Welcome to the 2026 Census of Population Influencer Toolkit
This toolkit is designed for Canadian creators who want to share clear information about the census.
The census helps inform decisions about everyday programs and services across Canada, like housing, transit, health care, education, and community funding. As a creator, you can help make this information easier to understand and more relatable for your audience.
Everything in this toolkit is optional. You’re free to use the materials as-is or adapt them using your own voice and style.
What's in the toolkit?
You’ll find ready-to-use digital assets that can be mixed into your existing content:
- A campaign overview and creative brief outlining the initiative’s purpose, creator role, suggested themes, content guidance, tags and hashtags, and calls to action to support accurate, authentic census content in your own voice
- Visual content for social media
- Creator-friendly hooks and talking points
Creator guide
2026 Census Creator Guide ( PDF, 888.81 KB)
Campaign overview
The 2026 Census of Population is a national initiative led by Statistics Canada to collect accurate information about the people and communities living in Canada. Census data help inform decisions about programs and services that affect daily life, including housing, health care, education, transit, and community funding.
This initiative invites Canadian creators to help raise awareness of the census by sharing factual, easy-to-understand information with their audiences.
Campaign objective
Creators are invited to support awareness of the 2026 Census by creating content that:
- Highlights why the census matters and how it benefits communities across Canada
- Helps audiences become more familiar with the purpose and value of the census
- Encourages positive conversations and online engagement about the census
- Reminds Canadians to participate when census collection opens
Creators are not acting as official spokespeople and are not expected to provide detailed explanations. Content should reflect each creator’s authentic voice and connect the census to their audience in a natural way.
Target audience
- Canadians aged 18+
- Audiences who may be unfamiliar with how the census works
- Audiences who engage with creators for trusted, everyday information
Creator role
Creators help raise awareness by sharing information in ways that feel natural to their content and audience. The goal is to spark familiarity and conversation about the census, not to provide official explanations or act as representatives of Statistics Canada.
Suggested themes & talking points
Creators may highlight one or more of the following:
- The census has begun! Check your mail for your invitation letter and complete your census online today at census.gc.ca.
- Every background, every story, every voice matters! Complete the census and be counted.
- No matter if you’re renting with friends, living alone or living with family, every household must complete a census.
- Help plan for the future. Completing the census online is quick, secure and confidential.
- Completing the census benefits you and your community.
- Your response matters! Completing the census helps plan programs and services in your community that support employment, transit, education, health care and more.
Creative direction
Creators are encouraged to:
- Use their own voice, tone, and content style.
- Share information in a clear, neutral, and factual way.
- Focus on how the census relates to everyday life in Canada.
Content does not need to feel scripted or promotional. We encourage an authentic, informative voice.
Content formats that work well
- Informational posts using visuals from the toolkit.
- Short-form video (Reels, Shorts).
- Stories with voiceover or text overlays.
Content boundaries
To maintain accuracy and neutrality:
Creators may
- Share information from the Census Influencer Toolkit.
- Use toolkit visuals and talking points as support.
- Direct audiences to census.gc.ca for more information or to complete their census questionnaire.
Creators should not
- Present themselves as representatives or official spokespeople of Statistics Canada.
- Provide advice beyond the scope of the toolkit.
- Answer technical or detailed questions outside official guidance.
Tags & hashtags
When appropriate, creators may tag official Statistics Canada social media accounts and use suggested campaign hashtags to help audiences find accurate, trusted information.
Official Statistics Canada accounts (by platform)
- Instagram: @statcan_eng – Instagram
- X (formerly Twitter): @statcan_eng – X (formerly Twitter)
- Facebook: Statistics Canada – Facebook
- LinkedIn: Statistics Canada – LinkedIn
Suggested hashtags
- #2026Census
- #EveryOneCounts
- #CanadaCensus
Call to action
Creators are encouraged to include a clear call to action directing audiences to census.gc.ca.
- Check your mail for your census invitation letter and visit census.gc.ca to complete your census questionnaire online as soon as possible!
How creators may introduce the call to action
Creators may frame this in ways that feel natural to their content, for example:
- Sharing their own experience completing the census.
- Highlighting why participation matters for communities.
- Discussing how census data is used in everyday life.
Transparency and disclosure
Participation in this initiative is non-paid and does not constitute a formal partnership, endorsement, or spokesperson relationship with the Government of Canada.
Creators are encouraged to be transparent with their audiences and to follow platform-specific disclosure requirements, where applicable.
Use of any materials in this toolkit is subject to the terms of use, including guidance on the appropriate use of official Government of Canada content and wordmarks. Creators should review the terms of use before sharing content.
Creators should direct audiences to official census or Statistics Canada channels for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Social media content
Use these graphics to highlight the 2026 Census on your feed, story or in short form videos and encourage others to be counted!
Best for
- Posts (1080 x 1350)
- Short-form videos (1080 x 1920)
- Stories (1080 x 1920)
How creators typically use this
- You can post the visuals as-is, add a short voiceover, or respond to the information in your own words.
Concept 1: Bold and Bright
Concept 2: Portraits of Canada
Concept 3: 2026 Census look and feel
Follow and tag us
We encourage you to follow and tag us on social media. We’ll also be sharing #2026Census content you can share or amplify on your channels.
- Instagram: @statcan_eng – Instagram
- X (formerly Twitter): @statcan_eng – X (formerly Twitter)
- Facebook: Statistics Canada – Facebook
- LinkedIn: Statistics Canada – LinkedIn
Hook library and talking points
This hook library and talking points page provides short, easy-to-use messaging creators can use to introduce or talk about the 2026 Census in their own voice.
These are conversation starters, not scripts.
Use them to help explain:
- how census information is protected
- how census data are used
- why participation matters for communities across Canada
Creators are encouraged to adapt and interpret these ideas to match their tone, audience, and platform style.
Creator tip:
Think of the census as a conversation starter, not an announcement. Here are a few easy ways creators can introduce the census in content:
- Answering a common question (e.g., “Your census response? Confidential.”)
- Sharing something about their own household or community (e.g., “Just completed the census for our household today!”)
- Asking followers if they’ve completed theirs yet (e.g., “Have you completed your census yet?”)
- Showing themselves checking the mail and receiving their census invitation letter.
- Talking about why participation matters.
- Connecting it to everyday life (education, housing, child care, transit, jobs).
- Encouraging followers to check their mail and complete it online.
- Sharing a quick reminder that it only takes a few minutes to complete.
Your voice is what makes the message resonate.
Hook Library
- Why it matters — Easy ways to explain the impact of the census.
- How to complete the census— Clear instructions to guide you through the process.
- Community and representation — Messages about inclusion and being counted.
- Secure and confidential — Answers to common privacy questions.
- Households and everyday life — Real-life angles your audience can relate to.
Talking points
- How census information is used — How does your data help?
- Privacy and protection — It’s secure and confidential.
- Why participation matters — Every person counts!
- Quick phrases to engage and send off.
Don’t forget to tag Statistics Canada when sharing your content!
Hook library
Engaging messages to jumpstart your creative process.
Why it matters
Focus on real-world impact and decision-making.
- Your response helps governments and your community plan for the future.
- Informed decisions start with strong data, and strong data starts with all of us.
- Census data help shape services people use every day.
- Completing the census helps plan programs and services in your community that support employment, transit, education, health care and more.
- Census information is vital for planning community-based programs and services.
- The census helps communities grow and plan with confidence.
How to complete the census
Make sure your audience knows how to complete their census by following these simple steps.
- Check your mail on May 4 for your census invitation letter.
- Head to census.gc.ca and select “Start questionnaire.”
- Enter the secure access code from your census invitation letter to get started.
Community and representation
Great for storytelling, identity, and inclusion content.
- Every background, every story, every voice matters! Complete the census and be counted.
- Be counted, because your community plans better when everyone is heard.
- Representation starts with participation.
- Completing the census benefits you and your community.
- Your community is strongest when everyone is included.
Secure and confidential
Helpful for addressing questions or hesitations.
- Your census responses are protected by the Statistics Act and kept strictly confidential.
- Complete the census online today. It’s secure and confidential.
- Your personal information is protected by law.
- Census responses are kept confidential and used only for statistical purposes.
- The census is secure and designed to protect your privacy.
Everyday life and households
Relatable messaging for lifestyle and daily-life content.
- No matter if you’re renting with friends, living alone or living with family, every household must complete a census.
- Complete the census for your household, every person matters!
- Every person in your home matters in the census.
- Every household in Canada is asked to complete the census.
- Take a few minutes to complete the census online for your household – it’s quick, easy and secure.
- Your household’s responses help build a picture of communities across Canada.
- A few minutes today can help plan programs and services in your community.
- The census helps communities plan education, housing, transportation and services.
- The census counts people and households across Canada every five years.
Talking points
Talking points provide simple, accurate information creators can reference when discussing the census. They are not scripts and can be adapted to match your voice, audience, and content style.
How census information is used
- Census information helps our communities plan programs and services we rely on every day, such as education, health care, housing and public transit.
- Governments, businesses and organizations use census data to make informed decisions that support our communities.
- Census information helps our communities understand population needs and plan resources for the future.
- Completing the census helps ensure programs and services reflect the real needs of our communities.
Privacy and protection
- Census responses are confidential and protected under Canadian law.
- Census results are published as aggregated data, not information about individuals or households.
- Completing the census online is secure and designed to protect your privacy.
Why participation matters
- Completing the census helps plan programs and services that support communities across Canada.
- Accurate data depends on everyone participating.
- When more people respond, communities receive better representation and planning.
- Completing the census helps ensure your community is counted and heard.
Call-to-action statements
Encouraging your audience to participate.
- The census has begun. Check your mail and complete it online today.
- Your census. Your community. Our future.
- A strong future starts with your response. Complete your census at census.gc.ca.
- Be counted this census.
- Take a few minutes today to complete your census online at census.gc.ca.
- Every household in Canada needs to complete the census.
- Add your voice to the census this May.
Terms of use
Please review the terms of use for information on approved use of official Government of Canada wordmarks and content.
