The City of Prince Albert and 2016 Census staff are working together to address what could possibly be a $2 million problem.
The problem is inaccurate census population numbers, because in the past the City has been shortchanged in federal and provincial funding that’s tied to population.
The City has a lot of stake in those numbers, said Mayor Greg Dionne – misreporting in the 2011 census cost the city up to $500,000 per year in lost funding. Nearly 2,000 residents were not accounted for in that year’s census, Dionne said.
Prince Albert is a gathering place for many who come from surrounding reserves, and the mayor says the issue of inaccurate population numbers in the census is so pronounced in the city because of its large transient population.
“One of the challenges that we do have in our aboriginal community, they don’t want to get counted in the city, they want to be counted (on reserve) because of course it’s a benefit to their reserves as well,” he said.
Dionne’s message to those who live in Prince Albert is to be honest about where they live, so the City has enough income to provide the services its residents need.
He says it is frustrating that inaccurate census numbers are the be-all-end-all for certain funding formulas.
“It does bother me because you have no right of appeal. Once the census, you’re given the count, that’s what it is and you’re stuck with that count for four years,” he said.
But it’s also lit a fire to make sure the census numbers are spot-on. When census work starts in Prince Albert next month, city officials will be putting in extra efforts to make sure each resident gets counted.
With the 2016 Census a few weeks away, Dionne said the City and census staff are well aware that people living in the city sometimes report that they live elsewhere.
In recent weeks, city council invited a census official to explain the steps they’re taking to get a count that represents the population.
Dionne says that meeting helped them unite efforts and understand the struggle that both sides have. Where possible, the City will be sharing information they have with census staff, to make sure the population is counted properly.
For example, if the City knows someone lives in a home because its residents receive City service deliveries, The City can let census staff know.
Dionne says when the city is shortchanged in funding because of the results from the census, the only choice is to up the city’s taxes.
He has a message to those who live in Prince Albert, when it comes to enumeration that starts in May and June.
“You have to answer the questions, it personally helps you directly because it’s going to help with the tax issue. And I can assure you this, Census Canada, the information they collect is very secure,” he asid.
In May, Census mail-outs will go out to all homes so that people can fill out the census online or request a paper form to be mailed to them.
And in June, enumerators will go door to door.