Description: Since the Canadian government cancelled the long-form census in 2010, we have heard a number of criticisms of the move. Now business leaders and economists are coming forward to add that the cancellation of the long-form census has robbed them of decision-making capacity. Without the information the census would have generated, businesses lack important information to assist them in making important marketing decisions, such as where to place new stores and how to understand local marketplaces. City planners have also been impacted for such decisions as how and where to invest capital in building infrastructure.

Source: Globe and Mail.com

Date:  February 6 2015

Link:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/scrapping-of-long-form-census-causing-long-term-issues-for-business-groups/article22846497/

Discussion Points:

1) Do you believe the Government should reinstate the long-form census? Why?

2) The article deals with the fact that cities, like Edmonton, rely on census data for making important capital investment decisions. As an accounting student can you think of how you might deal with the uncertainty of not having good demographic data when making capital budgeting decisions?

3) What are some strategies businesses could use to deal with the lack of marketing information that they traditionally had from the census?