Modernization Bulletin

Dear DLI contacts,

The October 2019 issue of the Statistics Canada Modernization Bulletin is now available on the EFT. The bulletin aims to keep you up to date on the latest Statistics Canada initiatives and transformations.  

EFT: /MAD_DLI_IDD_DAM/Root/ModernizationBulletinModernisation

Thank you!

Postal Codes Shape File

Question:

Hello DLI,

A researcher has asked me if there are postal code shapefiles available. We initially looked at the shapefiles for FSA boundaries from StatsCan, but those areas are too big for the researchers needs. Any advice? Thanks!

Have a lovely day! 

Answer:

DMTI has shapefiles of FSAs and LDUs in their CanMap Postal Suite product.

What do you mean “too big”? If the extent is too large, you can clip the files to a geographic region using a GIS application. If the FSAs are too big (ie, too large an area), then the LDUs (six digit postal codes) may be sufficient.

National Apprenticeship Survey

Question:

Hello,

I have a faculty member looking for public-use microdata file versions of the National Apprenticeship Survey.  

I haven’t been able to find this.

Thanks for your help.

Answer:

We received the following reply from the division that is responsible for this survey:

There is no PUMF for the 2015 NAS.

There is currently no plan to develop a PUMF for the NAS.

FSA Land Area

Question:

Hi Data Librarians, 

I'm helping a researcher get a list of FSAs (Forward Sortation Areas) with their population density, but I only found the population data by FSA via Census Analyzer or Stats Can website. So as a workaround, I downloaded the boundary file (shapefile) of FSAs, imported to ArcMap, calculated geometry of all the polygons, and got a spreadsheet of FSAs with their land area. Then she can just calculate population density. But I'm just wondering if there is another way-- maybe this FSA land area data is hidden somewhere I'm not aware of?  

Thanks!

Answer:

That’s the approach I would have taken as well. Depending on what area of Canada your researcher is examining, you might want to choose a projection that minimizes areal distortion, especially if you’re dealing gigantic FSAs.

You may want to have a look at this (or something like this) in case you haven’t already:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/92-195-x/2011001/other-autre/mapproj-projcarte/m-c-eng.htm

Master File Documentation Request

Question:

So - it was kindly pointed out to me this morning that 1911 and 1921 files (data and documentation) have been made available here: https://ccri.library.ualberta.ca/enindex.html (and that 1911 is also in ODESI).

So I guess this leaves me with 2 questions:

1. Are we definitely sure the files on the CCRI website are the same as the RDC files? I suspect they must be, and have just been publicly released because they are past the 92 year rule. But if anyone can confirm that would be much appreciated!
2. For 1931, 1941 & 1951, my previous questions still apply about how to get some general information about the datasets.

Answer:

Hi,

Please note this additional information:

The researcher does not need to have RDC access to access some CCRI files. Some information regarding the historical microdata Census files are available via the hyperlinks below. The 1911 to 1951 historical microdata Census files were compiled electronically by the Canadian Century Research Infrastructure (CCRI). While these data files are made accessible through Statistics Canada, the Agency (i.e.: the Research Data Centre analyst or Census subject matter division) will not be providing support for the use of these historical files. Researchers accessing these data do so with the understanding that Statistics Canada support is not available for files provided by CCRI.

Note that the following hyperlink includes a direct link to the publically released 1911 and 1921 microdata files and therefore the researcher can download the files and review the related codebook content.

https://ccri.library.ualberta.ca/en1911census/contextual/index.html    (1911 to 1921 microdata files)

https://ccri.library.ualberta.ca/enresources/schedules/index.html   (Questionnaires and content)

 

CCHS - Food security for City of Ottawa health region in 2016 (or more recent)

Question:
We have a graduate student who is looking for food security, he is specifically interested in insecurity, for the City of Ottawa (by health region). We found that CCHS 2015-2016 included a derived variable for food security, but it would appear that Ontario did not opt in for the food security module. Is there another data source for these data that we missed?

Also, does the CCHS 2017 or 2017-2018 documentation happen to indicate if Ontario opted in to the module for this latest cycle? If so, how soon could the student find the latest weighted number of people having food security (moderate or severe) compared to all respondents in the City of Ottawa health region?

Answer:
The CCHS 2017 and 2018 did include the food security content for Ontario. The PUMF for the two-year 17-18 data is currently in production and will be available early 2020. In the meantime, I am able to provide the information you need. For 2017-2018, in the City of Ottawa health unit (HR), 6.7% of people aged 12 or older lived in a household that was classified as food insecure. This estimate has a confidence interval of 4.7% to 8.6% and a coefficient of variation of 14.95%.

Religion Data

Question:

Hello,

I’m working with a researcher who’s looking for data on gender, employment, and religion, to explore the relationship between Muslim religious identity and employment among women (at the national level). After looking around a bit it seems to me that accessing the GSS (work & home) via the RDC might be the only way to get down to the level of specific religious affiliation, but I thought I would check in here first. Would there be an option for a custom tab that would include these variables? Am I missing another source that might work for her?

Answer:

You have the National Household Survey that has religious affiliation data.
Religion (19), Age Groups (10), Sex (3), Selected Demographic, Cultural, Labour Force and Educational Characteristics (268) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey

There’s the 2001 census as well that has variable on religion, gender and employment.  Interestingly enough, the question on religion was not included in the 2016 Census since it is only asked every 10 years. The question will be considered for inclusion in the 2021 Census (source – Census Dictionary).