Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Census metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ)Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016
Census metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ)

Definition

The census metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ) is a concept that geographically differentiates the area of Canada outside census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs). Census subdivisions (CSDs) within provinces that are outside CMAs and CAs are assigned to one of four categories according to the degree of influence (strong, moderate, weak or no influence) that the CMAs or CAs have on them. CSDs within the territories that are outside CAs are assigned to a separate category.

A municipality within a province is assigned to a census metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ) category depending on the percentage of its resident employed labour force that commute to work in one or more of the municipalities (census subdivisions) that are part of the delineation core of a CMA or CA. The calculation of the resident employed labour force excludes the category of no fixed workplace address. CSDs with the same degree of influence tend to be clustered. They form zones around CMAs and CAs that progress through the categories from 'strong' to 'no' influence as distance from the CMAs and CAs increases. As many CSDs in the territories are very large and sparsely populated, the commuting flow of the resident employed labour force is unstable. For this reason, CSDs in the territories that are outside CAs are assigned to a separate category that is not based on their commuting flows.

Note: The data on place of work are taken from the Census Program. Commuting, i.e., the journey to work, comprises four categories: at home; outside Canada; no fixed workplace address; and usual place of work. The calculation of the resident employed labour force excludes the category of no fixed workplace address for the 2016 Census.

CSDs outside CMAs and CAs are assigned to the following MIZ categories:

1. Strong metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where at least 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force (excluding the category of no fixed workplace address) commutes to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force from the previous census.
2. Moderate metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where at least 5% but less than 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force (excluding the category of no fixed workplace address) commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force from the previous census.
3. Weak metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where more than 0% but less than 5% of the CSD's resident employed labour force (excluding the category of no fixed workplace address) commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force from the previous census.
4. No metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where none of the CSD's resident employed labour force (excluding the category of no fixed workplace address) commute to work in any CMA or CA. It also includes CSDs in provinces with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force from the previous census.
5. Territories (outside CAs): This category includes CSDs in the territories outside CAs.

Reported in

2016, 2011, 2006, 2001

Remarks

The MIZ is a concept applied, for statistical analysis purposes, to CSDs outside CMAs and CAs. All CSDs in Canada are either a component of a CMA or a CA or not a component (outside CMAs and CAs). The MIZ provides users with a more detailed geographic identity for the CSDs outside CMAs and CAs. As with CMAs and CAs, the allocation of a CSD to a MIZ category was determined using commuting flows of the resident employed labour force, excluding the category of no fixed workplace, derived from data on place of work from the previous Census Program.

The calculation of the commuting flows for MIZ differs from the calculation used for CSD inclusion in CMAs or CAs. For the concept of MIZ, the percentage of the resident employed labour force (excluding the category of no fixed workplace address) living in a particular CSD outside CMAs and CAs and working in one or more of CSDs that is part of the delineation core of any CMA or CA is combined to determine the degree of influence that one or more CMAs or CAs have on that CSD. In short, the calculation of the degree of influence does not take into account whether or not the CSD is adjacent to the CMA or CA. The resulting percentage then determines the MIZ category assigned to the CSD.

Table 1.3 shows the number of census subdivisions by the Statistical Area Classification (SAC) for Canada, provinces and territories.

Refer to the related definitions of census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA); census subdivision (CSD); core, fringe and rural area; Statistical Area Classification (SAC) and Standard Geographical Classification (SGC).

Changes prior to the current census

Not applicable