The purpose of this survey is to collect information for producing national and provincial level estimates of potato production. These estimates will be used to assess the economic health of the industry. Agricultural producers and industry analysts will work with this information to make production and marketing decisions, and government analysts will use it to develop agricultural policies in Canada.
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 the response burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.
For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data and mailing it to the following address:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0T6
You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.
For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agency of Prince Edward Island, as well as with the Manitoba Department of Agriculture.
For agreements with provincial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.
Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name:
Operating name (if applicable):
2. Verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
First name:
Last name:
Title:
Preferred language of communication:
English
French
Mailing address (number and street):
City:
Province, territory or state:
Postal code or ZIP code:
Country:
Canada
United States
Email address:
Telephone number (including area code):
Extension number (if applicable):
The maximum number of characters is 10.
Fax number (including area code):
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Operational
Not currently operational
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons 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
Potatoes grown for sale this year
1. Are you growing any potatoes for sale this year?
Please report all planting intentions, if you have not completed your planting activities when completing this survey.
Yes
No
Area planted
2. What is the total area of potatoes planted in this crop year?
Please report for the entire operation. Report the area of potatoes planted on land owned or rented by all partners in the operation.
Please report all planting intentions, if you have not completed your planting activities when completing this survey.
Total area:
Unit of measure:
Acres
Hectares
Agricultural production
3. Which of the following agricultural products are currently being produced on this operation?
Select all that apply.
Field crops
Hay
Summerfallow
Potatoes
Fruit, berries and nuts
Vegetables
Sod
Nursery products
Greenhouse products
Cattle and calves
Include beef or dairy.
Pigs
Sheep and lambs
Mink
Fox
Hens and chickens
Turkeys
Maple taps
Honey bees
Mushrooms
Other
Specify agricultural products:
Not producing agricultural products
Area in crops
4. What area of this operation is used for the following crops?
Report the areas only once, even if used for more than one crop type.
Exclude land used by others.
What area of this operation is used for the following crops?
Area
Unit of measure
Field crops
Hay
Summerfallow
Potatoes
Fruit, berries and nuts
Vegetables
Sod
Nursery products
List of unit measures
Acres
Hectares
Arpents
Greenhouse area
5. What is the total area under glass, plastic or other protection used for growing plants?
Total area:
Unit of measure:
square feet
square metres
Livestock (excluding birds)
6. How many of the following animals are on this operation?
Report all animals on this operation, regardless of ownership, including those that are boarded, custom-fed or fed under contract.
Include all animals kept by this operation, regardless of ownership, that are pastured on a community pasture, grazing co-op or public land.
Exclude animals owned but kept on a farm, ranch or feedlot operated by someone else.
How many of the following animals are on this operation?
Number
Cattle and calves
Pigs
Sheep and lambs
Mink
Fox
Birds
7. How many of the following birds are on this operation?
Report all poultry on this operation, regardless of ownership, including those grown under contract.
Include poultry for sale and poultry for personal use.
Exclude poultry owned but kept on an operation operated by someone else.
Report all poultry on this operation, regardless of ownership, including those grown under contract
Number
Hens and chickens
Turkeys
Maple taps
8. What was the total number of taps made on maple trees last spring?
Total number of taps:
Honey bees
9. How many live colonies of honey bees (used for honey production or pollination) are owned by this operation?
Include bees owned, regardless of location.
Number of colonies:
Mushrooms
10. What is the total mushroom growing area (standing footage) on this operation?
Include mushrooms grown using beds, trays, tunnels or logs.
Total area:
Unit of measure:
square feet
square metres
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?
This guide is designed to assist you as you complete the 2025 Biannual Livestock Survey. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.
Your answers are confidential.
Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which 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 information from this survey for statistical purposes.
When answering the questions, please include as of the reference day:
All livestock (cattle or calves, pigs, and/or sheep or lambs) on your operation regardless of ownership, including livestock custom fed, fed under contract for others, and livestock pastured.
All livestock owned by the operator and held on Crown land, community pastures, and grazing projects.
Please do not report livestock (cattle or calves, pigs, and/or sheep or lambs) which are owned by you but kept on a farm, ranch or feedlot operated by someone else.
Definitions
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.
Current main activity of the business or organization
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 unit(s) targeted by this questionnaire only, 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.
Livestock: inclusions and exclusions
Include all livestock on your operation as of the reference day, regardless of ownership, including livestock pastured, custom fed or fed under contract for others.
Include all livestock owned by the operator and held on Crown land, community pastures and grazing projects.
Exclude livestock which are owned by you but kept on a farm, ranch, or feedlot operated by someone else.
Community pastures, grazing associations, Crown land: a community pasture or grazing reserve can be a federal, provincial or municipal land operated by a manager and rented to livestock producers for pasturing animals at a fixed fee per head. A co-operative grazing association is a group of people who usually incorporate and rent or lease land for a common grazing area.
Note: forest reserves fall under the category of grazing reserve. Crown land is land owned by the government (municipal, provincial or federal) and generally managed by the government. Crown land does not necessarily have to be used for the purpose of grazing livestock, although grazing does take place on Crown land, particularly in British Columbia.
Fed under contract / custom feeding: livestock are fed under a pre-arranged agreement with a company (for example, feed mill) or another producer to feed the cattle or hogs to market weight. Usually the "feed" operator owns the buildings and supplies the labour but does not own the livestock.
Feedlot (cattle): feedlots are operations where livestock are fattened for market. A feedlot operation may own the animals, or may feed them for other operators for a fee, or both. Note: feedlots are more applicable to cattle.
Feeding and finishing operations (pigs): feeding and finishing operations are applicable to pigs. Hog feeding and finishing operations are operations in which hogs are fed to market weight. Usually there are no breeding sows or boars in these operations other than those culled from a breeding herd, being fattened for slaughter.
Slaughtered for own consumption: if there are any livestock (cattle, hogs, or sheep) which will be slaughtered for personal consumption, include that livestock in inventory counts. For example, if a dairy operator has one pig which will be slaughtered for personal consumption, include this pig in inventory counts.
Cattle and calves
Bulls: male cattle which have not been castrated, 1 year and over, which are or will be kept for breeding purposes or for slaughter.
Steers: castrated male cattle, 1 year and over, being fed for slaughter.
Heifers: female cattle over 1 year old which have never calved, used (or to be used) for breeding or fed for slaughter.
Cow: female cattle which have calved at least once, being used for the production of dairy or for the reproduction of beef calves. Include "first calf heifers".
Calves: cattle of either sex, under 1 year old.
Calving: a term used when referring to cattle, meaning to give birth.
Pigs
Boars: non-castrated male pigs, 6 months and older, used or to be used (or sold) for breeding purposes.
Bred gilts: female pigs which have never farrowed but which have been bred; they are intended for breeding purposes.
Farrowing: term used when referring to pigs, meaning "to give birth".
Feeders: market pigs that are 50 to 119 lb (23 to 53 kg) or 120 to 179 lb (54 to 81 kg). Note: sometimes referred to as grower pigs.
Finishers: market pigs over 179 lb (81 kg) which are being fed for slaughter.
Gilts: female pigs which have never farrowed and are intended for breeding. Gilts intended for breeding may or may not be bred. Note: gilts are younger than bred gilts.
Hog: a general term used to describe any type of pig.
Market pigs: consists of 'feeders (growers)' and 'finishers' which are over 50 lb (23 kg). The general term 'market pigs' is to differentiate from pigs for breeding.
Piglet: a general term used to describe a new born pig.
Slaughter hogs: pigs which are approximately 220 to 240 lb (100 to 110 kg) and are ready to be sold or slaughtered.
Sows: female pigs which have farrowed at least once.
Stillborn: born dead.
Suckling pigs: young pigs under 15 lb (7 kg), which have not been weaned.
Weaners, Weanling, Nursery or Starter: pigs of either sex, 15 to 49 lb (7 to 22 kg), which have recently been weaned.
Weaning: switching a young animal from mother's milk to another source of food.
Pigs - Farrowings
Total number of farrowings: this question is asking to report the total number of farrowings in the last 6 months. If a sow farrowed two times in the last 6 months this would be reported as two farrowings.
Average number of piglets born per litter: this question is asking to report the average number of piglets born per litter during the last 6 months. Some respondents interpret this to mean how many total piglets were born during the last six months. The data we are looking for is the average number of piglets born per sow. For example: If a respondent has 100 sows and each sow has 10 piglets born per litter. The correct response would be on average 10 piglets born per litter. Include piglets born alive and stillborn.
Total piglets born: this question is asking to report the total number of piglets born in the last 6 months. Total number of farrowings in the last 6 months multiplied by average number of piglets born per litter equals the total piglets born in the last 6 months. If the respondent is not able to report the total number of farrowings or average number of piglets born, the respondent should report the total number of piglets born in the last 6 months. Include piglets born alive and stillborn.
Sheep and lambs
Rams: non-castrated male sheep kept for breeding.
Ewes: female sheep kept for breeding.
Replacement lambs: replacement lambs are lambs that are being kept for breeding purposes. Include lambs born on the operation and lambs purchased from other sources. Also include lambs born and still located on the operation that will eventually be sold to other farms for breeding purposes.
Market lambs: market lambs are male or female lambs that are raised with the intent for slaughter.
This survey collects information on scientific activities of Canadian private non-profit organizations. The research and development expenditures and personnel information is used by federal, provincial and territorial governments and agencies, academics and international organizations for statistical analyses and policy purposes. These data also contribute to national totals of research and development activities. The payments and receipts information is used by these agencies to monitor knowledge flows across international borders and between Canadian organizations.
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, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The shared data will be limited to information on in-house research and development expenditures (Question 18) and in-house research and development personnel (Question 26) 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
For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The shared data will be limited to information on in-house research and development expenditures (Question 18) and in-house research and development personnel (Question 26) 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 if 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.
The operating name, which is different from the legal name, is a name the business or organization is commonly known as for day-to-day activities, and which is used to advertise and promote itself. 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 if 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
Reporting period
1. What is the end date of this organization's fiscal year?
Note: For this survey, this organization's fiscal year end date should fall on or before March 31, 2025.
Here are some examples of fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025
April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025
This fiscal year will be referred to as 2024 throughout the questionnaire.
Fiscal Year-End date:
Organization status
2. What is this organization's business number (e.g., GST number or charitable registration number)?
Business number (9-digit number):
3. Is this organization affiliated with a hospital, a university or a government agency or department?
Yes
No
4. In 2024, what were this organization's total expenditures within Canada?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
If precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Total expenditures represent the total budget for all operations of this organization in the fiscal period. If 'total expenditures' cannot be calculated, total funds (from members, government programs and all other sources of funds) or total revenues can be provided.
CAN$ '000:
5. In 2024, what were this organization's total wages and salaries within Canada?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
If precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
CAN$ '000:
6. In 2024, what was the average number of employees in full-time equivalents (FTE) within Canada for this organization?
If precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate in full-time equivalents (FTE).
Number of employees
The organization's personnel is composed of full-time and part-time employees.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) = Number of persons who work full-time for the organization + part-time workers.
Example calculation: If out of four employees, one works full-time for the organization and the remaining three devote only one quarter of their working time to the organization, then: FTE = 1 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1.75 employees.
In-house research and development ( R&D ) expenditures
Before you begin
For this survey
"In-house R&D" refers to:
Expenditures within Canada for R&D performed within this organization by:
employees (permanent, temporary or casual)
self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organization's R&D projects.
"Payments for R&D performed by other organizations" refers to:
Payments made within or outside Canada to other organizations, individuals or companies to fund R&D performance:
grants
fellowships
contracts.
In-house research and development ( R&D ) expenditures
7. In 2024, did this organization have expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Exclude payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13.
In-house refers to R&D which is performed on-site or within the organization's establishment. Exclude R&D expenses performed by other companies or organizations. A later question will collect these data.
Research and experimental development ( R&D ) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge.
R&D is performed in the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. There are three types of R&D activities: basic research, applied research and experimental development.
Research work in the social sciences
Include if projects are employing new or significantly different modelling techniques or developing new formulae, analyzing data not previously available or applying new research techniques, development of community strategies for disease prevention or health education.
Exclude:
routine analytical projects using standard techniques and existing data
routine market research
routine statistical analysis intended for on-going monitoring of an activity.
Yes
No
8. In 2024, what were this organization's expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Exclude payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
In-house R&D expenditures are composed of current in-house R&D expenditures and capital in-house R&D expenditures.
Current in-house R&D expenditures
Include:
wages, salaries, benefits and fringe benefits, materials and supplies
services to support R&D, including on-site R&D consultants and contractors
necessary background literature
minor scientific equipment
associated administrative overhead costs.
a. Wages, salaries of permanent, temporary and casual R&D employees
Include benefits and fringe benefits of employees engaged in R&D activities. Benefits and fringe benefits include bonus payments, holiday or vacation pay, pension fund contributions, other social security payments, payroll taxes, etc.
b. Services to support R&D
Include:
payments to on-site R&D consultants and contractors working under the direct control of your organization
other services including indirect services purchased to support in-house R&D such as security, storage, repair, maintenance and use of buildings and equipment
computer services, software licensing fees and dissemination of R&D findings.
c. R&D materials
Include:
water, fuel, gas and electricity
materials for creation of prototypes
reference materials (books, journals, etc.)
subscriptions to libraries and data bases, memberships to scientific societies, etc.
cost of outsourced (contracted out or granted) small R&D prototypes or R&D models
materials for laboratories (chemicals, animal, etc.)
all other R&D-related materials.
d. All other current R&D costs including overhead
Include administrative and overhead costs (e.g., office, post and telecommunications, internet, insurance), prorated if necessary to allow for non- R&D activities within the business.
Exclude:
interest charges
value-added taxes (goods and services tax (GST) or harmonized sales tax (HST)).
Capital in-house expenditures are the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly, or continuously in the performance of R&D for more than one year. Report capital in-house expenditures in full for the period when they occurred.
Include costs for software, land, buildings and structures, equipment, machinery and other capital costs.
Exclude capital depreciation.
e. Software
Include applications and systems software (original, customized and off-the-shelf software), supporting documentation and other software-related acquisitions.
f. Land acquired for R&Dincluding testing grounds, sites for laboratories and pilot plants.
g. Buildings and structures that are constructed or purchased for R&D activities or that have undergone major improvements, modifications, renovations and repairs for R&D activities.
h. Equipment, machinery and all other capital
Include major equipment, machinery and instruments, including embedded software, acquired for R&D activities.
In 2024, what were this organization's expenditures for R&D performed in-house
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
CAN$ '000
2024 - Current in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
a. Wages, salaries of permanent, temporary and casual R&D employees
Include fringe benefits.
b. Services to support R&D
Include services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this business's R&D projects.
Exclude contracted out or granted expenditures to other organizations to perform R&D (report in question 9).
c. R&D materials
d. All other current R&D costs
Include overhead costs.
2024 - Total current in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
2024 - Capital in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
e. Software
Exclude capital depreciation.
f. Land
Exclude capital depreciation.
g. Buildings and structures
Exclude capital depreciation.
h. Equipment, machinery and all other capital
Exclude capital depreciation.
2024 - Total capital in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
2024 - Total in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
9. In 2025 and 2026, does this organization plan to make expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Exclude payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 15.
Select all that apply.
Help text:
In-house R&D expenditures are composed of current in-house R&D expenditures and capital in-house R&D expenditures.
Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge.
Inclusions
Prototypes
Include design, construction and operation of prototypes, provided that the primary objective is to make further improvements or to undertake technical testing.
Exclude if the prototype is for commercial purposes.
Pilot plants
Include construction and operation of pilot plants, provided that the primary objective is to make further improvements or to undertake technical testing.
Exclude if the pilot plant is intended to be operated for commercial purposes.
New computer software or significant improvements/modifications to existing computer software
Includes technological or scientific advances in theoretical computer sciences; operating systems e.g., improvement in interface management, developing new operating system of converting an existing operating system to a significantly different hardware environment; programming languages; and applications if a significant technological change occurs.
Contracts
Include all contracts which require R&D. For contracts which include other work, report only the R&D costs.
Research work in the social sciences
Include if projects are employing new or significantly different modelling techniques or developing new formulae, analyzing data not previously available or applying new research techniques.
Exclusions
Routine analysis in the social sciences including policy-related studies, management studies and efficiency studies
Exclude analytical projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies, principles and models of the related social sciences to bear on a particular problem (e.g., commentary on the probable economic effects of a change in the tax structure, using existing economic data; use of standard techniques in applied psychology to select and classify industrial and military personnel, students, etc., and to test children with reading or other disabilities).
Consumer surveys, advertising, market research
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended for commercialization of the results of R&D.
Routine quality control and testing
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies not intended to create new knowledge, even if carried out by personnel normally engaged in R&D.
Pre-production activities such as demonstration of commercial viability, tooling up, trial production, trouble shooting
Although R&D may be required as a result of these steps, these activities are excluded.
Prospecting, exploratory drilling, development of mines, oil or gas wells
Include only if for R&D projects concerned with new equipment or techniques in these activities, such as in-situ and tertiary recovery research.
Engineering
Exclude engineering unless it is in direct support of R&D.
Design and drawing
Exclude design and drawing unless it is in direct support of R&D.
Patent and licence work
Exclude all administrative and legal work connected with patents and licences.
Cosmetic modifications or style changes to existing products
Exclude if no significant technical improvement or modification to the existing products has occurred.
General purpose or routine data collection
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended for on-going monitoring of an activity.
Routine computer programming, systems maintenance or software application
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended to support on-going operations.
Routine mathematical or statistical analysis or operations analysis
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended for on-going monitoring of an activity.
Activities associated with standards compliance
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended to support standards compliance.
Specialized routine medical care such as routine pathology services
Exclude projects of a routine nature, with established methodologies intended for on-going monitoring of an activity.
Response text:
In 2025
In 2026
No planned in-house R&D expenditures
10. In 2025, what are this organization's planned expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Exclude payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 15.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
If precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
In 2025, what are this organization's planned expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.>
CAN$ '000
a. 2025 - Total current in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
b. 2025 - Total capital in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
11. In 2026, what are this organization's planned expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Exclude payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 15.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
If precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
In 2026, what are this organization's planned expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
CAN$ '000
a. 2026 - Total current in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
b. 2026 - Total capital in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
Payments for R&D performed by other organizations
12. In 2024, did this organization make payments to other organizations to perform R&D within Canada or outside Canada?
Include:
funding or grants provided to other organizations to perform R&D
contracted out expenditures for R&D.
Exclude services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organization's R&D projects, which should be reported in question 8.
Select all that apply.
Within Canada
Outside Canada
No payment made to others to perform R&D
13. In 2024, what were this organization's R&D payments to other organizations within Canada or outside Canada?
Include:
funding or grants provided to other organizations to perform R&D
contracted out expenditures for R&D.
Exclude services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organization's R&D projects, which should be reported in question 8.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
Include payments made through contracts, grants, donations and fellowships to another company, organization or individual to purchase or fund R&D activities.
Exclude expenditures for on-site R&D contractors.
Companies include all incorporated for-profit businesses and government business enterprises providing products in the market at market rates.
Private non-profit organizations include voluntary health organizations, private philanthropic foundations, associations and societies and research institutes. They are not-for-profit organizations that serve the public interest by supporting activities related to public welfare (such as health, education, the environment).
Industrial research institutes or associations include all non-profit organizations that serve the business sector, with industrial associations frequently consisting of their membership.
Federal government includes all federal government departments and agencies. It excludes federal government business enterprises providing products in the market.
Provincial or territorial governments include all provincial or territorial government ministries, departments and agencies. It excludes provincial or territorial government business enterprises providing products in the market.
Provincial or territorial research organizations are organizations created under provincial or territorial law which conduct or facilitate research on behalf of the province or territory.
Other organizations - individuals, non-university educational institutions, foreign governments including ministries, departments and agencies of foreign governments.
In 2024, what were this organization's outsourced (contracted out or granted) R&D expenditures within Canada or outside Canada?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Within Canada
CAN$ '000
Outside Canada
CAN$ '000
a. Companies
b. Private non-profit organizations
c. Industrial research institutes or associations
d. Hospitals
e. Universities
f. Federal government departments and agencies
g. Provincial or territorial government departments, ministries and agencies
h. Provincial or territorial research organizations
i. Other organizations
e.g., individuals, non-university educational institutions, foreign governments
2024 - Total outsourced (contracted out or granted) R&D expenditures
14. In 2025 and 2026, does this organization plan to make payments to other organizations to perform R&D?
Include:
funding or grants provided to other organizations to perform R&D
contracted out expenditures for R&D.
Exclude services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organization's R&D projects, which should be reported in questions 10 and 11.
Select all that apply.
In 2025
In 2026
No planned payments to others to perform R&D
15. In 2025 and 2026, what are this organization's planned payments to other organizations to perform R&D within Canada or outside Canada?
Include:
funding or grants provided to other organizations to perform R&D
contracted out expenditures for R&D.
Exclude services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organization's R&D projects, which should be reported in questions 10 and 11.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
Include payments made through contracts, grants, donations and fellowships to another company, organization or individual to purchase or fund R&D activities.
Exclude services of self-employed individuals or contractors who are working on-site on this organisation's R&D projects, which should have been reported earlier in the section "In-house research and development (R&D) expenditures".
In 2025 and 2026, what are this organization's planned outsourced (contracted out or granted) R&D expenditures within Canada or outside Canada?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Within Canada
CAN$ '000
Outside Canada
CAN$ '000
a. 2025
b. 2026
Summary of R&D expenditures from 2024 to 2026
16. In-house and Outsourced (contracted out or granted) R&D expenditures from 2024 to 2026
16. Summary of total R&D expenditures from 2024 to 2025
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
2024
CAN$ '000
2025
CAN$ '000
2026
CAN$ '000
Total current in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
Total capital in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
Total in-house R&D expenditures within Canada
Total outsourced (contracted out or granted) R&D expenditures
Total R&D expenditures
Geographic distribution of in-house R&D expenditures within Canada in 2024
17. In 2024, in which provinces or territories did this organization have expenditures for R&D performed in-house?
Exclude:
payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13
capital depreciation.
Select all that apply.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
18. In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house distributed by province or territory?
Exclude:
payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13
capital depreciation.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
For in-house R&D activities on federal lands, please include in the closest province or territory.
In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house distributed by province or territory?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Current in-house R&D expenditures
CAN$ '000
Capital in-house R&D expenditures
CAN$ '000
a. Newfoundland and Labrador
b. Prince Edward Island
c. Nova Scotia
d. New Brunswick
e. Quebec
f. Ontario
g. Manitoba
h. Saskatchewan
i. Alberta
j. British Columbia
k. Yukon
l. Northwest Territories
m. Nunavut
2024 - Total current and capital in-house R&D expenditures
2024 - Total current and capital in-house R&D expenditures previously reported from question 4
Sources of funds for in-house R&D expenditures in 2024
19. In 2024, what were the sources of funds for this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house?
Include Canadian and foreign sources.
Exclude:
payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13
capital depreciation.
Select all that apply.
Help text:
Funds from this organization
Amount contributed by this organization to R&D performed within Canada (include interest payments and other income).
Federal government grants or funding
Funds from the federal government in support of R&D activities not connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Federal government contracts
Funds from the federal government in support of R&D activities connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Provincial or territorial government grants or funding
Funds from the provincial or territorial government in support of R&D activities not connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Provincial or territorial government contracts
Funds from the provincial or territorial government in support of R&D activities connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
R&D contract work for private non-profit organizations
Funds received from non-profit organizations to perform R&D on their behalf.
Other sources
Funds received from all other sources not previously classified.
Response text:
Funds from this organization
Include interest payments, fundraising and other income.
Companies
Federal government grants or funding
Include R&D grants or funding or R&D portion only of other grants or funding.
Federal government contracts
Include R&D contracts or R&D portion only of other contracts.
Provincial or territorial government grants or funding
From which province or territory did this organization receive provincial or territorial government R&D grants or funding?
Select all that apply.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Provincial or territorial government contracts
From which province or territory did this organization receive provincial or territorial government R&D contracts?
20. In 2024, what were the sources of funds for this organization's total expenditures of [amount] for R&D performed in-house?
Exclude:
payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13
capital depreciation.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
Funds from this organization
Amount contributed by this unit to R&D performed within Canada (include interest payments and other income).
Federal government grants or funding
Funds from the federal government in support of R&D activities not connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Federal government contracts
Funds from the federal government in support of R&D activities connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Provincial or territorial government grants or funding
Funds from the provincial or territorial government in support of R&D activities not connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
Provincial or territorial government contracts
Funds from the provincial or territorial government in support of R&D activities connected to a specific contractual deliverable.
R&D contract work for private non-profit organizations
Funds received from non-profit organizations to perform R&D on their behalf.
Other sources
Funds received from all other sources not previously classified.
In 2024, what were the sources of funds for this organization's total expenditures of [amount] for R&D performed in-house?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
From within Canada
CAN$ '000
From outside Canada
CAN$ '000
a. Funds from this organization
Include interest payments, fundraising and other income.
b. Companies
c. Federal government grants or funding
Include R&D grants or funding or R&D portion only of other grants or funding.
d. Federal government contracts
Include R&D contracts or R&D portion only of other contracts.
Provincial or territorial government grants or funding
e. Newfoundland and Labrador
f. Prince Edward Island
g. Nova Scotia
h. New Brunswick
i. Quebec
j. Ontario
k. Manitoba
l. Saskatchewan
m. Alberta
n. British Columbia
o. Yukon
p. Northwest Territories
q. Nunavut
Provincial or territorial government contracts
r. Newfoundland and Labrador
s. Prince Edward Island
t. Nova Scotia
u. New Brunswick
v. Quebec
w. Ontario
x. Manitoba
y. Saskatchewan
z. Alberta
aa. British Columbia
ab. Yukon
ac. Northwest Territories
ad. Nunavut
Private non-profit organizations
ae. Organization 1
GST number (9-digit business number (BN) or charitable registration number):
Organization name:
af. Organization 2
GST number (9-digit business number (BN) or charitable registration number):
Organization name:
ag. Organization 3
GST number (9-digit business number (BN) or charitable registration number):
Organization name:
ah. Other sources
e.g., universities, foreign governments, individuals
2024 - Total in-house R&D expenditures by sources of funds by origin
2024 - Total in-house R&D expenditures (Canadian and foreign sources)
Total in-house R&D expenditures previously reported from question 8
Fields of research and development for in-house R&D expenditures within Canada in 2024
21. In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures of [amount] for R&D performed in-house within Canada distributed by fields of research and development?
Exclude:
payments for R&D performed by others (e.g., funding, grants or contracted out R&D expenditures), which should be reported in question 13
capital depreciation.
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '0' for no R&D expenditures.
Fields of research and development
Medical and health sciences
Basic medicine
Anatomy and morphology (plant science under Biological science), human genetics, immunology, neurosciences, pharmacology and pharmacy and medicinal chemistry, toxicology, physiology and cytology, pathology.
Clinical medicine
Andrology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiac and cardiovascular systems, haematology, anaesthesiology, orthopaedics, radiology and nuclear medicine, dentistry, oral surgery and medicine, dermatology, venereal diseases and allergy, rheumatology, endocrinology and metabolism and gastroenterology, urology and nephrology and oncology.
Health sciences
Health care sciences and nursing, nutrition and dietetics, infectious diseases and epidemiology, parasitology and occupational health.
Medical biotechnology
Health-related biotechnology, technologies involving the manipulation of cells, tissues, organs or the whole organism, technologies involving identifying the functioning of DNA, proteins and enzymes, pharmacogenomics, gene-based therapeutics, biomaterials (related to medical implants, devices, sensors).
Other medical sciences
Forensic science and other medical sciences.
Natural and formal sciences
mathematics
physical sciences
chemical sciences
earth and related environmental sciences
biological sciences
other natural sciences.
Engineering and technology
civil engineering
electrical engineering, electronic engineering and communications technology
mechanical engineering
chemical engineering
materials engineering
medical engineering
environmental engineering
environmental biotechnology
industrial biotechnology
nanotechnology
other engineering and technologies.
Software-related sciences and technologies
software engineering and technology
computer sciences
information technology and bioinformatics.
Agricultural sciences
agriculture, forestry and fisheries sciences
animal and dairy sciences
veterinary sciences
agricultural biotechnology
other agricultural sciences.
Social sciences and humanities
psychology
educational sciences
economics and business
other social sciences
humanities.
In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures of [amount] for R&D performed in-house within Canada distributed by fields of research and development?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
CAN$ '000
Medical and health sciences
a. Basic medicine
b. Clinical medicine
c. Health sciences
d. Medical biotechnology
e. Other medical sciences
Total medical and health sciences
Other fields of research and development
f. Natural and formal sciences
g. Engineering and technology
h. Software-related sciences and technologies
i. Agricultural sciences
j. Social sciences and humanities
2024 - Total in-house R&D expenditures within Canada by field of research and development
Total in-house R&D expenditures previously reported from question 8
Nature of R&D for in-house R&D expenditures within Canada in 2024
22. In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures of [amount] for R&D performed in-house within Canada distributed by nature of R&D?
Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
Applied research is original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.
Experimental development is systematic work, drawing on existing knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes.
(OECD. Frascati Manual: Proposed Standard for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, 2015)
In 2024, how were this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house within Canada of $ [Amount] distributed by nature of R&D?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Percentage of total in-house R&D expenditures
a. Basic research
b. Applied research
c. Experimental development
Total percentage
Total should equal 100%
Results of R&D expenditures from 2022 to 2024
23. During the three (3) years 2022, 2023 and 2024, did this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house and payments for R&D made within Canada or outside Canada lead to new or significant improvements to the following?
Goods
Goods developed through new knowledge from research discoveries include determination of effectiveness of existing treatment protocols, establishment of new treatment protocols (including diagnostic procedures, tests and protocols), and creation of new service delivery models and reference tools (including electronic applications).
During the three (3) years 2022, 2023 and 2024, did this organization's total expenditures for R&D performed in-house and outsourced (contracted out or granted) within Canada or outside Canada lead to new or significant improvements to the following?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Yes
No
a. Goods
Include goods developed through new knowledge from research discoveries
b. Services
Include on-going knowledge transfer to physicians, first responders, patients and the general public.
c. Methods of manufacturing or producing goods and services
d. Logistics, delivery or distribution methods for this organization's inputs, goods or services
e. Supporting activities for this organization's processes, such as maintenance systems or operations for purchasing, accounting or computing
In-house R&D personnel in 2024
24. In 2024, how many in-house R&D personnel within Canada did this organization have in the following R&D occupations?
If this organization is unable to provide a gender breakdown of FTEs, please leave the associated fields empty and report only the totals.
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
R&D may be carried out by persons who work solely on R&D projects or by persons who devote only part of their time to R&D, and the balance to other activities such as testing, quality control and production engineering. To arrive at the total effort devoted to R&D in terms of personnel, it is necessary to estimate the full-time equivalent of these persons working only part-time in R&D.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) = Number of persons who work solely on R&D projects + the time of persons working only part of their time on R&D.
Example calculation: If out of four scientists engaged in R&D work, one works solely on R&D projects and the remaining three devote only one quarter of their working time to R&D, then: FTE = 1 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1.75 scientists.
R&D personnel
Include:
permanent, temporary and casual R&D employees
independent on-site R&D consultants and contractors working in your organization's offices, laboratories, or other facilities
employees engaged in R&D -related support activities.
Researchers and research managers are composed of:
Scientists, social scientists, engineers and researchers are professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. They may be certified by provincial or territorial educational authorities, provincial, territorial or national scientific or engineering associations.
Senior research managers plan or manage R&D projects and programs. They may be certified by provincial or territorial educational authorities, provincial, territorial or national scientific or engineering associations.
R&D technical, administrative and support staff are composed of:
Technicians and technologists and research assistants are persons whose main tasks require technical knowledge and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences, humanities and the arts. They participate in R&D by performing scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts, operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers. They may be certified by provincial or territorial educational authorities, provincial, territorial or national scientific or engineering associations.
Other R&D technical, administrative support staff include skilled and unskilled craftsmen, and administrative, secretarial and clerical staff participating in R&D projects or directly associated with such projects.
On-site R&D consultants and contractors are individuals hired 1) to perform project-based work or to provide goods at a fixed or ascertained price or within a certain time or 2) to provide advice or services in a specialized field for a fee and, in both cases, work at the location specified and controlled by the contracting company or organization.
In 2024, how many in-house R&D personnel within Canada did this organization have in the following R&D occupations?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Male (FTEs)
Female (FTEs)
Another Gender (FTEs)
Total (FTEs)
Researchers and research managers
a. Scientists, social scientists, engineers and researchers
Include software developers and programmers.
b. Senior research managers
Total researchers and research managers
R&D technical, administrative and support staff
d. Technicians, technologists and research assistants
Include software technicians.
d. Other R&D technical, administrative and support staff
Total R&D technical, administrative and support staff
Other R&D occupations
e. On-site R&D consultants and contractors
Total in-house R&D personnel within Canada
25. Of this organization's total in-house R&D personnel reported above, what percentage performed software-related activities?
Software-related sciences and technologies
Software engineering and technology: computer software engineering, computer software technology and other related computer software engineering and technologies.
Computer sciences: computer science, artificial intelligence, cryptography and other related computer sciences.
Information technology and bioinformatics: information technology, informatics, bioinformatics, biomathematics and other related information technologies.
Percentage of software-related activities:
26. In 2024, how were the [amount] total in-house R&D personnel distributed by province or territory?
Please report in full-time equivalents (FTE).
R&D personnel
Include:
permanent, temporary and casual R&D employees
independent on-site R&D consultants and contractors working in your organization's offices, laboratories, or other facilities
employees engaged in R&D-related support activities.
Researchers and research managers are composed of:
Scientists, social scientists, engineers and researchers are professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. They may be certified by provincial or territorial educational authorities, provincial, territorial or national scientific or engineering associations.
Senior research managers plan or manage R&D projects and programs. They may be certified by provincial or territorial educational authorities, provincial, territorial or national scientific or engineering associations.
R&D technical, administrative and support staff are composed of:
Technicians and technologists and research assistants are persons whose main tasks require technical knowledge and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences, humanities and the arts. They participate in R&D by performing scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts, operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers. They may be certified by provincial educational authorities, provincial or national scientific or engineering associations.
Other R&D technical, administrative support staff include skilled and unskilled craftsmen, and administrative, secretarial and clerical staff participating in R&D projects or directly associated with such projects.
On-site R&D consultants and contractors are individuals hired 1) to perform project-based work or to provide goods at a fixed or ascertained price or within a certain time or 2) to provide advice or services in a specialized field for a fee and, in both cases, work at the location specified and controlled by the contracting company or organization.
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
R&D may be carried out by persons who work solely on R&D projects or by persons who devote only part of their time to R&D, and the balance to other activities such as testing, quality control and production engineering. To arrive at the total effort devoted to R&D in terms of personnel, it is necessary to estimate the full-time equivalent of these persons working only part-time in R&D.
FTE (full-time equivalent) = Number of persons who work solely on R&D projects + the time of persons working only part of their time on R&D.
Example calculation: If out of four scientists engaged in R&D work, one works solely on R&D projects and the remaining three devote only one quarter of their working time to R&D, then: FTE = 1 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1.75 scientists.
In 2024, how were the [Amount] total in-house R&D personnel distributed by province or territory?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Number of researchers and research managers
Number of R&D technical, administrative and support staff
Number of on-site R&D consultants and contractors
a. Newfoundland and Labrador
b. Prince Edward Island
c. Nova Scotia
d. New Brunswick
e. Quebec
f. Ontario
g. Manitoba
h. Saskatchewan
i. Alberta
j. British Columbia
k. Yukon
l. Northwest Territories
m. Nunavut
Total in-house R&D personnel within Canada
Total R&D personnel previously reported from question 24
Technology and technical assistance payments in 2024
27. In 2024, did this organization make or receive payments inside or outside Canada for the following technology and technical assistance?
Government grant giving the right to exclude others from making, using or selling an invention.
b. Copyright
Legal protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works, computer programs, performer's performances, sound recordings, and communication signals.
c. Trademark
A word, symbol or design, or combination of these, used to distinguish goods or services of one person or organization from those of others in the marketplace.
d. Industrial design
Legal protection against imitation of the shape, pattern, or ornamentation of an object.
e. Integrated circuit topography
Three-dimensional configurations of the elements and interconnections embodied in an integrated circuit product.
f. Original software
Computer programs and descriptive materials for both systems and applications. Original software can be created in-house or outsourced and includes packaged software with customization.
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
Packaged software purchased for organizational use and excludes software with customization.
h. Databases
Data files organized to permit effective access and use of the data.
In 2024, did this organization make or receive payments inside or outside Canada for the following technology and technical assistance?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Made Payments
Received Payments
Both made and received payments
Not applicable
a. Patents
b. Copyrights
c. Trademarks
d. Industrial designs
e. Integrated circuit topography
f. Original software
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
h. Databases
Useful life exceeding one year.
i. Other technology and technical assistance
Include technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how.
28. In 2024, how much did this organization pay to other organizations for technology and technical assistance?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Government grant giving the right to exclude others from making, using or selling an invention.
b. Copyright
Legal protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works, computer programs, performer's performances, sound recordings, and communication signals.
c. Trademark
A word, symbol or design, or combination of these, used to distinguish goods or services of one person or organization from those of others in the marketplace.
d. Industrial design
Legal protection against imitation of the shape, pattern, or ornamentation of an object.
e. Integrated circuit topography
Three-dimensional configurations of the elements and interconnections embodied in an integrated circuit product.
f. Original software
Computer programs and descriptive materials for both systems and applications. Original software can be created in-house or outsourced and includes packaged software with customization.
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
Packaged software purchased for organizational use and excludes software with customization.
h. Databases
Data files organized to permit effective access and use of the data.
In 2023, how much did this organization pay to other organizations for technology and technical assistance?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Payments made within Canada
CAN$ '000
Payments made outside Canada
CAN$ '000
Payments made to affiliated organizations
a. Patents
b. Copyrights
c. Trademarks
d. Industrial designs
e. Integrated circuit topography
f. Original software
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
h. Databases
Useful life exceeding one year.
i. Other technology and technical assistance
Include technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how.
Total payments made to members, affiliated companies or organizations
Payments made to other organizations, companies or individuals
j. Patents
k. Copyrights
l. Trademarks
m. Industrial designs
n. Integrated circuit topography
o. Original software
p. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
q. Databases
Useful life exceeding one year.
r. Other technology and technical assistance
Include technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how.
Total payments made to other organizations, companies or individuals
Total payments made to other organizations for technology and technical assistance
29. In 2024, how much did this organization receive from other organizations for technology and technical assistance?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Report '1' for payments received between $1 and $999.
Government grant giving the right to Exclude others from making, using or selling an invention.
b. Copyright
Legal protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works, computer programs, performer's performances, sound recordings, and communication signals.
c. Trademark
A word, symbol or design, or combination of these, used to distinguish goods or services of one person or organization from those of others in the marketplace.
d. Industrial design
Legal protection against imitation of the shape, pattern, or ornamentation of an object.
e. Integrated circuit topography
Three-dimensional configurations of the elements and interconnections embodied in an integrated circuit product.
f. Original software
Computer programs and descriptive materials for both systems and applications. Original software can be created in-house or outsourced and includes packaged software with customization.
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
Packaged software purchased for organizational use and excludes software with customization.
h. Databases
Data files organized to permit effective access and use of the data.
In 2024, how much did this organization pay to other organizations for technology and technical assistance?
Table summary
This table contains no data. It is an example of an empty data table used by respondents to provide data to Statistics Canada.
Payments made within Canada
CAN$ '000
Payments made outside Canada
CAN$ '000
Payments received from affiliated organizations
a. Patents
b. Copyrights
c. Trademarks
d. Industrial designs
e. Integrated circuit topography
f. Original software
g. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
h. Databases
Useful life exceeding one year.
i. Other technology and technical assistance
Include technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how.
Total payments made to members, affiliated companies or organizations
Payments made to other organizations, companies or individuals
j. Patents
k. Copyrights
l. Trademarks
m. Industrial designs
n. Integrated circuit topography
o. Original software
p. Packaged or off-the-shelf software
q. Databases
Useful life exceeding one year.
r. Other technology and technical assistance
Include technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how.
Total payments made to other organizations, companies or individuals
Total payments made to other organizations for technology and technical assistance
Statistics Canada engages in web-data extraction, also known as web scraping, which is a process by which information is gathered and copied from the Web using automated scripts or robots, for retrieval and analysis. As a result, we may visit the website for this organization to search for and compile additional information. The use of web scraping is part of a broader effort to reduce the response burden on organizations, as well as produce additional statistical indicators to ensure that our data remain accurate and relevant.
We will strive to ensure that the data collection does not interfere with the functionality of the website. Any data collected will be used by Statistics Canada for statistical and research purposes only, in accordance with the agency’s privacy and confidentiality mandate. All information collected by Statistics Canada is strictly protected.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Statistics Canada Client Services, toll-free at 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629) or by email at infostats@statcan.gc.ca - this link will open in a new window. Additional information about this survey can be found by selecting the following link: Information for survey participants (ISP)
Changes or events
31. 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.
Outsourcing of R&D project(s)
Initiation of new R&D project(s)
Completion of existing R&D project(s)
Major change in funding of R&D project(s) (loss of funding)
Major change in funding of R&D project(s) (increase in funding)
Organizational change that affected R&D activities (expansion, reduction, restructuring)
Economic change that affected R&D activities
Lack of availability of qualified R&D personnel
Other reason
Specify the other changes or events:
No changes or events
Contact person
32. 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
33. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
34. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
The purpose of this document is to provide a roadmap and operational guidelines to support the implementation of the Police-Reported Indigenous and Racialized Identity Data (PIRID) initiative through Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. It is specifically designed for senior police leadership within police services across the country to help guide them and their teams in developing a data collection and reporting program that is tailored to their specific needs and limitations while aligning with those of other police services across the country.
On July 15, 2020, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) released a joint statement announcing their commitment to work on the collection of data on the Indigenous and racialized identity of all victims and accusedFootnote 1 persons as they pertain to criminal incidents through the UCR Survey (Statistics Canada, 2020). This commitment was further strengthened when the CACP passed Resolution 2021-03: Collection of Indigenous and Racialized Identity Data Via the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey at their 2021 Annual General Meeting, calling on federal, provincial and territorial justice and public safety ministers to support national standards for reporting these identities. Statistics Canada was designated as the lead agency in engaging partners, including Indigenous and racialized community organizations, to establish these standards (Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 2021).
Following extensive engagements conducted by Statistics Canada (see Part 5), this document was developed to synthesize the key elements required for the successful operationalization of an identity-based data collection initiative. This document includes the key areas for police services to consider when launching such an initiative, namely (1) community engagement, (2) legislative and regulatory considerations, (3) education and awareness or training, (4) data standards, and (5) data analysis and dissemination. The document provides opportunities for police services to develop local data collection initiatives that incorporate local contexts and specific processes while aligning with a national perspective.
A Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) special purpose committee was launched to support the development of this document. For more information on this collaboration between Statistics Canada and the CACP, and the development of this document, see Part 2.
Police services across Canada are administered by different levels of government; have varying mandates, priorities and resourcing; and are therefore, in many ways, as diverse as the communities they serve. Moreover, significant strides have been made by some police services in Canada to begin collecting Indigenous and racialized identity data ("race-based data"), whereas others are anticipating initiating similar endeavors in the foreseeable futureFootnote 2. As such, any guidelines and recommendations developed at the national level for the collection of Indigenous and racialized identity information must consider the specific characteristics, existing relationships and nuances of the policing organizations and the communities they serve. It must also account for, and align with, ongoing collection efforts by police services. As such, from a national standpoint, this document aims to present standards and guidelines for the uniform collection of Indigenous and racialized identity data, avoiding a "one-size-fits-all" model. It builds on the work already underway in some police jurisdictions while bearing in mind the many jurisdictions that are looking toward developing a data collection initiative.
This initiative is not aimed at overseeing or evaluating individual police officers, nor does it intend to target Indigenous and racialized communities for policing or enforcement purposes.
This document was developed in collaboration with and is endorsed by the CACP.
How to use this document
Recognizing that all police services have different realities based on staff, budget, technology and other capacities, each police service's data collection initiative will likely look different. Further, given that work is already underway within certain jurisdictions to collect Indigenous and racialized identity data, we recognize that some jurisdictions, driven by legal (e.g., the Government of Ontario's Anti-Racism Act and Police Use of Force Race-Based Data) and organizational (e.g., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Race-Based Data Collection Initiative) mandates, may have developed documentation and operational guidelines for collecting Indigenous and racialized identity data and may be further along than those without such legislative or organizational drivers. As such, the standards and guidelines presented in this document are intended to complement and support, not replace, existing efforts to collect such data or any legal authorities, provincial standards or local policies that set out how police services are expected to operationalize and use the data collected in their jurisdictions. This document offers general guidelines for engaging in this initiative while recognizing that police services may adapt and implement them according to their local context and capacity. It is important to note that the UCR Survey includes standardized categories for reporting racialized and Indigenous identities. However, police services have the flexibility to choose the data collection mode they want to implement: officer perception, self-identification, or both.
For the reasons above, some police services may use every component of the guidelines presented within this document, while others may reference only specific sections. Police services' use of these standard guidelines should be considered alongside any local or provincial standards, statutes, policies and directives that apply. Police services should work with their legal services and privacy professionals to determine the applicable authorities and governance for their collection, management, security classification and use of the data.
This document is organized in five main parts, each with integrated reference indexes linking to relevant sections. The operational guidelines are in Part 3 and are organized into the following five key sections:
Community engagement: Outlines strategies and best practices for involving Indigenous and racialized communities in decision making related to data collection, reporting and analysis.
Legislative and regulatory: Provides considerations and guidance on complying with legislative requirements and managing data securely.
Education and awareness: Addresses effective training programs and materials to enhance data collection practices.
Data standards: Provides guidelines for technical aspects of data collection, ensuring consistency and accuracy in reporting.
Data analysis and dissemination: Outlines the frameworks and guidelines for analyzing and interpreting data and for effective dissemination.
Police services may determine their needs and identify the sections of this document that are most relevant to their jurisdictional context and capabilities while still supporting alignment with a national visionFootnote 3.
Operational Definitions
This section outlines definitions of key concepts relevant to the collection and analysis of Indigenous and racialized identity data collection through the UCR Survey.
Police-reported crime: Any reporting of a criminal incident to a police service. These are recorded through the UCR Survey.
Officer perception data: In jurisdictions where the officer perception data collection method is adopted, this refers to an officer's best assessment of an individual's Indigenous and racialized identity based on their observation of a person's appearance (i.e., physical attributes, clothing, etc.) and any other information known to the officer at the time of the interaction. Perception may vary across officers and over time for the same individual.
Self-identification data: In jurisdictions where the self-identification data collection method is adopted, this refers to how an individual may choose to self-identify in response to being asked their Indigenous or racialized identity. Self-identification may be based on many factors personal to the individual, such as history, family, community and culture, and reflect their preferences and experiences. A person's self-identification may not be identical to how they are perceived by others and can change over time.
Indigenous: The term "Indigenous" refers to an individual's identification with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, namely First Nations people, Métis or Inuit.Footnote 4
Racialized: The "racialized group" concept is derived from the "visible minority" concept. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour".
The collection of Indigenous and racialized identity information through the UCR Survey follows Statistics Canada's standardized population group categories.Footnote 5 At Statistics Canada, a population group refers to whether a person reports being White, South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, Japanese or another population group. These specific groups are the mark-in categories used in a question that collects data on the racialized population. While this document will use the terms "racialized identity" and "self-identification", the population group variable and its derivations should not be considered a measure of self-identification but rather a reporting measure. Given the wording of the population group question, as well as elements such as individual perception and the response categories based on the Employment Equity Act it should be noted that what respondents report may not align with how they self-identify in everyday life. Statistics Canada's population group standard was chosen as the proxy for measuring Indigenous and racialized identity through PIRID, given that consistent and comparable data were often cited as a fundamental issue. This method provides a foundation for common categories across Statistics Canada surveys and products and across most of the Canadian criminal justice system data.
Police services and other agencies may use the term "race" to refer to the social construct that involves categorizing people into groups based on phenotypes (i.e., skin colour, hair colour and texture) and other attributes that have tangible impacts on a person's experience, outcomes, treatment and benefits (European Commission 2021; British Columbia Ministry of Citizens' Services 2023; Statistics Canada 2024a).
Within this document, and the project more broadly, Statistics Canada uses the term "racialized" separately from Indigenous to recognize the unique historical, political and legal contexts and experiences of the Indigenous peoples of Canada and to acknowledge that they may not define themselves as racialized, but rather as peoples or nations (Ontario Human Rights Commission 2018).
Part 2: Building a national data collection and reporting strategy: PIRID
Background
In recent years, demands have been increasing for better disaggregated data on people's diverse experiences as part of a response to problems of social inequities, discrimination and systemic racism within Canadian society (Canadian Heritage 2019; Canadian Race Relations Foundation 2020; David and Mitchell 2021; Government of Ontario 2021 ; Millar and Owusu-Bempah 2011; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 2015a; Canadian Medical Association 2024). Systemic racism is relevant in many sectors across Canada, including policing, and occurs when institutions or systems maintain racial inequity because of hidden institutional biases in policies, practices and procedures (Ontario Government 2018; McKay 2021). Such detailed information is crucial for improving our understanding of these issues but also for informing evidence-based policies; assisting in the development of goals and benchmarks to monitor progress; and assessing the effectiveness of programs, services and initiatives.
Moreover, growing concerns about the disparate treatment of Indigenous and racialized peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system revealed important gaps in the availability of disaggregated data (Canadian Race Relations Foundation 2020; David and Mitchell 2021; Millar and Owusu-Bempah 2011; Samuels-Wortley 2021). Accurate data on the Indigenous and racialized identities of accused individuals and victims are essential for understanding and addressing the disproportionate involvement of certain groups in the criminal justice system (David and Mitchell 2021; Wortley 1999).
Although this initiative focuses solely on police-reported criminal incidents, it endeavours to improve the understanding of Indigenous and racialized peoples' experiences in, and with, the criminal justice system, starting at the entry point to the system—the police. The focus is on systemic issues, rather than on evaluating individual officers or targeting specific communities. Put another way, this initiative is not intended to oversee or evaluate individual police officers, nor to target Indigenous and racialized communities for policing or enforcement purposes. Instead, its goal is to provide deeper insights into the experiences of Indigenous and racialized people within the Canadian criminal justice system, thereby shedding more light on systemic issues of racism, discrimination and inequity.
In response to such calls, Statistics Canada and the CACP began a collaborative initiative to collect data through the UCR Survey on the Indigenous and racialized identities of victims and accused persons as they pertain to criminal incidents. The PIRID initiative, launched in 2020, established a national collection standard of quantitative data from police agencies to examine and address systemic issues of racism, discrimination and inequity within the Canadian criminal justice system.
Police-reported data on the Indigenous and racialized identity of victims and accused persons through the UCR Survey can help:
highlight disparities and inequities in police-reported crime;
set benchmarks and evaluate the effectiveness of policies and programs;
address biases and systemic racism within the criminal justice system;
provide evidence for policy development and community research;
improve policing outcomes and community relations;
support police-initiated research initiatives on the factors that contribute to disparate outcomes for racialized versus non-racialized groups.
Through multiple rounds of consultative engagement with police services and police representative bodies, several important operational concerns, questions and considerations were raised about the practical operationalization of data collection and reporting by police (Statistics Canada 2022a; What We Heard Report). Accordingly, one of the recommendations developed within the PIRID initiative was for the CACP to work with Statistics Canada and other interested parties to establish national collection standards and guidelines that will integrate with police procedures, processes and workflows (see What We Heard Report).
Statistics Canada's role
As the national statistical agency, Statistics Canada operates under the Statistics Act. This federal legislation empowers Statistics Canada to collect, compile and publish statistical information used by governments, businesses, researchers and the general public to understand Canada's demographic, social and economic realities.
Although Statistics Canada does not have the legal authority to mandate original data collection by police services, it acquires police-reported data on criminal incidents under its legislative authority via the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR) (see Text box 1). For police services opting to collect Indigenous and racialized identity data in relation to criminal incidents, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police are committed to supporting these goals through the police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data initiative and this operational guidelines document. Accordingly, Statistics Canada aims to ensure consistent and standardized data collection across the country.
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Special Purpose Committee on the Collection of Indigenous and Racialized Identity Data Through the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
Endorsed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) Board of Directors, the special purpose committee (SPC) consists of over 40 members from across different police services of different sizes, and from different regions, and other policing and non-policing CACP representatives.
The SPC held its first meeting in September 2023 to create a plan for achieving its mandate. The work of the SPC was supported by five working groups established to bring together experts from across the participating police services and CACP committees. Working group participants had a range of experience and expertise, including front line policing, policing for Indigenous and racialized communities, outreach and engagement, records management systems or technical expertise, standards development, training, research and analysis and working on equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. The committee was co-chaired by a CACP representative (Peterborough Police Service) and Statistics Canada (Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics). The working groups met independently from the SPC to develop drafts of the sub-sections of the operational guidelines presented in Part 3, and reported their progress to the SPC.
This document is a culmination of guidelines, recommendations and best practices, along with additional resources, curated by the members of the working groups, with support and advice from their member representatives from the SPC. The document has been endorsed by the CACP Board of Directors.
Operational guidelines: Why do we need them?
This document will assist police services in establishing, augmenting or refining their Indigenous and racialized identity data collection initiatives. It provides guidelines, recommendations, best practices, resources, and tools to ensure these initiatives align with national standards and results in compatible data. To develop these guidelines, Statistics Canada engaged with police services, community organizations, academics and other interested parties (see What We Heard Report). Their feedback, summarized in the following five key themes, forms the basis of the operational guidelines presented in Part 3:
community engagement
legislative and regulatory considerations
education and awareness, including training
data standards and systems changes
data analysis and dissemination.
Many police services are interested in collecting Indigenous and racialized identity data for a wider range of police interactions than those currently covered by the UCR Survey, which focuses on criminal incidents (see Text box 1). These operational guidelines were developed to ensure consistency and support for these efforts. Police agencies are encouraged to explore how these guidelines can be applied to data collection in situations beyond the scope of the UCR Survey (see What We Heard Report).
Changes and updates to the uniform crime reporting survey and Records Management System
As of February 13, 2024, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics was ready to receive Indigenous and racialized identity data through a new version of the UCR Survey (UCR 2.5).
Based on feedback received through Statistics Canada engagements, the UCR Survey was updated to meet two key PIRID recommendations (see What We Heard Report):
Recommendation 1: The collection of information on the Indigenous and racialized identity of accused persons and victims of crimes through the UCR Survey should be conducted through the "officer perception" method, the "self-identification" method or both.
Recommendation 2: The collection of information on the Indigenous and racialized identity of accused persons and victims of crimes through the UCR Survey be conducted using Statistics Canada's standardized population group categories for the "self-identification" and the "officer perception" methods.
Changes deployed in UCR 2.5 allow police services that adopt this version to have the flexibility to report the Indigenous and racialized identity of individuals, regardless of the method of collection by police (whether officer perception, self-identification or both).
The UCR v2.5 uses the Statistics Canada population group categories (see Appendix A for variable names and codes). The changes to the survey include the addition of new variables to the victim (VIC) file and the charged/suspect-chargeable (CSC) file, to enable the collection of two officer perception variables—a high-level category and a detailed category—and self-identification variables that accommodate up to 10 selections and an open text field that can be filled in as needed (see Text box 2 and Appendix A for more information)Footnote 6. Guidelines and recommendations related to adopting version 2.5 of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey are presented in Section 4 of Part 3.
Text box 1
The Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
Statistic Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey is the main national statistical tool used by government agencies, policy makers and researchers for analyzing and disseminating data on police-reported crime. The UCR Survey data reflect crime that has come to the attention of Canadian police services. Since the UCR Survey was implemented in 1962, Statistics Canada has collected data on all criminal incidents reported to federal, provincial, territorial and municipal police services in Canada involving offences under the Criminal Code and other federal statutes.
The UCR Survey covers 99.9% of the Canadian population and collects information on the characteristics of criminal incidents and the victims and accused persons involved. The UCR Survey is periodically revised to improve the quality of the information collected, respond to changes in the definitions of different types of crime, and better reflect emerging types of crime and information needs.
Part 3: Operational Guidelines for Police Services
This section provides guidelines, recommendations and best practices to help police services across Canada implement PIRID collection strategies. These guidelines are designed to be adaptable to local circumstances while contributing to national data standards. The key operational guidelines are grouped into the five identified themes. Given that the changes to the UCR Survey to enable the collection of PIRID will affect all police services across Canada, police services are encouraged to review the sections presented herein for information on how to integrate each element into their existing initiatives or for tools for launching a data collection initiative.
Community engagement guidelines
Community engagement is a critical aspect of launching any data collection initiative. Police agencies can strengthen their strategies for collecting and reporting Indigenous and racialized identity data by incorporating community perspectives throughout the process. This includes
guiding how data is collected, including methodologies and best practices
crafting approaches for analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating collected data.
determining actionable solutions based on analytical results.
Before launching a new initiative to collect data on Indigenous and racialized identity, police services are advised to consider how to seek the perspectives of the communities they serve. To this end, police agencies should develop a comprehensive community engagement strategy to actively involve communities and ensure their perspectives are integrated into decision-making processes.
Police services already collecting Indigenous and racialized identity information (or any form of "race-based data") are encouraged to consider how the guidelines and recommendations provided within this section can be integrated into their existing plans and processes to ensure that community voices in their local jurisdictions are heard and incorporated.
Section objectives
This section offers comprehensive guidelines and best practices for police services to enhance their community engagement through effective data collection, analysis, reporting and action planning. It is designed to assist law enforcement agencies in developing inclusive and holistic engagement strategies that emphasize building trust, cultural sensitivity and inclusion.
This section covers the following topics:
Creating inclusive communication tools and products: Guidelines for developing communications that resonate with diverse community members.
Best practices for police engagement with local communities: Strategies for establishing and maintaining trusting relationships through ongoing interactions.
Developing intercultural competence and practicing cultural sensitivity: Approaches for fostering an understanding of different cultural contexts.
Engagement planning checklist: A structured framework for efficient data collection, analysis and reporting.
Tips for police services: Practical advice for improving community engagement efforts.
Each subsection is crafted to support police services in building stronger, more respectful connections with the communities they serve.
Guidelines and best practices
1. Creating inclusive communications tools and products
Given communities' concerns about police interactions and the collection of personal information, stemming from fear and mistrust of police, it is critical to create inclusive communication tools and products. All communication tools and products should include clear and concise information on the collection, use and analysis of Indigenous and racialized identity data. Specifically, these tools and products should provide fulsome answers to the following questions (see Appendix C):
Why and how are the data being collected?
Where are the data being captured and stored?
What are the data being used for?
Under what authorities, including legislative and policy references, are the data being captured and used?
Where can more information be found?
What contact information is available for additional questions?
Communication tools and products should be created in various formats and follow inclusive language and design principles to ensure broader outreach and engagement with various communities. Table 1 provides some key tips and practical resources to create inclusive communications.
Table 1: Tips for creating inclusive communications
Tips
Resource or example
Accessible, inclusive and respectful communications
Write inclusive content that is free of discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability or any other identity factor.
Where possible, use plain language with short sentences and an accessible knowledge level to increase inclusion and accessibility.
Acknowledge that advancing reconciliation means building meaningful relationships with Indigenous people by listening and exercising patience.
Consider involving Elders, cultural wisdom and knowledge and ceremonial guidance.
Consider applying trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approaches that acknowledge and address potential trauma associated with past experiences while being mindful of cultural differences and sensitivities when communicating with diverse audiences.
To meet different audience needs, share draft materials with communities for feedback.
Use online language assessment tools to review draft content for clarity, grammar, plain language, accessibility and inclusion.
Visit the Government of Canada's Communications Community Office for tips and tools to create accessible and plain language content that uses equity, diversity, inclusion and engagement principles;
Use online grading and assessment tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway Editor or Readable.
Multiple formats
Create multiple formats to support broader outreach to various communities, including hard copy and web-based information products.
Consider posters, handouts or reference postcards, social media-friendly images and posts, and free public service announcement space to link to main information content online.
Multi-language and alternative formats
Access Canadian census information to identify the top languages in the local area and translate key communications products. Include contact information for requests for alternative formats, such as braille or large print and other languages.
Search for languages from the latest census on Statistics Canada's website.
The Information and Communications Standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act provides guidance and best practices.
Frequently asked questions
Create a list of frequently asked questions with answers to promote timely and consistent key messages for communities. Update the list regularly and provide contact information for additional questions.
Creating partnerships with institutions, community agencies or networks, and social services can strengthen the development and design of outreach materials. Co-producing materials can also increase outreach efforts and reduce costs.
2. Best practices for police engagement with local communities: Focus on building trusting relationships through continuous engagement
Engagement approaches should create positive police–community interactions and meaningful dialogue that builds trusting relationshipsFootnote 7. They need to be culturally sensitive to the current environment and trust levels of different communities. Police engagement must be carefully tailored to the communities' needs. Early and continuous engagement with a focus on building a trusting relationship must be considered.
A. Community-led engagement activities
When trust is not developed or strained between a particular community and police, a trusted community group or organization can broker third-party community engagement to provide awareness and feedback opportunities without police presence or involvement.
Community-led engagements should ensure
members from different groups have equal status
groups are committed to working together toward shared goals
tasks require genuine cooperation
authorities and the community support the engagement strategy.
B. Collaborate with existing partners to expand engagement
Explore opportunities to work with existing partners, Elders, coalitions and networks to expand engagement with Indigenous and racialized communities, such as
Indigenous service providers, Elders and community connectors
service providers and related organizations
universities, colleges and other academics
local anti-racism committees and equity, diversity and inclusion councils
local and regional government and non-government organizations like the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
C. Creating community–police anti-racism or equity councils
Several police services in Canada have created anti-racism or equity-focused committees or councils that focus on collaborative action planning to build longer-term trusting relationships with communities. Table 2 provides best practices for creating community–police anti-racism or equity advisory councils.
Community engagement tips for police:
Tailor engagement approaches to specific community needs.
Provide culturally sensitive engagement activities.
Offer to meet the community in their spaces.
From drafting to delivery—involve the community as early as possible in the design of community engagement approaches, tools and timelines.
Consider the wisdom that has been shared by many equity seeking groups: "Nothing about us, without us".
Partner and co-host community-police activities, especially where trust is low, strained or developing.
Focus on creating continuous engagement that builds trusting relationships over time.
Ensure two-way communications.
Provide appropriate resources and support, including facilitation, meeting space, catering, public transportation, parking validation and childcare. Other forms of compensation, such as honorariums, can be provided within individual community policing services.
Consider partnering with community organizations to co-design approaches that spread awareness and allow communities to determine the best approaches for distributing the information.
Police should recognize the ongoing and historical issues of discrimination and trauma.
Approach interactions with a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, recognizing that a process of unlearning and relearning may be needed to foster trust that leads to information sharing.
Table 2: Best practices for creating community–police anti-racism or equity councils
Best practices for creating community–police anti-racism or equity councils
Use an open application process rather than appointing community representatives.
Establish a selection process and panel that includes community representation and participation.
Provide a draft of the committee's terms of reference to ensure shared approval and ownership.
Implement a neutral third-party committee facilitator or a co-chair format to promote a relationship approach.
Provide appropriate resources and support for a sustainable committee, including facilitation, meeting space, catering, public transportation, parking validation and childcare.
Ensure participation and direct connection to the police leadership or executive to promote increased credibility and accountability, stronger communications, timely problem solving, and trust building. Also, a committee connection should be considered with the police services board and associations.
Consult other anti-racism or equity councils for design advice, implementation lessons and partnership opportunities.
3. Developing intercultural competence and practicing cultural sensitivity
A key component to planning a community engagement strategy is to establish practices for developing intercultural competence and fostering cultural sensitivity. Recognizing the diverse backgrounds and experiences of individuals is crucial for building trust and effective communication. By implementing such practices, police services can create a more inclusive environment. This commitment lays the foundation for long-term partnerships with communities, enhancing understanding and collaboration in all interactions.
Trauma-informed approach: Consider adopting trauma-informed and culturally sensitivity approaches that acknowledge and address the potential trauma linked to past experiences. Emphasize the importance of developing intercultural competence by actively recognizing and respecting cultural differences and sensitivities when communicating with diverse audiences. This approach fosters a more inclusive environment and enhances understanding, ultimately leading to more effective interactions and relationships.
Acknowledge historical context: Recognize the history of mistrust and tension between police and some diverse communities. Acknowledge any past injustices and demonstrate a genuine commitment to building new relationships. Recognize that the police uniform may be feared or seen as a barrier to initial dialogue and engagement activities.
Respect cultural differences: Be mindful of cultural sensitivities and different communication styles. Engage with cultural leaders and community organizations to develop culturally appropriate approaches to engagement. Commit to ongoing learning and acknowledge mistakes or misunderstandings. Be mindful of days of note, religious holidays among diverse groups and any other sacred occasions when planning outreach or engagement. Be aware of cultural differences among communities and tailor engagement approaches to meet their needs.
Empower Indigenous and racialized voices: Attempt to provide safe spaces for open and honest dialogue. Practice actively listening to concerns and ensure these voices are heard and represented throughout the data collection process.
Recognize and commit to addressing systemic issues: Recognize the existence of systemic biases within the criminal justice system. Work collaboratively with Indigenous and racialized communities to develop strategies for addressing these issues.
Develop long-term partnerships: Commit to building long-term, sustainable partnerships with diverse communities. Regular communication and ongoing engagement are key to fostering trust and collaboration.
Solution-oriented commitments: To increase accountability and foster genuine collaboration between communities and police, focus on solutions and tangible outcomes that police services can commit to.
4. Engagement planning checklist for data collection, analysis and reporting
Below is a proposed engagement planning checklist for data collection, analysis, reporting and collaborative action planning.
Phase 1: Planning and preparation
Leadership and coordination
Identify a dedicated engagement lead: Appoint a police spokesperson or project lead responsible for engagement efforts and community liaison. This person will also build and maintain relationships with key partners across various police units (records management, policy or legal services, community policing, crime analysis, communications) to ensure seamless integration with existing policies and procedures. To cover a variety of PIRID-related topics, multiple people can be involved.
Develop clear communication materials
Draft key information materials: Create educational infographics, a fact sheet with concise key messages, a frequently asked questions document and clear contact information. Tailor these materials to be easily understood by diverse audiences.
Build outreach strategies
Leverage existing networks: Use your organization's community–policing database or conduct a community mapping exercise to identify relevant interested partners. This should include local politicians, networks, associations, Indigenous coalitions and Elders, social service agencies, victim support groups, and community leaders.
Collaborate with community connectors
Develop a tailored engagement plan: Partner with key community connectors to co-create a comprehensive engagement plan with a timeline for the following phases: data collection, analysis, reporting and collaborative action planning. Refine draft information materials based on feedback from outreach conversations.
Phase 2: Community outreach and feedback
Multi-channel communication strategy
Disseminate key information: Disseminate key information materials through various channels, including media advisories, social media platforms, community network newsletters and email invitations. Ensure clear and accessible feedback mechanisms are readily available (email, phone, web form, survey) to capture initial concerns, questions and opportunities for collaboration.
In-person engagement activities
Support information release: Support the release of information and feedback mechanisms (see Multi-channel communication strategy above) with in-person community outreach opportunities like coffee chats, community meetings and media interviews. During these interactions, capture audience questions, concerns, perceptions, and potential partnership opportunities.
Phase 3: Building collaboration and trust
Share feedback and next steps
Facilitate two-way dialogue: Host meetings, forums, town halls or other interactive sessions to share feedback results and invite community involvement in the next stages of planning. Ensure transparency by sharing frequently asked questions, proposed solutions and other feedback details. Update information materials and disseminate them through networks, newsletters and social media to maintain engagement.
Launch data collection and ongoing communication
Launch data collection with demonstrations: Begin data collection with community contacts. Consider involving media partners and social media to document the process. To maintain momentum, continue to gather inquiries and feedback while collecting data and provide regular updates.
Phase 4: Sustaining engagement and action
Community advisory committee
Establish long-term engagement: Consider establishing a dedicated community advisory committee or council to sustain engagement efforts for ongoing data collection, analysis, reporting and action planning. This committee could be a new entity or integrated within an existing police services board committee or municipal diversity council. This ensures long-term engagement planning, accountability for updates and releases, and collaborative action planning for addressing identified issues. While police services may hold the data, solutions should come from collaboration with the community. A community advisory committee can develop solutions that reflect community interests, and police services can then research and identify the efficacy of the proposed solutions.
Joint communication and collaboration
Ongoing updates and action planning: Maintain sustained engagement and collaboration by jointly issuing updates, report releases and recommendations through media outlets or police services board meetings.
This enhanced checklist emphasizes the importance of building trust and transparency throughout the entire process. It provides a structured approach to engaging diverse community partners and ensuring their voices are heard at every stage. By facilitating ongoing communication, collaboration and joint action planning, this process can lead to more meaningful data-driven solutions for community safety and well-being.
Acknowledge and recognize success
Celebrate collaborative wins: In joint updates and reports, include sections dedicated to showcasing successful collaborations and contributions. Regularly highlight these successes in media releases and meetings to maintain engagement and build ongoing trust.
By integrating these enhancements, you not only improve the engagement process but also create a culture of recognition and appreciation that can strengthen relationships and foster long-term collaboration with the community.
Concluding remarks
In summary, this section provides a structured and detailed approach for police services to enhance their engagement with Indigenous and racialized communities. By focusing on comprehensive strategies for community involvement, this chapter integrates diverse perspectives into decision-making processes, addresses concerns through data-driven solutions, and fosters inclusive and trust-building interactions.
By following these best practices and using the engagement planning checklist, police services can effectively plan and execute data collection, analysis and reporting efforts. This will not only improve transparency and collaboration but also address historical and systemic challenges, leading to a more equitable and responsive policing approach. The goal is to build sustainable, respectful relationships with all community members, ensuring their voices are heard and valued in the pursuit of public safety and justice. Through ongoing commitment and collaboration, police services can achieve a more inclusive, fair and effective approach to community engagement.
Legislative and regulatory guidelines
In Canada, policing falls under various government jurisdictions and, as such, is bound by different laws and regulations. Further, police agencies are managed differently, with different mandates, policies and governance structures. Subsequently, legislative and regulatory requirements and considerations are unique to every police agency and must be examined when determining how to initiate a data collection and reporting strategy related to Indigenous and racialized identity information.
In developing a data collection strategy, police agencies should consider the legislative and regulatory aspects that could affect the collection, reporting and use of Indigenous and racialized identity data, such as
the relevant legal and regulatory requirements for data collection (e.g., privacy laws, human rights laws), as well as the types of data and how they will be collected to ensure compliance;
data management and retention to ensure privacy and confidentiality;
the implications of national or jurisdictional anti-racism laws and strategies (see Part 7); and
the roles and responsibilities of police services boards (and other governing bodies) in overseeing data collection practices.
Section objectives
This section provides guidelines and best practices to help police services enhance community engagement through effective data collection, analysis, reporting and action planning, and navigate legislative and regulatory requirements. It is designed to help law enforcement agencies identify and comply with relevant legislation and regulations, ensuring privacy and secure data management while addressing national and jurisdictional considerations.
Highlights of key legislative and regulatory concerns
Below is a summary of the key legislative and regulatory concerns raised during Phase 2 of the engagement consultation efforts:
Police services inquired about the legislative mandates under which data collection and reporting would fall. Communities may also ask under what authority the police service is collecting and reporting the data.
Reassurances are needed to align local jurisdictional efforts with national requirements.
Concerns were raised about the comparability, or lack thereof, of data between provinces.
Some officers may want to know how data collection can be mandated and under which specific legislation, policy, mandate, etc.
Police services raised concerns about record requests and court disclosures for data records and related information.
Concerns were raised about the potential misuse of data, including as police performance measures, targets and benchmarks.
Various inquiries were made regarding privacy issues related to data collection, retention and reporting.
For more information on all the feedback received through Statistics Canada's engagement (see What We Heard Report).
Accordingly, this section addresses the following topics:
Recommendations on the role of police boards and oversight bodies: Guidance on how these entities can effectively support and oversee engagement efforts.
Suggestions for engaging with privacy commissions: Strategies for working with privacy bodies to ensure data practices are compliant and transparent.
Internal engagement and communication tips: Best practices for enhancing internal communication within police services to support engagement initiatives.
Police service checklist: A practical tool to ensure all legislative, regulatory and procedural requirements are met.
Key legislative and regulatory concerns: Insights into navigating the complex landscape of laws and regulations affecting community engagement.
By following these recommendations, police services can foster stronger community relationships while adhering to legal and ethical standards.
Guidelines and best practices
1. Recommendations on the role of police boards and related oversight bodies
The following recommendations were made regarding the role of police services boards (or other bodies) in implementing data collection within their respective police services:
Police services should work closely with police boards and related oversight bodies.
Police services should engage in early consultations with, and provide regular updates to, boards and other bodies to support oversight, accountability and communications needs.
Police services should work closely with boards or other bodies to create policies and procedures for data collection, analysis and reporting.
Police services should share communications and engagement materials (e.g., website information, policies, procedures and reports) with boards and oversight bodies.
Police services should consult and involve police boards and oversight bodies in events, statements to community members, joint media advisories, public information materials and committees.
Police boards should respond to potential authority challenges from police services by creating board accountability for policy, reports and updates.
2. Suggestions for police engagement with privacy commissions
Police services should engage and consult their local privacy commissions and related bodies early. Examples of such bodies include:
privacy commissions
provincial human rights commissions
provincial government departments and organizations.
Police services should share communications and engagement plans and products.
Police services should consult these bodies on draft materials to obtain feedback and ensure regular communications updates to mitigate risks and complaints and strengthen procedures and products.
3. Internal engagement and communications tips for police services
To identify and address potential concerns, police services should ensure regular internal communications and engagement with employees at all levels by
engaging internal subject-matter experts, including legal and records management departments
providing a dedicated and accessible internal location for member information and inquiries (e.g., a Wiki page)
ensuring members have access to key public information sources, such as
websites
handouts
frequently asked questions
providing key contact information
consulting relevant internal groups, such as employee resource groups and patrol advisory groups
providing regular communications updates via briefings
consulting police associations and providing regular updates.
4. Checklist for police services
Consult internal and external partners early to obtain feedback and provide regular updates.
Include proactive information in public education and engagement and police training materials.
Key content for fact sheets, checklists, websites and frequently asked questions should include the why (purpose) and the benefits of data collection and reporting
provide the authority, legislation, policy or governance (i.e., police boards) references
reinforce the security and retention protocols for police RMSs and processes, including de-identified and disaggregated data via the UCR Survey
provide the contact information to obtain data records and make complaints
provide additional sources of information and contact details.
Seek guidance on recommendations, checklists, materials and resources to support consultations with local privacy commissions, legal departments and provincial human rights commissionsFootnote 8.
Reference and cite Statistics Canada information: privacy impact assessments, data protection measures, census and UCR Survey information, PIRID portal (with links, partnerships and reports).
Create quality assurance measures and conduct spot checks to ensure policy, procedures, training and communications materials are up to date.
Concluding remarks
This section offers guidance on identifying and understanding the relevant legislative and regulatory requirements and defining the scope of data collection. It also provides best practices for securing data management while addressing the implications of anti-racism laws and strategies, highlighting the critical roles of police services boards and oversight bodies, and offering practical solutions for regulatory compliance.
By implementing these recommendations, police services will be better equipped to handle the complexities of data collection and reporting. The focus on engaging with privacy commissions, enhancing internal communication, advancing external communication about how the data are being safeguarded and used, and maintaining transparency will help build trust with the community and uphold legal and ethical standards.
Ultimately, these practices aim to support police services in fostering stronger, more accountable relationships with the communities they serve, ensuring that data collection efforts contribute positively to public safety and justice.
Education and awareness guidelines
Supporting personnel within police services through education and awareness is a crucial aspect of any data collection and reporting strategy. Specifically, raising awareness among staff about the initiative, highlighting what will be collected and how, and the ways in which the information will be used will help ease any concerns from members and mitigate challenges, fostering an environment of transparency and leading to better data and outcomes. This can be done by providing relevant and effective training and supporting resources to individuals within the agency who will collect the data or have access to them.
Police services are advised to develop a training framework to ensure that their members are supported and have the necessary resources, tools and mechanisms of reassurance to facilitate effective data collection and reporting.
Indeed, education and awareness emerged as key themes in the feedback received from multiple stakeholders through Statistics Canada's police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data engagements (What We Heard Report). As a direct result of this feedback, within the context of the Statistics Canada–Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police initiative, a foundational training course has been developed to support police services in enhancing their members' knowledge, skills and abilities in collecting Indigenous and racialized identity information (more information provided in this section).
It is also important to note that many police agencies across the country already offer their members training relevant to collecting and handling sensitive information, including anti-racism and victim-centred approaches, trauma-informed practices, and mental health-related training. Therefore, as part of establishing a training framework for this initiative, police services may consider how to incorporate the new online training, described further below into their existing training tools and resources.
Section Objectives
This section provides police services with a comprehensive education and awareness framework that supports effective training related to data collection and reporting by
introducing new online training now available to all police services across Canada
identifying opportunities for police agencies to establish a training framework built on existing police-community contexts and pre-existing training tools and resources
proposing best practices for developing training to supplement the newly developed online training, as needed, to support a comprehensive training framework.
Guidelines and best practices
1. New online training available to all Canadian police services
Effective March 2025, a new training framework, developed in Articulate 360, will be available to all Canadian police services. The purpose of this training is to promote a consistent approach and understanding of Indigenous and racialized identity data collection through the UCR Survey.
Purpose: This training is designed to provide participants with an essential foundation in Indigenous and racialized identity data collection from a Canadian policing perspective. It covers various aspects, including the importance of understanding the importance and purpose of identity-based data collection, community engagement strategies, methods of categorizing and reporting Indigenous and racialized identity information through officer perception and/or self-identification, legislative considerations, and hybrid data collection methods.
Expected outcomes: Upon completion of this training, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of accurate and consistent Indigenous and racialized identity data collection. They will acquire the skills to apply best practices for collecting this data through various methods, including officer perception and/or self-identification. Combined with a recognition of the significance of community engagement, police services will be equipped to implement effective strategies for reporting Indigenous and racialized identity data in the UCR Survey.
Customizing the training: While the training provides a comprehensive foundation, police services can customize it to align with their specific operational needs and existing training programs. By identifying overlapping modules with their existing training, agencies can choose to streamline or reinforce the learning experience. Additionally, incorporating agency-specific policies, procedures and challenges into discussions and case studies can enhance the relevance of the training. Tailoring the pace and delivery of the training to meet the diverse learning styles of participants further ensures optimal learning outcomes.
Accessing the training: To access the training, please contact Natalie Wright at natalie@cacp.ca. They will provide you with the necessary login credentials and instructions to access the Articulate 360 platform.
2. Customizing your agency's training framework
Establishing a comprehensive training framework is essential to the implementation of consistent data collection within police services to ensure the following outcomes:
Enhanced knowledge and compliance: A robust training framework equips police officers and other staff with the necessary knowledge to understand and comply with the changes under the PIRID initiative. This ensures proper handling of sensitive data, aligns actions with privacy laws and reinforces cultural awareness.
Consistency and standardization: The training framework operationalizes a standardized approach to data collection and reporting within the UCR. This consistency helps police services meet national standards while respecting local needs and contexts.
Cultural sensitivity and anti-racism competency: Including modules on cultural safety and anti-racism ensures that officers are better prepared to interact respectfully with diverse communities when collecting Indigenous and racialized identity-based data, fostering trust and mitigating systemic biases in data collection.
Continuous improvement and adaptability: By establishing a scalable framework, training can be adapted to new findings, technologies or policy changes, ensuring police services stay up to date and maintain effective practices.
Strengthened community relations: Well-trained officers with a consistent approach are better positioned to build trust within communities, particularly marginalized groups. This trust is essential for effective policing and fostering positive public perceptions.
Officer buy-in: Developing training before implementing mandatory officer perception data collection is crucial to ensuring officer buy-in and support of the initiative.
Police services should conduct a scan of the existing learning offered within their agencies, consider ways to customize the new online training developed as part of this initiative (Part I: New Online Training for Canadian Police Services), and evaluate the need for enhancing this foundational training by developing additional complementary training. As part of these assessments, police services should consider the following key factors:
Integration with systems, policies and practices: Alignment with current RMSs, jurisdictional and other departmental policies, and other operational practices to ensure a seamless transition and compliance.
Scalability and sustainability: The framework can be scaled and updated as needed to address emerging trends and policy changes.
Varied training formats: Opportunities to combine online learning with in-person training to maximize accessibility and engagement, respond to multiple learning styles, and use additional learning products, such as documentaries, podcasts, readings and videos, for deeper insights.
Timelines: Balance foundational training with reinforcement learning.
Effectiveness:
Assessments to evaluate knowledge gained.
Collection of feedback to refine future iterations.
Opportunities to engage community members in defining success criteria.
Additional considerations
Data privacy and security: How to emphasize the importance of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of individuals whose identity information is collected.
Data quality assurance: Opportunities to learn about strategies for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of collected data.
Data analysis and reporting: How to provide an overview of data analysis techniques and reporting standards to support evidence-based decision making.
Implicit bias and decision making: Recognizing and mitigating unconscious biases to improve decision making in interactions and data reporting.
Emerging trends and challenges: Considerations for emerging trends in identity-based data collection, such as technological advancements and evolving societal attitudes.
Certain topics and considerations have been identified as essential to any training framework developed for Indigenous and racialized identity data collection initiatives (see What We Heard Report), including:
power imbalances between police and victims or accused persons, and their impact on data collection
implicit and explicit biases and the impact they can have on data collection
trauma-informed practices and communication considerations in the development and delivery of training
the historical and systemic context of racism and its ongoing impact on communities
cultural awareness and competency.
Police services should consider the extent to which these topics are covered within their customized training framework.
3. Developing supplementary training
Police services may consider developing additional training to supplement the new online training (Articulate 360) and other existing relevant agency-specific training. This subsection provides general guidelines to police services interested in designing comprehensive training programs that extend beyond what is presented above. These guidelines allow training programs to be tailored to specific to jurisdictional challenges, such as predominant community demographics or unique regional concerns, to improve the relevance and effectiveness of the training.
Step 1: Establish a strong foundation
Community consultation:
Engage with Indigenous and racialized communities early to inform training content, delivery methods and explain the rationale behind the project.
Collaborate with cultural advisors or Elders and include community representatives to ensure cultural accuracy and relevance.
Consult academics and experts to incorporate traditional teachings and lived experiences into the program.
Engage experts and build partnerships:
Identify diverse facilitators, including mental health professionals, academics and community leaders.
Partner with umbrella organizations and service groups to reflect varied cultural and systemic needs.
Invite community members to share perspectives on barriers to data collection, fostering empathy and understanding.
Develop hybrid training models:
Combine in-person workshops with online modules to accommodate officers' schedules and learning styles while delivering comprehensive content.
Emphasize interactive elements, such as discussions and live demonstrations, before moving to self-paced modules.
Communicate the importance of data collection:
Clearly explain the purpose and value of data collection to officers, emphasizing how it aligns with fairness, equity and better policing outcomes.
For consistency, messaging should flow from the CACP to local leadership.
Step 2: Create customizable and inclusive training modules
Mandatory and skill-based content:
Consider whether training should be mandatory and taken once or refreshed regularly.
Emphasize data collection as a specialized skill.
Use inclusive, culturally sensitive language throughout.
Address specific community needs:
Customize modules to reflect local demographics, community concerns and cultural contexts.
Include input from individuals with lived experience of incarceration or systemic racism.
Incorporate Indigenous teaching methodologies, where appropriate. For example, use storytelling, traditional teachings and forms of engagement that promote humility and positive dialogue.
Adopt intersectional approaches:
Address overlapping identities, such as gender and cultural background, to provide nuanced training on systemic inequities.
Scenario-based learning:
Use real-life scenarios, role-reversal exercises and case studies to enhance critical thinking and empathy.
Include human rights, anti-bias and anti-racism modules developed with input from affected communities.
Provide real-life scenarios where data collection may be difficult, such as in volatile or combative situations.
Privacy and data security:
Dedicate a module to the ethical handling, security and privacy of collected data.
Data collection processes:
Provide details of how data should be collected and managed.
Step 3: Ensure accountability and continuous improvement
Embed reflection and practice:
Include self-reflection assignments (e.g., journals or action plans) to deepen engagement and retention of training concepts.
Ensure trainees develop actionable steps to incorporate lessons into daily policing.
Track progress and outcomes:
Establish external accountability measures, such as audits, and monitor complaints to measure effects.
Use community-driven evaluations to validate the program's effectiveness.
Clearly highlight that officers will not face repercussions for good faith misclassifications of data.
Feedback loops: Continuously adapt training based on feedback from participants and community stakeholders.
Media and public communication:
Strive to effectively address community concerns, presenting data responsibly and countering misinformation to foster public trust.
By following this guide, police services can build effective, culturally responsive training programs that foster equitable practices, strengthen community relationships, and enhance trust and accountability.
Concluding remarks
Developing training frameworks and setting clear objectives for education and awareness ensures the successful implementation of the PIRID initiative. It equips officers and other personnel with essential skills, promotes equitable and respectful interactions, and builds a foundation for trust and accountability in community–police relations. This approach strengthens the integrity and effectiveness of data collection, supporting broader goals of addressing systemic issues and improving public safety.
Data standards guidelines
As the official tool for collecting national police-reported information on crime and victimization in Canada, the UCR Survey presents a unique opportunity for the standardization of data collection and reporting on Indigenous and racialized identity. Effectively, uniform data collection requires careful attention to a variety of interrelated technical aspects, such as ensuring compatibility between different systems used for data collection, storage and analysis; implementing standardized procedures to ensure accurate and reliable data; and establishing secure and efficient methods for accessing, storing and managing data.
This section offers guidelines and recommendations related to the technical aspects of data collection. Text box 2 presents a high-level description of the technical changes that have been incorporated into the UCR Survey.
Text box 2
The adoption of version 2.5 of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey
The new version of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR 2.5) has been updated with new variables present on the victim and the accused (charged/suspect-chargeable) files related to Indigenous and racialized identity. These variables are presented in Appendix A, and include the following:
Officer perceived variables:
General: A short list of combined options, e.g., "Indigenous" as a combined category. This variable serves as a method to collect information when detailed perception is not possible and aligns with standards used by police services for collecting such data.
Police services adopting UCR 2.5 will have the flexibility to report their data based on the officer perception method, the self-identification method or both. Although it is recommended that both methods of collection be implemented, police services may opt to employ one method of collection initially, with a view to collecting both types of informationFootnote 9.
Before making changes to police records management systems to enable reporting to the UCR Survey, it should be determined which method of collection a police service is choosing to use ("opt-in" option). Regardless of the reporting method selected, reporting a valid response is mandatory, according to the specifications outlined below.
Officer perceived collection method: For police services opting to report Indigenous and racialized identity data collected using the officer perception method, selecting a population group is mandatory for the UCR Survey, and only one selection is possible.
Self-reported collection method: For police services opting to report Indigenous and racialized identity data collected using the self-identification method, reporting a valid response is mandatory, including the option to select "Unable to self-identify" or "Refusal to self-identify." Up to 10 selections are possible for this collection method, in addition to an open text field.
A note regarding the alignment of version 2.5 of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey with other existing jurisdictional standards
Statistics Canada acknowledges and commends the excellent work that has and is being done in other jurisdictions in developing standards and collecting Indigenous and racialized identity data to inform public sector policies and programs. We recognize that police jurisdictions across the country may be adopting existing approaches, considering them or wanting to explore a different path to collecting police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data. The specifications and standards developed for version 2.5 of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR 2.5) are aligned with the standards adopted by jurisdictions currently collecting some form of race-based data, including Ontario's Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism.
Statistics Canada will continue to work with police services and their records management system vendors to map the UCR 2.5 with standards being used or adopted.
Section objectives
This section provides detailed guidelines and best practices for police services for standardizing data collection and reporting. This approach facilitates consistent data collection and reporting practices to enable reliable jurisdictional comparability, facilitate meaningful trend analysis and reinforce efforts to address systemic issues effectively.
This section will cover the following topics:
Methods of data collection and use cases: Best practices for collecting and reporting data in various scenarios.
Technical considerations: Guidance on handling both officer perceived and self-identification data.
RMS considerations: Important aspects of managing data within RMS frameworks.
Data management considerations: Strategies for secure and efficient data management.
Training considerations: Recommendations for training personnel on data collection, reporting and management practices.
Although these guidelines focus on data collection and reporting through Statistics Canada's UCR Survey, police services may choose to expand the scope of their data collection efforts to include other types of interactions for their internal use and prioritiesFootnote 10.
Guidelines and best practices
1. Manner of collection and use cases
In considering the manner of collection of Indigenous and racialized identities, police services should be aware of the differences between the two types of data, namely officer perception and self-identification data, and the potential uses of each.
First, how someone self-identifies is influenced by many factors, including their experiences, culture, phenotype and other attributes. As such, how a person identifies or is identified by others may change over time, is dependent on situations or circumstances, and may vary from person to person (Zamora and Padilla 2024; Agadjanian 2022; Pulido 2024; Loyd et al. 2023; Mitchell 2022). Identities may also differ at any time. However, officer perception is based on an individual understanding and interpretation of someone based on the person's phenotype and identifiable attributes. Perception can also be influenced by the perceiver's upbringing, cultural awareness and personal discernment. It is very possible for someone's perception of an individual to not reflect the individual's self-identification.
There are important distinctions between officer perception of Indigenous or racialized identity (officer's perception of a person's Indigenous or racialized identity, i.e., indirect collection) and self-identification (asking a person to provide their Indigenous or racialized identity via a questionnaire, i.e., direct collection).
Table 3: Officer perception and self-identification data standards and parameters
Yes, provided to the public in clear and accessible language. There should be public knowledge that the police service is collecting this information.
Yes, provided to the individual at the time of collection. There should be public knowledge that the police service is collecting this information.
Appropriate conditions
Collection should be done at the time of initial interaction or as soon as possible after the interaction (e.g., before or during booking)Footnote 12.
Mode of collection enables timely input of information in a secure manner.
Individuals need to be capable of providing informed consent and must
not be in crisis
not be under the influence of substances
not be under duress
understand it is voluntary and that they have the right to refuse
be informed why the data is being collected.
From whom it can be collected
The police officer, as directed.
The individual or their legal guardian or representative. A person may also authorize another person to provide the information on their behalf.
Accuracy
Should reflect an officer's honest assessment of the individual's Indigenous or racialized identity, to the best of their knowledge.
Should reflect how an individual self-identifies at the time of collection.
Examples of use cases
Can support the understanding potential systemic biases in decision making or treatment that affects the outcomes for different groups because of potential barriers.
Can support the understanding unique needs or experiences to improve culturally appropriate and sensitive programming and effective services provided to individuals. Can provide information on which groups are accessing the police service as a tool.
2. Technical considerations
The following are the proposed standards and technical considerations for police services to consider in their implementation of UCR 2.5. Police services, in consultation with their local communities and partners and in accordance with any applicable provincial standards may apply different pick lists than those presented below, as long as they can be mapped to the categories in the UCR Survey to ensure consistency in reporting and increase comparability in the data across CanadaFootnote 13.
To ensure the ability to map the data, consider the following factors when developing or choosing a pick list:
Review UCR 2.5 categories: Familiarize yourself with the specific Indigenous and racialized identity categories defined in UCR 2.5.
Align local options: Each option in your local pick list should have a clear corresponding category within UCR 2.5.
Provide mapping guidance: Develop a clear mapping document that outlines how each option in your local pick list corresponds to a UCR 2.5 category. This will ensure accurate data translation during reporting and a more complete understanding of how local codes align to the national data collection standards included in the UCR Survey.
See Appendix B for an example of mapping UCR standards to a pick list.
By following these guidelines, police services can maintain the flexibility of using customized pick lists while ensuring their data seamlessly integrate with the national UCR Survey reporting system.
Officer perception
Uniform Crime Reporting Survey collection
For police services choosing to collect PIRID using the officer perception method, there are two list options:
The general variable will be mandatory on the UCR Survey.
The detailed variable is not mandatory but is available as a sublist.
Officers may select only one category from the general variable or the detailed variable per victim and CSC when capturing data for the UCR Survey.
The options available in the detailed variable are dependent on the option selected in the general variable.
The detailed variable field becomes available for selection only when a general variable option (roll-up) is selected that has associated detailed options.
For example, if the officer perceived population group (general variable) is "Indigenous," the options available in the officer perceived population group (detailed variable) should be "First Nations people," "Métis" and "Inuk (Inuit)."
Where practicable, data collection based on officer perception should occur before data collection based on self-identification.
For police services adopting UCR 2.5 but opting out of collecting officer perception data, the option "Not collected by police service" should be automated within the RMS for the detailed variable and the general variable in the officer perceived population group. In this scenario, the police service must opt out of both variables (see Appendix A).
Considerations for the records management system
Data entry
If a police service has opted to report officer perception information, it will be mandatory to report a valid value in the UCR Survey. In this scenario, a corresponding mandatory collection field should exist in the RMS.
If a police service has opted to report officer perception data, these data should be collected based on the service's unique data collection and analysis requirements while meeting the national UCR Survey data requirements. Police services may wish to consider the following scenarios:
Basic investigations: For consistency, it may be practical to specify that data collection be limited to the lead investigator.
Complex investigations: If the investigation involves multiple involved persons and investigators, consider the practicality and utility of data entry by the most appropriate investigator, such as the most senior-ranked officer, the officer with the most hours in the investigation, or the officer who first recorded or reported information about the victim or the CSC.
Police services that have opted to collect officer perception information will do so once for each victim and CSC identified or involved in each incident.
Additional UCR Survey codes (violations) added to the same incident will pre-fill with the same officer perceived data.
Police services may expand their collection criteria as required.
Officer perception data should be collected without influence from self-reported data.
Officer perception data should be collected without influence from other officers' perceptions captured during previous incidents.
Consider making the detailed variable field fillable only once a general variable option (roll-up) with associated detailed variable options is selected.
Consider developing policies and procedures to provide guidance on managing any modifications or corrections to the field(s).
Police services should provide appropriate training and validations (e.g., user checklists or supervisor review checklists) to ensure the proper usage of officer perceived options (e.g., entering and classifying data correctly).
To provide additional reminders or prompts, it may be helpful to include automatic checks, validations, or error or warning messages in the RMS that pop up when information is being entered in the system.
Police services should clarify the use of any existing RMS Indigenous and racialized identity fields to prevent confusion related to the collection of officer perceived and self-reported data that are part of UCR 2.5.
Location of collection fields
Officer perception data should be captured at the occurrence level and not at the person entity level (MNI).
This will ensure unique officer perception information specific to each person (victim or CSC) involved in the incident or occurrence.
RMS mapping to the UCR Survey
When collecting officer perceived data for the UCR Survey and to reduce double data entry, the RMS should pre-fill the selected option in the general population pick list using the corresponding value from the detailed population pick list in.
Police services should develop training specific to updating the officer perceived Indigenous and racialized identity fields, as the UCR Survey allows updates to previous UCR Survey submissions.
Police services can have a unique (customized, local) officer perception pick list in the RMS as long as the selected option can accurately pre-fill a valid option in the national standard included in the UCR Survey's general population pick list (see Appendix B for an example of mapping to Ontario's Anti-Racism Data Standards).
Police services should provide appropriate training and validation tools (e.g., user checklists or supervisor review checklists) to prevent the over-selection of the "Other (none of the above)" option.
It may be helpful to include an automatic check that asks whether the individual entering the information intended to select the "Other (none of the above)" option.
Self-identification
UCR Survey collection
For police services choosing to collect Indigenous and racialized identity data using the self-identification method (i.e., self-reported), it will be mandatory to report a valid value for this variable to the UCR Survey (see Section 3).
When collecting self-identification data and unable to collect the information from the individual, select either "Unable to self-identify" or "Refusal to self-identify," whichever applies.
"Unable to self-identify" should be selected by officers only when circumstances prevent the officer from collecting this variable (e.g., the person is in distress).
Police services should provide appropriate training and validation tools (e.g., user checklists or supervisor review checklists) to prevent the over-selection of the "Unable to self-identify" or the "Refusal to self-identify" option.
It may be helpful to include an automatic check that asks whether the individual entering the information intended to select the "Unable to self-identify" or the "Refusal to self-identify" option.
To allow for multiracial identities (Pulido 2024) to be reported, up to 10 unique selections are allowed for self-identification and one open text field variable is available per victim and CSC in the UCR Survey.
The open text field (free text) will become available upon selecting the "Other, please specify" option in the self-identification variable.
This enables police services to collect categories not available in the existing pick list.
For police services adopting UCR 2.5 but opting out of collecting self-identification data, the option "Not collected by police service" should be automated by the RMS for the self-reported population group variable. The remaining nine available options for selection should be automated to "Not applicable," and the open field should remain blank (see Appendix A).
Records management system considerations
Data entry
If a police service opted to report self-identification data, it will be mandatory to report a valid value in the UCR Survey. A corresponding mandatory collection field should exist in the RMS.
If a police service opted to report self-identification information, police services should decide to collect self-identification data based on their unique collection and data analysis requirements See Analytical Framework) while ensuring that the national UCR Survey data requirements can be met. Police services may wish to consider the following circumstances when determining whether to attempt collecting self-identification data:
Does the collection negatively affect the safety of individuals and officers (e.g., in situations that may escalate tensions or compromise the security or safety of persons)?
Does the collection negatively affect operational requirements? For example, does it compromise the efficiency, effectiveness or perceived fairness of the investigation or police function?
Does the collection occur in conditions where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, meaningful informed consent and personal security?
Self-identification data will be collected for each identified victim and CSC involved in each incident or occurrence, including their classification.
Additional UCR Survey violations added to the same incident will pre-fill with the same self-identification data.
Individuals must be able to provide informed consent and can choose not to provide the information requested.
An inability or refusal to self-identify their racialized or Indigenous identity must not result in any negative consequences or treatment or refusal of services. This should be communicated to the individual. The purpose of the collection should also be explicitly mentioned to the individual.
Consider balancing the need to ask the person to self-report each time versus verifying information previously provided.
Submitting previously self-reported data to the UCR Survey, when circumstances prevent collection (new or verifying previously submitted information), will be at the discretion of the police service.
Self-identification data are associated with a specific person. However, the location of the collection field in the RMS and the manner of collection should respect the privacy of the individual and ensure self-reported racialized and Indigenous identity can be differentiated from other descriptive data.
Consider using a new RMS field for data collection that allows the level of access to be tailored to the needs of the police service (i.e., enabling the sequestering of self-reported racialized and Indigenous identity as required).
Consider locating the collection field at a secondary level not immediately visible when linking a person to an occurrence.
Police services opting to collect self-identification data would collect it for each person, including their classification as victim or CSC, involved in each incident or occurrence. Police services may expand their collection criteria as required.
Police services should provide appropriate training and validation tools (e.g., user checklists or supervisor review checklists) to ensure the proper use of self-identification options.
Police services should clarify the use of any existing RMS Indigenous and racialized identity fields to prevent confusion related to the collection of officer perceived and self-reported data.
Location of collection fields
Self-identification data should be collected in a unique location and manner to differentiate them from historically collected descriptive data.
Self-identification data should be collected and associated with a specific victim or CSC entity (MNI).
RMS mapping to the UCR
When collecting self-identification or open text field data and to reduce double data entry, the RMS should pre-fill the selected option into the corresponding UCR Survey fields.
Police services should develop training specific to updating the self-identification or open text data fields, as the UCR Survey allows updates to previous UCR Survey submissions.
Police services can have a unique (customized, local) self-reported pick list in the RMS as long as the options selected can accurately pre-fill a valid option in the national standard included in the UCR Survey's self-reported population pick list. The open text field is not mandatory.
3. Data management considerations
Data governance
Police services should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and governance structures in place for the ethical and secure management, ownership and control of data.
Police services should have meaningful engagements with communities, particularly Indigenous communities, to inform data governance and stewardship policies and practices that meet public interest needs and support open government principles.
Storage and retention
Officer perception and self-identification data collected during an investigation would fall under the same storage, retention and purging rules as the occurrence record for which it was collected.
Police services should consider their policies and procedures when determining further storage and retention of this information outside the operational file.
For example, police services should consider data extraction, anonymization, storage and retention of de-identified data (i.e., personally identifiable information has been removed) used for analysis and reporting.
Having clearly documented data governance frameworks, data management policies, quality assurance procedures and data dictionaries would enhance transparency, public trust and confidence.
Access and disclosure
Officer perception data does not significantly differ from other information observed or collected by an officer during an investigation. Therefore, access to these data should mirror the access to the operational file.
Police services should consider how to control and manage access to self-reported data. Examples would be limiting access to employees who require the information to execute their duties and minimizing undue influence on the collection of officer perception data to ensure privacy and prevent the misuse of personal information.
Applicable freedom of information (FOI) laws may give individuals the right to request, access and correct their personal information, including the withdrawal of their self-identification data. Police services should consider processes and procedures to comply with FOI laws, including the ability to privatize or delete previously collected data in the RMS.
Officer perception data are considered personal information. However, police services should consult their privacy professionals regarding requests for correction or withdrawal of this information.
Police services should consider disclosure requirements for information collected on and associated to an operational file.
4. Training considerations
Police services should engage with communities and interested parties and publicly communicate their data collection plans and policies.
Police services should provide clear policies, guidelines, communications and training to officers and employees to understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to the collection, management and use of self-reported racialized and Indigenous identity data.
Training should include respectful and inclusive communications, cultural safety, privacy, and consent and provide scenario-based examples to handle difficult situations.
Input from diverse communities should be sought while developing this training.
The CACP Education and Awareness Working Group will be providing support in the development of scalable training for police services and operational guidelines for data collection (see Section 3).
Concluding remarks
The collection of Indigenous and racialized identity data by police services necessitates careful consideration of the methods used and their implications. The key distinction between the officer perception method and the self-identification method lies in the nature of data collection. The officer perception method is indirect and influenced by subjective interpretations, while the self-identification method is direct and relies on individuals reporting their identities. Each method has its set of requirements, including consent protocols, accuracy considerations and conditions for collection that affect how data is used and understood.
The officer perception method may provide insights into potential biases in decision making and treatment, highlighting systemic barriers. Conversely, the self-identification method offers a clearer picture of individuals' unique needs and experiences, fostering more culturally sensitive and effective services. Both methods play complementary roles, and their integration into the UCR Survey RMS requires thoughtful planning, adherence to technical standards and rigorous training to ensure accurate and respectful data handling.
The technical aspects of implementing these methods involve aligning with UCR 2.5 standards, mapping local options to UCR Survey categories, and ensuring the data entry processes are well-defined and supported by proper training. Data governance, storage and retention policies must uphold ethical management and transparency, with particular attention to privacy and community engagement.
A balanced and informed approach to data collection—embracing both officer perception and self-identification—will enhance the ability of police services to address systemic issues and improve outcomes for diverse communities. By fostering open dialogue, ensuring clarity in data collection practices, and committing to ongoing training and community engagement, police services can better serve and understand the populations they work with.
Data analysis and dissemination guidelines
Developing a robust framework for analyzing and using data to inform decision making and policy development is an important element in any data collection planning. How the data will be used, interpreting analytical results to ensure accurate and meaningful conclusions, and providing actionable solutions or recommendations are key in building an effective and rigorous data analysis and dissemination plan.
Text box 3
Scope-related considerations
The scope of the police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data initiative is limited to those data collected by police services for Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. As noted, the UCR Survey focuses only on criminal incidents and collects police reported data on victims. The term "charged/suspect-chargeable (accused)," refers to any person who has been identified by police as being involved in a criminal incident and against whom a criminal charge could be laid based on sufficient evidence or information. In addition, the UCR Survey collects records on victims involved in criminal incidents.
Police services may collect data in their records management systems (RMSs) at other critical decision points and on police interactions that fall outside the scope of the UCR Survey. Therefore, some police services may be able to produce a much richer set of measures and indicators than those using only UCR Survey data, based on a wider variety of data being systematically collected and recorded.
It is therefore anticipated that the principles outlined in the current document can be leveraged for analysis and reporting on other data within police RMSs or other data holdings that lay beyond the UCR Survey.
Section objectives
PIRID, when analyzed with a focus on equity and ethical considerations and combined with further research and evaluation, can inform the development of strategies to address systemic racism within policing, where it exists.
The strategies presented in this section are based on feedback received through Statistics Canada's engagements (see What We Heard Report), which highlighted several critical areas for data analysis and dissemination, including the need to:
ensure data quality, transparency and responsible data interpretation
appropriately contextualize data before public dissemination
address privacy considerations throughout the data lifecycle
ensure continuous community involvement in all aspects of the data lifecycle: collection, analysis, dissemination and feedback, with a focus on consulting directly with Indigenous and racialized communities to ensure the data serves their specific needs, accurately reflects lived experiences and fosters trust.
Accordingly, this section presents police agencies with operational guidelines related to the analysis and dissemination of PIRID. Specifically, it will equip police services with a strategic roadmap for:
using analytic tools that can be used to uncover patterns in police-reported crime that require further attention and interactions that may indicate potential bias;
disseminating data responsibly and in a way that promotes trust with communities;
ensuring robust data governance practices, including data linkage practices, that safeguard individual privacy rightsFootnote 14;
connecting and collaborating with other public sector organizations, where relevant, to address potential upstream solutions to systemic bias that lie outside, yet contributes to, systemic bias in the policing sector.
To facilitate this process, this section is broken down into four dedicated parts, presented through eight actionable strategies that police services can consider. Each part charts strategies to support the use, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of PIRID.
Part 1: Laying the groundwork: Readying police services to use PIRID
Part 2: Preparing for data analysis and interpretation
Part 3: Data analysis and dissemination
Part 4: Putting PIRID into action
These data, when analyzed with a focus on equity and ethical considerations and combined with further research and evaluation, can inform the development of strategies to address systemic racism within policing where it exists. By linking them to other datasets, it would be possible to identify systemic issues that extend beyond the area of policing, such as those rooted in socioeconomic factors, like housing, education, employment and healthcare. Such data linkages could provide data-driven insights to support informed decision making across various community sectors and facilitate a multi-pronged approach to addressing inequities.
It is recognized and understood that police agencies will have varying capacities to implement the practices described herein. Where capacity does not allow for the full implementation of the recommendations, organizations are encouraged to review and consider the outlined principles, document what they could and could not implement, and take note of their capacity limitations. This will provide written confirmation that the recommendations were considered but, for the documented reasons, not implemented.
Further, the strategies presented in this document are intended to complement, not replace, existing regulations or guidelines within police jurisdictions. Further, the strategies are not directives but rather a collection of potential approaches for consideration. Recognizing that police agencies may be at different stages of development regarding their data analysis and dissemination functions, each jurisdiction can adapt these strategies to fit their specific needs and capabilities.
Guidelines and best practices
Part 1: Laying the groundwork: Readying police services to use police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data
Leveraging disaggregated data for a nuanced understanding of police-reported crime can help police leaders create strategies to address the specific needs of diverse communities. Part 1 provides key strategies for positioning police services to develop approaches related to the use of the data upon collection, produce insights that maximize the potential of PIRID to identify any potential systemic bias in policing, and contribute to the development of strategies for mitigating it. Before delving into further details, it is important to re-emphasize that PIRID is not intended for officer deployment or to target communities, but rather to inform community engagement strategies, build trust and devise collaborative solutions to address underlying issues. By understanding the specific experiences and concerns of different communities, police services can work with community partners to develop targeted interventions that promote public safety and reduce systemic bias.
Strategy 1: Performing a needs assessment
It is recommended that police services perform a comprehensive needs assessment which is a systematic process of identifying gaps, needs and opportunities within an organization or community. In the context of PIRID, a needs assessment would concentrate on identifying the specific needs and capabilities of a police service to effectively use PIRID. This includes assessing the service's data infrastructure and analytical capacity to identify gaps and opportunities to optimize the use of PIRID, with a view to improving policing practices, enhancing public safety and building trust with the community. In this way, a needs assessment serves as a vital roadmap that provides police leaders with a clear understanding of their current capabilities and areas for improvement, thereby empowering them to make informed decisions about how to best position their services to leverage PIRID within the specific context of their communities.
By systematically evaluating the current state of data collection, analysis capabilities and stakeholder engagement within a police jurisdiction, the needs assessment informs the implementation of a data analysis and governance framework's core elements (see Strategy 3). This ensures that police services have the capacity and the resources to effectively manage, analyze and use PIRID, as needed, in a way that aligns with the principles of responsible data governance and locally driven solutions.
Below is a description of three key approaches and considerations that would be involved in a needs assessment in the context of PIRID. While there may be additional elements depending on how police services choose to conduct the needs assessment, the following approaches are recommended as the core of the assessment:
a. Assessing data analysis needs and capacity
It is crucial to assess the police service's internal capacity for PIRID analysis and reporting while simultaneously evaluating their current data holdings and understanding of local crime patterns and social determinants. This dual assessment empowers local leadership to identify current knowledge, strengths, weaknesses and resource gaps, ensuring effective use of PIRID once they become available for analysis. Police services should assess the following aspects, taking stock of what is already working well and identifying where further development and support are needed:
Evaluate current data sources: Assess the quality, reliability and completeness of existing data sources, such as calls for service data and social indicator data. This step ensures that the data being used are robust and comprehensive, as this is essential for drawing accurate conclusions. It involves identifying any limitations in the current data and considering how these may affect the analysis of PIRID.
Analyze existing data: Conduct a thorough analysis of historical crime data to identify trends and potential underlying factors. This analysis provides a baseline understanding of local crime dynamics and social determinants, which is crucial for contextualizing PIRID. It helps recognize patterns that could inform future data collection and analysis strategies.
Identify data gaps: Determine whether any missing data elements or data quality issues could hinder a comprehensive understanding of crime and disorder. Identify opportunities to obtain additional data, such as through community surveys or partnerships with other agencies, municipal data sharing, and provincial or federal data linkages.
Identify PIRID-specific analysis needs: Determine the specific skills and expertise required to analyze PIRID effectively, such as multivariate statistical analysis, data visualization and Geographic Information Systems (GISs). This involves evaluating the current skill set of the team, identifying any knowledge gaps and understanding the types of analyses that will be most beneficial for leveraging PIRID.
Prioritize training and development: Identify areas where additional training or professional development is needed to enhance the skills of staff. This may include specialized training in data analysis techniques, software tools and methodologies specific to PIRID. Investing in staff development ensures that the team is well equipped to handle the complexities of analyzing and interpreting PIRID.
This assessment will help police services optimize their use of PIRID in the following ways:
Allocating resources effectively: Allocating resources to invest in the necessary technology, software and personnel to support data analysis activities includes budgeting for advanced analytical tools, hiring skilled analysts, and ensuring that the infrastructure supports efficient data processing and analysis. Effective resource allocation is key to maintaining a high standard of data analysis.
Developing a data-driven culture: Fostering a culture of data-driven decision making and continuous improvement involves promoting the use of data in everyday decision-making processes, encouraging staff to rely on evidence-based practices, and continuously seeking ways to improve data collection and analysis methods. A data-driven culture supports the sustainable and effective use of PIRID.
b. Mobilization of internal expertise
Closely connected with the assessment of analytical needs and capacity is the mobilization of internal expertise. This involves identifying the key personnel within the police service who possess the necessary skills and knowledge to use and analyze PIRID effectively, particularly by facilitating evidence-based decision making within the police service, including the following:
Police planners: These individuals are responsible for developing strategic plans and policies. Their expertise in understanding the broader organizational goals and operational strategies is crucial for integrating PIRID into the overall planning process.
Operational researchers: These experts use advanced analytical methods to help solve complex problems. Their skills in statistical analysis, modelling and simulation are invaluable for interpreting PIRID and identifying trends and patterns.
Community relations officers: These officers play a vital role in building and maintaining relationships with the community. Their insights into community dynamics and concerns can help contextualize PIRID and ensure that data-driven decisions are aligned with community needs.
Business intelligence officers: These professionals specialize in data analysis and reporting. Their ability to transform raw data into actionable insights is essential for making informed decisions based on PIRID.
If employees with the necessary expertise are not readily available within the organization, police services may consider taking the following actions:
Hiring external consultants: Engaging external consultants with specialized expertise in data analysis and policing can provide a temporary solution to fill skill gaps. However, this may require significant financial resources and careful consideration of the long-term benefits.
Partnering with academic institutions: As described in more detail below, collaborating with universities or research institutions can provide access to researchers and students who can assist with data analysis and interpretation. This can be a cost-effective solution, especially for smaller police services.
Investing in training and development: Investing in training and development programs can help build the necessary skills and knowledge within the organization. This may involve sending staff to conferences and workshops or providing in-house training sessions.
Once the key experts have been identified, it is important to align their expertise with the specific data use goals. This process involves the following actions:
Defining clear objectives: Establish clear objectives for how PIRID will be used within the organization. This could include goals such as improving crime prevention strategies, enhancing community engagement, and identifying and addressing systemic biases.
Assigning roles and responsibilities: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each expert in relation to PIRID. For example, police planners may focus on integrating PIRID into strategic plans, whereas operational researchers may be tasked with conducting detailed data analyses.
Facilitating collaboration: Encourage collaboration between different experts to ensure a holistic approach to data use. Regular meetings and cross-functional teams can help facilitate the sharing of insights and ideas.
c. Leveraging academic and expert partnerships
Beyond internal capacity building, police services can further enrich their data analysis capabilities by forging partnerships with academic institutions. Academic institutions often have access to cutting-edge analytical techniques and methodologies that may not be readily available within police services. These partnerships can provide valuable expertise and resources that complement internal capacity-building efforts, ensuring that PIRID are used to their fullest potential, alongside other data sources, for example:
Advanced statistical methods: Academics can provide insights through the application of advanced statistical methods, such as multivariate analysis, machine learning and predictive modelling.
Geospatial analysis: Academic researchers with expertise in GIS can assist in the mapping and spatial analysis of crime data, helping to identify patterns and trends that may not be apparent through traditional analysis methods.
Workshops and seminars: Hosting workshops and seminars on advanced data analysis techniques, research methods and best practices in data use can provide police personnel with the knowledge and skills needed to analyze and interpret PIRID effectively.
Mentorship and collaboration: Establishing mentorship programs where police personnel can work closely with academic researchers on specific projects can facilitate knowledge transfer and provide experience in applying advanced analytical techniques.
Interdisciplinary research: Collaborating with researchers from different disciplines, such as sociology, psychology and public health, can help police services gain a more holistic understanding of the factors influencing crime and disorder (e.g., histories of colonialism, marginalization and systemic racism as a backdrop to data interpretation and reporting).
Strategy 2: Building trust through community engagement on police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data analysis and reporting
Police services should thoroughly delineate how PIRID will be used. In preparation for data analysis, police services should commit to meaningful engagement with communities. Trust between police and the community is a cornerstone of public safety. When communities trust police, they are more likely to report crimes, cooperate with investigations, and feel invested in maintaining a safe and secure environment.
Although offering valuable insights about representation within policing data, PIRID can raise concerns about data privacy and use. Building trust through community engagement is essential for addressing these concerns and establishing accountability towards the responsible and effective use of PIRID.
By engaging directly with communities, police services can gain a solid understanding of the experiences and needs of the communities they serve. This collaborative approach can help ensure that PIRID analysis is relevant to, and effective at, addressing public safety concerns. By using PIRID in conjunction with other relevant data sources and engaging with community members, police services can make informed, evidence-based decisions that promote public safety and build trust with the community.
Community engagement relevant to data use and analysis may include the following actions:
a. Determine shared goals
When engaging with community members, police services should determine shared goals surrounding data analysis and dissemination. Police services can develop a clearer understanding of the concerns of communities and what analyses should be conducted with the data to produce further insights. Working with communities on data analysis projects that meet their specific data needs can be an important step in fostering trust.
Allport, G. W. (1954), English, J. (2024) and Bommireddy et al. (n.d.) are useful resources for engaging in intergroup contact (see Part 7).
b. Context is key: Understand the bigger picture
Crime data, without sufficient contextualization, can cause harm to police and communities through the production of incomplete narratives about crime patterns. Understanding local police practices, historical conditions, and demographic and socioeconomic factors enables a more nuanced interpretation of the data and helps determine the specific needs of communities. Context helps reveal the "why" behind the statistics—the underlying social realities shaping crime patterns within a community. Through community engagement, police services have an opportunity to learn more about a community's concerns that could be integrated into future data analysis and dissemination steps.
c. Develop data literacy
In collaboration with partners (e.g., academics and government agencies), police services can work towards developing data literacy in communities through the provision of educational resources about PIRID, in-person engagement events (where data and analytical results are presented in an understandable way to community members), data analysis glossaries and interactive data exploration tools. The goal should be to provide resources around PIRID literacy to increase the accurate understanding and interpretation of policing data. Aiding in data literacy can also increase community participation, as members can interact and work with data that represent them.
d. Establish data sharing agreements
Where appropriate, police services could consider establishing formal data sharing agreements with external partners (e.g., community organizations, other municipal services, academic institutions) that define the data being shared, the purpose for sharing them and the limitations on how they can be used. Establishing data sharing agreements may help demonstrate a commitment to responsible data stewardship and enable partners to perform data analyses. Police should inform the community about any data sharing agreements being developed and the safeguards in place to protect privacy. Transparency around data sharing builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to responsible data stewardship. This transparency fosters trust within communities, allowing data to be leveraged as a tool for positive change and the advancement of equitable policing practices.
Part 2: Preparing for data analysis and interpretation
Strategy 3: Creating a data analysis and governance framework
Based on assessments and feedback from implementing strategies 1 and 2, it is recommended that police services create a robust data analysis and governance framework that establishes clear guidelines for a) the responsible management of data and b) analytical practices, while fostering local ownership and ethical data use.
A data analysis and governance framework should comprise two parts:
a. A governance framework for responsible data management
This should focus on establishing clear guidelines and best practices for data access, ownership, usage, security and privacy through
tailored data access controls
local stewardship of data, including considerations related to Indigenous data sovereignty and Black data sovereignty (to the extent possible given existing privacy legislation)Footnote 15
data usage guidelines that reflect community values and ethical considerations
data retention and disposal aligned with the local context
data security measures that foster transparency and trust.
b. An analytical framework for empowering local solutions for continuous improvement
This framework will build on Statistics Canada's Quality Assurance Framework, with an additional focus on how jurisdictions can effectively leverage their local PIRID to identify and reduce systemic racism and promote community engagement by
incorporating local contextual information, including community-level socioeconomic disparities, community resources and infrastructure, and local historical contexts, coupled with the integration of PIRID
developing and using appropriate benchmarks (i.e., a point of reference or standard against which events can be compared) to accurately assess the representation of racialized groups within police-reported crime
consider using internal (e.g., police data, such as arrests and detentions) and external (e.g., census proportions) benchmarks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of group representation in PIRID
be mindful of the limitations of different benchmarks and their potential biases
consult the Statistics Canada's Analytical Framework for more detailed guidance on selecting and using appropriate benchmarks
consulting communities to provide local partners and interested parties with an opportunity to offer input on data analysis-related activities customized to address community needs
reporting findings in a meaningful way.
By establishing clear governance principles and empowering local leadership in data analysis, a data analysis and governance framework can help foster a culture of data-driven policing that is responsible and responsive. This shift empowers police services to achieve a range of positive outcomes:
Building public confidence and fostering positive police–community relations through transparency and data sharing.
Improving policing practices by identifying and addressing potential biases (via the disproportionality and disparity measures constructed in the Analytical Framework), evaluating their effectiveness based on quantitative outcomes, and subsequently optimizing resource allocation for maximum impact.
Promoting collaborative problem solving by involving local stakeholders in the analysis, interpretation and use of data while creating a shared understanding of community safety challenges and fostering a sense of ownership over data-driven solutions via the following initiatives:
Community safety audits: These are data-driven assessments of a community's safety concerns and needs and involve the collection and analysis of data on crime rates, fear of crime and other relevant factors to identify areas of concern and prioritize interventions. By involving community members in the audit process, law enforcement agencies can gain valuable insights into local perceptions of safety and develop more effective crime prevention strategies.
Community-led crime prevention initiatives: These empower residents to take an active role in addressing local safety challenges, supported by evidence. By providing communities with access to data, law enforcement agencies can collaborate with and support local organizations (e.g., non-governmental organizations) in developing and implementing their crime prevention programs. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for community safety while strengthening the relationship between police and the public.
Part 3: Data analysis and dissemination
Strategy 4: Ensuring responsible access, data quality and compliance for police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data analysis
PIRID presents an opportunity to work with the community to address systemic issues in policing. However, responsible access, data quality and adherence to relevant frameworks are crucial for maximizing their benefits and minimizing potential misuse.
Because of the sensitivity of PIRID and the potential interest from external parties, such as municipal services organizations, community organizations and academics, in using the data, it is recommended that police services develop robust access, quality and compliance measures. These measures will ensure authorized access to PIRID, maintain data quality and guarantee compliance with relevant frameworks governing data analysis, interpretation, contextualization and community engagement (as outlined in Part 2).
Recommendations on access control measures
Vetting and training: A multi-layered vetting process should be established to ensure only authorized personnel with a legitimate need can access PIRID. As part of their professional development, all police personnel will undergo mandatory training on the ethical use of PIRID and potential biases. Training should be ongoing to keep personnel up to date on best practices and evolving regulations. External parties requiring access to PIRID must undergo a comprehensive vetting process, which includes background checks and security clearances, and mandatory training on data privacy, the ethical use of PIRID and awareness of potential biases before obtaining authorized access.
Access levels and permissions: Different access levels should be assigned based on a user's specific role and responsibilities. This ensures that individuals access only the data necessary for their tasks. User permissions should be regularly reviewed and updated, as needed.
Audit trails and monitoring: A comprehensive audit trail system should track all access attempts, data downloads and queries related to PIRID. This helps maintain accountability and identify any potential misuse of data. Regular monitoring of access logs should be conducted to detect any suspicious activity.
Monitoring compliance with access control: Putting measures in place to monitor compliance with access control is an important aspect of an access control framework. These measures can be applied in various ways, depending on whether the researcher or analyst granted access to the data is an internal police services member or employee or an external researcher. More specifically, the following two key components could be used to implement such measures:
Application process: To ensure the responsible and ethical use of PIRID, a formal application process is required for all individuals or entities seeking data access beyond standard operational needs. Therefore, internal users, or police personnel with roles in data management, analysis or reporting (e.g., records managers, analysts) would undergo standard internal authorization processes at the police agency, whereas external users, such as researchers, academics, community organizations and other external stakeholders, seeking access to PIRID for research, analysis or program development must submit a detailed application outlining their proposed use of the data.
Review of applications: All applications will undergo a rigorous review process conducted by a designated body comprised of representatives from police services, oversight bodies, and experts in data analysis and social justice. This review will assess the legitimacy of the data request, the applicant's qualifications to handle sensitive data, and their proposed adherence to the established access control framework, which includes data security protocols, privacy safeguards and alignment with principles of analysis, interpretation, contextualization and community engagement.
Data quality and security measures
Data cleaning and validation: Regular data cleaning and validation procedures should be implemented to identify and correct errors, inconsistencies or missing data points within PIRID datasets. This ensures the data are reliable and suitable for analysis.
Data governance: Where there is capacity, PIRID should fall under a police service's wider data governance strategy. Quality and governance audits should be conducted regularly to ensure that data are being collected on a consistent basis.
Data security measures: Robust data security measures should be in place to protect PIRID from unauthorized access, accidental deletion or manipulation. This may include encryption, access controls and regular system backups.
Compliance with the data analysis and governance framework
Training on analytical frameworks: It is recommended that analysts within police services working with PIRID undergo training or familiarize themselves on the analytical framework developed in Part 2 above and Statistics Canada's Quality Assurance Framework before undertaking a research project using PIRID.
Peer review process: It is recommended that PIRID analyses conducted by analysts within police services undergo a peer review process by experts in data analysis and social justice issues. This review can ensure the analysis is methodologically sound, avoids misinterpretations and considers relevant contextual factors.
Compliance with data quality standards, collaboration and oversight
Data quality reports: Police services should be responsible for generating regular data quality reports. These reports should outline data collection procedures, cleaning processes, and any limitations or inconsistencies within the data.
Independent oversight body: An independent oversight body could be leveraged or established to help ensure compliance with PIRID access protocols, data quality standards and all relevant frameworks for analysis, interpretation, contextualization and community engagement.
By implementing a comprehensive framework that encompasses access control, data quality, analysis, interpretation, contextualization and community engagement, police services can ensure PIRID are used responsibly, ethically and effectively, thereby promoting their positive impact on improving police–community relations and achieving equitable outcomes.
Strategy 5: Leveraging other data sources
A comprehensive understanding of PIRID requires embedding them within rich contextual data from various quantitative data sources. To properly determine the presence of systemic bias, PIRID alone will not be enough. Concerning representation in PIRID serves as a flag for further investigation. Systemic bias exists at all levels of society, and only by connecting data from different sectors can we truly hope to address systemic racism. These data sources, which can include internal police data from RMSs and other databases (i.e., those outside the scope of the UCR Survey) and external data files, like the Census of Population long-form questionnaire and municipal services records (e.g., health, education, housing), offer valuable insights into the socioeconomic landscape that shapes community dynamics and influences police interactions. For example, statistics such as the Crime Severity Indexshould be interpreted within the broader community context. Accessing and integrating these data require robust data sharing and linkage agreements with various providers, raising several important operational considerations given the time and resource commitments needed to establish and maintain these agreements. Overall, the following best practices in open communication and transparency are recommended:
Clearly defined objectives: Clearly articulate the specific objectives of the data analysis project. What insights are police services hoping to gain from the linked data sets? Communicating these objectives openly demonstrates a commitment to using data for legitimate purposes.
These should be re-established at the beginning of any new research project.
Data sharing protocols: When seeking access to external data sources, be transparent about the specific data points to be accessed, the intended use of the data and the duration of data access. This level of detail allows data providers to understand how their data will be used and for what purpose.
Data security measures: Outline the robust security protocols that will be implemented to safeguard all shared data. This may involve sharing information on data encryption techniques, access controls and data storage practices.
Ongoing communication channels: Establish clear communication channels with data providers throughout the agreement lifecycle. This allows for ongoing dialogue, addressing any questions or concerns that may arise during the data analysis process.
Strategy 6: Customized dissemination
The power of PIRID hinges on the ability to effectively communicate results. The principle of customized dissemination emphasizes tailoring data analysis findings for different audiences. By translating complex data sets into clear, concise reports and accessible data visualizations, police services can ensure stakeholders at all levels understand the insights gleaned from PIRID analysis. This strategy offers practical approaches for customizing dissemination, with a focus on effective communication with police leadership, front-line officers and communities. The goal is to promote knowledge transfer and strengthen partnerships.
Police leadership
Common tools used to inform and support police leadership include the following:
Executive summaries and actionable reports: Executive summaries and actionable reports provide concise and effective overviews of complex data, tailored to the needs of police leadership. Executive summaries offer a high-level snapshot of key findings, trends and insights that enable quick decision making. Actionable reports take a deeper look into specific issues or opportunities, providing detailed analysis, recommendations and potential implementation strategies. These tools effectively communicate the value of data-driven insights, facilitating informed decision making and resource allocation. By presenting information in a clear, accessible format, these reports empower leaders to make data-driven decisions that enhance operational efficiency, improve public safety and build community trust. Again, it must be emphasized that group representation in PIRID should not be the sole source of information for making decisions. It should be accompanied by analyses of other data sources and contextual information.
Data dashboards and interactive tools: Data dashboards and interactive tools offer dynamic and visually engaging platforms for exploring and analyzing police data. Dashboards present key performance indicators and trends in a user-friendly format, allowing leaders to quickly identify patterns, anomalies and areas requiring attention. Interactive tools provide more in-depth insights through customizable visualizations that enable users to drill down into data, explore relationships and uncover hidden patterns. These tools support data-driven decision making by empowering users to explore data independently and identify opportunities for improvement. By fostering data literacy and collaboration, dashboards and interactive tools can enhance organizational performance and drive positive change.
Front-line officers: Bridging the gap between data and practice
PIRID provides valuable insights into the interactions between police and diverse communities, helping to identify potential systemic biases. For front-line officers, the key lies in helping them translate these findings into actionable strategies that improve policing practices and community relations.
Developing a police service strategy: A dedicated strategy should be created to focus on translating data insights into actionable practices that guide officer interactions. This strategy should outline clear goals, objectives and performance measures related to reducing disparities in police interactions. By providing a roadmap for data-driven policing, this strategy will empower officers to make informed decisions based on evidence. To be effective, the strategy should involve a comprehensive approach. This includes identifying key performance indicators that align with organizational goals and reflect the impact of police interactions on different communities. Regular data analysis and reporting will be crucial to assessing progress and identifying areas for improvement. Additionally, the strategy should emphasize the importance of training and development for officers to enhance their data literacy and analytical skills. This will enable them to effectively use data to inform their decision making and problem solving. Furthermore, the strategy should foster collaboration between data analysts, front-line officers and community partners. By working together, they can identify data-driven solutions to address community concerns and build trust. Regular feedback mechanisms should be established to ensure that the strategy remains responsive to the evolving needs of the community and the police service. The strategy for supporting and guiding front-line work could consist of the following basic elements:
A focus on descriptive statistics: Present key trends and patterns in PIRID through clear summaries. Highlight disparities in police interactions with Indigenous and racialized communities using metrics relevant to front-line officers, such as street check rates, use-of-force incidents and complaint data.
Data visualization for impact: Use data visualizations, like interactive charts, heat maps and infographics, to present complex data in an easily digestible format. These visuals should pinpoint areas with potentially heightened risks of racial profiling or highlight specific demographics that may be disproportionately affected by police interactions.
Multivariate analysis insights: Consider incorporating insights from multivariate analyses, as these can reveal relationships between various factors, such as time of day, location and type of call, that may influence the likelihood of police interactions with certain demographics.
Community partnerships
Community forums and town halls: Engaging the community can be an effective step in disseminating PIRID findings. In collaboration with community partners, police services can organize community forums and town hall meetings to present findings in a clear and accessible manner. By involving the community in the data dissemination process, police services can foster trust, transparency and a shared ownership of public safety initiatives. To ensure meaningful engagement, it is important to seek community input on the data to be released and the format of their presentation in advance of public forums. This collaborative approach empowers community members to help shape the narrative around the data and potentially contribute to the development of data-driven solutions for issues in their neighbourhoods.
Plain language summaries and culturally appropriate visuals: To ensure clear communication with diverse audiences, consider incorporating storytelling elements and testimonials from community members, specifically Indigenous and racialized voices, to personalize the data and its impact on their lived experiences. Even without individual testimonials, the data can be used to reflect and make visible the lived experiences of members within the community. This fosters empathy and understanding of the human impact of potential disparities in police interactions.
Community reports and infographics: Develop community reports and infographics specifically tailored for different community groups, with a focus on PIRID. These reports should translate complex data into actionable information relevant to the specific needs and concerns of each community. For example, a report or data brief aimed at a youth group could focus on data related to youth crime trends, including the types of offences, victimization rates and the time of day when incidents occur. This information can help identify areas where prevention programs could be most effective. Alternatively, a report for a seniors' group could focus on data regarding property crime, such as breaking and entering and theft, to inform strategies for crime prevention and victim support.
Strategy 7: Ensuring accessibility in data dissemination
Community engagement is vital for successful data-driven policing. Data visualizations can be powerful tools for fostering dialogue and building trust with community members. Below are some best practices for creating effective data visualizations for community engagement:
Clarity and simplicity: Prioritize clarity and simplicity in data visualizations. Avoid complex charts or graphs that may overwhelm viewers. Use clear labels, titles and legends to ensure everyone can understand the information presented, regardless of their data literacy background. Ensure that presentations are accessible to all members of the community.
Focus on storytelling: Data visualizations are not just about presenting data; they are about telling a story. Use visuals to highlight key trends, patterns and disparities in police interactions, particularly those involving Indigenous and racialized communities. The story presented by the data should be easily understood by viewers and tailored to resonate with the specific concerns of each community group.
Interactive elements: Consider incorporating interactive elements into data visualizations (e.g., clickable maps, drop-down menus) that allow viewers to explore the data in more detail. This can enhance engagement and empower community members to look deeper into specific areas of interest. For instance, viewers could filter data by geographic location or demographic group to see how disparities in police interactions may vary within their communities. This level of interactivity can foster a sense of ownership over the data and encourage community members to ask questions and identify areas for further collaboration with police services.
By following these principles for accessible data visualizations, police services can develop communication materials that effectively convey PIRID findings to community stakeholders. This transparency and accessibility are crucial for building trust, fostering dialogue, and working collaboratively towards a future of equitable and inclusive policing practices.
Part 4: Putting police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data into action
Strategy 8: Addressing the root causes of crime and developing focused prevention and intervention strategies
PIRID, when analyzed alongside demographics (e.g., sex, age, geography) and socioeconomic indicators (e.g., poverty rates, unemployment statistics, and access to education and social services), can reveal patterns and trends that point to the root causes of crime within specific communities. This deeper understanding empowers police services to work collaboratively with community stakeholders to develop focused prevention strategies through the following methods:
Identify high-risk areas: By overlaying PIRID with community profile information, police services can identify levels of risk related to community safety and crime. These risk factors may include income, employment rates, or locations of educational or social services. This data-driven approach fosters a more nuanced understanding of crime patterns, enabling a shift from solely reactive enforcement strategies towards proactive and preventative measures. However, this analysis must be conducted with extreme caution to avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes or contributing to over-policing of specific communities. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to incorporate a robust community engagement component into the process. By involving residents in data interpretation and strategy development, police services can ensure that data-driven insights are used to address underlying community needs, rather than simply targeting individuals or neighbourhoods for enforcement actions. It is therefore important to incorporate a robust community engagement component into the process and align data analysis with internal police service strategies for the ethical and responsible use of information. By establishing clear guidelines and accountability measures, police services can help ensure that data are used to inform evidence-based policing practices without compromising privacy or perpetuating biases. Regular evaluation and transparency regarding the use of these data are also essential to build trust and accountability. By balancing the need for data-driven policing with the principles of equity and fairness, law enforcement agencies can effectively address crime and community safety issues while protecting the rights and well-being of all community members. One could say that the goal is to replace "disproportionate deployments and enforcement," where they exist, with "disproportionate engagement and collaboration" with vulnerable racialized communities.
Collaborate with community organizations: In line with the above, community profile information can help police services focus on strategic partnerships with community organizations, social service providers and educational institutions in specific geographic areas. By sharing insights gleaned from PIRID analysis, police services can work collaboratively with these stakeholders to develop and implement prevention programs that address the underlying social issues contributing to crime. For example, this collaboration could lead to the creation of after-school programs in high-risk neighbourhoods, increased access to job training and employment opportunities, or the development of mental health and addiction support services. Concrete examples of collaborative approaches could include the following programs:
Mental health resource referral programs: Data analysis may highlight a correlation between police interactions and individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Police services can develop referral programs that connect individuals encountered during these interactions with appropriate mental health resources. This proactive approach not only promotes well-being but also diverts individuals from the criminal justice system, reducing the burden on law enforcement while connecting people with the support they need. Data analysis may reveal patterns in police interactions with specific demographics, such as youth or individuals experiencing mental health crises. Based on these insights, police services, in collaboration with mental health and community outreach organizations, can develop specialized de-escalation training programs tailored to these vulnerable populations. These programs can equip officers with additional skills and knowledge to navigate potentially volatile situations with distressed individuals in a calm and respectful manner, minimizing the likelihood of confrontation or the use of force.
Community outreach programs: Police services can develop targeted outreach programs in collaboration with community organizations to engage with vulnerable populations. These programs could focus on building trust with police, providing educational resources or offering support services. For example, police services could partner with youth organizations to host sports clinics or mentorship programs or they could collaborate with social service providers to offer job training workshops or financial literacy seminars in high-risk neighbourhoods. By establishing positive relationships with vulnerable populations, police services can foster a sense of safety and belonging within the community, reducing the likelihood of crime.
Co-creation of community safety plans: Data analysis can inform the development of collaborative community safety plans. Police services can work with community stakeholders to identify specific concerns and co-create actionable strategies to address them. This collaborative approach ensures that policing strategies reflect the priorities and needs of the community they serve, fostering a sense of co-ownership over public safety.
Investing in community resources: Data analysis may reveal a lack of resources within specific communities. Although police services can play a role in identifying these gaps, it is crucial to recognize that addressing underlying social and economic factors is primarily the responsibility of other government agencies and community organizations. By collaborating with these partners, police can potentially advocate for and provide evidence to support increased investment in community infrastructure, such as youth centres, recreational facilities or mental health resources, in areas with the greatest need. This collaborative approach can contribute to a more comprehensive strategy for preventing crime and enhance community safety. It is also essential to ensure that data-driven insights are used to support rather than replace existing community-led initiatives and that any resource allocation or investment proposals are made in consultation with community members.
Concluding remarks
By leveraging PIRID alongside demographic and socioeconomic information and adopting a strength-based approach focused on prevention, intervention and community collaboration, police services can play a key role in addressing the root causes of crime within specific communities, supporting vulnerable populations and building trusting relationships with the public. Moreover, a sense of local stewardship fosters a deeper understanding of the data and their application within the specific context of a community. Police leaders, in collaboration with community and municipal leaders, can tailor data analysis and dissemination efforts to directly address local priorities. These practices can empower police leaders to build trust with Indigenous and racialized communities, fostering a collaborative environment where data informs strategy, and strategy enhances public safety for all.
For more information on data analysis and specific recommendations to the PIRID project, please review the Analytical Framework.
Part 4: Implementation
With the release of the current document, which provides operational guidelines for the collection and reporting of Indigenous and racialized identity data, police services are ready to plan and implement a local data collection initiative that aligns with national standards. Acknowledging that there will be discrepancies in how and when data collection begins across jurisdictions, Statistics Canada remains committed to supporting police services in their implementation plans.
The Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics can be contacted for further information about the project or for any support with the onboarding of UCR 2.5 at statcan.ccjcss-ccsjsc.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.
More information on the progress of the PIRID initiative can be found on Statistics Canada's website at Crime and justice statistics.
Part 5: Acknowledgments
Statistics Canada and the CACP acknowledge and thank all those who participated in the development of the operational guidelines included herein. Specifically, all police agencies and representatives who extended their expertise and experience through their participation in the CACP special purpose committee.
Stu Betts, Co-Chair, Peterborough Police Service
Rebecca Kong, Co-Chair, Statistics Canada
Deputy Chief Stephanie Lagace, Member, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary – St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Deputy Chief Don MacLean, Member, Halifax Regional Police (Nova Scotia)
Chief Darren Montour, Member, Six Nations Police Service, First Nations Chiefs of Police Association
Chief Information Officer Colin Stairs, Member, Toronto Police Service
Dr. Amanda (Mandy) Williams, Member, Waterloo Regional Police Service
Chief Mark Neufeld, Member, Calgary Police Service (Alberta), Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police
Ms. Moya Rose, Member, Calgary Police Service (Alberta), Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police
Mr. Ron Anderson, Member, Edmonton Police Service (Alberta)
Mr. Martin Schiavetta, Member, Tsuut'ina Police Service, Tsuut'ina (Alberta)
Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies, Member, Regina Police Service (Saskatchewan)
Inspector Marc Alain, Member, Brandon Police Service (Manitoba)
Chief Danny Smyth, Member, Winnipeg Police Service (Manitoba)
Chief Mark Fisher, Member, Oak Bay Police Department
Drazen Manojlovic, Member, Vancouver Police Department
Jason Laidman, Member, Victoria Police Department
Dr. Mai Phan, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Superintendent Blair MacGillivray, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
M. Patrick Lalonde, Member, Association des directeurs de police du Québec
Deputy Chief Raj Saini, Member, British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police
Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill, Member, Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police
Chief Steve Gourdeau, Member, New Brunswick Association of Chiefs of Police
Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Ebert, Member, Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Chiefs of Police
Chief Richard Bourassa, Member, Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police
Ms. Rebecca Davidson, Member, CACP Police Information and Statistics Committee
Dr. Kanika Samuels-Wortley, Member, CACP Research Advisory Committee
Superintendent Michael Procyk, Advisor, CACP Ethics Committee
Ms. Alicia Lauzon, Advisor, CACP Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Director General Jennifer Richens, Advisor, CACP Human Resources and Learning Committee
Ms. Anna Beatty, Advisor, CACP Information and Communications Technology Committee
District Commander Trevor Daroux, Advisor, CACP Victims of Crime Committee
Simon Demers, Support, Vancouver Police Department
Natalie Wright, CACP Support, CACP
Community Engagement Working Group
Vincent Foy, Co-Chair, Cornwall Police Service
Laurie Fenton, Co-Chair, Ottawa Police Service
Mark Fisher, Member, Oak Bay Police Department
Lorilee Davies, Member, Regina Police Service
Eric Sheppard, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Janet Henstock, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Sarah Mirenzi, Member, Anti-racism Unit, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Michelle LaRue, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Yasin Cetin, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Simone Dyall, Member, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Legislative and Regulatory Working Group
Laurie Fenton, Chair, Ottawa Police Service
Katrina Swan, Member, Regina Police Service
Brenda Smith, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Deana MacFadyen, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Mary Henderson, Member, Kennebecasis Regional Police Force and New Brunswick Association of Chiefs of Police
Kim Nicholson, Member, Winnipeg Police Service
Charlene Clarke, Member, Ottawa Police Service
Trevor Daroux, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Education and Awareness Working Group
Jennifer Richens, Co-Chair, Human Resources, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Dirk Niles, Co-Chair, Peel Regional Police
Raj Saini, Member, Nelson Police Department and British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police
Alicia Lauzon, Member, CACP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Mandy Williams, Member, Waterloo Police Service
Trevor Hampden, Member, Anti-racism Unit, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Patricia Misutka, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Marc Alain, Member, Brandon Police Service
Diane Genier, Member, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service
Michael Nunn, Member, Calgary Police Service
Data Standards Working Group
Wendy Cornell, Co-Chair, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Dr. Mai Phan, Co-Chair, Anti-Racism Unit, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Bob Hillhorst, Member, Waterloo Regional Police Service
Joel Roy-Sevigny, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Tina Gervais, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Ariane Khanizadeh, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Audrey MacIsaac, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Ibrahim Abubakari, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Steve Gourdeau, Member, Kennebecasis Regional Police Force and New Brunswick Association of Chiefs of Police
Trish Epplett, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Tara Haarhoff, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Data Analysis and Dissemination Working Group
Cameron McIntosh, Co-Chair, Statistics Canada
Kanika Samuels-Wortley, Co-Chair, CACP Research Advisory Committee
Joel Roy-Sevigny, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Rebecca Davidson, Member, CACP Police Information and Statistics Committee
Mike Procyk, Member, CACP Ethics Committee
Rick Johns, Member, Moose Jaw Police Service
Tyrone Sideroff, Member, Vancouver Police Department
Mandy Williams, Member, Waterloo Regional Police Service
Anita Grace, Member, Ottawa Police Service
Tara Haarhoff, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Ariane Khanizadeh, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Audrey MacIsaac, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Shai Kara, Member, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Ibrahim Abubakari, Member, Edmonton Police Service
Simon Demers, Member, Vancouver Police Department
Colin Stairs, Member, Toronto Police Service
Elizabeth Izaguirre, Member, Ottawa Police Service
Further, this document could not have been developed without the immeasurable perspectives, lived experiences, knowledge and expertise of all those who participated in the engagements held by Statistics Canada since 2020. This includes all participants from Indigenous and racialized community organizations; academia; police services and representative organizations; government agencies at the federal, provincial and territorial levels; and the general public who gave feedback throughout the initiative and in the curation of this document.
This document has been reviewed and edited based on input from Statistics Canada experts and other experts.
Part 6: Appendices
Appendix A: New variables to version 2.5 of the uniform crime reporting survey
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey Version 2.5 Extraction Specifications
Effective February 13, 2024, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS) is system ready to begin receiving a new version (v2.5) of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey. This document provides information related to the standardized v2.5 format for data submission that is compatible with CCJCSS's UCR processing system. We acknowledge that information related to operational guidelines related to the collection of Indigenous and racialized identity information is required to modify the records management systems used by police services. The work to determine operational guidelines, data standards and best practises is being undertaken by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) Special Purpose Data Standards Working Group and the outcome of this work will be shared in the upcoming months. It is recommended that RMS updates do not take place until after these guidelines have been established and communicated.
Overview of Changes
UCR v2.5 includes the addition of 13 new variables present on the victim file and 13 new variables present on the Charged/Suspect-Chargeable (CSC) file related to indigenous and racialized identity (population group). These variables include 2 officer perception variables (1 general and 1 detailed) and self-identification variables where up to 10 options can be selected, in addition to an open write-in field that can be filled in, as needed. In addition, a few modifications have been made to existing survey variables. The charges laid or recommended section variables (SECTION1, SECTION2, SECTION3 and SECTION4) on the CSC (Charged/Suspect-Chargeable) file have been increased from 6 spaces to 7 spaces to accommodate Criminal Code sections that are 7 spaces long (including period) ex: Criminal Code Section 320.102. Finally, the variables CSCSEX and VICSEX have been renamed to CSCGEN and VICGEN to be consistent with the change to gender in 2018. There are no changes to valid options or any other details pertaining to collection of gender data; this is simply a variable name update which may not impact Records Management Systems.
General information regarding the collection and reporting of Indigenous and racialized identity data through UCR v2.5
Police services adopting UCR v2.5 will have the flexibility to report data to the UCR based on either the officer-perception method, self-identification method, or both. Prior to making changes to police records management systems to enable reporting to the UCR, it should be determined which method of collection a police service is choosing to use ("opt-in" option). Reporting a valid response is mandatory regardless of collection method, according to the specifications outlined below.
Officer perceived collection method: For police services opting to report Indigenous and racialized identity data collected using the officer perception method, selecting a population group is mandatory in the UCR, and only one selection is possible. See section below for detailed information regarding the officer-perception variables.
Self-reported collection method: For police services opting to report Indigenous and racialized identity data collected using the self-identification method, reporting a valid response is mandatory, including the option to select 'Unable to self-identify' or 'Refusal to self-identify'. Up to 10 selections are possible for this collection method, in addition to an open write-in field. See section below for detailed information regarding the self-reported variables.
Note regarding the alignment of the UCR v2.5 with other existing jurisdictional standards
Statistics Canada acknowledges and commends the excellent work that has and is being done in other jurisdictions, like Ontario, related to the development of standards and collection of race-based data to inform public sector policies and programs. We also recognize that other police jurisdictions across the country may be adopting or considering Ontario's approach or wanting to explore a different path to collecting police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data. The specifications and standards developed for the UCR v2.5 are aligned with standards adopted by jurisdictions currently collecting some form of race-based data, including Ontario's Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism. Statistics Canada will continue to work with police services and their Records Management System vendors to map the UCR v2.5 with standards being used or adopted.
Victim and CSC Officer Perceived Population Group (General and Detailed):
Victim and CSC Officer Perceived Population Group is comprised of two variables: Officer Perceived Population Group (General) and Officer Perceived Population Group (Detailed). These two variables are present on both the victim file and CSC file. Officer perceived population Group (General) and Officer Perceived Population Group (Detailed) cannot conflict. Valid values and combinations are listed in the table below. For example, if Officer Perceived Population Group (General) is 10 'Indigenous' then Officer Perceived Population Group (Detailed) must be either 11 'First Nations', 12 'Métis', 13 'Inuk (Inuit)' or 00 'None selected/not specified'. Options presented in grey below are for RMS background programming use only and are not intended to be visible to officers as an option for selection. A valid population response is required. This is explained in more detail later in this document.
Table 4: Victim and CSC Officer Perceived Population Group (General and Detailed)
It is the intention that Code 00 'None selected/not specified' is not a visible option for officers to select but is instead automated when an officer does not select one of the detailed options that correspond with the selected General Perceived Population Group. For example: If an officer selects code 10 'Indigenous' for General Perceived Population Group, they should have the option of selecting 11 'First Nations', 12 'Métis' or 13 'Inuk (Inuit)' for Detailed Perceived Population Group. If none are selected, then 00 'None selected/not specified' should be populated in the variable automatically and sent to CCJCSS.
Code 90 'Other (None of the above)' may include a small number of unknowns due to a variety of reasons such as: police officer is unable to identify the individual despite best efforts (ex: individual is deceased, unidentifiable human remains, population group unidentifiable due to severe injury, etc.) or if victim/CSC is unknown. This code should also be used when the CSC is a company.
It is the intention that code 98 'Not collected by police service' is not visible as an option for police services to select. This is only to be reported for police services adopting UCR v2.5 but opting out of collecting and reporting officer perceived data. See details below regarding police services opting out of collection.
Specifications for Police Services Opting out of collecting Victim and CSC Officer Perceived Population Group Detailed and General Variables:
Should a police service not be in a position to collect Officer Perceived Population Group Detailed and General Variables on the victim or CSC record (i.e., the police service does not intend to collect population group data using the officer perception method), then code 98 'Not collected by police service' should be automated for both Officer Perceived Population Group Detailed and General Variables within the RMS for both variables for all records. A police service can only opt out of both variables; not one or the other.
Victim and CSC Self-Reported Population Group and Corresponding Open field:
The Victim and CSC Self-Reported Population Group is comprised of 10 identical variables with the same list of valid options and 1 corresponding open field that can be used if the victim/accused would like to specify a population group not included in the list of options.
Self-Reported Population Group Variables:
The Self-Reported Population Group Variables allow victims and CSCs to self-report up to 10 different population groups. The same code cannot be selected more than once. Included are options for situations where victims or CSCs are unable to provide this information or refuse to self-identify. Like the Officer Perceived Population Group Options presented above, the options in grey below are for RMS background programming only and are not intended to be visible as options for selection.
Table 5: Victim and CSC Self-Reported Population Group
It is the intention that only officers will select 996 'Unable to self-identify' and 997 'Refusal to self-identify' and this option will not be visible to CSCs and victims.
It is the intention that code 998 'Not collected by police service' is not visible as an option for selection. See details below regarding police services opting out of collection.
It is the intention that code 999 'Not applicable' is not visible as an option for selection. This code is to be used to fill remaining variables when less than 10 options are selected. For example: If a victim selects 011 'First Nations' (VSELPPG1=011) and 012 'Métis' (VSELPPG2=012) then the remaining fields (VSELPPG3-10) should be filled with 999. Similarly, if VSELPPG1/CSELPPG1 is 996 'Unable to self-identify' or 997 'Refusal to self-identify the remaining fields (VSELPPG2-10/CSELPPG2-10) should be filled with 999.
Self-Reported Population Group Corresponding Open field:
The corresponding open field write-in variable allows the victim/CSC to enter the Self-Reported Population Group of their choosing instead of, or in addition to, the picklist provided. There are no limitations on what can be written in this field but there is a maximum of 80 characters/numbers. This variable is present on both the victim file and CSC file.
Table 6: Self-Reported Population Group Corresponding Open field
Self-Reported Population Group Corresponding Open field
There is no specific picklist for this variable as it is an open field write-in variable.
If this variable is used, one of the Self-Reported Population Group (1-10) variables should be '090 – Other; please specify'. This variable should be left blank if not used.
Specifications for Police Services Opting out of collecting Victim and CSC Self-Reported Population Group Variables and Corresponding Open field:
Should a police service not be in a position to collect Self-Reported Population Group Variables and Corresponding Open field on the victim and/or CSC record (i.e., the police service does not intend to collect population group data using the self-identification method), then code 998 'Not collected by police service' should be automated within the RMS for VSELPPG1/CSELPPG1. The remaining 9 variables should be automated to 999 'Not applicable' and the corresponding open field should be left blank.
General Requirements for 2.5 variables before and after police service's 2.5 transition date
The new v2.5 population group variables outlined above are required to be populated following the police service's UCR 2.5 transition date. However, these variables may be populated with "not collected by police service" if a police service has decided as an organization to opt out of collecting either officer perception or self-identification variable groups. Once a police service has transitioned to v2.5, it is optional to provide population group data for records reported prior to the transitioning. For example, if a person is charged after the police service's transition date in relation to an incident reported prior to the transition date, the police service may be able and decide to provide population group data for the CSC. CCJCSS will accept population group data on the CSC and/or victim record for incidents reported prior to transitioning to 2.5 but this is not required.
V2.5 Record Layout
Please see accompanying document titled: UCR v2.5 Record Layout_ENG for the new v2.5 record layout.
V2.5 UCR Manual Pages
The UCR manual pages are not yet available and will be shared once the operational guidelines, data standards and best practises have been developed with the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) Special Purpose Committee.
Appendix B: Mapping the Uniform crime reporting survey Standards to the Ontario Data standards for the identification and monitoring of systemic racism
Mapping UCR Standards to the Ontario ARDS
Table 7: Collecting Indigenous and racialized Identity: Categories and Standards for Police (officer-perception)
Ontario Anti-Racism Data Standards
(officer-perception)
Variable 2: UCR officer-perception specific breakdown (if applicable and known)
Black
Black
East/Southeast Asian
East or Southeast Asian (see specific breakdown categories, if known)
Chinese
Filipino
Korean
Japanese
Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai)
Indigenous
Indigenous (see specific breakdown categories, if known)
First Nations person (status or non-status)
Inuit
Métis
Indigenous person, but Indigenous group is unknown
Latino
Latin American
Middle Eastern
Arab or West AsianFootnote 1 (see specific breakdown categories, if known)
Arab
West Asian
South Asian
South Asian
White
White
Not applicable
None of the above
None of the above
Footnote 1
Ontario's Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism (2021) does not include separate categories specifically for Arab or West Asian. However, "Arab" and "West Asian descent" are included in the description/examples provided for the "Middle Eastern" category. Therefore, Statistics Canada proposes rolling the two categories together to align with the "Middle Eastern" Category from the Ontario Standards.
Police Reported Indigenous and Racialized Identity Data (PIRID) initiative
Frequently Asked Questions
What is systemic racism?
Systemic racism refers to patterns of behaviour, policies, or practices that are a part of the structures of the social or administrative structures of an organization, which create or perpetuate disadvantage for racialized persons (Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel 2022; The Ontario Human Rights Commission n.d.)
What is racialized and Indigenous identity data?
Racialized and Indigenous identity data refers to information that categorizes individuals based on their racial or ethnic background and Indigenous status.
Racialized identity encompasses groups that have been historically marginalized or discriminated against based on race, including people of color. Indigenous identity specifically refers to identification with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, namely First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit).
This data helps to understand demographic trends, social disparities, and the impact of systemic racism. Both types of data are important for research, policy development, and social programs aimed at improving the lives of these communities and ensuring their voices are heard.
What is the purpose of the PIRID initiative?
The PIRID project seeks to promote disaggregated data to address gaps pertaining to racialized and Indigenous identity, currently missing from the UCR Survey, which compiles comprehensive statistics on criminal incidents reported by police.
The collected data will help highlight racial disparities and inequities in the justice system, set benchmarks and evaluate the effectiveness of policies and programs, address biases and systemic racism, provide evidence for policymaking and community research.
By integrating these perspectives, the PIRID initiative aims to enhance the evidence base for understanding and addressing inequities in policing.
What are the methods for collecting Indigenous and racialized identity data?
Data can be collected using either officer perception or self-identification methods. The guidelines outline when each method is appropriate, emphasizing that individuals must be capable of providing informed consent for self-identification.
What if an individual identifies as more than one race?
For police services who opt-in for self-identification data collection method, to allow for multiracial identities (Pulido 2024) to be reported, up to 10 unique selections are allowed for self-identification and one open field variable is available per victim and charged/suspect chargeable on the UCR. The open field (free text) will become available upon selection of 'Other, please specify' in the self-identification variable, which enables police services to collect categories not available in the existing picklist.
How can police-reported data on the Indigenous and racialized identity contribute to addressing disparities and improving the criminal justice system?
Police-reported data on the Indigenous and racialized identity of victims and accused persons through the UCR Survey can significantly contribute to addressing disparities and improving the criminal justice system in several keyways:
Highlighting Disparities and Inequities: By collecting and analyzing data on the racial and Indigenous identity of both victims and accused individuals, this information can expose patterns of inequity within the justice system. It helps to identify whether certain groups are disproportionately impacted by crime, victimization, or over-policing, which is essential for understanding systemic issues.
Setting Benchmarks and Evaluating Policies: This data can serve as a baseline for tracking progress over time. By comparing current statistics with historical data, policymakers and researchers can evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, policies, and programs aimed at reducing racial disparities or improving outcomes for marginalized communities.
Addressing Biases and Systemic Racism: The data reveals whether biases, whether conscious or systemic, influence how individuals from Indigenous and racialized communities are treated by the police, courts, and other institutions. Identifying such patterns allows for targeted reforms to reduce discrimination and ensure more equitable treatment of all individuals within the justice system.
Providing Evidence for Policymaking and Community Research: Policymakers and community leaders can use this data as evidence to advocate for reforms, allocate resources, or create targeted programs that address the needs of disproportionately affected groups. It also aids in developing research that informs the design of fairer, more inclusive policies.
Improving Policing Outcomes and Community Relations: Collecting and acting on this data fosters transparency and accountability in policing. It can help build trust between law enforcement and communities by demonstrating a commitment to addressing inequities and improving police practices. As communities see evidence that their concerns are being addressed, it can enhance cooperation and lead to better overall policing outcomes.
What is the purpose of the Operational Guidelines document?
The document provides a roadmap for Canadian police services to collect and report data on Indigenous and racialized identities through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. It aims to standardize this data collection process nationally, helping police services implement data collection initiatives that consider local needs while contributing to a national dataset.
Who developed these guidelines, and who are they intended for?
The guidelines were created by Statistics Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). Through this collaboration, the development of the CACP Special Purpose Committee and its corresponding working groups comprised of community organizations, academics, police services, agencies and representatives who extended their expertise. The Operational Guidelines are designed for police services and senior police leadership to guide the development of data collection programs within their police services, tailored to specific needs while aligning with national standards.
When will police services adopt the PIRID initiative and begin collecting data?
As of now, police-reported Indigenous and racialized identity data are not yet available. At Statistics Canada, the UCR system-ready has been system-ready to receive data since February 2024. Changes to police Records Managements Systems (RMS) will be required to enable data collection and submission to Statistics Canada by police services.
What type of training will be offered to frontline officers
An initial training module has been developed in Articulate 360 on the collection and use of data. The training will be evergreen and continue to evolve with lessons learned.
How should communities be engaged and consulted during this initiative?
Community engagement is emphasized as a critical part of the data collection process. Police services are encouraged to actively involve Indigenous and racialized communities in processes related to data collection, reporting, and analysis to ensure community perspectives are respected.
How will privacy and data security be handled?
The guidelines stress the importance of complying with all relevant privacy laws and provide best practices for secure data management and retention. Police services are advised to work with legal and privacy professionals to ensure data is handled appropriately.
Under what authorities, including legislative and policy references, are the data being captured and used?
In developing a data collection strategy, police agencies should consider the legislative and regulatory aspects that could affect the collection, reporting and use of Indigenous and racialized identity data, such as
the relevant legal and regulatory requirements for data collection (e.g., privacy laws, human rights laws), as well as the types of data and how they will be collected to ensure compliance
data management and retention to ensure privacy and confidentiality
the implications of national or jurisdictional anti-racism laws and strategies
the roles and responsibilities of police services boards (and other governing bodies) in overseeing data collection practices.
Are police officers evaluated based on this data?
No, this data collection initiative is not intended to evaluate individual officers or target specific communities. The focus is on systemic issues to gain a broader understanding of Indigenous and racialized experiences within the criminal justice system.
Who to contact for additional questions?
More information on the progress of the PIRID initiative can be found on the Statistics Canada website at: Crime and justice statistics
Bommireddy, L., Donnay, S. & Li, M. (n.d.). Intergroup contact 101. The Racial Equity Initiative Inc., 1—11.
Brown, J., Belur, J., Tompson, L., McDowall, A., Hunter, G., & May, T. (2018). Extending the remit of evidence-based policing. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 20(1), 38-51.
Coxhead, J. (2023). Policing and academic partnerships. In D. Martin & S. Tong, S. (Eds.), Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice (pp. 22–32) London, UK Routledge.
McKay, John. (2021). Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada: Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. House of Commons. 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada
National Level CVs by Characteristic
Table summary
This table displays the results of Monthly Survey of Manufacturing: National Level CVs by Characteristic. The information is grouped by Month (appearing as row headers), and Sales of goods manufactured, Raw materials and components inventories, Goods / work in process inventories, Finished goods manufactured inventories and Unfilled Orders, calculated in percentage (appearing as column headers).
This survey collects financial and operational data from the Canadian Level lll air carriers needed to measure the growth, the performance and the long-term financial position of the airline industry. The information is also used by Statistics Canada as input to the Canadian System of National Accounts and by individual carriers for measuring company performance relative to groups of competitors.
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 response 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 under Section 12 of the Statistics Act with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, 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 infostats or by fax at 1-514-496-4879.
Note that there is no right of refusal with respect to sharing of data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect this information on a mandatory basis pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations. Transport Canada will use the information obtained in accordance with the provisions of its Act and Regulations.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization’s legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.
Note: Legal name should only be modified 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 for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if 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):
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 - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
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 because of 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 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 classes; 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 (activity) is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: (activity)?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date:
No
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, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024
July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024
September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024
October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024
November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024
December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025
March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025
April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
September 18, 2023 to September 15, 2024 ( e.g., floating year-end)
June 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 ( 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
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets – (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment – (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities – (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
CAN$ '000
Financial assets
a. Current assets
b. All other financial assets
Include investments and special funds.
Property and equipment
a. Operating - property and equipment
Include capital leases.
b. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
c. Non-operating property and equipment
Include capital leases.
d. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
e. All other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and capital
a. Current liabilities
b. Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
c. Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities
Include capital leases.
d. Deferred incomes taxes
e. All other liabilities
Shareholders' equity
a. Capital stock
b. Retained earnings
c. All other items
Total liabilities and capital
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating revenue
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
CAN$ '000
Operating revenue
a. Scheduled services - passenger revenue
Include revenue from fees such as baggage, fuel, seat selection, etc.
b. Scheduled services - goods revenue
c. Charter services - passenger revenue
d. Charter services - goods revenue
e. All other flight - related revenue
Include revenue from flying services such as flying training, recreational flying, etc.
f. All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources.
Total operating revenue
2. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating expenses
Maintenance - ground property and equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Aircraft operations
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation of aircraft or in the holding of aircraft and aircraft personnel in readiness for assignment to an in-flight status.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on);
expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil (including throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes);
airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada;
navigation fees remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services (air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services);
expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable;
expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements;
all other aircraft operation expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft.
Maintenance - flight equipment
Expenses incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment. Include employee wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on), expenses for materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
General administration
Expenses incurred for in-flight service, aircraft and traffic servicing, promotion and sales and general administration.
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits (including employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals) paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on), ground personnel, staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities and all other employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier);
expenses for in-flight service such as passenger food and supplies (in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers), passenger liability insurance (premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance) and all other in-flight service expenses (including passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit);
expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers, expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage;
all promotion and sales expenses such as passenger and cargo commission expenses (the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services), advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses;
general administration expenses such as those for financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are not included in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
staff reduction expenses.
Depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment);
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on property and equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
All other expenses
Include any and all miscellaneous operating expenses not reported elsewhere.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the previous six expense items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
CAN$ '000
Operating expenses
a. Maintenance - ground property and equipment
b. Aircraft operations
c. Maintenance - flight equipment
d. General administration
Include expenses incurred for in-flight service, aircraft and traffic servicing, promotion and sales and general administration.
e. Depreciation
Include provisions for the depreciation of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment), etc.
f. All other expenses
Total operating expenses
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
3. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses - calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes
Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
CAN$ '000
Operating income
a. Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Calculated from the previous questions as total operating revenue [$ amount] less total operating expenses [$ amount].
Non-operating income/expenses
a. Interest and discount income
b. Interest expenses
c. All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
d. Provision for income taxes
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (III)
4. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres.
Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Gasoline consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for gasoline consumed. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, it may be estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of gasoline consumed in litres. Include gasoline consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for gasoline consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the gasoline was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous three items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Quantity -
Litres (L)
Expenses CAN$ '000
Fuel and oil consumed
a. Turbo fuel consumed (litres)
Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
b. Gasoline consumed (litres)
c. All other fuel and oil consumed (litres)
Total fuel and oil consumed (litres)
5. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Refers to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel.
Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Wages and salaries expenses CAN$ '000
Employment
a. Pilots and co-pilots
b. Other flight personnel
Include flight engineers, navigators, flight attendants, etc.
c. General management and administration employees
d. Maintenance personnel
e. Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel
Include flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff, aircraft fuelers, etc.
f. All other employees
Include air ambulance attendants, accountants, purchasing personnel, etc.
Total employees
6. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Revenue and expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries
Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
1. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation.
Scheduled services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns - domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight - that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1 Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation.
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's scheduled services by sector of operation.
Domestic
Transborder
(Canada-US)
Other
international
Total
Scheduled services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of hours flown
d. Enplaned goods (kilograms)
e. Goods tonne-kilometres
(tonne-kilometres)
2. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for scheduled services?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Scheduled services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for scheduled services?
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for scheduled services?
Domestic CAN$ '000
Transborder
(Canada-US) CAN$ '000
Other
international CAN$ '000
Total CAN$ '000
Scheduled services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Passenger revenue
b. Goods revenue
Charter Services, Revenue Operating Statistics, Annual - Statement 12 (III)
1. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's charter services by sector of operation.
Charter services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Sector of operation
Refers to the regions where carriers provide transportation services. There are three breakdowns - domestic, transborder (Canada-US) and other international.
Domestic
Includes operations between points in Canada.
Transborder (Canada-US)
Includes operations between points in Canada and points in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Other international
Includes all other operations (including between points outside of Canada).
Data reported must include both fixed wing and helicopter services, where:
Fixed wing
Means a power-driven, heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed. An aircraft having wings fixed to the airplane fuselage and outspread in flight - that is non-rotating wings.
Helicopter
Means a rotary wing, heavier-than-air aircraft, supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. A helicopter does not have conventional fixed wings, nor is it provided with a conventional propeller for forward thrust.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public.
Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites.
Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/air-operator-certification-manual-tp-4711- this link will open in a new window.)
Enplaned passengers
Refers to revenue passengers1 who board aircraft and surrender one or more flight coupons or other documents good for transportation over the itinerary specified in these coupons or documents.
1 Revenue passengers correspond to passengers for which an air carrier receives remuneration and who are travelling with tickets purchased (a) under a publicly available promotional offer; (b) through a loyalty program or through the redemption of loyalty points or miles; (c) with a corporate discount or at a preferential fare; or obtained (d) as compensation for denied boarding. It excludes (a) passengers travelling for free, at a fare available only to persons who are employees or agents of an air carrier or are travelling on the business of an air carrier; and (b) persons, such as infants, who do not occupy seats.
Passenger-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one revenue passenger on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Passenger-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown by all passengers.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Number of passengers = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Passenger-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Number of passengers = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Passenger-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of passenger-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
Hours flown
Represents the block hours, in other words, the number of hours which elapsed between the time the aircraft started to move to commence a flight and the time the aircraft came to its final stop after the conclusion of a flight. Report the total number of block hours flown to the nearest hour.
Enplaned goods
Refers to all types of non-passenger traffic. It includes priority freight, freight, mail and excess baggage for which revenue is obtained. Enplaned goods should be reported to the nearest kilogram.
Conversion factor
To convert pounds (lbs.) into kilograms (kg), multiply by 0.453592.
Goods tonne-kilometres
Represents the carriage of one tonne of goods on each flight stage multiplied by the number of kilometres flown on that stage. Goods tonne-kilometres are obtained by totalling the number of kilometres flown with all tonnes of goods.
Let's take an example with two flight stages, where:
Flight stage A to B
Tonnes of goods = 5
Distance between points ( km ) = 161
Goods tonne-kilometres = 805
Flight stage B to C
Tonnes of goods = 4
Distance between points ( km ) = 322
Goods tonne-kilometres = 1,288
The total number of goods tonne-kilometres for the flights covering A to B and B to C is 2,093.
Conversion factor
To convert nautical miles (6 080 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.852.
To convert statute miles (5 280 feet) into kilometres (km), multiply by 1.609344.
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's charter services by sector of operation.
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, please provide the details of this business's charter services by sector of operation.
Domestic
Transborder
(Canada-US)
Other
international
Total
Charter services - operating statistics
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Number of enplaned passengers
b. Number of passenger-kilometres
c. Number of hours flown
d. Enplaned goods (kilograms)
e. Goods tonne-kilometres
(tonne-kilometres)
2. For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for charter services?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Charter services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for charter services?
For the calendar year ending in December YYYY, what was the distribution by sector of the operating revenue for charter services?
Domestic CAN$ '000
Transborder
(Canada-US) CAN$ '000
Other
international CAN$ '000
Total CAN$ '000
Charter services - revenue
Include fixed wing and helicopter services.
a. Passenger revenue
b. Goods revenue
Changes or events
3. 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 change or event
No changes or events
Contact person
4. 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):
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
5. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
6. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
This survey collects financial data from the Canadian Level II air carriers needed to measure the growth, the performance and the long-term financial position of the airline industry. The information is also used by Statistics Canada as input to the Canadian System of National Accounts and by individual carriers for measuring company performance relative to groups of competitors.
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 response 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 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Under Section 12 you may refuse to share your information with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, 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 infostats or by fax at 1-514-496-4879.
Note that there is no right of refusal with respect to sharing of data with Transport Canada. Transport Canada has the legislative authority to collect this information on a mandatory basis pursuant to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) and the Transportation Information Regulations. Transport Canada will use the information obtained in accordance with the provisions of its Act and Regulations.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.
Note: Legal name should only be modified 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 which is different from the legal name, is a name the business or organization is commonly known as for day-to-day activities, and which is used to advertise and promote itself. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
Legal name:
Operating name (if applicable):
2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if 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):
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 - e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
Seasonal operations
When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date
When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
Ceased operations
When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date
Why did this business or organization cease operations?
Bankruptcy
Liquidation
Dissolution
Other - Specify the other reasons why operations ceased
Sold operations
When was this business or organization sold?
Date
What is the legal name of the buyer?
Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date
What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
Temporarily inactive but expected to reopen
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 because of 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 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 classes; 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 (activity) is not the current main activity.
Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: (activity)?
Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date:
No
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, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024
July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024
September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024
October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024
November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024
December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025
March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025
April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
September 18, 2023 to September 15, 2024 ( e.g., floating year-end)
June 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 ( 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
Balance Sheet, Annual - Statement 20 (II, III)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD , what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Financial assets
Current assets
Include:
cash, bank balances (including deposits in transit, special deposits for the payments of debts, and so on) and short-term investments due within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
current accounts and notes receivable as well as other current assets such as inventories, charges to subscribers on transportation contracts, interests and dividends receivable, and so on.
All other financial assets - (Include investments and special funds.)
Include investments in associated companies, other investments such as investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, and special funds such as equipment purchase funds, funds set aside for such special purposes as contractual deposits, pension funds, self-insurance funds, and so on.
Property and equipment
Operating - property and equipment - (Include capital leases.)
Include:
ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
the cost of aircraft (airframes), aircraft engines, propellers, components (aircraft communication and navigational equipment) and spare parts that have been purchased outright;
the cost of non-airborne communication and meteorological equipment, ramp equipment, maintenance and engineering equipment, surface transport vehicles and equipment, furniture, fixtures and office equipment, buildings and land as well as miscellaneous ground equipment such as medical equipment, airport and lighting equipment, passenger service equipment, hotel, restaurant and food service equipment, storage and distribution equipment. Property and equipment under capital leases includes the cost of property and equipment under a capital or finance lease, in other words, a lease for a period considered to be the whole or nearly the whole life of the property or equipment.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - property and equipment
Include:
accumulated depreciation and amortization of ground property and equipment (including flight equipment) owned and/or under capital leases;
accrued charges representing losses, not replaced by current repairs, occurring in physical property and suffered through current lessening of service value due to wear and tear from use and the action of time and the elements; and losses occurring through obsolescence, supersession, new technological developments, changes in popular demand and the requirements of public authority.
Non-operating property and equipment - (Include capital leases.)
Include the cost of all non-operating property and equipment, in other words, all property and equipment not included in the "operating" category above.
Accumulated depreciation and amortization - non-operating property and equipment
Include accumulated depreciation and amortization of the non-operating property and equipment.
All other assets
Include long-term prepayments, developmental and pre-operating costs such as the cost of extraordinary training, unamortized discounts and expenses on the issue of long-term debt securities, property acquisition adjustments, other intangibles such as payments made for patents, copyrights, and so on, and other deferred charges.
Total assets
The sum of the assets above less the accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Liabilities and capital
Current liabilities
Include:
current accounts and traffic balances payable, including balances subject to current settlement and payable to associated companies and/or shareholders, and notes payable on demand or within one year from the date of the balance sheet;
the current portion of long-term debt and the current obligations under capital leases;
air traffic liabilities (unearned transportation revenue), which includes the value of passenger tickets sold but not used or refunded as of the date of the balance sheet, and pre-paid amounts for the transportation of baggage, freight and mail for which the transportation has not occurred as of the date of the balance sheet;
salaries and wages accrued and unpaid, taxes accrued and unpaid, dividends payable, deposits by subscribers on transportation contracts (air travel plan liabilities, in other words, deposits received under air travel plan contracts) and other current and accrued liabilities.
Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
Include the net amount from associated companies and/or shareholders for notes, loans or advances which are not currently settled.
Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities - (Include capital leases.)
Include:
the face value or principal amount of debt securities (for example, bonds, trust certificates, debentures, notes) issued and assumed by the air carrier and in the hands of others, which is not payable within twelve months of the balance sheet date;
long-term obligations under capital leases, which refers to the present value of unexpired contracts for the acquisition of aircraft under such lease arrangements.
Deferred income taxes
Include taxes that will be owed on income, but that have not yet been assessed.
All other liabilities
Include:
deferred credits which correspond to unamortized premiums on all classes of long-term debt, and other deferred credits such as securities issued or assumed by the air carrier, and other unadjusted accounts that cannot be cleared as of the date of the balance sheet;
provisions for major overhauls such as for flight equipment (in other words, liabilities of uncertain value or timing associated with the complete disassembly and inspection or repair of an aircraft, engine or other component of an aircraft) and other provisions such as liabilities of uncertain value or timing.
Shareholders' equity
Capital stock
Include the equity capital invested in a business through the purchase of various classes of common and preferred shares.
Retained earnings
Include the portion of after-tax profits left over, after dividends have been paid to shareholders, for reinvestment into the company. If this account is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
All other items
Include other paid-in capital and reserves. Other paid-in capital or contributed surplus includes the premiums or discounts that have resulted from selling stock, and stock received from donations. Reserves include any reserve fund such as reserve for self-insurance, reserve for pension, reserves against potential future losses, and so on. Also, include proprietorship or partnership accounts (balance year-end).
Total liabilities and capital
The sum of liabilities and capital plus the sum of shareholders' equity which should equal total assets.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were this business's assets and liabilities?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars
CAN$ '000
Financial assets
a. Current assets
b. All other financial assets
Include investments and special funds.
Property and equipment
a. Operating - property and equipment
Include capital leases.
b. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
c. Non-operating property and equipment
Include capital leases.
d. Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
e. All other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and capital
a. Current liabilities
b. Advances from associated companies and/or shareholders
c. Long-term debt and other non-current liabilities
Include capital leases.
d. Deferred incomes taxes
e. All other liabilities
Shareholders' equity
a. Capital stock
b. Retained earnings
c. All other items
Total liabilities and capital
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
1. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Scheduled services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by an aircraft provided by an air carrier that operates the air service and that, directly or indirectly, sells some or all of its seats or part or all of its cargo space to the public on a price per seat, price per unit of mass or price per volume of cargo basis.
Charter services
Transportation of passengers or goods, or both, by aircraft pursuant to a contract under which a person, other than the air carrier that operates the air service, or its agent, reserves a block of seats or part of the cargo space of an aircraft for the person's use or for resale to the public. Include air ambulance service and the movement of people and goods to logging or heli-logging sites. Exclude firefighting and heli-logging activities and the movement of people and goods to a firefighting site. (The former Transport Canada TP 8880 document "Starting a Commercial Air Service" outlining a list of activities which are specialty has been replaced with a new document TP 4711 "Air Operator Certification Manual" as of December 2020. PDF version of volumes of this manual can be requested at: Air Operator Certification Manual – TP 4711.)
Passenger revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers on scheduled and charter services. Include revenue from all surcharges (baggage, fuel, seat selection, changing or cancelling flights, and so on) that are retained by the air carrier. Exclude amounts such as taxes, navigation fees, security fees, and so on that are collected but passed on to other entities.
Goods revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from the transportation of goods on scheduled and charter services. Exclude taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) or Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
All other flight-related revenue
Refers to the revenue earned from air transport activities not included in passenger revenue or goods revenue. Include revenue from other flying services such as flying training, recreational flying and other specialty flying.
All other revenue Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources (including contra revenue, revenue of a corporate nature (leasing revenue, third party ground-handling, and so on), ancillary passenger revenue not easily allocated by operating flight (customs brokerage, and so on), revenue from in-flight sales (beverages, food, entertainment and wireless Internet access, and so on)).
Total operating revenue
The sum of passenger revenue, goods revenue, other flight-related revenue and revenue from all other sources.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating revenue?
CAN$ '000
Operating revenue
a. Scheduled services - passenger revenue
Include revenue from fees such as baggage, fuel, seat selection, etc.
b. Scheduled services - goods revenue
c. Charter services - passenger revenue
d. Charter services - goods revenue
e. All other flight - related revenue
Include revenue from flying services such as flying training, recreational flying, etc.
f. All other revenue
Include subsidies and revenue earned from all other sources.
Total operating revenue
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
2. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating expenses - Ground property and equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of ground property and equipment. Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of ground property and equipment. Include materials and supplies, purchased repair services and all other related expenses.
Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft operations
Flight crew wages, salaries and benefits Include the wages, salaries and benefits for flight crews (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and so on). Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Aircraft fuel and oil
Expenses for turbo fuel, gasoline and all other fuel and oil consumed such as turbine oil and piston oil. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Landing fees
Include airport landing fees paid both in Canada and outside of Canada.
Navigation fees
Charges remitted to NAV CANADA or other international suppliers for the provision of air navigation services. Air navigation services include aeronautical communication services, aeronautical information services, aeronautical radio navigation services, air traffic control services, aviation weather services, emergency assistance services and flight information services.
Aircraft insurance
Expenses for insurance against accidental damage to flight equipment while in flight or on the ground and for insurance against liability occurring from the operation of aircraft or, in the case of non-insurance, the resulting expenses for which the carrier is liable.
Aircraft rental
Expenses incurred for the rental of aircraft (and crew) from other carriers, such as in chartering, interchange and operating or lease agreements.
All other aircraft operation expenses
Expenses incurred directly for the in-flight operation and related standby time of aircraft which are not elsewhere classified.
Total aircraft operations expenses
The sum of the previous seven expense items.
Operating expenses - Flight equipment maintenance
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Direct labour costs (wages and salaries) expended on the maintenance of flight equipment.
Include benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Materials and supplies
Expenses on materials and supplies for the maintenance of flight equipment.
Purchased repair services
Expenses for repair services for the maintenance of flight equipment purchased from outside suppliers.
All other maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Expenses, both direct and indirect, incurred in the repair and upkeep of flight equipment.
Total maintenance - flight equipment expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - In-flight services
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to cabin crews (flight attendants, and so on);
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on and layover expenses such as hotels and meals.
Passenger food and supplies
Include expenses for in-flight meals, complimentary drinks, and so on, and the cost of supplies and personal services furnished to passengers.
Passenger liability insurance
Include the premiums for passenger liability and accident insurance paid by the carrier.
All other in-flight service expenses
Include passenger-related expenses incurred due to interrupted flights, including hotels, meals, taxi fares and other expense items, the cost of other services provided to passengers, such as pay, allowances and the cost of passenger service personnel, and all other services provided for the comfort of passengers in transit.
Total in-flight service expenses
The sum of the previous four expense items.
Operating expenses - Aircraft and traffic servicing
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to ground personnel;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Purchased services
Expenses for aircraft and traffic servicing purchased from outside suppliers.
All other aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Include expenses incurred on the ground for scheduling or preparing aircraft for arrival and takeoff, expenses incurred in enplaning and deplaning passenger and cargo traffic, and expenses involved in servicing and handling individual aircraft and traffic on the ground, in preparing aircraft crews for flight assignment, in controlling the in-flight movements of aircraft and the in-flight expenses of handling all traffic including baggage.
Total aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
The sum of the previous three expense items.
Operating expenses - Promotion and sales
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all staff engaged in reservations, ticketing, sales and promotional activities;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
All other promotion and sales expenses
Include:
passenger and cargo commission expenses;
the net commission payable to others for the sale of transportation on the reporting carrier's service less the commission receivable from the reporting carrier's sale of transportation on other carriers' services, advertising and publicity expenses and any related expenses, accommodation costs, agency fees for outside services, expenses associated with reservations, city ticket offices and other sales expenses.
Total promotion and sales expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - Depreciation
Depreciation - flight equipment
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of flight equipment only;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear on flight equipment which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability.
All other depreciation
Include:
provisions for the depreciation of all non-flight ground and property equipment;
all charges incurred in normal wear and tear which have not been replaced by current year repair, as well as losses in service ability;
charges for the amortization of capitalized development and other intangible assets.
Total depreciation
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Operating expenses - All other expenses
Include general administration.
Employee wages, salaries and benefits
Include:
the wages, salaries and benefits paid to all employees performing the general and administrative functions of the air carrier;
benefits such as employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on.
Exclude all amounts reported in the previous six wages, salaries and benefits categories.
All other expenses
Include:
all operating expenses and general administration expenses not reported elsewhere;
expenses for general financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, building rentals, communications purchased, purchasing activities, representation at law, and all other operational administration expenses not directly applicable to a particular function that are not included in the previous operating expenses categories;
expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses associated with revenue reported as "all other revenue";
all miscellaneous operating expenses not covered elsewhere;
staff reduction expenses.
Total other expenses
The sum of the previous two expense items.
Total operating expenses
The sum of the eight expenses sub-totals, in other words, Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses, Total aircraft operations expenses, and so on.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating expenses?
CAN$ '000
Operating expenses - Ground property and equipment maintenance
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Total maintenance - ground property and equipment expenses
Operating expenses - Aircraft operations
a. Flight crew wages, salaries and benefits
b. Aircraft fuel and oil
c. Landing fees
d. Navigation fees
e. Aircraft insurance
f. Aircraft rental
g. All other aircraft operations expenses
Total aircraft operations expenses
Operating expenses - Flight equipment maintenance
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Materials and supplies
c. Purchased repair services
d. All other maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Total maintenance - flight equipment expenses
Operating expenses - In-flight service
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Passenger food and supplies
c. Passenger liability insurance
d. All other in-flight service expenses
Include expenses incurred due to interrupted flights such as hotels, meals, etc.
Total in-flight service expenses
Operating expenses - Aircraft and traffic servicing
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. Purchased services
c. All other aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Total aircraft and traffic servicing expenses
Operating expenses - Promotion and sales
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other promotion and sales expenses
Total promotion and sales expenses
Operating expenses - Depreciation
a. Depreciation - flight equipment
b. All other depreciation
Include provisions for the depreciation of all non-flight ground and property equipment, etc.
Total depreciation
Operating expenses - All other expenses
Include general administration.
a. Employee wages, salaries and benefits
b. All other expenses
Include all operating expenses and general administration expenses not reported elsewhere, expenses such as incidental air transport-related expenses, expenses for general financial accounting activities, supplementary labour income, property taxes, etc.
Total other expenses
Total operating expenses
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
3. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
Report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Operating income
Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Total operating revenue less total operating expenses - calculated from the previous questions.
Non-operating income/expenses
Interest and discount income
Include interest income from all sources and cash discounts on the purchase of materials and supplies.
Interest expenses
Include interest on unpaid taxes and all classes of debt including premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term obligations, amortization of premiums, discounts and expenses on short-term and long-term obligations.
All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Include:
capital gains (or losses) from retiring operating property and equipment, aircraft equipment, expendable parts, miscellaneous materials and supplies and other assets, when they are sold or otherwise retired from service as part of a general program and not as incidental sales performed as a service to others;
gains or losses made on investments in securities;
net miscellaneous non-operating income or loss, which refers to revenue and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of the air transportation activities undertaken by the carrier, or its incidental services. These could include dividend income, the balance of all income or losses from affiliated companies reimbursed to the carrier, foreign exchange adjustments and special items, such as restructuring expenses, which do not occur on a regular basis.
Exclude staff reduction expenses which should be included under all other expenses.
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
The sum of the previous three income or expense items.
Provision for income taxes Include the provision for taxes payable on net income for the accounting period and adjustments of income taxes relating to previous years, including provisions for deferred income taxes resulting from differences between accounting income and taxable income that arise when the time of including items of revenue and expense in the computation of accounting income and taxable income do not coincide. If the net amount is negative, then the amount indicated for this item should be shown with a negative (-) sign.
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Net operating income plus net non-operating income less the provision for income taxes.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, what were the details of this business's operating and non-operating income?
CAN$ '000
Operating income
a. Net operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
Calculated from the previous questions as total operating revenue less total operating expenses.
Non-operating income/expenses
a. Interest and discount income
b. Interest expenses
c. All other net non-operating income (enter a negative number for a loss)
Net non-operating income (a loss should be a negative number)
d. Provision for income taxes
Net income (a loss should be a negative number)
Statement of Revenues and Expenses, Annual - Statement 21 (I, II)
4. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Fuel and oil consumed
Turbo fuel consumed Include fuel used in both turboprop and jet aircraft.
Provide the quantity and expenses for turbo fuel consumed. Turbo fuel includes the turbine fuel uplifted for all aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Fuel uplift can be determined based on delivery notes or invoices, aircraft onboard measurement systems or, if the fuel was supplied by a customer, estimated based on hours flown. Report the quantity of turbo fuel consumed in litres. Include turbo fuel consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for turbo fuel consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes. If the fuel was supplied by a customer, an approximate value may be provided based on prevailing market rates.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
All other fuel and oil consumed
Provide the quantity and expenses for all non-turbo fuel and oil consumed. Report the quantity of all other fuel and oil consumed in litres.
The quantity should include gasoline, turbine oil, piston oil and all other types of fuel and oil consumed for all scheduled and/or charter operations, regardless of where purchased. The expenses for all other fuel and oil consumed should be reported in Canadian dollars, regardless of where purchased. Include throughput charges, non-refundable duties and taxes.
Conversion factor
To convert gallons (imperial) into litres (l), multiply by 4.546092.
Total fuel and oil consumed
The sum of the quantities and expenses reported in the previous two items.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's fuel consumption.
Quantity -
Litres (L)
Expenses CAN$ '000
Fuel and oil consumed
a. Turbo fuel consumed (litres)
Include fuel used in both turbopop and jet aircraft.
b. All other fuel and oil consumed (litres)
Total fuel and oil consumed (litres)
5. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Employment
Average number of employees
Refer to the average number of people employed for each of the six categories of personnel. Include all employees, temporary or permanent, on the payroll of the air carrier during the reporting period. Include part-time employees, prorated to the amount of time worked when compared to full-time employees (for example, two part-time employees working half-time are equivalent to one full-time employee).
Wages and salaries expenses
Include a breakdown of the wages and salaries paid for each of the six categories of personnel.
Exclude all benefits, in other words, employer contributions to pensions, medical benefits, insurance, and so on or layover expenses, such as hotels and meals, for flight and cabin crews.
Employment category
Include:
Pilots and co-pilots. Self-explanatory;
Other flight personnel. Flight crew (including flight engineers, navigators, and so on) and cabin crew (including flight attendants, and so on);
General management and administration employees (including the personnel performing the general and administrative functions such as administrative personnel at headquarters, comptrollers and assistants, directors and assistants (operations, passenger service, public relations, sales), and so on);
Maintenance personnel (including the personnel performing the ground property and equipment maintenance such as the carpenters, cleaners, and so on and including the personnel performing the flight equipment maintenance such as the aircraft maintenance engineers and the inspectors of flight equipment);
Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel (including supervisory personnel, assigned to ground activities, engaged directly in protecting and controlling aircraft in flight (flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff), in scheduling and preparing flight crews for flight assignment, in parking and servicing aircraft incidental to line operations and including baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and so on);
All other employees (including air ambulance attendants, accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, purchasing personnel, publicity representatives, and so on).
Total employees
The sum of the number and the wages and salaries expenses for the six categories of personnel.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the details of this business's employment.
Average number of employees
Wages and salaries expenses CAN$ '000
Employment
a. Pilots and co-pilots
b. Other flight personnel
Include flight engineers, navigators, flight attendants, etc.
c. General management and administration employees
d. Maintenance personnel
e. Aircraft and traffic servicing personnel
Include flight dispatch personnel, flight planning staff, aircraft fuelers, etc.
f. All other employees
Include air ambulance attendants, accountants, purchasing personnel, etc.
Total employees
6. For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Revenue or expenses by area of operation
Passenger revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of passengers for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total passenger revenue should equal the sum of passenger revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Goods revenue
Include a breakdown of the revenue earned from the transportation of goods for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the transportation service was provided. Total goods revenue should equal the sum of goods revenue from scheduled services and charter services previously reported.
Employee wages and salaries Include a breakdown of employee wages and salaries for each province, territory and outside of Canada based on where the employees are located. Total employee wages and salaries should equal the total wages and salaries expenses reported in the "Employment" section above.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
For the reporting period ending YYYY-MM-DD, please provide the distribution of this business's revenue and expenses by area of operation.
Passenger revenue CAN$ '000
Goods revenue CAN$ '000
Employee wages and salaries CAN$ '000
Area of operation
a. Newfoundland and Labrador
b. Prince Edward Island
c. Nova Scotia
d. New Brunswick
e. Quebec
f. Ontario
g. Manitoba
h. Saskatchewan
i. Alberta
j. British Columbia
k. Yukon
l. Northwest Territories
m. Nunavut
n. Outside Canada
Total
Changes or events
7. 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
8. 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):
Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
9. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
Hours:
Minutes:
10. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?
