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6.1 For what geographic areas are Census of Agriculture data available?

6.2 What geographic levels are available to the public?

Census of Agriculture data are available for Canada, the provinces and territories, as well as for areas corresponding to counties, crop districts and rural municipalities/townships. Statistics Canada has a standard method of defining geographic areas. Three main levels of geography are available:

A census agricultural region is a sub-provincial geographic area used by the Census of Agriculture for disseminating agricultural statistics. In most provinces, census agricultural regions are composed of groups of adjacent census divisions. In Saskatchewan, census agricultural regions are made up of groups of adjacent census consolidated subdivisions, but these groups do not necessarily respect census division boundaries. In Prince Edward Island, each of the three existing census divisions (counties) is treated as a census agricultural region for the purpose of disseminating statistical data. Census agricultural regions are not defined in Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. In the Prairie provinces, census agricultural regions are commonly referred to as crop districts.

Census division is the general term for provincially legislated areas (such as county, regional municipality and regional district) or their equivalents. Census divisions are intermediate geographic areas between the province level and the municipality (census subdivision). Census divisions have been established in provincial law to facilitate regional planning, as well as the provision of services that can be more effectively delivered on a scale larger than a municipality. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, provincial/territorial law does not provide for these administrative geographic areas. Therefore, Statistics Canada, in co-operation with these provinces and territories, has created equivalent areas called census divisions for disseminating statistical data.

A census consolidated subdivision is a grouping of adjacent census subdivisions. Generally, the smaller, more urban census subdivisions (e.g., towns, villages) are combined with the surrounding, larger, more rural census subdivision to create a geographic level between the census subdivision and the census division. A census subdivision with a land area greater than 25 square kilometres can form a census consolidated subdivision of its own. Also, a census subdivision with a population greater than 100,000 (according to the last census) usually forms a census consolidated subdivision of its own. The name of the census consolidated subdivision usually coincides with its largest census subdivision component in terms of land area.

For more information about census geography, go to the 2001 Census dictionary

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Information about at the census agricultural region (CAR) and census division (CD) levels are available for free.

Lower level geography (census consolidated subdivision) (CCS) are available for a cost.

In addition, custom requests can be run according to user-defined areas. All tabulated data are subjected to confidentiality restrictions; data are grouped to ensure no information concerning any particular individual or agricultural operation is disclosed.