Why the census matters — to every Canadian

Now is the time to stand up and be counted.

Actually, the “stand up” part isn’t really necessary. Sitting down is OK, too. But as the 2026 census is carried out, being counted is a necessary, essential and — dare we say? — desirable activity for every Canadian household.

Mandatory though it is — failure to complete one’s assigned census questionnaire, whether the short or longer form, can result in a fine of up to $500 — participation in the census should be viewed as something more than an obligation.

It’s also an opportunity to shape the manner in which government funding, services and infrastructure will be provided to Canadian communities — including yours — over the next few years.

With most homes having received their census letter/document earlier this month, Tuesday was designated as the “soft” deadline by which forms were to be submitted. Those who did not receive the census letter can still access the survey by visiting census.gc.ca or calling a toll-free number (1-833-852-2026) and requesting the necessary 16-digit numerical code to proceed with the questionnaire.

Those who don’t submit a census form this week will receive reminders — by phone or mail and, if necessary, eventually in person — that the required information must be provided. The short form only takes a few minutes to complete, while the longer form — which one in four households will receive — is more detailed and takes 20-25 minutes to fill out.

The accumulated data will be used to help government form priorities on such measures as school placement and construction, where hospitals and clinics are needed and how much funding support individual municipalities will receive.

It will come as no surprise during this era of online misinformation and political polarization that there are factions that view the census as an invasion of privacy and some sort of sinister government overreach.

Some have taken to tearing up their census forms and/or returning them to Ottawa with a sharply worded note outlining the rationale for their non-participation protest.

It’s probably safe to assume a significant portion of the conspiracy-theorizing no-census crowd is also aligned with the do-their-own-research mindset that has contributed to sagging vaccination rates and the recent unfathomable reappearance of once-conquered communicable diseases such as measles in communities across Canada.

And those who assign dark motives to the government’s census demand are no doubt dizzily unaware (or unconcerned) regarding the manner in which their personal data is being mined, compiled and algorithmically exploited during those own-research excursions in pursuit of proof the state is meddling in their business.

“It’s literally the opposite of none of your business,” Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands) said of the census. “It is your business. When people refuse the census, they’re not sticking it to Ottawa. They’re sticking it to their own community.

“Skipping the census doesn’t hurt the government; it hurts your neighbours. So if you want to protest something, go ahead. But mailing back a blank census form isn’t a rebellion; it’s just volunteering your community for fewer resources.”

Statistics Canada has included a “fighting misinformation” tab on its census information page, addressing many of the concerns that might contribute to hesitation about the survey and how the data collected is secured.

Canada’s last census, in 2021, had a 98 per cent response rate, and pegged the nation’s population at 36,991,981. The first results of the current survey will be made available early in 2027.

If you haven’t already done so, complete and submit the 2026 census document. It’s mandatory, and it’s meaningful.

In other words, getting counted … counts.