Sunday 22 March 2009

Invisible Communications Assistant

The Census of Canada does a census every 5 years. The next one is in 2011 and the last one was in 2006. I can remember it, I didn't do it. I gather this is illegal and they hounded me a bit trying to get me to fill out what ever it is you fill out so that I would be counted. I probably should do the next one, so that the world statistically knows who I am and that I exist. Canada's first census was initiated by Intendant Jean Talon in 1666. The census counted the colony's 3,215 inhabitants and recorded their age, sex, marital status and occupation. The first true national census of Canada was taken in 1871. The first British census was in 1801. In an 1881 British survey the population was asked to give their "rank, profession, or occupation." Here are some of the responses either entered by the subjects or by interviews.
-Teacher of wax flowers
-He play all day long
-Egg cracker
-Emasculator
-Turnip shepherd
-Very feeble
-Proprietor of midgets
-Formally fat
-Knocker-up of workpeople
-Examiner of underclothing
All of those sound like way cooler answers than Communications Assistant. In hindsight I wish I had done the last census, I feel a bit like a bad citizen. Oh well, at least I vote and pay my taxes.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You could write "Scategorian in employ of the Federal Government."

hehe Where did this post come from..?

Anonymous said...

haha, in the 06 census - i was one of those enumerators that hounded people to fill out the form!ironically, we didn't ever ask for occupation. But one in five people got the 2B form which asked for fun details about how much house work you did each week? I got $5 commission for getting the longer forms filled out.

Love, T

Unknown said...

ALSO... did you know that Pinhey's has a copy of the first census? It's awesome.

Anonymous said...

oh, Chris. Don't get me started about the census. The census as you can well imagine is the bread and butter of the ol' Data Centre.
A.