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Library – Coast Capital Savings Library

Data Services

This guide lists selected sources of (primarily) Canadian data that are available to Kwantlen students, faculty members and employees. It also lists tools for identifying, downloading and analyzing useful datasets.

Data or Statistics?
The Kwantlen Library provides access to many different types of datasets and statistics. If you're looking for tables, charts or graphs, you probably need statistics, rather than data. Data is the 'raw material' that is analyzed to produce the statistics found in tables, graphs, charts, maps, etc. You usually need special software such as SPSS, Beyond 20/20 or ArcView to work with 'raw' data. If you're looking for statistics, please see the following Kwantlen Library guides:

 Related library guides: Statistics | Business Statistics | Census | CANSIM

Sources of Canadian Data
Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada ('Statcan') is the main producer of Canadian data. In addition to the Census, Statcan gathers information through over one hundred ongoing surveys (e.g. the Survey of Household Spending) and from administrative sources such income tax returns filed with Canada Revenue Agency. It produces statistical tables, datasets and analytical reports from this data. Some of these resources are freely available on the Statistics Canada website. Others are available for a fee, or through specialized services such as the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI).

Data Liberation Initiative

The DLI program provides Canadian postsecondary institutions with access to selected microdata and aggregated data files for a relatively low membership cost. This data may only be used for academic research and teaching purposes. The DLI license strictly prohibits commercial or contractual use.

The DLI collection includes:   

  • Public-Use Microdata Files (PUMFs): 'raw' data from the Census and many other surveys which must be analyzed with software such as SPSS or SDA
  • Aggregated data files: which are sometimes packaged with software or can be analyed using Beyond 20/20 software or Excel (e.g. Homicide Survey; Canadian Business Patterns)
  • Geographic files: for use with GIS software (e.g. Census Boundary Files for Census Tracts)
Kwantlen users can search the DLI collection and download most of the files for themselves through the sources listed in the following sections. Statcan has started a gradual process of making these resources available at no cost to the public for educational use, upon request. At the moment, only a small number of DLI files are available in this way. Kwantlen users should still access the files through one of the data services described in the following sections.
A note on confidentiality:
Some Statistics Canada data is never publicly released. Statcan must take great care to ensure that no publicly-released data can be used to identify an individual person or business. This means that some data must be withheld (suppressed), or must be combined (aggregated) into larger categories or geographic areas to prevent such disclosure. 
Open Data Portal - Government of Canada
This pilot project provides free, public access to a growing number of datasets from Canadian government agencies (e.g. Health Canada). There are very few Statistics Canada datasets in this collection.
Other Canadian Sources
An increasing amount of data is now available from other levels of government in Canada, including municipal and regional agencies.
  • BC STATS

    BC's central statistical agency gathers data from a variety of sources and conducts surveys on behalf of the provincial government. BC STATS makes some aggregate data available and it is developing a number of interactive data mapping resources such as the BC Atlas of Selected Demographic Indicators and the Interactive Data and Health Map Browsers .

  • CivicInfo BC: Surveys & Statistics

    Aggregate data from local governments. Produced in partnership with the Union of BC Municipalities, Local Government Management Association of BC, BC Recreation and Parks Association, BC Assessment, and BC Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

  • Vancouver Open Data - City of Vancouver
International Sources
Tools for finding datasets  

DLI data  

  • Equinox
    This new version of the Internet Data Library System (IDLS) has a much cleaner and more powerful interface which allows you to search for DLI files by file description, variable name, or variable description.

  • ODESI (pronounced "Odyssey")
    An excellent tool to search all DLI microdata files by category, keyword, series or survey title.
    Please note, however:
    1. Kwantlen users can only use ODESI to identify relevant DLI datasets, but not download the data. Only members of Ontario's Council of University Libraries (OCUL) can download files. Once you identify a DLI dataset, you will need to download it through either Equinox (formerly IDLS) or UT/DLS Microdata Analysis and Subsetting Service , which are described in the next section.
    2. The ODESI collection includes datasets from the DLI and over 10,000 other Canadian and international surveys. Please note that Kwantlen users only have access to the freely-available public files and those from the DLI collection.
  • UT/DLS Microdata Analysis and Subsetting Service
    Search across microdata files by variable name.

Tools for downloading data:

Most of the DLI data files are available "self-serve" : Kwantlen users can download them directly from on- or off-campus through the sources listed below. A few are only available upon request from Kwantlen's data services librarian; please allow one week for delivery of such file(s) on CD-ROM.

  • Canadian Census Analyser
    The Canadian Census Analyser is hosted by the University of Toronto's Data Library Service called CHASS. It provides access to Census P ublic U se M icrodata F iles (PUMF's) from 1971 onward, and postal code conversion files since 1996. 

  • CANSIM
    CANSIM is an abbreviation for Can adian S ocioeconomic I nformation M anagement system. It is a searchable collection of tables from Statistics Canada (Statcan). Essentially it is Statcan's main public source of statistics outside of the Census. Since most of the surveys are conducted on a regular basis, results can be compared over time using these time-series tables to identify trends.

    CANSIM tables are available in several ways, with varying levels of detail, currency, ease of use, and cost. Generally, the most up-to-date and detailed tables are available for a fee from the Statcan website. DO NOT PAY! Kwantlen users have free access to CANSIM tables through E-STAT, CHASS and Equinox. Please consult the Kwantlen Library's CANSIM guide to see which version is right for you.

  • E-STAT
    E-STAT is a package of statistics and aggregate data from Statistics Canada's Census and CANSIM collections, compiled specifically for educational institutions. Users can cross-tabulate selected data variables and then generate charts, tables and maps, and also download the information into a variety of programs for further analysis. It's a surprisingly powerful and easy-to-use product. Updated once a year.

  • Equinox
    Formed in June 2009 by a merger of the University of Western Ontario's Internet Data Library Service (IDLS) with a Quebec data consortium called CREPUQ. It combines the content of IDLS with high-quality metadata from CREPUQ, together with a more powerful and user-friendly search interface. It provides web access to most of the DLI microdata, aggregate data and geospatial files.

    Equinox includes some sources that were originally issued on CD-ROM such as Canadian Business Patterns , Financial Performance Indicators for Canadian Business , Inter-Corporate Ownership New , and many justice tables. These are not available through the University of Toronto's Data Library Service (UT/DLS) described below. Equinox does not, however, supply online statistical analysis software like the UT/DLS. The Equinox collection includes many other Canadian and international datasets. Please note that Kwantlen users only have access to the freely-available public files and those from the DLI.
  • UT/DLS Microdata Analysis and Subsetting Service
    This service is hosted by the University of Toronto's Data Library Service (UT/DLS) called CHASS. It provides web access to the DLI microdata files and a few microdata sets from other sources. Unlike the Equinox service, it does not include DLI sources that were originally issued on CD-ROM, such as Financial Performance Indicators for Canadian Business . The U of T microdata collection includes many other Canadian and international datasets. Please note that Kwantlen users only have access to the freely-available public files and those from the DLI.

    UT/DLS provides a program called Survey Documentation & Analysis (SDA) to run online statistical analyses on microdata files without having to purchase and learn complex software such as SPSS. SDA supports many types of analysis, including frequencies, cross-tabulations, comparisons of means, correlation matrices, and multiple regressions. Users can also apply controls, filters or weights and can generate tables and charts. Sophisticated users can still download data sets from UT/DLS to SPSS or SAS if they prefer.
Statistical Analysis Software

DLI files come in a variety of formats. Some are simple Excel tables. Many are in Beyond 20/20 (B2020) format. The majority are raw data files which must be analyzed using statistical analysis software such as SPSS. The UT/DLS Microdata Analysis and Subsetting Service provides built-in software for use with DLI microdata files, called SDA. Geospatial files require GIS software such as ArcGIS or MapINFO.

  • ArcGIS
    ArcGIS software is installed on selected Kwantlen workstations. Please see IET's website for more information about software availability.
    • QGIS
      Open source alternative to ArcGIS. Has received very positive reviews, but use at your own risk.
  • Beyond 2020 (B2020)
    Many Statistics Canada tables are in Beyond 20/20 (B2020) format. This software is loaded on all student workstations. You can also freely download B2020 to your personal computer for use with Statcan tables.
  • SPSS
    SPSS is installed on all student workstations.
  • StatPages
    • List of freely available statistical analysis software
    • Also includes advice on selecting appropriate statistical tests and software
    Can't find what you need?

    The DLI does not provide access to all of the data that Statistics Canada collects. Some data are unavailable for confidentiality reasons. Others can only obtained by purchasing a custom order. Some researchers may qualify for access to master files at the Statistics Canada Research Data Centres . For a more complete understanding of access to Statistics Canada information and data, please consult this continuum of access table.

Further reference:


Please contact Chris Burns , Research Support & Data Services Librarian (604-599-3198) for help in finding what you need.

Page maintained by: Chris Burns, Research Support & Data Services Librarian
Updated: 15/12/11