Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Census division (CD)Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Census division (CD)

Definition

Group of neighbouring municipalities joined together for the purposes of regional planning and managing common services (such as police or ambulance services). These groupings are established under laws in effect in certain provinces of Canada. Census division (CD) is the general term for provincially legislated areas (such as county, municipalité régionale de comté and regional district) or their equivalents. In other provinces and the territories where laws do not provide for such areas, Statistics Canada defines equivalent areas for statistical reporting purposes in cooperation with these provinces and territories. Census divisions are intermediate geographic areas between the province/territory level and the municipality (census subdivision).

Reported in

2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1976, 1971, 1966, 1961

Remarks

Census divisions (CD) 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, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, provincial or territorial law does not provide for these administrative geographic areas. Therefore, Statistics Canada, in cooperation with these provinces and territories, has created equivalent areas called CDs for the purpose of disseminating statistical data. In Yukon, the CD is equivalent to the entire territory.

Next to provinces and territories, census divisions (CD) are the most stable administrative geographic areas, and are therefore often used in longitudinal analysis.

Census division type

Census divisions are classified into 12 types according to official designations adopted by provincial or territorial authorities. Two exceptions are 'census division / division de recensement' (CDR) and 'territory / territoire' (TER), which are geographic areas created as equivalents by Statistics Canada, in cooperation with the provinces and territories, for the purpose of disseminating statistical data.

Table 1.4 shows census division types, their abbreviated forms, and their distribution by province and territory.

Table 1.4
Census division types by province and territory, 2016 Census

Census division code

The census division (CD) code is a two-digit code that is based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). In order to uniquely identify each CD in Canada, the two-digit province/territory (PR) code must precede the two-digit CD code. For example:

Changes to census divisions for the 2016 Census

The following CDs have had name or type changes for the 2016 Census:

• (CD 24 59) Lajemmerais, MRC becomes Marguerite-D'Youville, MRC
• In New Brunswick, the boundary between Gloucester (CD (census division) 13 15) and Northumberland (CD (census division) 13 09) was adjusted because Saumarez, P (Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de)) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 15 001) and Tracadie-Sheila, TV (Town / Ville) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 15 003) were amalgamated and parts of Saint-Isidore, P (Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de)) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 15 021) and Alnwick, P (Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de)) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 09 036) and Inkerman, P (Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de)) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 15 024) to form the incorporated municipality of Tracadie, RGM (Regional municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 13 15 002).
• In Manitoba, there were 3 census division boundary changes:
  
  • the boundary between Division No. 6 (CD (census division) 46 06) and Division No. 8 (CD (census division) 46 08) was adjusted because Notre Dame de Lourdes, VL (Village) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 08 033) and Somerset, VL (Village) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 04 006) and Lorne, RM (Rural Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 04 063) were amalgamated to form Lorne, MU (Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 04 064).
  • the boundary between Division No. 7 (CD (census division) 46 07) and Division No. 15 (CD (census division) 46 15) was adjusted because Langford, RM (Rural Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 15 018) and North Cypress, RM (Rural Municipalty) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 07 065) were amalgamated to form North Cypress-Langford, MU (Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 07 066).
  • the boundary between Division No. 2 (CD (census division) 46 02) and Division No. 3 (CD (census division) 46 03) was adjusted because Franklin, RM (Rural Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 02 025) and Emerson, T (Town) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 03 033) were amalgamated to form Emerson-Franklin, MU (Municipality) (CSD (census subdivision) 46 02 024).

The boundaries, names and codes of census divisions reflect those in effect on January 1, 2016, the geographic reference date for the 2016 Census of Canada. Information about any CD changes that were effective on or before the January 1, 2016 reference date must have been received by Statistics Canada prior to March 1, 2016, in order to be processed in time for the census.

Refer to the related definitions of census subdivision (CSD) and Standard Geographical Classification (SGC).

Changes prior to the current census

The following CDs have had name or type changes for the 2011 Census:

• (CD 24 31) L'Amiante, MRC became Les Appalaches, MRC
• (CD 24 40) Asbestos, MRC became Les Sources, MRC
• (CD 24 53) Le Bas-Richelieu, MRC became Pierre-De Saurel, MRC
• (CD 24 98) Minganie–Basse-Côte-Nord, CDR became Minganie–Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, CDR
• (CD 35 10) Frontenac, MB became Frontenac, CTY.

In the Northwest Territories, the CDs have been restructured, increasing in number from two to six. The naming convention of CDs in the Northwest Territories is now:

• (CD 61 01) Region 1, REG
• (CD 61 02) Region 2, REG
• (CD 61 03) Region 3, REG
• (CD 61 04) Region 4, REG
• (CD 61 05) Region 5, REG
• (CD 61 06) Region 6, REG.