The Disaggregated Data Action Plan (DDAP) is a whole-of-government approach led by Statistics Canada to support governmental and societal efforts to address known inequalities and promote fair and inclusive decision making.

The DDAP supports Statistics Canada's efforts to continually identify and fill data and knowledge gaps across its programs. This leads to more representative data collection and enhanced statistics on diverse populations by collecting, analyzing and disseminating more disaggregated data than ever before. Disaggregated data are data that have been broken down into categories (e.g., gender, age, income, geographic region) to better understand the experiences of diverse population groups and potentially reveal important insights between and among different groups that may have otherwise been missed.

In 2022/2023, Statistics Canada expanded on the previous year's disaggregated data accomplishments by employing innovative survey designs and sampling methods, which allowed for more intersectional analyses and insights on diverse population groups. For instance, studies conducted during this period examined trends in pay gaps; the housing experiences of various population groups; the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in provincial custody; and the educational and economic outcomes of lesbian, gay and bisexual people from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. Furthermore, DDAP-funded research on innovative methods included improving sampling for better representation of diverse population groups and coordinating sampling between surveys to reduce respondent burden, especially for small population groups.

Building on work started in 2021/2022, Statistics Canada continues to modernize its data collection and administrative data programs. Notably, monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS) supplements were collected from April to December 2022, and the resulting data offer valuable insights on the quality of employment for various groups. Once funding is secured for the completion of the project, new variables will be added to the Civil Court Survey, allowing for the integration of civil court data in other administrative databases. Finally, the DDAP Administrative Data Fund, which provides funding to external partners to enable them to enhance their administrative data holdings, was introduced.

Statistics Canada routinely engages with various partners and stakeholders to meet the increasing information needs of Canadians. Noteworthy achievements include Statistics Canada's partnerships with selected cities to enhance the Business Register, as well as identify strategies to address municipal data gaps.

The following sections highlight the achievements of key projects funded under the DDAP in 2022/2023.

Expanded disaggregated data assets

Social, health and labour indicators

Statistics Canada launched the first wave of the Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC), which collected sufficient disaggregated data to examine the experiences of racialized Canadians and immigrants, including newcomers to Canada. The first panel included questions on sport, community engagement, confidence in institutions, political engagement and workplace culture. The first set of SSPC results was released in March 2023.

Statistics Canada has also been developing a framework to address data gaps on the care economy. Questions were added to the sixth wave of the Canadian Social Survey, which focused on paid and unpaid caregiving for both children and care-dependent adults. An article was released in November 2022, and others are forthcoming. Additionally, many data tables using disaggregated data from the General Social Survey were produced for the Quality of Life Framework and the Social Inclusion Framework.

Statistics Canada continued to work on the production of demographic projections and estimates for specific population groups and lower levels of geography. In September 2022, Statistics Canada released population projections on immigration and diversity in Canada up to 2041. These projections are discussed in a report and are available in table form and as part of an interactive dashboard. The 2022 population estimates for municipalities (2016 census subdivision boundaries) were also released in January 2023.

Consultative engagements and a feasibility exercise were completed regarding the addition of new content to the Civil Court Survey. New variables will be added and will include personal identifiers to allow the integration of civil court data in other Statistics Canada databases. This data integration will allow for the analysis of socioeconomic factors, including information on Indigenous people and racialized groups, which will provide insight into the experiences of diverse populations in Canadian civil courts. Additionally, following recommendations from public engagement on the new Canadian Correctional Services Survey, Statistics Canada developed new population-based indicators and analysis on the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in provincial custody.

Disaggregated data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were used to develop a variety of products, including social inclusion indicators for Canada's ethnocultural groups, food security indicators and data pertaining to access to a regular health care provider. In addition, 2015 to 2018 CCHS data allowed for the release of a table on the socioeconomic characteristics of the lesbian, gay and bisexual population. Further, data from the 2016 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort were integrated with administrative data, which were then used to calculate COVID-19 mortality among racialized populations in Canada and its association with income.

Additional enhancements were made to the LFS in 2022/2023, including additional indicators on quality of employment for diverse population groups in Canada. Specifically, data pertaining to child care and career challenges experienced by parents, financial difficulties faced by households in the context of high inflation, and the number of Canadians working through digital platforms were collected. Further, the new Labour Market and Socio-economic Indicators (LMSI) survey, a supplement to the LFS, was implemented to collect data about labour, support payments and unmet health care needs, and to monitor the economic well-being of individuals and families. Data from the LMSI and the Canadian Income Survey were integrated to provide 12 months of LFS data on people with disabilities. These disaggregated data will be released every year. This improved coverage enabled detailed analyses on the labour market characteristics of people with and without disabilities in 2022.

Data on business conditions

The Canadian Survey on Business Conditions plays a vital role in helping governments understand the key economic issues that businesses in Canada are facing. Detailed data are published for all provinces and territories and the 20 largest census metropolitan areas, by population centre and rural area, business size, and sector. Data tables on the average percentage of women and men in management positions were released for the first quarter of 2023. Data tables on private sector business counts disaggregated by majority ownership were also released for the second quarter of 2022, third quarter of 2022, fourth quarter of 2022 and first quarter of 2023. All other data tables released were crossed with majority ownership variables, including majority ownership by women, Indigenous people, immigrants to Canada, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ population and members of racialized groups.

Data integration and administrative data

On the data integration side, two projects focused on patent-related research to fill important data and knowledge gaps on patenting by gender at the business and individual levels. The Canadian Patent Research Database is now included in the Linkable File Environment, which allows for Statistics Canada's business microdata to be integrated with different administrative and survey sources. In addition, databases pertaining to business ownership and government business support programs for the COVID-19 pandemic were integrated, updated and made accessible to a wider research community. This fostered research on the impact of the pandemic on businesses owned by underrepresented groups and how those businesses were supported by government programs. The integration of such databases led to the development of a forthcoming research paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underrepresented groups, including women and immigrants.

Finally, 2022/2023 saw the launch of the DDAP Administrative Data Fund, which provides external partners with an opportunity to improve their own disaggregated administrative data holdings. In 2022/2023, the Administrative Data Fund team launched an agency-wide callout for proposals and received numerous applications for funding. All proposals were reviewed, and five initiatives that span the social and economic domains were recommended for potential funding. These proposals will be funded throughout 2023/2024, as the budget permits.

Increased analytical insights

Statistics Canada continues to provide detailed statistical information about the economic, social and health experiences and outcomes of diverse groups in Canada. Overall, 45% of analytical products released by Statistics Canada during the 2022/2023 fiscal year included disaggregated data for at least one of the four employment equity groups (i.e., Indigenous people, women, members of racialized populations and people with disabilities).

With regard to the interrelated health and socioeconomic outcomes of Canadians, one research project focused on how historical improvements in life expectancy and health status influence economic outcomes, such as earnings and employment, for diverse groups in Canada. An article pertaining to the educational and economic outcomes of lesbian, gay and bisexual people from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds was also released. Another project examined the association between cybervictimization and mental health among diverse Canadian youth, including transgender and non-binary youth, Indigenous youth, and those with chronic conditions. An article examining variations in immigrants' lower risk of suicide-related behaviours was also released. In collaboration with policy partners, these projects led to the production of detailed statistical information to highlight the experiences of diverse groups of Canadians, shed light on inequities and promote inclusion in decision making.

Two other projects focused on the changing demographics of racialized people in Canada and variation in poverty among racialized groups. An introduction paper and a series of fact sheets on housing provide timely analytical insights into the housing experiences of various population groups in Canada.

In terms of labour, disaggregated data and analysis from the LFS were highlighted in monthly releases and other publications throughout the year. The October 2022 LFS release included estimates of the share of Canadians living in households experiencing financial difficulties, and new insights on self-employment among racialized groups were included in the July 2022 release.

May 2022 marked the first release of the Quality of Employment in Canada publication, which provided data and analysis on key quality of employment indicators using an internationally supported statistical framework. The release included an article on pay gaps, which examined the average hourly wages of racialized employees and provided updated information on the gender wage gap.

In terms of business and economic statistics, a study examined the patenting activity of women-owned businesses and compared it with that of men. Forward-looking analyses on businesses owned by women, members of racialized groups, immigrants and Indigenous people were also released based on data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. Key highlights include analysis on businesses majority-owned by women in the second quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, businesses majority-owned by immigrants, and businesses majority-owned by immigrants to Canada and businesses majority-owned by racialized people.

To better understand the participation of Indigenous people in the Canadian economy, Statistics Canada is developing the Indigenous Peoples Economic Account (IPEA). A feasibility study with preliminary estimates was published in August 2022. The first iteration of the IPEA had three components: a suite of economic indicators; a human resource module, which provides estimates related to paid worker jobs by various sociodemographic characteristics; and a supplementary analysis showing how estimates of gross domestic product, output and total jobs could be further broken down by location of residence and Indigenous identity group.

Enhanced access to disaggregated data

Statistics Canada’s Municipal Data Program successfully launched the Centre for Municipal and Local Data. This provides a primary platform for municipal users to access data at the level of geography most relevant to municipalities. The release was promoted through municipal associations, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Statistics Canada offices that constantly collaborate with municipalities.

In addition, the Municipal Financial and Socioeconomic Data Dashboard was updated to include 35 cities, including two regions in Ontario, which established the framework for how to allocate regional finances and services.

The Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub continues to bring together data tables, analyses and announcements regarding diverse population groups on a centralized platform, making it easier for data users to access disaggregated data and analyses. New statistical products are promoted via social media campaigns, highlighted on the hub, and shared with key partners and stakeholders via email. Consultations with non-federal organizations and academia took place to gather feedback on the usability of the hub, and their outcome is being considered for future enhancements.

Statistics Canada continues to leverage existing data access solutions such as Public Use Microdata Files and Real Time Remote Access to improve access to and dissemination of disaggregated data for Canadians.

Strong methods and statistical standards

A robust methodology and well-defined standards are essential to the production of high-quality data and reliable statistics. To improve the statistical representation of diverse population groups in surveys, Statistics Canada has diversified its sampling strategies, such as by using multiple sampling frames and optimizing sample allocation among the various subpopulations of interest, while ensuring the coordination of samples drawn to reduce any overlap and additional respondent burden. It is also testing non-probabilistic sampling methods for hard-to-reach populations. A methodological guide was developed to summarize all relevant sampling approaches in the DDAP context. Moreover, methods related to disaggregation were presented and discussed by statisticians from around the world at Statistics Canada's 2022 International Methodology Symposium, "Data disaggregation: Building a more-representative data portrait of society."

To address partial non-response in surveys and facilitate further disaggregation, Statistics Canada has explored imputation strategies using data modelling and machine learning techniques. For instance, the efficacy of machine learning models was evaluated to address partial non-response across demographic variables such as sex, gender, Indigenous identity and racialized group in the Canadian Correctional Services Survey. While the conclusion was that more refinement of the models was needed before machine learning could be adopted for this purpose, the exercise answered several questions regarding the use of this technique. This annual survey includes variables on Indigenous identity, racialized status and other self-reported information. For certain individuals, information is missing, resulting in some groups being undercounted in correctional institutions.

For tackling the response mobility of DDAP group identification, modelling techniques were developed to improve the accuracy of identification in surveys such as the SSPC. Probabilities of identification in various groups of interest were also modelled at the sampling stage for the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions and the Survey on Financing and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises, as part of a study on low or underrepresented populations among Canadian business owners.

Statistics Canada continued to develop new statistical standards. A new Standards, data sources and methods web page is now available to the public and was developed to improve the usability of the standards.

Statistics Canada's leadership in the development of international statistical standards on new forms of employment was reflected in the publication of the Handbook on Forms of Employment by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in August 2022. This new handbook provides guidance on the measurement of forms of employment and describes new types of arrangements and technologies that may place workers from diverse groups in vulnerable situations. In December 2022, Statistics Canada conducted an LFS supplementary survey on digital platform employment based on these international standards and recommendations. The results showed that in 2022, more than half of workers who provided ride or delivery services through an app or platform were immigrants. To examine changes over time, Statistics Canada will collect these data again in December 2023.

In June 2022, Statistics Canada released Reference Data as a Service (RDaaS) to provide machine-readable access to the DDAP standards. RDaaS includes the code sets, classifications and concordances that are used within Statistics Canada to harmonize data for better interdepartmental data integration and analysis.

Continued engagement and collaboration

Engagement and consultations with partners are crucial for ensuring the relevance of Statistics Canada statistical programs, data and statistical standards.

Statistics Canada undertook consultations as part of the review of the visible minority concept to identify the appropriate terminology and categories to describe the population and properly address data needs in health, education, justice and employment equity. The consultations opened in October 2022 and were conducted with virtual group discussions and information sessions, and e-forms and written submissions. Statistics Canada received submissions from over 460 individuals from a variety of organizations, including anti-racism groups, civil society organizations, ethnocultural community organizations, religious networks and social inclusion groups, and from the general public.

In 2022/2023, the expansion of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey continued. This initiative will ensure that the collection of data on the Indigenous and racialized identity of accused people and victims of crime fulfills the data needs of communities, the police, policy makers and the Canadian population more broadly. In September 2022, an interim report with recommendations to guide the path forward was released, and a second round of engagements focusing on operationalizing the recommendations outlined in the interim report started in August 2022. The system was updated based on the recommendations received and should be ready to receive data from police services in January 2024.

With funding from the DDAP, the Uniform Calls for Service Reporting Program was able to advance in 2022/2023 on a plan developed in the previous year to operationalize a national-level reporting program that gathers microdata records of calls for assistance made by the public to police. This initiative fills important gaps in information on the full spectrum of police work, more specifically by examining the non-criminal types of events that police respond to, and the diverse populations who live within communities where these calls take place.

In terms of municipal data, Statistics Canada worked closely with five cities to create an administrative data template to upload information to the Business Register. Furthermore, data for 35 cities were released in the Municipal Financial and Socioeconomic Data Dashboard. This project is linked to a broader initiative aimed at encouraging municipalities and their jurisdictions to adopt standard approaches to the collection and sharing of government statistics with Statistics Canada.

Additionally, members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities were contacted over the winter of 2023 to find out how they use Statistics Canada data, to identify key data priorities and to identify other ways to collaborate. The results will guide Statistics Canada's future data improvements at lower levels of geography, in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and its provincial and territorial jurisdictions.

To meet Statistics Canada's long-term goal of effectively measuring the diversity of members on non-profit boards, Statistics Canada held a series of consultations with representatives from the non-profit sector. Furthermore, an external advisory committee with leaders from governments, academia and the non-profit sector across Canada was established and will serve as a forum to share expertise regarding this important sector.

Internally, subject-matter experts from across Statistics Canada collaboratively developed a comprehensive training workshop to build analytical capacity to effectively analyze disaggregated data and produce meaningful research and insights on diverse populations in Canada.

Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility, 2023 Progress Report

Release date: December 18, 2023

Catalogue no. 13-26-0004-2023002
ISSN 2817-0903

General

To request an alternate format (such as large font, braille, American Sign Language [ASL] and langue des signes québécois [LSQ]), please contact Statistics Canada's Accessibility Secretariat.

Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility, 2023 Progress Report - PDF Version (PDF, 416.06 KB)

How to provide feedback

The Head of the Equity, Talent Development and Workforce Strategy Division, Workforce and Workplace Branch is designated to receive feedback on behalf of StatCan. We want to hear from you.

Do you want to send us feedback anonymously? You can send us mail, call, or use our Accessibility feedback form without providing any personal information.

Your feedback is important to us. Feedback received will be acknowledged in the same way it was received unless it was received anonymously.

For more information, please consult this Privacy Notice.

Introduction

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by identifying barriers and preventing the creation of new ones. Statistics Canada published its first accessibility action plan in December 2022. Even before the publication of the plan, our agency has been committed to accessibility and has made great progress in becoming more accessible.

Accessibility is everyone's responsibility. Over the course of the year, this has become evident as teams and individuals across the agency have contributed to the progress. The 2023 Progress Report on the Accessibility Action Plan for Statistics Canada is an important milestone. This report showcases 105 accomplishments from September 2022 to September 2023 as part of our journey to becoming an accessibility confident organization.

Accomplishments by the numbers (September 2022 to September 2023)

  • 22 presentations to StatCan Persons with Disabilities Committee Meetings on topics ranging from progress on the Engaging (Dis)ability Innovation, to Fire drill dates and procedures, to Ergonomic lending libraries at Tunney's Pasture, Office noise level measurements to R/Python programming languages for data science and analytics.
  • 50 participants took the pilot Government of Canada (GC) Workplace Accessibility Passport manager training
  • 40 participants attended the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport informal consultation sessions
  • 15 Accessibility Feedback instances received from December 23rd, 2022, to September 1st, 2023
  • 195 attendees to the awareness presentation on deafblindness hosted with Carleton University's Canadian Accessibility Network
  • 687 views of the May 2023 self-paced 'challenge' for leadership
  • 440 average views per month of the centralized site for accessibility-related information and reports
  • 630 workplace accommodation requests received
  • 467 workplace accommodation requests processed
  • 34 average processing time (in days) for all accommodation requests which is a marked improvement from 2021 of 54 days.
  • 78% satisfaction with workplace accommodations that were implemented (2022 Public Service Employee Survey)
  • 8 accessibility evaluations initiated for Regional Offices
  • 100% of priority repairs (repairs that pose immediate danger) on 8 temporary spaces (swing space floors) were completed.
  • 5 licenses procured of each commonly requested accessibility software.
  • 28 Sign Language videos published in American Sign Language and Langue de signes du Quebec
  • 11,059 page views housing ASL/LSQ videos
    • 3,821 plays of these videos with a completion rate of 23%.
  • 103 full digital service accessibility reviews conducted (82 External Services, 21 internal services)

Accomplishments by priority areas and the barriers they address

Culture

An accessible culture within StatCan is accessibility-confident and disability-inclusive. Focus and commitment are put on educating all employees and managers to empower and inform them on accessibility. Accessibility standards and best practices are emphasized, and employees feel confident and safe in speaking out on barriers to accessibility and potential solutions.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of awareness
  1. Created a page on the Internal Communication Network (ICN) to centralize all internal accessibility-related information and reports for employees and managers.
  2. Organized plain language training for StatCan employees. Promoted accessibility training from the School of Public Service and free bilingual online accessibility training.
  3. Organized awareness presentations with Carleton University's Canadian Accessibility Network on deafblindness and the removal of accessibility barriers.
  4. Launched the National Accessibility Awareness Week (NAAW) with a message from the Persons with Disabilities Champion.
  5. Participated in a senior leader discussion with the Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities and the Chief Accessibility Officer for the National Accessibility Awareness Week (NAAW) titled "Learn from Yesterday, Change Today, Enhance Tomorrow: Building an Accessible Public Service Together"
  6. Participated in an AMI-tv Channel, the world's first television network to broadcast all programs with open format described video for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, program segment on government wide accessibility. Footage was included in the video from the Clerk for National Public Service Week.
  7. Launched the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport with a joint message from the Chief Statistician and the Persons with Disabilities Champion.
  8. Divisions promoted the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and discussed the tool at divisional meetings to increase take up.
  9. Organized a one-month self-paced 'challenge' for leadership allowing leaders at all levels to complete tangible actions that help the work environment become more accessible.
  10. Developed performance management objectives for executives to measure progress made in accessibility and inclusion within their teams.
  11. Piloted performance management objectives within a division for employees at all levels to expand accountability and prioritization of accessibility in their work.
  12. Developed and delivered "The basics of meeting planning" training to improve productivity and inclusivity in meetings. Training includes resources and recommendations for accessibility requirements.
  13. Participated in training for executives led by the CSPS and Live Work Play covering topics such as social motivators, impact of exclusion on the brain, approaches to accommodation, applying habits for lasting change, growth mindset, and curiosity over judgement.
  14. Launched sector committee with representatives from several divisions to collaborate on accessibility-related improvements such as best practices for internal tools and applications and brainstorming about accessibility-related employee challenges.
  15. Census, Regional Services and Operations (Field 7) identified a Divisional Champion to promote awareness and educational opportunities. The Champion is also the contact person to collect feedback from other employees about accessibility barriers. If required, action plans are developed with management to remove accessibility barriers.
Addressing the lack of inclusion and feedback
  1. Developed and managed a centralized and anonymous feedback system for all employees, Canadians and external StatCan users.
  2. Presented accessibility plan and tools to teams and employee networks across StatCan providing an avenue for information sharing, discussion, and feedback.
  3. Identified a Divisional Champion to act as the contact person for feedback from employees about accessibility barriers. If required, action plans are developed with management to remove accessibility barriers.
Addressing the lack of internal collaboration
  1. Facilitated interdivisional quarterly working group and leadership meetings to monitor and ensure progress of interdependent files.
  2. Met with teams across StatCan to discuss their accessibility strategies and consultation methods allowing for an exchange and gathering of best practices internal to the agency.
  3. The Accessibility Secretariat hosted a series of accessibility network meetings to promote accessibility knowledge sharing across the Government of Canada. These intergovernmental informal discussions allowed for an exchange and gathering of best practices external to the agency.
  4. The Centre for Health Data Integration (CHDI) and the Social Analysis and Modelling Division (SAMD) launched a community of practice to bring together a cross-functional group of subject matter experts, analysts, HR advisors and researchers within StatCan, who have the responsibility, experience, and interest in collecting, acquiring, and analyzing data, and sharing insights on the topic of disability and accessibility. The community will contribute towards members' growth by creating opportunities for collaboration and sharing of experiences through our work, projects, training, and/or education.

Workplace Accommodation

Workplace accommodation at StatCan means that accommodation is made on a confidential, case-by-case basis and employees are supplied with the functional tools and working conditions they need to maximize their potential.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of procedural knowledge
  1. Collaborated with internal partners on the development of Frequently Asked Questions content on how to request accommodation as part of the "Hybrid Work Environment" reference material.
  2. Maintained training and information links on the ICN.
  3. Divisions increased their knowledge on process through regular meetings with Duty to Accommodate Office, Labour Relations (when required).
Addressing delays in getting accommodations
  1. Created and collaborated on the implementation of the communication plan for launch of GC Workplace Accessibility Passport within agency to help expedite the receipt of key information and employee-manager dialogue needed for processing accommodations.
  2. Created scent-free zones, food-free zones, and low lighting zones in each physical space neighbourhood for all employees to benefit from thereby reducing the number of individual requests to process.
  3. Implemented a designated chair depot and ergonomic lending library in each physical space neighborhood which also helped reduce the processing of individual requests.
  4. Created a dedicated space for employees with noise sensitivities by converting a closed office space to be shared by employees requiring this type of accommodation.
New barrier: Lack of internal collaboration
  1. Actively participated in the internal Hybrid Work Environment planning to ensure accessibility is considered throughout the planning of the future of work.
  2. Collaborated with the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport Adopter Community of Practice on the development of tools.
  3. Collaborated with the Disability Inclusion and Workplace Accommodation Community of Practice in the development of tools and processes.

Priority Areas under the Accessibility Canada Act

Employment

Accessible employment at StatCan means that employees with disabilities and those experiencing barriers are supported throughout their employee journey. From recruitment and hiring to onboarding and career progression, all employees are supported to reach their full potential.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of knowledge or understanding of accessible and inclusive hiring practices
  1. Launched a pilot project to promote all posters through Equitek to better reach the Employment Equity communities.
  2. Presented the Engaging (Dis)ability summary research report to the Staffing Standing Committee.
  3. Developed and delivered awareness sessions (with partners such as LiveWorkPlay) and material on barriers persons with disabilities face throughout the employment journey for management and staffing advisors.
  4. Created ICN content promoting accessible and inclusive tools (such as the Public Service Commission hiring tools).
  5. Developed partnership strategy for Accessible and Inclusive Employment and start discussions with disability employment service organizations, university and student associations for persons with disabilities.
  6. Updated the agency's self-declaration form to increase transparency on data collection and usage.
Addressing stigma and attitudinal barriers
  1. Launched learning opportunities related to the employee journey of persons with disabilities.
  2. Developed guidance documents on duty to accommodate procedures and feedback processes related to a selection process.
  3. Launched the first internal Sponsorship program for executive or mid-level leaders who are part of equity-seeking groups (including persons with disabilities).
  4. Initiated discussions about learning styles as part of the onboarding process to ensure that employees receive the support they need from the beginning of their employment.
Addressing inflexible and complex staffing tools and processes
  1. Standardized paragraphs for staffing posters to make them more accessible.
  2. Completed initial review of the accommodation process to improve efficiency and to ensure all candidates are processed at the same pace.
  3. Initiated accessibility review of staffing communication templates.
  4. Collaborated on the agency implementation plans for the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport offering guidance for staffing processes.
  5. Developed presentation for human resources employees on accessible assessment practises.
  6. Reviewed staffing tools to ensure future recruitment and hiring are accessible for Census 2026.

Built Environment

An accessible built environment at StatCan is one where workspaces and the work environment are accessible for all. From the spaces in employees' homes to those owned or leased by StatCan, all environments used by employees will be accessible by design.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of consultation with persons with disabilities and those experiencing barriers
  1. Consulted with persons with disability committee on building procedures (including accessible fire safety procedures and emergency procedures).
  2. Actively participated in monthly persons with disabilities committee meetings.
Addressing that accessibility is not a key requirement in construction
  1. Met with the Persons with Disabilities Committee to review new Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) designs for R.H. Coats.
  2. Worked in collaboration with PSPC to implement accessible space reservation tools.
  3. Developed and implemented communication strategy to communicate construction plans and site closures through various media including the Accessibility site on the ICN.
To contribute to the desired state of enhancing accessibility of the workplace and employee workspaces
  1. Completed consultations with the Fire Safety Officers to ensure procedures are documented and meet accessibility requirements in the event of an emergency.
  2. Initiated evaluations in our Regional Offices to ensure documentation of accessibility plan for each office.
  3. Participated in monthly meetings with property managers regarding the accessibility of outdoor spaces.
  4. Updated large appliances in the kitchens on swing space floors to ensure accessibility such as fridges that are more readily accessible for individuals in a wheelchair and microwaves with larger print and braille for use by individuals with visual impairments.
  5. Completed repairs that pose immediate danger on swing space floors as outlined in the consultant audit.
  6. Enhanced the emergency email communication tool to also include messages in ASL.

Information and communication technologies

Accessible information and communication technologies at StatCan (often called ICT) means that IT products are usable and accessible for everyone. Whether it is software development, infrastructure support, platform operations, service request fulfillment, IT asset management, cloud environments or offsite support, these all need to be accessible.

Accomplishments

Addressing knowledge gaps within the IT team
  1. Researched and compared external accessibility maturity models.
  2. Created IT Accessibility Advisory Board for governance and guidance on Accessibility by Design development.
Addressing accessibility considerations
  1. Created Accessible Information and Communication Technology Scorecard and Maturity Model for StatCan IT.
  2. Initiated documentation of IT service processes related to accessibility requirements.
  3. Created documents guiding accessibility testing using common accessibility software on common StatCan platforms.
  4. Improved the accessibility of the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP) application.
  5. Implemented the creation of a fully accessible version for each new issue of the "In Hybrid News" newsletter using the ICN.
  6. Actively discussed accessibility for GCXchange and M365 office and collaborative tools with Treasury Board in support of accessible meetings.
  7. Initiated plans for printers as part of future of work project.
Addressing unavailable tools
  1. Collaborated with Industry Canada and Innovation Solutions Canada to develop an application that conducts accessibility reviews.
Addressing lengthy accommodation processes
  1. Established the base offering of the Accessibility Software Lending Service.
  2. Procured licenses of each commonly requested accessibility software.

Communication, other than information and communication technologies

Accessible communication at StatCan means information that is provided, sent, or received is clear, direct and easy to understand and meets the needs of employees and Canadians.

Accomplishments

Addressing gaps in accessible communications
  1. Explored accessibility improvements for internal all-staff messages.
  2. Completed the census chatbot accessibility review and working with Microsoft to implement the recommendations.
  3. Increased the awareness and usage of MS 365 accessibility functions like PowerPoint Live and MS Forms.
  4. Updated internal newsletters and documents to conform with accessibility guidelines (e.g., avoiding use of certain colours).
  5. Adopted use of larger fonts in email communications (Arial 14)
Addressing the lack of emphasis on the accessible design of communications
  1. Researched plain language training options to make this a mandatory course for all StatCan employees.
  2. Collaborated with the Accessibility Secretariat to ensure efficient communication with all staff around the topic of accessibility resources and events.
  3. Added information on Video Relay Service to all the wave materials for Census test and products.
  4. Prepared braille and ASL/LSQ versions to products for Census, the Canadian Survey on Disability, Survey on Accessible Print Materials, etc.
  5. Scheduled the accessibility testing on mobile phones for the Census Chatbot.
  6. Added Alt Text requirements for all social media posts.
  7. Collaborated with the Centre of Expertise on Accessibility to learn about best practices in accessibility for apps and mobile products
  8. Adopted plain language across the agency for public facing content
  9. Added visuals and alternate formats such as tables, slides or videos to releases and documents to provide accessibility to different types of reading and learning styles.

Procurement of goods, services, and facilities

The accessible procurement of goods, services, and facilities at StatCan means to centralize purchases, including computer software and hardware and a variety of external professional services, while prioritizing accessibility.

Accomplishments

Addressing GC centralized program and policies
  1. Prepared an inventory of all the different documents and forms used during the procurement process.
  2. Adapted procurement documents to be accessible.
  3. Ensured accessibility considerations were taken in procurement files and flagged inaccessible items to project leaders.
  4. Transitioned from buyandsell.gc.ca to the new GC accessible tendering platform.
Addressing the lack of consultation
  1. Appointed a champion on accessible procurement.
  2. Planned a townhall on accessible procurement.
Addressing insufficient knowledge
  1. Attended learning events and training offered by PSPC Centre of Expertise on Accessible Procurement as well as with Shared Services Canada.

Design and delivery of programs and services

The accessible design and delivery of programs and services at StatCan means that surveys, programs, and services are inclusive and accessible by design to meet the needs of Canadians and employees.

Accomplishments

Addressing the reactive approach
  1. Revised the Notice of Web Accessibility process to now requires a brief when products are inaccessible or unreviewed to contribute to proactive accountability.
  2. Created an in-house braille version of the Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility.
  3. Published Sign Language videos in American Sign Language and Langue des signes du Quebec (i.e.: in support of the Canadian Survey on Disability, Survey on Accessible Print Materials, etc.). The video with the highest combination of views (over 2,000) and completion rate (23%) was on First Nations People, Metis, and Inuit in Canada, and the video with the highest completion rate (42%) was on the COVID 19 Survey.
  4. Successfully promoted the use of Video Relay Services Canada to Census and other programs
  5. Continued expanding the Text-to-Speech pilot and feedback tool on multiple StatCan websites.
  6. Offered alternative collection options to survey respondents, other than traditional telephone and electronic questionnaires.
  7. Hired employees with lived experience and expertise in accessibility.
  8. Made the "Accessibility Assurance step" an integral part of the development processes for all our current and future products: (e.g. Aviation dashboard, Energy Flow Visualization (Sankey Diagram), High Frequency Electricity Dashboard (HFED)
Addressing inaccessible tools
  1. Completed the service inventory of all the programs and services at StatCan.
  2. Conducted 103 full digital service accessibility reviews for both external (82) and internal (21) services.
Addressing the lack of a centralized approach Addressing accessibility needs
  1. Shared significant advice to colleagues across the agency on accessibility features for software such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and contributed to the accessibility resources on the ICN.
  2. Launched the Accessibility Review Pilot Project:
    • Completed the Accessibility Review of the agency's online learning services.
    • Contributed to the early accessibility and usability review of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport online portal.
    • Conducted accessibility reviews to comply with the Management Accountability Framework. Responsible areas are making changes to fix accessibility barriers uncovered.
  3. Statistics Canada has been tasked – as a partner - by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to conduct accessibility reviews on the multinational STAT Data explorer. These reviews continue.

Transportation

No barriers in StatCan policies, practices, programs, and services, were identified at the time of publication of the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan. The agency regularly monitors this area through our feedback mechanism, to ensure prevention and removal of barriers. This is to confirm that no new barriers have been identified since the drafting of this report.

Consultation

This section covers consultations conducted from September 2022 to September 2023. For more information about consultations conducted in order to inform the development of the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan, please read the Consultation section in Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility.

Consulting employees continues to be a critical element in the implementation of Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility. Consultations were led by various areas to advance in the actions accomplished above.

Internal Consultation by the Accessibility Secretariat

In the spring of 2023, the agency's Accessibility Secretariat held information sessions open to all employees and which included a consultative component. To ensure continued engagement and increase the accessibility confidence of the agency, these sessions covered the framework of Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility (StatCan Accessibility Plan), accomplishments to date, how-to submit feedback and tools they can use to make their everyday work more accessible.

The consultation sought to get the pulse on employee understanding of the plan, awareness of and sentiment towards the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and accountability on contributing to the accessibility journey.

  • Based on our StatCan Accessibility Plan and across domains, which domain pillar is more important to you?
  • How familiar are you with the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport?
  • Do you think the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport will help you?
  • What tasks could you accomplish in your position to make StatCan more accessible?

English and French sessions were held using MS Teams to ensure access to all employees. The presentation and consultation leveraged the PowerPoint Live and built-in survey function in MS Teams. Participants were asked ahead of time if this function created accessibility barriers.

The findings and responses helped guide the agency on future communication activities related to both the Accessibility Plan and the development of support for the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport.

Persons with Disability Committee

The Persons with Disability Committee (PwDC) is an active employee committee and a key partner in the implementation of the agency's action plan. This committee's creation predates 1989. It has a very long history of identifying priorities, providing constructive advice and suggestions action-oriented solutions to StatCan management.

The Accessibility Secretariat was a regular participant in committee meetings, presenting and gathering input on:

  • Progress on the Engaging (Dis)ability Innovation
  • Findings from the external consultation report by BDO
  • Resources for the "Accessibility at StatCan" ICN page
  • The publication of the accessibility plan in accessible formats
  • Employee events in support of advancement of accessibility confidence
  • The feedback processes
  • The measurement framework
  • The GC Workplace Accessibility Passport
  • Organizational progress on accessibility
  • Workplace Occupational Health and Safety Department delivered and received feedback on:
  • Return to work safety measures
  • Updates on ergonomic assessment
  • Fire drill dates and procedures
  • Ergonomic lending libraries at Tunney's Pasture
  • KN95 masks availability and masks procedures
  • Dates and procedures for lockdown exercises
  • Office noise level measurements (results: 38-54 decibels)

The Facilities and Future of Work Project presented and received feedback on construction updates, constructions sites, and building closures.

The R/Python User Group presented their user group and prompted committee members to participate.

External Consultations by the Engagement and Data Services Division

There were two projects where persons with disabilities or to organizations that represented persons with disabilities:

For these consultation sessions, participants were given the opportunity to express any of the accommodations needs.

Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub

The Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) hub monitors and reports on indicators included in many publications on subjects related to diversity and inclusion.

The long-term goal is for the GDIS Hub to become a "one stop shop" that offers meaningful data and products and creates a more user-friendly experience.

To inform this goal, 50 disability organizations were contacted as part of the process. Two organizations responded and a participant from each organization was consulted.

The format for this consultation activity was one-on-one usability testing sessions done via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The participant was provided the link to and asked to open the prototype of the Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics Hub. They then shared their screens as they explored the page and followed some use cases.

This format was selected at because it was the best fit for the client's request. We used either Microsoft Teams or Zoom to accommodate the participant. By having the participant open and explore the prototype themselves, it allowed them to change the font size, zoom in on the page, use a screen reader or change the colour contrast as needed.

While there were several recommendations, one key recommendation was to "ensure accessibility of text and hover-over boxes (e.g. text contrast, size, machine readability)".

Text to Speech Project

Consultations were held to support the Text to Speech Project with a focus on a few of the pilot features that on certain pages of the Statistics Canada website. The feedback gathered during this session would provide insight for future considerations.

19 disability organizations and an additional 57 government working groups pertaining to accessibility or persons with disabilities we contacted. In total, there were 32 participants in this study.

We had two formats for this consultative engagement activity: a group discussion (with no more than four per session) or a one-on-one usability testing session done via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The format was selected based on participant preference. Each participant was provided the links to various pages to review the tool ahead of time along with the questions to keep in mind when reviewing.

During the session they shared their screen as they explored the various pages with the tools as we went through the questions. Many participants had their observations ready to share. When it was a group setting, the moderating team shared their screen and explained the features of each tool both visually and verbally to accommodate all participants. Zoom was used most often as this was the preferred teleconferencing application.

Among the specific recommendations, one key takeaway was that most participants saw the value in a text-to-speech feature for a variety of audiences except for those that are fully visually impaired as they have their own tools such as screen readers. Additionally, this text to speech feature should not be seen as an "accessibility fix".

Feedback

At Statistics Canada, a Feedback page accessible to those internal and external to the agency was developed and published alongside the action plan per the ACA requirements. This page includes all relevant information to submit feedback, including the ACA definition for "barriers." Throughout the year, the feedback process was promoted in presentations across StatCan. Additionally, leads from across the agency were provided with their roles and responsibilities related to the feedback process.

Summary of the Feedback Process

This year, feedback was received only through the Accessibility Feedback Form and via email. When the Accessibility Secretariat receives feedback by email, an email acknowledgement is sent notifying the sender that the process to explore and resolve the barrier has begun. The feedback is anonymized, if necessary, and sent to area leads for evaluation and response.

If a follow-up is requested or necessary, area leads are responsible to respond (using the same medium in which the feedback is received) and are provided with support from the Accessibility Secretariat. The Accessibility Secretariat stores all communications related to the feedback in a confidential manner for the next seven years as mandated by the Accessible Canada Act.

From December 23, 2022, to September 1, 2023, we received 15 feedback:

The key themes of the feedback related:

  • Alternate format: request for a printed copy of the report
  • Communication: inaccessible documents (such as PowerPoint Presentations and PDFs) or programs (such as GCDocs)
  • Workplace Accommodations:
    • Delays in receiving proper accommodations
    • Accessibility of the workspace

Lessons learned and a look ahead to Year 2

The first year of the implementation of the agency's Accessibility Action Plan continues to offer opportunities to learn and grow. As we move into the next year, we will continue to progress on the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan commitments to remove and prevent barriers. We take with us one more year of experience, insight and lessons learned. While there is pride in the accomplishments listed in earlier in this report, we acquired lessons in the areas of funding, governance, measurement, and reporting.

Funding

Sound fiscal management comes with a high threshold and specific criteria to obtain funding. For a new program like accessibility, extra efforts were required to ensure stakeholders and the investment board understood the importance of this work. Setting the groundwork on this enterprise-wide file, translated to the agency prioritizing accessibility and allocating investment funding. With the experience gained by all contributors on the initial submission for funding, complemented by the proven accomplishments from this first year, the program is poised to continue receiving the required funding to advance on accessibility commitments.

Governance

The agency established an Accessibility Leadership Taskforce (ALT) comprising of:

  • Director-level area leads representing the eight ACA and StatCan priority areas,
  • the Director General of the Workforce and Workplace Branch (WWB),
  • the Persons with Disabilities Champion, and
  • the Assistant Chief Statistician for Corporate Strategy and Management Field.

ALT is the governing body responsible for overseeing the implementation and operational accessibility requirements. Collaboration and commitment from across the agency have been key drivers to attaining our goals. We have learned that within certain areas, the ability to implement actions is facilitated by their inherent mandates (i.e.: IT and User Experience), and therefore the transition of leadership made sense to facilitate progress. Additionally, we have observed that the Employment area lead scope was far too large- covering the actions related to the employee journey from onboarding through to separation. Therefore, to ensure that each milestone in the employee journey received the focus on accessibility that it deserved, accountability was divided and shared amongst all of the WWB directors.

Measurement

StatCan was one of the organizations to publish indicators for measurement. However, as the accessibility landscape continues to evolve across the public service (i.e.: Common hybrid work model and impacts on duty to accommodate) and in implementing the planned actions, we continued to revisit the plan content including the indicators. In the coming year, we will be updating our publication of the 2023-25 Accessibility Action Plan to account for updated indicators that will align with those soon-to-be released by the Office of Public Service Accessibility, coupled with changes that will better set the agency up with a baseline from which to demonstrate success or signal areas of further attention.

Reporting

To ensure a continued momentum and accountability for the implementation of the action plan, monthly financial dashboards, quarterly accomplishment reports and the annual progress report were instituted. The monthly dashboards communicate progress, challenges, and resolutions to the investment board and senior management. The quarterly reports provide updates to the ALT and allow for enhanced collaboration and opportunities for recalibration between priority areas as needed. Lastly, the annual progress report compiles the quarterly accomplishments complimented by additional actions carried out throughout the agency organically. This document truly showcases all StatCan answering the call to help remove barriers and taking on the commitment to being inclusive by design and accessible by default.

Give feedback on this progress report

Provide feedback by filling out the Accessibility Feedback Form.

Accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions

List of accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions

Measuring pure price change: Exploring Shrinkflation in the Consumer Price Index

Measuring pure price change: Exploring Shrinkflation in the Consumer Price Index
Description - Measuring pure price change: Exploring Shrinkflation in the Consumer Price Index

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks changes in prices as experiences by Canadians by comparing the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services through time. Over time, products tracked in the CPI may change in terms of quantity, which can include changes to packaging size. When a smaller quantity of a given product is sold for the same price, this is sometimes referred to as “shrinkflation,” which is a form of price inflation.

How does the CPI account for shrinkflation?

To ensure an accurate CPI, prices are measured for the same items over time in order to reflect constant quality and quantity. This, in turn, ensures that the CPI measures pure price change. When the quantity or size of a product is reduced, but the price stays the same, consumers are paying more for the same quantity of the product. To account for this in the CPI, the prices collected are adjusted upward to reflect the change in quantity, and the resulting price increase is reflected in the CPI as a pure price change.

When product packaging is smaller or there’s a smaller quantity but the amount you pay is the same, the CPI reflects this as a price increase.

Source: Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index.

Table of contents

Introduction

The Privacy Act gives Canadian citizens and people living in Canada the right to access their personal information being held by federal government institutions. The Act also protects against unauthorized disclosure of that personal information, and it strictly controls how the government collects, uses, stores, discloses, and disposes of any personal information.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Privacy Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 72 of the Act, and it covers the period from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Administration of the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act, which concerns itself with personal information, stipulates that government institutions can collect personal information only if it relates to the operation of programs or activities of these institutions. In the case of Statistics Canada, the Statistics Act provides the authority to collect personal information. In addition, institutions are required to protect the collected information from disclosure.

The Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination administers the Access to Information and Privacy legislations within Statistics Canada and is also the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Coordinator and Chief Privacy Officer for the Agency.

Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada coordinate the national statistical system, in particular, to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data collection or sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial and territorial government departments, pursuant to provisions of the Act.

The Statistics Act specifically requires Statistics Canada to conduct a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture every five years as it did in 2021. The Act also gives the Agency substantial powers to request information through surveys of Canadian businesses and households. Under the Act, the Chief Statistician determines whether a survey will be mandatory or voluntary. Statistics Canada has generally made voluntary household data collection other than the Census of Population and the Labour Force Survey, as the latter produces key economic data. The Census of Agriculture and most other business surveys are mandatory. Refusal to participate in a mandatory survey is subject to legal penalties.

By law, Statistics Canada can also access administrative records, including personal and business tax data, credit information, customs declarations, and birth and death records. Such records are critical sources of statistical information that enable the Agency to reduce the reporting burden on businesses and individual respondents. Statistics Canada is considered a leader among the world's statistical agencies in reducing reporting burden by using administrative data.

Statistics Canada is ensuring that privacy protection methods and protocols continue to evolve as new data sources with varying levels of sensitivity emerge. The Necessity and Proportionality framework was implemented to ensure increasing transparency in the data acquisition process, to provide stronger justification (necessity) for data acquisition, and to be more explicit about the efforts used to gather data in a manner that is both efficient and proportional to its necessity and sensitivity. This includes ensuring that necessity (requirement for data or information) is well-defined; applying the scientific approach and a series of checkpoints on sensitivity, ethics and proportionality (quality, sample size, content and risk mitigation); considering alternative methods; and requiring a privacy impact assessment and communication throughout the process to ensure transparency.

Statistics Canada adopted a Responsible Privacy approach to honour the commitment made to Canadians to protect their personal information. These mechanisms help Statistics Canada to fulfill this commitment while ensuring that Canadians have all the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision-makers in a rapidly evolving world.

Delegation instrument

The delegation instrument exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Privacy Act has been formally delegated by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development as of May 18, 2021, (Appendix A) and provides full delegated authority to the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination.

Resources

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 5.35 persons/year. One ATIP Manager, three Senior ATIP analysts, and two ATIP analysts work full time on the processing of requests.

Statistical report

The statistical report provides aggregate data on the application of the Privacy Act. This information is made public annually and is included with the annual report (Appendix B).

Implementation: Privacy

The Privacy Act has a substantial impact on Statistics Canada, but the impact cannot be measured only by the number of requests processed. Although society seeks a broader range of detailed information, it also demands more accountability on the part of government about the collection of personal information and the purposes served by the information.

The Agency has a strong track record of respecting the privacy of Canadians and has taken a number of initiatives to address the privacy challenges this dichotomy raises.

Statistics Canada has internal directives that reflect the basic principles found in the Privacy Act. The Agency's Directive on Informing Survey Respondents requires that all respondents be informed of the expected use of the statistics produced from the survey results, the authority under which the survey is taken, their obligation to respond, the confidentiality protection given to all information collected under the Statistics Act, and any data-sharing arrangements pursuant to provisions of the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada also developed the Directive on Microdata Linkage to respond to concerns of both respondents and privacy advocates on the potential of matching an individual's information gathered from a variety of sources.

These two directives not only support compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Privacy Act, but also demonstrate the Agency's commitment to the protection and appropriate use of the personal information under its control, while still meeting its mandate.

The Agency has also developed and implemented a Necessity and Proportionality framework that ensures that any collection of personal information for its statistical programs is duly justified.

As we chart new paths and methods of collecting data, respecting and protecting the rightful privacy of Canadians sit at the heart of everything we do. Statistics Canada's Trust Centre underlines how we meet Canadians' information needs while keeping their data safe and private.

Statistics Canada continues to work diligently to ensure that the confidentiality it has committed to in law and in principle, is upheld. This includes ensuring that privacy remains at the forefront of all our activities.

Statistics Canada's very mandate requires that it produce information that helps Canadians better understand their country – its population, resources, economy, environment, society and culture. To achieve this, the Agency must collect a considerable amount of personal information directly from Canadians through surveys, or indirectly from private and public organizations. Parliament has given Statistics Canada this mandate to better serve Canadians, but with such authority comes great responsibility. Statistics Canada continually adjusts to new realities and adapts existing mechanisms or develops new ones to protect Canadians' privacy and ensure that their data will not be misused. The Agency must demonstrate and provide assurances to Canadians that it can be trusted with their information.

As Statistics Canada continues to modernize, it is committing to Responsible Privacy. Responsible Privacy is instrumental in honouring our promise to diligently collect, use, disclose and protect Canadians' personal information. It ensures that we indefatigably strive to go beyond what is required and encompasses innovative privacy checks and balances that ensure due diligence when handling personal information. It requires that privacy be imprinted in all our activities.

To foster the Responsible Privacy approach and meet the demands of a digital world in the 21st century, senior management at Statistics Canada has committed to a formalized Privacy Management Program (PMP).

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Privacy Management Program
Description - Privacy Management Program

Statistics Canada Privacy Management Program

Oversight & Review

  • Assess & Revise
    Program Controls as neccessary

Program Controls

  • Personal information inventory
    Easy access by Canadians to their personal information
  • Directives, Policies & Procedures
    Streamline governance to align with responsible privacy
  • Risk Assessments & Other Supporting Tools
    Modernize Privacy Toolbox & streamline PIAs
  • Training, Education & Awareness
    Educating Canadians on privacy in the statistical context
  • Breach & Incident Management Response Protocols
    Simplified self-help kit/resources for staff; Active Monitoring
  • Client, Partner & Data Provider Management
    Early intervention logic model & privacy triggers
  • External Communication
    Modernized Privacy Portal

Organizational Commitment

  • Buy-in from the Top
  • Chief Privacy Officer
  • Office of Privacy Management (experts)
  • Reporting

While many of its components were already part of the Agency's regular activities, the PMP instils a systematic and strategic approach that reinforces our commitment to Canadians regarding their personal information.

Privacy requests

Disposition of requests completed
Disposition of request Number of requests
All disclosed 24
Disclosed in part 63
Nothing disclosed (exempt) 6
Does not exist 2
Abandoned 83
Total 178

The Agency received 48 new requests in 2022-2023 and 133 requests were carried over from the previous reporting period. During this period, 178 requests were completed, and 3 requests were carried forward to the next reporting period.

For 24 requests, information was disclosed completely and for 63 requests, information was partially disclosed, having redactions applied to protect personal information pertaining to other individuals. Six requests were exempted/excluded, for two requests the information did not exist, and 83 requests were abandoned as applicants did not respond to requests for additional information or chose to withdraw them entirely. The public is the largest privacy client group for Statistics Canada.

In addition to requests from the public, the Agency receives requests from current and former federal public servants regarding personal or staff relations issues. Statistics Canada responds to a number of requests for personal information through its pension search program. This program provides members of the public with information from their own census records, and from the 1940 National Registration records, to support their applications for pensions, citizenship, passports and other services when other administrative records, such as birth certificates, are required but no longer exist or were never issued. Regulations permit duly authorized representatives to act on behalf of a minor or an incompetent person to administer their affairs or estate. To do so, the trustees and estate administrators seek personal information from the census or from 1940 national registration records of deceased individuals, minors, or dependent adults. In the case of the deceased, the administrator of the estate may exercise these rights, but only for the purposes of estate administration.

For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 68 requests made in the previous fiscal year (FY) were from individuals looking to obtain their 2021 Census of Population questionnaires.

Responding to privacy requests involved reviewing more than 34,685 pages, of which 10,451 pages were released. Eighty-seven (87) requestors received information electronically and eight (8) requestors received the information in paper format.

Number of privacy requests by fiscal year
Fiscal Year Requests Received Requests Completed Number of Pages Processed Number of Pages Released
2022/2023 48 178 34,685 10,451
2021/2022 161 65 1,744 1,416
2020/2021 86 138 4,076 2,983
2019/2020 283 210 5,586 3,364
2018/2019 1,012 1,007 15,244 13,595

Other requests

During this period, Statistics Canada did not receive any Privacy Act consultation requests from other departments.

Disposition of completed requests

The disposition of the 178 requests completed in 2022-2023 was as follows:

  • 24 were fully disclosed (14%)
  • 63 were disclosed in part (35%)
  • 6 were exempted/excluded (3%)
  • 2 did not exist (1%)
  • 83 were abandoned by applicants (47%)

Completion time and extensions

Of the forty-eight (48) requests received and completed in FY 2022-2023, 40 requests were processed and completed within the time period prescribed in the Privacy Act, and 3 requests were carried over to the next fiscal year. Several factors contributed to the timely response, including training sessions with senior leaders and liaison officers, as well as the reduction in the backlog of requests allowing analysts to focus on the new requests that were received in this timeframe. Extensions were taken for 8 requests.

The 45 requests completed in 2022-2023 were processed in the following time frames:

  • 26 within 1 to 15 days (58%)
  • 8 within 16 to 30 days (18%)
  • 8 within 31 to 60 days (18%)
  • 1 within 61 to 120 days (2%)
  • 2 within 121 to 180 days (4%)

Exemptions and exclusions

As in previous reporting periods, section 26 was applied to files that were exempt from release in FY 2022-2023. This section of the Act protects the personal information of other individuals for whom the requester does not have consent.

Costs

During 2022-2023, the ATIP Office incurred an estimated $135,260 in salary costs and $1,890 in administrative costs to administer the Privacy Act.

Training initiatives for privacy

In 2022-2023, the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office expanded its formal training program for all staff across the Agency, which initially began in April 2020. Informal one-on-one training was made available, until such time as the formal training was implemented. The informal training assists staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informs them about policies and directives related to personal information at Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada's Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination offers courses on a variety of subjects related to the Statistics Act and the Privacy Act as well as supporting policies and directives. These include sessions on "Privacy Impact Assessment" and "Privacy and Confidentiality", with a focus on personal information collected about employees of Statistics Canada, clients or the public, and appropriate use of such personal information.

Statistics Canada also requires employees to complete computer-based courses on confidentiality. A mandatory course for new employees offers a brief overview of confidentiality, illustrating its importance at the Agency.

Additionally, the Office of Privacy Management (OPM) sponsored a Data Privacy Day in January 2023, in which there were activities promoting the understanding of how to protect personal information from being accessed, used or disclosed without permission. The OPM noted that there was a high level of engagement with strong feedback received. Bilateral meetings between the OPC and StatCan are occurring on a regular basis, where StatCan programs and activities are discussed. OPC's information session on Privacy Impact Assessments were promoted internally within StatCan, resulting in multiple employees attending the sessions.

Policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP sector contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating privacy requests. These tools include a concise checklist outlining steps to follow when providing responsive records for privacy requests, and a responsible contact from the ATIP team throughout the process. There are also a variety of directives and policies provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat, about the protection of personal information. Personal and confidential information is protected by the Privacy Act and the Statistics Actand will only be disclosed as permitted by these Acts.

Statistics Canada developed and published a privacy framework that identifies the full scope of privacy controls within the operations of Statistics Canada as a collection of approved practices, procedures and governance related to privacy. This includes the identification of the Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, as the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for Statistics Canada, as designated by the Chief Statistician. The CPO provides leadership on matters related to privacy, develops business strategies and processes that ensure that privacy is considered and accounted for in business decision, and ensures the safeguarding of the information through administrative policy instruments and best practices.

As the functional authority on statistical methods within the Government of Canada, StatCan has provided extensive input to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) regarding the Privacy Implementation Notice on De-identification. TBS and StatCan have begun partnering on a multi-year initiative to develop a Framework on de-identification for the Government of Canada, which will include standards, guidance, and tools that will enable institutions to appropriately leverage de-identification as a privacy preserving technique.

Given its unique position in the federal government in collecting personal information solely for statistical and research purposes, Statistics Canada has determined that the privacy issues associated with its statistical activities undertaken under the authority of the Statistics Act could be addressed by means of a Generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

Although the Generic PIA is comprehensive and reflects most Statistics Canada's operations, in the instance of extraordinary activities, specific PIAs are conducted with input from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC). Statistics Canada prepares supplements to the Generic PIA for all new and significantly redesigned surveys and statistical programs involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks that have not been addressed in the Generic PIA.

Complaints and investigations

There were five complaints filed against Statistics Canada with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC):

  • Two complaints were discontinued because the requester did not respond to queries from the OPC.
  • One complaint pertained to a delay, and the investigation deemed this complaint to be Well-Founded.
  • Two complaints were Refusal complaints for exemptions Statistics Canada applied. Statistics Canada has provided information to the OPC, and the Agency is waiting for the investigations' next steps.

Monitoring of the requests

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgement of the request is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area, Office of Primary Interest (OPI), for responsive records. If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, the ATIP Office contacts the client. Statistics Canada is currently exploring options to procure a new software solution that will assist in modernizing and improving the processing of requests received by the Agency. The procurement process is being led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on behalf of the Government of Canada.

The retrieval form was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based on the Policy on Privacy Protection and the Directive on Privacy Practices from the Treasury Board Secretariat. The form includes the text of the request, the name and phone number of the ATIP Officer, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). The form states that the ATIP Office is obligated to report annually on the administrative costs related to requests and thus information is needed on the group(s) and level(s) of those involved in the retrieval process, and the amount of time spent working on the request (including time for search, retrieval, internal review (relevant or not to the request) and photocopying). The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any areas which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., personal information, legal issues), and the Director General or responsible delegate of the program area signs the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with the retrieval of records from day one. As 5 to 10 days are allowed for the retrieval, a follow-up is made on the fifth day. If additional time is required for the retrieval, this is when the program area is to notify the ATIP Office. An additional 1 to 5 days may be granted depending on the amount of work remaining. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures the form is duly completed and that it has been signed by the appropriate manager. The ATIP Office takes 5 to 10 days to review and process the records. Once the work from the ATIP Office is completed, the final version is released to the client. The OPI and management are very aware of the importance of ATIP requests.

Privacy Breaches

The Privacy and Information Breach Protocol provides clear identification of the various roles and responsibilities in the event of a breach. It includes the requirement to complete an enhanced process which incorporates the elements in the Treasury Board Secretariat's guidelines on how to respond to a privacy breach. The template has been approved by the Agency's senior management. At a minimum, the incident report will contain the following information:

  • a description of the incident (who, what, when, where, why, how)
  • the actions already taken and planned for the future
  • a description of the risks/impacts
  • any other information that might be helpful in locating any lost item(s) or in assessing the consequences of loss or compromise
  • recommendations for mitigating or eliminating the risk of the event recurring in future
  • information on whether the individuals or organizations whose information was breached were informed of the incident
  • indication if the individuals, Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and Treasury Board Secretariat will be informed of the incident and if not, a rationale for not informing them.

Best practices to eliminate or reduce future recurrences that are identified during an investigation must be communicated to other employees to prevent a recurrence of the breach.

Breaches are coordinated by a centralized group in the Privacy Management team to ensure that all programs impacted by the breach provide input.

There were 10 privacy breaches at Statistics Canada during the reporting period, of which one was material in nature. A total of 404 people were affected by these 10 breaches.

One material breach was reported to the OPC, which affected one StatCan employee:

A Statistics Canada employee's bank information for direct deposit was changed by a Compensation Advisor and the employee's pay for a few pay periods was deposited into an unknown account. The employee's PRI was also communicated to the unknown person who initiated the change.

The individual impacted was informed of the breach and their ability to submit a complaint to the OPC, and the situation was corrected.

Additional measures, specific to the areas that experienced the breach were implemented, including:

All Compensation Advisors were reminded and retrained on the proper process when StatCan employees use the pay system to change their personal banking information. Only former employees, or employees on Leave Without Pay, may request a change by Compensation Advisors directly, and the established identity confirmation process must be followed. All pay actions must also go through the established peer verification process unless automatically generated through Statistics Canada's Time Management System (TMS). If a transaction needs to be done directly in the pay system, the action must be verified by a peer.

Privacy Impact Assessments

The Statistics Canada Directive on Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) specifies the roles and responsibilities of its senior managers and privacy specialists regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. This directive applies to all statistical and non-statistical programs that engage in the collection, use or disclosure of personal information.

Statistics Canada's Generic PIA covers all aspects of the Agency's statistical programs that collect, use and disseminate information in support of the mandate under the Statistics Act. The Generic PIA addresses the ten privacy principles and includes a threat and risk assessment for various collection and access modes.

Supplements to the Generic PIA are produced for new and significantly redesigned collections, uses or disclosures of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality, or security risks. The Generic PIA and its supplements are posted on the Statistics Canada website: Generic privacy impact assessment.

When it relates to the administration of the institution other PIAs are conducted for new or redesigned administrative programs and services that involve the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that are not addressed in the Generic PIA. Summaries of completed privacy impact assessments can be found on the Statistics Canada website: Privacy impact assessments.

In the current reporting period, 22 privacy assessments, of which one (1) PIA, fourteen (14) supplements, and seven (7) amendments or addendums were approved and submitted to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Treasury Board Secretariat. The following are brief descriptions:

Public Sector Employee Survey

A PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Public Sector Employee Survey (PSES). The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and Statistics Canada (StatCan) partnered to administer the 2022/2023 cycle of the PSES. The PSES Supports the development of action plans and strategies to meet the needs of public servants and address any issues identified. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Administrative Data Pre-processing Project

A Supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Administrative Data Pre-processing Project (ADP). The ADP supports Statistics Canada's mandate by centralizing and automating reception and pre-processing activities related to administrative data at Statistics Canada. The ADP reduces privacy risks and overhead of the Agency by redistributing traditional manual processes such as de-identification across an automated and secure ecosystem of enterprise and statistical infrastructure. It allows the Agency to reduce existing gaps in the circulation of data by ensuring a timely, consistent, and coordinated approach to the availability of deidentified administrative data. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Canadian Forces Military Police data to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the addition of Canadian Forces Military Police (CFMP) data to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR). The UCR Survey collects data on criminal incidents that come to the attention of, and have been substantiated by, police. Information collected from police services through the UCR Survey includes personal information such as name, data of birth, gender, and characteristics of victims and accused persons involved in criminal incidents. Starting in 2022, the CFMP became an active respondent to the UCR Survey and provides the same information already provided by other police services. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Canadian Health Measures Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with Cycle 7 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). Information collected through the CHMS helps improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses and promote the health and wellness of Canadians. Cycle 7 also sheds light on illnesses and reveals the extent to which many diseases may be undiagnosed among Canadians, enabling health professionals and researchers to face public health challenges. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY). This voluntary household survey is a follow-up to the 2019 CHSCY, but uses two sampling methods (longitudinal with 2019 CHSCY respondents that provided contact information for follow-up, and cross-sectional with new respondents) to collect information about individuals aged 1 to 22 who live in Canadian provinces, as well as some information about their parents or legal guardians and the parent or legal guardian's spouse that may be a factor affecting the well-being of children and youth. The information collected provides new data to analyze the overall physical and mental health of children and youth in Canada as well as guide decision-making around the development and funding of targeted programs. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Canadian Internet Use Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS). The CIUS is a voluntary survey of non-institutionalized persons 15 years of age or older living in the ten provinces. The CIUS gathers data on how digital technologies and the Internet are transforming society, the economy, and the everyday lives of Canadians. It informs government programs and policies related to digital technology adoption, specifically policies and programs aimed at providing Canadians with more reliable and affordable high-speed Internet. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Canadian Survey on Disability

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the addition of new content to the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). The CSD collects information on the type of severity of disability from Canadians whose daily activities are limited because of a condition or health-related problem, as well as information on use of aids and assistive devices, help received or required, educational attainment, experiences and accommodations, labour force status, and ability to get around the community. New content was added to help evaluate the impact of the new Accessible Canada Act, as well as analyze the results in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Disability Data Hub

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Disability Data Hub which monitors the hiring progress of new Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service. As part of the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada, the federal government committed to hiring 5,000 persons with disabilities by 2025 and committed to putting efforts in capturing and managing data to allow for ongoing measurement of progress and results. Statistics Canada collects, on behalf of the Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA), quarterly information on hires, departures, and self-identification, and generates de-identified progress reports. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using safeguards established for this pilot project.

Indigenous People Survey

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS). This voluntary targeted survey is a national survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit. Each cycle of the IPS focusses on a high-priority theme based on new and emerging data priorities for Indigenous peoples, in addition to collecting a consistent set of core variables that can be tracked over time. The 2022 IPS focussed on Indigenous children and families while continuing to provide other essential socioeconomic, demographic, and cultural information, as well as a robust health module. The survey supports Indigenous Services Canada's mandate "to support and empower Indigenous peoples" and aims to provide current and relevant data to inform policy and programming activities in education, employment, and health. It is a valuable source of information for Indigenous organizations, communities, service providers, researchers, and governments to improve the well-being of Indigenous peoples. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Longitudinal Immigration Statistical Environment

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Longitudinal Immigration Statistical Environment (LISE). The LISE is a new, secure linkage environment containing anonymous linkage keys allowing for the connection of on of a subset of six secondary databases with one of two primary databases. The databases do not contain direct personal identifiers, and only aggregated and non-confidential statistical information are made publicly available and as such, individuals are not identifiable in any product disseminated to the public. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Profiles of Victims of Gang Violence: Analysis of a BC Cohort

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Profiles of Victims of Gang Violence" Analysis of a BC Cohort project. This project was requested by British Columbia's integrated anti-gang police force, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) who maintain a gang-related victim repository that includes data for individuals across the province who are the victims of a suspected or confirmed gang-related homicide or attempt homicide. The project seeks to further understand the profiles of the victims and their trajectories through the justice and other social systems. This data will enhance CFSEU-BC's ability to develop informed, community-based programs which, if successful, could be applied across the country. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Survey of Advanced Technology (SAT) & Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the addition of variables to the Survey of Advanced Technology (SAT) and the Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy (SIBS). The data collected on a mandatory basis covers the adoption, use, development, and barriers to the adoption of various advanced technologies as well as business innovation and strategy. Due to the need for information regarding what types of companies are falling behind and require support in technology adoption and innovation, a voluntary section was added to the 2022 surveys on the characteristics of the primary decision-maker of the business. Characteristics include gender, sexual and gender diversity, Indigenous identity, visible minority, persons with a disability, new Canadian, highest level of education and age group (10-year bracket). This information will shed light on the gaps in the adoption and use of advanced technologies as well as gaps in business innovation for a variety of minority groups and will allow government to develop funding and support for specific groups of businesses. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Survey of Financial Security

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Survey of Financial Security (SFS) and with the addition of one new question that measures any changes to the financial situation of Canadian families since the COVID-19 pandemic was first reported. This voluntary survey was established in 1999 to provide a comprehensive picture of the net worth of Canadians and includes information on the value of their major financial and non-financial assets and on the money owing on mortgages, vehicles, credit cards, student loans and other debts. Information from the survey supports evaluating the asset resilience of Canadians and may help identify groups that may be more likely to be financially insecure. It also provides policymakers and academics with indicators to learn more about highly indebted Canadians, the financial well-being of seniors, the prevalence of wealth inequality and the impact of these issues on our society. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.   

Survey on Sexual Misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Survey on Sexual Misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (SSMCAF). This voluntary survey includes questions on witnessing and experiencing inappropriate sexual behaviours, discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and sexual assault, and the characteristics, impact, and reporting of these experiences. It also includes questions on the age, sex at birth, gender identity, visible minority, Indigenous status, and disability. The survey provides insights on sexual assault, sexualized and discriminatory behaviours, and knowledge and perceptions of policies and response to sexual misconduct. It supports the Department of National Defence's continued efforts to address and prevent sexual misconduct in its workplace and amongst its workforce. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

University and College Academic Staff System Modernization

A supplement to the Generic PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the addition of new variables to the University and College Academic Staff Survey (UCASS). Statistics Canada has conducted the annual survey since 1937 that collects national comparable information on the number and socio-economic characteristics of full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities. The survey collects 27 data elements on each full-time academic staff member in each reporting institution such as unique ID per institutions, gender, year of birth, department, salary information, principal subject taught, rank, previous employment, year of appointment to present rank, type of appointment, year of appointment to institution, first and highest degree, country of birth, and highest degree. New variables are being added to the survey to close known data gaps that include a lack of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) data on full-time academics, other than gender, as well as information on part time or contract staff. Ultimately, the collection of more robust disaggregated data on under-represented groups within the academic community can be used to identify and eliminate obstacles and inequalities and encourage participation of designated underrepresented groups within the academic community and contribute to a more equitable employment environment in Canadian universities. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Automated Access Control System

An addendum to the Automated Access Control System PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the use of personal information from identification cards use at the security terminals at the entrances of Statistics Canada (StatCan) National Capital Region (NCR) facilities to generate occupancy counts. Summary reports are generated with aggregated numbers of on-site visits by day, week, and month. The scope of the assessment is limited to report to senior management on aggregated counts of employees working from StatCan offices in the National Capital Region. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Client Relationship Management System – Client Feedback

An amendment to the Client Relationship Management System PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with adding Client Feedback to the pre-existing Client Relationship Management System (CRMS). In order to make the Agency more responsive and adaptable to client needs, following the provision of a product or service, clients will receive an email with a unique link to a questionnaire that will gather feedback on client satisfaction with service delivery and the quality and usefulness of the products and services received. Information will be used to produce confidential aggregate reporting to the Agency and high-level satisfaction indicators are reported to the Treasury Board Secretariat. Reports do not include any client contact information. The assessment did not identify any additional privacy risks that are not already identified in the CRMS PIA that cannot be managed using the safeguards in place.

Employee Wellness Survey – Employment and Social Development Canada – Collection

An amendment to the Employee Wellness Survey and Pulse Check Surveys Privacy Impact Assessment & Supplement to the Generic Privacy Impact Assessment for the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Employee Wellness Survey (EWS) was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the ESDC EWS. The original EWS was collected for Statistics Canada under the authority of the Financial Administration Act as it was an internal human resources-related survey. This ESDC EWS is not being collected under the Statistics Act as it is a collection for ESDC on a cost-recovery basis. The statistical information collected will be used to improve employee experience and help create an environment conducive to well-being, psychological safety, growth, respect, diversity, and inclusivity. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Employee Wellness Survey – Employment and Social Development Canada – Data Sharing Amendment

An amendment to the Amendment to the Employee Wellness Surveys and Pulse Check Surveys PIA & Supplement to the Generic Privacy Impact Assessment for the ESDC Employee Wellness Survey (EWS) was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with adding the "class of worker" variable, and sharing microdata of consenting respondents with ESDC, under a Memorandum of Understanding as per Section 12 of the Statistics Act. The share file includes de-identified data of only the respondents that provided informed consent to share their information with ESDC, for statistical and research purposes. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Employee Wellness Survey – Hard to Reach Populations – Pilot

An amendment to the Employee Wellness Surveys (EWS) and Pulse Check Surveys PIA was conducted to determine fi there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the Hard-to-Reach Populations Internal Pilot, which aims to gain insights into the factors that contributed to nonresponse by employees. The internal pilot will follow-up with a small sample of the EWS nonrespondents using a respondent-driven sampling methodology to reach employees who are reluctant, or who do not tend, to respond to more-traditional survey approaches. The goal is to inform and advance a Methodological framework that could be adapted and applied to other hard-to-reach populations whose information could inform decision makers and help develop policy. Only aggregate statistical outputs conforming to the confidentiality provisions equivalent to those applied to information collected under the Statistical Act are considered for release. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Microsoft 365

An amendment to the Microsoft 365 PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with updates being made to Statistics Canada's implementation of Microsoft 365 across the organization, including implementation of Voice Over Internet Protocol functionality for use by statistical survey operations interviewers instead of traditional telephones, and policy changes around the use of sensitive statistical information, including personal information, on Microsoft 365 products to align with its capacity to interact with Protected B information. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health Cycle 3

An addendum to the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health Cycle 3 PIA was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality or security issues associated with the addition of topics to the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health. Topics to be added in the 2023 survey iteration include: additional measures of happiness, psychological well-being, loneliness, intimate partner violence, sexual orientation, sex at birth, and disability status. As well, some questions related to specific impacts of COVID-19 were modified (e.g., having been diagnosed with COVID-19) or removed (e.g., knowing someone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19) to better reflect the 2023 context. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Microdata Linkage

As outlined in Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage (the Directive), linkages of different records pertaining to the same individual are carried out only for statistical purposes and only in cases where the public good is clearly evident. One of the primary objectives of these linkages is to produce statistical information that facilitates a better understanding of Canadian society, the economy and the environment.

All microdata linkage proposals must satisfy a prescribed review process as outlined in the Directive. In addition to demonstrating the public benefit, each submission must provide details of the output. The public dissemination of any information resulting from microdata linkage, like all other statistical information, is only at an aggregate level which protects the confidentiality of the information of individuals.

In 2022-2023, there were 20 approved microdata linkages that involved personal information. A summary of these record linkages is found in Appendix C.

8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act

No disclosures were made under paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act during the reporting period.

Appendix A: Delegation Order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

Schedule
Position Access to Information Act and Regulations Privacy Act and Regulations
Chief Statistician of Canada Full authority Full authority
Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Statistician Full authority Full authority
Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination Full authority Full authority
Assistant Director, Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination Full authority Full authority
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Manager Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1)
Regulations:
Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1
Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70
Regulations:
Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Officer Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1)
Regulations:
Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1
Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70
Regulations:
Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Analyst, Access to Information and Privacy Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1)
Regulations:
Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1
Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70
Regulations:
Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Intake Officer, Access to Information and Privacy Sections 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1)
Regulations:
Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1
Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70
Regulations:
Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2022-04-01 to 2023-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of requests recevied

Number of requests recevied
  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period   48
Outstanding from previous reporting periods   133
Outstanding from previous reporting period
110  
Outstanding from more than one reporting period
23  
Total   181
Closed during reporting period   178
Carried over to next reporting period   3
Carried over within legislated timeline
3  
Carried over beyond legislated timeline
0  

1.2 Channels of requests

Channels of requests
Source Number of Requests
Online 42
E-mail 5
Mail 1
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 48

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

Number of requests recevied
  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period   0
Outstanding from previous reporting periods   0
Outstanding from previous reporting period
0  
Outstanding from more than one reporting period
0  
Total   0
Closed during reporting period   0
Carried over to next reporting period   0

2.2 Channels of informal requests

Channels of informal requests
Source Number of Requests
Online 0
E-mail 0
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 0

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

Completion time of informal requests
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2.4 Pages released informally

Pages released informally
Less Than 100 Pages Released 101-500 Pages Released 501-1000 Pages Released 1001-5000 Pages Released More Than 5000 Pages Released
Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and completion time

Disposition and completion time
Disposition of Requests Completion Time
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
All Disclosed 2 3 1 2 0 4 12 24
Disclosed in part 5 4 8 4 2 11 29 63
All exempted 0 2 1 0 1 0 2 6
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
No records exist 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Request abandoned 17 1 2 2 3 44 14 83
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 26 10 12 8 6 59 57 178

3.2 Exemptions

Exemptions
Section Number of Requests
18(2) 0
19(1)(a) 0
19(1)(b) 0
19(1)(c) 0
19(1)(d) 0
19(1)(e) 0
19(1)(f) 0
20 0
21 0
22(1)(a)(i) 0
22(1)(a)(ii) 0
22(1)(a)(iii) 0
22(1)(b) 1
22(1)(c) 0
22(2) 0
22.1 0
22.2 0
22.3 0
22.4 0
23(a) 21
23(b) 21
24(a) 0
24(b) 0
25 1
26 55
27 10
27.1 0
28 1

3.3 Exclusions

Exclusions
Section Number of Requests
69(1)(a) 0
69(1)(b) 0
69.1 0
70(1) 0
70(1)(a) 0
70(1)(b) 0
70(1)(c) 0
70(1)(d) 0
70(1)(e) 0
70(1)(f) 0
70.1 0

3.4 Format of information released

Format of information released
Paper Electronic Other
E-record Data set Video Audio
8 87 0 0 0 0

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

Relevant pages processed and disclosed
Number of Pages Processed Number of Pages Disclosed Number of Requests
34685 10451 176

3.5.2 Relevant pages processed by request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests
Disposition Less Than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 Pages Processed 501-1000 Pages Processed 1001-5000 Pages Processed More Than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed
All disclosed 23 280 1 380 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 43 936 9 2173 3 2204 7 14753 1 10563
All exempted 3 32 1 201 1 615 1 2540 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 83 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 152 1256 11 2754 4 2819 8 17293 1 10563

3.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats
Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0

3.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
Disposition Less than 60 Minutes processed 60-120 Minutes processed More than 120 Minutes processed
Number of requests Minutes Processed Number of requests Minutes Processed Number of requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats
Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0

3.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
Disposition Less than 60 Minutes processed 60-120 Minutes processed More than 120 Minutes processed
Number of requests Minutes Processed Number of requests Minutes Processed Number of requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5.7 Other complexities

Other complexities
Disposition Consultation Required Legal Advice Sought Interwoven Information Other Total
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
Number of requests closed within legislated timelines 46
Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) 25.84269663

3.7 Deemed refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines Principal Reason
Interference with operations / Workload External Consultation Internal Consultation Other
132 15 0 0 117

3.7.2 Request closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

Request closed beyond legislated timelines
Number of days past legislated timelines Number of requests past legislated timeline where no extension was taken Number of requests past legislated timeline where an extension was taken Total
1 to 15 days 2 1 3
16 to 30 days 1 1 2
31 to 60 days 3 2 5
61 to 120 days 4 1 5
121 to 180 days 1 0 1
181 to 365 days 68 1 69
More than 365 days 47 0 47
Total 126 6 132

3.8 Requests for translation

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French  0 0 0
French to English  0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Section 4: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
Paragraph 8(2)(e) Paragraph 8(2)(m) Subsection 8(5) Total
0 0 0 0

Section 5: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
Disposition for Correction Requests Received Number
Notations attached 0
Requests for correction accepted 0
Total 0

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for extensions

Reasons for extensions
Number of requests where an extension was taken 15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion
Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet ConfidenceSection (Section 70) External Internal
16 3 5 8 0 0 0 0 0

6.2 Length of extensions

Reasons for extensions
Number of requests where an extension was taken 15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion
Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet ConfidenceSection (Section 70) External Internal
1 to 15 days 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 3 5 8 0 0 0 0 0
31 days or greater 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 3 5 8 0 0 0 0 0

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

Other complexities
Consultations Other Government of Canada Institutions Number of Pages to Review Other Organizations Number of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Carried over within negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
Recommendation Number of days required to complete consultation requests
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
Recommendation Number of days required to complete consultation requests
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
Recommendation Number of days required to complete consultation requests
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Requests with Privy Council Office
Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed 101-500 Pages Processed 501-1000 Pages Processed 1001-5000 Pages Processed More Than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 9: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Complaints and Investigations Notices Received
Section 31 Section 33 Section 35 Court action Total
5 5 0 0 10

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

Privacy Impact Assessments
Number of PIAs completed 22
Number of PIAs modified 0

10.2 Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks

Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks
Personal Information Banks Active Created Terminated Modified
Institution-specific 55 1 0 1
Central 0 0 0 0
Total 55 1 0 0

Section 11: Privacy Breaches

11.1 Material Privacy Breaches reported

Material Privacy Breaches reported
Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS 1
Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC 1

11.2 Non-Material Privacy Breaches

Non-Material Privacy Breaches
Number of non-material privacy breaches 9

Section 12: Resources Related to the Privacy Act

12.1 Allocated Costs

Non-Material Privacy Breaches
Expenditures Amount
Salaries   $133,867
Overtime   $1,393
Goods and Services   $1,890
Professional services contracts
$0  
Other
$1,890  
Total   $137,150

12.2 Human Resources

Human Resources
Resources Person Years Dedicated to Privacy Activities
Full-time employees 1.600
Part-time and casual employees 0.000
Regional staff 0.000
Consultants and agency personnel 0.000
Students 0.000
Total 1.600
Note: Enter values to three decimal places.

Appendix C: Microdata Linkage 2022-2023

Approved microdata linkages containing personal information

Addition of the Canadian Census of Population to the Linkable File Environment (LFE) of Statistics Canada (007-2022)

Purpose: The proposed activity would link the enterprises in the Linkable File Environment (LFE) of the Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) to the Census of Population.

The initial usage of the linkage of the Census and the LFE is a part of the Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) project between the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) and Statistics Canada. BIGS requires the linkage of the Census to the LFE so that TBS can evaluate whether the federal government support programs to businesses are efficient, equitable, diversified and inclusive for specific population groups, such as women, Indigenous peoples, racialized populations, people with disabilities, single parents and members of official language minority communities.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose assigned work duties require such access. Deemed employees may access the microdata in short-term projects following the standard approval process for access via Statistics Canada's Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC).

Outputs will include data tables which provide more detailed descriptive statistics regarding the types of entrepreneurs and workforce of Canadian enterprises for specific population groups benefiting from federal government support. TBS, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and other government bodies and researchers will utilize these outputs to build and enhance policies, programs and tools that promote fairness, equity and inclusion across the diversity of entrepreneurs and employees, with the ultimate goal of boosting Canada's economic health, sustainability and productivity.

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial support programs on social inequalities in mental health in Canada (008-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to establish a national database of Canadian adults experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, containing detailed information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and their pre- and post-pandemic mental health, and receipt of the pandemic related financial programs.

The objective of this proposal is to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated policy responses on mental health and substance use in the Canadian population. More specifically, using linkages of the annual Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data to administrative health databases, we will assemble a pan-Canadian open cohort of roughly 306,000 adults followed for mental health and substance use outcomes over the study period from 2015-2021, as well as receipt of COVID-19 financial benefits from tax files. External data on burden of the COVID-19 infection (e.g., number of cases, hospitalizations) and response measures (e.g., social distancing rules) at local level will be linked in order to assess their impacts on mental health and substance use in the cohort.

Output: Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., hospital, vital statistics, and tax files). Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Evaluation of the Future Skills Cohort Pilots in Canada (010-2022)

Purpose: This research is conducted by Blueprint organisation for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).  The purpose of this linkage project is to better identify which pilots best prepare Canadians for the future of work. The pilots, which vary in design and target population, began in 2019 across the country and many additional pilots will begin at different times until 2024. Some programs will have multiple cohorts that begin programming at different times.

Output: The final product will be comprised of a series of linked outcome files which will reside within Statistics Canada secured access points. The linked data will later become available to Statistics Canada deemed employees with approved projects to use in a Research Data Center (RDC). Only non-confidential aggregate statistics that adhere to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of the RDC, following pre-defined confidentiality vetting rules.

Custom data request: University of Waterloo Bachelor Student Database linked to the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) and T1 Family Files (T1FF ) (011-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create an integrated analytical dataset consisting of undergraduate student administrative data from the University of Waterloo (UoW) from 2005 to 2021, tax data (using the T1 Family File) of the corresponding years and the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB).

Using the University of Waterloo as a case study, this data linkage aims to reveal the roles that international students' pre-landing experiences play in their status change to permanent residents (PRs) and their subsequent labour market earnings, particularly in comparison with their domestic counterparts graduating from similar academic programs. By doing so, this activity will be of great policy significance, as it will provide direct and robust evidence on how successful immigration policy changes have been over the past years. Such evidence is crucial for evaluating how effective recent immigration policy changes, such as the implementation of the Express Entry System, have been.

Output: Access to the integrated analytical dataset will be made available only to the Univeristy of Waterloo, the client for this project, in the Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC) located within the University of Waterloo campus.

Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will receive an analytical report focusing on the impacts of recent immigration policies changes on international students' transition into the permanent residency and their subsequent labour market performances from the University of Waterloo.

Elections Canada Data Quality Confirmation Study of the National Register of Electors (012-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to evaluate the coverage, accuracy and currency of the National Register of Electors (the Register) maintained by Elections Canada. Certain data elements from the Register will be linked to Canadian Vital Statistics – Death records, Immigration records, Visitors records, Labour Force Survey and Census of population 2021 respondent records to conduct the evaluation and produce estimates at a variety of geographic levels (Canada, province/territory, electoral district). The results of the study will inform Elections Canada on the quality of the Register.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and an analytical report that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada to Elections Canada.

Edmonton Psychoactive Substance Use Initiative: Linking Edmonton Police Service data with census, health, income, tax, immigration, criminal courts and corrections data. (013-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to identify common characteristics among individuals accused of psychoactive drug offences, as well as investigate the intersection between those involved in drug-related crime and those who use illicit substances. It will create a better understanding of the characteristics of those individuals at the heart of the illicit drug crisis, to determine possible points of prevention and/or intervention. This work is being conducted for the Edmonton Police Service to assist them to develop a set of concrete recommendations that will improve effectiveness and efficiency in creating a coordinated response to the drug crisis with respect to drug offences and overdoses, as well as deriving a typology for the classification of incidents and individuals at risk of substance overdose. These insights will help inform the development of evidence-based intervention and prevention measures, as well as supports, aimed at reducing future drug overdoses and potentially saving lives.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Exact outputs and products are still to be determined, but will be based on the partner's needs to address key research questions. It is anticipated that high-level findings may be shared with the Edmonton Police Service in the form of reports, presentations, data tables, and data visualization dashboards. It is possible that high-level findings may also be published for public use through reports, web tables, data dashboards or other means. In addition, an analytical file without identifiers will be accessed by the Edmonton Police Service, and its research affiliates, via Statistics Canada secure access points.

Building a Canadian cohort file to examine the pathways to first contact with the criminal justice system (014-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of the microdata linkage is to build a national pre-Criminal Justice System (CJS) cohort file to examine the trajectory of a young general population leading up to the first CJS contact. This cohort will be used in the development of a simulation model to estimate the potential impact of justice and social sector interventions (e.g., employment, education, housing, child care, health care, etc.) on the overrepresentation of Indigenous and racialized people in the CJS, by examining multiple "what if" scenarios. The findings will help to reveal cost-effective approaches to preventing first contacts through social infrastructure development and building on individual and community strengths rather than focusing exclusively on remediation following involvement in the CJS.

Output: As part of the larger initiative, Statistics Canada will produce a technical report on the development and application of the prototype simulation, which will be released to the Department of Justice and published on the Statistics Canada website.

Intellectual Property Indicators to Measure Innovation (015-2022)

Purpose: The proposed activity would link enterprises in the Linkable File Environment (LFE) of the Centre for Special Business Projects (CSBP) to Canadian businesses from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' TM-Link open database of trademarks, as part of the Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) project between the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) and Statistics Canada. BIGS requires descriptive statistics and data models to better understand determinants of intellectual property development in order to evaluate government programs and expenditures, with the goals of optimizing Canadian innovation, trademarks, patents, inventions, research and development, and employment in research and development.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. Access to the linked microdata will be restricted to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose assigned work duties require such access. The linked microdata file will not contain identifiers. Deemed employees will access the linked microdata files in Statistics Canada's secure password-protected server located at the head office using their Statistics Canada laptops from their secure remote work location.

Outputs will include data tables providing descriptive statistics of enterprises related to intellectual property, and potentially data models to better understand determinants of intellectual property development. TBS will utilize these data products to tailor policies, programs and tools to help Canadian enterprises innovate and improve their intellectual property and R&D, with the ultimate goal of boosting Canada's innovation economy and productivity.

2021 Census of Agriculture to 2021 Census of Population Data (018-2022 )

Purpose:Linking selected 2021 Census of Population variables to the 2021 Census of Agriculture will provide a great depth of socio-economic information on farm operators, their families and their households, without increasing respondent burden.

Output: The linkage of 2021 Census of Agriculture to the 2021 Census of Population will be used to produce estimates for dissemination as part of the product line from the 2021 Census of Agriculture. Only aggregate statistical estimates that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Outputs will include Common Output Database Repository (CODR) tabulations to be released on the Statistics Canada website, ad-hoc data requests from clients on demand, as well as other analytical, research or technical articles that may be released.

The Canadian Agricultural Financial Statistics Section of the Agriculture Division will use the aggregated data from this linkage to calculate the income-in-kind estimate for the Net Farm Income as part of the requirements for the Statistics Canada's System of National Accounts.

Addition of the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) to the Linkable File Environment (LFE) (019-2022)

Purpose: This linkage will support governmental and societal efforts to address inequities and promote fairness and inclusion in decision making, through the comparison of enterprises that have received government support to those that have not. Enterprise-level derived indicators will be developed to generate statistics on the characteristics and success of enterprises over time, that have received government supports versus those that have not, assessing the extent to which government support programs have aided immigrant employees and immigrant enterprise owners integrate into the Canadian economy.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada. The linked analysis file will be made available for access by Statistics Canada deemed employees via the standard approved process of Statistics Canada's Business Data Access Centre.

The Business-Employee Analytical Microdata (BEAM) Initiative (020-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a standard extraction of matched employer-employee data and make it available in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres (RDCs) across Canada. The new extraction, built from the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD), can reduce costs and barriers to data access and make such data available to a much wider research community; improve efficiency in StatsCan's service delivery; and accommodate standard research needs, supporting more research using disaggregated data on the Canadian economy and labour market to help Canadians make evidence-based and informed decisions. 

Output: The outputs of the BEAM extraction include a set of files at the individual and business-enterprise level that covers the population of individual and business tax filers. The full coverage of individual and business tax filers, instead of being a random sample, is necessary to generate sufficiently large sample in order to produce information for finely disaggregated groups. Having information on the characteristics of individuals and businesses, the BEAM can support Statcan's Disaggregated Data Action Plan by allowing more researchers greater access to disaggregated data and more opportunities to conduct research using disaggregated data so as to shed more light on inequality and inclusion in Canadian society and economy.

The data linkage and extraction will be preformed by Statistics Canada employees only. All personal and business identifiers will be removed and replaced by synthetic identifiers. Other direct identifiable information of individuals and businesses such as names, addresses etc. will be removed. The final outputs will be made available in the RDC secured access points. Data access, for researchers as Statistics Canada deemed employees, will need to have an approved research proposal that justifies why they need to use the data in the BEAM, following the standard data access approval process. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analysis conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of RDCs.

The Impact of Export Development Canada Client Services on Firm Performance (022-2022)

Purpose: Export Development Canada (EDC) offers insurance and financing services to help Canadian exporters grow and compete. This study will provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of the EDC's services in helping Canadian businesses increase exports, employment, profits and other measures of economic performance.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. The information will be presented in the form of tables of regression results and summary statistics related to the project's goal of evaluation EDC's client services. Summary reports on the quality of the record linkage and on the results of the analysis will also be produced for EDC. A researcher employed at EDC will access the anonymized linked data at a Federal Research Data Centre (FRDA), as a Statistics Canada deemed employee under the Statistics Act, and following the required approval procedures for accessing Statistics Canada's secure access points.

Canadian Advanced Technology Sector Dynamics Database (CATSDD) (024-2022)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to map, profile and evaluate the contribution and performance of technological innovation ecosystems in Canada and monitor how the high-tech sector is growing and affecting non-high-tech sector and employment structure in Canada.

In the initial usage of this linkage Statistics Canada's Investment, Science and Technology Division will analyze the concentration-in-enterprise of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workers, venture capital investment and intellectual property assets and establish thresholds differentiating between high-tech and non-high-tech enterprises. This will allow Statistics Canada to analyse the structural changes to Canadian industries and labour skills resulting from technological changes, inform about the rural-urban divide, the labour participation of employment equity groups and improve Science, Technology and Innovation surveys precision and quality, therefore, reducing respondent burden and related costs for Canadians. 

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside Statistics Canada.

These outputs will include aggregate statistical tabulations showing aggregates of revenue and employment, research and development, employment of STEM and non-STEM, share of employment equity group in total employment, venture capital investment, and patents for high-tech and non-high-tech sectors.

Pilot project: National Housing Strategy linkage to administrative tax and immigration, Census and Canadian Housing Survey (025-2022)

Purpose: CMHC has developed a research plan to better understand the characteristics of persons and households living in housing receiving support from the National Housing Strategy (NHS) initiatives, as well as the impact(s) that these initiatives have on the inhabitants.

As part of this plan, a linkage between the NHS program files to multiple data sources held by Statistics Canada will be performed. Combining information from several sources (tax, employment, immigration, housing and the Census), a resulting linkable dataset will enable analyses of the characteristics, housing needs and outcomes of households and persons living in housing constructed or renovated under NHS initiatives. This is a pilot project which will inform the feasibility of using similar methodology for NHS program evaluation in future years, as well as the extent to which the output dataset supports other analytical projects related to social and affordable housing. Analytical work in this domain is expected to help researchers, the general public and government to understand and to improve housing policies or programs.

Output: The analytical file, once personal identifiers removed, along with anonymized linkage keys will be placed in the Research Data Centres for access by Statistics Canada personnel and deemed employees whose work activities require access. Only non-confidential, aggregated data tables and model outputs, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act, will be released.

Profiles of Victims of Gang Violence: Analysis of a BC Cohort (026-2022)

Purpose: The objective of the project is to identify key risk factors associated with the likelihood of becoming a victim of gang-related violence by linking records found in administrative data sources. Analysis of data that spans the life course of the victims will allow for a better understanding of the characteristics of those individuals who become involved with gangs, and in identifying these, key intervention points along the life calendar might be identified.

Output: The findings of this project will be delivered to the CFSEU-BC in the form of an analytical report. This report may also be published in a publicly available academic article in Statistics Canada's Juristat publication. Analytical datasets will be placed in Statistics Canada's Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process.  No analytical datafile will be released. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the Canadian Employer Employee Dynamics Database to the Canadian Survey on Disability (027-2022)

Purpose: The project will fill data gaps related to the economic outcomes of persons with disabilities. Specifically, it will allow the production of novel nationally-representative statistics that can be used to measure and monitor the economic outcomes of persons with disabilities.

Output: The anonymized analytical file will only be available to Statistics Canada employees whose work duties require access. Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analyses that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. All information will be presented in the forms of tables or figures of regression results or summary statistics related to the project's goal.

Firm technology adoption, its determinants, and impacts (003-2023))

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to better understand what causes firms to adopt new technology and the consequences it has on firms and workers. To do so, a microdata linkage will be established between firm-level surveys on technology adoption (Survey of Business Innovation and Strategy, Survey of Advanced Technology, and Survey of Digital Technology and Internet Use) and employer-employee database (Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database) as well as other databases (Census of Population and data on union representation votes for Canadian firms).

This project can help better inform Canadians on technology adoption and its impacts on the economy and labour market. In addition, it will provide relevant evidence and information to the academic community and policy-makers, which helps support the development of policies and programs to promote equal technology adoption and diffusion among businesses so as to increase Canada's competitiveness and the benefit of people living in Canada.

Output: The output of this project will include several analytical reports that address the following questions:

  1. What are the main factors that drive a firm's decision to adopt technology?
  2. How different are the patterns of technology adoption by businesses owned by subpopulation groups such as women and immigrants? Do they experience additional hurdles for technology adoption?
  3. What is the relationship between unionization and technology adoption? Do unions act as facilitator or inhibitor of technology adoption?
  4. What are the impacts of technology adoption on firm performance?
  5. What are the outcomes of technology adoption on workers such as job displacement, changes in wages and inequality etc.?

The analytical file, without identifiers, will be made available via Statistics Canada Secure Access Points (such as Research Data Centres), and access will be granted to Statistics Canada deemed employees following the standard approval process.

Linking the Level of Supervision and Official Language Variables to the ESDC Employee Wellness Survey (ESDC EWS) (004-2023)

Purpose: The overall objective of the ESDC Employee Wellness Survey is to assess conditions in the work environment at ESDC and inform strategies that meet the needs of employees and optimize their well-being.

The purpose of the linkage is to add two variables to the ESDC EWS share file, which would be used to subset the data by Level of supervision and by official language. This would allow for analysis of principal survey results that would provide for a more in-depth analysis of these subgroups of respondents' potentially different experiences to be understood and addressed in the form of improved people management practices.

Output: The planned outputs are a ESDC EWS Share file, and non-confidential aggregate statistics in the form of Excel tables and a Power BI dashboard, for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Statistics Canada will enter into a data sharing agreement with ESDC who in signing the agreement, agrees to keep the information shared confidential, and only use it for statistical and research purposes. Respondents to the ESDC EWS were informed of the sharing with ESDC at the time of collection, and only those respondents that agreed to share their information will be included in the ESDC EWS Share file. No direct identifiers, including personal identifiers, will be included on the ESDC EWS Share file. The ESDC EWS Master file placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) will not include the two linked variables. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Surrey Opioid Data Collection and Community Response Project: Linking Surrey Opioids data with Census, income, health and immigration data to generate privacy-enhancing synthetic data (005-2023)

Purpose: Building on the purpose of the 008-2018 linkage project, which was to build the capacity for identifying the primary risk factors and the sub-populations at greatest risk of an overdose. To create a better understanding of the characteristics of those individuals at the heart of the opioid crisis-particularly for those individuals using and dying in their residence. To aid in the effort to understand the roots of the illicit drug epidemic and the individuals most at risk of overdose. In addition to the policy perspective, if successful, synthetically generated opioid data can be used by researchers, health-care developers and clinical scientists to develop innovative health-care solutions and use it for teaching and training purposes.

This new project will utilize the same referenced cohort (008-2018 linkage project) to produce a generative Machine-Learning model for generation of privacy-enhancing synthetic datasets. Several Machine Learning models will be assessed to identify one which optimally balances privacy risks disclosures with data utility. Development and assessments of models and synthetic datasets will be a collaborative work between Statistics Canada and UQAM University researchers.

In addition, should the proof-of-concept be successful in balancing privacy and confidentiality risks against the data utility, it will allow useable privacy-enhancing granular-level synthetic data and study outcomes to a wider group of researchers and policymakers could encourage innovation through active collaboration and facilitate a broader and faster advancement of solutions to the opioid crisis. Synthetic patient data that preserves the relationship among study variables but contains no records that represents or identifies an actual individual in the cohort would be a viable solution to this problem.

Output: A comprehensive technical report summarizing the methodology, assessment of the generative algorithms, key findings, lessons learned and recommendations for next steps (if any). High-level findings may be reported in the form of presentations to various Public Safety Canada partners. Deemed employees of Statistics Canada will only have access to the data with an anonymized linkage ID, but NOT the direct identifiers, and use only authorised devices from Statistics Canada secure access points during this project.

A well-documented code repository for the project under Statistics Canada's existing and future policies. As part of Open Science initiative, free access to the open-source tool and libraires will be rendered to public. Code will not contain sensitive information and will undergo appropriate assessments before release.

A pre-trained generative model that can produce a high-quality data in a differentially private setting. Such an approach in production could guide the development of targeted approaches for prevention, treatment, and identification of possible intervention points for the high-risk population in opioid-toxicity studies. This model will be capable of generating novel synthetic data instances not found in the original dataset which maintains the privacy of the members of the original dataset, while maintaining key properties that respect the data distribution.

No confidential Statistics Canada micro-data will be made publicly available during or after the completion of the research collaboration under this agreement. This term also extends to Machine Learning (pre-trained) models and prototypes that may in turn divulge confidential information.

Linkage of the Survey of Before and After School Care in Canada, 2022 to the 2020 T1 Family File, 2021-2022 Canadian Child Benefit File, the Longitudinal Immigration Database. (007-2023)

Purpose: The purpose of this linkage is to respond to the data needs of the Government of Canada's Multilateral Framework for Early Learning and Child Care. This framework identifies key priorities for child care, including child care that is inclusive and flexible.

This microdata linkage will augment the 2022 Survey of Before and After School Care in Canada with information on income and employment characteristics, family structure and immigrant status in order to explore more fully characteristics associated with the use of child care in Canada.

Outputs: A linked microdata file will be available within Statistics Canada and will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) where access will be granted following the standard RDC approval process. Aggregate findings will be reported in research papers, internal and external reporting documents, presentations at workshops and conferences, as well as external publications (e.g., academic manuscripts).

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2022-04-01 to 2023-03-31

Section 1: Capacity to Receive Requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

1.1 Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to receive ATIP requests through different channels.

The number of weeks your institution was able to receive ATIP requests through different channels.
  Number of weeks
Able to receive requests by mail 52
Able to receive requests by email 52
Able to receive requests through the digital request service 52

Section 2: Capacity to Process Records under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

2.1 Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to process paper records in different classification levels.

The number of weeks your institution was able to process paper records in different classification levels.
  No capacity Partial capacity Full capacity Total
Unclassified paper records 0 0 52 52
Protected B paper records 0 0 52 52
Secret and top secret paper records 0 0 52 52

2.2 Enter the number of weeks your institution was able to process electronic records in different classification levels.

The number of weeks your institution was able to process electronic records in different classification levels.
  No capacity Partial capacity Full capacity Total
Unclassified electronic records 0 0 52 52
Protected B electronic records 0 0 52 52
Secret and top secret electronic records 0 0 52 52

Section 3: Open Requests and Complaints under the Access to Information Act

3.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

The number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open request was received Open request that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2023 Open request that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2023 Total
Received in 2022-2023 2 1 3
Received in 2021-2022 0 0 0
Received in 2020-2021 0 0 0
Received in 2019-2020 0 0 0
Received in 2018-2019 0 0 0
Received in 2017-2018 0 0 0
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 0 0 0
Received in 2014-2015 0 0 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 2 1 3

3.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Enter the number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution Number of open complaints
Received in 2022-2023 1
Received in 2021-2022 3
Received in 2020-2021 1
Received in 2019-2020 0
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0
Total 5

Section 4: Open Requests and Complaints under the Privacy Act

4.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open request was received Open request within legislated timeline as of March 31, 2023 Open request beyond legislated timeline as of March 31, 2023 Total
Received in 2022-2023 3 0 3
Received in 2021-2022 0 0 0
Received in 2020-2021 0 0 0
Received in 2019-2020 0 0 0
Received in 2018-2019 0 0 0
Received in 2017-2018 0 0 0
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 0 0 0
Received in 2014-2015 0 0 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 3 0 3

4.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Enter the number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution Number of open complaints
Received in 2022-2023 2
Received in 2021-2022 1
Received in 2020-2021 2
Received in 2019-2020 0
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 0
Received in 2013-2017 or earlier 0
Total 5

Section 5: Social Insurance Number

Social Insurance Number
Did your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the SIN in 2022-2023? No

Section 6: Universal Access under the Privacy Act

Universal Access under the Privacy Act
How many requests were received from confirmed foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2022-2023? 0

Challenges and opportunities: Current economic conditions and structural challenges (14220002)

The webinar examines a range of issues that inform ongoing assessments of the health of Canada’s economy. Developed as an integrated portrait of key indicators, the webinar highlights recent changes in economic output, labour market conditions and consumer prices, and outlines how economic momentum has shifted as borrowing costs have risen. It also looks at major structural challenges that are shaping the economic realities facing Canadians.  

English webinars:

French webinars:

Monthly Inventory Statement of Butter and Cheese - 2024

Why are we conducting this survey?

The purpose of this survey is to produce monthly statistics on stocks of butter and cheese held in cold storage warehouses.

The data are used by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Dairy Commission, provincial governments and the Dairy Farmers of Canada to assist in the development, administration and evaluation of agricultural policies.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Other important information

Authorization to collect this information

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Confidentiality

By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data, and mailing it to the following address:

Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

For agreement with provincial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.

Business or organization and contact information

1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.

Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.

Legal Name

The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.

Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.

To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.

Operating Name

The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.

  • Legal name
  • Operating name (if applicable)

2. Verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.

Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Title
  • Preferred language of communication
    • English
    • French
  • Mailing address (number and street)
  • City
  • Province, territory or state
  • Postal code or ZIP code
  • Country
    • Canada
    • United States
  • Email address
  • Telephone number (including area code)
  • Extension number (if applicable)
    The maximum number of characters is 10.
  • Fax number (including area code)

3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

  • Operational
  • Not currently operational
    Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
    • Seasonal operations
      • When did this business or organization close for the season?
        Date
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        Date
    • Ceased operations
      • When did this business or organization cease operations?
        Date
      • Why did this business or organization cease operations?
        • Bankruptcy
        • Liquidation
        • Dissolution
        • Other
          Specify the other reasons why the operations ceased
    • Sold operations
      • When was this business or organization sold?
        Date
      • What is the legal name of the buyer?
    • Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
      • When did this business or organization amalgamate?
        Date
      • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
      • What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
    • Temporarily inactive but will re-open
      • When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
        Date
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        Date
      • Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
    • No longer operating due to other reasons
      • When did this business or organization cease operations?
        Date
      • Why did this business or organization cease operations?

4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.

The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.

The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.

The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.

Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.

The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.

Description and examples

  • This is the current main activity
  • This is not the current main activity
    • Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
      e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

Main activity

5. You indicated that is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as:?

  • Yes
    When did the main activity change?
    Date
  • No

6. Search and select the industry classification code that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.

Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional)

  • Farming or logging operation
  • Construction company or general contractor
  • Manufacturer
  • Wholesaler
  • Retailer
  • Provider of passenger or freight transportation
  • Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
  • Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
  • Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
  • Provider of health care or social services
  • Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
  • Other sector

Dairy products — domestic and imported

1. What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following butter and butter oil products?

Include:

  • domestic and imported products
  • salted and unsalted butter.

Dairy products - domestic and imported

Include:

  • inventory for all dairy products held in your establishment(s), whether owned by you or by others
  • inventory stored in specially rented rooms to which only you have access (except in emergency)
  • stocks held on government accounts.

Exclude products held in common or cold public storage (these will be reported by operators of those establishments).

Total inventory of butter and butter oil products

Please report all inventory of butter and butter oil products including domestic and imported butter and butter oil products.

a. to c. Creamery butter

Include:

  • salted and unsalted butter
  • whipped butter
  • light or 'lite' butter
  • cultured butter
  • sweet butter
  • calorie-reduced butter
  • dairy spread.

Exclude reworked butter and manufacturing cream.

What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following butter and butter oil products?
1. What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following butter and butter oil products? Total inventory on 1st of month (kg)
a. Creamery butter — held under Plan A  
b. Creamery butter — held under Plan B  
c. Creamery butter — held privately  
Total creamery butter  
d. Whey butter  
e. Butter oil  

2. What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following types of cheese?

Include domestic and imported products.

Dairy products - domestic and imported

Include:

  • inventory for all dairy products held in your establishment(s), whether owned by you or by others
  • inventory stored in specially rented rooms to which only you have access (except in emergency)
  • stocks held on government accounts.

Exclude products held in common or cold public storage (these will be reported by operators of those establishments).

Total inventory of cheese

Please report all inventory of cheese including domestic and imported cheese.

a. Cheddar

Include all sizes of cheddar cheese: block, stirred curd, curd and cheddar cheese used to make processed cheese.

b. Mozzarella

Include:

  • American full fat mozzarella (27% to 28 % B.F.)
  • American low fat mozzarella (17% to 20 % B.F.)
  • Italian full fat mozzarella (22% to 24 % B.F.)
  • Italian low fat mozzarella (15 % B.F.)
  • other mozzarella cheese products.

c. Other factory cheese (all varieties except cheddar, mozzarella and processed)

Include brick, casata, feta, gouda, marble, swiss, curd cheese, etc.

d. Processed cheese

Include processed cheese, processed cheese food, processed cheese spread made from cheddar cheese or other cheeses.

What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following types of cheese?
2. What was the total inventory in kilograms (kg) of the following types of cheese?
Include domestic and imported products
Total inventory on 1st of month (kg)
a. Cheddar
Include all sizes, curds, etc.
 
b. Mozzarella  
c. Other factory cheese (all varieties except cheddar, mozzarella and processed)  
d. Processed cheese  
Total cheese  

3. Of the above dairy products held on 1st of month (kg), were any owned by dairy processors?

  • Yes
  • No

Inventory owned by dairy processors

4. Of the dairy products held in inventory on 1st of month (kg), which of the following were owned by dairy processors?

Select all that apply.

Inventory owned by dairy processors

Please indicate whether or not any of the dairy products held in inventory were owned by dairy processors.

Include inventory of dairy products which were owned by dairy processors AND which were:

  • held in your establishment(s) or
  • stored in specially rented rooms to which only you have access (except in emergency) or
  • held on government accounts.

Exclude dairy products held in common or cold public storage (these will be reported by operators of those establishments).

Of the dairy products held in inventory on 1st of month (kg), which of the following were owned by dairy processors?
4. Of the dairy products held in inventory on 1st of month (kg), which of the following were owned by dairy processors?

Inventory owned by dairy processors

Number of processors
Creamery butter — held under Plan A    
Creamery butter - held under Plan B    
Creamery butter - held privately    
Whey butter    
Butter oil    
Cheddar    
Mozzarella    
Other factory cheese (all varieties except cheddar, mozzarella and processed)    
Processed cheese    

5. For the following dairy product(s), what is the name of the dairy processor(s) and the quantity of inventory owned in kilograms (kg) by each dairy processor?

Inventory owned by dairy processors

Include inventory of dairy products which were owned by dairy processors AND which were:

  • held in your establishment(s) or
  • stored in specially rented rooms to which only you have access (except in emergency) or
  • held on government accounts.

Exclude dairy products held in common or cold public storage (these will be reported by operators of those establishments).

For the following dairy product(s), what is the name of the dairy processor(s) and the quantity of inventory owned in kilograms (kg) by each dairy processor?
5. For the following dairy product(s), what is the name of the dairy processor(s) and the quantity of inventory owned in kilograms (kg) by each dairy processor? Name of dairy processor Quantity owned on 1st of month (kg)
Creamery butter — held under Plan A    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Creamery butter — held under Plan B    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Creamery butter — held privately    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
Dairy processor 4    
d. Dairy processor 5    
e. Dairy processor 6    
f. Dairy processor 7    
g. Dairy processor 8    
h. Dairy processor 9    
Whey butter    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Butter oil    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Cheddar    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Mozzarella    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Other factory cheese (all varieties except cheddar, mozzarella and processed)    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    
Processed cheese    
a. Dairy processor 1    
b. Dairy processor 2    
c. Dairy processor 3    
d. Dairy processor 4    
e. Dairy processor 5    
f. Dairy processor 6    
g. Dairy processor 7    
h. Dairy processor 8    
i. Dairy processor 9    

Changes or events

1. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.

Select all that apply.

  • Strike or lock-out
    • How many days in [reference month] was this business or organization open?
  • Exchange rate impact
  • Price changes in goods or services sold
  • Contracting out
  • Organizational change
  • Price changes in labour or raw materials
  • Natural disaster
    • How many days in [reference month] was this business or organization open?
  • Recession
  • Change in product line
  • Sold business or business units
  • Expansion
  • New or lost contract
  • Plant closures
    • How many days in [reference month] was this business or organization open?
  • Acquisition of business or business units
  • Merger of business or business units
  • Equipment failure
    • How many days in [reference month] was this business or organization open?
  • Seasonal operation
    • How many days in [reference month] was this business or organization open?
  • Increased market demand
  • Decreased market demand
  • Other
    Specify the other changes or events:
  • No changes or events

Contact person

1. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.
Is the provided given names and the provided family name the best person to contact?

  • Yes
  • No

Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?

  • First name:
  • Last name:
  • Title:
  • Email address:
  • Telephone number (including area code):
  • Extension number (if applicable):
    The maximum number of characters is 5.
  • Fax number (including area code):

Feedback

1. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

  • Hours:
  • Minutes:

Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Retail Commodity Survey: CVs for Total Sales September 2023

Retail Commodity Survey:  CVs for Total Sales September 2023
Table summary
This table displays the results of Retail Commodity Survey: CVs for Total Sales (September 2023). The information is grouped by NAPCS-CANADA (appearing as row headers), and Month (appearing as column headers).
NAPCS-CANADA Month
202306 202307 202308 202309
Total commodities, retail trade commissions and miscellaneous services 0.59 0.67 0.57 0.62
Retail Services (except commissions) [561] 0.58 0.66 0.56 0.61
Food and beverages at retail [56111] 0.42 0.42 0.40 0.33
Cannabis products, at retail [56113] 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Clothing at retail [56121] 0.85 0.86 1.18 1.14
Jewellery and watches, luggage and briefcases, at retail [56123] 3.94 2.72 3.44 3.54
Footwear at retail [56124] 1.14 1.34 1.42 1.48
Home furniture, furnishings, housewares, appliances and electronics, at retail [56131] 1.02 0.94 0.81 0.91
Sporting and leisure products (except publications, audio and video recordings, and game software), at retail [56141] 1.83 1.76 2.13 2.28
Publications at retail [56142] 6.19 5.60 5.53 6.11
Audio and video recordings, and game software, at retail [56143] 4.35 4.74 4.53 3.59
Motor vehicles at retail [56151] 2.00 2.61 1.94 2.27
Recreational vehicles at retail [56152] 2.94 3.24 4.50 4.06
Motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies, at retail [56153] 1.58 1.81 1.55 1.95
Automotive and household fuels, at retail [56161] 1.56 1.64 1.69 1.60
Home health products at retail [56171] 2.71 2.61 2.55 2.54
Infant care, personal and beauty products, at retail [56172] 2.98 2.82 2.78 2.66
Hardware, tools, renovation and lawn and garden products, at retail [56181] 2.03 1.87 1.49 1.52
Miscellaneous products at retail [56191] 2.31 2.19 2.29 2.18
Retail trade commissions [562] 2.18 2.31 2.42 2.55

The Canadian International Merchandise Trade Program: Technical Notes

Introduction

The objective of this text is to provide a general overview of the data produced by the Canadian International Merchandise Trade (CIMT) Program, with special reference to concepts and definitions.

Conceptual framework

1. Objectives and coverage: The objective of customs-basis CIMT statistics is to measure the change in the stock of material resources of Canada resulting from the movement of merchandise into or out of the country. Information on imports and exports are inputs into the Macroeconomic Accounts, and are used in the formulation of trade and economic policies. Governments, importers, exporters, manufacturers and shipping companies use international merchandise trade statistics to:

  • monitor import penetration and export performance;
  • monitor commodity price and volume changes; and
  • examine transport implications.

2. Trade statistics (customs-basis/balance of payments-basis): Merchandise trade statistics are reported and presented on two different bases: customs and balance of payments.

Statistics for Canada's imports as well as exports to non-US destinations are compiled from Customs declarations filed with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Data for Canada's exports to the United States are derived from the administrative import records of the United States Customs and Border Protection and exchanged under the terms of a memorandum of understanding between Canada and the United States. Statistics developed from these Customs administrative records are commonly referred to as customs-basis trade statistics.

Customs-basis data are adjusted to conform to the National Accounts concepts and definitions. The adjustments to derive balance of payments-basis trade data include adjustments related to trade definition, valuation and timing. The principal difference between the two trade concepts is that customs-basis merchandise trade statistics cover the physical movement of goods as they are reflected in Customs documents while balance of payments-basis data are intended to cover the economic transactions that involve merchandise trade between residents and non-residents.

In addition, customs-basis export statistics may understate or incorrectly portray the destination of exports. Exports are incorrectly portrayed when the country of final destination is inaccurately reported on the Customs documentation. This occurs most frequently when goods are routed through an intermediary country before continuing on to their final destination. Statistics Canada does not have a direct measure of undercoverage, therefore a monthly estimated adjustment is included within balance of payments-basis data.

3. System of trade: Canadian trade statistics are compiled according to the "general" system of trade, as defined by the United Nations Statistical Office. Conceptually, under the general system, the statistical frontier coincides with the geographical boundary. Under this system, imports include goods that have crossed Canada's territorial boundary for immediate consumption in Canada or for storage in Customs bonded warehouses. Domestic exports include goods grown, extracted or manufactured in Canada, including goods of foreign origin that have been materially transformed in Canada. Re-exports are exports of goods of foreign origin that have not been materially transformed in Canada, including foreign goods withdrawn for export from Customs bonded warehouses. Total exports are the sum of domestic exports and re-exports.

4. Valuation: For Customs purposes, imports are recorded at values established according to the provisions of the Customs Act, which reflects valuation methods based on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Valuation Code System. In general, the value for duty of imported goods must be equivalent to the transaction value or the price actually paid.

The transaction value of imported goods includes all transportation and associated costs incurred up to the point of direct shipment to Canada. Therefore, Canada's imports are valued Free on Board (FOB), place of direct shipment to Canada. It excludes freight and insurance costs in bringing the goods to Canada from the point of direct shipment.

Exports are recorded at the value declared on Customs documents, which reflect the transaction value (i.e., actual selling price or, in the case of a non-arm's length transaction, the transfer price used for company accounting purposes). Canada's exports are valued at FOB port of exit from Canada, including domestic freight charges to that point but net of discounts and allowances.

5. Statistical period: The closing of the statistical month for imports and exports is defined as the last calendar day of the month based on the date of clearance from Customs. Documents received too late for incorporation in the current month are assigned to the month the transaction took place and are published the following statistical month.

6. Trading partner attribution (country of origin/destination): On a custom basis, imports are attributed to the country of origin, that is the country in which the goods were grown, extracted or manufactured in accordance with the rules of origin administered by the CBSA. Customs-basis imports from the United States are attributed to the state of origin. On a balance of payments-basis, imports are attributed to the country of export instead of the country of origin to reflect the change in ownership of the goods.

Both customs- and balance of payments-basis exports are attributed to the country that is the last known destination of the goods at the time of export. Customs-basis exports to the United States are attributed to the state of destination.

7. Legal framework: Import and export statistics with countries other than the United States are derived from information contained in administrative records collected by the CBSA under the Customs Act. Copies of these documents (or information therefrom) are sent to Statistics Canada in accordance with Section 25 of the Statistics Act. It follows that the disclosure of trade statistics is governed by both the Customs Act and the Statistics Act and is subject to the provisions of Section 17(2)(a) of the latter. Disclosure of statistics for trade with the United States is governed by a memorandum of understanding that provides for the exchange of detailed import statistics between Canada and the United States.

Contact information

Telephone: 1-800-263-1136
Facsimile: 1-877-287-4369
Email: infostats@statcan.gc.ca

Canadian Economic News, November 2023 Edition

This module provides a concise summary of selected Canadian economic events, as well as international and financial market developments by calendar month. It is intended to provide contextual information only to support users of the economic data published by Statistics Canada. In identifying major events or developments, Statistics Canada is not suggesting that these have a material impact on the published economic data in a particular reference month.

All information presented here is obtained from publicly available news and information sources, and does not reflect any protected information provided to Statistics Canada by survey respondents.

Resources

  • Calgary-based Crescent Point Energy Corp. announced it had entered into an arrangement agreement to acquire Hammerhead Energy Inc., also of Calgary, for total consideration of approximately $2.55 billion. The company said the transaction is expected to close in December 2023, subject to court, Toronto Stock Exchange and other stock exchange and regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.
  • Vancouver-based Teck Resources Limited announced it had agreed to sell its entire interest in its steelmaking coal business, Elk Valley Resources, through a sale of a majority stake to Glencore plc of Switzerland for an implied enterprise value of USD $9.0 billion, and a sale of a minority stake to Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) of Japan. Teck said the closing of the Glencore transaction is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2024, subject to customary conditions, including receipt of approvals under the Investment Canada Act and competition approvals in several jurisdictions. Teck also said the NSC transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024 and is also subject to customary conditions, including receipt of certain competition approvals.

Manufacturing

  • On November 6th, Unifor announced that auto members at Stellantis had voted to ratify the Master Collective Agreement (covering the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant and Etobicoke Casting Plant), along with agreements covering Unifor members working in the office, clerical and engineering unit, fire and security unit, and PDC units in Mississauga and Red Deer. Unifor said the three-year collective agreements cover approximately 8,200 Unifor members.
  • On November 22nd, Unifor announced that members at the Magna Integram plant in Windsor had ratified a new tentative agreement after a five-day strike that began on November 9th. Unifor said the agreement covers 800 members.
  • The Government of Canada announced support of up to $204.5 million for a $1 billion lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility in Maple Ridge, British Columbia to be constructed by E-One Moli of Taiwan. The Government said the new facility will create up to 350 new jobs.

Other news

  • The Government of Canada released its 2023 Fall Economic Statement on November 21st, which included measures to help increase housing supply, improve affordability, and fight climate change. The Government forecasts a $40.0 billion deficit in 2023-2024 and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 1.1% in 2023 and 0.4% in 2024.
  • The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador released its 2023 Economic Update on October 31st. The Government forecasts a $154 million deficit in 2023-2024 and a 0.7% contraction in real GDP in 2023.
  • The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced a new, three-year phased poverty reduction plan that focusses on four key areas: reducing childhood poverty, creating meaningful and sustainable employment, improving income, and supporting seniors. The Government said the plan adds to other work currently underway and is supported by an investment that will grow to $85 million after three years.
  • The Government of Ontario released its 2023 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review on November 2nd, which included launching the Ontario Infrastructure Bank, taking steps to remove the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax on new purpose-built rental housing, providing an additional $100 million to the Invest Ontario Fund, and extending the current gas and fuel tax rate cuts through to June 30, 2024. The Government forecasts a $5.6 billion deficit in 2023-2024 and real GDP growth of 1.1% in 2023 and 0.5% in 2024.
  • The Government of Quebec released its economic and financial update on November 7th, which included additional investments totalling $4.3 billion over the next five years to provide better access to housing, combat homelessness, enhance food aid, support training in specific fields, adapt to climate change, and foster business investment. The Government forecasts a $4.0 billion deficit in 2023-2024 and real GDP growth of 0.6% in 2023 and 0.7% in 2024.
  • Toronto-based Canadian Tire Corporation announced that it expects a decrease of 3% in full-time equivalent (FTE) employees as a result of targeted headcount reductions in Q4 and that, in addition, the elimination of the majority of current vacancies will result in a further FTE reduction of 3%. The company said it expects to take a charge of between $20.0 million and $25.0 million in Q4 2023 in relation to these actions.
  • On November 2nd, Unifor announced that members at the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) had ratified new collective agreements covering 360 workers. Unifor said the ratification follows a strike that halted transit along the Seaway from October 22nd to October 30th.
  • Montreal-based TVA Group announced a reorganization plan that will result in the elimination of 547 positions, or 31% of TVA Group's current workforce.

United States and other international news

  • The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) maintained the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.50%. The last change in the target range was a 25 basis points increase in July 2023. The Committee also said it will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities.
  • The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to maintain the Bank Rate at 5.25%. The last change in the Bank Rate was a 25 basis points increase in August 2023.
  • The Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee of Norway's Norges Bank left the policy rate unchanged at 4.25%. The last change in the policy rate was a 25 basis points increase in August 2023.
  • The Executive Board of Sweden's Riksbank left the repo rate unchanged at 4.0%. The last change in the repo rate was a 25 basis points increase in September 2023.
  • The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced it will apply a negative interest rate of -0.1% to the Policy-Rate Balances in current accounts held by financial institutions at the BoJ and that it will purchase a necessary amount of Japanese government bonds (JGBs) without setting an upper limit so that 10-year JGB yields will remain at around zero percent.
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised the target for the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.35%. The last change in the target for the cash rate was a 25 basis points increase in June 2023.
  • New York-based WeWork Inc. announced that it and certain of its entities had filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and intended to file recognition proceedings in Canada under Part IV of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
  • The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) announced on November 20th that members at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis had voted to ratify their new contracts.

Financial market news

  • West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at USD $76.41 per barrel on November 28th, down from a closing value of USD $81.02 at the end of October. Western Canadian Select crude oil traded in the USD $47 to $58 per barrel range throughout November. The Canadian dollar closed at 73.63 cents U.S. on November 28th, up from 72.09 cents U.S. at the end of October. The S&P/TSX composite index closed at 20,036.77 on November 28th, up from 18,873.47 at the end of October.