EDITORIAL: Census data means money in the bank

One only needs to take a casual look at social media these days to see a plethora of conspiracy theories.

Some of those involve the Canada census, which by now, all households should have completed.

It appears that some, afraid of the detailed nature of the questions, assume they can stick it to Prime Minister Mark Carney and our Liberal government by either ignoring the census completely or filling it out as some sort of redacted version.

In some ways, one can’t blame people for thinking this way.

A population, distressed over what they perceive as an ineffective government, will simply not respond well to a task from the same government that involves sharing personal information.

The same would be true if it was a person you despise who reached out to you to seek personal information.

But while the instinct to firmly state this is none of their business is understandable, acting on it is simply wrong and will hurt nobody but your community and possibly even yourself.

Simply put Canadians do not have the option to refuse the census.

If a Canadian refuses the census or answers it with false and misleading information they could face a fine of $500. While the possibility of jail time used to be a very real risk, that all changed in 2017 after Parliament removed that possibility.

There are also benefits to filling out the census.

Data is used to determine per capita grants, estimated to be about $200 per person for cities across that nation.

That means one family of four who refuses to share their numbers will cost their city about $800.

As Steinbach city councillor Damian Penner pointed out in a video on social media last week, cities are limited in how they raise the funds they need.

What per capita grants don’t cover must be raised in the community, either through taxes or user fees.

And make no mistake, that money will be raised as needed.

While much of the information sought may seem overly detailed, Canadians can be assured it’s safe.

Statistics Canada is bound by the Statistics Act to protect respondents’ information. Fines exist for those who err on that as well.

Canadians are also allowed to determine if their census taker is legitimate.

Every census employee will have an identification card that includes their name, photo and employee number along with a Statistic Canada identifier.

Still in doubt?

Canadians can also call the Census Help Line at 1-833-852-2026 to confirm a census employee’s legitimacy.

When accessing the website there are also things people can watch for.

According to Statistics Canada the site URL in the browser address bar should end with “.gc.ca”. This suffix is used by the Government of Canada and operated by Government Telecommunications and Informatics Services.

The security certificate is provided by Entrust and clearly identifies Statistics Canada as the owner of the site.

Check for HTTPS in the address bar and a padlock icon. This means the website encrypts your data and protects your privacy.

Statistics Canada will never ask for your social insurance number or a credit card number.

There’s no denying that the census questions can be very personal.

But planning to address societal needs is no simple task and learning about Canadians health, housing and diversity all leads to proper planning.

Falling back on the “it’s none of their business” defense is silly and ignores the point.

Yes, these questions may not be the kind one would discuss with strangers or even friends.

But the answers are safe and secure and are key to planning.

That means that ignoring the census is an extremely selfish thing to do.

It tells your fellow Canadians that you care less about their wellbeing than you do your privacy.

It also sends a clear message that you don’t even care about your own wellbeing, or if the government chooses to fund things that would benefit you.

It’s a message that you’d rather personally pay more municipal property taxes, and that you simply don’t care if your neighbours do as well.

Those with morals and ethics will do as they always have. They will fill out the census, even if they have to hold their nose and bite their tongue while they do it.

Because filling out the census is not only the legal thing to do, but also the right thing to do.

It’s an opportunity to let the government know what the honest status of our nation is enabling them to craft funding to handle it.

The Southeast has long been a region to look up to for its generosity and businesses spirit.

Let’s not make it something to be ashamed of because of selfishness and our gullibility for conspiracy theories.