Many in southeastern Manitoba will have seen a census form in their mailbox on Monday, others will have ad them hand delivered to their rural residence.

Marc Hamel is the Director General of the census program and says the census includes all those living in Canada, whether or not they are Canadian citizens adding only tourists and foreign diplomats are exempt. Hamel says the mandatory census comes in a short form or long form questionnaire. Only one in four households receive the long form which includes the short form questions and then asks additional information including, "if you have Aboriginal ancestry, if you're an immigrant to Canada, where you would have immigrated from, if you work, how you get to work, your level of education and it also has questions on the state of your dwelling - if the dwelling is in need of repair, for example."

Hamel says Canada is a dynamic and rapidly changing society so it's important to understand how the country is changing and how services require change, accordingly. He adds there is assistance available when filling out the census, including calling and requesting a paper form if an individual does not have internet access. He says there is also an operator ready to help from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1-855-700-2016 for those who have additional questions.

Irene Kroeker from Steinbach Community Outreach says low income individuals or those who are homeless are not usually the first people to fill out a bunch of forms.

"When they get a form in the mail, they may not know exactly what it is or they look at it and it's very wordy," notes Kroeker. "I got my form yesterday and I looked at it and I thought, oh my gosh, it's so wordy, how would people that are not teachers, like myself, how would they look at it and try to figure out what they're supposed to be doing with it. Those are all those kinds of barriers they have."

Kroeker says for some individuals it's more difficult than simply fill it out and send it in or submit it online. She notes, for herself, she appreciates the convenience of filling the census out online but adds many low income individuals do not have internet and there should be other options, such as, a station where census volunteers help fill out the form and mail it in for the individual.

Joy Neufeld from Soup's On says when trying to find data on poverty there were no current stats and adds it will be helpful to have a more accurate view of the number of low income and poverty level individuals in the community. She says the current information will also better assist those working with poverty or low income individuals to understand what areas they need support and how they can best advocate for them.

Neufeld says assistance in filling out the census includes low income individuals but also those with mental or physical disabilities.

"When there are difficulties for any individual to fill out either the short or long form, I hope there's going to be some understanding and some respect, even if that means giving a little extra assistance or sitting down with them and spending more time. I hope there will be dignity and respect for people who are having difficulty filling out the form."

Hamel says the number of services is determined on the makeup of the population and the census will give a better view into those specifics.

"The power of the census itself is we're able to look at very small aspects of society. We're talking about neighbourhoods within a city, for example, and to have as complete a picture as possible, we need everybody to be represented. If governments, organizations, and businesses are going to be making decisions that are affecting us where we live, they need to have a good picture of who we are and the services that we may require."

Again, Hamel says the census is mandatory and they want everyone to participate so the picture of where Canada is, is as complete as possible.

Census Canada asks all forms be filled out and submitted by May 10.