Census of Canada, 1996: geographic and reference files

The Block face data files provide attribute information for a total of 827,933 block faces in 43 large urban centres (those for which SNF coverage is available). The files include street names (including street type and direction), address ranges, geographic codes (EA, CD, CSD, CMA FED codes and CT name), x and y coordinates for block-face representative points (or in some cases, EA representative points, and the corresponding population and dwelling counts from the 1996 Census.

Census tract conversion file, 1991-1996

Provides a correlation table between 1991 census census tracts (CTs) and 1996 census trancts, including a flag indicating whether each 1991 CT is partially or completely affected by 1996 census boundary changes.

Provides for each enumeration area, all applicable higher level standard geographic codes.

File contains FSA (forward sortation area) codes and size in square kilometres (km**2). Derived from DCF file at FSA level in MapInfo format by G. Romme, GIS/Map Collection, University of Toronto.

Postal code conversion file

The Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF) provides the correspondence between the six character code and Statistics Canada's standard geographical areas (e.g. Census divisions, Census subdivisions, Federal Electoral Districts) for which census data and other statistics are produced. The current version of the PCCF links over 787,000 postal code records, created up to the end of July 1996, to the geographical areas used in the 1991 Census and to Universal Transverse Mercator System (UTM) coordinates and latitude/longitude coordinates. This new version contains a new field called the single postal code indicator. This field will be useful in cases where a given postal code is assigned to multiple standard geographic areas. It indicates which of the standard geographic units is the most representative of the postal code.

Postal code population weight file: May 1996 postal codes

The Postal code population weight file has been created as a supplementary product to the PCCF. It provides users with a population 'weight' for postal codes with multiple links on the PCCF. The weight associated with each record on the Postal code population weight file represents the proportion of the population reporting the postal code with a specific enumeration area.

Only a small percentage of postal codes are linked to more than one enumeration area on the PCCF (4%). However, these postal codes tend to serve relatively large areas and large populations. The weights will allow users to allocate their data proportionally to the population distribution reported in the 1996 Census.

This file can be used in combination with the PCCF to identify those postal code to enumeration area links confirmed by census reported postal code data.

Postal codes by federal ridings file (1996 representation order)

The Postal code/1996 federal riding file is a digital file which provides a link between the six character postal code and Canada's federal ridings. The current version of the file links 701,002 postal code records, existing as of May 1998, to the 301 federal ridings.

The file was conceived as a tool for use with administrative files containing postal codes. By using the postal code as a link, data from administrative files may be organized and/or tabulated by federal riding. Using this tool, federal government departments will be able to respond more quickly and easily to MP's requests for information about their ridings.