Yellowknife (June 18/03) - Last week, a Statistics Canada surveyor knocked on Amy Hoffman's door at 10 p.m.

"I couldn't believe it," said Hoffman of the late hour visit.

The Stats Canada employee was asking questions for a health care survey.

Stats Canada works on a tight time frame for some surveys, but their regular work hours for surveyors are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

"Ten p.m. can be considered a trifle late, but it depends on the household," said Sherry Wallace, regional communications manager for Stats Canada.

Wallace offered apologies for the late night visit, but believes this occurrance to be a case of a surveyor trying repeatedly to interview Hoffman during the day and only catching her late at night.

"Surveyors try to get a sense of the neighbourhood so as to not waste tax dollars," said Wallace, who used to work in operations and trained employees in the North.

Wallace said if she was knocking on a retired individual's door, it would most likely be during the daytime and not past 7:30 p.m. without a phone call.

Surveyors make about $12 per hour and can receive an additional fee for extra hours. The overtime fee has nothing to do with how late a person works.

If an individual is unsure whether a surveyor actually works for Stats Canada, there are two ways to check their identity.

"Every representative carries an identity card," said Glen Scott, media relations in Vancouver. "They're supposed to display it on request."

A person can also ask for an office contact number to verify their identity. There's a number in the blue pages of the phone book as well.