Census Changes Harms Canadians’ Health
Anyone in the social research and policy analysis business can easily see the ramifications of the Federal Government’s recent decision to scrap the long form census and replace it with a voluntary household survey. Now we have health care professionals, Epidemiologist and Biostatistician also weigh in on the issue.
On Thursday, September 2, 2010 a news conference, organized by the "Save the Census Campaign", which is spearheaded by social planning councils across Canada, brought together medical officers of health, nurses, epidemiologists and community health experts in Ottawa, Toronto, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver to speak out against this decision by the Federal Government.
In a nutshell, the long form census provided Canadians with a portrait of who we are and how we are changing in terms of family composition, ethnicity, education, income, housing, disability, transportation modes and other key areas deeded for planning and sound decision-making.
Patti Groome, PhD and Canada Research Chair in Cancer Care Evaluation in a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper wrote, "Epidemiologists and other population researchers know that the groups who will be less likely to respond to the survey are those whose information is needed most – those from disadvantaged groups. We will also be hampered in our ability to know whether other population-based research that we conduct is representative of the Canadian population and our ability to examine population subgroups defined by variables such as race, income, education and geography will be eliminated. Lastly, much of the work done in the area of social determinants of health is inter-country. We will no longer be able to participate in such comparisons as a country because the voluntary (and therefore non-representative) National Health Survey will not be accepted by the international research community as providing valid information. "
If we are to continue to make good sound decisions in this country that are based on accurate data, then we need to continue with the long form census. It just makes good sense.
For more information please go to www.savethecensus.ca
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Sunday, 05 February 2012 
Community Resources 
