If you have not received them yet, Census packages will soon arrive in mailboxes across Canada, and although they list May 12 as the return date, Statistics Canada says that date serves more as a guideline than a strict cutoff.
Completing the census is required by law, but any penalties for not submitting it wouldn’t come into play right away.
Instead, Statistics Canada will begin reaching out to households that haven’t responded after May 12 to encourage completion.
According to the agency, the timing of the reference date is intentional—set to capture the most accurate snapshot of Canadians while the majority are still at home, before summer travel season begins.
