The collection of numbers by the numbers

According to Mr. Clement’s office, the 2006 census cost $567 million, while the 2011 census is expected to cost $660 million.

The 2001 census was sent to 11.8 million households—roughly 9.4 million receiving the short form, 2.4 million receiving the long form—and resulted in 52 cases of non-compliance being referred to the Department of Justice. According to a National Post report in 2006, "44 were resolved before trial, three pleaded guilty and four were found guilty, while one was given an absolute discharge." A Statistics Canada official at the time told the Post that fines typically ranged between $50 and $100.

The 2006 census was sent to 13.6 million households—roughly 10.9 million receiving the short form, 2.7 receiving the long form—and resulted in 64 cases of non-compliance. A July 2008 report from Canadian Press cited a Statistics Canada official as saying most of those people had, by then, complied. A Kingston man, who objected to the use of software purchased from arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin to process the census, was found guilty and fined $300. The case of a Saskatchewan woman, who also boycotted the census because of Lockheed Martin’s involvement, is still before the court.