Wholesale Trade Survey (Monthly): CVs for Total sales by geography – February 2018 to February 2019

Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey - Table 1: CVs for Total sales by geography
Geography Month
201802 201803 201804 201805 201806 201807 201808 201809 201810 201811 201812 201901 201902
percentage
Canada 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.6
Newfoundland and Labrador 0.6 0.3 1.0 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.4
Prince Edward Island 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Nova Scotia 3.6 1.5 3.6 3.4 1.2 1.6 1.8 2.5 2.2 1.7 5.3 4.6 2.3
New Brunswick 1.0 1.6 1.0 2.4 2.0 1.9 5.1 3.2 2.4 3.3 1.3 1.1 0.8
Quebec 2.2 1.9 2.4 1.9 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 1.8 1.9 1.8 2.1 1.6
Ontario 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.2 1.3 0.9
Manitoba 1.3 0.7 1.4 2.1 0.7 1.7 1.5 0.9 2.2 1.4 2.6 1.2 0.8
Saskatchewan 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.9 0.6 0.3
Alberta 1.2 1.7 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.7 1.7 2.1 1.4 1.8 1.5 1.0 1.2
British Columbia 2.1 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.8 1.8 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.8 2.1 1.5
Yukon Territory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Northwest Territories 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Nunavut 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Residential and Non-residential Property Assessment Values at Current Prices 2017

Investment, Science, and Technology Division

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Key definitions
    1. Price base date
    2. Volume state date
    3. Residential property
    4. Non-residential property
    5. Properties subject to municipal, provincial, territorial and federal payment-in-lieu
  3. Input data
    1. Data sources
    2. Unit reported
  4. Auxiliary Data
    1. Multiple Listing Service data
    2. Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec
    3. Building permit and investment in construction data
    4. Census of Population
    5. Census of Agriculture
    6. List of CSDs from the Data Integration Infrastructure Division
  5. Classification
    1. Geography
    2. Property type
  6. Imputation for missing data
    1. Imputation of residential values
    2. Imputation of non-residential values
  7. Price adjustments
    1. Choice of Source Data Vintage
    2. Residential Price adjustment
      1. Overview of price adjustment methodology
      2. Calculating weighted monthly average resale price
      3. Residential price index for Nunavut
    3. Non-residential price adjustment
  8. Volume adjustments
    1. Residential volume adjustments
    2. Non-residential volume adjustments
  9. Removals and adjustments in accordance with typical property assessment and taxation practices
    1. Removal of CSDs on account of First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups
    2. Exclusion of exempt residential property
    3. Exclusions of schools, churches and hospitals
    4. Removal of properties subject to provincial-territorial and municipal payments-in-lieu of taxes
    5. Adjustments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
    6. Removal of machinery and equipment values in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
  10. Other Adjustments
    1. Mixed-use properties
    2. Estimation of farm residence values
  11. Quality control
    Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups

1. Introduction

The Property Values Program produces annual estimates of assessment values of properties at current prices across Canada. Finance Canada uses these estimates to determine fiscal capacity with respect to property taxes for the Equalization program and the Territorial Formula Financing (TFF) program. Footnote 1 In order to ensure comparability of the data, a number of adjustments are made, including: coding property categories to a common classification; adjusting to a common price base date and volume state (or stock) date; and imputation of missing property values in some areas. Additionally, other removals and adjustments are carried out in order to produce estimates of assessment values at current price that meet the requirements to determine fiscal capacity.

This document presents these adjustments in more detail.

2. Key definitions

a. Price base date Footnote 2

The price base date (also called the valuation date) corresponds to a fixed point in time as of when a property is valued.

b. Volume state date

The volume state date is the fixed point in time as of when the stock of properties is recorded, which also corresponds to the date where all properties are represented in an assessment roll data file.

c. Residential property

Defined as all types of property categorized as residential for assessment purposes in the majority of provinces and territories. It includes single and multi-unit properties, farm residences, cottages and vacation homes, mobile homes, and vacant lands which are lawfully usable for residential purposes.

d. Non-residential property

Defined as all types of property categorized as non-residential for assessment purposes in the majority of provinces and territories. It includes industrial, commercial and institutional properties, engineering construction and mining properties, and vacant lands which are lawfully usable for non-residential purposes.

Agricultural properties Footnote 3 (not including farm residences, which are part of residential property) as well as machinery and equipment properties are excluded from final estimates.

e. Properties subject to municipal, provincial, territorial and federal payment-in-lieu

Defined as municipal, provincial, territorial and federal government-owned property for which owners remit payment-in-lieu of tax to municipal governments or local taxation authorities for receiving municipal services. A payment-in-lieu of taxes is made to compensate a local government for some or all of the tax revenue that it loses because of the nature of the ownership or use of a particular piece of real property. Usually, no property tax is collected for buildings owned by government.

3. Input data

a. Data sources

Assessment data are collected from provincial, territorial and municipal assessment entities and are based on municipal assessment rolls. Data providers agree to provide the data on a regular basis either through formal agreements or responding per data request.

Starting in January 2018, assessment roll microdata is gradually being received from every jurisdiction, to replace the use of assessment roll aggregate data. The objective is to receive microdata from each province and territory within two years.

b. Unit reported

Data are reported either at the municipality level, or at property or sub-property level.

4. Auxiliary Data

a. Multiple Listing Service data

Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data are produced by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The data are obtained via Haver Analytics, a company that is the sole distributer of CREA MLS data. MLS data are for resale homes and are comprised of dollar volume sales and number of units sold by real estate board. Data are available for all provinces and territories with the exception of Québec and Nunavut.

b. Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec

The Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec (FCIQ) produces home resale data for several real estate boards within Quebec as well as provincial figures.

c. Building permit and investment in construction data

Data on the number of residential and non-residential building permits issued, investment in construction completion, by type of work (e.g., new unit, conversion, etc.), is obtained from Statistics Canada's Building and Demolition Permits (BDP) and Investment programs. The data are produced monthly, by jurisdiction.

d. Census of Population

Data from Census of population are available every five years. Between census years, yearly values, referred to as "Intercensal" values, are derived using linear interpolation. Footnote 4 These values are used at various stages of the production cycle such as for the imputation of missing values and for the estimation of farm residences.

e. Census of Agriculture

Similar to the Census of population, data from Census of Agriculture are available every five years. Yearly values ("Intercensal" values) are also derived using linear interpolation and used during the production cycle. Census of Agriculture values are used to estimate the values of farm residences in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, provinces where such values are embedded in totals or are missing.

f. List of CSDs from the Data Integration Infrastructure Division

The list of Census Subdivisions (CSD) is produced, maintained and updated annually by the Data Integration Infrastructure Division at Statistics Canada.

5. Classification

a. Geography

The municipalities covered by the collected data are assigned to Census Subdivisions (CSDs) updated annually by Statistics Canada's Data Integration Infrastructure Division, using the Standard Geographical Classification system. The assignment of CSDs is revised yearly to reflect changes (municipal amalgamations, legal status changes, etc.) that occur during the year.

CSDs containing First Nations or other autonomous or self-governing areas are out of scope for Fiscal Arrangements purposes (see Annex 1); consequently, estimates are not produced for these CSDs.

b. Property type

Property type concordance tables are developed at the provincial and territorial level to classify properties according to property attributes found on the input data. With the arrival of assessment roll microdata, the classification of properties is more precise using new property attributes now present on the source files. New types of properties are introduced in the classification to better represent the data sources.

6. Imputation for missing data

There exist municipalities or regions that are not assessed by provincial or territorial assessment bodies, and therefore no property taxes are levied. As a result, assessment values are missing for some jurisdictions, mostly in unorganized areas. Footnote 5 Additionally, on occasion, some municipalities submit their assessment values to assessment bodies later than when the data are required. Missing property assessment values for these municipalities are imputed.

For taxation year 2017, there were 153 jurisdictions with missing data that were imputed, 143 of which were in Newfoundland-and-Labrador, 7 were in Northwest Territories and 3 were in Saskatchewan.

a. Imputation of residential values

The imputed residential value for a CSD is calculated by multiplying the number of private dwellings by the average value of owner-occupied dwellings for the CSD from the intercensal Census of Population file.

In order to produce an imputed value that best reflects the desired price base and volume state dates:

  • the number of private dwellings value is taken from the yearly intercensal file of the same year as the volume state date of the raw file; and
  • the average value of owner-occupied dwellings is taken from the yearly intercensal file or derived from assessed values of the same year as the price base date of the raw file.

The resulting imputed values are then processed and adjusted Footnote 6 using the same methodology as for raw values.

b. Imputation of non-residential values

Unlike the imputation for residential property values where dwelling values from intercensal files can be used to estimate the value of residential properties, no similar direct indicator is available for non-residential properties. Therefore, non-residential values are imputed using data of CSDs with similar Census population counts within the same province or territory.

Ratios of the total non-residential values over the total population are calculated using data from CSDs for each population class (see table 1 below) for each province and territory. These ratios Footnote 7 are then applied to the population count of the missing CSD to derive the imputed non-residential value. Most of the missing CSDs are from rural areas.

Table 1 – Population class used for imputation on non-residential values Footnote 8
Population Class Description
1 Rural
2 Small Sized Municipalities
3 Medium Sized Municipalities
4 Large Sized Municipalities

7. Price adjustments

Due to differences in assessment practices and frequency of revaluation practices, data received do not always align with the target price base date of July 1 of the year preceding the taxation year.

a. Choice of Source Data Vintage

In order to minimize price adjustments, the data from the file whose price base date most closely aligns with the target price base date is used to produce the estimates of a given taxation year. In the event that two input files have the same time interval between their price base date and the target price base date, the file with the closest volume state date is selected.

b. Residential Price adjustment

Price adjustments for residential properties are derived using monthly sales data for the resale housing market from MLS and FCIQ. Nunavut is the only region for which resale housing data does not exist; therefore, a residential price index is constructed for this territory.

i. Overview of price adjustment methodology

For a given province or territory, the price adjustment calculations are done at two geographic levels:

  • CSDs within a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)
  • CSDs outside CMAs (or rest of the province)

For Newfoundland and Labrador, Footnote 9 Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Northwest Territories, there are no data available at the CMA level; therefore, the price adjustment calculations are performed on the provincial and territorial totals.

ii. Calculating weighted monthly average resale price

In order to smooth seasonal fluctuations that can exist in monthly data, weighted monthly average prices are used in the calculation of the residential price adjustment. For a given month, twelve consecutive months of data (period beginning six months before and ending five months after the month) are used.

For a given month k, the formula for calculating the weighted monthly average is as follows:

Weighted_Monthly_Averagek=k-6k+5ResDollarVolkk-6k+5ResUnitSoldk

Where ResDollarVol is the total dollar value of the monthly residential sales and ResUnitSold is the monthly total number of residential units sold.

The residential price adjustments are performed at the CSD level. To arrive at the price adjusted assessment value, the ratio of the weighted monthly average for the month of the target price date over the weighted monthly average for the month of the price base date is calculated. The ratio that is applied to the assessment value of a given CSD is dependent on if the CSD is located in a CMA, and is dependent on the province or territory that it is located in.

iii. Residential price index for Nunavut

As resale data do not exist for Nunavut, Statistics Canada uses data for the region of northern Quebec (NQC) Footnote 10 as a proxy for this territory. Footnote 11 The property assessment data are provided by the provincial Government of Quebec.

The Nunavut residential index is calculated using an unweighted average of residential and non-residential property values reported. Footnote 12

An annual series is generated and converted into a monthly series by adding one twelfth of the dollar difference between two observations to each successive month between observed values (linear interpolation), creating a monthly index. Residential price-adjustments are then applied to Nunavut property values using the same algorithm (for ratios) designed for resale data.

c. Non-residential price adjustment

Unlike residential properties, non-residential properties (more specifically industrial, commercial, and industrial (ICI)) are not often for sale. It is therefore comparatively more difficult to find appropriate market indicators to use for non-residential price adjustment. To overcome this, the correlation between residential and non-residential price changes was analysed.

A regression analysis was performed and a model was constructed using aggregate raw data from four provinces: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and British Columbia. The reasons for using these specific four provinces are twofold: (1) these provinces evaluate their property stock on an annual basis, Footnote 13 and (2) they report data for both assessment values and numbers of properties. This level of detail allowed the derivation of the annual non-residential price movements.

Based on the regression analysis using data from the four provinces mentioned above, the conclusion was to use the model coefficient of 0.73336 as a discount factor to the residential series and also to the residential price index in Nunavut. Footnote 14 The resulting series, generated by applying the discount factor to the residential series, is used for the price adjustment of non-residential values for all provinces and territories.

8. Volume adjustments

Volume adjustments ensure that properties reflect a common volume state date of January 1st of the taxation year. For assessment data that reflects a volume state date earlier or later than the target volume state date, the value of all completed construction that occurred in the period between the two dates is estimated using Statistics Canada's monthly Building and Demolition Permits (BDP) Program or from the Investment Program and then added or subtracted, as the case may be, from the total property values. This methodology is used for both residential and non-residential property values.

a. Residential volume adjustments

For residential properties, the volume adjustment is calculated by estimating the construction that was completed in between the volume state date and the target volume state date using the number of permits from the BDP survey and monthly resale values, or from using the investment in construction completion values.

Based on an analysis of residential construction data, the assumption is made that a residential property being newly built can be considered to be a substantially finished (assessable) unit approximately three months after a building permit is issued. Therefore, for a given month, the BDP data used for the volume adjustment is that of the given month minus three (so for example for June we would use the March BDP data).

For each month falling in the period between the volume state date and target volume state date, the number of permits is multiplied by the average monthly resale value from MLS/FCIQ (for all provinces and territories other than Nunavut), to obtain a monthly volume adjustment value. The monthly volume adjustment values are summed for each month to arrive at the total volume adjustment for the period. For Nunavut, the average assessment value for Northern Québec is used.

Similarly, construction completion values represent the total investment in construction available upon completion of construction. Monthly values that fall between the volume state date and the target volume state date are summed for an estimated total volume adjustment for the period.

Although the two methods are comparable, volume adjustments calculated using investment in construction completion values are slightly more accurate than those calculated using building permit values. When investment in construction completion values are available, they are used in the calculations over the use of building permit values. Residential volume adjustments account for approximately 2% of total values.

b. Non-residential volume adjustments

For non-residential construction, the assumption is that a property undergoing construction can be considered to be a substantially finished (assessable) unit approximately eight months after a building permit is issued. As non-residential construction projects vary significantly in scope, size, and values, using an average value is not recommended; therefore, the volume adjustment methodology for residential properties cannot be applied to the non-residential.

Instead of using the number of permits, the total value of all permits issued, by month, is used. Consequently, "total values of the non-residential permits" that were issued during the period (using an 8-months lag to allow for construction to be completed) is used to obtain the volume adjustment value. This estimate of new property construction value is used to adjust the total estimates.

Instead of using the number of permits, the total value of all permits issued, by month, is used. Consequently, "total values of the non-residential permits" that were issued during the period (using an 8-months lag to allow for construction to be completed) is used to obtain the volume adjustment value. This estimate of new property construction value is used to adjust the total estimates.

9. Removals and adjustments in accordance with typical property assessment and taxation practices

a. Removal of CSDs on account of First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups

Census subdivisions containing First Nations reserves, and autonomous or self-governing areas are removed as they are deemed out of scope. Such CSDs are identified based on their CSD type. Footnote 15 For taxation year 2017 estimates there were 18 CSDs that were classified as out of scope and removed from final estimates. Of the CSDs that were removed, 34 had assessment values, representing 0.04% of total assessment values across Canada.

b. Exclusion of exempt residential property

In some provinces, certain properties are identified as exempt from property taxes as presented in the input files received from the assessment bodies. Any value associated with these properties are excluded from estimates for the purposes of fiscal arrangements.

c. Exclusions of schools, churches and hospitals

The most important non-residential properties which are generally exempt from property taxes are schools, churches and hospitals (S/C/H).

Some provinces and territories provide detailed breakdowns of S/C/H in their assessment data. For these provinces and territories, the exact proportion of S/C/H is removed from the final estimates.

For provinces and territories where the S/C/H breakdowns are not available, the proportion of the S/C/H assessment values relative to total assessment values for non-residential properties is estimated by calculating and applying the proportion of S/C/H property values from a similar reporting province or territory. It should be noted that values for engineering and mining properties are excluded from the total assessment value for non-residential properties used in the calculation of the S/C/H proportions.

The list of provinces and territories used in the calculation of estimated S/C/H proportion depends on data availability and can change from one year to the next as microdata is received.

d. Removal of properties subject to provincial-territorial and municipal payments-in-lieu of taxes

Instead of regular property taxes, federal, provincial or municipal government usually remit a payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) for their exempt properties. However, only federal PILT property represents fiscal capacity for the consolidated provincial-territorial-municipal-local sector; provincial, territorial and municipal (PTM) PILT properties are excluded.

When breakdowns of values of PILT properties are not available, as is the case for a number of provinces and territories, these values are estimated. The estimation of PM-PILT values takes into account the S/C/H values, some of which are also PTM-PILT properties, which have already been removed. Only the "remaining" PILT values are estimated and removed.

Although the estimation methodology using aggregate assessment roll data is successful in estimating the remaining proportion to remove, the arrival of assessment roll microdata allows for a more precise estimation of remaining PILT proportions to remove.

e. Adjustments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Unlike in provinces and the Yukon, property assessments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut do not consistently follow market value standards.

Land values within the municipal taxation areas (Iqaluit in Nunavut; Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Norman Wells and Inuvik in NWT), reflect full market value, while land values in the remainder of the two territories (i.e. in the General Taxation Areas) are, according to the data provider, based on average regional development costs.

Improvements (i.e. buildings) in both territories are assessed based on depreciated Edmonton construction costs, using Alberta's depreciation schedule. The value so determined for Yellowknife is then multiplied by a factor of 1.35, which is set out in regulations. According to the assessment data provider, this was done to reflect Yellowknife's actual construction costs relative to Edmonton's. Yellowknife's assessed building values therefore approximately reflect market value. Footnote 16

Outside of Yellowknife, in the two territories, a discount factor of 0.666 has been applied to building values initially assessed at depreciated Edmonton construction costs. This factor is also set out in regulations and, according to the assessment data provider, was introduced to encourage development. Upon data entry, this embedded 0.666 scaling factor is removed from the building values in the Northwest Territories outside of Yellowknife and Nunavut.

f. Removal of machinery and equipment values in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Property values for machinery and equipment (M&E) components in the non-residential category are deemed to be out of scope.

The data received from Northwest Territories and Nunavut contain a sizeable share of M&E components in the non-residential total. They are mainly embedded in the following three non-residential classes: mineral, transmission and hydrocarbon. The M&E components are removed by multiplying the reported improvement values by a deflationary factor for each of the previously mentioned three non-residential classes. These factors are provided yearly by the respondents. This treatment ensures that only real property values are included in final estimates, and that the M&E components are excluded.

In Alberta, property values for the M&E components are reported separately by the data providers and are excluded from the final estimates.

10. Other Adjustments

a. Mixed-use properties

Some properties are used for both residential and non-residential purposes. In cases where no further breakdowns are available, the values of mixed-use properties are redistributed between residential and non-residential property types according to the existing distribution of total residential and non-residential property values by CSD. In cases where further breakdowns are available, mostly in jurisdictions where microdata was received, the values are assigned according to the exact breakdown. The mixed-use properties represent 0.16% of the total valuation of properties in Canada.

One of the most common cases of mixed-use type properties are of a building consisting of ground level commercial with one or more floors of residential units above.

b. Estimation of farm residence values

In Ontario and British Columbia, farm residence values are embedded in the general agricultural category, and not identified separately. Because the farm residence values are to be classified under the residential category, farm residence values are estimated, removed from the Agriculture category and reclassified to the residential category.

In some jurisdictions in Saskatchewan, farm residences are not assessed and therefore their values are not included in the data received for Saskatchewan. Since the majority of provinces include farm residence values in their assessment values, farm residences for these jurisdictions in Saskatchewan are estimated and added to the Saskatchewan total residential values.

To estimate farm residence values, auxiliary data from Statistics Canada's Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture are used. As more recent auxiliary data become available, estimates are revised yearly.

Farm residence value is estimated by multiplying the average rural house price by the number of farms. The average rural house price is derived from the Census of Population by taking the weighted average value of owner-occupied dwellings of CSDs with a population of less than 10,000. The number of farms is taken from the Census of Agriculture.

11. Quality control

Statistics Canada's quality assurance framework requires an assessment of data relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, interpretability and coherence. The quality of the raw input data collected from provincial, territorial and municipal assessment departments and agencies cannot be evaluated in this framework. However, confrontational analysis is performed to compare the source data to existing statistical programs and public information such as annual reports obtained from Provincial websites. Any irregularities identified are carefully reviewed and analyzed before the official release of the data.

Total adjusted residential estimates, for both taxable and exempt properties, are compared to Statistics Canada's Census of Population. The coherence of the values is examined by census coverage analysis, which compares the source data to private dwelling counts and values found in Statistics Canada's Census of Population.

Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups Footnote 17

The following are the list of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal groups presented by province and territory. As of December 31 2017 there are 18 CSDs that are of one of these CSD types.

Annex 1. List of CSD types representing First Nations and other Aboriginal Groups
Province / Territory CSD Type CSD Type description Legal Code Legal Code description Number of CSDs
NS IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 2
NB IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 1
ON IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 1
MB IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 1
SK IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 3
SK S-É Indian settlement U Not legal municipality - aboriginal geography 1
AB IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 1
BC IGD Indian government district PL Provincially legislated - legal municipality 2
BC IRI Indian reserve FL Federally legislated 5
BC NL Nisga'a land FL Federally legislated 1

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Data quality, concepts and methodology: Explanatory notes on direct program payments to agriculture producers

Payments Enhancing Receipts

Explanatory notes for programs which existed prior to 2007 can be found in the discontinued Direct Payments to Agriculture Producers publication (21-015-X).

Agricultural Revenue Stabilization Account (ARSA) (2000 to 2002)

The objective of the Agricultural Revenue Stabilization Account program was to offer a risk management tool to farming operations in Quebec, based on the operation's gross income. To this effect, the program established two individual funds, for contributions from participants and La Financière agricole du Québec, and made provisions for withdrawals from these funds to compensate for reductions in farm income. The ARSA was a program developed and administered by La Financière agricole du Québec.

Following the introduction of the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program, La Financière agricole du Québec terminated this program in the 2002 program year. Consequently, participants had five years to make withdrawals from their account, at an annual minimum of 20% of the government contribution held on February 1st, 2005.

AgriInvest (2008 to present)

This program was created under the Growing Forward policy framework (2007 – 2013) and has continued under Growing Forward 2 (2013 – 2018) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (effective April 1, 2018). AgriInvest replaces part of the coverage that had been available under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program, and, operates similar to the former Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) program.

Through government and producer contributions, AgriInvest provides cash flow to help producers manage small income declines, as well as provide support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income. Producers can deposit up to 100% of their Allowable Net Sales, with the first 1% matched by governments. The limit on matching government contributions is $10,000 per AgriInvest account. AgriInvest is administered by the Federal government in all provinces except Quebec.

Agri-Québec (2011 to present)

Agri-Québec is a self-directed risk management program offered to all farming and aqua-farming operations in Quebec. The program allows participants to deposit an amount in an account under their name, in order to receive matching contributions from La Financière agricole du Québec. Participants can then withdraw the funds from the accounts, based on their operational needs. Agri-Québec is managed jointly by the provincial and federal governments, as it is similar and complimentary to AgriInvest.

Agri-Québec Plus (2015 to present)

The Agri-Québec Plus program offers additional financial assistance to eligible operations. Agri-Québec Plus complements AgriStability by offering a coverage level of 85% of the reference margin rather than 70%. The program covers agriculture products that are not covered or not associated with the ASRA program (Farm Income Stabilization Program) and are not supply-managed. Participation in the program is linked to the respect of environmental requirements.

AgriRecovery (2008 to present)

The AgriRecovery framework is part of a suite of federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) Business Risk Management (BRM) tools under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (replacing Growing Forward 2, as of 2018).

AgriRecovery was designed to provide quick, targeted assistance to producers in case of natural disasters, with a focus on the extraordinary costs producers must take on to recover from disasters. Federal and provincial governments jointly determine whether further assistance beyond existing programs already in place is necessary, and what form of assistance should be provided. AgriRecovery initiatives are cost-shared on a 60:40 basis between the federal government and participating provinces or territories. The assistance provided will be unique to the specific disaster situation and often unique to a province or region. Examples of programs included in AgriRecovery are the 2017 and 2018 Canada-BC Wildfire Recovery Initiatives, and the 2017 Canada-Quebec Hail Assistance Initiative.

AgriStability (2007 to present)

This program was created under the Growing Forward policy framework (2007 – 2013) and has continued under Growing Forward 2 (2013 – 2018) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (effective April 1, 2018). AgriStability was developed as a margin-based program that provides income support when a producer experiences a large margin decline. AgriStability has replaced part of the coverage that had been provided under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program. Under the current program, a payment is triggered when the production margin falls below 70 percent of the producer's historical reference margin.

AgriStability is delivered in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon by the Federal government. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island, AgriStability is delivered provincially.

Assiniboine Valley Producers Flood Assistance Program (2007 to 2011)

This Province of Manitoba program provided financial assistance for Assiniboine Valley agricultural producers who experienced crop loss or the inability to seed a crop in 2005 and 2006 along the Assiniboine River from the Shellmouth Dam to Brandon, due to flooding. This program also provided assistance in 2011, following flooding in 2010.

These programs were managed through the Manitoba Agricultural Service Corporation (MASC).

Beekeepers Financial Assistance Program (2014)

Due to harsh winter conditions in Ontario in 2014, and other pollinator health issues, Ontario's bee colonies experienced higher than normal mortality rates. To help offset these losses, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food provided one-time financial assistance of $105 per hive to beekeepers who have 10 hives or more and lost over 40 per cent of their colonies between Jan. 1, 2014, and Oct. 31, 2014.

Canada-Ontario General Top-Up Program (2005 to 2007)

This was a special top-up payment program which provided whole farm coverage to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program participants in Ontario, who were automatically enrolled. All commodities eligible for CAIS payment were covered under this program. In order to qualify, participants must have experienced a decline in their program year production margin as calculated by the CAIS Program Administrator and be eligible to receive the government portion of the CAIS payment. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs were responsible for the overall administration of the program.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Program (2004 to 2008)

The CAIS program was available to producers across Canada and provided assistance to those producers who had experienced a loss of income as a result of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or other factors. The program integrated stabilization and disaster protection into a single program, helping producers protect their farming operations from both small and large drops in income.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Inventory Transition Initiative (CITI) (2006 to 2007)

CITI was a one-time federal government injection of $900 million into Canada's Agriculture and Agri-food industry. The funds were delivered to producers by recalculating how the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program valued inventory change for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 CAIS program years.

Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Ontario Inventory Transition Initiative (2006 to present)

The Ontario Inventory Transition Payment was an additional one-time payment from the province of Ontario, for the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program participants, as it transitioned to a new method of valuing inventory for CAIS.

Compensation for animal losses (1981 to present)

Formerly a program under the Animal Disease and Protection Act, this compensation program is now administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in accordance with requirements established under the Health of Animals Act. Producers in all provinces are compensated when farm animals infected with certain contagious diseases are ordered to be slaughtered. Compensation also includes applicable transportation and disposal costs and compensation for animals injured during testing.

Cost of Production Payment (COP) (2007 to 2010)

This program helped non-supply managed commodities producers with the rising cost of production. This federal program was based on producers' net sales for 2000-2004 (or in the case of new producers: payments were based on average net sales for 2005-2006).

Cover Crop Protection Program (CCPP) (2006 to 2008)

The CCPP was a Government of Canada initiative designed to provide financial assistance to agricultural producers who were unable to seed commercial crops as a result of flooding in the spring of 2005 and/or 2006.

Crop Insurance (1981 to present)

Crop Insurance (now referred to as AgriInsurance) is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program that stabilizes a producer's income by minimizing the economic effect of production losses caused by natural hazards. AgriInsurance is a provincially delivered program to which the federal government contributes a portion of total premiums and administrative costs. Premiums for most crop insurance programs are cost-shared: 40 per cent by participating producers, 36 per cent by the federal government and 24 per cent by the province, while administrative costs are funded by governments, 60 per cent by the federal government and 40 per cent by the province.

AgriInsurance plans are developed and delivered by each province to meet the needs of the producers in that province. AgriInsurance helps to cover production losses as well as losses from poor product quality. Both yield and non-yield based plans are offered. These plans cover traditional crops such as wheat, corn, oats and barley as well as horticultural crops such as lettuce, strawberries, carrots and eggplants. Some provinces also provide coverage for bee mortality as well as maple syrup production. The provinces constantly work to improve their programs by adjusting existing plans and implementing new ones to meet changing industry requirements.

Crop Loss Compensation (1981 to present)

Crop loss compensation programs are generally one element of a province's Wildlife damage compensation programs, which can also include separate Waterfowl damage and Livestock predation programs. This Big Game program reduces the financial loss incurred by producers in these provinces from wildlife damage to eligible crops, and can include compensation for wildlife excreta contaminated crops and silage in pits and tubes. In some provinces damage to honey producers and leafcutter bee products is also included.

Also see Livestock predation compensation, Waterfowl damage and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Cull Animal Program (2003 to 2006)

This program was intended to assist farmers with the additional cost of feeding surplus animals while the US border was closed to Canadian animals over 30 months of age. With the goal of discouraging on-farm slaughter and encouraging movement of mature animals to domestic markets in an orderly fashion.

Cull Breeding Swine Program (2008)

This federally funded program for 2008, administered by the Canadian Pork Council, was designed to help restructure the industry to bring it in line with market realities. The objective was to reduce the national breeding herd size by up to 10% over and above normal annual reductions. Producers were eligible to receive a per head payment for each animal slaughtered as well as reimbursement for slaughter and disposal costs. Producers had to agree to empty at least one barn, and not restock for a three year period.

Drought Assistance for Livestock Producers (2007 to 2008)

This program was enacted in 2007, to assist livestock owners in Northern B.C. who suffered economic hardship in 2006 due to drought. Drought conditions in the summer of 2006 reduced hay and forage yields by up to 50% and producers were left with higher costs for feed, water and other expenses.

Ontario Edible Horticulture Support Program for Edible Horticulture Farmers (2018-2019)

This program provides financial support to Ontario producers of edible horticulture products (small and medium-size agricultural operators) to adjust to the changing small business environment. This program is funded by the Government of Ontario and the payments are based on net sales of edible horticulture. Self-Directed Risk Management Program participants are enrolled automatically.

Fed Cattle Set Aside Program (2005 to 2006)  

The program was part of a national strategy to assist Canada's cattle industry to reposition itself to help ensure its long-term viability.

Golden Nematode Disaster Program (2007 to 2009)

The objective of this programs was to assist producers affected by Golden Nematode with the costs of disposing potatoes  and a per hectare support payment to assist potato producers and producers of nursery and greenhouse crops with extraordinary costs not covered under existing programs. The program was funded by the federal government.

Grains and Oilseeds Payment (GOPP) (2006)

The Grains and Oilseeds Payment Program was a one-time program for producers of grains, oilseeds, or special crops, to help address the severe economic hardships they were facing.

Hog Transition Fund (2008)

This program was designed to assist Nova Scotia hog producers who were having financial difficulties due to declining market prices in 2006-2007. The program was administered through Pork Nova Scotia.

Lake Manitoba Flood Assistance Program (2011 to present)

This program was designed to provide financial compensation to crop and livestock producers affected by the flooding of Lake Manitoba in 2011. Part A - Lake Manitoba Pasture Flooding Assistance Component and Part B - Lake Manitoba Transportation and Crop/Forage Loss Component, are included. This program is funded entirely by the provincial government.

Livestock Insurance Programs (1991 to present)

The Livestock Insurance Programs include a number of provincially administered livestock insurance programs. These programs include:

The Cattle Price Insurance Program (2009 to present), designed to provide Alberta cattle producers with an effective price risk management tool reflective of their risk. As of 2014, this program is now referred to as the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program.

Dairy Livestock Insurance (1991 to present), implemented to assist Nova Scotia producers when a number of cattle were lost due to disease outbreaks. The program continues to exist for situations resulting in a significant loss in production, causing a loss of revenue.

The Hog Price Insurance Program (2011 to present), designed to provide Alberta hog producers with protection against unexpected declines in Alberta hog prices, over a defined period of time. As of 2014, this program is now referred to as the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program.

Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador (1991 to present) compensates producers for the death or injury to sheep, goats, dairy cattle or beef cattle caused by dogs or other predators.

Livestock Insurance in Prince Edward Island (2009 to present) offers two types of coverage: compensation to cattle producers for the death of an animal due to disease, as well as compensation to dairy producers whose production levels fall beneath a set threshold, causing a loss of income.

The Overwinter Bee Mortality Insurance (2012 to present) insures Manitoban beekeepers against unmanageable wintering losses, including weather-related damages, diseases and pests. As of 2014 the data for this program is included in Crop Insurance.

Poultry Insurance (2008 to present) compensates Nova Scotia producers for the loss of poultry (which includes broilers, breeders, breeder pullets, layer pullets, commercial layers and integrated layers) to the disease infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT).

The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) (2014 to present) enables livestock producers to purchase price protection on cattle and hogs in the form of an insurance policy. It offers protection against an unexpected drop in prices over a defined period of time, and is available to producers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Administration costs are covered by the federal and provincial governments through Growing Forward 2. Premiums will be fully funded by producers, but any deficit after four years will be made up by the federal government. The four-province program will be managed by the Alberta Agriculture Financial Services Corp, which ran the pre-existing Cattle and Hog Price Insurance programs in Alberta. Crop insurance entities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan will deliver the WLPIP in those provinces. The Business Risk Management Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture delivers the program in that province.

Additional notes on the Livestock Insurance Programs

Producer premiums for the Prince Edward Island Livestock Insurance and Dairy Livestock Insurance in Nova Scotia (as of 2006) are partially subsidized by the provincial and federal governments.

Premiums are not subsidized for the Cattle Price Insurance Program, the Hog Price Insurance Program, Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador, Poultry Insurance program in Nova Scotia, or the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program. However, the costs of administrating the programs are funded by provincial governments and/or Crown Corporations.

Prior to 2005, Dairy Livestock Insurance in Nova Scotia and Livestock Insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador were reported under Programs funded by the private sector.

Livestock Predation Compensation Program

Manitoba (1999 to present) - This program compensates livestock producers in Manitoba for losses from injury or death of eligible livestock that resulted from losses due to natural predators such as black bear, cougar, wolf or coyote. Compensation is available to 100% of the assessed value of the animal, for a confirmed loss due to predation and to 50% of the value for a probable loss. In respect for livestock injured, the payment will be the lesser of the veterinary treatment or the value of the livestock. The government of Manitoba pays 60% of program payments and the Government of Canada 40%. Administration costs are cost-shared 50/50 between the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba.

Saskatchewan (2010 to present) - Under the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program, the Saskatchewan Compensation for Livestock Predation compensates producers for livestock killed or injured by predators. The first 80 percent of the program funding is cost-shared by federal and provincial governments. The provincial government contributes the remaining amount. The program is administered by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation. Other components of the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program include Waterfowl damage compensation and Crops loss compensation (reported separately).

Also see Crop loss compensation, Waterfowl damage and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Manitoba Ruminant Assistance Program (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008, funded jointly by the province of Manitoba and the federal government, allowed cattle producers to receive a direct payment of up to 3% of historical net sales. The payment, administered by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), was provided to all ruminant producers and was in proportion to the size of the producer's livestock operations.

Manitoba Spring Blizzard Livestock Mortalities Assistance Program (2011 to 2012)

The 2011 Manitoba Spring Blizzard Mortalities Assistance program provided assistance to Manitoba producers who experienced livestock losses following the blizzard that hit April 29th and 30th, 2011. Compensation is provided for animal deaths that occurred, as a result of the storm, between April 29th and May 5th 2011. This program is funded and administered by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI).

Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Program (MVIP) (2015-2016)

This program provides funds for eligible vineyard improvements to enable growers in Ontario to produce quality grapes in order to respond to the growing demands of Ontario wine manufacturers and to adapt ongoing and emerging vineyard challenges. This payment will be overseen by Agricorp (a provincial crown corporation) and was created under the Wine and Grape Strategy to promote Ontario VQA (Ontario's Wine Authority) and support vineyard production improvements. Only certain non-capital payments to producers are included in the Direct payments data series (e.g. wine grape vine removal, land preparation, etc.).

Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) (1991 to 2009)

The Net Income Stabilization Account (NISA) was established in 1991 under the Farm Income Protection Act.

The purpose of NISA was to encourage producers to save a portion of their income for use during periods of reduced income. Producers could deposit up to 3% of their Eligible Net Sales (ENS) annually in their NISA account and receive matching government contributions. The federal government and several provinces offered enhanced matching contributions over and above the base 3% on specified commodities. All these deposits earn a 3% interest bonus in addition to the regular rates offered by the financial institution where the account is held.

Most primary agricultural products were included in the calculation of Eligible Net Sales (sales of qualifying commodities minus purchases of qualifying commodities), the main exception being those covered by supply management (dairy, poultry and eggs).

The NISA account was comprised of two funds. Fund No. 1 which held producer deposits while Fund No. 2 contained the matching government contributions and all accumulated interest earned on both Fund 1 and Fund 2. Included as payments in the series «Direct Program Payments to Producers» were the producer withdrawals from Fund 2.

Nova Scotia Beef Kickstart Program (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008 provided funding for Nova Scotia's beef industry with the goal of helping the sector move toward greater economic self-sustainability.

Nova Scotia Margin Enhancement Program (2007 to 2008)

This initiative introduced in 2006, was a provincial initiative that provided additional income support to Nova Scotia producers. Using 2003 CAIS program data, reference margins of CAIS participants were increased by 10%.

Ontario Cattle, Hog and Horticulture Program (OCHHP) (2008)

This one-time payment for 2008, funded by the province of Ontario, was to assist farmers suffering from multiple financial pressures due to the stronger Canadian dollar, and lower market prices. Payments for cattle and hog producers were based on 12% of their historic allowable net sales, while payments for horticulture were based on 2% of allowable net sales.

Ontario Cost Recognition Top-up Program (2007 to 2010)

This program was a 40% matching provincial contribution to the federal Cost of Production Payment Program. This program was a direct payment to producers in recognition of rising production costs over the previous few years. The Ontario Top-Up Program payments were distributed after the payment details regarding the federal program were released.

Ontario Duponchelia Assistance Program (2008)

The purpose of this initiative was to provide financial support to horticulture producers in the Niagara Region of Ontario affected by Duponchelia, a reportable pest. The initiative provided a federal share (60%) of financial compensation to assist these producers in addressing plant replacement costs and in dealing with extraordinary expenses incurred due to quarantine measures imposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Ontario Edible Horticulture Crop Payment (2006)

This one-time payment compensates Ontario producers of edible horticulture crops for losses experienced on their 2005 crop.

Ontario Special Beekeepers Fund (2007 to 2008)

The Special Beekeepers Fund, enacted in June, 2007, provided direct compensation to beekeepers who suffered higher than normal hive losses during the winter of 2006. The assistance was designed to help bring Ontario's bee population back to near-normal levels, and beekeepers back to normal business.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Programs (PED)

Prince Edward Island (2014) - The Prince Edward Island PED program provided financial aid to hog farmers for increased sanitation and screening measures to help combat the pig virus. This was a cost-shared program between the federal and provincial governments under Growing Forward 2. The program was administered by the PEI Hog Board.

Québec (2015 to present) - Emergency Fund Program in Response to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Swine Delta Coronavirus (SDCV) in Québec. The purpose of this program is to provide assistance to affected operations, up to a maximum of $20,000 per production site, to cover certain additional expenses required to combat this disease and prevent it from spreading. The program is financed by La Financière agricole and administered by the Québec swine health team (EQSP). The fund has a maximum budget of $400,000.

Portage Diversion Fail-Safe compensation program (2014 to present)

This program was designed to provide financial assistance to Manitoba agricultural producers affected by the 2014 flooding due to the operation of the Portage diversion fail-safe. This program was fully funded by the Manitoba Government and is being administrated by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC).

Prince Edward Island Beef Industry Initiative (2007 to 2008)

This one-time payment for 2008 was designed to assist beef producers in Prince Edward Island to adjust to current market conditions and develop improved quality in their herds. The program provided immediate assistance to producers to help mitigate risk and provided genetics and enhanced herd health incentives. Payments were based on a combination of their average net sales and December 2007 inventory.

Prince Edward Island Hog Transition Fund (2008)

This program was designed to reduce hog numbers through a buyout program. It provided funds for producers to transition out of hog production.

Privately funded programs

Private hail insurance (1981 to present)

Private Hail Insurance is purchased by agricultural producers to protect themselves against the loss of their crops due to hail. Hail insurance is privately funded through producer premiums and producers may have the option to extend coverage for damage to crops due to loss through fire, depending on the insurance provider.

Other Private Programs (2011 to present)

Alberta Hog and Cattle Levy Refund (2011 to present)
In May 2011, Alberta Pork announced it would refund 85 cents for every dollar of levies it had collected from producers during the 2010-2011 fiscal year to assist producers coping with rising feed costs and small profit margins.
Legislation regarding levies in Alberta also changed in 2011. Levies for pork, beef, lamb, and potato producers had been mandatory until a change is legislation gave these producers the right to ask for a refund of the levies paid. Since that time, estimates for the hog and cattle levies refunded have been produced.
Heinz payment (2013)
Due to the closure of the Ontario Heinz processing plant in 2013, Heinz has paid a one-time 'goodwill' payment to compensate the farmers that were under contract to deliver processing tomatoes in 2013. The payment was to help offset costs that farmers may have incurred in preparing for the 2013 crop.

Programme d'aide pour les inondations en Montérégie (2011 to 2012)

This program provided financial assistance to agricultural enterprises affected by the floods of spring 2011, in the Richelieu valley. Compensation was offered to producers for loss of income due to flooded farmland, and/or losses due to unseeded acreage.

Programme d'appui à la replantation des vergers de pommiers au Québec (2007 to 2010)

The first component of this MAPAQ (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec) program offered replanting help in order to improve efficiency, profitability as well as competitiveness. The objective of the second component was to compensate apple producers for the loss of apple trees due to winter-kill (frost) in 1994.

Provincial Stabilization Programs (1981 to present)

Under provincial stabilization programs, payments are made in order to support producer incomes affected by small profit margins, or low prices, for selected commodities. Provincial stabilization programs are partly funded by the provincial government, either directly through the subsidization of producer premiums, or indirectly by absorbing a part, or the whole, of the cost of administering the program. These programs are optional, and producers are required to pay premiums in order to participate.

Farm Income Stabilization Program (ASRA) (1981 to present)

The Farm Income Stabilization Insurance Program is designed to guarantee a positive net annual income to producers in Quebec. Producers participating in the program receive funds when the average selling price falls below a stabilized income, which is based on the average production cost in a specific sector. ASRA is complementary to AgriStability, but participation in AgriStability is not mandatory. Payments under ASRA decrease in accordance to amounts paid out through AgriStability. ASRA premiums are partially funded by the provincial government, which pays two thirds of the cost of premiums, while producers pay the remaining third.

Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP) (2007 to present)

ORMP is a provincial program that offers compensation to Ontario producers for losses of income caused by fluctuating market prices and rising production costs. Commodities eligible for compensation include a variety of grains and oilseeds, as well as certain livestock, including cattle, calves, hogs and sheep. The program also offers compensation for unseeded acres, under certain conditions. In order to participate in this program, producers must also participate in AgriStability, as well as Production Insurance (for grains and oilseeds). Payments made under ORMP count as an advance on the provincial portion of AgriStability for the corresponding program year. Because ORMP is provincially funded, it has no impact on the federal portion of AgriStability payments. ORMP premiums are partly funded by the provincial government, which pays 40% of the cost of premiums, while producers pay the remaining 60%.

Saskatchewan Cattle and Hog Support Program (2009)

This program helped producers retain their breeding herds and address immediate cash flow needs.

Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program - 2011 (2011 to 2012)

This program provided compensation to producers who had to transport additional feed to their livestock, or transport their livestock to alternate locations for feeding and grazing, due to feed shortages caused by excess moisture. In addition, financial assistance was provided to producers who had to reseed hay, forage or pasture land that had been damaged by excess moisture. This provincially-funded program replaces the initial Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program (2010-2011), which was jointly offered by the provincial and federal governments, as part of AgriRecovery.

Self-Directed Risk Management (SDRM) (2005 to present)

SDRM is a provincial program designed to help Ontarian horticultural producers manage farm operation risk. Under the program, over 150 edible horticultural crops are eligible for coverage, including fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and spices, nuts, honey and maple products. To be eligible, producers must also participate in AgriStability, and meet the minimum amount of allowable net sales (ANS). Participating producers can deposit up to a maximum of 2% of their ANS into an account, and have their contribution matched by the provincial government. Payments made under SDRM count as an advance on the provincial portion of AgriStability for the corresponding program year. Because SDRM is provincially funded, it has no impact on the federal portion of AgriStability payments. Amounts received under Production Insurance for a crop also covered by SDRM will be deducted from SDRM payments.

Shoal Lakes Agriculture Flooding Assistance Program (2011)

The purpose of this program is to provide financial support to agriculture producers affected by chronic flooding in the Shoal Lakes Complex in the Interlake of Manitoba.

  1. Land payments on a per acre basis were provided to farm operators to compensate for lost income related to agricultural production that cannot be realized due to flooded acres in 2010 and 2011.
  2. Financial assistance for transportation costs incurred between April 1, 2011 and March 15, 2012 to those farm operators who needed to transport feed to livestock or livestock to feed, due to the flooding.

This payment was administered by the Manitoba Agriculture Corporation (MASC), with the assistance of Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives (MAFRI).

Syndrome de dépérissement postsevrage (SDP) (2008 to 2010)

This MAPAQ (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec) program granted financial support to Quebec feeder hog operations affected by Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS).

Transitional Production Adjustment Program (1996) (1993 to 1997 and 1999 to 2008)

Under the Tree Fruit Revitalization Program, British Columbia orchardists were guaranteed specific annual revenue per acre during the first three years, following replant of orchards to new high density tree fruit varieties.

Tree fruit grafting/budding and replant program (2008 to 2011, 2012 to present)

In 2008, the Transitional Production Adjustment Program ended and the Tree fruit grafting/budding and replant program started. In July 2007, the federal and provincial governments jointly announced that they were investing $8 million to help British Columbia's tree fruit and grape industries adapt to changing markets. The cost was shared (60% federal, 40% provincial) and the program lasted for three years.  In 2012, the provincial government invested an additional $2 million to replant tree fruit orchards to expand domestic markets through high-quality products by targeting the planting of premium varieties. The program, which also includes a grafting and budding component, concluded in 2014. The 2015 program is the first year of a 7 year commitment by British Columbia of $8.4 million announced in Nov 2014. This is a British Columbia Agriculture Department program that shares the administration of the program with the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association under contract until 2016.

Unseeded Acreage Payment - 2006 (2006 to 2007)

This program provided a payment to Saskatchewan farmers who experienced excess moisture conditions prior to June 20, 2006 and were unable to seed 95% of the acres they would normally intend to seed.

Waterfowl Damage (1981 to present)

Waterfowl damage payment programs are designed to compensate producers for crop losses caused by waterfowl. Compensation is also available for cleaning excreta contaminated grain in some provinces, and for prevention management.

Also see Crop loss compensation, Livestock predation compensation and Wildlife damage compensation programs.

Wildlife Damage Compensation Program

British Columbia (2002 to present) - The British Columbia Wildlife Compensation program is part of an Agricultural Environment Partnership Initiative that includes the following programs: The Waterfowl Damage to Forage Fields in Delta, Wild Predator Loss Control and Compensation Program for Cattle and East Kootenay Agriculture Wildlife Pilot Project. These programs are designed to compensate producers for the losses incurred to crops and livestock due to wildlife.

New Brunswick (2014 to present) - This cost-shared program compensates producers who suffer livestock or crop losses due to wildlife. Compensation is available for specified crops and livestock for damage caused by eligible wildlife. The maximum compensation per producer is $50,000 per year. The New Brunswick Agricultural Insurance Commission (NBAIC) administers this program, applicants are not required to be an insurance client to receive compensation.

Nova Scotia (2008 to present) - This cost-shared program, announced in 2008, will help address some of the risks experienced by Nova Scotia farmers regarding damage to eligible agricultural products because of the activities of wildlife, including wildlife predation on livestock and damage to crops. Applicants are not required to have crop insurance.

Ontario (2008 to present) - The Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants whose livestock and poultry have been injured or killed by wolves, coyotes, bears and other species of wildlife identified in the program guidelines, or whose bee-colonies, bee-hives and bee-hive related equipment have been damaged by bears, raccoons, deer and skunks. The program was funded by the provincial government up to the fiscal year of 2008/2009 and became part of Growing Forward - a federal, provincial and territorial initiative starting from fiscal year 2009/2010, when cost-sharing of the program began between the governments of Canada and Ontario.

Also see Crop loss compensation, Livestock predation compensation and Waterfowl damage programs.

Why do we conduct this survey?

This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy.

The statistical information from the IBSP serves many purposes, including:

  • calculating each province and territory's fair share of federal-provincial transfer payments for health, education and social programs
  • establishing government programs to assist businesses
  • assisting the business community in negotiating contracts and collective agreements
  • supporting the government in making informed decisions about fiscal, monetary and foreign exchange policies
  • indexing social benefit programs and determining tax brackets
  • enabling academics and economists to analyze the economic performance of Canadian industries and to better understand rapidly evolving business environments.

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 and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

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 statcan.esdhelpdesk-dsebureaudedepannage.statcan@statcan.gc.ca or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

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

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 for ceased operations
    • 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

7. You have indicated that the current main activity of this business or organization is:

Main activity

Are there any other activities that contribute significantly (at least 10%) to this business or organization's revenue?

  • Yes, there are other activities
  • No, that is the only significant activity
    Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity
    • e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

8. Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?

When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.

Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?
  Percentage of revenue
Main activity  
Secondary activity  
All other activities  
Total percentage  

Reporting period information

1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?

For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019 .

Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:

  • May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018
  • June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018
  • July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018
  • August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018
  • September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018
  • October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018
  • November 1, 2017 to October 31, 2018
  • December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018
  • January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
  • February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019
  • March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019
  • April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 .

Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:

  • September 18, 2017 to September 15, 2018 ( e.g., floating year-end)
  • June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 ( e.g., a newly opened business).
  • Fiscal year start date
  • Fiscal year-end date

2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?

Select all that apply.

  • Seasonal operations
  • New business
  • Change of ownership
  • Temporarily inactive
  • Change of fiscal year
  • Ceased operations
  • Other
    Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year

Additional reporting instructions

1. Throughout this questionnaire, please report financial information in thousands of Canadian dollars.

For example, an amount of $763,880.25 should be reported as:

CAN$ '000 : $764,000

I will report in the format above

Revenue

1. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , what was this business's revenue from each of the following sources?

Notes:

  • a detailed breakdown may be requested in other sections
  • these questions are asked of many different industries. Some questions may not apply to this business

Report dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Revenue

a. Sales of goods and services ( e.g., fees, commissions, services revenue)

Report net of returns and allowances.

Sales of goods and services are defined as amounts derived from the sale of goods and services (cash or credit), falling within a business's ordinary activities. Sales should be reported net of trade discount, value added tax and other taxes based on sales.

Include:

  • sales from Canadian locations (domestic and export sales)
  • transfers to other business units or a head office of your firm.

Exclude:

  • transfers into inventory and consignment sales
  • federal, provincial and territorial sales taxes and excise duties and taxes
  • intercompany sales in consolidated financial statements.

b. Rental and leasing

Include rental or leasing of apartments, commercial buildings, land, office space, residential housing, investments in co-tenancies and co-ownerships, hotel or motel rooms, long and short term vehicle leasing, machinery or equipment, storage lockers, etc.

c. Commissions

Include commissions earned on the sale of products or services by businesses such as advertising agencies, brokers, insurance agents, lottery ticket sales, sales representatives and travel agencies - compensation could also be reported under this item (for example, compensation for collecting sales tax).

d. Subsidies (including grants, donations, fundraising and sponsorships)

Include:

  • non-repayable grants, contributions and subsidies from all levels of government
  • revenue from private sector (corporate and individual) sponsorships, donations and fundraising.

e. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees

A royalty is defined as a payment received by the holder of a copyright, trademark or patent.

Include revenue received from the sale or use of all intellectual property rights of copyrighted materials such as musical, literary, artistic or dramatic works, sound recordings or the broadcasting of communication signals.

f. Dividends

Include:

  • dividend income
  • dividends from Canadian sources
  • dividends from foreign sources
  • patronage dividends.

Exclude equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

g. Interest

Include:

  • investment revenue
  • interest from foreign sources
  • interest from Canadian bonds and debentures
  • interest from Canadian mortgage loans
  • interest from other Canadian sources.

Exclude equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

h. All other revenue (Include intracompany transfers)

Include amounts not included in questions a. to g.

Total revenue

The sum of sub-questions a. to h.

For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , what was this business's revenue from each of the following sources?
  CAN$ '000
a. Sales of goods and services
Include sales, commissions, rental and leasing revenue if they are this business's primary revenue source.
 
b. Rental and leasing
Report only if this is a secondary revenue source. If rental and leasing are your primary revenue source, report at question a.
 
c. Commissions
Report only if this is a secondary revenue source. If commissions are your primary revenue source, report at question a.
 
d. Subsidies
Include grants, donations, fundraising and sponsorships.
 
e. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees  
f. Dividends  
g. Interest  
h. Other
Include intracompany transfers.
Specify all other revenue:
 
Total revenue  

E-commerce

1. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , what was this business's total revenue?

Include:

  • sales of goods and services
  • rental, leasing and property management
  • commissions
  • subsidies, grants, donations, fundraising and sponsorships
  • royalties
  • rights
  • licensing and franchise fees
  • dividends, interest and other revenue.

Report dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Total revenue in CAN$ '000

2. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , did this business have any e-commerce revenue?

E-commerce revenue: Sales of goods and services conducted over the Internet with or without online payment.

Include all revenue for which an order is received and commitment to purchase is made via the Internet, although payment can be made by other means, such as orders made on web pages, an extranet, mobile devices or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

Exclude orders made by telephone, facsimile or e-mail.

  • Yes
  • No

3. Of the [amount] amount reported in total revenue, what was the total e-commerce revenue?

When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.

Total e-commerce revenue in CAN$ '000

4. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , did this business make sales over the Internet through any of the following methods?

Select all that apply.

Mobile app

Include sales through any app, or application, that is downloaded and designed to run on a handheld device such as a smartphone or tablet (for example, places where a user may download these apps, including Apple's App Store, Google Play or Blackberry App World).

Company website Include sales through a browser-based website where your organization maintains control of the content.

Third-party website Include sales through a browser-based website where a third-party maintains the structure of the website and control of the look and feel while your company only provides the product to be sold (for example, Amazon, Expedia or Etsy).

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

A standard format for exchanging business data. EDI is based on the use of message standards, ensuring that all participants use a common language.

  • Via a mobile app
  • Via your company website
  • Via a third-party website
  • Via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
  • Other
    Specify the other methods

5. Does this business have any full-time staff dedicated solely to activities related to e-commerce?

  • Yes
  • No

6. Why did this business not make sales over the Internet?

Select all that apply.

  • Goods and services do not lend themselves to online sales
  • Prefer to maintain current business model
  • Lack of skilled workers to implement and maintain e-commerce infrastructure
  • Cost of development is too high
  • Security concerns
  • Other
    Specify the other reasons

Expenses

1. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , what were this business's expenses for the following items?

Notes:

  • a detailed breakdown may be requested in other sections
  • these questions are asked of many different industries. Some questions may not apply to this business

Report dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Expenses

a. Cost of goods sold

Many business units distinguish their costs of materials from their other business expenses (selling, general and administrative). This item is included to allow you to easily record your costs/expenses according to your normal accounting practices.

Include:

  • cost of raw materials and/or goods purchased for resale - net of discounts earned on purchases
  • freight in and duty.

Exclude all costs associated with salaries, wages, benefits, commissions and subcontracts (report at Employment costs and expenses, and Subcontracts).

b. Employment costs and expenses

b1. Salaries, wages and commissions

Please report all salaries and wages (including taxable allowances and employment commissions as defined on the T4 - Statement of Remuneration Paid) before deductions for this reporting period.

Include:

  • vacation pay
  • bonuses (including profit sharing)
  • employee commissions
  • taxable allowances ( e.g., room and board, vehicle allowances, gifts such as airline tickets for holidays)
  • severance pay.

Exclude all payments and expenses associated with casual labour and outside contract workers (report at Subcontracts).

b2. Employee benefits

Include contributions to:

  • health plans
  • insurance plans
  • employment insurance
  • pension plans
  • workers' compensation
  • association dues
  • contributions to any other employee benefits such as child care and supplementary unemployment benefit (SUB) plans
  • contributions to provincial and territorial health and education payroll taxes.

c. Subcontracts

Subcontract expense refers to the purchasing of services from outside of the company rather than providing them in-house.

Include:

  • hired casual labour and outside contract workers
  • custom work and contract work
  • subcontract and outside labour
  • hired labour.

d. Research and development fees

Expenses from activities conducted with the intention of making a discovery that could either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to the improvement of existing products or procedures.

e. Professional and business fees

Include:

  • legal services
  • accounting and auditing fees
  • consulting fees
  • education and training fees
  • appraisal fees
  • management and administration fees
  • property management fees
  • information technology (IT) consulting and service fees (purchased)
  • architectural fees
  • engineering fees
  • scientific and technical service fees
  • other consulting fees (management, technical and scientific)
  • veterinary fees
  • fees for human health services
  • payroll preparation fees
  • all other professional and business service fees.

Exclude service fees paid to Head Office (report at All other costs and expenses).

f. Utilities

Utility expenses related to operating your business unit such as water, electricity, gas, heating and hydro.

Include:

  • diesel, fuel wood, natural gas, oil and propane
  • sewage.

Exclude:

  • energy expenses covered in your rental and leasing contracts
  • telephone, Internet and other telecommunications
  • vehicle fuel (report at All other costs and expenses).

g. Office and computer related expenses

Include:

  • office stationery and supplies, paper and other supplies for photocopiers, printers and fax machines
  • postage and courier (used in the day to day office business activity)
  • computer and peripherals upgrade expenses
  • data processing.

Exclude telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses (report at Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication).

h. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication

Include:

  • internet
  • telephone and telecommunications
  • cellular telephone
  • fax machine
  • pager.

i. Business taxes, licenses and permits

Include:

  • property taxes paid directly and property transfer taxes
  • vehicle license fees
  • beverage taxes and business taxes
  • trade license fees
  • membership fees and professional license fees
  • provincial capital tax.

j. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships

Include:

  • amounts paid to holders of patents, copyrights, performing rights and trademarks
  • gross overriding royalty expenses and direct royalty costs
  • resident and non-resident royalty expenses
  • franchise fees.

Exclude Crown royalties

k. Crown charges

Federal or Provincial royalty, tax, lease or rental payments made in relation to the acquisition, development or ownership of Canadian resource properties.

Include:

  • Crown royalties
  • Crown leases and rentals
  • oil sand leases
  • stumpage fees.

l. Rental and leasing

Include:

  • lease rental expenses, real estate rental expenses, condominium fees and equipment rental expenses
  • motor vehicle rental and leasing expenses
  • studio lighting and scaffolding
  • machinery and equipment rental expenses
  • storage expenses
  • road and construction equipment rental
  • fuel and other utility costs covered in your rental and leasing contracts.

m. Repair and maintenance

Include:

  • buildings and structures
  • machinery and equipment
  • security equipment
  • vehicles
  • costs related to materials, parts and external labour associated with these expenses
  • janitorial and cleaning services and garbage removal.

n. Amortization and depreciation

Include:

  • direct cost depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of leasehold improvements
  • amortization of intangible assets ( e.g., amortization of goodwill, patents, franchises, copyrights, trademarks, deferred charges, organizational costs).

o. Insurance

Insurance recovery income should be deducted from insurance expenses.

Include:

  • professional and other liability insurance
  • motor vehicle and property insurance
  • executive life insurance
  • bonding, business interruption insurance and fire insurance.

p. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment

Include:

  • newspaper advertising and media expenses
  • catalogues, presentations and displays
  • tickets for theatre, concerts and sporting events for business promotion
  • fundraising expenses
  • meals, entertainment and hospitality purchases for clients.

q. Travel, meetings and conventions

Include:

  • travel expenses
  • meeting and convention expenses, seminars
  • passenger transportation ( e.g., airfare, bus, train)
  • accommodations
  • travel allowance and meals while travelling
  • other travel expenses.

r. Financial services

Include:

  • explicit service charges for financial services
  • credit and debit card commissions and charges
  • collection expenses and transfer fees
  • registrar and transfer agent fees
  • security and exchange commission fees
  • other financial service fees.

Exclude interest expenses (report at Interest expense).

s. Interest expense

Report the cost of servicing your company's debt.

Include:

  • interest
  • bank charges
  • finance charges
  • interest payments on capital leases
  • amortization of bond discounts
  • interest on short-term and long-term debt, mortgages, bonds and debentures.

t. Other non-production-related costs and expenses

Include:

  • charitable donations and political contributions
  • bad debt expense
  • loan losses
  • provisions for loan losses (minus bad debt recoveries)
  • inventory adjustments.

u. All other costs and expenses (including intracompany expenses)

Include:

  • production costs
  • pipeline operations, drilling, site restoration
  • gross overriding royalty
  • other producing property rentals
  • well operating, fuel and equipment
  • other lease rentals
  • other direct costs
  • equipment hire and operation
  • log yard expense, forestry costs, logging road costs
  • freight in and duty
  • overhead expenses allocated to cost of sales
  • other expenses
  • cash over/short (negative expense)
  • reimbursement of parent company expense
  • warranty expense
  • recruiting expenses
  • general and administrative expenses
  • interdivisional expenses
  • interfund transfer (minus expense recoveries)
  • exploration and development (including prospect/geological, well abandonment and dry holes, exploration expenses, development expenses)
  • amounts not included in sub-questions a. to t. above.

Total expenses

The sum of sub-questions a. to u.

For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , what were this business's expenses for the following items?
  CAN$ '000
a. Cost of goods sold  
a1. Opening inventories  
a2. Purchases
Include raw materials, goods purchased for resale and non-returnable containers.
Exclude change in inventories.
 
a3. Closing inventories  
a4. Cost of goods sold
Opening inventories plus purchases minus closing inventories.
 
b. Employment costs and expenses
Include all employees who were issued a T4.
Exclude commissions to be paid to non-employees, report at sub-question c.
 
b1. Salaries, wages and commissions  
b2. Employee benefits  
c. Subcontracts
Include commisions to non-employees.
Exclude research and development.
 
d. Research and development fees.
Exclude in-house research and development.
 
e. Professional and business fees
e.g., legal, accounting, consulting, scientific and property management fees
 
f. Utilities
e.g., electricity, water, gas
 
g. Office and computer related expenses
e.g., office supplies, postage, computer upgrades
 
h. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication  
i. Business taxes, licenses and permits
e.g., beverage tax, business tax, license fees, property taxes
 
j. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships
Exclude Crown royalties.
 
k. Crown charges
(for logging, mining and energy industries only)
 
l. Rental and leasing
Include land buildings, equipment, vehicles.
 
m. Repair and maintenance
Include buildings, equipment, vehicles.
 
n. Amortization and depreciation  
o. Insurance  
p. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment  
q. Travel, meetings and conventions  
r. Financial services
e.g., bank charges, transaction fees
 
s. Interest expense  
t. Other non-production-related costs and expenses
Include bad debts, loan losses, donations, political contributions and inventory write-down.
 
u. All other costs and expenses
Include intracompany expenses.
Specify all other costs and expenses:
 
Total expenses   

Industry characteristics

1. What were this business's sales for each of the following goods and services?

Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Engineering services

a. Residential building engineering projects

All engineering services related to new and existing homes, row housing, apartments, etc. , and mixed-use buildings that are predominantly used for residential housing.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to residential building projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific residential building project
  • Engineering design services for residential building design-build projects that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

b. Commercial, public and institutional building engineering projects

All engineering services related to new and existing commercial, public, and institutional buildings, including mixed-use buildings that are predominantly used for commercial, public, or institutional purposes.

Include:

  • Office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, service stations, warehouses, bus and truck terminals, hospitals, schools, churches, prisons, stadiums and arenas, libraries and museums
  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to commercial, public and institutional building projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific commercial, public or institutional building project
  • Engineering design services for commercial, public or institutional building design-build projects that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

Industrial and manufacturing engineering projects

c. Mining and metallurgical plant and process engineering projects

All engineering services related to mining and metallurgical facilities and processes.

Include:

  • Integrated facility and process engineering projects
  • All engineering services related to mining and metallurgical processes, such as mineral extraction, smelting, refining and metal forming.

d. Petroleum and petrochemical plant and process engineering projects

All engineering services related to petroleum and petrochemical facilities and processes, such as oil and gas platforms, refineries, pipelines and petrochemical plants

Include:

  • Integrated facility and process engineering projects
  • All engineering services related to processes for the production of petroleum and petrochemicals, such as extraction, refining, formulation and mixing.

e. Industrial machinery engineering design projects

All engineering services related to the design of industrial machinery.

Include machinery design for industries such as:

  • agriculture
  • construction
  • mining
  • metalworking
  • commercial and service industries
  • heating, ventilating and air-conditioning
  • power transmission machinery.

f. Other industrial and manufacturing engineering projects

All engineering services related to the design of industrial and manufactured products not elsewhere classified.

Other engineering services

g. Transportation engineering projects ( e.g., road, rail, air, marine)

All engineering services related to highways, roads, streets, bridges, tunnels, railways, subways, airports, harbours, canals and locks and other transportation infrastructure.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to transportation projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific transportation project
  • Engineering design services for a transportation design-build project that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

h. Municipal utility engineering projects

All engineering services related to municipal utilities.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to municipal utility projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific municipal utility project
  • Engineering design services for a municipal utility design-build project that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

i. Power generation, transmission and distribution engineering projects

All engineering services related to power generating units, power transmission, distribution lines and related infrastructure.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to power projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific power project
  • Engineering design services for a power design-build project that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o)

j. Telecommunications and broadcasting engineering projects

All engineering services related to systems for the transmission or distribution of voice, data and programming.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to telecommunications and broadcasting projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific telecommunications or broadcasting project
  • Engineering design services for a telecommunications or broadcasting design-build project that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

k. Hazardous and industrial waste engineering projects

All engineering services related to systems for the collection, treatment and disposal of hazardous and industrial waste and the control of pollution.

Include:

  • The provision of designs, plans and studies related to hazardous and industrial waste projects
  • Engineering advisory services that are related to a specific hazardous or industrial waste project
  • Engineering design services for a hazardous or industrial waste design-build project that are provided on a subcontract basis.

Exclude:

  • Engineering advisory services that are not related to a specific project (report at question 1l)
  • Design-build contracts, in which the contracts cover both the engineering design and construction elements (report at question 1o).

l. Engineering advisory services ( e.g., expert witness, forensic investigation, etc. )

The provision of advice, studies and reports on engineering matters, except when the advice relates to a specific project. Advice, studies and reports provided in conjunction with a project are classified based on the project type.

Include:

  • policy analysis
  • regulatory studies
  • audits
  • forensic investigations
  • expert witness services.

m. Other engineering projects or services

Other projects or services provided by engineering firms that are not classified elsewhere.

Secondary activities

n. Project management services

Planning, supervising and co-ordinating the activities involved in carrying out a project, with regard to time, cost, performance requirements and other constraints. May also include the arrangement of finances for a project, procurement of equipment and subcontractors. Project management services refer only to situations in which project management is offered as a stand-alone service.

o. Construction services (include design-build contracts)

Constructing, repairing, renovating buildings and engineering works, as well as subdividing and developing land, through prime contracts or sub contracts.

Include:

  • construction of buildings
  • heavy and civil engineering construction
  • specialty trade contractors.

Exclude:

  • manufacturing and installing building equipment such as power boilers and manufacturing pre-fabricated buildings
  • operating highways, streets and bridges
  • house moving (transportation only)
  • project management services, when it is a primary activity
  • maintenance of rights of way for power, communication and pipe lines
  • cleaning building exteriors after construction.

p. Environmental consulting services

The provision of objective information, advice and guidance to clients concerning the preservation of air, water and soil quality, natural resource development, waste management, pollution control and other environmental issues.

Include the sale or transfer of technology to a client, which often extends to assisting the client with the organization and monitoring of solution implementation.

Exclude services that involve stand-alone implementation.

q. Other sales of goods and services

All other engineering services not defined above.

Total sales of goods and services

The sum of questions 1a. to 1q. above.

What were this business's sales for each of the following goods and services?
  CAN$ '000
Engineering services  
a. Residential building engineering projects  
b. Commercial, public and institutional building engineering projects  
Industrial and manufacturing engineering projects  
c. Mining and metallurgical plant and process engineering projects  
d. Petroleum and petrochemical plant and process engineering projects  
e. Industrial machinery engineering design projects  
f. Other industrial and manufacturing engineering projects  
Other engineering services  
g. Transportation engineering projects
e.g., road, rail, air, marine
 
h. Municipal utility engineering projects  
i. Power generation, transmission and distribution engineering projects  
j. Telecommunications and broadcasting engineering projects  
k. Hazardous and industrial waste engineering projects  
l. Engineering advisory services
e.g., expert witness, forensic investigation
 
m. Other engineering projects or services  
Secondary activities  
n. Project management services  
o. Construction services
Include design-build contracts.
 
p. Environmental consulting services  
q. Other
Specify all other sales of goods and services:
 
Total sales of goods and services  

Industry characteristics

2. What were this business's sales by each of the following types of revenue?

Sales by type of revenue

a. Fee income

Revenues collected by the company for professional service fees rendered.

Exclude:

  • reimbursable expenses
  • subcontract fees awarded to other companies.

b. Subcontracts

Please report the value of subcontracts awarded by you to other firms or consultants.

c. Reimbursables

Include the cost of all contract-related materials used in a project that are billed to the client.

Exclude subcontract fees.

d. Other income

Revenus not elsewhere classified.

Total sales

The sum of questions a. to d. above.

What were this business's sales by each of the following types of revenue?
  CAN$ '000
a. Fee income
Exclude reimbursable expenses, subcontract fees awarded to other companies.
 
b.Subcontracts
Report the value of jobs you subcontracted out to other companies.
 
b1. Engineering consulting  
b2. Other consulting
e.g., architects and contractors
 
c. Reimbursables
i.e., revenue received from clients to cover the cost of contract related materials
 
d. Other
Specify other income:
 
Total sales  

3. Please report sales of engineering services related to:

Environment-related projects

This section collects data on sales of selected environmental engineering services.

Include sales of related machinery, equipment and products sold as part of a service delivered.

a. Facilities that generate electrical power from the following renewable energy sources: sun, wind, water, biomass or the earth's heat

All engineering services related to facilities that generate electrical power from the following sources of renewable energy: sun, wind, water, biomass or earth's heat.

b. Municipal waste water treatment

All engineering services related to systems for the treatment of municipal waste water.

c. Municipal garbage collection and disposal

All engineering services related to municipal garbage collection and disposal systems, including recycling facilities, composting facilities, transfer stations, resource recovery facilities and landfill sites.

d. Site remediation

All engineering services related to remediation of contaminated site, including remediation of the air, soil, ground and/or surface water (fresh or salt).

e. Industrial air, water and solid waste collection, treatment and disposal projects

All engineering services related to programs for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of industrial air, water and solid wastes, generally to a level such that the remaining waste stream can be safely released to the natural environment or ordinary municipal systems.

Please report sales of engineering services related to:
  CAN$ '000
a. Facilities that generate electrical power from the following renewable energy sources: sun, wind, water, biomass or the earth's heat  
b. Municipal waste water treatment  
c. Municipal garbage collection and disposal  
d. Site remediation  
e. Industrial air, water and solid waste collection, treatment and disposal projects  

Industry characteristics

4. During the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , how many non-salaried partners and proprietors did this business have?

For unincorporated businesses, please report the number of partners and proprietors for whom earnings will be the net income of the partnership or proprietorship.

Number

Sales by type of client

1. What was this business's breakdown of sales by the following types of client?

Sales by type of client

This section is designed to measure which sector of the economy purchases your services.

Please provide a percentage breakdown of your sales by type of client.

Please ensure that the sum of percentages reported in this section equals 100%.

a. to c. Clients in Canada

a. Individuals and households

Please report the percentage of sales to individuals and households who do not represent the business or government sector.

b. Businesses

Percentage of sales sold to the business sector should be reported here.

Include sales to Crown corporations.

c. Governments, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions ( e.g., hospitals, schools)

Percentage of sales to federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments should be reported here.

Include: sales to hospitals, schools, universities and public utilities.

d. Clients outside Canada

Please report the percentage of total sales to customers or clients located outside Canada including foreign businesses, foreign individuals, foreign institutions and/or governments.

Include sales to foreign subsidiaries and affiliates.

What was this business's breakdown of sales by the following types of client?
  Percentage
a. Clients in Canada - individuals and households  
b. Clients in Canada - businesses  
c. Clients in Canada - governments, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions
e.g., hospitals and schools
 
d. Clients outside Canada  
Total percentage  

Sales by consumer location

1. What was the percentage breakdown of this business's sales by consumer location?

Consumer location is the location where the goods or services will ultimately be used.

If ultimate consumer location is not known, the following are acceptable substitutes:

  • shipping destination
  • client's billing address
  • location of this business's retail customers
  • location of this business's warehouses/distribution centres.
What was the percentage breakdown of this business's sales by consumer location?
  Percentage
Newfoundland and Labrador  
Prince Edward Island  
Nova Scotia  
New Brunswick  
Quebec  
Ontario  
Manitoba  
Saskatchewan  
Alberta  
British Columbia  
Yukon  
Northwest Territories  
Nunavut  
United States  
All other countries  
Total percentage  

Sales by consumer location

International transactions - revenue received from exports

1. During the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , did this business receive revenue from clients outside Canada for the sale of products, services, royalties, rights, licensing or franchise fees?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

  • Yes
  • No

International transactions - revenue received from exports

2. What was the revenue received from clients outside Canada?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

Revenue received ( CAN$ '000 )

3. What was the percentage breakdown of revenue received from clients outside Canada by goods, services and royalties?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

What was the percentage breakdown of revenue received from clients outside Canada by goods, services and royalties?
  Percentage
Goods  
Services  
Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees  
Total percentage  

4. What was the percentage breakdown of revenue received from clients outside Canada by country?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

What was the percentage breakdown of revenue received from clients outside Canada by country?
  Percentage
a. United States  
b. Mexico  
c. Provide the percentage of revenue received from any other countries - top 4 clients only  
c1. Other country 1
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 1:
 
c2. Other country 2
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 2:
 
c3. Other country 3
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 3:
 
c4. Other country 4
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 4:
 
Total percentage  
List of countries
  • Aruba
  • Afghanistan
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Åland Islands
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • American Samoa
  • Antarctica
  • French Southern Territories
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Burundi
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
  • Burkina Faso
  • Bangladesh
  • Bulgaria
  • Bahrain
  • Bahamas
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Saint Barthélemy
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Barbados
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bhutan
  • Bouvet Island
  • Botswana
  • Central African Republic
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Switzerland
  • Chile
  • China
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Cameroon
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
  • Congo, Republic of the
  • Cook Islands
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Cape Verde
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Curaçao
  • Christmas Island
  • Cayman Islands
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Germany
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Algeria
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Western Sahara
  • Spain
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Finland
  • Fiji
  • Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
  • France
  • Faroe Islands
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Gabon
  • United Kingdom
  • Georgia
  • Guernsey
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Guinea
  • Guadeloupe
  • Gambia
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Greenland
  • Guatemala
  • French Guiana
  • Guam
  • Guyana
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Honduras
  • Croatia
  • Haiti
  • Hungary
  • Indonesia
  • Isle of Man
  • India
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • Ireland, Republic of
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Cambodia
  • Kiribati
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Korea, South
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Saint Lucia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Sri Lanka
  • Lesotho
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Latvia
  • Macao Special Administrative Region
  • Saint Martin (French part)
  • Morocco
  • Monaco
  • Moldova
  • Madagascar
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Macedonia, Republic of
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • Montenegro
  • Mongolia
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Mozambique
  • Mauritania
  • Montserrat
  • Martinique
  • Mauritius
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Mayotte
  • Namibia
  • New Caledonia
  • Niger
  • Norfolk Island
  • Nigeria
  • Nicaragua
  • Niue
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Nepal
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Pitcairn
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Poland
  • Puerto Rico
  • Korea, North
  • Portugal
  • Paraguay
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine)
  • French Polynesia
  • Qatar
  • Réunion
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sudan
  • Senegal
  • Singapore
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Saint Helena
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Solomon Islands
  • Sierra Leone
  • El Salvador
  • San Marino
  • Somalia
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Serbia
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Suriname
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Sweden
  • Swaziland
  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
  • Seychelles
  • Syria
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Chad
  • Togo
  • Thailand
  • Tajikistan
  • Tokelau
  • Turkmenistan
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Tuvalu
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Holy See (Vatican City State)
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Venezuela
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Virgin Islands, United States
  • Viet Nam
  • Vanuatu
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Samoa
  • Kosovo
  • Yemen
  • South Africa, Republic of
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

International transactions - purchases from outside Canada (imports)

5. During the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD , did this business make payments to suppliers outside Canada for the purchase of products, services, royalties, rights, licensing or franchise fees?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

  • Yes
  • No

6. What were the payments made to suppliers outside Canada?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

Payments made ( CAN$ '000 )

7. What was the percentage breakdown of payments made to suppliers outside Canada by goods, services and royalties?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

What was the percentage breakdown of payments made to suppliers outside Canada by goods, services and royalties?
  Percentage
Goods  
Services  
Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees  
Total percentage  

8. What was the percentage breakdown of payments made to suppliers outside Canada by country?

International transactions

This section is intended to measure the value of international transactions on goods, services, royalties and licenses fees. It covers imported services and goods purchased outside Canada as well as the value of exported services and goods to clients/customers outside Canada. Please report also royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees paid to and/or received from outside Canada. Services cover a variety of industrial, professional, trade and business services.

What was the percentage breakdown of revenue received from clients outside Canada by country?
  Percentage
a. United States  
b. Mexico  
c. Provide the percentage of revenue received from any other countries - top 4 clients only  
c1. Other country 1
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 1:
 
c2. Other country 2
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 2:
 
c3. Other country 3
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 3:
 
c4. Other country 4
Begin entering the name of the other country by typing the first few letters to narrow down
the choices or enter your own answer
Specify other country 4:
 
Total percentage  
List of countries
  • Aruba
  • Afghanistan
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Åland Islands
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • American Samoa
  • Antarctica
  • French Southern Territories
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Burundi
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
  • Burkina Faso
  • Bangladesh
  • Bulgaria
  • Bahrain
  • Bahamas
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Saint Barthélemy
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Barbados
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bhutan
  • Bouvet Island
  • Botswana
  • Central African Republic
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Switzerland
  • Chile
  • China
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Cameroon
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
  • Congo, Republic of the
  • Cook Islands
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Cape Verde
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Curaçao
  • Christmas Island
  • Cayman Islands
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Germany
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Algeria
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Western Sahara
  • Spain
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Finland
  • Fiji
  • Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
  • France
  • Faroe Islands
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Gabon
  • United Kingdom
  • Georgia
  • Guernsey
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Guinea
  • Guadeloupe
  • Gambia
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Greenland
  • Guatemala
  • French Guiana
  • Guam
  • Guyana
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Honduras
  • Croatia
  • Haiti
  • Hungary
  • Indonesia
  • Isle of Man
  • India
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • Ireland, Republic of
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Cambodia
  • Kiribati
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Korea, South
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Saint Lucia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Sri Lanka
  • Lesotho
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Latvia
  • Macao Special Administrative Region
  • Saint Martin (French part)
  • Morocco
  • Monaco
  • Moldova
  • Madagascar
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Macedonia, Republic of
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • Montenegro
  • Mongolia
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Mozambique
  • Mauritania
  • Montserrat
  • Martinique
  • Mauritius
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Mayotte
  • Namibia
  • New Caledonia
  • Niger
  • Norfolk Island
  • Nigeria
  • Nicaragua
  • Niue
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Nepal
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Pitcairn
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Poland
  • Puerto Rico
  • Korea, North
  • Portugal
  • Paraguay
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine)
  • French Polynesia
  • Qatar
  • Réunion
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sudan
  • Senegal
  • Singapore
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Saint Helena
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Solomon Islands
  • Sierra Leone
  • El Salvador
  • San Marino
  • Somalia
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Serbia
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Suriname
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Sweden
  • Swaziland
  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
  • Seychelles
  • Syria
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Chad
  • Togo
  • Thailand
  • Tajikistan
  • Tokelau
  • Turkmenistan
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Tuvalu
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Holy See (Vatican City State)
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Venezuela
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Virgin Islands, United States
  • Viet Nam
  • Vanuatu
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Samoa
  • Kosovo
  • Yemen
  • South Africa, Republic of
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

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
  • Exchange rate impact
  • Price changes in goods or services sold
  • Contracting out
  • Organizational change
  • Price changes in labour or raw materials
  • Natural disaster
  • Recession
  • Change in product line
  • Sold business or business units
  • Expansion
  • New or lost contract
  • Plant closures
  • Acquisition of business or business units
  • Other
    Specify the other changes or events:
  • No changes or events

Contact person

2. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.

Is Provided Given Names , 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

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

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

  • Hours:
  • Minutes:

4. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

The mandate of the Environmental Accounts and Statistics Program (EASP) is to collect, develop, compile, analyze and publish environmental data to help users understand the relationship between human activity and the environment. The data support decision makers on environmental issues and sustain environmental research in Canada and international initiatives.

The Evaluation Division of Statistic Canada’s Audit and Evaluation Branch conducted an independent evaluation of the EASP. The main objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based assessment of the relevance and performance of the program in support of decision making, accountability and improvement. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board of Canada’s Policy on Results (2016).

According to the evaluation, the program produces high-quality statistical information that supports federal legislation, federal initiatives and priorities, as well as key users. The program collaborates with various bodies and levels of government and contributes information for interdepartmental initiatives and information required to meet Canada’s international commitments, specifically with the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The evaluation findings also confirm that users are generally satisfied with information produced by the program; the program is aware of data gaps and is taking steps to address them; and finally, the program regularly communicates with users.

The evaluation proposed four recommendations to improve the EASP:

Recommendation 1:

It is recommended that EASP enhance its outreach strategy to ensure a systematic and structured approach to consultations and promotion activities. The strategy should be inclusive and cover all key stakeholders, and follow-up communications should take place. Internal discussions should take place with staff to foster engagement and the use of corporate tools to measure success and client satisfaction should be explored.

Recommendation 2:

It is recommended that EASP, along with the energy and transportation programs within EETSD, identify additional areas for collaboration and implement formal mechanisms to support them. In addition, to ensure future efforts continue, EETSD should create a forum where ideas for collaboration can be discussed.

Recommendation 3:

It is recommended that EASP revisit its current approach to tracking and managing client requests. The revised approach should be viewed divisionally to take into consideration the systems used by the Energy Statistics Program and the Transportation Statistics Program.

Recommendation 4:

It is recommended that EASP explore opportunities to increase the frequency of its surveys and to address the identified gaps. In addition, the program should take steps to improve the timeliness of its releases in order to meet the established timeliness target.

Frequently asked questions on using new and existing data for official statistics

What are administrative data?

Administrative data are information collected by government and private sector organizations as part of their ongoing operations, which are then obtained by Statistics Canada to help meet its mandated objectives. Examples include records of births and deaths, taxation records, records about the flow of goods and people across borders, and data collected by satellites. Statistics Canada has the obligation to keep administrative data, such as vital statistics or tax data - private, secure, and confidential. It's the law.

What does Statistics Canada do with administrative data?

Like most other statistical agencies, Statistics Canada uses administrative data in lieu of or to complement survey data, and to support statistical operations. Using administrative data responsibly means the agency is able to improve data quality, meet new and ongoing information needs, reduce data collection costs and save time for Canadians who respond to our surveys. Administrative data are especially helpful to obtain data pertaining to populations or topics that may be difficult or costly to obtain by survey. Statistics Canada does this in a transparent manner.

These data enable Statistics Canada to produce statistics and research to benefit Canada, such as the use of health records to provide input into local health initiatives.

How does Statistics Canada ensure confidentiality of administrative data?

At Statistics Canada, the confidentiality of data is governed by the Statistics Act, the Access to Information Act, and the Privacy Act — and departmental policies, directives and supporting systems and tools on the collection, protection and use of administrative data.

Statistics Canada employees and deemed employees are also sworn to secrecy, and subject to fines and/or imprisonment, should they reveal confidential information.

Is the use of administrative data something new at Statistics Canada?

No. Statistics Canada has been turning existing data into official statistics for about 100 years. For example, we have been receiving vital statistics data from the provinces and territories since 1921 and import and export data about businesses since 1938. Today, a large number of Statistics Canada's programs are based in whole or in part on data available from administrative sources.

Why is Statistics Canada asking for more administrative data now?

Statistics Canada has always worked towards achieving greater efficiency in data collection to reduce both duplication and the response burden placed on Canadians. It also helps to improve data quality, accuracy and timeliness of results. Moreover, this type of data is used to measure changes in the economy or society (such as the digital economy, opioid use or the cannabis industry, etc.), that cannot always be measured with survey data.

What are the benefits of using administrative data?

Using administrative data save time and money—yours and ours. Administrative data can complement or replace survey data, reduce response burden and costs, make statistical operations more efficient and also improve data quality and timeliness.

What legislations govern the disclosure of administrative data by organizations to Statistics Canada?

Privacy legislations such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and legislations pertaining to data providers, govern the disclosure of administrative data to Statistics Canada.

Crowdsourcing

What is crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing involves collecting information from a large community of users, and relies on the principle that individual citizens are experts within their local environments. A couple of examples of crowdsourcing surveys include the project on crowdsourcing the price of the cannabis sector and the OpenStreetMap crowdsourcing pilot project.

How is crowdsourcing useful?

Crowdsourcing is an innovative new way to collect information. It relies on the public, who are considered experts within their local environments, to provide data on a voluntary basis on a given subject. Crowdsourcing surveys further permit us to benchmark and validate the data with other sources of complementary data to ensure that the results are of good quality. This valuable information can provide data for new and exciting projects, in a timely and less costly manner.

Microdata linkage

What is microdata linkage?

Microdata linkage is an internationally recognized statistical method that maximizes the use of existing information by linking different files and variables to create new information that benefit Canadians. Statistics Canada performs microdata linkages to support the design, maintenance, evaluation, research and redesign of ongoing data collection and methodological studies within Statistics Canada, as well as to provide statistical information in aggregate or anonymous format in support of research studies.

How do we ensure confidentiality of microdata linkages?

Statistics Canada takes your privacy and the confidentality of your data very seriously. Several steps are taken during the process of microdata linkage to ensure that your personal information is kept confidential at all times.

Microdata can include units of a population, such as individuals, households or businesses. We first link the different data records by using the variables they have in common. In order to protect your confidentiality, all personal information are removed, so that the linked files are anonymized, or de-identified. In addition, synthetic versions rather than original data are often generated and accessed by researchers. This ensures your private information remains confidential while allowing researchers the access required to develop policies to help the Canadian public. The data is next aggregated or compiled to produce non-confidential published products. These confidential files are restricted to only Statistics Canada and deemed employees who are sworn to secrecy, and subject to fines and/or imprisonment, should they reveal confidential information.

Statistics Canada does recognize that researchers require access to microdata at the individual business, household or person level for research purposes. To preserve the privacy and confidentiality of individuals and businesses, and to encourage the use of microdata, Statistics Canada offers a wide range of options through a series of online channels, facilities and programs. More details are available at Access to microdata.

Microdata linkages must adhere to Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage, which is designed to ensure the public value of each linkage truly outweighs any intrusion on privacy that it represents.

Open data

What is open data?

According to the Canada Open Government website, open data is defined as structured data that is machine-readable, freely shared, used and built on without restrictions. For more information, and to see other open data released by the Canadian federal government, visit the Canada Open data portal. Statistics Canada is a publisher of open data, but in addition we are also now considering open data files as input to our statistical programs and processes.

What is the importance of open data?

Smart cities and governments are increasingly making use of data when looking to implement problem-solving measures in order to provide efficient and effective services to constituents. Open data invites innovation, not only through governmental channels, but also through grassroots organizations, individuals, and businesses.

The benefit of open data is that any user can access and make use of it freely. Individuals, formal and informal organizations, or enterprises can use the data and other information to research and innovate on any number of topics.

Using new and existing data for official statistics

How does Statistics Canada collect data?

Statistics Canada collects survey data by paper, through crowdsourcing or online surveys, as well as by telephone or in person. We also use existing data such as administrative data, web scraping, open data and microdata to complement or in lieu of survey data, in the development of official statistics.

We collect data directly from individuals, businesses or organizations, and when possible, we use existing data. At times, data can also be combined from different sources to provide additional insight into a specific subject. Data collection is done in the most timely and cost-efficient manner, and we always ensure that data quality remains high, and that response burden is lessened where possible.

Why does Statistics Canada use existing data sources for official statistics?

Today, many of Statistics Canada's programs use existing data sources. We have been using existing data and turning them into official statistics for about 100 years.

Government agencies and private sector organizations collect or produce data as part of their ongoing operations, which can then be used by Statistics Canada as a complement or in lieu of survey data. This aims to reduce time and effort in data collection, improve data quality and accuracy, and ensures that we meet new information needs in a timely fashion. Using existing data provide researchers and policy makers with insight into our society and economy -- creating a statistical portrait of our country.

Why does Statistics Canada collect data?

Canadians need accurate and reliable information—the cornerstone for democratic decision making. Through the Statistics Act, Parliament has mandated Statistics Canada, as the national statistical agency, to produce such information.

Statistics Canada collects data on an ongoing basis to measure and report on the state of Canada's economy and society.

Why does Statistics Canada conduct mandatory surveys?

Statistics Canada conducts mandatory surveys because of their impact on the economy and society. The more precise, detailed and timely the needs for the data that impact decisions we make or are made for us, the greater the need for unbiased and accurate data. As a result, in some cases, we have to conduct a mandatory survey, which is approved by the Chief Statistician and is mandated by the Statistics Act.

Business and agricultural surveys, for example, collect important economic information that is used by businesses, unions, non-profit organizations and all levels of government to make informed decisions such as monitoring the growth of inflation, gathering information to provide more affordable housing to Canadians, and learning about infrastructure needs in communities across Canada (i.e., determining the need for more schools, daycare centres, public transportation, etc.).

Mandatory participation is also required for the Labour Force Survey, where data is used to produce the unemployment rate, other indicators such as the employment rate and the participation rate, as well as for evaluation and planning of employment programs in Canada.

Moreover, Statistics Canada is required by law to conduct the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture, both of which are mandatory.

Even though some Statistics Canada surveys are voluntary in nature, your survey participation is essential to produce results that best represent you, your community, and your country. Aggregated data guides policy makers and researchers in making important decisions for you.

More questions on survey collection

Web scraping

What is web scraping?

Web scraping is a process through which information is gathered and copied from the Web using automated scripts or robots, for retrieval and analysis.

Why is Statistics Canada web scraping?

Statistics Canada is committed to exploring alternative information sources to complement traditional collection methods.

As more goods and services are available online for purchase by Canadians, Statistics Canada is using automated means for collecting information from websites. The use of web scraping is part of a broader effort to reduce burden on individuals, businesses and organizations, while continuing to provide high-quality data in a timely and cost-effective manner.

What is the goal of Statistics Canada's web scraping initiative?

Data collected from websites using web scraping methods will be used only for statistical and research purposes, to meet the needs of Statistics Canada's various programs.

For example, the Consumer Price Index program will use web scraped data to identify differences between online and in-store price movements and trends, and to assess the possibility of using such collection methods to supplement or replace field collection activities in the future.

What are the benefits of web scraping?

Web scraping has the possibility to significantly reduce survey content and response burden, thus saving businesses and organizations valuable time and resources. It is also a cost-effective means of acquiring large volumes of information. Web scraping can also be used to complement traditional collection methods, particularly in the areas of data analysis and research, and is expected to produce better quality information.

Businesses, organizations, and Canadians at large will benefit from this new method of collection, as more timely and accurate statistics will be made available.

How are websites selected for web scraping?

Websites are selected based on several factors, including the design, function and amount of activity on the site, as well as the size and composition of the industry to which the underlying enterprise belongs.

How frequently will websites be scraped?

The frequency of data collection will be determined by the various requirements of Statistics Canada's program areas, and in line with industry best practices. In general, collection activities for a particular website may occur up to once per day.

Will there be any impact on the websites?

As with all methods of data collection, Statistics Canada takes steps to minimize the burden on individuals, businesses and organizations. These steps include limiting collection to only what is required, and coordinating across statistical program areas to avoid obtaining the same information twice.

Audit Report

November 2018
Project Number: 80590-108

Executive summary

In 2017, the Chief Statistician announced an Agency-wide modernization program recognizing that: "Statistics Canada has reached a point where not only do Canadians and businesses want to be informed, but they also want to get their hands on high-quality, real-time information to make informed decisions. If we can't provide the information that Canadians need when they need it, they will turn to other sources. And, unfortunately, not all produce the same high-quality statistics as Statistics Canada. So, to help Canadians and businesses make evidence-based decisions and stay relevant, we must modernize our programs, practices and methods."

The Statistics Canada modernization program is broad-based in its approach. It encompasses client relations, workplace culture, and the methods, policies and practices followed for collecting and producing statistics. The principles guiding the Agency's modernization are reflected in its five pillars of modernization: user-centric service delivery; leading-edge methods and data integration; statistical capacity building and leadership; sharing and collaboration; and modern workforce and flexible workplace.

As an early focus of the modernization program, the Agency identified four "pathfinder" projects with expectations that they contribute new and innovative thinking, as well as experimental approaches to program delivery:

  1. Towards Measuring Cannabis – This project is focused on establishing data collection and measurement mechanisms where none previously existed to provide insight into cannabis usage, its social and economic impacts, and a variety of other factors.
  2. Transition to a Low Carbon Economy – This project provides information on the role of clean technology as the country transitions to a carbon-free economy.
  3. Measuring Growth in International Visitors to Canada – This project seeks to use administrative data, rather than survey data, to better track tourism in Canada.
  4. Canadian Housing Statistics Program – This project is being developed in response to the Government of Canada's demand for a single, integrated, comprehensive source of information on housing.

The objectives of the audit was to provide the Chief Statistician and the Departmental Audit Committee with early insight and assurance that pathfinder projects are systematically contributing to the broader expectations for agency modernization and provide lessons learned to support modernization.

Why is this important?

The pathfinder projects are expected to make an important contribution in shaping the Agency's modernization agenda. In a July, 2017, communication, the Chief Statistician stated: "To lead the modernization initiative, we are moving forward with four pathfinder projects. The valuable lessons learned from these projects will help us further define and refine the modernization plan."

Key findings

The Modernization Management Committee (MMC) was established to oversee the Agency's modernization. The MMC has been active in directing many of the modernization activities throughout the Agency, but has not yet played an active role in overseeing the pathfinder projects.

Pathfinder project leads maintain their own individual approaches in managing project risks. However, a coordinated, horizontal process is not yet in place to support the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks to the achievement of pathfinder project expectations for modernization.

Many beneficial lessons in modernization have been learned as a result of the pathfinder projects. The Agency would benefit from a timely, coordinated, and horizontal process to identify and analyze the lessons learned from the pathfinder projects. Instituting such a process would help guide future pathfinder projects and would serve to support the Agency's modernization plan.

Pathfinder projects can demonstrate alignment to the Agency's pillars of modernization, but it is unclear whether they are meeting senior management's specific expectations in relation to modernization. Clear expectations would help project staff focus their work and would permit more effective monitoring of project performance to ensure that the pathfinder projects are contributing adequately to the Agency's modernization initiative.

The Agency's internal services are engaged with, and support, pathfinder project leaders in determining the needs of pathfinder projects. However, challenges remain for internal services to fully meet pathfinder project needs. Of note, balancing policy requirements and the rigour of internal service processes with the pathfinder projects' need for agility and speed presents difficulties. Further, as the volume of modernization activity increases, the type of service currently being provided to pathfinder projects will not be sustainable without realigning how internal services are delivered or finding ways to discontinue other work.

Overall conclusion

Pathfinder projects have demonstrated clear alignment with the Agency's pillars of modernization. However, the Agency's broader modernization initiative would benefit from improved horizontal oversight of the pathfinder projects. This includes the following: establishing clear expectations for modernization; challenging whether the projects are contributing adequately to the broader Agency modernization initiative; managing risks common across the projects; and identifying and assessing the lessons learned relevant to modernization.

Conformance with professional standards

The audit was conducted in accordance with the Mandatory Procedures for Internal Auditing in the Government of Canada, which includes the Institute of Internal Auditors' (IIA) International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

Sufficient and appropriate audit procedures have been conducted and evidence has been gathered to support the accuracy of the findings and conclusions in this report, and to provide an audit level of assurance. The findings and conclusions are based on a comparison of the conditions, as they existed at the time, against pre-established audit criteria. The findings and conclusions are applicable to the entity examined, and for the scope and period covered by the audit.

Steven McRoberts
Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive

Introduction

Background

In 2017, the Chief Statistician announced a broad, Agency-wide modernization program, recognizing that: "Statistics Canada has reached a point where not only do Canadians and businesses want to be informed, but they also want to get their hands on high-quality, real-time information to make informed decisions. If we can't provide the information that Canadians need when they need it, they will turn to other sources. And, unfortunately, not all produce the same high-quality statistics as Statistics Canada. So, to help Canadians and businesses make evidence-based decisions and stay relevant, we must modernize our programs, practices and methods."

Modernizing Statistics Canada draws on the understanding that innovative solutions to economic, social, health and educational challenges necessitate an ability to absorb, integrate, leverage, and act upon the ever-increasing mounds of data that flow from the connectivity of the modern world. Clients want timely, useful, and insightful statistical products based on accurate and detailed analytical information. They want data that are clear, current, and relevant to their business needs. To this end, the modernization program is broad-based in its approach. It encompasses client relations, workplace culture, and the methods, policies and practices followed for collecting and producing statistics. Specifically, modernization is expected to

  • provide more timely and responsive statistics, ensuring Canadians have the data they need when they need it
  • provide leadership and stewardship of the Government of Canada’s data assets, improving and increasing alignment and collaboration with counterparts at all levels of government, as well as private-sector and regulatory bodies, to create a whole-of-government, integrated approach to collecting, sharing, analyzing and using data
  • raise awareness of Statistics Canada’s data and provide seamless access to them
  • develop and release more granular statistics to ensure Canadians have the detailed information they need to make the best possible decisions
  • contribute to modern and flexible operations and cost-effective product and service delivery.

These expected results are reflected in the following five pillars of modernization, used to guide the Agency's modernization activities:

  1. User-centric service delivery: Users have the information / data they need, when they need them, in the way they want to access them, with tools and knowledge to make full use of them. Partners and stakeholders use the information provided by Statistics Canada to make informed decisions. This mode of delivery results in a lower response burden for Canadians.
  2. Leading-edge methods and data integration: Statistics Canada has access to new or untapped data; the role of surveys is modified; and greater reliance is placed on modelling and integration capacity through a research-and-development environment. Modern approaches are utilized to disseminate data and metadata by providing data through alternate mechanisms that are in line with today's technology.
  3. Statistical capacity building and leadership: Whole-of-government, integrated approach to the collection, sharing, analysis and use of data is established; Statistics Canada is the leader in fostering savvy information and critical analysis skills; Statistics Canada increases statistical literacy among Canadians and facilitates the responsible use of data for decision making.
  4. Sharing and collaboration: Programs and services are delivered taking a coordinated approach with partners and stakeholders. Partnerships allow for open sharing of data, expertise and best practices. Barriers to accessing data are removed. While privacy and confidentiality remain protected, the number of suppressions in data products are minimized.
  5. Modern workforce and flexible workplace: The organization is agile, flexible and responsive to client needs. Statistics Canada has the talent and environment required to fulfill current business needs, and remains open and nimble in order to adapt to future demands.

In initiating its modernization agenda, the Agency selected the four pathfinder projects on the basis of their alignment with the expected outcomes of modernization. It is anticipated that each of these projects will contribute new and innovative thinking, as well as experimental approaches to program delivery. In announcing the pathfinder projects in July 2017, the Chief Statistician stated: "To lead the modernization initiative, we are moving forward with four pathfinder projects. The valuable lessons learned from these projects will help us further define and refine the modernization plan." In the future, additional pathfinder projects are expected to be chosen, and it is expected that pathfinder projects will eventually cease to exist and that all Agency business will be conducted in this new, modernized way.

Each of the pathfinder projects was already under way prior to the announcement of Agency modernization. Further, two of the projects were supported by previously established commitments and funding defined in approved Treasury Board submissions, with funding commencing in 2017/2018.

The four pathfinder projects are the following:

  1. Towards Measuring Cannabis – Launched in anticipation of the legalization of cannabis in 2018, this project seeks to identify information needs and develop different ways of gathering and processing data. This project is focused on establishing data collection and measurement mechanisms where none previously existed with a view to providing insight into cannabis usage, its social and economic impacts, and a variety of other factors.
  2. Transition to a Low Carbon Economy – Initiated through funding set out in Budget 2017, this project provides information on the role of clean technology as the country transitions to a carbon-free economy. This project is focused on generating insight into the clean-technology industry, including developing a survey of producers of clean-technology goods and services; integrating sector and economic statistics in a clean-technology satellite account; improving energy statistics on renewable electricity generation; and developing statistics on demand for clean-technology.
  3. Measuring Growth in International Visitors to Canada – Supported by three years of funding from Budget 2017, this project seeks to use administrative data, rather than survey data, to better track tourism in Canada. The focus of the project includes: enhancing existing data collection tools and strategies; integrating alternate data to support the statistical needs of the program; partnering to provide tourism data for each of the three territories; producing Tourism Satellite Accounts for the provinces and territories every three years; and designing a user-centric dissemination strategy for analytical products on tourism data.
  4. Canadian Housing Statistics Program – Supported by five years of funding from Budget 2017, this project is being developed in response to the Government of Canada's demand for a single, integrated, comprehensive source of information on housing. This program will leverage administrative data to expand the agency's data sets in order to generate better insight into national housing statistics, including geography, property characteristics, ownership characteristics, property use and property financing.

Audit objectives

The objective of the audit was to provide the Chief Statistician and the Departmental Audit Committee with early insight and assurance that pathfinder projects are systematically contributing to the broader expectations for agency modernization and provide lessons learned to support modernization.

The audit focused on the following lines of enquiry:

  • Effective oversight;
  • Modernization outcomes; and
  • Internal services support.

The audit also examined the extent to which elements of the modernization pillars have been implemented within the various pathfinder projects, whether successes were replicated across the Agency, and the nature of lessons learned obtained from the projects.

Scope

The audit scope included an examination of the modernization oversight structures, implementation of modernization outcomes, and the extent of support from internal services, as they relate to the four pathfinder projects: Towards Measuring Cannabis; Transition to a Low Carbon Economy; Measuring Growth in International Visitors to Canada; and Canadian Housing Statistics Program. However, the audit did not assess the progress pathfinder projects have made against their operational objectives. The audit's focus was solely on the modernization-related aspects of the pathfinder projects.

Approach and methodology

The audit work consisted of an examination of documents, interviews with key senior management and Agency personnel, and a review of compliance with relevant Statistics Canada guidance (see Appendix A: Audit criteria for details).

Specifically, the examination phase included the following:

  • Structured interviews with pathfinder project leadership and team members, key members of modernization and project governance / oversight bodies, and representatives from Agency internal service organizations;
  • Review of selected Agency guidance on modernization, such as presentations, bulletins, and other key documents communicating the strategic direction of modernization activities;
  • Pathfinder project documentation, including documents supporting project planning, project execution, and progress reporting; and
  • Review of selected governance or oversight body meeting agendas, minutes, records of decision, and related documentation.

Authority

The audit was conducted under the authority of the approved Statistics Canada Integrated Risk-based Audit and Evaluation Plan 2018/2019 to 2022/2023.

Findings, recommendations and management response

Pathfinder project contributions to modernization

A governance structure has been established to oversee Agency modernization. However, its focus on providing horizontal oversight of pathfinder projects has been limited to date.

Pathfinder project leads maintain their own individual approaches in managing project risks. However, a coordinated, horizontal process is not yet in place to support the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks associated with the achievement of modernization expectations for pathfinder projects.

Many beneficial lessons in modernization have been learned as a result of the pathfinder projects. However, a coordinated, horizontal process is required to ensure the complete and timely identification and analysis of lessons learned to benefit future modernization efforts.

Pathfinder projects can demonstrate alignment with the Agency's pillars of modernization, but it is unclear whether they are meeting senior management's specific expectations to help further define and refine the modernization plan.

The Agency's internal services are engaged with, and support, pathfinder project leaders in determining the needs of pathfinder projects. However, challenges remain for internal services to fully meet pathfinder project needs.

Oversight of pathfinder project modernization

As stated by the Chief Statistician, pathfinder projects are expected to help further define and refine the Agency's modernization efforts. To support this alignment, clear expectations with respect to modernization should be established for each of the pathfinder projects. Further, a structure and supporting process should be in place to provide oversight and guidance for the achievement of these expectations.

The Modernization Management Committee (MMC) was established in 2017 to oversee Agency modernization. This new committee has been active in obtaining funding for, and directing, many of the modernization activities throughout the Agency, but has not yet played an active role in overseeing the pathfinder projects.

Individual governance structures have been established to oversee each of the pathfinder projects. These structures, in the form of committees and working groups, typically include representation from external stakeholders, and are generally focused on supporting the project's operational objectives. Consequently, by design, they have minimal focus on assessing the project's impact on the Agency's modernization initiative, and do not take a horizontal, Agency-wide view of the potential issues, challenges, or lessons learned common across all four of the pathfinder projects.

The Agency established the MMC in 2017. This senior management committee was made responsible for the overall governance, direction setting, and planning of the modernization initiative and associated projects, including the pathfinder projects. The MMC is supported by a Modernization Secretariat and supports the Agency's Senior Management Committee (SMC). Among its many responsibilities, the MMC's Terms of Reference states that it is responsible for

  • engaging in dialogue about the direction of the modernization strategy, vision and supporting projects to ensure that they are strategically aligned with modernization principles and pillars, and that duplication between projects is avoided; and
  • where resources are constrained, developing the priorities for modernization projects.

MMC is also expected to provide strategic direction on modernization, including aspects of culture change, communications, results, human resources and people elements, and strategic enablers, such as information technology.

We found that MMC has been active in supporting the Agency's modernization efforts by making funding decisions, developing a Memorandum to Cabinet, and directing numerous modernization activities throughout the Agency. However, as a result of these competing priorities, the MMC has not been able to devote very much time to providing oversight and strategic direction for the modernization activities of the pathfinder projects. Notably, SMC discussed two of the pathfinder projects, but the discussions were focused on project status updates for information purposes, and did not include an examination of the projects' contributions to Agency modernization.

Although the five pillars of modernization and their related expected outcomes have been widely communicated across the organization, they provide only broad, strategic-level direction. Given that the pathfinder projects were under way when the modernization initiative was announced, more specific, project-level expectations for modernization were not defined. To illustrate, while Agency-wide communications made clear that modernization should result in more timely statistics for users, the MMC's specific expectations in this regard for the pathfinder projects were not defined. For example, what does the MMC consider to be "timely statistics" in relation to the Cannabis project? Is it monthly, weekly, daily, or some other frequency? Clear expectations such as these help project staff focus their work and permit more effective monitoring of project performance to ensure that pathfinder projects are contributing adequately to the Agency's modernization initiative.

As the pathfinder projects are expected to inform the Agency's modernization initiative, horizontal oversight processes and practices are required to establish clear expectations and systematically link project results to the broader Agency modernization initiative. Without it, the Agency risks not maximizing the contributions of pathfinder projects to the modernization initiative.

Managing risk

Pathfinder projects are meant to push the Agency's boundaries by attempting new ways of doing things. While these new ways can lead to better and more efficient services to Canadians, they may also introduce new risks for the Agency. Horizontal processes will be required to help identify, assess and mitigate the new risks introduced by modernization.

Pathfinder project leads maintain their own individual approaches in managing project risks. However, the Agency would benefit from a coordinated, horizontal process to collectively identify, assess and mitigate risks to the expected outcomes of modernization for the pathfinder projects.

Another of the MMC's responsibilities outlined in its Terms of Reference is to play a guiding role in risk management and to support the design of interventions when necessary in relation to modernization expectations. As the MMC has had limited oversight of pathfinder projects to date, there has been minimal focus on systematically identifying, assessing and mitigating the horizontal risks that arise from the modernization aspects of the pathfinder projects. As a result, opportunities may be missed in terms of coordinating risk mitigation efforts across pathfinder projects or the Agency as a whole.

To date, three of the four pathfinder projects have established regular risk reporting (of risks to operational objectives, rather than those related to modernization) through a monthly project dashboard supported by each project's assigned Departmental Project Management Office (DPMO) representative. The Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy project has not yet initiated similar risk management reporting as DPMO, and project representatives indicated that this project is not sufficiently mature to warrant this level of reporting.

While no evidence of a horizontal risk management process was observed, one example of a pathfinder project undertaking a broader assessment of risk was noted. More specifically, a risk case study was developed in relation to the launch of a new Agency capability (i.e., measurement of cannabis use, pricing, etc.). While not specific to modernization, the case study included the identification of risks and mitigation approaches that touch upon the broad risk impacts of implementing new and innovative approaches, a challenge common to all pathfinder projects.

The following are some of the risks identified in the case study:

 
Risk example Risk mitigation examples
Risk of poor data quality – Risk of applying new and untested methods, that is, data produced could not be analyzed using the same traditional methods and quality assurance standards as would normally be applied to Statistics Canada products.
  • Active engagement of internal stakeholders (including methodologists) through the initiative's formal governance mechanisms.
  • Strong tone at the top (from senior management) to take calculated risks.
Risk of negative public reaction – Risk associated with the credibility of the project's use of innovative and "imperfect" data methods and how this might cause external audiences to call into question the credibility of other, more critical products produced by the Agency.
  • Proactive engagement of media to explain methods and the value to be realized while controlling the Agency's message.

While this example provides useful insight into some of the modernization risks and mitigation approaches associated with one pathfinder project (Cannabis), we also view these risks as relevant to all pathfinder projects. There is, however, no recognized process in place either to collectively assess the relevance of these approaches or to consider the application of these risk management approaches to other pathfinder projects or to broader Agency modernization efforts. As a result, each of the pathfinder projects is identifying and addressing risks in their own way. This has the potential to duplicate efforts, especially where there are common risks. Further, the Agency may be at risk of not effectively learning from the risk mitigation approaches taken by specific pathfinder projects to inform its broader modernization initiative.

Lessons learned

In launching the pathfinder projects, the Chief Statistician stated that "The valuable lessons learned from pathfinder projects will help us further define and refine the modernization plan." Systematic, coordinated and horizontal processes should be in place to identify, assess, and benefit from the lessons learned on modernization from the pathfinder projects.

Many beneficial lessons in modernization have been learned as a result of the pathfinder projects. The Agency would benefit from a timely, coordinated, horizontal process to identify and analyze the lessons learned from the pathfinder projects. Doing so would help guide future pathfinder projects and the Agency's modernization plan.

Interviews with pathfinder project leads identified several lessons learned, some of which touched on key aspects of the Agency, including organizational culture, employee health and well-being, project structure, business processes, and information technology infrastructure considerations. However, our interviews with MMC committee members and pathfinder project representatives confirmed that a coordinated and horizontal review of pathfinder project lessons learned has not yet been undertaken in relation to modernization. Those interviewed further confirmed that it would be valuable to the Agency to perform such a review, although the timing and responsibility for doing so has not been established.

As one example, pathfinder project leads collectively highlighted a range of lessons learned in relation to the Agency's approach to working with the private sector in accessing alternative sources of data:

  • Establishing an understanding of "what's in it for them" before approaching an outside organization;
  • Engaging the organization at a senior management level, while recognizing that multiple levels of engagement / contact may be required;
  • Relationship building to foster trust. There needs to be a recognition that an organization may not trust the Agency with sensitive data in the early stages of a relationship, that is, "don't ask for too much, too soon";
  • Respecting the organization's response timeframes; and
  • Having Agency subject matter expertise involved in detailed data discussions with an organization.

While these examples do not provide an exhaustive summary of all the lessons learned, they do provide a cross section of the beneficial learnings that can accrue from a broader, systematic review of pathfinder projects. A timely, coordinated, horizontal process to identify and analyze the pathfinder project lessons learned would help guide future pathfinder projects and the Agency's broader modernization plan.

Alignment with the five pillars of modernization

Pathfinder projects are expected to lead the way in the Agency's modernization initiative by pushing the boundaries and testing new and innovative solutions that might benefit future modernization efforts. Consequently, management must ensure the projects align with the five pillars of modernization, and that they adequately contribute to the Agency's broader modernization efforts.

Pathfinder projects are aligned with the Agency's pillars of modernization, but it is unclear whether they are meeting management's expectations. The Agency would benefit from more clearly defining management's expectations for modernization within each pathfinder project and from monitoring performance in this regard to ensure the projects contribute sufficiently to defining and refining the modernization plan.

According to our review of project documentation and interviews with project representatives, it is evident that the pillars of modernization are being applied, to varying degrees, in each of the pathfinder projects. To illustrate, some examples of "leading-edge methods and data integration"Footnote 1 found within each of the pathfinder projects are as follows:

  • The Towards Measuring Cannabis project included the launch of an online statistical application that generates crowdsourced cannabis price data from Canadians in every province and territory; leveraging social media data to measure prevalence of use; and piloting the measurement of cannabis concentrations in waste water as a means of establishing prevalence of use.
  • The Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy project included the establishment of a Clean-Technology Satellite Account, employing alternate administrative data sources, and greater use of geospatial analysis.
  • The Measuring Growth in International Visitors to Canada project includes transition from a survey-based program to one where survey data is supplemented with alternative data sources, such as Canada Border Services Agency traveler data and traveler credit card data.
  • The Canadian Housing Statistics Program includes leveraging alternative data sources, such as the municipal property database, to support implementation of the Housing Statistics Framework.

For further examples, Appendix B outlines how each pathfinder project aligns with the five modernization pillars.

While it was evident that pathfinder projects are engaged in activities aligned with the modernization pillars, as previously noted, clear expectations for modernization for each projects were not established. Further, the pathfinder projects have not been subject to a comprehensive analysis or challenge of their modernization activities to ensure that they are meeting management's expectations and adequately support the modernization effort.

One of the established roles of the MMC is to engage in dialogue about the strategic direction with respect to the modernization strategy, vision and supporting projects to ensure that they are strategically aligned with modernization principles and pillars, and that duplication between projects is avoided. As previously noted, the MMC has been focused on the Agency's many other modernization activities and has not yet performed this challenge function for pathfinder projects. Performing this challenge function would help ensure that the pathfinder projects have their intended effect of defining and refining the Agency's modernization plan.

Internal service support for pathfinder projects

The internal service needs of pathfinder projects vary by project, but typically include Information Technology, Project Management, Administrative Data, Methodology, Human Resources, and Communications services. In supporting pathfinder projects, internal services should be actively engaged with their pathfinder project clients in determining and responding to current and future project needs.

The Agency's internal services are engaged with and support pathfinder project leaders in determining the needs of pathfinder projects. However, challenges remain for internal services to fully meet these needs. Of note, internal services expressed difficulties in balancing policy requirements and the rigour of their processes with the pathfinder projects' need for agility and speed. Further, as the volume of modernization activity increases, the type of service currently being provided to pathfinder projects will not be sustainable without realigning how internal services are delivered or finding ways to discontinue other work.

Interviews with internal service representatives confirmed that the approach they are taking with respect to serving the needs of pathfinder projects is not significantly different from the approaches taken with respect to serving other Agency clients. However, some examples were noted of internal services introducing changes to their service approaches to be more responsive to the needs of clients. These include the following:

  • Administrative Data Division (ADD) has a manager assigned to address the data acquisition needs of the pathfinder projects. ADD is also represented on specific pathfinder steering committees.
  • Informatics Branch has assigned a Business Relationship Manager to each pathfinder project to provide a single point of contact to the IT organization and to better identify and coordinate the IT service response to project needs.
  • For two of the four pathfinder projects (Cannabis and Tourism), DPMO has assigned and embedded a project manager on the project team to take a more hands-on project management role versus the typical DPMO approach of being a project management advisor to projects. In addition, DPMO has introduced a less onerous version of its project planning template to support experimental-type projects, versus those projects where business requirements are clearly defined.
  • While not focused on the needs of pathfinder projects, Human Resources has assigned a business partner to each of the Agency's fields (led by an Assistant Chief Statistician) to better serve these internal clients.

These examples are illustrative of the efforts made by the Agency's internal services to be responsive to the needs of pathfinder projects. That being said, feedback from the pathfinder project staff was mixed as to whether these changes have been successful in improving the service provided by internal services.

While internal services are actively engaged in efforts to support the delivery of pathfinder projects, several significant challenges were identified that warrant additional consideration in the broader context of the Agency's modernization initiative. To illustrate, we noted several challenges associated with balancing the rigour and policy requirements of internal services with the pathfinder project need for agility and speed of service. In one instance, the introduction of new alternative data sources created challenges in balancing the rigorous data quality focus of internal services (such as ADD and Methodology) with the project's need to produce real-time information that, while possibly imperfect, would still have value to Agency clients.

Internal service leads also expressed concern regarding the sustainability of continuing to provide immediate, prioritized service to modernization projects as the volume of modernization activity increases. This has also led to a concern around the well-being of employees, as they are being asked to work longer hours and produce deliverables in short time frames. They further reported that these challenges were compounded by a lack of mechanisms in place to appropriately plan and fund the resource requirements necessary to service pathfinder project requests, while maintaining service for ongoing Agency business. These concerns take on additional importance with the next round of pathfinder projects being planned, and this new way of conducting business is envisioned as the future for the Agency.

While not a complete summary, other challenges and questions pertaining to internal service support that could have broader implications for Agency modernization include:

  • How to satisfy Government of Canada accessibility standards in relation to pathfinder project implementation of new data visualization tools and information;
  • How to address Agency Information Technology infrastructure limitations, including limitations in the Information Technology tools available to pathfinder projects to support the collection / transfer and storage of large data sets acquired to support project needs;
  • How to address Agency Information Technology infrastructure limitations impacting user / client access to pathfinder project datasets;
  • How to optimally support pathfinder project teams with internal service resources. There was recognized value by some pathfinder projects from embedding methodologists onto their project teams versus the typical centralized model of Methodology service delivery. This model was viewed as allowing the methodologists to gain greater insight into project needs and challenges to more effectively support the project; and
  • How to establish the optimal approach, and corresponding Agency roles and responsibilities, for acquiring alternative sources of data to support project needs. ADD has been established as a centralized custodian of Agency administrative data and provides support in meeting the data acquisition needs of pathfinder projects. Questions were raised as to how best to leverage the roles of ADD and the subject matter expertise of project representatives to effectively and efficiently acquire the specialized and alternative data sources being generated for pathfinder projects.

These examples provide an indication of some of the internal service challenges arising from the pathfinder projects. Resolving these challenges will require a coordinated, horizontal approach with senior management support, as they will have broader effects across the organization. Areas requiring change may include the Agency's culture, the organizational structure, business processes, and the supporting infrastructure.

Recommendations

The Co-chairs of the Modernization Management Committee, supported by the DG of Modernization, should ensure that MMC supports pathfinder projectsFootnote 2 by:

  1. Providing appropriate guidance on the specific expectations for modernization as they pertain to individual pathfinder projects;
  2. Providing an effective challenge function in relation to pathfinder project progress towards their expected modernization results;
  3. Providing a forum for the review and consideration of modernization risks and opportunities stemming from pathfinder projects, and their impact on the Agency's broader modernization initiative; and
  4. Undertaking a coordinated, horizontal pathfinder project lessons learned exercise, as it pertains to modernization.

Management response

Management agrees with the recommendations.

A common baseline approach will enable the MMC to clearly communicate management's expectations for modernization:

  • The MMC will review, finalize and endorse, as needed, modernization end-state objectives, project assessment criteria and frameworks, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to guide decisions.
  • Going forward, the MMC will require all project proposals to demonstrate alignment with priorities and pillars, culture change, and contribution to modernization objectives.
  • The MMC will prioritize sharing these measures with all staff to facilitate wider understanding of expectations for modernization.
  • In the coming year, the MMC will oversee the corporate modernization review of all active statistical programs.
Deliverables and timeline

The MMC chairs, the MMC and the Director General, Modernization, will

  • finalize, as needed, document and communicate modernization end-state objectives, project assessment criteria and KPIs to all staff and project leads by July 31, 2019.

The Assistant Chief Statistician, Field 3, and the MMC chairs will:

  • ensure, by July 31, 2019, that a robust plan for each 2018/2019 approved Corporate Innovation Fund project is presented at the MMC.

The MMC chairs and the Director General, Communications and Dissemination, will

  • develop and implement an internal communication strategy to share the above-noted measures by July 31, 2019.

The Assistant Chief Statistician, Field 3 and the Director, Corporate and Financial Planning Division, in concert with MMC chairs, the Director General, Modernization, and the Modernization Secretariat, will

  • present to the MMC a comprehensive plan that categorizes all programs and surveys in terms of modernization, maturity and alignment, including criteria (funding sources and realignment should be considered, if required, in line with modernization priorities and objectives, strategic directions and overall Statistics Canada budget); an internal communication strategy will be developed and implemented to share these measures, and these actions will be completed by March 31, 2020.

The MMC will receive updates on a quarterly basis, starting immediately, on all four pathfinder projects. The MMC will finalize and endorse, as needed, modernization end-state objectives, project assessment criteria and frameworks, and KPIs to guide its decisions. These measures will contribute to the continuous refinement and evolution of Statistics Canada's modernization objectives, programs and pathfinders.

Deliverables and timeline

The MMC chairs, the MMC, the Director General, Modernization, and the Modernization Secretariat will

  • create an assessment framework for pathfinder projects to provide guidance on modernization aspects and potential (i.e., measurement of transformative qualities across the organization, focus on one or more of the pillars, organizational benefit, disruptiveness and sustainability of projects); these measures will contribute to the continuous refinement and evolution of Statistics Canada’s modernization objectives and programs, and these actions will be completed by July 31, 2019.

Pathfinder project health checks will be held regularly at the MMC and will include consideration of milestones achieved, risks and opportunities from modernization perspectives, and broader implications for the modernization agenda writ large.

Deliverables and timeline

The MMC chairs, with the support of the Director General, Modernization, will

  • integrate quarterly health checks for pathfinder projects into the MMC forward agenda by December 31, 2018.

Building on the director general engagement session of spring 2018, the Director General of Modernization will continue to leverage different forums to share progress and lessons learned. The Director General of Modernization will also develop a standard template to facilitate analysis, documentation and communication of lessons learned after implementation. These measures will contribute to the continuous refinement and evolution of Statistics Canada’s modernization objectives.

Deliverables and timeline

The Director General, Communications and Dissemination, and the Director General, Modernization, will

  • organize presentations and/or workshops for managers (e.g., directors general and above) to master modernization principles (e.g., agile) and thinking on a broader scale across all organizational groups, as well as within leadership ranks, by March 31, 2019.

The Director General, Modernization, will

  • develop a lessons-learned template and organize a lessons-learned session by March 31, 2019.

The Director General, Modernization, in conjunction with the MMC, the MMC chairs and the director general leads for pathfinder projects, will

  • establish a learning log registry to document completed templates, so that those lessons can be referenced systematically by the MMC and used as a reference for new initiatives by March 31, 2019.

Appendices

Appendix A: Audit criteria

Appendix A: Audit criteria
Control objectives / Core controls / Criteria Sub-criteria Policy instruments / Sources
Objective: To provide the Chief Statistician and the Departmental Audit Committee with early insight and assurance that pathfinder projects are systematically contributing to the broader expectations for agency modernization and provide lessons learned to support modernization.
1.1 There is appropriate and effective oversight to support the achievement of pathfinder project modernization objectives. 1.1.1 A structure and supporting processes and practices exist to provide guidance in the achievement of pathfinder project modernization objectives.
1.1.2 A process exists to identify, assess and mitigate the risks to the achievement of pathfinder project modernization objectives.
1.1.3 A coordinating process exists to ensure the timely identification of lessons learned with respect to the pathfinder projects, in support of the modernization initiative.
  • Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) Audit Criteria related to Management Accountability Framework (MAF): A Tool for Internal Auditors—Accountability, AC-1, AC-4; Governance and Strategic Directions, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-6; Risk Management, RM-1, RM-2, RM-3, RM-4, RM-5, RM-6, RM-7; Learning, Innovation and Change Management, LICM-1
2.1 Pathfinder projects systematically contribute towards the Agency's modernization efforts. 2.1.1 Pathfinder projects apply, where applicable, the principles of the modernization pillar user-centric delivery service.
2.1.2 Pathfinder projects apply, where applicable, the principles of the modernization pillar leading-edge methods and data integration.
2.1.3 Pathfinder projects apply, where applicable, the principles of the modernization pillar statistical capacity building and leadership.
2.1.4 Pathfinder projects apply, where applicable, the principles of the modernization pillar sharing and collaboration.
2.1.5 Pathfinder projects apply, where applicable, the principles of the modernization pillar modern workforce and flexible workplace.
  • OCG Audit Criteria related to MAF: A Tool for Internal Auditors— Results and Performance, RP-1, RP-2, RP-3; Learning, Innovation and Change Management, LICM-2
3.1 Agency internal services effectively support the implementation of the pathfinder projects. 3.1.1 Agency internal services are engaging with clients in determining the current and future needs of pathfinder projects.
3.1.2 Agency internal services are responsive to, and are effectively supporting, the achievement of both the project and modernization objectives.
  • OCG Audit Criteria related to MAF: A Tool for Internal Auditors— Stewardship, ST-21

Appendix B: Pathfinder project alignment with the pillars of modernization

Presented in this appendix are examples of how each pathfinder project is aligned with the Agency's five pillars of modernization. These examples are not intended to represent an exhaustive list. Rather, they constitute a summary of the key modernization activities under way within each project.

Towards Measuring Cannabis
Modernization Pillars
User-centric Delivery Service Leading-edge Methods and Data Integration Statistical Capacity Building and Leadership Sharing and Collaboration Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace
  • Development of a Cannabis Statistics Hub which packages all cannabis-related statistics in a single online resource, available via the Agency website.
  • Working with Health Canada and provinces/territories to lower response burden by designing regulatory forms so information is only collected once.
  • Launch of an online statistical application which generates crowdsourced cannabis price data from Canadians in every province and territory.
  • Launch of a quarterly Rapid Response Household Survey on cannabis use and expenditures.
  • Leveraging social media data to measure prevalence of use.
  • Piloting the measurement of cannabis concentrations in waste water as a means of establishing prevalence of use.
  • Working with Health Canada and the provinces and territories to:
    • Ensure newly developed regulatory forms meet statistical needs and information is only collected once.
    • Using Agency survey collection infrastructure to collect regulatory information.
  • Working with Health Canada and the provinces and territories to:
    • Ensure newly developed regulatory forms meet statistical needs and information is only collected once.
    • Using Agency survey collection infrastructure to collect regulatory information.
  • Established a project team to respond to high priority information need (impact of Cannabis) with no dedicated source of project funding
Transition to a Low Carbon Economy
Modernization Pillars
User-centric Delivery Service Leading-edge Methods and Data Integration Statistical Capacity Building and Leadership Sharing and Collaboration Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace
  • Development of a measurement framework to articulate clean-tech statistical reporting outputs that support a broader view in support of the Clean Tech Data Strategy (GoC focus)
  • Development of a Clean-Tech Satellite Account
  • Whole-of-government approach in developing a measurement framework to articulate clean-tech statistical reporting outputs (We have not received a copy of the framework yet) that support a broader view in support of the Clean Tech Data Strategy (GoC focus).
  • Working with partners (e.g. Canadian Space Agency) to improve Agency production and dissemination of geospatial information.
  • Working with NRCan and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to better link the Clean Tech Satellite Account and the Natural Resources Satellite Account.
 
Canadian Housing Statistics Program
Modernization Pillars
User-centric Delivery Service Leading-edge Methods and Data Integration Statistical Capacity Building and Leadership Sharing and Collaboration Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace
  • Implementing a new Housing Statistics Framework to address gaps in nationwide housing data and to address user information needs.
  • Provision of access (e.g. to CMHC) to housing microdata
  • Provision of enhanced housing data on Vancouver and Toronto markets (Release 1 – December, 2017) and British Columbia and Ontario markets (Release 2 – June, 2018) (ref: Housing releases).
  • Leveraging alternative data sources (e.g. municipal property information) to support implementation of the Housing Statistics Framework
  • Development of guidelines to facilitate data acquisition.
  • Establishment of communication channels with provincial data providers to support implementation of the Housing Statistics Framework.
  • Partnering with CMHC in release 1 (December, 2017) of information under the Housing program.
  • Establishment of relationships and arrangements with federal government entities (e.g. CMHC) provincial governments, municipal governments (e.g. Vancouver, Toronto), industry associations and private sector organizations (e.g. Teranet) in supporting the identification of alternative data sources to be leveraged.
  • Embedded Methodology resources within the project team to support more timely service delivery

Measuring Growth in International Visitors to Canada

Modernization Pillars
User-centric Delivery Service Leading-edge Methods and Data Integration Statistical Capacity Building and Leadership Sharing and Collaboration Modern Workforce and Flexible Workplace
  • Production of annual tourism data for the three territories
  • More granular data for the provinces
  • Developed a key indicator and database for daily cross border travel
  • Transition from a survey-based program to one where survey data is supplemented with new data sources (e.g. credit card data, payment processor data, CBSA traveller data)
  • Exploring the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence as part of its data collection methods in Canada's north.
  • Piloting the 100 Points of Contact initiative (a partnership with Destination Canada) wherein international tourism data is collected at several tourism hot spots across the country.
  • Provide conceptual and data training to a wide range of tourism data users via the Tourism Newsletter
  • Work with Destination Canada to build statistical models
  • Working with the territories to exploit alternative data to produce data on tourism in the North
  • Partnering with Destination Canada in the piloting of the 100 Points of Contact initiative wherein international tourism data is collected at several tourism hot spots across the country
  • Secured Canadian passport data from CBSA to improve sampling for the National Travel Survey
  • Established a section within the Tourism division focused solely on data analysis.
  • Embedded data scientists within the Tourism project team to support requirements related to working with large quantities of alternative data.

Appendix C: Initialisms

ADD
Administrative Data Division
DPMO
Departmental Project Management Office
IIA
Institute of Internal Auditors
KPI
Key performance indicator
MAF
Management Accountability Framework
MMC
Modernization Management Committee
OCG
Office of the Comptroller General
SMC
Senior Management Committee

Why do we conduct this survey?

This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy.

The statistical information from the IBSP serves many purposes, including:

  • Calculating each province and territory's fair share of federal-provincial transfer payments for health, education and social programs
  • Establishing government programs to assist businesses
  • Assisting the business community in negotiating contracts and collective agreements
  • Supporting the government in making informed decisions about fiscal, monetary and foreign exchange policies
  • Indexing social benefit programs and determining tax brackets
  • Enabling academics and economists to analyze the economic performance of Canadian industries and to better understand rapidly evolving business environments.

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 and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

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 statcan.esdhelpdesk-dsebureaudedepannage.statcan@statcan.gc.ca or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Additional information

In cases where information is reported on an amalgamated basis and relates to operations in more than one province or territory, Statistics Canada may allocate a portion of the reported information to these provincial or territorial operations. The allocated information will be shared in accordance with the Section 11 or 12 agreements of the Statistics Act, as described above.

In cases where there is a separate head office, Statistics Canada may adjust the reported revenues of that head office so that those revenues more fully reflect the value of the services the head office provides. In such cases, there will be a corresponding adjustment to the reported expenses of the units served. The adjusted information will be shared in accordance with the Section 11 or 12 agreements of the Statistics Act, as described above.

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 for ceased operations
    • 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

7. You have indicated that the current main activity of this business or organization is:

Main activity

Are there any other activities that contribute significantly (at least 10%) to this business or organization's revenue?

  • Yes, there are other activities
    Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity:
    • e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
  • No, that is the only significant activity

8. Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?

When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.

Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?
  Percentage of revenue
Main activity  
Secondary activity  
All other activities  
Total percentage  

Reporting period information

1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?

For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019 .

Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:

  • May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018
  • June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018
  • July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018
  • August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018
  • September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018
  • October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018
  • November 1, 2017 to October 31, 2018
  • December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018
  • January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
  • February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019
  • March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019
  • April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 .

Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:

  • September 18, 2017 to September 15, 2018 ( e.g., floating year-end)
  • June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 ( e.g., a newly opened business).
  • Fiscal year start date:
  • Fiscal year-end date:

2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?

Select all that apply.

  • Seasonal operations
  • New business
  • Change of ownership
  • Temporarily inactive
  • Change of fiscal year
  • Ceased operations
  • Other
    Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year:

Revenue

1. For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD, what was this business's revenue from each of the following sources?

Notes:

  • a detailed breakdown may be requested in other sections
  • these questions are asked of many different industries Some questions may not apply to this business.

Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Revenue

a. Sales of goods and services ( e.g., fees, admissions, services revenue)

Sales of goods and services are defined as amounts derived from the sale of goods and services (cash or credit), falling within a business's ordinary activities. Sales should be reported net of trade discount, value added tax and other taxes based on sales.

Include sales of finfish, molluscs, aquaculture services, aquaculture by-products, seed, sales of goods purchased for resale and consulting revenue.

Exclude:

  • transfers into inventory and consignment sales
  • federal, provincial and territorial sales taxes and excise duties and taxes
  • intercompany sales in consolidated financial statements.

b. Rental and leasing

Include rental or leasing of apartments, commercial buildings, land, office space, residential housing, investments in co-tenancies and co-ownerships, hotel or motel rooms, long and short term vehicle leasing, machinery or equipment, storage lockers, et cetera.

c. Commissions

Include commissions earned on the sale of products or services by businesses such as advertising agencies, brokers, insurance agents, lottery ticket sales, sales representatives, and travel agencies - compensation could also be reported under this item ( e.g., compensation for collecting sales tax)

d. Subsidies (government assistance to offset certain eligible current expenses or to supplement current revenue)

Include:

  • grants, donations and fundraising
  • non-repayable grants, contributions and subsidies from all levels of government
  • revenue from private sector (corporate and individual) sponsorships, donations and fundraising.

e. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees

A royalty is defined as a payment received by the holder of a copyright, trademark or patent.

Include revenue received from the sale or use of all intellectual property rights of copyrighted materials such as musical, literary, artistic or dramatic works, sound recordings or the broadcasting of communication signals.

f. Dividends

Include:

  • dividend income
  • dividends from Canadian sources
  • dividends from foreign sources
  • patronage dividends.

Exclude equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

g. Interest

Include:

  • investment revenue
  • interest from foreign sources
  • interest from Canadian bonds and debentures
  • interest from Canadian mortgage loans
  • interest from other Canadian sources.

Exclude equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

h. Other revenue - specify

Include amounts not included in questions a. to g.

Total revenue

The sum of questions a. to h.

For the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD, what was this business's revenue from each of the following sources?
  CAN$ '000
a. Sales of goods and services
Include sales of finfish, molluscs, aquaculture services, aquaculture by-products, seed, sales of goods purchased for resale and consulting revenue.
 
b. Rental and leasing
Report only if this is a secondary revenue source. If rental and leasing are your primary revenue source, report at question a.
 
c. Commissions
Report only if this is a secondary revenue source. If commissions are your primary revenue source, report at question a.
 
d. Subsidies
(government assistance to offset certain eligible current expenses or to supplement current revenue)
Include grants, donations, fundraising and sponsorships.
 
e. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees  
f. Dividends  
g. Interest  
h. Other
Include intracompany transfers.
Specify all other revenue:
 
Total revenue  

Expenses

1. For the reporting period of of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's expenses for the following items?

Notes:

  • a detailed breakdown may be requested in other sections
  • these questions are asked of many different industries. Some questions may not apply to this business.

Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Expenses

a. Purchases

Many business units distinguish their costs of materials from their other business expenses (selling, general and administrative). This item is included to allow you to easily record your costs/expenses according to your normal accounting practices.

Include: feed, therapeutants, purchases of fish e.g., live fish, mollusc seed, spat and live larvae for grow-out or processing and purchases of goods for resale

b. Employment costs and expenses (for all employees who were issued a T4)

b1. Salaries, wages and commissions

Please report all salaries and wages (including taxable allowances and employment commissions as defined on the T4 - statement of remuneration paid) before deductions for this reporting period.

Include:

  • vacation pay
  • bonuses (including profit sharing)
  • employee commissions
  • taxable allowances ( e.g., room and board, vehicle allowances, gifts such as airline tickets for holidays)
  • severance pay.

Exclude all payments and expenses associated with casual labour and outside contract workers (report at Subcontracts). b2. Employee benefits

Include contributions to:

  • health plans
  • insurance plans
  • employment insurance
  • pension plans
  • workers' compensation
  • association dues
  • contributions to any other employee benefits such as child care and supplementary unemployment benefit (SUB) plans
  • contributions to provincial and territorial health and education payroll taxes.

c. Subcontracts

Subcontract expense refers to the purchasing of services from outside of the company rather than providing them in-house.

Include:

  • hired casual labour and outside contract workers
  • custom work and contract work
  • subcontract and outside labour
  • hired labour.

d. Research and development fees

Expenses from activities conducted with the intention of making a discovery that could either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to the improvement of existing products or procedures.

e. Professional and business fees

Include:

  • legal services
  • accounting and auditing fees
  • consulting fees
  • education and training fees
  • appraisal fees
  • management and administration fees
  • property management fees
  • information technology (IT) consulting and service fees (purchased)
  • architectural fees
  • engineering fees
  • scientific and technical service fees
  • other consulting fees (management, technical and scientific)
  • veterinary fees
  • fees for human health services
  • payroll preparation fees
  • all other professional and business service fees.

Exclude service fees paid to head office (report at Other).

f. Utilities

Utility expenses related to operating your business unit such as water, electricity, gas, heating and hydro.

Include:

  • diesel, fuel wood, natural gas, oil and propane
  • sewage.

Exclude:

  • energy expenses covered in your rental and leasing contracts
  • telephone, Internet and other telecommunications
  • vehicle fuel (report at Other).

g. Office and computer-related expenses

Include:

  • office stationery and supplies, paper and other supplies for photocopiers, printers and fax machines
  • postage and courier (used in the day-to-day office business activity)
  • diskettes and computer upgrade expenses
  • data processing.

Exclude telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses (report at Telephone, Internet and other communication).

h. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication

Include:

  • Internet
  • telephone and telecommunications
  • cellular telephone
  • fax machine
  • pager.

i. Business taxes, licenses and permits

Include:

  • property taxes paid directly and property transfer taxes
  • vehicle license fees
  • beverage taxes and business taxes
  • trade license fees
  • membership fees and professional license fees
  • provincial capital tax.

j. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships

Include:

  • amounts paid to holders of patents, copyrights, performing rights and trademarks
  • gross overriding royalty expenses and direct royalty costs
  • resident and non-resident royalty expenses
  • franchise fees.

Exclude Crown royalties.

k. Crown charges

Federal or provincial royalty, tax, lease or rental payments made in relation to the acquisition, development or ownership of Canadian resource properties.

Include:

  • Crown royalties
  • Crown leases and rentals
  • oil sand leases
  • stumpage fees.

l. Rental and leasing

Include:

  • lease rental expenses, real estate rental expenses, condominium fees and equipment rental expenses
  • motor vehicle rental and leasing expenses
  • studio lighting and scaffolding
  • machinery and equipment rental expenses
  • storage expenses
  • road and construction equipment rental
  • fuel and other utility costs covered in your rental and leasing contracts.

m. Repair and maintenance

Include:

  • buildings and structures
  • machinery and equipment
  • security equipment
  • vehicles
  • costs related to materials, parts and external labour associated with these expenses
  • janitorial and cleaning services and garbage removal.

n. Amortization and depreciation

Include:

  • direct cost depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of leasehold improvements
  • amortization of intangible assets ( e.g., amortization of goodwill, patents, franchises, copyrights, trademarks, deferred charges, organizational costs).

o. Insurance

Insurance recovery income must be deducted from insurance expenses.

Include:

  • professional and other liability insurance
  • motor vehicle and property insurance
  • executive life insurance
  • bonding, business interruption insurance and fire insurance.

p. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment

Include:

  • newspaper advertising and media expenses
  • catalogues, presentations and displays
  • tickets for theatre, concerts and sporting events for business promotion
  • fundraising expenses
  • meals, entertainment and hospitality purchases for clients.

q. Travel, meetings and conventions

Include:

  • travel expenses
  • meeting, convention and seminar expenses
  • passenger transportation ( e.g., airfare, bus, train)
  • accommodations
  • travel allowance and meals while travelling
  • other travel expenses.

r. Financial services

Include:

  • explicit service charges for financial services
  • credit and debit card commissions and charges
  • collection expenses and transfer fees
  • registrar and transfer agent fees
  • security and exchange commission fees
  • other financial service fees.

Exclude interest expenses (report at Interest expense).

s. Interest expense

Report the cost of servicing your company's debt.

Include:

  • interest
  • bank charges
  • finance charges
  • interest payments on capital leases
  • amortization of bond discounts
  • interest on short-term and long-term debt, mortgages, bonds and debentures.

t. Other non-production-related costs and expenses

Include:

  • charitable donations and political contributions
  • bad debt expense
  • loan losses
  • provisions for loan losses (minus bad debt recoveries)
  • inventory adjustments.

u. All other costs and expenses (including intracompany expenses)

Include:

  • management fees, transportation, shipping, warehousing/storage, postage and courier, processing services and veterinary fees
  • production costs
  • gross overriding royalties
  • other producing property rentals
  • other lease rentals
  • other direct costs
  • equipment hire and operation
  • freight-in and duty
  • overhead expenses allocated to costs of sales
  • other expenses
  • cash over/short (negative expenses)
  • reimbursement of parent company expenses
  • warranty expenses
  • recruiting expenses
  • general and administrative expenses
  • interdivisional expenses
  • interfund transfers (minus expense recoveries)
  • exploration and development
  • amounts not included in questions a. to t. above.

Total expenses

The sum of questions a. to u.

For the reporting period of of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's expenses for the following items?
  CAN$ '000
a. Purchases
Include feed, therapeutants, purchases of fish e.g., live fish, mollusc seed, spat and live larvae
for grow-out or processing and purchases of goods for resale.
Exclude change in inventories.
 
b. Employment costs and expenses
Include all employees who were issued a T4.
Exclude commissions to be paid to non-employees, report at sub-question c.
 
b1. Salaries, wages and commissions  
b2. Employee benefits  
c. Subcontracts
Include commisions to non-employees.
Exclude research and development.
 
d. Research and development fees.
Exclude in-house research and development.
 
e. Professional and business fees
e.g., legal, accounting, consulting, scientific and property management fees
 
f. Utilities
e.g., electricity, water, gas
 
g. Office and computer related expenses
e.g., office supplies, postage, computer upgrades
 
h. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication  
i. Business taxes, licenses and permits
e.g., beverage tax, business tax, license fees, property taxes
 
j. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships
Exclude Crown royalties.
 
k. Crown charges
(for logging, mining and energy industries only)
 
l. Rental and leasing
Include land buildings, equipment, vehicles.
 
m. Repair and maintenance
Include buildings, equipment, vehicles.
 
n. Amortization and depreciation  
o. Insurance  
p. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment  
q. Travel, meetings and conventions  
r. Financial services
e.g., bank charges, transaction fees
 
s. Interest expense  
t. Other non-production-related costs and expenses
Include bad debts, loan losses, donations, political contributions and inventory write-down.
 
u. All other costs and expenses
Include intracompany expenses, management fees, transportation, shipping, warehousing,
storage, postage and courier, processing services and veterinary fees.
Specify all other costs and expenses:
 
Total expenses   

Industry characteristics

1. What were this business's sales for each of the following goods and services?

Notes:

  • please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Include all sales within or outside Canada recorded in your accounts for sales to other businesses and for transfers to other units of your business.

Exclude GST / HST , PST and QST .

Sales

Sales should be reported net of excise and provincial or territorial sales taxes, HST/GST, trade discounts, returns and allowances and charges for outward transportation by common or contract carriers. Sales denominated in foreign currency should be converted into Canadian dollars at the exchange rate on the day of transaction. Dollar amounts and percentages should be rounded to whole numbers. When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.

a. to f. Production of finfish (hatchery or grow-out)

This category is comprised of establishments primarily engaged in farm-raising finfish. These establishments use some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as keeping animals in captivity, regular stocking and feeding of animals, and protecting them from predators.

Finfish production is reported as gutted head-on and the value is based on a farm-gate value.

Exclude establishments primarily engaged in catching or taking fish and other aquatic animals from their natural habitat.

g. to j. Production of shellfish (seed or grow-out)

This category is comprised of establishments primarily engaged in farm-raising shellfish. These establishments use some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as keeping animals in captivity, regular stocking and feeding of animals, and protecting them from predators.

Shellfish is reported as whole, and the value is based on a farm-gate value.

Exclude establishments primarily engaged in catching or taking fish and other aquatic animals from their natural habitat.

l. Sales of goods purchased for resale

Report sales of goods that have not been processed or altered in your business unit and that have been purchased and resold in the same condition.

What were this business's sales for each of the following goods and services?
  CAN$ '000
a. Whole fish dressed, fresh or chilled
Exclude fillets.
 
b. Fish eggs and live fish for grow-out  
c. Whole fish live
Exclude fish sold for grow-out.
 
d. Whole fish dressed and frozen
Exclude frozen fillets.
 
e. Fish fillets, fresh or frozen and other fish meat  
f. Fish, dried, smoked or in brine  
g. Oysters  
h. Mussels  
i. Clams  
j. Scallops  
k. Aquaculture services  
l. Sales of goods purchased for resale
(in the same condition as purchased)
 
m. Consulting revenue  
Other
e.g., other molluscs, aquaculture by-products, seed
Sales of all other goods and services produced:
 
Total sales of goods and services  

Industry characteristics

2. What were this business's expenses for each of the following goods and services?

Notes:

  • please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Include all expenses within or outside Canada recorded by this business unit.

Exclude GST / HST , PST and QST .

Materials, components and supply expenses

Exclude capital expenditures.

g. Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office and other business support units

Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office ( e.g., legal fees, advertising fees, insurance) and other business support units ( e.g., warehouses, sales centres, trucking facilities).

h. to j. Purchased service expenses

Purchased service expenses are services purchased from external businesses ( e.g., third parties). Exclude purchased services that have been reported at question g. (management fees or any other service fees paid to head office and other business support units).

h. Transportation, shipping (contracted out), warehousing, storage, postage and courier

Report transportation and storage costs/expenses if they can be reported separately from purchases.

Include:

  • freight transport services by air, sea, or land (including rental with operator)
  • postage and courier expenses (including local messenger and delivery)
  • storage or warehousing services
  • moving services.
    Exclude shipping using your own vehicles.

i. Processing services

Processing services are the costs incurred when another company provides services related to gutting, cleaning, slitting or shelling.

What were this business's expenses for each of the following goods and services?
  CAN$ '000
a. Feed  
b. Therapeutants
e.g., pesticides, drugs, vaccinations
 
c. Purchases of fish e.g., live fish, mollusc seed, spat and live larvae for grow-out  
d. Purchases of fish e.g., live fish, mollusc seed, spat and live larvae for processing  
e. Purchases of goods for resale
(in the same condition as purchased)
 
f. Other
Specify all other purchases:
 
g. Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office and other business support units
e.g., legal, advertising, insurance, warehouses, sales centres, trucking facilities
 
h. Transportation, shipping (contracted out), warehousing, storage, postage and courier  
i. Processing services
e.g., gutting, cleaning, slitting, shelling of product by another farm
 
j. Veterinary fees  

3. What were this business's inventories for each of the following goods?

Notes:

  • Inventories are to be reported at book value i.e., the value maintained in the accounting records
  • Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.

Include inventory owned by this business unit within or outside Canada (including inventory held at any warehouse, selling outlet, in transit or on consignment).

Exclude inventory held on consignment for others.

What were this business's inventories for each of the following goods?
  Value of opening inventory CAN$ '000 Value of closing inventory CAN$ '000
a. Raw materials
e.g., feed
   
b. Goods in process
e.g., in pools, pens, on beaches and on grow-out sites
   
c. Finished products
e.g., finfish, molluscs and crustacea ready for market
   
d. Goods purchased for resale
(in the same condition as purchased)
   
Value of total inventory    

Industry characteristics

4. What was the average number of people employed during the reporting period?

Include full-time, part-time and temporary employees and employees absent with pay.

Exclude contract workers who are not part of your payroll.

Number:

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
  • Exchange rate impact
  • Price changes in goods or services sold
  • Contracting out
  • Organizational change
  • Price changes in labour or raw materials
  • Natural disaster
  • Recession
  • Change in product line
  • Sold business or business units
  • Expansion
  • New or lost contract
  • Plant closures
  • Acquisition of business or business units
  • 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 Provided Given Names, 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:

2. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?