The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board:

Minister Encourages Residents to Participate in the Census

Canada’s census is currently taking place throughout the country.

Earlier this month, census packages were delivered to approximately 265,000 households in Newfoundland and Labrador, providing residents with the information they need to complete the census online or on paper. Completed questionnaires will provide valuable information that will be used by all levels of government to make decisions about neighbourhoods and communities.

The census collects information about every man, woman and child in Canada. The answers from each census form are combined to create statistical profiles of age groups, communities and other topics of interest. The completed forms are kept strictly confidential. Only Statistics Canada employees working directly with the census ever see completed census forms, and only on a need-to-know basis.

Census results are important to Canada and particularly important to this province. Funding formulas for major federal transfer payments to provinces are based, in part, on population counts. Every person not included in the census will result in lost dollars to the province and, therefore, lower funding for essential programs.

Furthermore, this province uses census information in planning and monitoring programs in such areas as health care, education and social assistance. Communities depend on census information when planning roads, waterworks, public transit, and police and fire services. Town planners use census data on households and families to plan current and future housing needs, health care and daycare centres.

The Census of Agriculture is carried out at the same time as the Census of Population and collects information from agricultural operators who have sold or intend to sell agricultural products. Results from the Census of Agriculture are also used in a variety of federal and provincial crop, livestock and land management programs.

I want to emphasize the importance of the 2011 Canadian census to the province, and I urge every resident of Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in the May 2011 Census.

2011 05 10                                                                                 1:40 p.m.