Canadians who have not completed the 2026 census questionnaire may soon receive a phone call or an in-person visit from a Statistics Canada employee. The agency is intensifying follow-up efforts to ensure compliance with the mandatory survey.
Legal Consequences for Non-Compliance
The census collects demographic, social, and economic information from households across the country, and completion of the questionnaire is required by law. Under Section 31 of the Statistics Act, Canadian households that fail to respond can face fines of up to $500. Statistics Canada emphasized that these penalties are enforceable, though the primary goal is to encourage participation rather than impose punishment.
Follow-Up Campaign Underway
In a news release issued on Tuesday, StatCan stated: “Census enumerators will begin contacting households from which a completed questionnaire has not yet been received. In addition to phone follow-ups, they will also start going door to door in communities across Canada.” The agency added that these visits are intended to remind residents to complete the census and to offer assistance if needed.
Thousands of enumerators have been hired across Canada to conduct the follow-ups, with most recruited to work in communities near where they live. A spokesperson from StatCan told the National Post that census employees have already been active in certain regions, but follow-up activities began to ramp up on Wednesday. “Visits to households who have not yet completed the Census will continue for a few weeks, to ensure everyone is counted,” they said.
What to Expect During In-Person Visits
During in-person visits, census employees will issue reminders to households that have not completed their questionnaire and verify that census communications have reached them. They will also offer support to individuals who could not complete the census on their own. “Going door to door allows us to identify dwellings that are unoccupied, that may have been missed by the initial rounds of census communications or have been improperly identified or classified,” the government agency added.
Canadians who receive a visit from a StatCan employee can verify their identity by contacting the Census Help Line at 1-833-852-2026. Additional information on identifying official census communications is available on the recognizing census communications page of the census website.
Final Reminder Letters in Mid-July
StatCan told the National Post that non-responding households with a mailing address will receive a final reminder letter in mid-July. The letter will inform them of their legal obligation to complete the census questionnaire and the possible consequences of failing to do so. The deadline to fill in the 2026 Census of Population was May 12. However, according to the Statistics Canada census website: “You can still submit your questionnaire past May 12.”
Meanwhile, follow-up activities for the 2026 Census of Agriculture will also begin, and StatCan employees will communicate with respondents by phone and through email.
