Canada has begun its latest census effort, as Ottawa seeks to build an updated picture of the country and its people.

The population census, whose completion is mandated by law, formally began on May 4 — with invitation letters arriving by mail, with instructions on how to access and complete the questionnaires.

“For over a century, Canadians have relied on the census to understand how our country is changing over time,” said André Loranger, the chief statistician of Canada, in a statement published in a news release.

“Once again, we call on all residents to complete their census questionnaire.”

‘Evidence backbone for decision-making’

Michael Hann, director of the Statistics Canada Research Data Centre at Western University in London, Ont., said the census helps Ottawa gather information needed to plan and make decisions for the country.

“They use this information to identify where hospitals should be, where schools should be, the size of them, how wide streets should be — all of those things,” he told CBC’s London Morning.

“It really is the evidence backbone for policy decision-making.”

The census takes place once every five years. Canada’s last census, in 2021, came amid the COVID-19 pandemic that upended daily life — with sharp changes to where people where living and working.

An agriculture census, too

There’s also a parallel agriculture census taking place, which gets sent to all the farm businesses across the country.

“The census of agriculture enables Statistics Canada to provide a comprehensive and integrated profile of the physical, economic, social and environmental aspects of Canada’s agriculture sector,” Loranger said.

“Responses will ensure that all Canadians have the data they need to support farmers and plan a strong future for all of Canada.”