced enumeration and making the census questionnaire available online for everyone to complete.