[changecamp] Statscan Urban-Rural Census Data changes

[Karen Quinn Fung]

Hi folks.

An email came across my university listserv about the delineation of
rural and urban areas in the census that I thought might be of interest
to those in this group.

I have not had much personal experience with census data in Canada, but
I thought I'd forward this over to see if any of those who have worked
on this might be interested, especially in the future of working with
information about rural areas. I'd love to get some translation /
context for this, in terms of its implications, as there is some concern
expressed over Statscan closing an office devoted to rural community
information.

There were a number of attachments referred to in the original email
that I've removed for size, get in touch if you'd like me to send it over.

--

Cheers,

Karen Quinn Fung
e: ka...@countablyinfinite.ca
w: countablyinfinite.ca
t: @counti8

-------- Original Message --------

For those of you working with census division information, please note
the proposed changes to CMAs (details below). They are soliciting
feedback on these changes.

This message is forwarded by the Chief of Research and Analysis of the
Agriculture Division of Statistics Canada, Ray Bollman.

Unfortunately, it appears that this rural division of Statistics Canada
(see details below) is being closed. This small unit has done the lead
work in Canada on rural trend measurement, including development of
effective statistical measurement categories. They put out the Rural and
Small Town Bulletin
(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/21-006-x/21-006-x2008004-eng.pdf ) which
helps provide background on rural issues. A sample of their titles includes:

2001 - Rural Commuting: Its Relevance to Rural and Urban Labour Markets
: Product main page
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/stcsr/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel%3Flang%3Deng%26catno%3D21-006-X2007006&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Btopic%3A113113165+%7C%7C+ray+bollman&col=alle&n=17&la=en>

2006 - Structure and Change in Canada's Rural Demography: An Update to
2006 : Product main page
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/stcsr/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel%3Flang%3Deng%26catno%3D21-006-X2007007&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Btopic%3A113113165+%7C%7C+ray+bollman&col=alle&n=16&la=en>

2004 - Health Status and Behaviours of Canada's Youth: A Rural-Urban
Comparison : Product main page
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/stcsr/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel%3Flang%3Deng%26catno%3D21-006-X2003003&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Btopic%3A113113165+%7C%7C+ray+bollman&col=alle&n=20&la=en>

2008 - Seniors in Rural Canada : Product main page
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/stcsr/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel%3Flang%3Deng%26catno%3D21-006-X2007008&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Btopic%3A113113165+%7C%7C+ray+bollman&col=alle&n=2&la=en>

2009 - Off-Farm Work by Farmers: The Importance of Rural Labour Markets
: Product main page
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/stcsr/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel%3Flang%3Deng%26catno%3D21-006-X2008001&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Btopic%3A113113165+%7C%7C+ray+bollman&col=alle&n=1&la=en>

The total budget cut, including this department, was one million; this
department seems to have a budget of less than 400,000. (exact numbers
to be confirmed).

This is important work: while the OECD has rural measurement categories,
the higher density of most European rural areas makes the statistical
categories apply less well. Work done in Canada, Australia, New Zealand
and the U.S. on rural areas helps form the foundation for effective
policy analysis and research, maintaining consistency and being tailored
to providing the right kind of information on Canada’s rural
communities. This office also hosts an annual meeting on statistical
issues and trends which forms an important meeting ground for graduate
students, policy makers and researchers concerned with rural issues.
This meeting appears to be cancelled as of this year.

I will send an update later for those who wish to protest yet one more
cut to research.


[sender suppressed]

*From:* Ray Bollman [suppressed]
*Sent:* May-10-10 11:42 AM
*To:* Colleagues
*Subject:* Consultations on CMA CA MIZ

Good morning all

Attached is a copy of the power point slides presented by Peter Murphy
(Geography Division, Statistics Canada) to the Statistics Canada
Socio-Economic Conference on April 27, 2006.

The Geography Division, Statistics Canada, is launching a series of
consultations on the 2016 delineation of CMAs, CAs and MIZ.

Perhaps obviously, any and all alternatives for the delineation of CMAs
and CAs will directly impact the delineation of non-CMA/CA areas and the
delineation of MIZ.

Thus, I would encourage each of you to actively participate in the
consultation process that is being launched. Details on the way to
participate in the consultation are at the end of Peter’s powerpoint:
“CMA and CA English SOC ECO pm.ppt” (et en français “CMA and CA FRANCAIS
SOC ECO pm.ppt”. Alternatively contact Peter directly for more
information (Peter....@statcan.gc.ca
<mailto:Peter....@statcan.gc.ca>).

In response to a question from Jennifer Mollins at the conference, Peter
indicated that implicit in the proposed methodology is the elimination
of the delineation of “census urban” areas and thus the elimination of
the delineation of “census rural” areas. In fact, this is proposed for
the 2011 publication program of the Census of Population.

Recall that “census urban” and “census rural” areas can exist within any
census subdivision -- because within any incorporated city, town or
municipality, you can have a built-up area (i.e. a “census urban” area)
and some countryside (i.e. a “census rural” area).

The termination of this delineation is important to understand. The
population in “census rural” and “census urban” areas cannot be derived
via a special request from users because the delineation is not simple.
For example, look at the 6 delineation rules on p. 24 of:

Matier, Kelly. (2008) *Delineation of 2006 Urban Areas: Challenges and
Achievements* (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Geography Working Paper Series
No. 2008001, Catalogue no. 92F0138).
(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=92F0138M
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=92F0138M>)

Thus, if data are to be published for “census urban” and “census rural”
areas, the procedures for the delineation of these areas need to be
built into the census program. If a user were to make a request for data
subsequent to the publication of census data, the request will not be
able to be accommodated.

The elimination of the “census rural” and the “census urban” delineation
means the termination of the census rural data, as published in the
bulletin:

Bollman, Ray D. and Heather A. Clemenson. (2008) “Structure and Change
in Canada’s Rural Demography: An Update to 2006.” *Rural and Small Town
Canada Analysis Bulletin* Vol. 7, No. 7 (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Catalogue no. 21-006-XIE).
(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=21-006-X&CHROPG=1&lang=eng
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=21-006-X&CHROPG=1&lang=eng>)

and provincial detail is published in the working paper :

Bollman, Ray D. and Heather A. Clemenson (2008) *Structure and Change in
Canada’s Rural Demography: An Update to 2006 with Provincial Detail
*(Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Agriculture and Rural Working Paper No. 90,
Catalogue no. 21-601-MIE) (www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-
<http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catno=21-601-MIE>bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catno=21-601-MIE
<http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catno=21-601-MIE>).

Attached are powerpoint slides (see Update 2006 Census Urban & Rural and
Rural Farm and Rural Non-farm) using “census urban” and “census rural”
data that will be terminated with this proposal.

In addition, as noted by

Mendelson, Robert. (2001) *Geographic Structures as Census Variables:
Using Geography to Analyse Social and Economic Processes* (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Geography Working Paper Series No. 2001-1, Catalogue
no. 92F0138MIE)
(www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catno=92F0138MIE
<http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catnon=92F0138MIE>)

the capacity to tabulate the census urban and the census rural
population within a type of region (such as CMAs, CAs and non-CMA/CA
areas) is analytically important. Specifically, it is analytically very
useful to look at the “census rural” versus the “census urban”
population within a given type of labour market area (say, within a CMA,
within a CA and within each type of MIZ). See that attached *.ppt called
“Mendelson the context of rural and urban communities matters.”

One-third of the census rural population lives within CMAs and CAs (see
the attached *.ppt è “CensusRural – Census Urban within LUC RST.ppt).
This presents one way to understand rural<>urban linkages – within CMAs
and CAs, there are rural<>urban linkages via the labour market – but
between CMA/CA areas and non-CMA/CA areas, the rural<>urban linkages are
not via labour markets and are thus via the trade in goods and services.

The point of Mendelson’s paper is that the census urban versus census
rural comparison is (very) different within CMA/CA areas compared to the
census urban versus census rural comparison within non-CMA/CA areas. For
examples, see the attached *.ppt è “Census urban vs. Census Rural within
each type of labour market.ppt”.

For 2001, the data for census urban and census rural within each type of
labour market were published as:

Statistics Canada. (2004) *Profile for the Statistical Area
Classification, 2001 Census of Population* (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Catalogue no. 95F0495x2001012)
(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=95F0495X2001012
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=95F0495X2001012>)

For 2006, the data for census urban and census rural within each type of
labour market were published as:

Statistics Canada. (2008) *Profile for the Statistical Area
Classification, 2006 Census of Population* (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Catalogue no. 94-581-X2006011)
(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=94-581-X2006011
<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=94-581-X2006011>)

As noted above, the proposal for 2011 is to terminate the ability to
tabulate any data for the census rural or census urban population.

As noted in the points of discussion in the forthcoming consultations, a
built-up core area will need to be delineated in order to seed the
starting point of the delineation of CMAs and CAs. Thus, the termination
of the “census urban” and “census rural” delineation is not being caused
by a budgetary consideration.

Thus, I revert to my initial statement. I would encourage each of you to
actively participate in this consultation process.

In the attached note on cities and urbanization, there are three ways to
define a city with Statistics Canada data. With the present proposal,
data by size of settlement will no longer be available.

Ray

********** Ray D. Bollman, Rural Research Group / Groupe de recherche
rurale (ru...@statcan.gc.ca), Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada.
613-951-3747 (306-379-4431 when teleworking) (fax/télécopieur
306-379-4379) To find Statistics Canada rural studies, visit
www.statcan.gc.ca <http://www.statcan.gc.ca> and search on rural in the
"search box" (you may wish to select "articles" to limit your search).

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