Census of Canada, 1921

The 1921 Census was the sixth national census. It was taken on June 1, 1921 and had a total of 565 questions.

While the number of questions increased, information was consolidated into five schedules:

• Schedule 1, Population
• Schedule 2, Agriculture
• Schedule 3, Animals, animal products, fruits, etc., not on farms
• Schedule 4, Manufacturing, trading and business establishments
• Schedule 5, Blind and deaf-mutes

Only Schedule 1 has been preserved. Different forms were used for the Northwest Territories.

When employees compiled the statistical summaries, some of them wrote numbers on the census pages. The numbers relate to the information already recorded. They do not give extra details about the person enumerated. For example, for column 15, Place of birth, the following codes were used on some pages:

• 1 Canada
• 2 United Kingdom
• 4 United States
• 5 Europe
• 7 Asia

After the 1911 census, the government used those population statistics to redraw the federal electoral district boundaries. The maps of the new electoral districts were published in an electoral atlas in 1915. They used those electoral districts to determine the census districts for the 1921 census. Between 1915 and 1921 there may have been minor changes to some boundaries: Electoral atlas of the Dominion of Canada: according to the Redistribution Act of 1914 and the Amending Act of 1915 (Mikan 204296).

List of districts and sub-districts

Select a province to get a listing of the census districts for that province, followed by a list of sub-districts and their descriptions.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• Northwest Territories
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Instructions to enumerators

• Instructions to Commissioners and Enumerators

Statistical summary

• Sixth Census of Canada, 1921

Column headings

Numeric codes: When employees at the Dominion Bureau of Statistics were compiling the statistical summaries, some of them wrote numbers on the census pages. The numbers relate to the information already recorded, not to additional details about the person enumerated.

For example, we have been able to determine that for column 15, Place of birth, the following codes were used on some pages:

1 Canada, 2 United Kingdom, 4 United States, 5 Europe, 7 Asia, etc.

There is a guide that explains the codes used in column 28, Occupations (see below). The meaning of numbers written in other columns is unknown.

• Columns 1 to 35

  Number in the Order of Visitation

  Column 1. Dwelling house
  A count of the houses, numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

  Column 2. Family, household or institution
  A count of the family or household. Two or more families that occupied the same house were to be numbered separately.

  Name and Residence

  Column 3. Name of each person in family, household or institution.
  Surname (last name) first.

  Column 4. Place of Abode (Section or Township)
  In rural localities, give parish, section, township, range and Meridian.

  Column 5. Place of Abode (Municipality)
  In cities, towns and villages, give street and number of dwelling.

  Tenure and Class of Home

  Column 6. Home owned or rented
  "O" if the home is owned; "R" if home is rented.

  Column 7. If rented, give rent paid per month

  Column 8. Class of Houses
  "A" for Apartment House; "T" for Row or Terrace; "S" for single house; "D" for semi-detached house.

  Column 9. Materials of Construction
  "S" for stone; "B" for brick; "W" for wood; "B.V." for brick veneered; "P.L." for plastered with lime mortar; "P.C." plastered with cement mortar; "Con." For houses constructed of cement blocks or of concrete.

  Column 10. Rooms occupied by this family
  The number of rooms occupied by this family for living purposes.

  Personal Description

  Column 11. Relationship to head of family or household

  • The head of the family (or household or institution) was entered as such (that is, head), with the remaining members and their relation to the head (for example, wife, son, daughter, servant, boarder, lodger, partner).
  • People in an institution were described as officer, inmate, patient, prisoner, pupil, and so on. The chief officer of the institution was designated through his/her proper title (for example, warden, superintendent or principal).

  Column 12. Sex
  Denoted by "m" for male and "f" for female.

  Column 13. Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced or Legally Separated
  Denoted by the letter "s" for single, "m" for married, "w" for widowed (man or woman), "d" for divorced or "l.s." for legally separated.

  Column 14. Age at last Birthday

  • For people one year of age and over, the number of years completed before June 1, 1921.
  • For children under one year of age, fractions were used (for example, for 2 months, "2/12" was indicated).

  Nativity

  • For people born outside of Canada, the name of the country of origin (for example, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, etc.).
  • For people born in Canada, the name of the province or territory.
  • These instructions are valid for columns 15, 16 and 17.

  Column 15. Person

  Column 16. Father

  Column 17. Mother

  Citizenship

  Column 18. Year of immigration to Canada

  • The year in which the individual moved to Canada from another country. It should be the year of the first entry into Canada.
  • Also applies to Canadian-born persons who had lived in another country and have returned to Canada.

  Column 19. Year of Naturalization

  For persons who were born in a country outside the United Kingdom or any of its dependencies and who had become naturalized.

  Column 20. Nationality

  • "Canadian" for those who lived in Canada and who had acquired rights of citizenship.
  • For Non-Canadians, the country of their birth, or the country to which they professed allegiance.
  • A married woman is to be reported as of the same nationality as her husband.
  • A foreign-born child under 21 years of age is to be reported as of the same nationality as his parents.

  Race, language and religion

  Column 21. Racial or tribal origin

  Column 22. Can speak English
  Yes or no.

  Column 23. Can speak French
  Yes or no.

  Column 24. Language other than English or French spoken as Mother tongue
  The language spoken by every person other than English or French written in full.

  Column 25. Religious body, Denomination or Community to which this person adheres or belongs
  The religion to which an individual claimed to belong written in full.

  Education

  Column 26. Can read
  Yes or no.

  Column 27. Can write
  Yes or no.

  Column 28. Months at school since Sept. 1, 1920
  The number of months the child attended school between September 1st, 1920 and June 1st, 1921.

  Profession, Occupation and Employment

  Important notice

  For statistical analysis, a numerical code (for example 00-00, 05-57 or 09-80) was used for occupations and added in column 28 after the census was taken. It consists of two parts:

  • the first part from 00 to 99 indicates the industry
  • the second part from 00 to 119, represents the occupation

  Column 29. Chief occupation or trade
  The more accurate description of the trade for every person of 10 years and over.

  Column 30. Employer "E", Employee or Worker "W", Working on own account "OA"

  Column 31. "a" if "Employer" state principal product, "b" if "Employee" state where employed as "Farm", "Cotton Mill", "Foundry", "Grocery", etc. "c" if on "Own account" state nature of work

  Column 32. Total earnings past 12 months (Since June 1st, 1920)
  Total amount earned between June 1st, 1920 and May 31st, 1921.

  Column 33. If an employee, where you out of work June 1st, 1921
  Yes or no.

  Column 34. Number of weeks unemployed in the past 12 months (Since June 1st, 1920)

  Column 35. Number of weeks unemployed since June 1st, 1920 due to sickness