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Last week’s Save the Census Health Campaing yielded some great footage:

City of Winnipeg

APTN Voluntary long form census will hurt Canadians’ health

City of Toronto

Media Release – Health professionals warn of health impact of the loss of the mandatory long form census. Here are the YouTube videos of the Toronto Event on Sept. 2:

Save The Census Health Media Event – Introduction
http://bit.ly/97kghD

Save The Census Health Media Event – Dr David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto

Save The Census Health Media Event – Rob Milling, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)

Save The Census Health Media Event – John McLaughlin, Cancer Care Ontario

Save The Census Media Event – Anne-Marie Holt, Ontario Association of Public Health Epidemiologists

Save The Census Media Event – Cherie Miller, Regent Park Community Health Centre

MEDIA ADVISORY: Health-care professionals protest cuts to long form census

TORONTO – Sept. 1, 2010 – Medical and population health researchers and health-care professionals are convinced that the cancellation of the mandatory long form census will create a significant health risk for Canadians. That’s why they are participating in a series of media events in cities across the country on Thursday, September 2.

Initiated by the “Save the Census Campaign”, being spearheaded by social planning bodies across Canada, these events will feature Medical Officers of Health, physicians, nurses, medical researchers, representatives of Community Health Centres and other health-care professionals who are concerned about the health implications of this decision.

“Long form census data is used to make decisions about local health care and public health services, and as a foundation for population-based research into medical conditions and diseases. Loss of this data will make it more difficult to address the pressing health needs of Canadians,” said Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto.

Events are planned for Thursday, September 2nd in Toronto, Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Confirmed participants include Medical Officers of Health, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), the Canadian and Ontario Epidemiological Societies, and front-line medical researchers.

EVENT LISTING

TORONTO

Tomorrow, Thursday September 2nd, 10:00 a.m.

Women’s College Hospital, Main Lobby, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto (please note there is NO on-site parking)

Organizer: John Campey, Social Planning Toronto (416) 351-0095 x 260

Speakers:

  • Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto
  • Rob Milling, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
  • John McLaughlin, Vice-President, Population Studies and Surveillance, Cancer Care Ontario
  • Anne-Marie Holt, President, Ontario Association of Public Health Epidemiologists
  • Cherie Miller, Director of Community Health, Regent Park Community Health Centre

OTTAWA

Thursday, September 2nd, 10:00 a.m. Carlington Community and Health Services, 930 Merivale Road, Ottawa ON

Organizer: Peggy Taillon, Canadian Council on Social Development (613) 236 8977 x 1

Speakers:

  • Dr. Isra G. Levy, Chief Medical Officer of Health, City of Ottawa
  • Michael Birmingham, Executive Director Carlington Community & Health Services and National Association of Community Health Centres
  • Nancy Watters, Registered Nursing Association Ontario, Eastern Ontario Representative

SUDBURY

Thursday, September 2nd, 10:00 a.m., City of Lakes Family Health Team Sudbury Site, 960 Notre Dame Avenue, Unit C. Sudbury

Organizer: Janet Gaspirini, Social Planning Council of Sudbury (705) 675-3894

Speakers:

  • Dr. Chris Bourdon, Chief of Staff, Sudbury Regional Hospital
  • Isabelle Michelle, Sudbury District Health Unit
  • Dr. David Marsh, Associate Dean, Community Engagement, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

WINNIPEG

Aboriginal Health and Wellness Center of Winnipeg, 181 Higgins Avenue (Time to be confirmed)

Organizer: Wayne Helgason, Winnipeg Social Planning Council (204) 943-2561

Speakers:

  • Darlene Hall, Executive Director, Aboriginal Health and Wellness Center of Winnipeg
  • Sandra Gessler, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba

EDMONTON

Thursday, September 2nd, 1:00 PM, Friends of Medicare Office, 10512 122nd St, Edmonton

Organizer: David Eggen, Friends of Medicare (780) 423-4581

Speakers:

  • Dr. Colin Soskolne, President, Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • John Kolkman, Research Coordinator, Edmonton Social Planning Council

VANCOUVER

Organizer: Scott Graham, Social Planning and Research Council BC. (604) 718-8501

For more information, contact:

John Campey, Social Planning Toronto (416)351-0095 x 260 (cell) 647-283-9657

Peggy Taillon, Canadian Council on Social Development (613) 236-8977.

All of the session of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (August 27, 2010) are now available as Video on Demand on CPAC.  The Sessions include:

MPs are continuing to study a plan to change Canada’s long-form census. Several witnesses are appearing to discuss the controversial proposal, which would make the long form voluntary but sent to more homes.

The first panel features Mel Cappe, president of the Institute for Research in Public Policy, Ian McKinnon, chair of the National Statistics Council, Joseph Lam, vice-president of the Canada First Community Organization, James Turk and Michael Ornstein from the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Clément Chartier, president of the Métis National Council, and farmer James Henderson.

The second panel features Micheal Vonn of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Michael Veall, economics professor at McMaster University, Jean-Pierre Beaud, dean of political science and law at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Victor Oh, honourary president of the Mississauga Chinese Business Association, Denis Bélisle, vice-president of the Federation of University Professors of Quebec, talk radio host Dave Rutherford, and Ken Murdoch, coordinator of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

The third panel features Peggy Taillon, president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Social Development, Pierre Noreau, president of the Association francophone pour le savoir, Xinsheng (Simon) Zhong, executive director of the Toronto Community and Culture Centre, and Lawrie McFarlane, an editorial writer with the Victoria Times-Colonist.

Worthwhile Canadian Initiative – aka Prof. Gordon found data in the 2001 Census Handbook pp. 29-34 that did a great comparison of census questions between 1871 and 2001 and then added 2006.  His analysis and the table are very enlightening!

This blog post Census Questionnaires – They’ve been long for a long time!  has links to almost all of the questionnaires / schedules since the BNA Act of 1867.

The Liberals announce An Act to amend the Statistics Act (mandatory long-form census) today.

The Bill – which will be tabled upon the September 20th return of Parliament – clarifies that 20% of the Canadian population will receive a mandatory long-form questionnaire during the period in which the Government of Canada conducts a census. It will also remove the controversial threat of jail time for not completing the census. (1)

Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology Meeting No. 32, Friday, August 27, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

It is important to keep up with Local Actions and the Canadian Council on Social Development ToolKit is very useful for doing that. There are 20+ days left to get your MP on side.

More Cuts - Aislin, Montreal Gazette

Blackout - Aislin, Montreal Gazette

Nough said!

Hamilton Spec: Code Red for neighbourhood data

The images is from the Hamilton Spec article written by Sara Mayo, Social Planner, Geographic Information Service,
Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton.  Sara is also very active in the work of the Community Social Data Strategy which is a national consortium of 17 regional data user networks that facilitates community access to over $1 million worth of data from Statistics Canada and other sources.  There is a regional CSDS network in most big Canadian cities. Members include more than 50 municipalities, as well as local police, social planning councils, health and family service agencies, school boards United Ways and other organizations working on the ground for social development.

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