Tag: multilingual resources

Census 2016 Resources

The broader context

Census2016The following information on the 2016 Census is from the City of Vancouver but includes general helpful info:

Dear Community Partners:

As you are aware, the 2016 Census is officially underway!

In an effort to encourage all Vancouver residents to participate in this year’s Census, we ask you to share the following information with your colleagues and clients.  Among other things, people may not be aware that, in addition to English and French, the questions are available here in 11 ethnic languages and 11 aboriginal languages, as well as in braille, audio and sign language (video). It is important to note that the questions are translated for reference purposes only. The census questionnaire must be completed online or on paper, in either English or French. The census paper questionnaire can be obtained in large print format by calling the Census Help Line at 1-855-700-2016.

Statistics Canada staff will also go out into the community and give presentations on request: please contact Peter Liang at Peter.Liang@canada.ca or 604.366.7597.

Census Questions

Data Collection

  • Mailout of letters to all households in Statistics Canada database about has already taken place (May 2nd).
  • Any household not receiving a letter should call the Census help line at: 1-855-700-2016 or TTY 1-866-753-7083. In particular in Vancouver, many secondary suites may not be known to Statistics Canada, and we’d really like their information to be collected.
  • In-person enumeration and follow up will take place over the next few months.

Making the Census Accessible

  • Census help line: The Census Help Line operates Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting May 2, 2016. The census help line will answer questions in non-official languages as able.
  • Anyone can request a printed copy of the questionnaire if they are unable to complete it online.
  • Accommodation for people with sensory disabilities: http://www.census.gc.ca/ccr16h/ccr16h_001-eng.html
  • Multilingual fact sheets and translations of the questionnaire: http://www.census.gc.ca/ccr16f/ccr16f_000-eng.html

Content of the Questions

  • Completing the census is mandatory.
  • No personal information is published (until 2108, if people give permission to future researchers) and it’s not used for anything but statistical purposes.
  • The census isn’t perfect, and some questions may not include everyone: In particular, persons not identifying as either male or female should leave the sex question blank but must add an explanatory note in the comments section: http://www.census.gc.ca/ccr16c/ccr16c_010-eng.html#a73.
  • There are city resources that can help with some of the long-form questions: In particular, people can use Vanmap to look up the year their dwelling was built and what its assessed value is.

Census Jobs

  • Statistics Canada is still hiring field staff to collect data. People may apply if they are 18 years of age or older and are eligible to work in Canada as a citizen, permanent resident or temporary resident with a work permit.
  • More information about the hiring process is available online: http://www.census.gc.ca/ccr16d/ccr16d_000-eng.html.

Stay Informed:

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An Online Makeover for TRAC Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre

Community posts

By Andrew SakamotoTRAC Logo (blue)
Executive Director, TRAC

TRAC provides information on residential tenancy law to tenants and advocates across British Columbia. Our services include a Tenant Infoline, legal education workshops, multilingual publications and a website/social media.  We work with all levels of government, other community organizations and the general public to promote the legal protection of tenants and the availability of affordable rental housing in BC.

As a small organization with a provincial mandate, we rely on technology to help us educate communities across the province.  One way we do is by making our resources accessible through Clicklaw.

Recently, we also launched our new website!  The design is modern and clean, and our content has been organized in a way that allows users to quickly find answers to their legal questions.

Here are some of the highlights of our new site:

  • Tenant Survival Guide – One of the most popular legal publications in the province, our TSG offers a comprehensive yet plain language overview of tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities.
  • Template Letters –When issues arise during a tenancy, tenants should communicate their concerns to their landlord on paper. TRAC offers 27 template letters to use as a starting point.
  • Tenant Info Pamphlets – TRAC has created a pamphlet that covers the fundamentals of residential tenancy law, and translated it into 18 languages. For tenants whose first language is not English, this is where to look.
  • All content pages on our website can be printed as nicely formatted fact sheets. Online information is important, but so are hardcopy resources. Feel free to print and distribute our fact sheets to friends, family members, clients and landlords