Immigration: Census Surveys

David Foot Dept: “We spend an enormous amount of money purchasing that information on behalf of clients so we can do research, so they know where to position themselves,” said Mr. Kosowan, director of Orange’s Prairie division. Losing the long-form data, he said, “will impact our business, I can tell you that.”, according to Globe And Mail. The implications are even wider, says prominent demographer David Foot. He notes the structure of the census surveys form the basis of much of Statistics Canada’s other analyses, including vital labour force measures such as the unemployment rate. His criticism of the government’s plan is pointed: “I find it a little disturbing that the Industry Minister doesn’t seem to understand that knowledge is essential in the knowledge economy.” A Calgary-based location scout with Orange National Retail Group, Mr. Kosowan crunches census data in search of demographic sweet spots for expansion-minded clients such as Starbucks. His work shows how census data, rather than being the preserve of statisticians and policy wonks, is embedded in daily life. It drives everything from corporate fundraising drives in Toronto to the deployment of B.C. lunch programs for school kids; and from the layout of suburban subdivisions to the prescriptions of think tanks of every ideological bent. As reported in the news.
@t policy wonks, location scout