Cansim 029-0012 Divided by Province

Question

A student is looking for Cansim 029-0012 divided by provinces (like Cansim 029-0005 but this one doesn't have the sector details 481-493). Is it possible to request a custom tabulation?

Answer

The data is not available by province. I believe there are confidentiality issues that do not allow for provincial breakouts.

Past Gov Docs

Question

I am currently in possession of a workbook and several modules of an old INAC publication. The main book is titled “Aboriginal Awareness Workshop: Guide to Understanding Aboriginal Cultures in Canada”, QS-3608-001-EE-A1; Catalogue No. R-41/6/11-1999E. I also have the modules for Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, and NWT/Nunavut.

Does anybody, by chance, have copies of the other modules floating around that they don’t mind parting with? I’ve already contacted AANDC, and they don’t have this publication anymore.

Answer

According to the Government of Canada Publications website, the ones you have were the only ones that were distributed by the Depository Services Program back in 2002 <http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/weeklyChecklist/issues/2002/02-06-full.html>

There are copies at Laurentian - check <http://laurentian.concat.ca/eg/opac/home?locg=105> to see which ones are available. The University of Saskatchewan has the same documents that you have listed in your email.

There are other modules listed in the Canadian Research Index (CRI), so a library that has the Canadian Deposit Microlog collection may have the appropriate microfiche. U of S has the provincial microfiche collection and so does not have these documents mentioned in the CRI. York has the Atlantic, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan modules as part of their microlog microfiche collection though, so they do exist.

NGS 2013 PUMF

Question

I have a grad student planning her winter research project. Is the National Graduate Survey 2013 PUMF (Class of 2009/2010) still scheduled for release next month as per <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/dli/prod_date>?

Answer

We expect that it will be available in January 2015.

Municipal Data on Fiscal Affairs

Question

A researcher is looking for municipal tax data for southern Ontario municipalities - e.g. mill rates for different uses (commercial vs. residential), etc. The fiscal information he is interested in includes revenue tools used, tax rates, amount collected, and then also expenditures (if available in a comparable format). 

Do you know any sources of comparable tax and fiscal data, preferably longitudinal, available at Stat Can? What I’ve seen online on Stat Can appears to be at the provincial or federal levels only.

For example, data might look like this:
Municipality: City of Mississauga; Residential Mill Rate: 15, Commercial Mill rate: 30; Income Tax Rate by location of work: X%; Income tax rate by location of Residence: Y%; Municipal sales tax rate: 3% (independent of HST); Municipal Transportation Expenditures: Q%; Municipal Recreation Expenditures: Z%; Municipal waste disposal expenditures: A%.
If this data is available over multiple years, that’s even better.

CANSIM Table 382-0032 would get him part of the way there (although it doesn’t include rates), but it is only available at the level of Canadian geography, not at the levels of individual municipalities.The same goes for the CANSIM Table 385-0001, 385-0002, 385-0003, and 385-0032, which would get them part of the way there (although they don’t include tax rates), and are not available at the levels of local municipalities.

Answer

For Ontario municipal tax data, I suggest looking at FIR (Financial Information Return) data, found on the Municipal Affairs and Housing website, as follows (or click on the link provided).

Here's a sample spreadsheet for 2013--Column ‘U’ lists the type of taxpayer, including residential: <http://www.mah.gov.on.ca>

Defining "Rural"

Question
I have a graduate student who is trying to define "rural". According to the Statistics Canada definition at <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/92-195-x/2011001/geo/ra-rr/ra-rr-eng.htm>, rural areas "include all territory lying outside population centres (POPCTRs)" POPCTRs are defined at <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/92-195-x/2011001/geo/pop/pop-eng.htm> as an area with a population of at least 1,000 and no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometer.

According to GeoSuite 2011, the 2011 population of the City of Prince George was 71,974 and the land area was 318.2579 square km. This would give it a population density of 226.15 people per sq. km. So, according to the above definition, the City of Prince George would be a rural area. Is my understanding correct? It seems counterintuitive, as the CSD type for Prince George is City, and it is the core of the Prince George CA.

Answer

As mentioned in the detailed definition of population centres available here: <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/92-195-x/2011001/geo/pop/def-eng.htm> this statistical area was first delineated in 1961. (At the bottom of the above page). At the time, neither enumeration areas nor dissemination blocks were used for delineation. Urban areas then included all incorporated cities, towns and villages with a population of 1,000 persons or over. This explains why some of the current population centres have a population density inferior to 400 people per sq km. Building blocks at the time were not dissemination blocks but actual CSD boundaries."

Municipal Tax Data for Southern Ontario Muncipalities

Question

A researcher is looking for municipal tax data for southern Ontario municipalities - e.g. mill rates for different uses (commercial vs. residential), etc. The fiscal information he is interested in includes: revenue tools used, tax rates, amount collected, and also expenditures (if available in a comparable format). Do you know any sources of comparable tax and fiscal data, preferably longitudinal, available at Stat Can?

From what I’ve seen online, Stats Can appears to be at the provincial or federal levels only.
For example, data might look like this:

Municipality: City of Mississauga; Residential Mill Rate: 15, Commercial Mill rate: 30; Income Tax Rate by location of work: X%; Income tax rate by location of Residence: Y%; Municipal sales tax rate: 3% (independent of HST); Municipal Transportation Expenditures: Q%; Municipal Recreation Expenditures: Z%; Municipal waste disposal expenditures: A%.

-If this data is available over multiple years, that’s even better.

-CANSIM Table 382-0032 would get him part of the way there (although it doesn’t include rates), but it is only available at the level of Canadian geography, not at the levels of individual municipalities. The same with CANSIM Table 385-0001, 385-0002, 385-0003, and 385-0032, which would get them part of the way there (although they don’t include tax rates), and are not available at the levels of local municipalities.

Answer

For Ontario municipal tax data, look at the FIR (Financial Information Return) data, found on the Municipal Affairs and Housing website.

<http://www.mah.gov.on.ca> Local Government à Resources for Municipalities à Economic Development/Finance à Financial Information Return (FIR) à FIR Website <http://oraweb.mah.gov.on.ca/fir/welcome.htm>. Select "View by Schedule." Column ‘U’ lists the type of taxpayer, including residential. 

These tables can be quite complex, but do contain considerable detail, including whether a line item refers to a residential or other tax payer.

SAEP 2013 PUMF

Question

I Preliminary information from the SAEP 2013 was announced in the October 29 Daily – will there be a PUMF produced for this file?

Answer

There was no PUMF on the day of the SAEP release, but there will be a PUMF. Our expectation date is around mid-december or the beginning of January.

In the meantime you can access the RDCs at: <http://www.rdc-cdr.ca/datasets-and-surveys> and the RTRA at: <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/rdc-cdr/rtra-adtr/surv-enq-eng.htm>

Postal code Population Counts

Question

One of our researchers is requesting postal code population counts for the years 2003- current. How can she get that? Is the PCCF+ the way to go? Just wondering if there is any documented methodology that anyone could provide for this? If not, is there any technical documentation that could direct us to our options, or could either of these two be a good option?

1) Using population ranges, e.g., POP_CNTR_RAclass and then parsing for value =4 (large population centres over 100,000), also using the variable: CSizeMIZ, or

2) Calculating the counts, e.g., using the file DABLKPOINT and variable DAPop2011(Sum of dissemination block population within dissemination area) and the postal code population weighting file in the PCCF+ … i.e., for postal codes linking to more than one DA?

Answer

Postal code population counts, other than the censuses, are not available. However, census disclosure rules prevent the publication of such data.

Population counts by postal codes are not available from us due to census disclosure rules. I am not aware of any satisfactory method to ‘derive’ an estimate.

CNICS Release

Question

Is there any information on when the 2013 data for the Child National Immunization Coverage Survey might come available?

Answer

We don't have an official release date yet, but are planning for sometime in February 2015.

CCHS 2014 Mental Health Survey

Question

A group of researchers is interested in the CCHS, particularly the CCHS 2012 mental health survey. However, they are asking whether they can go a bit further with this data, within the RDC, by linking it to the CCHS 2012 annual component. From the documentation it appears that these are two separate surveys with two different groups of respondents, can you confirm this? If the CCHS 2012 mental health is a subset of the 2012 annual, would they be able to link the two files within the RDC?

Answer

They are two different surveys. The CCHS "annual component" is a different set of samples from the "focus content component."You may want to visit our webpage for a brief on the 2012 CCHS-MH: <http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/rdc/surveys.html>

ICO 2014 Release

Question

When will the Inter-Corporate Ownership Q2 and Q3 be available? Q1 was released in April 2014.

Answer

The ICO product page states: "April 2014 - Please be advised that this product is currently under review and subscriptions are no longer available." The Subject Matter department states that: "Q2 2014 has not yet been released but we anticipate its release in the near future."

Insect Damage to Crops

Question

A group of researchers is looking for data (preferably Canadian) on the value of crop loss caused by pests (insects and acari) and herbivores.They are looking for the value of damage to tomato, strawberry, and grape crops (specifically by spider mites, but that might limit the available data too severely).Would StatCan’s Agricultural Division have any such data, or can anyone suggest other sources? Would this be covered under crop insurance, or available from provincial Ministries of Agriculture?

Answer

You are correct, data on crop losses is not available through our agency’s website and perhaps not even collected. We have alternative data sources that are related to the subject. The one time ‘inactive’ Crop Protection Survey, program id 5100 might be of interest to you. The following link will allow you to consult the methodology: <http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5100>

In the CANSIM Table 002-0005 entitled: "Farm operating expenses and depreciation charges, annual (dollars x 1,000)," you will find data on Fertilizer and lime expenses as well as Crop and hail insurance. In table 6 of catalogue number 21-023 entitled: "Farm Environmental Management Survey," you will find data on Pesticide use on Canadian crop farms by Province and region: <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/21-023-x/2013001/t006-eng.htm>

I don’t think anyone in Ag. Div would have that type of data, what we do have is probably the closest they will find at STC. What we have in CAFS is data on ‘Direct payments’ to agricultural producers in publication 21-015 <http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/olc-cel/olc.action?ObjId=21-015-X&ObjType=2&lang=en&limit=0>. These are payments made under a variety of government programs including crop insurance, hail insurance, agri-recovery, agri-stability, etc.

These data are available annually, 2013 will be released soon. The publication contains notes explaining what each program is for. As a special request we can also provide more details on the AgriRecovery programs, this is where any government money being given for ‘disaster’ situations would be reported (attached below).

For the most part crop insurance covers only the major grains and oilseeds, though I believe some are now starting to offer coverage to horticulture growers.

We don’t have any data specific to certain crops unless there was a program specifically for one of these situations. I think this type of information is most likely to be included in an Agri-Recovery program as noted above, so I would suggest contacting someone at AAFC who is responsible for this program (which is part of Growing Forward2). Though we might have as much as they do.

Uniform Crime Reporting

Question
I have a researcher looking for results from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey from 2013. Data for 2011 and earlier is available in the DLI, when will 2013 be released?

Answer

It was decided from subject matter that now that the data is available in CANSIM (previously it was only disseminated to select groups, including the DLI) we will no longer be receiving new versions of the file.
<http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/COR-COR/COR-COR/objList?lang=eng&srcObjType=SDDS&srcObjId=3302&tgtObjType=ARRAY>. We are coordinating with the EAC to determine how best to treat these files in the DLI.

Six Digit Postal Code Data

Question

The DMTI Six Digit Postal Code file that we have is from 2002 onward. Does any one know if Six Digit Postal Code data is available for 1998 - 2002 from Geography or another source?

Answer

The Geography Division did not create a product that contained representative points for postal codes. There are representative point coordinates contained in the PCCF products,
but they are the coordinates for the representative points of the census geography that is the best fit for that postal code and not for the postal code itself.

The PCCF has latitude/longitude for all postal codes – since it contains all postal code records, it’s possible to use that file to create a list of valid postal codes for 1998, and to determine the lat/long of each 6-digit postal code. It won’t be exact – but it will be better than nothing.

PCCF File and License

Question

There are researchers here at McGill who have used the latest version to code their data. They would like to add physician density by region to their data analysis, which can be calculated and supplied by CIHI. The problem is that CIHI only has access to an older 2011 PCCF+ file so the data would not match the coding for the latest health region boundaries.

Can these researchers share the PCCF+ file with CIHI so that CIHI can supply them with compatible data? Or is there some way CIHI could be provided with an up to date PCCF+ file?

Answer

Clause 9 of the End-use Licence Agreement for Postal CodeOM Conversion File, Postal Codes OM by Federal Ridings File and Postal CodeOM Conversion File Plus (“data product”) states that:

"The Licensee is authorized to provide the data product to contractors/consultants only for the purpose of “providing data manipulation and consulting services exclusively to Licensee. Upon completion of work, the contractor/consultant must i) return all data products to Licensee, and ii) delete the data product from their systems and premises. Contractors or consultants may not use the data product or derived products for their own purposes or to offer services to third parties."

It is the Licensee’s responsibility to ensure that the files provided for the purposes of consulting services are returned and deleted from their systems/premises.

Centroids for Census Divisions

Question

One of our researchers is looking for latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates for Census Divisions. If available, where can this be found? Is there any advice or documentation relating to the computing of the centroids? Or might this be available through a custom product?

Answer

Attached, you’ll find a PCensus Pointfile (an Excel spreadsheet) that provides X-Y coordinates at the Census Division level for all of Canada, based on the 2011 Census. You can also go to: <http://hamstermap.com> visualize these points (coordinates had to be inversed to Y-X, or Lat-Long).


GeoPortal does not calculate centroids upon export to .csv. The csv data you get is a representation of the boundary polygon areas, with shape area and length. However, you can use the boundaries to calculate centroids in ArcMap or equivalent. The way to obtain centroids for this layer would be to download it from the GeoPortal as needed (full dataset or a section), bring it in to ArcMap and use the ‘Feature to point’ ArcMap Toolbox tool that would great a point file from the polygons using the centroid of each polygon. The centroid of each polygon is embedde. For some DMTI layers, the centroids are provided, but not all. These would still need to be calculated, but it’s pretty simple as described above.

NLSCY Data

Question

I have a student who has asked for the following from the NLSCY Longitudinal (ECD); are these data available in any public source?
- # of teen mothers (age 15-19 years) for cycles 2-8
- # of advanced age mothers (age 35+ years) for cycles 2-8
I suspect this would require a custom tab, which she has no time for, but I thought I would ask anyway.

She also wanted to know how many of the teen and advanced age mothers gave birth for the first time (first child only); I have found CANSIM table 102-4508 (Live births, by age and parity of mother, Canada), the data for which comes from the Vital Statistics - Birth database, so the data source isn't the NLSCY, but it will have to do, since she has no time to order a custom tab.

I do have a question about this CANSIM table: it provides the number of live births, and percentage of live births. I am moderately confused by the use of 'percentage' in this case; does it mean that, for example, the 100 live births for mothers under 15 in 2010 represented 98.0% of all births in that age category?

Answer

To explain this one, I downloaded an old publication which shows the same table (but for 2009 instead of 2011). In the publication it is easier to see how the percentages are calculated. This table was extracted from CANSIM. Again the information shows 2009 data and it is to help understand how the table is structured. CANSIM has the same information but more updated.

LFS Data by FED

Question

I have a researcher that is studying the relationship between unemployment rates and federal electoral results. Ideally, he is looking for unemployment data for Federal Electoral Districts from 1-3 months before federal elections. The LFS does not seem to provide data at this geographical level, but is this something that can be done at an RDC or via custom tabulation.

Answer
The variable list in the LFS masterfile available on the DLI’s Nesstar <http://www62.statcan.ca/webview/> and the geographic levels available for LFS are at: economic regions, CMA/urban centres, unemployement insurance regions, and at the provincial level.

The unemployment by FED is not available for that survey. Have you considered that National Household Survey? You would need to select the FED that you are looking for. Then scroll down the profile until they see Labour force status variable. <http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/fed-cef/index.cfm?Lang=E&SID=2>

SORs and SIs in the Canada Gazette

Question

Does anyone know of a source that clearly explains the difference between Statutory Orders/Regulations and Statutory Instruments? I know that the former is one type of Statutory Instrument.

While I’ve often retrieved SORs and SIs for students and faculty, I am not clear about the difference between them. I’ve also compared the text of various SORs and SIs to see if any apparent differences appear between them in terms of content, but this approach hasn’t helped either.

This webpage is somewhat helpful, but not quite: <http://legalresearch.org/statutory/federal-statutes/regulations/>

Answer

Any good legal research manual for Canada will explain. i.e. MacEllven. There was also an article in Canadian Law Libraries about this.Likewise, this page from Justice Canada might help: <http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/S-22/page-1.html> or the Privy Council Office of Canada: <http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=secretariats&sub=oic-ddc&doc=gloss-eng.htm>

LTCFS and RCF Access

Question

A student is looking for access to data from Long-term Care Facilities Survey (LTCFS) and Residential Care Facilities (RCF). Do PUMFs exist for either survey, and are they accessible via the RDC?

Answer

I confirmed with a RDC manager that these surveys are not available in the RDCs, as it was determined to be business data. I am confirming that this information would be available through the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research (CDER).

There are tables for the Residential Care Facilities (RCF): <http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/COR-COR/COR-COR/objList?lang=eng&srcObjType=SDDS&srcObjId=3210&tgtObjType=ARRAY>

Housing prices, sales, construction by FSA?

Question

I have a researcher looking for housing prices, sales, and construction data at the FSA level. Is this available?

Answer

I consulted the masterfile metadata for the SHS survey, and the geographic coverage does not include FSA.

I also reviewed other housing surveys, such as New Housing Price Index (NHPI) and Residential Property Values, which only go down to the CMA level. There's also the Royal Lepage House Price Survey, but it does not seem to go down to FSA, and the MLS Real Estate database.

Housing Prices by Structure

Question

We have a researcher that is trying to find housing prices for the city of Toronto by type of unit/structure and by age of construction. Is there any resource that you can recommend?

Answer

This is non-Stats Can information, but here are some surveys of interest are:
Residential Property Values
The Property Values Program produces residential property value estimates by province and territory, as well as by Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). This data series represents residential property values at current market price, by reference year. This includes all taxable and exempt properties
CANSIM table:
-026-0018 Residential property values, by province, territory and census metropolitan area (CMA)
-There’s also: <http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3508>. In reviewing the PUMF, the information is not available for Toronto, but only at the Province level.
Following CANSIM Tables may be of interest
-203-0019 Survey of household spending (SHS), dwelling characteristics at the time of interview, by province, territory and selected metropolitan areas
-203-0003 Survey of household spending (SHS), household spending on shelter, by province and territory
-For more specific tables, custom tabulations may be an option, which are cost recoverable.
-Have you considered the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)?
-From CANSIM you can download residential housing statistics on housing starts, completions, under construction and newly completed and unoccupied; vacancy rates; and mortgage information.<http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/COR-COR/COR-COR/objList?lang=eng&srcObjType=SDDS&srcObjId=7505&tgtObjType=ARRAY>
-Another source of housing prices is the Royal Lepage House Price Survey. We have a long run of these archived in our institutional repository at: <https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/jspui/handle/1974/8451/browse?type=title&submit_browse=Title>

University Enrolment by Institution

Question

Are there any sources of FTE (full-time equivalent) enrolment figures by institution? These data are obviously reported to STC, but reported by province, program, etc., not by institution. Since the data are reported publicly by each institution on their websites, is there some other reason why STC apparently doesn't report the data that way?

Answer

-BC's numbers are available here: <http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/dbc/catalogue/detail.page?config=dbc&P110=recorduid:175504&recorduid=175504&title=Full-time%20Equivalent%20Enrolments%20at%20B.C.%20Public%20Post-Secondary%20Institutions>
-Have you tried the CAUT Almanac? Here’s an extract from the 2012-2013 edition, showing FTE enrolment by school. 2002 – 2014 available at: <http://www.caut.ca/resources/almanac>



-AUCC has current stats in charts - they should have back years: <http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/facts-and-stats/>
-The information seems to be derived from the University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS), which is no longer an active survey; and the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), from which data are extracted from administrative files.PSIS does have some content available in CANSIM:<http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/COR-COR/COR-COR/objList?lang=eng&srcObjType=SDDS&srcObjId=5017&tgtObjType=ARRAY>. According to the PSIS survey page under Data Disclosure: PSIS produces a wide range of outputs that contain estimates for various student or postsecondary institution characteristics. Results are published for institutions from which we have received written consent. For data covering the student population, the following rules are applied: only aggregate data are released and no microdata file is available. For tabular data, cells are random rounded to base 3.

1982 UK Parliamentary Document

Question

I'm having trouble tracking down the following item, and wondered if anyone might possibly have it, or be able to recommend where I might find it: a UK parliamentary document, Government Response of July 1982 to the 6th Report of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (Session 1981-82), Cmnd. 8600

Answer

University of Toronto Library has the document electronically and might be in microfiche as well.

Reinstating the Long Form Census

I had understood that with second reading coming up last week, the issue was over, but was surprised that I’d not heard the results of the vote). We should still encourage people to support the bill if we want the long form census reinstated and more autonomy for Statistics Canada. The second reading debate consists of two one-hour sessions. The second hour of the debate is at the end of January, and a vote shortly thereafter. So, please do ask people for help in speaking out and contacting their local MP from now until the first week of February 2015.