SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The 2011 census is in full swing in Yellowknife, and officials are doing everything they can to ensure the numbers collected are accurate.

"Statistics Canada is well aware of the issues surrounding collection in 2001," said Vishni Peeris, territorial statistician for the GNWT Bureau of Statistics.

"They're not keen to repeat those."

In 2001, the census missed approximately 3,000 people in the NWT, which former territorial statistician David Steward called a "disaster."

To make sure those past mistakes aren't repeated, the NWT Bureau of Statistics has supplied Statistics Canada with a pre-listing of all homes in Yellowknife, as well as other information and maps it can use as a reference when

distributing and collecting census forms.

In addition, the Bureau of Statistics is encouraging residents in the capital to complete the census online. In Ndilo and the rest of the territory, census data will be collected by canvassers via interview.

The census asks for the names, birthdates, marital status and languages spoken of each person living in a household.

Peeris said the bureau is encouraging people to submit census forms as soon as possible, as it translates into money and public services for the NWT.

The territory will receive about $27,000 per person in federal transfer payments for each person counted.

Stephen Yeung, Statistics Canada area manager for special population, said census workers in the city double-check numbers with the GNWT to ensure they are correct.

"That's a lot of money so we want to have an accurate count," he said.

Within Yellowknife, one out of every three households received a National Household Survey, which asks additional questions about housing, employment, education and mobility. Results from the National Household Survey will help determine what kinds of programs will be made available in the future. Outside of the city, because communities are much smaller, 100 per cent of households will be asked to answer the longer survey.

In January, Statistics Canada estimated the population of the NWT to be 43,544, which would translate into more than $1.1 billion in federal transfer payments for the territory.

Yeung expects census workers will be done collecting data in Yellowknife by the end of June.

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