| Province / Territory | SGC Code | Alpha Code | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and LabradorFootnote 1 | 10 | NLFootnote 2 | N.L.Footnote 2 |
| Prince Edward Island | 11 | PE | P.E.I. |
| Nova Scotia | 12 | NS | N.S. |
| New Brunswick | 13 | NB | N.B. |
| Quebec | 24 | QC | Que. |
| Ontario | 35 | ON | Ont. |
| Manitoba | 46 | MB | Man. |
| Saskatchewan | 47 | SK | Sask. |
| Alberta | 48 | AB | Alta. |
| British Columbia | 59 | BC | B.C. |
| Yukon Territory | 60 | YT | Y.T. |
| Northwest Territories | 61 | NT | N.W.T. |
| Nunavut | 62 | NU | Nvt.Footnote 3 |
Footnotes
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The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is a classification of geographical areas used to collect and disseminate statistics. The SGC was developed to enable the production of integrated statistics by geographical area. It provides a range of geographical units that are convenient for data collection and compilation and useful for spatial analysis of economic and social statistics. It is intended primarily for the classification of statistical units, such as establishments or households, whose activities are normally associated with a specific location.
The SGC is based on a classification system originally developed for the dissemination of statistics from the Census of Population.
The SGC conforms to the basic principles of classification, that is, it consists of a set of discrete units which are mutually exclusive and in total, cover the entire universe. Usually, a classification appears as a hierarchy, each level of which satisfies the above-mentioned principles and is defined by the uniform application of a single criterion. Applied to geography, these principles result in a classification consisting of geographical areas whose boundaries are specifically delimited in accordance with well-defined concepts and which, in total, cover the entire landmass of Canada. The classification appears as a three-level hierarchy of geographical units identified by a seven-digit numerical coding system.
Two criteria were used in the selection of geographical units for the SGC . The first was that they be easily recognized by the respondents who are asked to report geographical detail. Administrative units were chosen because respondents routinely conduct business with administrative units such as a municipality, county or province.
The second criterion was the usefulness of the geographical units for general statistical purposes. Once again, administrative units are suitable because they are significant users of statistics in establishing and implementing programs involving the expenditure of public funds and also because the general public can readily associate statistics on this basis with the names and boundaries of administrative units.
The SGC identifies three types of geographical unit:
Reflecting the primary political subdivision of Canada, this most permanent level of the SGC was affected on April 1, 1999 by the creation of a new territory called Nunavut. Nunavut includes the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories.
This is a general term applying to areas established by provincial law, which are intermediate geographical areas between the municipality (census subdivision) and the province. Usually they are created to facilitate regional planning and the provision of services which can be more effectively delivered on a scale larger than a municipality.
In Newfoundland, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, provincial law does not provide for such administrative geographical areas. Therefore, equivalent census divisions have been created by Statistics Canada in co-operation with these provinces for the dissemination of statistical data. In the Yukon Territory, the census division is equivalent to the entire territory.
Census division boundaries tend to be relatively stable over many years. For this reason the census division has been found useful for analysing historical data on small areas.
Census divisions are classified into various types. The type indicates the legal status of the census division according to official designations adopted by provincial authorities. The exception is the CD type "census division" which describes those units created as equivalents by Statistics Canada in co-operation with the provinces and territories. In 2001, the CD type "Metropolitan Municipality" (MM) is discontinued.
This is a general term applying to municipalities (as determined by provincial legislation) or their equivalents, e.g. , Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories. Municipalities are units of local government.
Beginning with the 1981 Census, each Indian reserve and Indian settlement recognized by the Census is treated as a separate CSD and reported separately. Prior to the 1981 Census, all Indian reserves in a census division were grouped together and reported as one census subdivision.
For 2001, there is a total of 1,052 Indian reserves and 28 Indian settlements classified as CSD s. These are populated (or potentially populated) Indian reserves, which represent a subset of the approximately 2,800 Indian reserves across Canada. Statistics Canada works closely with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to identify the reserves and the settlements to be included as CSD s. Furthermore, the inclusion of an Indian settlement is dependent upon the agreement of the provincial or territorial authorities.
There are two municipalities in Canada which straddle provincial boundaries, Flin Flon (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and Lloydminster (Saskatchewan and Alberta). Each of their provincial parts is treated as a separate CSD .
Census subdivisions are classified into 46 types according to official designations adopted by provincial or federal authorities. Two exceptions are CSD type "Subdivision of Unorganized" in Newfoundland and Labrador, and CSD type "Subdivision of County Municipality" in Nova Scotia which are geographic areas created as equivalents of municipalities by Statistics Canada in co-operation with those provinces for the purpose of disseminating statistical data.
The census subdivision type accompanies the census subdivision name in order to distinguish CSD s from each other, for example, Granby, V (for the "ville" of Granby) and Granby, CT (for the "municipalité de canton" of Granby).
Changes to CSD types for 2001 include:
CSD types added
CSD types deleted
Other changes
Each of the three sets of areas covers all of Canada. They are hierarchically related: census subdivisions aggregate to census divisions, which in turn aggregate to a province or a territory.
The structure is implicit in the seven-digit SGC code, as shown in the following illustration, which uses the code for the city of Oshawa.
| PR | CD | CSD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Empty cell | Empty cell | Ontario |
| 35 | 18 | Empty cell | Durham Regional Municipality |
| 35 | 18 | 013 | Oshawa |
At the outset, numerical codes were adopted for ease of use and clarity. Furthermore, numbers were universally applicable to all of the data processing machines in use at that time.
The use of numerical codes continues but the number of digits in the code changed from six to seven in 1976, when a three-digit code was adopted for census subdivisions because the number of census subdivisions in one census division exceeded 99.
Provinces are numbered from east to west. Because the number of provinces and territories exceeded nine, a two-digit code was adopted. The first digit represents a group of provinces or territories. The following groups result:
The following conventions were used to create the coding system and continue to be used in its maintenance.
The following procedure is applied in selecting names for geographical units:
The 2001 SGC presents standard geographical areas as of January 1, 2001. It includes any changes to municipalities, effective on that date or earlier, received by Statistics Canada before March 1, 2001.
Information received after March 1, 2001, has not been included, therefore provincial or territorial authorities may notice some small discrepancies compared to their official records. The only exception is the name change of the province of Newfoundland to Newfoundland and Labrador which became effective on December 6, 2001.
Several hundred changes are made to census subdivisions every year. These changes may affect boundaries, codes, names, or types. Changes to the census division level also occur periodically. Most changes originate from provincial legislation (revised statutes and special acts), changes to Indian reserves originate with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and other changes come from Statistics Canada.
Legislated changes are effective as of the date proclaimed in the legislation. Other changes are effective January 1, usually of the reference year for the SGC .
The Standard Geographical Classification is released every five years, coincident with the Census of Population. For most statistical applications, holding the geography in a statistical series constant for this length of time is an acceptable compromise between stability and existing reality. Observations at five-year intervals are suitable for historical trend analysis, yet for current series, a tolerable degree of distortion occurs.
An annual summary of changes is available from the Geography Division, upon request. This may be of interest to data collectors wishing to compile data that reflect the actual boundaries of census subdivisions.
The 2001 Concordance tables present for the period between January 2, 1996 and January 1, 2001 the changes that impact directly upon the SGC , such as changes of code, name, or type, and indicate how the new and old codes relate to one another.
The other changes such as partial annexations, and boundary and population revisions, which do not affect the SGC codes and usually involve very small areas and populations, are not shown in the Concordance tables. They are available however in the "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names" prepared by Geography Division.
When Nunavut came into being on April 1, 1999, three census divisions were taken from the Northwest Territories and assigned to Nunavut. It was necessary to adjust the boundaries of these census divisions because the Nunavut boundary did not conform to the existing geography. This adjustment did not have an impact on the original census division codes; however, the territory code changed from 61 to 62.
Other changes have affected the boundaries of some CD s to a greater or lesser extent. Among those are revisions of SGC codes that have modified the boundaries of seven "municipalités régionales de comté" in Quebec: Le Haut-Saint-François (24 41), Le Val-Saint-François (24 42), la Région-Sherbrookoise (24 43), Coaticook (24 44), Drummond (24 49), Rouville (24 55) and La Vallée-du-Richelieu (24 57); the boundaries of four counties in Ontario: Hastings County (35 12), Northumberland County (35 14), Sudbury District (35 52) and Greater Sudbury Division (35 53); and a transfer of the northwest tip of Kitikmeot Region (61 08) to Inuvik Region (61 07) led to the revision of the SGC code of Holman, HAM in the Northwest Territories. These revisions of SGC codes are listed in the Concordance tables.
In addition, as a result of the amalgamation of municipalities (census subdivisions) in Ontario, there are five cases where the census division (CD) is now composed of only one census subdivision (CSD), and two cases where the CD is composed of only two CSD s. For these seven cases, the CD type and names of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality (35 06), Prince Edward County (35 13), Victoria County (35 16), Toronto Metropolitan Municipality (35 20), Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Municipality (35 25), Kent County (35 36), and Sudbury Regional Municipality (35 53) were respectively changed to Ottawa Division, Prince Edward Division, Kawartha Lakes Division, Toronto Division, Hamilton Division, Chatham-Kent Division, and Greater Sudbury Division.
Finally, in Quebec, three new CD names were adopted: Pabok, Denis-Riverin and Sherbrooke were respectively changed to Le Rocher-Percé (24 02), La Haute-Gaspésie (24 04) and La Région-Sherbrookoise (24 43) while, in British Columbia, the CD name Fort Nelson-Liard Regional District was replaced by Northern Rockies Regional District (59 59).
The changes affecting CSD s have been grouped into eighteen types for the manual, each represented by a particular code. (For the Internet version, see also How to Read a Concordance Table).
New SGC codes (code 1) are assigned to newly created CSD s. Such CSD s are:
In the latter case the entries, including SGC codes, for all of the census subdivisions contributing to the newly created census subdivision are deleted (code 4).
Also affecting the SGC code are revisions arising from structural changes, such as the reorganization of CD s. This type of change (codes 7 and 7C) simply indicates a revised code number, with no other change having affected the CSD .
Changes in CSD name (codes 2 and 2C), CSD type (codes 3 and 3C), or CSD name and type (code 23) do not affect the SGC code, but the Classification file is updated.
The most numerous changes are partial annexations (codes 5 and 6), boundary revisions (codes 8, 8C, 9 and 9C) and population revisions (codes 10 and 11), which do not affect the SGC codes, and usually involve very small areas and populations. These changes are not listed in the Concordance tables, but they can be found in the publication entitled "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names" prepared by Geography Division.
Since January 2, 1996, a total of 4,434 CSD changes have been recorded. These changes affected 2,282 of the 5,984 CSD s that existed in 1996, and resulted in a net reduction of 384 CSD s over the period. Of the total number of changes, 1,476 affected the CSD code mainly due to municipal restructuring in many provinces (910 dissolutions, 526 incorporations and 40 revisions of code), 226 affected the name, 224 affected the status and 27 affected both the name and status. Boundary changes and revisions (2,451), and population revisions (30) accounted for the remaining 2,481 changes. Since 1996, CSD boundary changes affected 59 census divisions.
Metropolitan areas are part of the standard statistical areas and include the Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) and the Census Agglomerations (CA). Metropolitan areas represent a small portion of the Canadian territory. Each CMA and CA is assigned a three-digit code that identifies it uniquely in Canada. As a rule, the first digit is the same as the second digit of the province code in which the CMA or CA is located (except in the Territories).
The general concept of these standard units is one of an urban core, and the adjacent urban and rural areas that have a high degree of social and economic integration with that urban core.
A CMA is delineated around an urban core with a population of at least 100,000, based on the previous census. Once an area becomes a CMA , it is retained as a CMA even if the population of its urban core declines below 100,000. Census agglomerations (CAs) are centred on urban cores with populations of at least 10,000.
A CMA / CA describes the zone of influence of an urban core according to the measure of commuting flows derived from census place of work data. It is delineated using adjacent municipalities (census subdivisions) as building blocks. These census subdivisions ( CSD s) are included in the CMA or CA if they meet at least one delineation rule. The three principal rules are:
Another rule concerns the merging of adjacent CMA s and CA s. A CA adjacent to a CMA can be merged with the CMA if the total percentage commuting interchange between the CA and CMA is equal to at least 35% of the employed labour force living in the CA , based on place of work data from the decennial census. The total percentage commuting interchange is the sum of the commuting flow in both directions between CMA and CA as a percentage of the labour force living (resident employed labour force) in the CA .
A CMA or CA represents an area that is economically and socially integrated. However, there are certain limitations to the manner in which this goal can be met. Since the CSD s that are used as building blocks in CMA and CA delineation are administrative units, their boundaries are not always the most suitable with respect to CMA and CA delineation. Especially in western Canada, CSD s may include large amounts of sparsely settled territory where only the population closest to the urban core is integrated with that core. Furthermore, since CMA / CA boundaries for the 2001 Census are based on 1991 place of work commuting flow data, they may not reflect the current boundaries or the current social and economic integration of the urban area.
CMA s and CA s, because they are delineated in the same way across Canada, are statistically comparable. They differ from other types of areas, such as trading, marketing, or regional planning areas designated by regional authorities for planning and other purposes, and should be used with caution for non-statistical purposes.
There were 27 CMA s and 113 CA s in 2001. Two CA s from the previous census became CMA s: Kingston, Ont. and Abbotsford, B.C. Seven new CA s were created: Amos, Que., Amherstburg, Ont., Caledon, Ont., Petawawa, Ont., Brooks, Alta., Squamish, B.C. and Parksville, B.C. However, the Amherstburg CA was then merged with the Windsor CMA due to its high commuting interchange with that CMA and similarly the Caledon CA was merged with the Toronto CMA . Finally one CA was retired because the population of its urban core dropped below 10,000 in 1996: Smiths Falls, Ont. whereas the CA of Strathroy, Ont. was merged with the CMA of London.
Between 1996 and 2001, a number of municipalities underwent name changes, amalgamations, annexations, and dissolutions mainly due to municipal restructuring in many provinces. This situation has resulted in boundary and name changes for some CMA s and CA s: the CMA name of Sudbury was changed to Greater Sudbury, and the CA names of Dolbeau, Sorel, Port Hope, Lindsay, Simcoe, Chatham, and Grand Centre were respectively changed to Dolbeau-Mistassini, Sorel-Tracy, Port Hope and Hope, Kawartha Lakes, Norfolk, Chatham-Kent, and Cold Lake.
This is a standard unit created in response to the requirement for a geographical unit suitable for the presentation and analysis of regional economic activity. Such a unit is small enough to permit regional analysis, yet large enough to include enough respondents that, after data are screened for confidentiality, a broad range of statistics can still be released.
The regions are based upon work by Camu, Weeks and Sametz in the 1950s. At the outset, boundaries of regions were drawn in such a way that similarities of socio-economic features within regions were maximized while those among regions were minimized. Later, the regions were modified to consist of counties which define the zone of influence of a major urban centre or metropolitan area. Finally, the regions were adjusted to accommodate changes in CD boundaries and to satisfy provincial needs.
An ER is a geographical unit, smaller than a province, except in the case of Prince Edward Island and the Territories. The ER is made up by grouping whole census divisions, except for one case in Ontario, where the city of Burlington, a component of the Halton Regional Municipality at the CD level, is excluded from the economic region of Toronto and is included in the Hamilton – Niagara Peninsula ER , which encompasses the entire CMA of Hamilton. ERs appear as a hierarchy covering all the country.
ERs may be economic, administrative or development regions. Within the province of Quebec, economic regions are designated by law ("les régions administratives"). In all other provinces, economic regions are created by agreement between Statistics Canada and the provinces concerned.
There were 76 ERs in 2001, a gain of two ERs from 1996 as a result of the addition of one economic region with the introduction of the new territory: Nunavut in 1999 and, in Quebec, the replacement of the "région administrative" of Mauricie – Bois-Francs ( ER 24 70) by two new "régions administratives": Mauricie ( ER 24 70) and Centre-du-Québec ( ER 24 33).
Other changes concerned the names or boundaries of some ERs . In Quebec, the boundary between Centre-du-Québec ( ER 24 33) and Estrie ( ER 24 30) was affected when the "municipalité" of Ulverton ( CSD 24 49 010) was taken from the "municipalité régionale de comté" (MRC) of Drummond ( CD 24 49) and annexed to the MRC of Le Val Saint-François ( CD 24 42). Also, the name of the "région administrative" Québec ( ER 24 20) was changed to Capitale-Nationale ( ER 24 20).
In Ontario, the boundary between Muskoka – Kawarthas ( ER 35 20) and Kingston – Pembroke ( ER 35 15) was affected when Murray Township ( CSD 35 14 001) was taken from Northumberland County ( CD 35 14) and annexed to the newly incorporated City of Quinte West ( CSD 35 12 015) in Hastings County ( CD 35 12).
Finally in Alberta, five economic regions were affected by changes in the composition of census divisions making them up, as well as name changes. Boundary changes include moving CD 48 09 from ER 48 50 to ER 48 40, moving CD 48 10 from ER 48 80 to ER 48 20, and moving CD 48 13 from ER 48 40 to ER 48 70. The name changes include ER 48 20 Camrose – Drumheller, ER 48 40 Banff – Jasper – Rocky Mountain House, ER 48 50 Red Deer, ER 48 70 Athabasca – Grande Prairie – Peace River, and ER 48 80 Wood Buffalo – Cold Lake.
The relationship between the 1991 SGC and the 1996 SGC is shown using two concordance tables. The first table shows the relationship of the 1996 SGC to the 1991 SGC. The second table shows the relationship in the other sequence, that is, the 1991 SGC to the 1996 SGC. The two tables, taken together, provide a cross-reference of the relationships between the two classifications.
The concordance tables are shown at the lowest level of both classifications, namely the census subdivisions (municipalities). These tables highlight the differences between the census subdivisions (CSDs) of the two classifications, information that is useful when converting data from one classification to the other. (Note that to make the tables simpler the concordance tables are partial. Most of the CSDs have been omitted from these tables whether there was not any change affecting those CSDs or whether the change did not have a direct impact upon the SGC, for example, a partial annexation, and a boundary or population revision of CSDs).
The changes affecting CSDs have been grouped into three categories under the remark column. The first category: Changed to indicates that the name, status, and/or code of a CSD have been changed. The second category: Part of relates one CSD on the left side of the table to only part of a CSD on the right. The third category Equivalent to shows (1) a "one to one" relationship where the CSD on the left is equivalent to one full CSD on the right, (2) a "one to many" relationship: a CSD on the left is equivalent to two or more CSDs (full CSDs and/or part of CSDs) on the right. When one 1991 CSD relates to parts of one or more 1996 CSDs, and vice versa, an asterisk is used to indicate that only a part of the CSD relates to the one against which it is shown.
The concordance is presented in the form of tables arranged in the sequence of each classification. The table 1996 SGC – 1991 SGC presents the concordance in the order of the 1996 SGC, with the 1996 SGC code shown on the left side of the table; the table 1991 SGC – 1996 SGC presents the concordance in the order of the 1991 SGC, with the 1991 SGC code shown on the left side of the table. The illustrative examples below were taken from these two tables, respectively.
| 1996 SGC | Remark | 1991 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1004021 | Port au Port East [Community] | Changed to | 1004021 | Berry Head, Port au Port [Community] |
| 1305007 | Hampton [Town] | Changed to | 1305007 | Hampton [Village] |
| 2461027 | Saint-Thomas [Municipalité] | Changed to | 2452025 | Saint-Thomas [Paroisse (municipalité de)] |
| 3537034 | LaSalle [Town] | Changed to | 3537034 | Sandwich West [Township] |
| 1991 SGC | Remark | 1996 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1004021 | Berry Head, Port au Port [Community] | Changed to | 1004021 | Port au Port East [Community] |
| 1305007 | Hampton [Village] | Changed to | 1305007 | Hampton [Town] |
| 2452025 | Saint-Thomas [Paroisse (municipalité de)] | Changed to | 2461027 | Saint-Thomas [Municipalité] |
| 3537034 | Sandwich West [Township] | Changed to | 3537034 | LaSalle [Town] |
When the concordance relates one CSD on the left to only part of a CSD on the right, this partial relationship is denoted by an asterisk against the code on the right. (Note that the asterisk marked CSD will reappear, against all the CSDs, to which it partially relates.)
| 1996 SGC | Remark | 1991 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4815033 | Jasper [Improvement district] | Part of | 4815037 * | Improvement District No. 12 [Improvement district] |
| 1991 SGC | Remark | 1996 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5911014 | Matsqui [District municipality] | Part of | 5909052* | Abbotsford [City] |
| 1996 SGC | Remark | 1991 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1103005 | Borden-Carleton [Community] | Equivalent to | 1103004 | Borden [Town] |
| 1991 SGC | Remark | 1996 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1103004 | Borden [Town] | Equivalent to | 1103005 | Borden-Carleton [Community] |
| 1996 SGC | Remark | 1991 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2445043 | Hatley [Municipalité] | Equivalent to | 2445040 | Hatley [Village] |
| 2445045 | Hatley-Partie-Ouest [Canton (municipalité de)] | |||
| 1991 SGC | Remark | 1996 SGC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4815003 | Improvement District No. 6 [Improvement district] | Equivalent to | 4803011 * | Pincher Creek No. 9 [Municipal district] |
| 4815007 * | Crowsnest Pass [Town] | |||
| 4815045 | Ranchland No. 66 [Municipal district] | |||
The various components of a given CSD in one classification are sometimes found in CSDs that are quite distant from one another in the order and format of the other classification. In example four above, the 1996 SGC code 4803011* is partially related to 1991 SGC code 4815003. To find the remaining 1991 SGC code(s), to which 1996 SGC 4803011 relates, the user should turn to the other concordance table, where the CSDs are arranged in the 1996 SGC order. The user will find that the 1991 SGC code 4803011 is also related to the 1996 SGC code 4803011.
Users are cautioned that data coded to one classification cannot automatically be converted to the other with the help of these concordance tables.
In addition to the contents of these tables, the other changes such as partial annexations, and boundary and population revisions which are not shown here should be considered by users interested in the exact boundaries and population counts of CSDs. This information is available in the "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names" prepared by Geography Division.
Nunavut came into being officially as a Territory of Canada on April 1, 1999. The province/territory numeric code for Nunavut is 62 whereas the code for the Northwest Territories remains 61.
While as yet there is no official abbreviation for Nunavut, the standard abbreviation established for use within Statistics Canada is Nvt. in English and Nt in French.
Canada Post has introduced a new alpha code (NU) for Nunavut on December 18, 2000.
What was known as the Northwest Territories until April 1, 1999, is now divided into Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Users should be aware that although there is a significant boundary change for the Northwest Territories, the name and code remain the same.
The five census divisions (CDs) of Northwest Territories listed in the 1996 Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) are divided as follows: Baffin Region (04), Keewatin Region (05) and Kitikmeot Region (08) are part of Nunavut whereas Fort Smith Region (06) and Inuvik Region (07) remain within the Northwest Territories. At the lower level of the SGC (census subdivision - CSD), 37 of 68 CSD s remain within the Northwest Territories and 31 CSD s are included in Nunavut. These changes do not impact population counts at the CSD level.
The following convention was used for coding the geographic units (component parts of codes are preserved as much as possible). For the geographic units of Nunavut, the first two digits of the SGC code have been changed (from 61 to 62) whereas the original CD and CSD codes have been retained. However, the new boundary between Nunavut and Northwest Territories shows a part of Kitikmeot, unorganized, including the hamlet of Hollman, remaining within the Northwest Territories. Consequently, Hollman becomes part of Inuvik Region ( CD code changes from 08 to 07). Other changes that do not affect SGC codes are boundary adjustments for the unorganized territories along the new boundary.
Finally, there are two CSD name changes since the release of the 1996 SGC :
| Previous code | Previous name | New code | New name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6104010 | Broughton Island, HAM | 6204010 | Qikiqtarjuaq, HAM |
| 6106052 | Snare Lake, SET | 6106052 | Wekweti, SET |
For all changes to these two territories see: Northwest Territories and Nunavut
NUNAVUT came into being officially as a Territory of Canada on April 1, 1999.
Divisions releasing data at the provincial/territorial level, are expected to produce data for the territory of Nunavut starting April 1999, even if the reference period predates the creation of Nunavut. This may be done by collecting and using actual data or by using and documenting a methodology, to estimate and split the data between the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Divisions that have not done so or are unable to do so, should take special note of the rules relating to data presentation shown below.
This note does not yet address the issue of the rules to be followed with respect to data suppression for reasons of confidentiality and quality. This matter is under discussion and will be addressed separately.
NUNAVUT came into being officially as a Territory of Canada on April 1, 1999. The name Northwest Territories applies to a Territory with different geographic boundaries before and after April 1, 1999.
The following applies to data released in print, through CANSIM or electronically.
For data released after April 1999, when the data refer to the period before April 1,1999, Divisions are required to be careful to footnote (in publications) data relating to the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.), either Northwest Territories (including Nunavut), as defined before April 1, 1999 or Northwest Territories (excluding Nunavut), as defined after April 1, 1999, depending upon the geographical area to which the data refer.
For data released after April 1999, through CANSIM, when the data refer to the period before April 1, 1999, either the data relating to the Northwest Territories should be labeled, Northwest Territories (including Nunavut) or two new series should be started labeled Northwest Territories (excluding Nunavut) and Nunavut.
It is expected that for reference periods after April 1999, separate data for the two Territories will be published. However, if combined data for the two territories are published, for reference periods after April 1999, the data should be labeled Northwest Territories and Nunavut. If for any reason, data relating only to the Northwest Territories (as defined after April 1,1999) are shown, the data should be labeled Northwest Territories (excluding Nunavut)
(As mentioned in the Supplement to the Geographical Standard, the abbreviation for the Northwest Territories is N.W.T. and for Nunavut is Nvt. in English and Nt in French)
Since December 18, 2000, the alpha code officially used for Nunavut is NU.
| 1996 SGC Code | 1996 Census Subdivision [CSD Type] |
Remark | 2001 SGC Code | 2001 Census Subdivision [CSD Type] |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Northwest Territories | |||||
| 6106052 | Snare Lake [Settlement] |
Changed to | 6106052 | Wekweti [Settlement] |
||
| 6108095 | Holman [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6107095 | Holman [Hamlet] |
||
| 62 | Nunavut | |||||
| 6104001 | Sanikiluaq [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204001 | Sanikiluaq [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104003 | Iqaluit [Town] |
Changed to | 6204003 | Iqaluit [Town] |
||
| 6104005 | Kimmirut [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204005 | Kimmirut [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104007 | Cape Dorset [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204007 | Cape Dorset [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104009 | Pangnirtung [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204009 | Pangnirtung [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104010 | Broughton Island [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204010 | Qikiqtarjuaq [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104011 | Hall Beach [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204011 | Hall Beach [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104012 | Igloolik [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204012 | Igloolik [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104015 | Clyde River [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204015 | Clyde River [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104018 | Arctic Bay [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204018 | Arctic Bay [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104019 | Nanisivik [Settlement] |
Changed to | 6204019 | Nanisivik [Settlement] |
||
| 6104020 | Pond Inlet [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204020 | Pond Inlet [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104022 | Resolute Bay [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204022 | Resolute [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104025 | Grise Fiord [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6204025 | Grise Fiord [Hamlet] |
||
| 6104030 | Baffin, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
Changed to | 6204030 | Baffin, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
||
| 6105014 | Coral Harbour [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205014 | Coral Harbour [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105015 | Arviat [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205015 | Arviat [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105016 | Whale Cove [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205016 | Whale Cove [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105017 | Rankin Inlet [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205017 | Rankin Inlet [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105019 | Chesterfield Inlet [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205019 | Chesterfield Inlet [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105023 | Baker Lake [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205023 | Baker Lake [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105027 | Repulse Bay [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6205027 | Repulse Bay [Hamlet] |
||
| 6105033 | Keewatin, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
Changed to | 6205033 | Keewatin, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
||
| 6108047 | Pelly Bay [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6208047 | Kugaaruk [Hamlet] |
||
| 6108059 | Kugluktuk [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6208059 | Kugluktuk [Hamlet] |
||
| 6108065 | Bathurst Inlet [Settlement] |
Changed to | 6208065 | Bathurst Inlet [Settlement] |
||
| 6108068 | Bay Chimo [Settlement] |
Changed to | 6208068 | Umingmaktok [Settlement] |
||
| 6108073 | Cambridge Bay [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6208073 | Cambridge Bay [Hamlet] |
||
| 6108081 | Gjoa Haven [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6208081 | Gjoa Haven [Hamlet] |
||
| 6108087 | Taloyoak [Hamlet] |
Changed to | 6208087 | Taloyoak [Hamlet] |
||
| 6108098 | Kitikmeot, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
Changed to | 6208098 | Kitikmeot, Unorganized [Unorganized] |
||
The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is a classification of geographical areas used to collect and disseminate statistics. The SGC was developed to enable the production of integrated statistics by geographical area. It provides a range of geographical units that are convenient for data collection and compilation and useful for spatial analysis of economic and social statistics. It is intended primarily for the classification of statistical units, such as establishments or households, whose activities are normally associated with a specific location.
The SGC is based on a classification system originally developed for the dissemination of statistics from the Census of Population.
The SGC conforms to the basic principles of classification, that is, it consists of a set of discrete units which are mutually exclusive and in total, cover the entire universe. Usually, a classification appears as a hierarchy, each level of which satisfies the above-mentioned principles and is defined by the uniform application of a single criterion. Applied to geography, these principles result in a classification consisting of geographical areas whose boundaries are specifically delimited in accordance with well-defined concepts and which, in total, cover the entire landmass of Canada. The classification appears as a three-level hierarchy of geographical units identified by a seven-digit numerical coding system.
Two criteria were used in the selection of geographical units for the SGC . The first was that they be easily recognized by the respondents who are asked to report geographical detail. Administrative units were chosen because respondents routinely conduct business with administrative units such as a municipality, county or province.
The second criterion was the usefulness of the geographical units for general statistical purposes. Once again, administrative units are suitable because they are significant users of statistics in establishing and implementing programs involving the expenditure of public funds and also because the general public can readily associate statistics on this basis with the names and boundaries of administrative units.
The SGC identifies three types of geographical unit:
Reflecting the primary political subdivision of Canada, this is the most permanent level of the SGC .
This is a general term applying to areas established by provincial law, which are intermediate geographical areas between the municipality (census subdivision) and the province. Usually they are created to facilitate regional planning and the provision of services which can be more effectively delivered on a scale larger than a municipality.
In Newfoundland, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, provincial law does not provide for such administrative geographical areas. Therefore, equivalent census divisions have been created by Statistics Canada in co-operation with these provinces for the dissemination of statistical data. In the Yukon Territory, the census division is equivalent to the entire territory.
Census division boundaries tend to be relatively stable over many years. For this reason the census division has been found useful for analysing historical data on small areas.
Census divisions are classified into various types. The type indicates the legal status of the census division according to official designations adopted by provincial authorities. The exception is the CD type "census division" which describes those units created as equivalents by Statistics Canada in co-operation with the provinces.
This is a general term applying to municipalities (as determined by provincial legislation) or their equivalents, e.g. , Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories. Municipalities are units of local government.
Beginning with the 1981 Census, each Indian reserve and Indian settlement recognized by the Census is treated as a separate CSD and reported separately. Prior to the 1981 Census, all Indian reserves in a census division were grouped together and reported as one census subdivision.
For 1996, there is a total of 996 Indian reserves classified as CSD s. Statistics Canada works closely with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to identify the reserves to be included as CSD s. Populated (or potentially populated) Indian reserves, which represent a subset of the approximately 2,300 Indian reserves across Canada, have been recognized as census subdivisions by Statistics Canada.
In Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia, the term "census subdivision" also describes geographic areas that have been created by Statistics Canada in co-operation with the provinces as equivalents for municipalities for the dissemination of statistical data.
There are two municipalities in Canada which straddle provincial boundaries, Flin Flon (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and Lloydminster (Saskatchewan and Alberta). Each of their provincial parts is treated as a separate CSD .
Census subdivisions are classified into various types according to official designations adopted by provincial or federal authorities. The census subdivision type accompanies the census subdivision name in order to distinguish CSD s from each other, for example, Kingston, C (for the city of Kingston) and Kingston, TP (for the township of Kingston).
The following six CSD types are new for 1996:
and the CSD type "sans désignation" (SD) in Quebec was changed to the CSD type "municipalité" (M) to conform to provincial terminology.
Each of the three sets of areas covers all of Canada. They are hierarchically related: census subdivisions aggregate to census divisions, which in turn aggregate to a province or a territory.
The structure is implicit in the seven-digit SGC code, as shown in the following illustration, which uses the code for the city of Oshawa.
| PR | CD | CSD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Empty cell | Empty cell | Ontario |
| 35 | 18 | Empty cell | Durham Regional Municipality |
| 35 | 18 | 013 | Oshawa |
At the outset, numerical codes were adopted for ease of use and clarity. Furthermore, numbers were universally applicable to all of the data processing machines in use at that time.
The use of numerical codes continues but the number of digits in the code changed from six to seven in 1976, when a three-digit code was adopted for census subdivisions because the number of census subdivisions in one census division exceeded 99.
Provinces are numbered from east to west. Because the number of provinces and territories exceeded nine, a two-digit code was adopted. The first digit represents a group of provinces or territories. The following groups result:
The following conventions were used to create the coding system and continue to be used in its maintenance.
The following procedure is applied in selecting names for geographical units:
The 1996 SGC presents standard geographical areas as of January 1, 1996. It includes any changes to municipalities, effective on that date or earlier, received by Statistics Canada before March 1, 1996.
Information received after March 1, 1996, has not been included, therefore provincial or territorial authorities may notice some small discrepancies compared to their official records.
Several hundred changes are made to census subdivisions every year. These changes may affect boundaries, codes, names, or types. Changes to the census division level also occur periodically. Most changes originate from provincial legislation (revised statutes and special acts), changes to Indian reserves originate with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and other changes come from Statistics Canada.
Legislated changes are effective as of the date proclaimed in the legislation. Other changes are effective January 1, usually of the reference year for the SGC .
The Standard Geographical Classification is released every five years, coincident with the Census of Population. For most statistical applications, holding the geography in a statistical series constant for this length of time is an acceptable compromise between stability and existing reality. Observations at five-year intervals are suitable for historical trend analysis, yet for current series, a tolerable degree of distortion occurs.
An annual summary of changes is available from the Geography Division, upon request. This may be of interest to data collectors wishing to compile data that reflect the actual boundaries of census subdivisions.
The 1996 Concordance tables present for the period between January 2, 1991 and January 1, 1996 the changes that impact directly upon the SGC , such as changes of code, name, or type, and indicate how the new and old codes relate to one another.
The other changes such as partial annexations, and boundary and population revisions, which do not affect the SGC codes and usually involve very small areas and populations, are not shown in the Concordance tables. They are available however in the "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names" prepared by Geography Division.
A significant revision at the CD level since 1991 affected the province of British Columbia. A new CD , named Fraser Valley Regional District (59 09), was created from the following three Regional Districts: Fraser-Cheam (59 09), Central Fraser Valley (59 11) and Dewdney-Alouette (59 13). This change has resulted in a decrease of 2 in the number of CD s, the 1996 total reaching 288. In addition, the Regional District of Greater Vancouver (59 15) was extended with the annexation of five census subdivisions that were components of the Regional District of Dewdney-Alouette (59 13). As result, in 1996, the Regional District of Greater Vancouver (59 15) is equivalent to the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Vancouver. Finally, a transfer of the southwest tip of Kitimat-Stikine Regional District (59 49) to Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District (59 47) led to the revision of two SGC codes.
Other changes have affected the boundaries of some CD s to a greater or lesser extent. Among those are revisions of SGC codes that have modified the boundaries of two counties in New Brunswick: Restigouche (13 14) and Gloucester (13 15), the boundaries of four MRCs in Quebec: D'Autray (24 52), Joliette (24 61), Matawinie (24 62), and Les Pays-d'en-Haut (24 77), and the boundaries of four census divisions in Alberta: Division No. 3 (48 03), Division No. 12 (48 12), Division No. 15 (48 15), and Division No. 16 (48 16). These revisions of SGC codes are listed in the 1996 Concordance tables.
In addition, five CD names were changed in Quebec. Two new names: Minganie – Basse-Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec were adopted (previously Minganie – Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and Territoire nordique), and the orthography of the three "communautés urbaines" (Communauté-Urbaine-de-l'Outaouais, Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal, and Communauté-Urbaine-de-Québec) was modified to follow the writing rules of "La Commission de toponymie du Québec".
The changes affecting CSD s have been grouped into twelve types for the manual, each represented by a particular code. (For the Internet version, see also How to Read a Concordance Table).
New SGC codes (code 1) are assigned to newly created CSD s. Such CSD s are:
In the latter case the entries, including SGC codes, for all of the census subdivisions contributing to the newly created census subdivision are deleted (code 4).
Also affecting the SGC code are revisions arising from structural changes, such as the reorganization of CD s. This type of change (code 7) simply indicates a revised code number, with no other change having affected the CSD .
Changes in CSD name (code 2) or CSD type (code 3) do not affect the SGC code, but the Classification file is updated. For 1996, all CSD types "sans désignation" (SD) in Quebec have been changed to the CSD type "municipalité" (M) to conform with provincial terminology. This global change does not appear in the Concordance tables because the whole province is affected. Instead, an explanatory note is included to explain that change in CSD type.
The most numerous changes are partial annexations (codes 5 and 6), boundary revisions (codes 8 and 9) and population revisions (codes 10 and 11), which do not affect the SGC codes, and usually involve very small areas and populations. These changes are not listed in the Concordance tables, but they can be found in the publication entitled "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names" prepared by Geography Division.
Since January 2, 1991, a total of 3,442 CSD changes have been recorded. Excluding CSD type revisions (from "SD" to "M") in Quebec, these changes affected 1,489 of the 6,006 CSD s that existed in 1991, and resulted in a net reduction of 22 CSD s over the period. Of the total number of changes, 458 affected the CSD code (28 of them due to structural changes), 157 affected the name and 587 affected the status (485 of them due to a global change for Quebec). Boundary changes and revisions (2,158), and population revisions (82) accounted for the remaining 2,240 changes. Since 1991, CSD boundary changes affected 84 census divisions.
Metropolitan areas are part of the standard statistical areas and include the Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) and the Census Agglomerations (CA). Metropolitan areas represent a small portion of the Canadian territory. Each CMA and CA is assigned a three-digit code that identifies it uniquely in Canada. As a rule, the first digit is the same as the second digit of the province code in which the CMA or CA is located (except in the Territories).
The general concept of these standard units is one of an urban core, and the adjacent urban and rural areas that have a high degree of social and economic integration with that urban core.
A CMA is delineated around an urban core with a population of at least 100,000, based on the previous census. Once an area becomes a CMA , it is retained as a CMA even if the population of its urban core declines below 100,000. Census agglomerations (CAs) are centred on urban cores with populations of at least 10,000.
A CMA / CA describes the zone of influence of an urban core according to the measure of commuting flows derived from census place of work data. It is delineated using adjacent municipalities (census subdivisions) as building blocks. These census subdivisions ( CSD s) are included in the CMA or CA if they meet at least one delineation rule. The three principal rules are:
A CMA or CA represents an area that is economically and socially integrated. However, there are certain limitations to the manner in which this goal can be met. Since the CSD s that are used as building blocks in CMA and CA delineation are administrative units, their boundaries are not always the most suitable with respect to CMA and CA delineation. Especially in western Canada, CSD s may include large amounts of sparsely settled territory where only the population closest to the urban core is integrated with that core. Furthermore, since CMA / CA boundaries for the 1996 Census are based on 1991 place of work commuting flow data, they may not reflect the current boundaries or the current social and economic integration of the urban area.
CMAs and CAs , because they are delineated in the same way across Canada, are statistically comparable. They differ from other types of areas, such as trading, marketing, or regional planning areas designated by regional authorities for planning and other purposes, and should be used with caution for non-statistical purposes.
For the most part, the delineation rules for CMAs and CAs are the same in 1996 as they were in 1991. However, in order to provide an improved representation of social and economic integration, a minor adjustment was made to the spatial contiguity rule: a minimum set of CSD s was substituted for the census consolidated subdivisions (CCS).
There were no new CMAs in 1996, whereas two new CAs in Ontario were created (Smiths Falls and Strathroy) and three CAs (Kirkland Lake, Ont.; Selkirk, Man.; and Weyburn, Sask.) were retired because the population of their urban core declined below 10,000 in 1991.
Between 1991 and 1996, a number of component CSD s of the CMAs and CAs underwent name changes, amalgamations, annexations, and dissolutions. As a result, in 1996, a part of the former St. John's Metropolitan Area was excluded from the CMA of St. John's and there were changes to four CA names: Fort McMurray, Matsqui, Sarnia - Clearwater, and Sydney were respectively changed to Wood Buffalo, Abbotsford, Sarnia, and Cape Breton.
This is a standard unit created in response to the requirement for a geographical unit suitable for the presentation and analysis of regional economic activity. Such a unit is small enough to permit regional analysis, yet large enough to include enough respondents that, after data are screened for confidentiality, a broad range of statistics can still be released.
The regions are based upon work by Camu, Weeks and Sametz in the 1950s. At the outset, boundaries of regions were drawn in such a way that similarities of socio-economic features within regions were maximized while those among regions were minimized. Later, the regions were modified to consist of counties which define the zone of influence of a major urban centre or metropolitan area. Finally, the regions were adjusted to accommodate changes in CD boundaries and to satisfy provincial needs.
An ER is a geographical unit, smaller than a province, except in the case of Prince Edward Island and the Territories. The ER is made up by grouping whole census divisions, except for one case in Ontario, where the city of Burlington, a component of the Halton Regional Municipality at the CD level, is excluded from the economic region of Toronto and is included in the Hamilton – Niagara Peninsula ER , which encompasses the entire CMA of Hamilton. ERs appear as a hierarchy covering all the country.
ERs may be economic, administrative or development regions. Within the province of Quebec, economic regions are designated by law ("les régions administratives"). In all other provinces, economic regions are created by agreement between Statistics Canada and the provinces concerned.
For 1996, the ER replaces the 1991 standard unit called the "Subprovincial Region (SPR)", as a result of the adoption of a single set of areas in which SPRs and the Labour Force Survey (LFS) economic regions were merged. The main geographic change has been the adoption of eleven LFS economic regions for Ontario, which replace the five subprovincial regions from 1991. In addition, the economic region codes and names have been standardized.
The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is Statistics Canada's official classification of geographic areas in Canada. The SGC provides unique numeric codes for three types of geographic areas: provinces and territories, census divisions (counties, regional municipalities), and census subdivisions (municipalities). The three geographic areas are hierarchically related; a seven-digit code is used to show this relationship. In addition the two other areas, Metropolitan Areas and Economic Regions are recognized as standard geographic areas in the SGC .
| 01 | Live animals and live fish |
|---|---|
| 02 | Cereal grains |
| 03 | Agricultural products except live animals, cereal grains, and forage products |
| 04 | Animal feed and feed ingredients, cereal straw, and eggs and other products of animal origin n.e.c. |
| 05 | Meat, fish, seafood, and preparations |
| 06 | Milled grain products and preparations, and bakery products |
| 07 | Prepared foodstuffs n.e.c. and fats and oils |
| 08 | Alcoholic beverages |
| 09 | Tobacco products |
| 10 | Monumental or building stone |
| 11 | Natural sands |
| 12 | Gravel and crushed stone |
| 13 | Non-metallic minerals n.e.c. |
| 14 | Metallic ores |
| 15 | Coal |
| 16 | Crude petroleum |
| 17 | Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel |
| 18 | Fuel oils |
| 19 | Products of petroleum refining n.e.c. and coal products |
| 20 | Basic chemicals |
| 21 | Pharmaceutical products |
| 22 | Fertilizers and fertilizer materials |
| 23 | Chemical products and preparations n.e.c. |
| 24 | Plastics and rubber |
| 25 | Logs and other wood in the rough |
| 26 | Wood products |
| 27 | Pulp, newsprint, paper, and paperboard |
| 28 | Paper or paperboard articles |
| 29 | Printed products |
| 30 | Textiles, leather, and articles |
| 31 | Non-metallic mineral products |
| 32 | Base metal in primary or semi-finished forms and in finished basic shapes |
| 33 | Articles of base metal |
| 34 | Machinery |
| 35 | Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment |
| 36 | Vehicles |
| 37 | Transportation equipment n.e.c. |
| 38 | Precision instruments and apparatus |
| 39 | Furniture, mattresses and mattress supports, lamps, lighting fittings, and illuminated signs |
| 40 | Miscellaneous manufactured products |
| 41 | Waste and scrap |
| 42 | Miscellaneous transported products |
