Note: Data Quality - Age at immigration

There was a slight overestimation of age at immigration in the 2006 Census. For more information on the age at immigration variable, please refer to the Place of Birth, Generation Status, Citizenship and Immigration Reference Guide, 2006 Census, catalogue number 97-557-GWE2006003.

Note: Data quality - Certificate or diploma below the bachelor level

The overall quality of the 'Highest certificate, diploma or degree' variable from the 2006 Census is acceptable. However, users of the 'University certificate or diploma below the bachelor level' category should know that an unexpected growth in this category was noted compared to the 2001 Census.

In fact, in the 2001 Census, 2.5% of respondents aged 15 years or over declared such a diploma, compared to 4.4% in 2006, representing 89% growth. This phenomenon was not found in other sources like the Labour Force Survey.

We recommend users interpret the 2006 Census results for this category with caution.

For more information on factors that may explain such variances in census data, such as response errors and processing errors, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Appendix B: Data quality, sampling and weighting, confidentiality and random rounding.

More information will be available in the Education Reference Guide, 2006 Census, to be published later in 2008.

Note: Data quality - Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux)

When comparing the census results to those of the 2001 Census, it appears that there is some overestimation of persons reporting Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in British Columbia and, as a result, also at the Canada level. Although it affects a relatively small population, it is best to apply caution when analysing the census data for Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in these geographies.

For more information on factors that may explain such variances in census data, such as response errors and processing errors, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Appendix B Data quality, sampling and weighting, confidentiality and random rounding.

Note: Broad occupational category A - Management occupations

Census data for occupation groups in Broad occupational category A - Management occupations should be used with caution. Some coding errors were made in assigning the appropriate level of management, e.g., senior manager as opposed to middle manager, and in determining the appropriate area of specialization or activity, e.g., a manager of a health care program in a hospital as opposed to a government manager in health policy administration. Some non-management occupations have also been miscoded to management due to confusion over titles such as program manager and project manager. Data users may wish to use data for management occupations in conjunction with other variables such as Income, Age and Education.

Note: Census family

A census family refers to a married couple (with or without children of either or both spouses), a couple living common-law (with or without children of either or both partners) or a lone parent of any marital status, with at least one child living in the same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same sex. 'Children' in a census family include grandchildren living with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Comparability of 2006 Place of work data

Working at home can be measured in different ways. In the census, the 'Worked at home' category includes persons who live and work at the same physical location, such as farmers, teleworkers and work camp workers. In addition, the 2006 Census Guide instructed persons who worked part of the time at home and part of the time at an employer's address to indicate that they 'Worked at home' if most of their time was spent working at home (e.g., three days out of five).

Other Statistics Canada surveys such as the General Social Survey, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, and the Workplace and Employee Survey also collect information on working at home. However, the survey data are not directly comparable to the census data since the surveys ask respondents whether they did some or all of their paid work at home, whereas the census asks them where they usually worked most of the time. Consequently, census estimates on work at home are lower than survey estimates.

The place-of-work question has remained in virtually the same format in each census since 1971. However, in 1996, the category 'No fixed workplace address' replaced 'No usual place of work.' In 1996, the census questionnaire was modified by adding a check box for the 'No fixed workplace' response category. In previous censuses, respondents were asked to write 'No usual place of work' in the address fields. It is believed that previous censuses have undercounted the number of persons with 'No fixed workplace address.'

Annexations, incorporations and amalgamations of municipalities could create some difficulties when comparing spatial units and structures which change over time.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Dwelling universe

The dwelling universe pertains to characteristics of dwellings in Canada. Dwellings are distinct from households. Dwelling characteristics refer to the physical attributes of a set of living quarters, whereas household characteristics pertain to the person or the group of persons (other than temporary or foreign residents) who occupy a dwelling. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Employed (in reference week)

Persons who, during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006):

(a) did any work at all for pay or in self-employment or without pay in a family farm, business or professional practice

(b) were absent from their job or business, with or without pay, for the entire week because of a vacation, an illness, a labour dispute at their place of work, or any other reasons.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: First official language spoken

The definitions of first official language spoken and official language minority are outlined in the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations issued pursuant to the Official Languages Act (1988).

Information on first official language spoken is not collected directly from respondents. Rather, it is derived from three language variables on the census questionnaire: knowledge of official languages, mother tongue, and home language (language spoken most often at home). The first step in the derivation of this variable is to examine the respondent's knowledge of English and French. A person who speaks only English has English assigned as the first official language, while a person who speaks only French has French assigned. If the person can speak both English and French, then the mother tongue variable is examined. If the mother tongue is English, then English is the first official language spoken. The same procedure is used for French. Thus, a person who speaks English and French, and has French as mother tongue, would have French assigned as the first official language spoken.

If the respondent speaks both English and French, and indicates English and French as mother tongue, then the 'home language' variable is examined to assign the first official language spoken. In this circumstance, a home language of English would result in English being assigned as first official language spoken, while a home language of French would result in French being assigned as first official language spoken. Consequently, a person who speaks both English and French, has both official languages as mother tongue and English as home language, would have English assigned as first official language spoken.

Situations where the respondents can speak English and French, and have both languages as mother tongue and home language, are assigned English and French as first official language spoken.

The official language minority is English in Quebec and French in all other provinces and territories. The size of the official language minority is determined by adding the minority population and half of the 'English and French' population. For example, in Ontario, the official language minority is the sum of those who have French as their first official language spoken and half of those who have English and French as first official language spoken.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Household type

Refers to the basic division of private households into family and non-family households. Family household refers to a household that contains at least one census family, that is, a married couple with or without children, or a couple living common-law with or without children, or a lone parent living with one or more children (lone-parent family). One-family household refers to a single census family (with or without other persons) that occupies a private dwelling. Multiple-family household refers to a household in which two or more census families (with or without additional persons) occupy the same private dwelling.

Non-family household refers to either one person living alone in a private dwelling or to a group of two or more people who share a private dwelling, but who do not constitute a census family.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Household universe

The household universe pertains to the person or the group of persons (other than temporary or foreign residents) who occupy a dwelling. Household variables are distinct from dwelling variables, in that the latter ones pertain to dwelling characteristics, not to persons occupying dwellings. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Institutional residents

People in seniors' residences in the 2006 Census are classified as 'not living in an institution'. This is a change from the 2001 Census where they were classified as institutional residents, specifically, 'living in an institution, resident under care or custody'.

Note: Inter-census division migrants (1 year ago) subuniverse

Inter-census division migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census division from the one at which they resided one year earlier.

Note: Inter-census division migrants (5 years ago) subuniverse

Inter-census division migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census division from the one at which they resided five years earlier.

Note: Inter-census metropolitan area migrants (1 year ago) subuniverse

Inter-census metropolitan area migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census metropolitan area from the one at which they resided one year earlier.

Note: Inter-census metropolitan area migrants (5 years ago) subuniverse

Inter-census metropolitan area migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census metropolitan area from the one at which they resided five years earlier.

Note: Interprovincial migrants (1 year ago) subuniverse

Interprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census subdivision from the one at which they resided one year earlier, in a different province.

Note: Interprovincial migrants (5 years ago) subuniverse

Interprovincial migrants are movers who, on Census Day, were living in a different census subdivision from the one in which they resided five years earlier, in a different province.

Additional information about this table is available in the Dimension Summary Box of the Profile.