It’s here. Showed up in our mailbox this afternoon. The dreaded Census form. Although it only comes out every five years, it is not always welcome. In fact, in our house, whoever opens it must fill it out. So, it sits and collects dust until I finally cave, (and the deadline to fill it out arrives) under the fear of serving jail time for not submitting it.
Why is the Census form feared in my house? Well, 75% of Canadian households receive a short- form, which collects basic demographic information. The other 25% receive a long-form questionnaire. It collects the same information as the short form, plus information about the social and economic situation of Canadians and their homes. We got it one year. That was enough.
I know, it is important information. But I’m not a fan of surveys. Sure, I do the Angus Reid ones because I get points and eventually a gift card. I’m not even sure how accurate my answers are, to be honest. I don’t put a lot of time and effort into understanding the questions. But the Census forces you to be on point. And there is no gift card or other worthy prize for my efforts.
I used to love surveys or quizzes when I was younger. You know the ones. “What is your dream career?” “Discover your soul mate” “What type of personality are you?” “Choose your diet” “What your dreams say about you” and on and on and on. They seemed more authentic when you had to check off a box on paper. Nowadays it’s online. Checking the little box doesn’t have as much credence as the paper version in my mind. I avoid them like the plague anyway. The algorithm would go crazy if I started doing every quiz that popped up on my socials. I don’t need to Facebook to tell me who I was in a past life, what my spirit animal is or how smart I am based on my knowledge of seventies TV shows. Besides, Facebook quizzes are just a form of data harvesting, malware and phishing.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), recently published results from its 2025 survey on Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada. The NIA is an organization founded in 2015. Its goal is to improve the lives of older adults and their support systems. The 2025 Aging in Canada Survey questioned Canadians 50+ who represented 6,0001 people. The survey was conducted online between June and July 2025. It looked at 10 indicators of aging well: social engagement, financial security, health care access, and retirement readiness You can read the entire report, but highlights of this survey were:
- Material deprivation: 20% of Canadians aged 50+ reported living at a poverty-level standard, and 18% could not afford an unexpected $500 expense
- Retirement savings: 22% had less than $5,000 saved for retirement, 26% had $5,000–$99,999, 24% had $100,000–$500,000, and only 7% had over $1,000,000
- Retirement readiness: Only 29% of those not yet retired felt they could retire at their desired time, down from 35% in 2022
- Social isolation and loneliness: 43% were at risk of social isolation, and 57% experienced loneliness
- Social engagement: Only 33% participated in weekly social or recreational activities, down from
- Primary care access: 68% reported having a regular primary care provider
- Optimism about ageing: Positive feelings toward ageing declined from 62% in 2024 to 57% in 2025
- Ageism: 70% reported experiencing everyday ageism, such as subtle comments or assumptions about ageing, with higher prevalence among those 80+, in poor health, or with inadequate income
Seems to me that this kind of survey is valuable. Just like the Census. The Census provides information that leads to informed decision-making, resource allocation and understanding the demographic and social needs of the population. But I suppose that that information is only as good as those in positions of power who can put it to good use, right? Hmmm. I won’t go there.
Instead, I will go find that Census form that is gathering dust somewhere in my house. I will do my due diligence as a Canadian citizen and fill it out. Thank goodness it is the short one!
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