Canadian Business Counts - User Guide

Canadian Business Counts (formerly Canadian Business Patterns) is compiled from the Business Register, a repository of information on the Canadian business population. It provides counts of active business establishments by:

  • employment size ranges, including indeterminate (i.e., businesses such as sole proprietorships and partnerships, usually without a payroll)
  • geography groupings by province/territory, metropolitan areas, census agglomerations, census divisions and/or census subdivisions
  • various levels of industry classification, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and NAICS (North American Industry Classification System

Access

Accessing Canadian Business Counts

Canadian Business Counts & Canadian Business Patterns  is available via Odesi (1988 to 2022) and through Data Services (Mills Library, 1st floor)

  1. Connect to Canadian Business Counts and/or Canadian Business Patterns via Odesi
    • NOTE: Starting with the June 2015 reference period, Canadian Business Patterns (CBP) changed its name to Canadian Business Counts (CBC). CBP covers 1988-2014 and CBC covers 2015 to the present.
       
  2. In <odesi> select the Download Data button to access CBC/CBP data n Beyond 20/20 format (.ivt). Pick the desired year(s) across the top of the page > select the desired geography from the list. 
    NOTE: To view data on non-library computers, you must download and install Beyond 20/20 software. A free download (for Windows) is available at the Statistics Canada website.
     
  3. Select a relevant dataset from the list displayed. Pick a dataset with the appropriate year, geography and industry code.

Not sure which dataset to select? Review the options below.

Years

  • 1988 to current
    • 2020-2022, published 2x per year (June & December), CBC
    • 1997-2019, published 2x per year (June & December), CBP/CBC
    • 1988-1996, published 1x per year (December), CBP

Geography

  • CA = Canada - available in CBP/CBC, 1988-current
  • PROV = Province - available in CBP/CBC, 1988-current
  • CD = Census Division (county, regional district) - available in CBP/CBC, 1997-current
  • CMA = Census Metropolitan Area - available in CBP/CBC, 1997-current
  • CSD = Census Subdivision (municipality) - available in CBP, 1997-June 2008

Industry Classification Codes

Search & Display

Search and Display Results in Canadian Business Counts

Canadian Business Counts & Canadian Business Patterns via Odesi use the Beyond 20/20 software. 

Search by Industry

  1. Ensure the industries dimension is selected (e.g.,  NAT. INDUSTRIES, NAICS). 
  2. If not already there, click on the industries dimension in the toolbar and drag & drop into the table.
  3. Click on the Search button Search Icon
  4. On the Search
    • select Field: Code
    • type in your industry classification code (e.g., 448210) in the Text to Find: box.
    • select Type of Selection: Find Next
    • click OK
  5. Locate the item in the table and click on the relevant row to highlight it.
  6. Right click and select Show from the menu (this will suppress the other entries from display)

Sample Industry Search for Shoe Stores, NAICS 448210

Search by Geography

  1. Ensure the geography dimension is selected (e.g.,  PROV/CSD, CA/CMA).
  2. If not already there, click on the geography dimension in the toolbar and drag & drop into the table.
  3. Click on the Search button  Search Button
  4. On the Search screen,
    • select Field: English Label
    • type in a location (e.g., Hamilton) in the Text to Find: box.
    • select Type of Selection: Find Next
    • click OK
  5. ​Locate the item in the table and click on the relevant row to highlight it. NOTE: Locations are listed from East to West. There may be more than one location with the same name. You may have to repeat your search to find the correct location.
  6. Right click and select Show from the menu (this will suppress the other entries from display).

Sample Geography Search for Hamilton, Ontario

Display Results

Sample Table Identifying the Number of Shoe Stores in Hamilton by Employee Size RangeTo move or switch the column and row dimensions of a table, click and drag the row or column and drop it in the new location. 

 A sample table is displayed to the right:

NOTE: The indeterminate category consists of incorporated or unincorporated businesses that do not have a Canada Revenue Agency payroll deductions account. The workforce of such businesses may consist of contract workers, family members and/or owners.

Save & Print

Save and Print Results from Canadian Business Counts

Save Results

Click on the File menu to select an output option

  • Save As
    • Select a location from the drop-down Save in menu.
    • Type a name for your file in the File name field. 
    • Select a file format from the drop-down Save as type: menu 
    • Specify the location of the download using the drop-down Save in: menu (e.g., Desktop, My Documents)
    • Click Save.

Save As Menu

Print Results

  • Select an appropriate Printer and Print Range on the Print dialog box.
  • Adjust Properties as needed.
  • Click OK to send to the printer.