2021 Census: Enumerators now following up with dwellings

They are carrying out an important task on behalf of all Canadians

A Statistics Canada enumerator stands on the sidewalk holding a clipboard and pen, and wearing an a PPE mask as well as a Census 2021 red vest and an employee identification badge.
A census enumerator. Census enumerators safely collect the data that is vital to improving the lives of Canadians.

June 10, 2021 – Ottawa, ON – Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada thanks all Canadians who have completed their 2021 Census to date. Millions of households have responded to the questionnaires safely online, on paper or over the phone. Where needed, some census enumerators, who adhered to strict health and safety protocols, dropped off invitation letters to households that did not receive the invitation in the mail.

Statistics Canada enumerators are now following up with dwellings from which completed questionnaires have not yet been received. Every attempt is made by Statistics Canada employees to reach households by phone before enumerators conduct in-person visits to remind residents to complete the census and offer assistance.

Thousands of census enumerators have been hired across the country to collect the data that is vital to improving the lives of Canadians.

Enumerators visiting dwellings are following a new no-contact protocol. Under this protocol, no interviews are conducted inside the respondent's dwelling and no census employee from Statistics Canada is permitted to visit or enter institutional collective dwellings, especially the dwellings housing residents who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, such as seniors' residences. In accordance with guidelines from public health authorities, interviews take place outdoors and physically distanced and census employees are required to wear masks, and hand sanitizer is provided to employees so they may frequently disinfect their hands.

It's not too late for households to make their census contact-free by completing it online, on paper or over the phone. Households can still contact the Census Help Line at 1-855-340-2021 to request a secure access code or at 1-877-885-2021 to receive a paper questionnaire. Answers to many questions are also available on the census website.

Information from the census ensures that communities have the information they need to plan services that support employment, schools, public transit and hospitals. Millions of Canadians have counted themselves in already—have you?

Contacts

For more information, contact Media Relations at 613-951-4636, or at statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.