Special obstacles in the North
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Apr 23/01) - The second leg of the marathon that is Northern census taking begins May 15 and according to a Statistics Canada spokesperson, spring weather will make things a little easier.
According to Gerry Page, director of enumerations for Statistics Canada prairie regions and the North, only communities south of Deline remain to be counted.
"We did early enumerations and covered 20 some communities," said Page.
Statistics Canada began taking counts in early February.
For the rest of the country Census Day is May 15, but since 1901, the first year of enumeration in the North, the region gets a head start.
That year there were 20,129 people living North of 60.
According to Page, Northern census taking presents unique obstacles which requires the early count.
"Obviously there's the language issue," said Page who began enumerating the North in 1971.
He said local enumerators are needed to translate the questions on the spot but its hard to keep them on the job which pays $13 per questionnaire.
"Recruitment and retainment can be difficult," said Page.
"People drop out after working a couple of days," he said.
He also added weather and a population constantly in transition between the communities and the land which increases in the Spring makes things difficult.
Page said most residents respond to the questionnaires once the importance of census is linked to transfer payments, which Page said amounts to $17,000 a person.
"We make the connection clear between the census and services they receive through the GNWT or other governments."
Page did some enumeration spending February in Tuktoyaktuk, Tsiigehtchic, Sachs Harbour and Holman.
"It's cold," said Page.
