License required for the Human Dimensions Open Data Challenge?

Question

SSHRC, Compute Canada and a few other organizations are partnering to encourage researchers in the social sciences to participate in the Human Dimensions Open Data Challenge. Their definition of Open Data being " Open data is the practice of making machine-readable data freely available to anyone to develop all kinds of new and useful solutions, products, and applications that surpass the initial value of the original data>'

In terms of encouraging/enabling participation in this challenge, what (if any) restrictions/conditions would participants need regarding using DLI data? I guess I'm really looking for clarification on the Open License.

Answer

Please see: DLI licensing and Statistics Canada's Open Data Licence.

· “They can use the PUMFs for statistical and research purposes but they cannot share the data files with non DLI members.· Postal code information may not be used for contractual or income-generating activity, and cannot be redistributed outside the DLI .· The data from CIHI cannot be shared with anyone outside DLI institutions nor can it be used for commercial purposes.· Browse through examples of prior licensing questions.”

May I suggest to recommend using CANSIM, census profiles, Summary tables for the Human Dimensions Open Data Challenge.

International Merchandise Trade Data

Question

Can you tell me if the International Merchandise Trade Data (HS 8 level) is available under the Open Licence now?

Answer

International Merchandise Trade Data is available on the EFT here:

/MAD_DLI/Root/trade_commerce/international-merchandise-data-by-commodity-classification

Historic immigration data

Question

I have a researcher looking to obtain immigration data including immigrant status, place of birth, and period of immigration (by decade). Basically, they need the equivalent of this table, but they would like this information back to the 1940s, whereas this table groups everything "before 1971" together.

Going back through basic summary tabulations from much older census years, I did find similar tables that went back further in time, but place of birth is by very broad geographies (13 categories).

Is this data available through any table that I am missing, or through custom tabulation?

Answer

The following tables go back to 1961.

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=89425&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=72&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/c1996-r1996/nov4-4nov/imm1-eng.htm

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/c1996-r1996/nov4-4nov/imm2a-eng.htm

We only have documentation back to 1971 here at the Help Desk and the ability to produce custom tabulations is only as far back as 1971.

That being said, I found a few resources that may be of use to them.

A few of this CANSIM tables could be of interest to them:

http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/subject-sujet/result-resultat?pid=30000&id=30004&lang=eng&type=ARRAY&pageNum=1&more=0

The following historical Census table (does not however, include Place of Birth)

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=89423&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=72&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=

Also the following publication:

Canadian Social Trends – 100 years of immigration in Canada

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2000002/article/5164-eng.pdf

They can also check out the Canada yearbooks for the historical years here and look under the Immigration and Colonization section.

As an example, this is 1941.

http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1941-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1941/194101730115_p. 115.pdf

The rest are here:

http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/acyb_000-eng.htm

Or the following years are available for quick access (there are a list of tables available in each year).

http://www65.statcan.gc.ca/acyb02/acyb02_0000-eng.htm

Population by age groups for CDS and CSDs

Question

I have given a researcher links to census tables that provide population figures by age group down to the CD and CSD level back to 1991, and CANSIM tables that provide data at the provincial level back to 1971, but I wondered if there was any compilation at the lower levels of geography prior to 1991, or even provincial data prior to 1971 without having to laboriously transcribe it from the printed census volumes

Answer

For provincial/territorial population estimates by age and sex before 1971, this information is not publicly accessible on Cansim but we can provide an Excel data file on demand.There are however 3 important differences between those estimates and subsequent estimates. As stated in the note tab, population estimates are as of June 1 (rather than as of July 1), they are not adjusted for census net undercoverage and non-permanent residents are not included in the population estimates. More generally, user should also be aware of differences between Statistics Canada's census counts and population estimates.

For subprovincial areas such as CDs, it is more complicated because of boundary changes that may prevent historical comparisons. However, you could still refer the user to some Cansim tables. First, CANSIM table 051-0030 provides total population estimates for CDs and CMAs as of July 1, 1976 to 1986, according to the SCG 1981. Second, Cansim table 051-0036 provides population estimates by age and sex for CDs and CMAs as of July 1, 1986 to 2007, according to the SGC 2001. Users must be aware that from one SGC to another, borders may shift and geographical units may not be comparable.

Gasoline Sales by Volume

Question

I'm looking for data on gasoline sales by volume for Ontario in 2007, either monthly or quarterly. It can be wholesale or retail, either gasoline in general or regular, unleaded. I haven't been able to come up with anything at that level of geography.

Answer

I’ve received the following response from subject matter:

“We have on the Statcan website CAMSIM table 326-0009 the average retail prices for gasoline and fuel oil, not the sales of volume, available by urban center.”

Table 326-009 – Average retail prices for gasoline and fuel oil, by urban centre Monthly (cents per litre)

Geography	Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario part, Ontario/Quebec5			Toronto, Ontario			Thunder Bay, Ontario 3
Type of fuel	Regular unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations	Premium unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations	Diesel fuel at self service filling stations	Regular unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations	Premium unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations	Diesel fuel at self service filling stations	Regular unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations	Premium unleaded gasoline at self service filling stations
2007 January	82.5	93.6	88.5	80.1	91.4	89.8	95.5	105.8
2007 February	89.3	99.8	89.8	89.3	100.1	90.1	92.8	103.2
2007 March	99.5	110.4	95.0	101.1	112.4	98.3	103.1	113.4
2007 April	101.8	112.7	95.3	101.1	112.2	96.7	108.0	118.3
2007 May	106.6	117.7	93.8	105.5	115.9	94.0	111.8	122.3
2007 June	103.3	114.0	92.3	102.3	112.2	92.0	113.6	124.2
2007 July	101.2	112.8	93.0	101.0	110.6	94.3	114.2	124.9
2007 August	96.3	107.4	93.5	95.8	105.2	94.7	109.8	120.3
2007 September	97.3	108.2	96.3	97.2	106.4	96.3	111.9	122.6
2007 October	95.1	106.1	96.8	94.4	106.1	96.3	102.2	113.1
2007 November	101.5	112.5	99.5	99.9	111.0	100.0	104.6	115.3
2007 December	102.3	112.9	107.3	100.6	111.7	107.3	107.3	117.4

Footnotes:

2. For concepts and definitions, see publication Your Guide to the Consumer Price Index, catalogue no. 62-557-X, or publication The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper, catalogue no. 62-553-X. Additional information can also be obtained from the Consumer Prices Division at 1-866-230-2248 (toll-free) or by email at cpd-info-dpc@statcan.gc.ca.

3. No average retail price for diesel fuel at full service filling stations is published for Thunder Bay because it is not applicable.

4. No average retail price for fuel oil is published for Edmonton and Calgary because it is not applicable.

5. Formerly Ottawa (Ottawa-Hull, Ontario part).

6. Due to a lack of data availability, the average prices for Regular unleaded gasoline at full service filling stations, Premium unleaded gasoline at full service filling stations and Diesel fuel at full service filling stations will no longer be published after February 22, 2013, with the release of the January 2013 Consumer Price Index. Historical information for these series will continue to be available.

Source:  Statistics Canada. Table  326-0009 -  Average retail prices for gasoline and fuel oil, by urban centre, monthly (cents per litre),  CANSIM (database). 

Vital Statistics - Death Database

Question

A student is looking for the number of deaths, ages 0-74, both sexes, most recent data available, for all health regions in Canada from the Vital Statistics – Death Database. I found a CANSIM table that had this by province but there doesn’t seem to be anything for health regions. Is this data available by health region?

Answer

CANSIM table 102-4311 has 2009/2011 "premature mortality" (click on "Add/Remove data" or download the entire dataset) by health regions, by gender, and by rates or counts. The footnote for premature mortality explains that "Premature deaths are those of individuals who are younger than age 75."

I found the table by following footnotes in the Health Profiles. I look there first when I am trying to find health data available by health region, followed by loading up all the CANSIM tables from the health subject page and then using "Ctrl-F" (Command-F with a Mac) to quickly find all tables that have "health regions" in their titles.

Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics 2012

Question

Is the next SLID PUMF expected to be out in June 2016?

Answer

We’ve located the following announcement regarding the 2011 SLID:

This is the last release from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics and contains cross-sectional estimates only. Effective with the 2012 reference year, cross-sectional income esitmates will be available from the Canadian Income Survey (record number 5200).Longitudinal estimates are available up to and including 2010.For detailed information related to previous SLID releases, please click on the 'Other reference periods' sidebar.

I’ve contacted the subject matter area for the Canadian Income Survey and have received the following response:

“Our plans as of now are to try and release the CIS PUMFs in the Fall of 2016. At that time we are hoping to release 2012 and 2013. And hopefully 2014 shortly after.”