Municipal census in Canada facts for kids
A census is like a big count of all the people living in a certain area. While the Canadian government does a big census for the whole country every five years, some towns and cities in Canada can do their own smaller counts, called municipal censuses. This helps them understand their local population better.
Only a few places in Canada have laws that let their towns and cities do these special counts. These are the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the territories of Nunavut and Yukon. As of 2006, towns and cities in Alberta were the main ones actually doing these counts.
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Why Do Towns and Cities Do Their Own Counts?
Towns and cities choose to do their own censuses for several important reasons. It's not just about counting heads!
Getting Important Information
One big reason is to collect important information about the people living there. This information, called demographic data, helps local leaders plan for the future. They can figure out what services their community needs, like more schools, parks, or public transportation.
Getting More Money
Another major reason, especially for towns and cities that are growing fast, is money! The government often gives money to towns and cities based on how many people live there. If a town's population has grown a lot since the last big national census, doing their own count can show this. A higher population count can mean more money from the province to help pay for services.
Checking Growth
Sometimes, a town or city just wants to see if it has grown since the last official count. A municipal census is a good way to check their progress and see how their community is changing.
How Are Municipal Censuses Done?
In the past, people would go door-to-door with paper forms to count everyone. This is called enumeration. Today, things are a bit more modern!
Modern Counting Methods
Many towns and cities now use technology. People still go door-to-door, but they might use wireless handheld devices to enter information. Some places even let people fill out the census questions online from their own homes. This information goes straight into a secure database.
Who Gets Counted?
When a census is done, only people who usually live in that town or city are included in the main count. These are called "usual residents." However, sometimes a town might also count a "shadow population." This includes people who work or spend a lot of time there but don't officially live there, like workers at a big construction site.
Municipal Censuses in Alberta
Alberta has a special law called the Municipal Government Act (MGA). This law allows its towns and cities to do their own censuses. It also says that the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs (AMA) can set rules for how these counts are done.
Rules for Counting
The rules for Alberta's municipal censuses are found in the Determination of Population Regulation (DOPR). Here are some of the main rules:
- Towns and cities have a three-month window to do their counts, from April 1 to June 30.
- They must pick a specific date within this time for the count.
- The census must follow a special training guide approved by the Minister.
- The results must be sent to Alberta Municipal Affairs before September 1 of the same year.
- If the Minister accepts the results, that new population number becomes official for the town or city.
How Many Towns and Cities Count?
Doing municipal censuses is very common in Alberta. Between 2007 and 2011, which was the time between two big national censuses, 157 out of 357 towns and cities in Alberta did at least one municipal census. This included all 17 cities and 8 Métis settlements. Many towns, villages, and other types of communities also did their own counts. For example, in 2013, at least 40 towns and cities in Alberta did censuses.
Municipal Censuses in Other Places
In Nunavut, laws like the Cities, Towns and Villages Act and the Hamlets Act allow their communities to do their own censuses. However, as of 2006, towns and cities in Nunavut were not using this option.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan also has a law, the Municipalities Act, that lets its towns and cities do their own counts.
- The City of Lloydminster, which is right on the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta, has done municipal censuses in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2013.
- The Town of La Ronge did its own census in 2012. They believed the national census had counted too few people in their town.
- In 2019, the Organized Hamlet of Elk Ridge did a census. This was to help them apply to become a resort village.
Yukon
In Yukon, towns and cities can do their own censuses because of the Municipal Act. But like Nunavut, as of 2006, communities in Yukon were not using this option.
