The Importance of the Long Form Census to Canada

Abstract

In June the federal government published plans to replace the mandatory long form census with a new National Household Survey (NHS) for the 2011 Census cycle. The new NHS is to be circulated to more households but will be voluntary rather than manda tory. The announcement generated a response unique both for its breadth across civil society and its near uniformity. The breadth reflects the plethora of uses for census data, stretching into so many important deci sions made by businesses, municipal and provincial governments, and non-profits. The near uniformity