FAQ / Help
Here are the questions we get asked the most. If yours isn't here, use the contact page and we'll try to add it.
Is the census mandatory?
Short form, yes. Long form, that depends on the year. In 2011 the government made the long form voluntary and turned it into the National Household Survey. Then in 2015 they brought the mandatory long form back. So it flips around depending on who's in charge. The short form has always been mandatory.
What happens if I don't fill it out?
Usually nothing. Stats Canada says they can fine you up to $500 or send you to jail for three months, but in practice prosecutions are rare. A handful of people get charged every cycle, mostly ones who make a public fuss about it. The 2006 numbers showed about two million people didn't respond. Almost none of them were prosecuted.
That said, if you refuse outright, you should know there's a small chance you'll end up in court. It has happened. Look up Sandra Finley or the Tobias case in the sidebar.
What is "minimum cooperation"?
It's a middle path. You don't refuse the census, but you don't volunteer anything either. You answer what the law requires and skip the rest. No extra comments, no volunteering your name if you can avoid it, no doing it online where they can track everything.
The full explanation is on the Minimum Cooperation page.
Why should I care about Lockheed Martin?
Lockheed Martin is a US weapons contractor. They build fighter jets and missile systems. They've been hacked. They've been fined for security failures. And at one point they had a contract to handle software and hardware for the Canadian census.
Stats Canada says they never saw the actual answers. Maybe. But the company that handles your data plumbing is still the company that handles your data. If you wouldn't hand your tax return to a defence contractor, you probably shouldn't hand them your census form either.
Is the online census safe?
We don't recommend it. Not because the site is broken, but because every online system leaves a trail. Paper forms get lost, sure. But digital forms get copied, backed up, moved, and stored in places you'll never see. Data breaches happen. We've listed dozens on the news page.
If you must respond, ask for a paper form. You can request one by phone. Stats Canada is required to provide it.
What about the Labour Force Survey?
Different thing, same agency. Stats Canada runs the LFS every month to track employment numbers. They tell people it's mandatory. A lot of people have pushed back on that. We have a whole page about it.
Can they access my tax data?
Yes, in some cases. Stats Canada has the legal power to pull income information from the Canada Revenue Agency instead of asking you directly. They've done it before. Details are on the CRA page.
Will you help me if I get in trouble?
We're not lawyers. We can't represent you. But we can point you to people who can, and we can share your story if you want it out there. Get in touch.
How can I help?
Three things. One, tell other people. Two, share what you know. Three, if you get pressured by a census rep, write it down and send it in. The more reports we have, the harder it is for Stats Canada to pretend everything is fine.