How the report is structured

• The report in short
• Acronyms and abbreviations
• What is covered
  • 1. Background
  • 2. About the evaluation
• What we learned
  • 1. Relevance: Continued need
  • 2. Performance: Achievement of intended results
  • 3. Efficiency and sustainability: Current state
• How to improve the program
• Management response and action plan
• Appendix A: Visual depiction of Data Analytics Services
• Appendix B: Key Data Analytics Services projects
• Appendix C: Evaluation questions and indicators
• Appendix D: Interview quantification scale
• Appendix E: Status of Data Analytics Services objectives

The report in short

Through Budget 2018, funding was announced to support Statistics Canada’s (StatCan’s) modernization agenda and enhance its technological statistical infrastructure through the development of Data Analytics Services (DAS). With the exponential growth in data and their use, in addition to the corresponding demands for both storage and processing, new and innovative approaches to infrastructure delivery were required. DAS is a cloud-based platform designed and developed internally to provide users with access to StatCan data, analytical tools, software and the necessary computing power to complete various analyses. DAS is intended for a wide range of external users, such as researchers, data analysts, data scientists and professionals in the public and private sectors.

Overall, DAS provides several functionalities:

• secure personal or collaborative workspaces for high-capacity computing
• high-quality, timely and trusted StatCan data uploaded directly to users’ workspaces
• rich metadata and search infrastructure to ensure that data are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable
• state-of-the-art tools—from statistical software for familiarity and convenience to open-source software for greater agility and flexibility
• advanced capacities like artificial intelligence, machine learning techniques and high-performance data processing.

Of note, one project that uses DAS is the Virtual Data Lab (VDL). It has a wide user base and provides similar services to other DAS environments. However, the architecture is not as technologically advanced and relies on non-cloud native infrastructure, so modernization efforts are required.

DAS governance extends across the Digital Solutions Field (Field 9) and the Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis Field (Field 6). In 2023, under the leadership of the Chief Data Officer (Assistant Chief Statistician [ACS] of Field 6), Field 6 took on business ownership for DAS and is responsible for oversight of all DAS processes and program management. Field 9 continues as the executive budget holder and remains responsible for technology expertise. There is also the DAS Advisory Council, jointly chaired by the directors general of both fields, which reviews issue escalations, the scope, the budget and the strategic alignment of activities.

The objective of the evaluation is to provide credible and neutral information on the relevance and performance of DAS. The scope of this evaluation focused on the relevance of DAS and the achievement of its intended results, as well as considerations for continued improvement and sustainability of the platform. Value for money was also evaluated at a high level.

Key findings and recommendations

There is a continued need for DAS. It is important for federal data modernization and secure collaboration within a Protected B environment focusing on cloud infrastructure, as well as real-time access, addressing the unique needs of researchers, data scientists and policy makers. DAS is not considered duplicative of other services and has potential, with improvements in functionality and usability, to continue to meet the evolving needs of users.

However, DAS has had mixed success in achieving its intended results. While it has successfully met some objectives, such as enabling access to data and supporting collaboration, challenges such as lengthy onboarding, access delays and alignment issues with StatCan’s mandate have hindered its full potential. Internal users report higher satisfaction compared with external users, who have struggled with inefficiencies that impact project initiation and the overall user experience. While DAS has supported various projects aimed at secure data sharing and policy support, many projects are still in progress or have been discontinued, limiting the assessment of their full impacts at the time of the evaluation.

Further, DAS faces significant sustainability challenges because of funding deficits, information technology (IT) capacity limitations and declining user satisfaction. While recent improvements show promise, their impact is not yet measurable, and ongoing concerns could lead to underuse and high operational costs. More time and monitoring are needed to determine the long-term viability of DAS.

In light of these findings, the following recommendations are proposed.

Recommendation 1

The ACS of Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis (Field 6), in collaboration with the ACS of Digital Solutions (Field 9), should ensure that the modernization efforts for DAS and VDL are aligned and not redundant. This will support alignment with the long-term vision for DAS while also making efficient use of StatCan’s limited IT resources.

Recommendation 2

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should seek ways to improve the experience of external users to sustain the uptake of DAS and promote sustainable costs. Based on the evaluation findings, areas of improvement should include, but not be limited to, onboarding, service cataloguing, costing models and timely data access.

Recommendation 3

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should ensure that effective monitoring of the program is carried out and, more specifically, that

1. processes are in place to track and monitor direct and indirect DAS clients to better understand the DAS client base and uptake over time
2. performance indicators for DAS, such as client use and satisfaction, are established and monitored regularly
3. ongoing assessments of overall program costs, efficiency and duplication of services (i.e., VDL, Advanced Analytics Workspace, Collaborative Analytics Environment), and impact for users are carried out.

Recommendation 4

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should explore possibilities to make the functionality and technology of the DAS platform more available to a broader audience of users.

Recommendation 5

The ACSs of Field 6 and Field 9 should review the current budget arrangement to ensure that it is efficient and effective, and that it aligns with organizational policies and practices.

Acronyms and abbreviations

AAW

Advanced Analytics Workspace

ACS

Assistant Chief Statistician

AI

Artificial intelligence

API

Application programming interface

CAE

Collaborative Analytics Environment

DAS

Data Analytics Services

DAS BO

Data Analytics Services business owner

FAIR

Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable

FRDC

Federal Research Data Centre

FSDH

Federal Science DataHub

GAE

Geospatial Analytics Environment

GPU

Graphics processing unit

IT

Information technology

LoA

Letter of agreement

PPE

Personal protective equipment

RDC

Research data centre

SDMX

Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange

SSC

Shared Services Canada

StatCan

Statistics Canada

VDL

Virtual Data Lab

What is covered

1. Background

Through Budget 2018, funding was announced to support Statistics Canada’s (StatCan’s) modernization agenda and enhance its technological statistical infrastructure through the development of Data Analytics Services (DAS). With the exponential growth in data and their use, in addition to the corresponding demands for both storage and processing, new and innovative approaches to infrastructure delivery were required. DAS is a cloud-based platform designed and developed internally to provide users with access to StatCan data, analytical tools, software and the necessary computing power to complete various analyses. DAS is intended for a wide range of users, such as researchers, data analysts, data scientists and professionals in the public and private sectors.

DAS allows users to combine StatCan data with external datasets (i.e., client-owned or publicly available data) to create more detailed datasets, while maintaining strict screening and security protocols. These datasets can be stored securely in the cloud for users to access remotely and conduct various analyses collaboratively to generate outputs like tables, charts and data visualizations. The overall goal of DAS is to foster collaboration on data-driven projects, enhance the user experience when accessing StatCan data and increase the relevance of StatCan to key users.

The platform is partially funded through a cost-recovery model^{Footnote 1} in which fees are based on the scope, complexity and size of a given project. These fees cover costs such as salaries, licences and cloud services. Cloud costs are paid to Microsoft Azure, and they vary depending on how much a client uses the platform.

The DAS platform offers four distinct environments to users, depending on their needs and expertise (Figure 1). Users can also combine functionalities across the different DAS environments.

Overall, DAS provides several functionalities:

• secure personal or collaborative workspaces for high-capacity computing
• high-quality, timely and trusted StatCan data uploaded directly to users’ workspaces
• rich metadata and search infrastructure to ensure that data meet the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) principles^{Footnote 2}
• state-of-the-art tools—from statistical software for familiarity and convenience to open-source software for greater agility and flexibility
• advanced capacities like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning techniques and high-performance data processing.

DAS also provides various support services, such as operations and monitoring, data ingestion, access to StatCan data (e.g., microdata, protected data), solution engineering, onboarding coaches, and sandbox services, to aid users in accessing and using DAS. For more information about DAS, please refer to Appendix A for a depiction of its various environments, inputs, services and outputs.

Various projects have leveraged DAS environments to achieve different objectives, such as increased collaboration and access to data. Appendix B shows the variation through a list of sample projects. Of note, one project that uses DAS is the Virtual Data Lab (VDL), which is an early legacy version of the Collaborative Analytics Environment (CAE) launched in 2021. It provides users with the infrastructure and tools they need to remotely and securely leverage StatCan confidential microdata, an alternative to research data centres (RDCs) or the Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC). It has a wide user base of 38 sponsoring organizations and 375 users, as well as efficient onboarding and access because of its stricter governance processes and more straightforward service offerings and use cases. While VDL provides advanced security and a locked-down environment, the architecture is not as technologically advanced as other DAS environments and relies on non-cloud native infrastructure.

The onboarding process

Clients begin the onboarding process by engaging with the DAS team to provide a description of their needs. A solution, costs and timelines are agreed upon, and then the project is initiated on the platform. While the timeline for onboarding differs depending on project complexity, Figure 2 outlines the typical journey for a DAS user from project initiation to decommissioning. Various changes have been made to the onboarding journey since the initiation of DAS—Figure 2 depicts its current state.

Governance

DAS governance extends across the Digital Solutions Field (Field 9) and the Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis Field (Field 6). In 2023, under the leadership of the Chief Data Officer (Assistant Chief Statistician of Field 6), Field 6 took on business ownership for DAS, and it now resides under the Centre for Statistical and Data Standards. Field 6 is responsible for oversight of all DAS processes and program management under the DAS business owner (DAS BO) team. Field 9 continues as the executive budget holder and remains responsible for technology expertise.

There is also the DAS Advisory Council, jointly chaired by the directors general of both fields. Members of the council include various directors from Field 6 (including from the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, and the Data Access Division), Field 9, subject-matter divisions, the Statistical Information Service and the DAS BO team. The council reviews issue escalations, the scope, the budget and the strategic alignment of activities.

Evolution of Data Analytics Services

Since its initiation in 2018, DAS has undergone several important changes. Below is a brief overview, focusing on key developments that are relevant to the evaluation.

• 2018: DAS initiation
  DAS was initiated in 2018, at first to address the data analytics needs of the StatCan data science community and, later, to partner on pilot projects with other federal departments. Field 9 was both the business owner and the executive budget holder responsible for building the platform.
• 2020: Impact of COVID-19
  The pandemic significantly impacted DAS, accelerating the use of the Advanced Analytics Workspace (AAW) and CAE. For example, one project enabled collaborative analysis to inform decisions about the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• 2023: Project closeout and business ownership transfer
  As the DAS project concluded, an important gap was identified: the lack of a strategic plan for managing DAS as a program moving forward. In May 2023, the Chief Statistician appointed Field 6 as the new business owner for DAS. Field 9 continued to be the executive budget holder and remained responsible for technology expertise.
• 2024: Strategic planning and DAS refinement
  After the transfer of business ownership, several key changes were made to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of DAS:
  • Plans were made to transition StatCan users to more efficient internal platforms (i.e., The Zone and DAS alternative), with DAS focusing on external users (e.g., other federal departments; provincial, territorial and municipal governments; and private sector).
  • Service offerings were streamlined by reducing customization for users, easing pressures on StatCan information technology (IT) specialists.
  • Users whose needs did not align with StatCan’s mandate were precluded from the DAS platform.^{Footnote 3}
  • A new letter of agreement (LoA) was created between Field 6 and Field 9, and it outlines the roles and responsibilities for both fields, including budgetary allotments.

The evaluation acknowledges the evolving nature of DAS and has taken recent changes into consideration for the recommendation themes.

2. About the evaluation

Authority

The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results and StatCan’s Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan 2024/2025 to 2028/2029.

Objective and scope

The objective of the evaluation is to provide credible and neutral information on the relevance and performance of DAS.

The scope of this evaluation, determined in collaboration with various key stakeholders (i.e., Field 6, Field 9 and senior management), focused on the relevance of DAS and the achievement of its intended results, as well as considerations for continued improvement and sustainability of the platform. Value for money was also evaluated at a high level by assessing the extent to which DAS demonstrated program relevance and performance, and through user perceptions related to the cost of the service and of the platform.

The evaluation work was conducted from September 2024 to January 2025.

Approach and methodology

The following three evaluation questions were identified:

1. To what extent is there a continued need for DAS?
2. To what extent has DAS achieved its intended results?
3. To what extent is DAS sustainable in its current state?

More information about the evaluation questions and related indicators can be found in Appendix C.

The data collection methods outlined in Figure 3 were used. The findings outlined in this report are based on the triangulation of these data collection methods.

Four main limitations were identified, and mitigation strategies were employed, as outlined in Table 1.

What we learned

1. Relevance: Continued need

DAS aligns with federal- and agency-level priorities with respect to data modernization, accessibility and collaboration. To further align with agency-level priorities, user eligibility was recently updated to exclude external users whose projects fall outside StatCan’s mandate.

At the federal level, DAS aligns with key priorities set out in the Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service, including creating whole-of-government data initiatives, facilitating secure data sharing, and supporting digital transformation and cloud computing.

At the agency level, DAS aligns with the StatCan Data Strategy and modernization agenda, particularly in regard to the following:

• digital transformation and IT modernization (e.g., cloud enablement; leveraging of AI and machine learning; digital workplaces; cutting-edge tools for acquiring, processing, integrating and analyzing data)
• collaborative data management and partnerships with diverse internal and external stakeholders, such as federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, academia, Indigenous organizations, and others (e.g., sharing data, strengthening national statistical systems, developing integrated approaches for data collection and analysis, breaking silos)
• broad data access (e.g., access to Protected B data and anonymized microdata) while maintaining a rigorous, transparent process that upholds privacy, ethics and legislative requirements (e.g., DAS Advisory Council and oversight for data acquisition and management)
• administrative-data-first approach and leveraging of data ecosystems (e.g., open data).

However, alignment issues with StatCan’s mandate were identified, which changed the way that DAS could be used. According to interviewees’ interpretation of the Statistics Act, which sets out StatCan’s mandate, DAS should not be used solely as an IT infrastructure or data server for external users. Instead, DAS should be used to enable external collaboration to enrich or add value to collective statistical outputs, support the production of official statistics and outputs, and support StatCan’s role in national coordination of data. External users whose needs did not align with this interpretation of StatCan’s mandate were recently precluded from the DAS platform. For example, external users who did not need to leverage StatCan data were no longer able to use the DAS platform for their analytical needs.

Some program interviewees noted that Shared Services Canada (SSC) may be better suited to host a broader IT infrastructure or data server for external users because this fits its mandate of delivering enterprise-wide digital programs and services. This would allow for the precluded projects to leverage the technology that has been developed and avoid duplication of efforts.

There is increasing demand for secure, collaborative environments for data analytics, with a particular focus on cloud infrastructure, real-time access and data governance. While DAS aimed to meet these needs, many users faced significant challenges that led to delays or the search for alternative solutions. Despite the perceived future potential of DAS, concerns over its functionality and usability persisted among users.

Based on a review of federal and agency strategies, as well as interviews, there is a demand among researchers, data scientists and policy makers for secure, collaborative and efficient environments for handling data, with a particular focus on cloud infrastructure, real-time access, and data governance and security. This is particularly relevant given the rapid rise of cloud computing and cloud-based analytical platforms globally. Generally, DAS is viewed as a powerful and innovative tool that can support these needs because of cloud enablement; collaborative workspaces; access to StatCan data and expertise; and strict security, privacy and access protocols.

However, program documents and interviews showed that users faced technical and governance-related hurdles (e.g., lengthy onboarding, costing issues, platform instability, lack of beginner-friendly guidance), which led to project delays or the search for alternative solutions (these challenges are outlined further in the Performance subsection). Overall, while the theoretical aspects of the platform were seen as strong among most interviewees, functionality and usability were still in question for most of them. This was particularly true for interviewees who were external users and for smaller-budget projects or projects not requiring complex capabilities (e.g., producing basic descriptive statistics).

While several other services offer similar analytical capabilities to users, the unique features of DAS demonstrate that these services are not duplicative. DAS provides added value for specific use cases, such as supporting federal employees who require external collaboration within a Protected B environment or assistance from StatCan experts, as well as non-federal employees who require access to data, support and collaboration.

Several other services were identified during the interviews that offer analytical capabilities that are similar to those of DAS, including the following:

• SSC’s Federal Science DataHub (FSDH): This collaborative cloud-based platform for federal scientists has data infrastructure and analytical solutions using a self-service model. The FSDH was identified by most federal user interviewees as an alternative platform that they considered.
• StatCan’s The Zone and DAS alternative: This cloud-based platform for internal StatCan employees offers services similar to DAS’s AAW and CAE platforms, with some improvements. As a result, internal StatCan employees will no longer use DAS for generic or routine functions. Program interviewees identified that these platforms were modelled on DAS, noting that development and implementation were more efficient as a result.
• Private companies: These are cloud-based data infrastructure and analytical solutions through Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc.

However, when comparing these options with DAS, it was determined that these services were not duplicative because of several unique value-added features, as depicted in Figure 4.

More specifically, DAS provides the following value added:

• External collaboration: DAS is accessible by researchers, data scientists and policy makers outside the federal government. No other federal service allows access for and collaboration with these types of external users.
• Protected B^{Footnote 4} environment: DAS is a Protected B environment, which allows access to a greater volume and type of protected data for external collaboration. No private company can offer external users this type of environment.
• StatCan data access: DAS provides users with remote access to confidential StatCan microdata and, in some cases, access to pre-release StatCan data. It gives access to a greater volume of data and to more types of data. No other federal service or private company can offer users these types of StatCan data.
• StatCan support: Users have access to subject-matter experts, methodological resources and the DAS team to support their projects. Some user interviewees indicated that this was very helpful for answering methodological questions and identifying platform customization needs. Comparatively, the FSDH will be self-serve.

A few other options were noted by external user interviewees to support their analytical and data needs, such as legacy platforms within other federal departments and RDCs and the FRDC, but it was acknowledged that these systems were not comparable to DAS in terms of analytical capabilities, access and collaboration. A few interviewees also mentioned the unique geospatial capabilities of the Geospatial Analytics Environment (GAE), compared with other services. However, GAE is a newer component of DAS, compared with CAE and AAW, so fewer interviewees were able to speak to this environment.

2. Performance: Achievement of intended results

While DAS achieved most of its original objectives, some are still in progress and one was not realized because it was deemed out of scope.

There were 25 objectives outlined for DAS when it was initiated. Most of the objectives were achieved, while some are still in progress and one was not realized because it was deemed out of scope. The following summarizes the key takeaways:

• Fully achieved (15): DAS provided a comprehensive platform that integrated the user experience, advanced data management and analytics. It supported AI and machine learning, enabled big data analysis through advanced computing, and leveraged virtualization for efficient data delivery and advanced storage. DAS provided open-access metadata, facilitated business workflows and ensured secure access through strong authentication. It improved access to StatCan data through pipeline engineering and offered remote capabilities. The platform also supported analysis with open-source tools and provided scalable, agile infrastructure for diverse user needs.
• Partially achieved (9): DAS fostered collaboration in algorithm and data sharing with Git-based features and AI chatbots but is still working on external user version control via Azure DevOps. Auditing and reporting goals were partially met, with completion expected by the next fiscal year. A data discovery function was deployed, and there is a need for work to continue on developing a data discovery navigator. Data access for the broader community is ongoing, with the data catalogue needing further development. DAS supported machine-to-machine data exchange but faced challenges with integration and a steep learning curve. Geospatial data capabilities are enhanced, though full integration with the Federal Geospatial Platform is pending. While governance improvements are underway, platform infrastructure and analysis support have been partially achieved, with cost constraints and budget issues preventing full realization. Information governance is expected to be realized in 2025/2026. Finally, DAS had secure data lake architecture in place, with ongoing work to improve secure sharing.
• Not realized (1): Provenance and lineage management was deemed out of scope for DAS because it has been included as a component of the Target Enterprise Architecture.

A list of these original objectives and their status can be found in Appendix E.

Since its inception, a variety of external and internal users have accessed or requested access to the DAS platform, with most external users using VDL. About one new intake form for DAS is submitted per month by external users (not including VDL). However, the disparate systems within DAS made it challenging to fully understand user uptake.

According to the summary data provided by the program, there were 769 DAS users (Figure 5). About half (55%) of these users were external to StatCan, primarily including those who accessed VDL. There were also DAS users from three other federal government organizations (i.e., the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada), one municipality and one university.

Internal users (45%) included two StatCan areas (i.e., the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Methods Division [formerly named the Data Science and Innovation Division], and the Centre for Population Health Data) and seven StatCan programs (i.e., VDL, the Census of Population, the Census of Environment, the Oral Health Statistics Program, internal trade, the Canadian Centre for Energy Information and the Statistical Geomatics Centre). At the time of the evaluation, these internal users had begun to be transitioned to StatCan’s The Zone.

In addition, summary data provided by the program suggest that there are ongoing interest in and demand for DAS. For example, over a six-month period in 2024/2025, seven new intake forms were received from external users for DAS (averaging about one new intake form per month for CAE, AAW or GAE). VDL demand also increased and is expected to continue growing, with a 30% gain over three years.

More importantly, there is currently no reliable method to monitor demand and uptake. Information comes from a variety of sources, causing difficulties in understanding access and use. The DAS team is currently working on developing linkages to better understand who is accessing the platform.

There were mixed satisfaction levels among DAS platform users (not including VDL users), with internal users generally reporting higher satisfaction than external users. However, assessing overall satisfaction was challenging, and there is a need to collect better user experience data moving forward.

Internal and external user interviewees were asked how satisfied they were with the DAS platform on a scale from very dissatisfied (1) to very satisfied (5). Five user interviewees did not provide a response, and the remaining 24 interviewees—12 internal users and 12 external users—provided the following average ratings regarding their satisfaction with DAS.

User interviewees who gave positive satisfaction ratings were primarily internal users, but a few were external users (early adopters of DAS, in particular). These users appreciated the improved onboarding process, effective communication from the DAS team and that DAS met its intended purpose. However, almost all user interviewees noted issues with cost, system bugs and delays in data access. External user interviewees involved in the PPE project during the COVID-19 pandemic expressed high satisfaction with DAS. However, it was also noted that after the pandemic, there were significant barriers to accessing DAS because of a change in requirements (i.e., projects not requiring access to StatCan data were precluded from DAS because of misalignment with StatCan’s mandate).

External user interviewees were the most dissatisfied, often seeking alternative solutions for their projects. More information about the gaps and limitations experienced by external users is provided in the section below, but generally, there were delays in being able to use DAS (e.g., onboarding delays, delays in accessing data).

VDL users were not included as interviewees in the evaluation because a separate evaluation was previously conducted for this component. Overall, program interviewees noted that there was higher satisfaction among VDL users. This is because VDL can provide more efficient onboarding and access as a result of stricter governance processes and more straightforward service offerings and use cases.

Overall, assessing user satisfaction with DAS was challenging because most external user interviewees either had not yet gained access to DAS or were waiting for more data before proceeding with their projects, so their experiences were limited. Unfortunately, external users were the most important group to assess because they will be the focus of the platform moving forward (internal users will use The Zone and DAS alternative). Ongoing work is needed to assess the satisfaction of these users.

Further, the program provided summary survey data, which highlighted mixed satisfaction levels among users in both 2022 and 2024. However, these data were not comparable because the 2024 data did not include responses from external users and there were significantly fewer responses, compared with the data from 2022. Moving forward, there is an opportunity to collect more diverse survey data from users to assess satisfaction with DAS.

Several limitations of the DAS platform were highlighted, with the most significant being the lengthy onboarding process. This delay hindered project initiation and impacted users’ planning and efficiency, particularly for external users. There were also challenges with access and use.

Program documentation and interview data highlighted several gaps and limitations of the DAS platform, including challenges with onboarding, access and use, precluded projects, and data stewardship. The following is a summary of the key gaps and limitations:

• Onboarding: Program documentation and interview data frequently cited onboarding delays as one of the biggest challenges in accessing DAS, especially for external users. According to summary survey data from 2024, about half of users reported being neutral, unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the onboarding process. Program interviewees noted that onboarding was dependent on the complexity of the project (e.g., six to eight months for complex projects, three to six weeks for less complex projects). In one case, users for a very complex project had been waiting for over two years to finalize their LoA. Onboarding issues not only delayed project initiation for new users but also affected their planning and efficiency, with some users deciding not to continue with DAS. Importantly, program interviewees noted that when the program has streamlined its service offerings, onboarding times should improve because it will be clearer which projects can proceed and which require further assessment. It is also worth noting that VDL had a separate onboarding process that was identified by interviewees as being faster than DAS because of VDL’s stricter governance processes and straightforward service offerings and use cases.
• Access and use: Program documentation and interview data also identified several challenges when using the DAS platform. Some of the more commonly identified issues included platform instability (e.g., bugs, downtime, crashes, server disconnect), access problems (e.g., username and password issues, onerous authentication processes, delays in getting data), insufficient support for technical questions (for some users), steep learning curves and a lack of beginner-friendly guidance and documentation, issues with costing estimates, and graphics processing unit space issues (e.g., data-heavy or geospatial analysis) and space issues for new clients to access VDL (i.e., VDL is reaching its capacity). Further, it was noted in program documents and interview data that DAS (notably the AAW environment) may be overly complex for the average use case (e.g., running descriptive statistics).
• Precluded projects: As noted earlier, in 2024/2025, program and user key interviewees identified that several DAS projects were precluded because they did not align with StatCan’s mandate. User interviewees indicated that they are now trying to recreate a similar analytical platform within their own federal department and highlighted the inefficiency of this process for the Government of Canada. Others expressed frustration with the time and effort lost during planning and onboarding.
• Data stewardship: Some interviewees noted that DAS successfully addressed data access, sharing, security and privacy and is now progressing with standards since moving to Field 6. However, some other interviewees noted limitations to data stewardship because of implementation changes and budget constraints, such as lacking optimization for cloud use, promoting data silos and not addressing data classifications.

User projects had a range of objectives, including creating new ways to cooperate, enabling secure data ingestion pipelines for data sharing, providing access to more data, supporting policy decisions through multisector data sources and producing official statistics. However, many projects were ongoing or in progress at the time of the evaluation, and several others were discontinued by the user or cancelled by the program, making it difficult to assess the impacts of using DAS.

Based on program documents and interviews, projects using DAS that were carried out by external users had a range of different objectives. Figure 7 outlines these key objectives, along with example projects and their status at the time of the evaluation (i.e., not onboarded or awaiting access, currently in progress, or completed). This is a non-exhaustive list of projects that have used or are using DAS; they were chosen to highlight the themes of the key objectives.

It is important to note that many of the projects examined were in progress at the time of the evaluation, making it difficult to assess the impacts of using DAS. Further, several other projects were discontinued by the user or cancelled by the program and, therefore, had no reported impacts. Ongoing monitoring of projects and an assessment of their impact will be needed.

3. Efficiency and sustainability: Current state

With the transfer of business ownership in 2023/2024, DAS implemented changes to address key issues concerning the onboarding process, a lack of strong program management and governance, and technical capacity issues. Moving forward, the effectiveness of these efforts should be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Program documentation and interview data revealed several key issues and challenges with DAS prior to the transfer of business ownership in 2023/2024, such as onboarding delays, a lack of strong program management and governance, and technical capacity issues. Most of these were identified as stemming from the quick rollout of DAS during the pandemic, with a lack of business ownership involvement. This led to insufficient preparation for managing a program and providing services to clients effectively and efficiently. Table 2 outlines the challenges that DAS has experienced and recent improvements that have been implemented to address them.

Most of the improvements to DAS were completed within the past year and are too recent for an assessment of their effectiveness. While the improvements seem to be aligned with the challenges, they should be assessed on an ongoing basis moving forward to determine the impact on the overall efficiency and sustainability of DAS.

At project closeout in 2023, DAS had a deficit of $1.8 million. Since then, funding issues have persisted, with Field 6 being unfunded for its work on DAS. However, because of recent efforts, the program is now projecting financial sustainability for 2024/2025, and funding has been allocated to Field 6 through a new LoA. A review will be necessary to determine whether the new financial arrangements are sustainable in the long term.

Through federal resources and signed LoAs with users, DAS had funding of approximately just over $40 million from 2018/2019 to 2022/2023. According to the project closeout report in February 2023, the DAS project finished with a $1.8 million program deficit, including

• a $1.14 million deficit generated by the cloud run costs
• a $0.5 million deficit in salary for on-strength employees working for unfunded core DAS activities
• a $163,000 deficit for the unfunded Enterprise Information and Data Management Project.

The report also highlighted key lessons learned, including the lack of planning for the DAS solution’s operation in production, particularly in terms of funding. It also emphasized the need for improved financial forecasting with a longer-term planning horizon to ensure DAS’s sustainability.

Following the transfer of business ownership, expenditures for DAS were significantly reduced. As of mid-October 2024, the program projected financial sustainability for 2024/2025 based on revised operating expenses and expected revenue of approximately $4 million.^{Footnote 5} However, some DAS projects considered in the financial projections will not be onboarded (because they do not align with StatCan’s mandate), and this will impact potential revenue. In addition, several projects that are currently onboarded will be completed and decommissioned by the end of 2024/2025, and this will affect the accuracy of the projections moving forward.

Overall, the budget will require ongoing monitoring. Program interviewees noted that certain projects, like the City of Toronto SafeTO project, may generate further requests from other municipalities in Ontario (because each municipality must have a community safety plan and demonstrate progress). However, at the time of the evaluation, no official requests from other municipalities had been received from within Ontario or across Canada, perhaps because the SafeTO project has not been onboarded yet and there are no demonstrable benefits at this time.

Finally, while business ownership of DAS was transferred to Field 6, executive budget authority remained with Field 9.

Field 9 indicated that because DAS was initially an IT-led initiative, it was given budget authority, and it has remained there because it aligns with Chief Information Officer accountability for multipurpose computing platforms and the adoption of product management. Further, it was noted that, given the nature of the infrastructure of DAS, with capital expenditures and associated operations and maintenance costs, there is a risk that Field 6 could underestimate IT-related costs.

Field 6 explained that typically at StatCan, the business owner sets priorities and, as the budget holder, distributes funds when services are delivered. Additionally, Field 6 noted that because it does not have budget authority, its work on DAS was not funded until the new LoA was recently signed, and it has had to absorb these costs.

Despite the recent changes to the DAS program, there are still significant risks to its sustainability. Continuous technological investment, limited IT capacity for modernization, maintenance and support, along with low user satisfaction, could result in underuse and persistently high costs.

Despite efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of DAS, program documents and interview data suggest several ongoing risks to its sustainability. Figure 8 outlines these key risks, which include challenges with IT capacity, external user satisfaction and uptake, and technological advancements. These risks will need to be considered by the program moving forward, and appropriate actions must be taken to mitigate them.

In addition to the above risks, VDL’s reliance on non-cloud-native infrastructure has led to challenges such as limited storage capacity, necessitating actions to accommodate growing user demand. As this takes place, it will be important to examine how VDL and the broader DAS environments can evolve together (i.e., opportunities for joint development) to ensure efficient resource allocation and avoid redundancy and duplication.

Given several uncertainties at the time of the evaluation, assessing the value for money provided by DAS was challenging. While DAS offers a relevant and in-demand service, there are performance issues that need to be addressed. Further, recent efforts to streamline offerings and implement stronger governance have narrowed the program’s scope and audience, limiting value and access for some external users.

Because of the recent changes to the scope and the potential for additional changes, it is challenging to fully assess value for money at the time of this evaluation. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat defines value for money as “the extent to which programs demonstrate relevance and performance.” There remains a clear need for a DAS-like solution to provide a secure, collaborative environment using cloud infrastructure. While DAS has had mixed success in achieving its goals to date, upcoming changes to the program have the potential to address current challenges and help better meet the growing demand for this kind of product.

However, DAS was initially established with a significant investment to deliver a cloud-based analytics platform that would provide data, analytical tools, software and computing power to a wide range of external users. StatCan operates under the authority of the Statistics Act, which establishes the mandate of the agency. Recent changes have strengthened governance and introduced more stringent processes and procedures. While these improvements have brought greater oversight, they have also narrowed the program’s scope and audience (e.g., customization was reduced for users, focus will be on external users of the platform moving forward, projects must align with the StatCan mandate). As a result, DAS is currently offering less value than originally anticipated, not fully providing the broad impact and accessibility that were initially envisioned.

When interviewees were asked about value for money, at a user level, some agreed that DAS was worth the cost (especially for projects requiring advanced analytical capabilities). Some others expressed concerns over high costs related to storage, data processing and cloud resources. This was particularly an issue for those working on less complex or budget-constrained projects, leading some to perceive the service as too expensive for its value. A few internal user interviewees also identified more affordable alternatives, such as SSC’s FSDH.

At a program level, some interviewees agreed that the cost for DAS is currently high for the number of users. However, it was suggested that with improved management and more users, overall financial performance could be improved, potentially offering a clearer value proposition, though it will take time to fully assess this.

How to improve the program

Recommendation 1

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should ensure that the modernization efforts for DAS and VDL are aligned and not redundant. This will support alignment with the long-term vision for DAS while also making efficient use of StatCan’s limited IT resources.

Recommendation 2

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should seek ways to improve the experience of external users to sustain the uptake of DAS and promote sustainable costs. Based on the evaluation findings, areas of improvement should include, but not be limited to, onboarding, service cataloguing, costing models and timely data access.

Recommendation 3

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should ensure that effective monitoring of the program is carried out and, more specifically, that

1. processes are in place to track and monitor direct and indirect DAS clients to better understand the DAS client base and uptake over time
2. performance indicators for DAS, such as client use and satisfaction, are established and monitored regularly
3. ongoing assessments of overall program costs, efficiency and duplication of services (i.e., VDL, AAW, CAE), and impact for users are carried out.

Recommendation 4

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should explore possibilities to make the functionality and technology of the DAS platform more available to a broader audience of users.

Recommendation 5

The ACSs of Field 6 and Field 9 should review the current budget arrangement to ensure that it is efficient and effective, and that it aligns with organizational policies and practices.

Management response and action plan

Recommendation 1

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should ensure that the modernization efforts for DAS and VDL are aligned and not redundant. This will support alignment with the long-term vision for DAS while also making efficient use of StatCan’s limited IT resources.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendation.

The existing DAS Advisory Council, jointly chaired by the directors general of both fields, reviews issue escalations, the scope, the budget and the strategic alignment of activities. There is also an existing ACS-led DAS governance table. These existing governance structures will transition to the new DAS Steering Committee.

To effectively realize the modernization potential of the DAS platform, the new DAS Steering Committee will provide oversight on DAS’s strategic plan moving forward, aligned with various horizontal efforts, including VDL modernization efforts. The steering committee will review and approve annual workplans, in alignment with overall budgets, as well as be consulted on new work that is outside the existing platforms (defined product offering). The steering committee will review issue escalations, the scope, the budget and the strategic alignment of activities.

Deliverables and timelines

A senior management steering committee with representation from Field 6, Field 9, and key program senior executives and managers from other fields will be established by October 2025.

Terms of reference designating responsibilities and specific accountabilities will be approved by December 2025.

Recommendation 2

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should seek ways to improve the experience of external users to sustain the uptake of DAS and promote sustainable costs. Based on the evaluation findings, areas of improvement should include, but not be limited to, onboarding, service cataloguing, costing models and timely data access.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendation.

Field 6, in collaboration with Field 9, will review and articulate a strategy that will include, but not be limited to, the areas of improvement that were identified by the evaluation (i.e., onboarding, service cataloguing, costing models and timely data access). When the strategy is approved, a roadmap and timelines will be developed and approved by the DAS Steering Committee.

Deliverables and timelines

A strategy will be approved by April 2026. The roadmap and timelines will be approved by September 2026.

Recommendation 3

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should ensure that effective monitoring of the program is carried out and, more specifically, that

1. processes are in place to track and monitor direct and indirect DAS clients to better understand the DAS client base and uptake over time
2. performance indicators for DAS, such as client use and satisfaction, are established and monitored regularly
3. ongoing assessments of overall program costs, efficiency and duplication of services (i.e., VDL, AAW, CAE), and impact for users are carried out.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendation.

Field 6, in collaboration with Field 9, will articulate a plan for effective monitoring of the DAS program, which will include processes to track and monitor direct and indirect DAS clients, the establishment of performance indicators, and assessment of overall program costs and impact for users. When approved, the program will implement the plan through the establishment of a roadmap and timelines.

Deliverables and timelines

The plan, which will include a roadmap and timelines for implementation, will be approved by the DAS Steering Committee by April 2026.

Recommendation 4

The ACS of Field 6, in collaboration with the ACS of Field 9, should explore possibilities to make the functionality and technology of the DAS platform more available to a broader audience of users.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendation.

Field 6, in collaboration with Field 9, will explore possibilities to expand the availability of the DAS platform to include a broader set of users.

Deliverables and timelines

A business case analyzing options to expand DAS platform availability, including risks and associated requirements for the options, will be presented to the Strategic Management Committee by September 2026.

Recommendation 5

The ACSs of Field 6 and Field 9 should review the current budget arrangement to ensure that it is efficient and effective, and that it aligns with organizational policies and practices.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendation.

Field 6, in collaboration with Field 9 and Field 3, will review the budget arrangement and the organizational policies and practices, as well as make recommendations in terms of the long-term budget arrangement.

Deliverables and timelines

A review of organizational policies and practices in the context of DAS will be completed by December 2025. The recommendations to the Strategic Management Committee on long-term budget arrangements for efficient and effective management of DAS will be provided by April 2026.

Appendix A: Visual depiction of Data Analytics Services

Appendix B: Key Data Analytics Services projects

Appendix C: Evaluation questions and indicators

Appendix D: Interview quantification scale

Interview responses are quantified and categorized in this report using the scale shown in the table below.

Appendix E: Status of Data Analytics Services objectives

Wildfires

• On July 10th, the Government of Manitoba declared a provincewide state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act due to wildfires. The Government said the state of emergency is in effect for 30 days.
• On July 11th, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced that a province-wide fire ban prohibiting setting of outdoor fires on forest land or within 300 metres of forest land was in effect until further notice. On July 29th, the Government announced the fire ban had been lifted.
• On July 23rd, the Government of Canada announced it had approved a Request for Federal Assistance from the Government of Saskatchewan and would be providing Saskatchewan with additional firefighters to mitigate the wildfires, and helicopters to transport critical personnel.
• On July 30th, the Government of Nova Scotia announced a ban on open fires across the entire province due to hot, dry conditions. The Government said the ban would remain in place until October 15th.

Canada's internal trade

• The Governments of Ontario and Alberta announced they had signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to build new pipelines, rail lines and other energy and trade infrastructure. The Governments said new pipelines will connect western Canadian oil and gas to new and existing refineries in southern Ontario and will expand export opportunities, including by way of a new James Bay deep-sea port in northern Ontario, while new rail lines will connect Ontario's Ring of Fire region, critical mineral mining projects and processing facilities to western Canadian ports.
• Later, the Governments announced that Saskatchewan had joined in signing the MOU.
• The Government of Ontario announced it had signed two MOUs, one with British Columbia and a second with the three territories, to boost internal trade, improve labour mobility and tear down long-standing barriers to doing business.
• The Governments of New Brunswick and Manitoba announced they had signed an MOU on free trade and labour mobility.
• The Governments of Alberta and the Yukon announced they had signed an MOU to expand economic cooperation, including removing barriers so goods, services, and workers can flow freely across borders.
• The Government of Saskatchewan announced it had signed an MOU with Manitoba to collaborate on enhancing interprovincial trade between the two jurisdictions.
• The Government also said it had signed an MOU with Prince Edward Island to collaborate on the removal of trade barriers across the two jurisdictions.
• The Government of British Columbia announced it had signed separate agreements with Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon to continue working to remove trade barriers between provinces and territories.
• The Government of the Yukon announced it had signed three MOUs, one with Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut; one with British Columbia; and one with Alberta to commit the jurisdictions to work together to identify barriers to trade and labour mobility, identify opportunities for regulatory alignment and recognition, and simplify interjurisdictional requirements for professionals and businesses.
• The Governments of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, along with Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), announced they had agreed to enhance infrastructure, streamline supply chains and boost access to global markets via Canada's only deepwater Arctic port. The Governments said the MOU outlines a five-year roadmap with annual progress reviews, formalizing a shared commitment to expand infrastructure, activate trade networks, and mobilize federal support.
• The Government of Manitoba announced it had signed new economic co-operation agreements with the governments of New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island to break down trade barriers, increase labour mobility and create new opportunities for businesses and workers.
• The Governments of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut announced they had signed an MOU on improving trade across the North through a Territorial Trade Zone Framework. The Governments said the framework would support deeper cooperation by liberalizing trade and labour mobility, coordinating joint advocacy to the federal government on trade-enabling infrastructure,  and aligning efforts on investment attraction and regulatory frameworks.
• The Governments of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick announced they had signed an MOU that strengthens collaboration between the two provinces on interprovincial trade and labour mobility.

Resources

• Kitimat, British Columbia-based LNG Canada Development Inc. announced it had successfully loaded a first cargo of liquefied natural gas destined for global markets, marking the start of operations at Canada's first large-scale LNG export facility.
• Vancouver-based Teck Resources Limited announced board approval for construction of the Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project to extend the life of the project from 2028 to 2046. Teck said the project capital estimate is between $2.1 to $2.4 billion, with construction set to commence in full in August 2025.

Other news

• The Bank of Canada held its target for the overnight rate at 2.75%. The last change in the target for the overnight rate was a 25 basis points cut in March 2025.
• The Government of Canada announced on July 10th the extension of the temporary adjustment to EI regional unemployment rates until October 11, 2025. The Government said it had introduced new temporary EI measures on March 23rd to support Canadian workers whose jobs were impacted by the current economic uncertainty caused by the tariffs.
• The Government of Canada announced it had implemented a new Interim Policy on Reciprocal Procurement and that, under this new policy, suppliers from countries that limit Canadian access to their own government contracts can be restricted from bidding on Canadian federal contracts.
• The Government of Canada announced it was strengthening the Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for steel products implemented on June 27, 2025 in response to both U.S. tariffs on steel and global steel overproduction. The Government said that effective August 1, 2025, the TRQs would be extended to countries that have a free trade agreement in force with Canada, with the exception of the United States and Mexico, and that this will result in a 50% surtax being applied on steel imports above 100% of 2024 levels. The Government also said that a 25% surtax would be applied on imports from all countries other than the U.S. that contain steel melted and poured in China.
• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced that the sugar sweetened beverage tax was officially eliminated on July 1st.
• Toronto-based First National Financial Corporation announced it had entered into a definitive arrangement agreement with Regal Bidco Inc., a newly-formed acquisition vehicle controlled by private equity funds managed by Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc. and private equity funds managed by Brookfield Asset Management, for an aggregate total equity value of approximately $2.9 billion. First National said the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to obtaining the required shareholder, court, and regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

United States and other international news

• On July 4th, the White House announced that U.S. President Donald J. Trump had officially signed The One Big Beautiful Bill into law.
• On July 7th, the White House announced that U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order determining that certain tariff rates, which were initially set to expire on July 9th, would expire on August 1, 2025. The White House said that President Trump also sent tariff letters to many countries informing them of their new reciprocal tariff rates, which will take effect on August 1st.
• On July 18th, the White House announced that U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law. The White House said the legislation creates the first-ever Federal regulatory system for stablecoins.
• On July 23rd, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced an economic agreement with Japan and that imports from Japan would be subject to a baseline 15% tariff rate. The White House also said that Japan will invest $550 billion directed by the United States to rebuild and expand core American industries.
• On July 30th, the White House announced that President Donald J. Trump had signed a Proclamation that imposes universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1st.
• Also on July 30th, the White House announced that President Donald J. Trump had signed an Executive Order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments. The White House said that effective August 29th, imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under USD $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties.
• The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) maintained the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.50%. The last change in the target range was a 25 basis points cut in December 2024. The Committee also said that it would continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities.
• The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the cash rate target unchanged at 3.85%. The last change in the cash rate target was a 25 basis points cut in May 2025.
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) left the Official Cash Rate (OCR), its main policy rate, unchanged at 3.25%. The last change in the OCR was a 25 basis points cut in May 2025.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) left its three key interest rates unchanged at 2.00% (deposit facility), 2.15% (main refinancing operations), and 2.40% (marginal lending facility). The last change in these rates was a 25 basis points reduction in June 2025.
• The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced it will encourage the uncollateralized overnight call rate to remain at around 0.50%. The last change in the uncollateralized overnight call rate was a 25 basis points increase in January 2025.
• The eight OPEC+ countries - Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman - which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, announced they would implement a production adjustment of 548 thousand barrels per day, equivalent to four monthly increments, in August 2025.
• New Jersey-based CoreWeave, Inc., an AI cloud-computing company, and Core Scientific, Inc. of Delaware, a provider of digital asset mining and hosting services, announced they had signed a definitive agreement under which CoreWeave would acquire Core Scientific in an all-stock transaction for a total equity value of approximately USD $9.0 billion. The companies said the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and stockholder approval.
• Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company announced that its Board of Directors had approved the shutdown of three upstream assets in Europe, including an ethylene cracker in Germany, Chlor-alkali & vinyl (CAV) assets in Germany, and a basics siloxanes plant in the United Kingdom. Dow said the shutdowns in Germany will occur in the fourth quarter of 2027 while the U.K. shutdown will occur mid-year 2026.
• Nebraska-based Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia announced an agreement whereby Union Pacific would acquire Norfolk Southern in a stock and cash transaction that implies an enterprise value of USD $85 billion for Norfolk Southern. The companies said they are targeting closing the transaction by early 2027, subject to Surface Transportation Board review and approval within its statutory timeline, customary closing conditions, and shareholder approval.
• Texas-based Baker Hughes and Chart Industries of Ball Ground, Georgia announced they had entered into a definitive agreement under which Baker Hughes would acquire all outstanding shares of Chart's common stock for a total enterprise value of USD $13.6 billion. The companies said the transaction is expected to be completed by mid-year 2026, subject to customary conditions, including approval by Chart shareholders, and the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.
• Netherlands-based Stellantis N.V. announced its decision to discontinue its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program. Stellantis said that due to limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for stronger consumer purchasing incentives, it does not anticipate the adoption of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles before the end of the decade.

Financial market news

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at USD $69.26 per barrel on July 31st, up from a closing value of USD $65.11 at the end of June. Western Canadian Select crude oil traded in the USD $52.00 to $58.00 per barrel range throughout July. The Canadian dollar closed at 72.23 cents U.S. on July 31st, down from 73.30 cents U.S. at the end of June. The S&P/TSX composite index closed at 27,259.78 on July 31st, up from 26,857.11 at the end of June.