2006 Canadian Census

[J.J.]

Yeah, That jail time wouldn't look to good for the descendants to find Haha...

Were there really people paid for census taking?
I filled in the application...but didn't hear back...so was wondering...
We were given two options of mail ins or online forms to fill in...
Does the method differ by Province?    J.J.

[MJP]

Yes, people do get paid to go door to door and get people to fill out their census!  My friend has been doing it all summer. 

She gets a list of names in a certain neighbourhood and has to just keep visiting or calling them until they fill it out.  She will even sit down with them and fill it out for them if need be.  Statsitics Canada hires an army of these enumerators across the country every census - it's a very big undertaking. 

She was kind of making jokes about it until I told her about my family history research and how its so fascinating to see someone's name written down on an census form more than 100 years old, and how frustrated we sometimes get with lazy enumerators.      She was surprised that people actually USE census information.  Sheesh 

But I hope I got her to think a little differently about her job, temporary and part-time though it is.   

[J.J.]

Darn, would have loved to have had that extra income...oh, well....Maybe they only needed people in an ?"official capacity" by the time I signed up.....That's not  what I wanted so I only put in for door to door...

[Burrow Digger]

there is a big yellow notice from the census office taped to the door of an apartment on my floor. Its in english and said the occupant did not fill out a census form this year.  It briefly mentions a large fine if the occupant does not return the filled in form by a certain date.  I didnt read it too closely.

I must admit I dont see this particular elderly lady very often but she speaks  french, she is from Lebanon, and her english is very poor. I dont think she would be able to read the english.  I wonder if she is on vacation. She does have children living else where in ontario.

BD

[hunter-bloom]

I never heard anything about there being a fine for people who don't fill it out. I thought it was all optional if you filled one out or not. The government has your income tax information so they know where you are, what you do and how much you get, if you have children and if you are still claiming them for baby bonus, GST and tax break purposes.
The ones we got were all sent out by mail as far as I know. There were 2 different forms sent out a long one and a short one. 4 of my aunts got the short ones while my mom, sister and myself got the long version ones.
I wouldn't mind doing enumerations and door to door for the census forms but I don't think my little one would sit in his stroller long enough for that and people can get down right mean when it comes to things like this, or anything door to door really.

[Burrow Digger]

I think the maximum is a fine and 6 months jail.

I checked the census form stuck to the neighbours door again today. The census person came back today and wrote the time on the paper. They also wrote "you will be fined".

The notice said that "it is the law that you MUST fill out a census form." It also said if you dont you are charged with a $500 fine and either 3 or 6 months jail.

I still havent seen the old lady. If she's spending summer with her kids - she doesnt know about this at all. She cant afford $500!!!

BD

[KarenM]

BD, I wonder if there is someway you could contact Stats Canada to advise them for the lady?  Surely they would take that into consideration.

Hunter, what will our future genealogists do if you didn't fill out the form?  Sure, the government has tax information, as long as you file  , but there is no way from you tax info that they would know what your ethinic orgin was.

Mine form was delivered by door, so I guess it depends what area you were in.

Karen

[J.J.]

Especially if she is a widow and her husband used to do all the filing and form filling out...I know I had to help an elderly friend with many things. She was German and a widow, and almost blind...and likely a bit deaf if I recall...
You would be doing her a real service to help her. She could faint dead away when she gets home and sees this sign and wonders what its about...
J.J.

[hunter-bloom]

that is real nice, send an old lady to jail over something like this when they are already over crowded as it is, plus all those people who aren't in jail who really should be. The legal system is really getting stupid.