The
Canada 2011 Census is a detailed enumeration of the
Canadian population on May 10, 2011.
Statistics Canada—an agency of the Canadian government—conducts a nationwide
census every five years. In 2011, it consisted of a mandatory short form census questionnaire and an inaugural National Household Survey (NHS), a voluntary survey which replaces the mandatory long form census questionnaire; this substitution has been the focus of much
controversy. Completion of the census is mandatory for all Canadians, and those who do not complete it may face penalties ranging from fines to jail time.