International Development Week (IDW) runs from February 5 to 11, 2017 to celebrate Canadian contributions to poverty reduction in the developing world, and engage Canadians to learn about those efforts. Since its inception in 1991, IDW has become a uniquely Canadian tradition.

Statistics Canada is currently preparing for the 2021 Census content consultation, scheduled to run from September to December 2017. Invitations to participate will be emailed to individuals and organizations known to use census data, ranging from all levels of government to academics, non-governmental organizations and private businesses.

The general public can participate in public consultations through the Statistics Canada website, social media accounts and regional offices. All participants will be asked to complete the same electronic questionnaire.

You can now download a list of all existing data tables in the catalogue (generates excel file, ignore warning)!

This link can be found in the Data and Catalogue Resources page under the "How to Find Data" section.

The Canadian Press reports:

There is a Call for Proposals due on February 15, 2017 for Community Indicators! These community indicators should measure conditions in the community within a framework that is intended to generate interest among the public and decision-makers about necessary improvements to quality of life, sustainability and equity.  

Recently, The Guardian published an article about the declining ability of statistics to accurately represent the world. Private companies are taking over and controlling big data – and putting democracy in peril. Written by William Davies, this long read looks at data use in the past and how we've come to a crisis in statistics. 

The first excerpt from the article: 

ViVA is a joint research institute between Simon Fraser University (SFU), the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), dedicated to effective and innovative education and knowledge enrichment.

Here are some Open Government news and updates!

Update on the Government of Canada’s Directive on Open Government

If you missed the first Tax Filer Data webinar session on Wednesday, January 18th, then join us on Wednesday, February 1st for a second session!

A representative from Statistics Canada Income Division will be presenting a webinar on Tax Filer data as part of the CDP Product Profile Webinar Series. The presentation will cover:

Between July 2016 and February 2017, Employment and Social Development Canada will be consulting with Canadians on accessibility legislation.

Many Canadians continue to face barriers that affect their ability to participate in daily activities that most people take for granted. These could include: