From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Canadian polling expert is raising concerns about the results of the Statistics Canada language census after the order of two questions was swapped on the national questionnaire last year.
The national statistics agency flipped the order of two questions related to which language Canadians spoke at home on a regular basis and which languages they spoke most often.
The results showed an "unprecedented" rise in the number of Canadians who spoke both English and French as their mother tongue, said Jack Jedwab, CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies.
"In fact, multiple responses on the whole have shifted tremendously over this period," said Jedwab.
The shifts he's noticed may be due to the change in the questionnaire rather than a true rise in the number of people who speak both official languages as their mother tongue.
"The census is like a tapestry, it's interwoven. When you pull on one thread, the other parts of tapestry are affected. And they pulled hard on one thread here," he said.
In past census questionnaires, respondents were asked which language they spoke most often at home, and then asked what other languages they spoke at home on a regular basis.
For the 2021 census, the agency asked which languages were spoken at home on a regular basis, and only those who gave more than once answer were asked which language they spoke most often at home.
The subtle change may have had a large effect, Jedwab explained.
"It is a big deal," he said. "The way in which questions are formulated, and the way in which they're presented to you, can have a profound impact on the way we respond."
He said he has the "utmost respect" for Statistics Canada, and serves on the agency's committee on language statistics.
Statistics Canada did extensive tests before making changes, said Laurent Martel, the director of the agency's centre of demography, in a statement Monday.
Those tests showed that when the order of the questions was changed, respondents understood them better, he said.
The agency included a caution about the question change when it published the data, but suggested the data about the language spoken most often at home is still comparable with previous census results.
Jedwab fears the warning does not go far enough, and that people who rely on the data to develop policy could misconstrue the results.
In a statement, the commissioner of official languages, Raymond Théberge, urged Statistics Canada to discuss the issue with Jedwab and other researchers.
"As with any important changes to the census, communication is key," he said in a statement Monday. "It is important that potential effects on comparability of data are fully explained."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2022.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.