It’s Census time.
Census takers have been out across the region, dropping off the forms with secure access codes, in an attempt to remind people they are required by law to fill out the short or long-form questionnaire. Unfortunately, the grumbling has already begun.
Some people on social media are already complaining that they don’t want to share specific information about themselves, like their names and birthdates, although apparently, it’s ok to share those details – and more – with Facebook and Twitter. Others have lamented the fact it’s online, with one senior saying that when he found out, “we threw it in the garbage!” even though all Canadian households are required by law to fill it out.
Sadly, this might mean a less-than-accurate response, which is disheartening. The Census is an important document, a snapshot in time that provides a statistical portrait of Canada and Canadians on one specific day. The results are crucial in assessing population shifts and how cities and towns and provinces should plan for future services such as schools and hospitals and transportation.
For ages, it has been the tried-and-true method of determining how to allocate specific resources to various communities or set electoral boundaries.
Now more than ever, we need those numbers. The pandemic has shifted the way we work and live and communicate. Even if we go back to the somewhat ‘normal’ olden days of 2019, we are facing massive changes in our lives that go beyond wearing masks or working at home in our pajamas.
In the South Cariboo, for instance, we have seen an even bigger influx of seniors moving here to escape the rat race. Young families struggling to stay in their hometown to raise their children. Property values are through the roof as people move to here from the cities to work from home, start new businesses or just enjoy outdoor living.
These are trends that have to be reported and analyzed so we can ensure we move forward in a sustainable and progressive way. The Census tells us where our population has come from, how we’re changing as a town or country, and how we must adapt to continue to thrive. Agriculture is also a big focus of the Census, especially in these days when we are all seeking to ensure we have food security and we are losing more and more farmland to other uses.
Those Census numbers are vital in providing an accurate picture of where we are now – in 2021 – to help us understand what services we need in the next five years or even later to service out population.
It might take you a few minutes – or a bit longer if you get the long-form Census to fill it out. Either way, it’s time well spent.
