2011 Canadian census

Imagine you are playing a big game with all of your friends in your neighborhood. To make sure everyone knows the rules of the game and who is playing, you need to take a list of everyone's name and some basic information about them like how old they are, if they are a boy or a girl or if they speak a different language. This list is like a census, where you count how many people are playing the game and what they are like.

In 2011, the grown-up versions of you and your friends all over Canada were counted in a big census. People who live in Canada have different backgrounds, speak different languages, and live in different types of homes. The census wanted to find out how many people live in Canada and what they are like.

During the 2011 Canadian census, people went around and asked everyone some questions about how old they were, what they did for a job, and where they lived. They didn't ask for personal information like your favorite toy or what you like to eat for lunch; they only asked for information that would help them understand what Canada's population is like.

Once all the information was collected, it was added up and put into graphs and charts so people could understand what Canada was like. By doing this, the government was able to help make policies and plans that would help people in Canada. It was like figuring out who likes to play what game so you can make plans for the biggest, best game ever!