AB Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 29, 1991

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Sit dow

by Michael Kelly :

‘The rustle of paper and the dry
_ Scratching of pens will. creep
through households ‘across ‘ the
country next week. Tuesday, June,
4 is the day census forms are
_ Supposed to be. mailed back to the

government.” °

The census-takers are out in
force this week. They are leaving

the forms at each dwelling that

they — or anyone they come in
contact with — know of. What
they are after is a statistical base
that governments can use to gov-
ern, businesses can use for what-
ever decisions they have to make,
and that the average citizen can
use to Satisfy his curiosity.

Donna Cairns, the Pacific
Regional communications manager
for the 1991. census, says the cen-
sus-takers receive about a week’s
training and are then sent out to
deliver the forms. Each census-
taker is responsible for about 350
dwellings. The job can involve
virtually no movement or a great
deal of travel. In Vancouver's
West End, Cairns says, a census-
taker’s entire area could be one
apartment building. In remote areas
they may have to cover the coun-
iry in creative ways. She knows of
one that delivered forms on horse-
back in the Cariboo and another
that had to reach a hamlet by
rigging a cable over a canyon and
slinging herself across in a bucket.
some census-lakers have to deal
with landlords and lock-in apart-
ments, others have to hire charter
aircraft or boats.

"Each circumstance has its own
special challenge. We try to hire
people-who are familiar with the
area," Caims says.

The census is a big deal. It costs
$250 million over four years and

4,500 people are hired for between

’ five‘and seven weeks to look after

delivery and return of the forms.

~ After’ the ‘forms are delivered’ the.
, census-takers-are also responsible
. for ensuring the forms come back

to the government. Anyone who
procrastinates about filling it out
and sending it in will probably get

a polite reminder about the matter -

from the census-taker assigned to

his area, a
Why take a census? Cairns says

its main purpose js to give the

‘government an information base

when ‘it’s redistributing the tax
money it collects from all those
people — which is just about

‘everyone in the country — who

are required to fill out the census
forms. Census data is used to
determine the amount of transfer
payments the federal government
deals out to the provinces. Last
year, Cairns says, that came to
$600 per person in B.C. The trans-
fer payments are used for post-
secondary education financing and
the cost of medical and social
services.

Provincial and local governments
also use the census data for money
policy. Businesses use the figures
in market research and for numer-
ous other purposes.

As the forms come in the infor-
mation is keyed into computers at
regional headquarters across the
country and transferred to Ottawa.
The original forms are then sent to
Ottawa, where they are copied
onto microfilm. The originals,
Caims says, are destroyed and the
microfilm is placed in a vault.

That microfilm, she says, is the
most protected data in the govern-
ment’s possession. It cannot be
subpoenaed into any court, the
RCMP do not have access to it
and the Canadian Security Intelli-

e counted [

* Information concerning the Twin Alver Estates project is available

Bence Service cannot get at it, | tom the Skeena Senior Citizens’ Housing Society office, corner of

Neither, she says, can Revenue
Canada. After 100 years, the
microfilm is sent'to the Dominion
Archives ‘and becomes accessible
‘to the public.

Statistics Canada tries to make it

easy for everyone. Caitns said -
illiterate people can usually enlist’
a literate friend or family: member ©

to help fill the form out, but if no

one is available the census people
will find help. The form comes in

Braille and 32 different languages.

The monolith of information that
eventually emerges from a census
is available free to anyone. The
Statistics Canada library in
Vancouver employs five full-time
librarians who do nothing but
answer inquiries.

The figures can bring idle ques-
tions to mind, as well as some that
are more serious. Terrace, for
example, remained nearly constant
in population between 1976 and
1986 (two 10-year census dates);
the number of dwellings owned
increased by 10 percent during the
same period, but the number of
dwellings rented went up by 41
percent. The number of men over
65 years of age stayed steady, but
the number of women the same.
age nearly doubled, a piece of data
that could be construed as an in-
centive for local men to live to a
healthy old age; the participation

level of men in the labour force ——- _

men who get paid to work, in
othér words — went up 3.7 per-
cent, but for women it went up
12.7 percent... which could explain
why the average household income
went from $30,895 in 1981 to
$37,681 in 1986.

"The census information is a
public commodity. You can’t run a
modern industrialized country
without it," Cairns says.

‘Down by the River

watching the issues flow by

Commentary and analysis by Terrace Review staff and guest writers |

SPEAKING OF CENSUS...

People in this part of the country
know how important roads are,
both for continued development
and welfare of the region and the
well-being of those who are com-
mitted to living here.

We also know that those avenues
of travel and commerce are expen-
sive to build and maintain, and
how difficult it is to browbeat,
bamboozle and persuade senior
governments to invest in them.

It isn’t a new situation. We
recently came across some archival
material that proves this sort of
lobbying is an old and well-deve-
loped art. The following observa-
lions were tacked on fo a census
report to the provincial government
filed by John Nicholson, appointed
enumerator for the County of
Dorchester in the Province of
Quebec — in 1825.

1 being appointed the
Enumerator for the localities of
Buckland, Standon and Ware and
requested to make myself

thoroughly acquainted with the
limits of my Enumeration District
— 1 am weil acquainied with the

district, being a resident tn the
locality for thirty-three years. I
have drawn up an account thereof
as follows:

Standon and Ware are complete-
ly bound up from any other part of
the County of Bellechasse for want
of a road of Communication
through Buckland to St. Gervais.
there was a road of Communica-
fion between the 2nd and 3rd
ranges of Buckland to intersect the
nighest road in the Parish of St.
Gervais it would shorten the dis-
tance very much to Quebec market
with any Commodily that the in-
habitants might have to dispose of.
The distance is such that it takes
one third of what they might have
to dispose of for their travelling
expenses.

But if a road was taken through
Buckland it would be the means of
settling the said township, which
ought to have been setiled.many
years ago and would be settled
very quick if it was given on
reasonable terms. This would be
great encouragement for the off-
spring of the Emigrants that have

been toiling on Buckland these
many years in hardship and diffi-
culty to earn bread and clothing
for their little families. If those
lands was given on reasonable
terms it might be the means of
preventing the young people from
going to the United States or other

parts of the world to look for food.

and raiment.

The only road of Communication
passes through East Frampton in
the County of Dorchester. Between
three and four miles of this road is
not passable for either foot people
or horse at some seasons of the
year. This road commences at Post
No. 14 between the 8th and 9th
ranges and runs parallel with the
river Etchmine through the 9-10-
Il ranges of Frampton uniil it
intersected with the Township of
Buckland... where there was a
bridge built by government, taken
away with two bridges going to the
Township of Ware... by the flood
last fall. A part of the land that
this road goes through is such
lands as the inhabitants were
obliged to abandon.

John Nicholson
Bravo. .

— COMING EVENTS —

Apsley Street and Lakelse Avenue, each Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Branch 73, B.C. Old Age Pensioners Organization, hold a pancake

breakfast at the Happy Gang Centre the first Saturday of every.month |

from 8 to 11 a.m. Everyone welcome! .

Heritage Park Museum, sponsored by the Terrace’ Regional Museum
Soclety, is open for tours dally from Tuesday to Saturday betwean 11»
a.m. and 4 p.m. For group tours, school tours or weddings, please
make an appointment by phoning ,635-4546 or 635-2508.

Register now for the French Preschool fall ‘91.program. Children must
be a minimum of 32 months and toilet trained. Knowledge of French is
not required. For further information, call Pam at 636-4260. (6/26).

Volunteers are needed for child health clinics (immunization clinics).
every. Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and
the first and third Thursdays of every month from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Duties
inctude: weighing and measuring children. No lifting necessary. For
more Information, call Debra at 638-3310.

Thursday, May 30 — The Terrace Women's. Resource Centre will be

showing the flims ‘Jenny’, a film about sexual abuse, and ‘Child Sex-
ual Abuse — The Untold Story’. ,

Thursday, May 30 — Smorgasbord dinner put up by the Pathway
Phase III Students.-Starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Kermode Friendship Cen-

by

tre, upstalrs. We are fundraising for our graduation.
May 30 to June 1 — The Power Smart Home Ideas Road Show will be

__ at the Skeena Mall featuring Shelt Busey. Shell Busey hosts the Home

Ideas Program on the WIN Network every Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
and ts broadcast locally on CJFW-FM. Come and meet Shell Busey
along with key contacts for Power Smart programs and learn more
about what Power Smart can do for you and your business.

Saturday, June 1 — Terrace Full Gospel Christian Fellowship's
garageibake sale at 3222 Monroe St. from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Many
household goods for sale and delicious home baked snacks.

Saturday, June 1 — Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association will be
holding an Open House of thelr operating model railroad at 5010 Agar
Ave., Terrace, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Ken at
635-2449,

Saturday, June 1 — Pancake Breakfast at the Happy Gang Centre,
3226 Kalum Street, Terrace, from 8 to 11 a.m. Sponsored by the B.C.
Old Age Pensioners’ Organization, Branch 73. Everyone Is walcome!

Saturday, June 1 — Suka Sihambe, a 12-man a cappella choral group
from Zimbabwe, will perform line dancing and audience “call and
response” traditional and contemporary music at the R.E.M. Lee
Theatre at 8 p.m. This cultural entertainment is sponsored locally by
the Northwest Development Education Assoc. and the Terrace and
District Teachers’ Union. Tickets are available at elther Misty River
Books or Sight and Sound.

Sunday, June 2 — Coast Guard Day In Prince Rupert from 12 noon to 4
p.m. at the Canadian Coast Guard Base, Seal Cove. There will be many
new and exciting displays this year. Don’t miss it!!

Tuesday, June 4 — The Legion Ladies’ general meeting and wind-
down. 8:30 p.m., potluck supper; 8 p.m., meeting. We urge averyone to
attend. New members are welcome. Call Goldie Hill at 635-6038. For
catering, call Ann Payne at 635-3955.

Tuesday, June 4 — The Terrace Breastfeeding Support Group will be
having thelr final meeting before the summer break at 8 p.m. in the
Mills Memorial Hospital education room. If you do not have a
breastfeeding problem, come for the education. Phone 635-3287 for
further Information.

Wednesday, June 5 — The Royal Purple annual Senior Citizen Tea at
the Elks Hall at 2822 Tetrault Street at 2 p.m. Admission is free. Prizes.
All sentors in Terrace are welcome. For further Information, call
Beatrice Parnell at 635-2178.

’ Wednesday, June 5 — Ksan House Soclety cordially invites you to our

open house from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come and see our new offices
and how we refurbished Terrace’s old Jall. We are location at 3224
Kalum St. For more information, please feel free to call 635-2373, 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Wednesday, June 5 — Ksan House Society will be holding its annual
general meeting at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Socie-
ty's new office at 3224 Kalum Street.

Wednesday, June 5 — The Terrace Women's Resource Centre will
conduct a workshop on Family Violence (sexual abuse). Join Bill
Davidson for an afternoon workshop detaliing the problems of sexual
abuse In familles. Please pre-register.

Thursday, June 6 — Clarence Michlel Elementary School invites you
to an all-school musical, “Assignment: EARTH (kids for a better
planet), at 7:30 p.m. at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre,

June 7 to 27 — Babytimes for 18- to 23-month-old children at the Ter-
race Public Library, Thursdays at 10 a.m. Free. Register now by phone
638-8177.

Sunday, June 9 — You are invited to enjoy music with a powerful
message (‘The Victor” by Jim and Carol Owens), presented by the
Northwest Baptist Fellowship Choir (Terrace and Prince Rupert), at 7
p.m. In the Terrace Christian Reformed Church, 3602 Sparks St. Phone
Elly Kardamylakis at 635-3654.

Saturday, June 15 — HOWDOYOUDO DAY!! The Terrace Travel In-
foCantre would Ilke to Invite the entire community to come join them
on thelr open house from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This special day is the of-
ficlal opening of another busy touristic season. Come in and see what
’ the InfoCentre has to offer you, fis residents, as well as thelr visitors.

Monday, June 10 — The Terrace Child Development Centre is having
their annual general meeting at the Centre (2510 South Eby Street).
Open house, display viewing and renewal of membership commences
at 7 p.m. with the meeting at 7:30 p.m. All members and non-members
welcome! New membership may be purchased at the Centre Monday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 71 and 18 — Diabetic Teaching Clinics at Mills Memorial
Hospltal. Two-day clinic will be held on the 11th and 18th. A doctor's
referral is required for the clinics. For further information, cat! Mills
Memorial Hospital Dietitian, Joan Marr, at 638-4050.

June 21 to 23 — Crafts people are invited to participate in the eighth
Midsummer Festival In Smithers. For any Information or application
forms, write to the Midsummer Festival Committee, P.O. Box 2200,
Smithers, B.C. VOU 2N0... or phone Pat Bradley at 846-5422,