Post-division census helps determine funding
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 26/01) - Even though Nunavut is nearing its second birthday, some things are still occurring for the first time.
The territory's first post-division census, which includes dwellings and population, is expected to be released next month, says Mike Sheridan, the assistant chief statistician with Statistics Canada.
Statscan is currently conducting the Nunavut portion of the 2001 national census. Work is being done now, before many Inuit go out on the land. Nationally, Census day in May 15. Enumeration began in Nunavut in February.
"It is important to be counted and counted correctly," Sheridan said.
"We know, to push for programs and services, we have to be armed with facts," Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell said.
Population plays a key role in the transfer payments Nunavut gets from the federal government. Nunavut receives federal transfer payments of about $21,000 per resident. Nunavut received $584 million in transfers last year and $606 million is expected for fiscal 2001-02.
"These numbers help us in determining the funding we receive from the federal government," said Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik.
Nunavut is "hugely striking in demographic terms," Sheridan adds.
Among the most dramatic characteristics is the fact that Nunavut's population is very young. About one-third of Nunavut's 28,000 people are under age 15. The median age is 23 compared to 36 nationally. Nunavut's population density is less than one-third of a person per square kilometre. Nationally, population density is highest in Ontario where an average of 12 people live in every square kilometre of space.
Asked if there is any resistance due to past practices -- specifically the federal government assigning each Inuit a number in the 1940s for administrative purposes -- Sheridan said "respect" for the privacy of each individual is vital for any enumeration. "I'll protect privacy in the process. Without it, we don't have a national statistics agency."
According to Statistics Canada, all Nunavut communities can benefit from the enumeration. Communities can not only evaluate current conditions but also "plan for future growth."
The Nunavut census will cost about $300,000, said Sheridan. Nationally, the census' price tag is about $400 million.
