Olds taking numbers for second annual census

For the second straight spring, the Town of Olds is taking a headcount of its citizens.Up until May 16, the town is asking residents to respond to an online census. The goal is primarily to mine the community for demographic data that would indicate how fast Olds is growing.This information is needed to forecast what resources the town needs to serve the public.“As new subdivisions come on, we have more roads to maintain, we have more water and sewer pipes to maintain, we have more green spaces to take care of,” said the town's chief administrative officer, Norm McInnis. “So it's a real good tool for us to sort of say, as we continue to grow, where are our pressures going to be and where do we have to consider increasing revenue or resources to make sure we keep up with the growth.”According to Debbie Godfrey, the legislative clerk for Olds, the census also helps the town find holes in its long-term planning. This year's survey will also include questions about the public's satisfaction with community services.The town is doing its own count for the second consecutive year after the federal government scrapped the mandatory long-form census for 2011.“That was one of the major driving forces behind us doing our own census,” McInnis said. “This was the loss of that data that was formally collected by the federal government and is no longer there for us.”Last year, Olds budgeted $17,000 for the endeavour, which brought almost full participation from the town, McInnis said.The town will spend the same amount this year, Godfrey said.She added the town wanted to let the public respond online with ease.“The electronic census, I think, is a good strategy. It allows people to answer the census … from the comfort of their home, on their own schedule and without much intrusion from the Town of Olds in trying to collect that census,” she said.Those who have not responded by April 23 will be met at the door by enumerators, who also collect information from those who might not have access to a computer.Quality assurance representatives will also be going door to door to confirm the number of people living at a location, Godfrey said. These checks are a requirement by Alberta Municipal Affairs.Completing the municipal census is voluntary and there are no penalties for refusing to do so.However, Godfrey added the town must trust that people are answering honestly to help the town better serve them.“But we encourage people to be good citizens and to participate and to participate with good heart and answer truthfully.”[email protected]