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More information on Census subdivision (CSD)

Censuses:

2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971, 1966, 1961

Remarks:

Census subdivision type

Census subdivisions (CSDs) are classified into 55 types according to official designations adopted by provincial/territorial or federal authorities. Two exceptions are 'Subdivision of unorganized (SNO)' in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 'Subdivision of county municipality (SC)' in Nova Scotia, which are geographic areas created as equivalents for municipalities by Statistics Canada, in cooperation with those provinces, for the purpose of disseminating statistical data.

The census subdivision type accompanies the census subdivision name in order to distinguish CSDs from each other, for example, Granby, V (for the ville of Granby) and Granby, CT (for the municipalité de canton of Granby).

Changes to CSD types for 2006 include the following:

1. CSD types added
   • Community government (CG) in Northwest Territories
   • Crown colony / Colonie de la couronne (CN) in Saskatchewan
   • Terres réservées aux Cris (TC) in Quebec
   • Terres reservées aux Naskapis (TK) in Quebec
   • Municipality (MU) in Ontario
   • Municipality / Municipalité (M) in Ontario
   • Town / Ville (TV) in New Brunswick and Ontario
   
   
2. CSD types deleted
   • Terres réservées (TR) in Quebec was replaced by Terres reservées aux Cris (TC) and Terres réservées aux Naskapis (TK).


3. Other changes
   • City / Cité (C) is replaced by City / Cité(C), City (CY) and Cité (CÉ).
   • Municipalité (M) in Quebec becomes Municipalité (MÉ).
   • Paroisse (municipalité de) (P) in Quebec becomes Paroisse (municipalité de) (PE).
   • Parish (PAR) in New Brunswick is replaced by Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de) (P).
   • Indian reserve - Réserve indienne (R) becomes Indian reserve / Réserve indienne (IRI).
   • Rural community (RC) in New Brunswick becomes Rural community / Communauté rurale (RCR).
   • Subdivision of county municipality (SCM) in Nova Scotia becomes Subdivision of county municipality / Subdivision municipalité de comté (SC).
   • Indian settlement - Établissement indien (S-E) becomes Indian settlement / Établissement indien (S-É).
   • Settlement (SET) in the Yukon becomes Settlement / Établissement (SÉ).
   • Subdivision of unorganized (SUN) in Newfoundland and Labrador becomes Subdivision of unorganized / Subdivision non organisée (SNO).
   • Unorganized - Non organisé (UNO) becomes Unorganized / Non organisé (NO).

Table 7 shows CSD types, their abbreviated forms, and their distribution by province and territory.

Census subdivision types associated with 'on-reserve' population

On-reserve population is a derived census variable that is captured by using the census subdivision (CSD) type according to criteria established by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). On-reserve population includes all people living in any of eight CSD types legally affiliated with First Nations or Indian bands (described below), as well as selected CSDs of various other types that are northern communities in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory (see Table 8).

The following census subdivision types are based on the legal definition of communities affiliated with First Nations or Indian bands.

1. Indian reserve (IRI) - A tract of federally owned land with specific boundaries that is set apart for the use and benefit of an Indian band and that is governed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). Statistics Canada only recognizes the subset of Indian reserves that are populated (or potentially populated) as census subdivisions. For 2006, of the more than 2,900 Indian reserves across Canada, there are 1,095 Indian reserves classified as CSDs (including the 43 reserves added for 2006). Statistics Canada works closely with INAC to identify those reserves to be added as CSDs.

2. Indian settlement (S-É) – A place where a self-contained group of at least 10 Indian (Aboriginal) persons resides more or less permanently. It is usually located on Crown lands under federal or provincial/territorial jurisdiction. Indian settlements have no official limits and have not been set apart for the use and benefit of an Indian band as is the case with Indian reserves. Statistics Canada relies on INAC to identify Indian settlements to be recognized as census subdivisions, and their inclusion must be with the agreement of the provincial or territorial authorities. An arbitrary boundary is delineated to represent each Indian settlement as a census subdivision.

3. Indian government district (IGD) – Sechelt reserve lands in British Columbia. The Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act is a transfer by Her Majesty in right of Canada to the Sechelt Band in all Sechelt reserve lands, recognizing that the Sechelt Band would assume complete responsibility for the management, administration and control of all Sechelt lands. The Sechelt Indian Government District Enabling Act (British Columbia) recognizes the district Council as the governing body of the Sechelt Indian Government District. The district Council may enact laws or by-laws that a municipality has power to enact under an Act of the province.

4. Terres réservées aux Cris (TC) – Parcels of land in Quebec set aside for the permanent residence of Cree First Nations of Quebec. Terres réservées aux Cris are adjacent to village cris. The area of a village cri is set aside for the use of Cree bands, but members of Cree bands are not permanently residing there. Note that a village cri and its adjacent terre réservée aux Cris can have the same name, e.g., the village cri of Waswanipi and the terre reservée aux Cris of Waswanipi.

5. Terres réservées aux Naskapis (TK) – Parcels of land in Quebec set aside for the permanent residence of Naskapi First Nations of Quebec. Terres réservées aux Naskapis are adjacent to village Naskapi. The lone area of village Naskapi is set aside for the use of the Naskapi band, although its members do not reside there permanently.

6. Nisga'a village (NVL) – The four former bands of the Nisga'a Nation that became villages with the Final Land Claims Agreement of 1998 between the Nisga'a Nation, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. These include the villages of Gingolx, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts'ap and New Aiyansh. Note that the Nisga'a village called New Aiyansh is delineated as two separate census subdivisions, which correspond to the former Indian reserves called Aiyansh 1 (currently unpopulated) and New Aiyansh 1.

7. Nisga'a land (NL) – Part of the territory whose title has been transferred to the Nisga'a Nation by the Final Land Claims Agreement of 1998 between the Nisga'a Nation, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. Together with the four Nisga'a villages (NVL), this territory makes up the Nisga'a Lands defined by the land claims agreement.

8. Teslin land (TL) – A parcel of rural settlement land whose title has been transferred to the Teslin Tlingit Council by the Teslin Tlingit Council Land Claims Agreement of 1993 between the Teslin Tlingit Council, the Government of Canada and the Government of the Yukon.

Table 8 lists the specific northern communities selected by INAC because they are affiliated with First Nations or Indian bands. The people living in these CSDs are included when tabulating on-reserve population.

Census subdivision code

The census subdivision (CSD) code is a three-digit code that is based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). In order to uniquely identify each CSD in Canada, the two-digit province/territory code and the two-digit census division (CD) code must precede the CSD code. For example:

There are two municipalities in Canada that straddle provincial limits: Flin Flon (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and Lloydminster (Saskatchewan and Alberta). Each of their provincial parts is treated as a separate CSD. Indian reserves are also treated as separate CSDs when they straddle provincial limits.

Changes to census subdivisions for the 2006 Census

Municipal restructuring between 2001 and 2006 resulted in two noteworthy provinces: Quebec, with 282 dissolutions and 100 incorporations, and Saskatchewan, with 29 dissolutions and 11 incorporations.

The following census subdivisions have had their Standard Geographical Classification code revised:

Newfoundland and Labrador: due to the creation of a new census division, Division No. 11, to represent the Inuit Settlement Area; see related census division definition

• Rigolet, T – 1010021 to 1011010
• Postville, T – 1010059 to 1011015
• Makkovik, T – 1010044 to 1011020
• Hopedale, T – 1010048 to 1011030
• Nain, T – 1010056 to 1011035

Quebec: primarily due to the dissolutions caused by amalgamations and subsequent reconstitutions of the CSDs (municipalities) listed

• Charette, MÉ – 2436005 to 2451080
• Saint-Boniface-de-Shawinigan, VL – 2436020 to Saint-Boniface, MÉ – 2451085
• Saint-Élie, PE – 2436010 to Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, MÉ – 2451075
• Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, PE – 2437080 to 2451090
• Saint-Henri, MÉ – 2424005 to 2419068
• Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, PE – 2425005 to 2426070
• Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, MÉ – 2436015 to 2451070
• Waterville, V – 2443005 to 2444080
• Batiscan, MÉ – 2437025 to 2437210
• Champlain, MÉ – 2437030 to 2437220
• Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, PE – 2436040 to 2437235
• Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes, MÉ – 2437035 to 2437225
• Saint-Maurice, <PE – 2437045 to 2437230
• Saint-Narcisse, PE – 2437040 to 2437240
• Saint-Prosper, PE – 2437010 to 2437250
• Saint-Stanislas, MÉ – 2437015 to 2437245
• Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, MÉ – 2437005 to 2437205
• Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan, PE – 2437020 to 2437215
• Petit-Saguenay, MÉ – 2494005 to 2494205
• L'Anse-Saint-Jean, MÉ – 2494010 to 2494210
• Rivière-Éternité, MÉ – 2494015 to 2494215
• Ferland-et-Boilleau, MÉ – 2494020 to 2494220
• Saint-Félix-d'Otis, MÉ – 2494025 to 2494225
• Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, PE – 2494030 to 2494230
• Saint-Fulgence, MÉ – 2494035 to 2494235
• Saint-Honoré, MÉ – 2494060 to 2494240
• Larouche, MÉ – 2494080 to 2494265
• Saint-Charles-de-Bourget, MÉ – 2494085 to 2494260
• Saint-Ambroise, MÉ – 2494090 to 2494255
• Saint-David-de-Falardeau, MÉ – 2494095 to 2494245
• Bégin, MÉ – 2494100 to 2494250
• Lalemant, NO – 2494902 to 2494926
• Lac-Ministuk, NO – 2494904 to 2494928
• Mont Valin, NO – 2494906 to 2494930

The boundaries, names, codes and status of census subdivisions reflect those in effect on January 1, 2006, the geographic reference date for the 2006 Census of Canada. Information about any CSD changes that were effective on or before the January 1, 2006 reference date must have been received by Statistics Canada prior to March 1, 2006, in order to be processed in time for the census.

Refer to the related definition of Standard Geographical Classification (SGC), and to the 2006 Standard Geographical Classification (SGC), Volume I (Catalogue no. 12-571-XIE, XWE) for summaries of the intercensal census subdivision changes to codes, names and status.

Changes prior to the current census:

For 2001, there were six new census subdivision types: island municipality (IM), Nisga'a land (NL), Nisga'a village (NVL) and regional district electoral area (RDA) in British Columbia; region (RG) in Newfoundland and Labrador; and Teslin land (TL) in the Yukon. There were also three CSD types deleted: borough (BOR) in Ontario (the unique Borough of East York was dissolved and amalgamated with the City of Toronto on January 1, 1998); northern town (NT) in Saskatchewan (the only two northern towns were changed to towns); and subdivision of regional district (SRD) in British Columbia (this type was replaced by the regional district electoral area). Other changes: community (COM) was changed to town (T) in Newfoundland and Labrador; improvement district (ID) was changed to township (TP) in Ontario.