An open letter to MP David Tilson;

We are writing to add our voice to the growing number of organizations, both large and small, who are urging that the government reconsider its plan to eliminate the mandatory long-form national census and replace it with a National Household Survey.

We urge you to review our concerns, personally reconsider your stated position supporting the elimination of the longform census and advocate that the government revisit this decision.

Headwaters Communities in Action (HCIA) is a grassroots citizen group that fosters community leadership and action in support of a longterm vision of well-being for the Headwaters region. Our definition of well-being encompasses five pillars of a healthy community: Healthy People; Dynamic Economy; Sustainable Environment; Vibrant Culture; and, Engaged Citizens. Our approach emphasizes collaboration across sectors and political boundaries and promotes comprehensive, community-based solutions to address complex issues.

Believing that objective information is a critical first step to meaningful citizen involvement, HCIA will be releasing our 1st Community Well-Being Report later this fall. The data and stories that it will profile are intended to inform citizens of the strengths of Dufferin and Caledon, challenge some preconceptions, and highlight priority issues for shared action to enhance the well-being of our communities.

Ultimately, we hope it will stimulate dialogue between citizens and community leaders across all sectors within our community and provide a “benchmark” that can be revisited over time so that the impact of our collective action can be monitored.

We undertook the Community Well-Being Report project in response to a consensus from local citizens regarding the need for objec- tive, shared data to help guide community decision making and longterm planning. Such data and information is also seen as important in helping to profile the needs and strengths of Dufferin and Caledon to audiences outside our community. Our ability to access data from Statistics Canada has been absolutely essential in the production of our report as it is both reliable and accessible. If our group had to undertake the primary research necessary to generate the data profiled in our report, the cost would make it unaffordable.

The scope and consistency of Statistics Canada data allows us to break down various findings to the local municipal level. We can compare our community’s data to the province and country overall. We can also see in what ways our community has changed over time. It is precisely the more detailed information currently contained in the long-form census that provides us with the data we need to create a “snapshot” of “who the people in Dufferin and Caledon are today” and “how they are doing.” For example:

#More detailed data on housing types, when examined together with income and shelter data helps to better quantify the number of families within our region who may be struggling to meet their basic needs - and where they are geographically located;

#A community’s economic resiliency describes its ability to adapt and change when economic conditions change, such as during a recession or some other shock. By analyzing a community’s labourforce data - alongside its workforce, industry mix and enterprise data - the level of pressure the community is under can be assessed and opportunities to chart a strategic course forward together can be better identified.

#Data about travel and modes of transportation help us to better appreciate the number of commuters within our community and can provide important information to guide future transportation planning; decisions regarding our built environment and the environmental impacts of various transportation options.

The proposed voluntary household survey being recommended as an alternative to the long-form census will not capture as accurate and comprehensive a picture of our country or our community. As you yourself admitted, “Because it’s voluntary, I have no reason to be completing it.” This, according to the Canadian Council on Social Development, “might render data dissemination at smaller geographic levels impossible.” It would also be impossible to compare previous census data with this new survey data.

With regard to your concerns about privacy, it is our understanding that Statistics Canada works hard to maintain the confidentiality of respondents and that they have received only three privacy complaints in the last decade. Successful communities have demonstrated that the most creative and effective solutions emerge when citizens from diverse perspectives actively engage in initiatives to address local concerns. In order to participate meaningfully in this process, citizens need accurate data and information about our community. Such data enables us to better understand the competing tensions within our community; appreciate our collective choices; and determine how to contribute to emerging solutions. The long-form census is an essential ingredient to ensuring that such citizen engagement is possible. We hope you and your government will reconsider your decision to eliminate it.

Leesa Fawcett, Chair