Government Information Pilot Project:
Appendix: Reference Questions
Classified by Subject Area

Report Table of Contents

The following questions were received by the student trainers during the course of the project. These questions, better than any other data collected by the project, indicate the type of government information and publications in demand by the public. The questions have been roughly classified by subject area.

Business (including trade)

• How do I get a patent for my invention?



• Is there any information about the floral retail business in Atlantic Canada?



• I'm looking for information about a database called WinExports. I think it's put out by the federal government. It deals with Canadian companies involved in export trade.



• I'm thinking about starting some kind of export business, and would like to do research on what companies in Nova Scotia have export ties to Japan, and what products the Japanese are interested in.



• I want information on health-related companies or industries in Nova Scotia.



• I want information on the "marble industry" in Canada.



• I'm looking for breakdowns of different national economies and what is possible to export to them.



• I'm looking for information on doing business in the province of Alberta, particularly in regard to income taxes and incorporation.



• Is there any site that will let me scope out my potential competition in the retail music industry in B.C.?



• What are the main economic activities in the Northwest Territories? What are the main industries of Nova Scotia?



• Is the Canadian government currently doing any research on the manufacturing of zeppelins?



• I need to know about the tobacco industry in Canada -- statistics, products, imports, etc.



• I want to find out about starting a tourism business in Nova Scotia.



• I need information on starting a small business in Nova Scotia. Where can I go for more information? For training? For government grants?



• What government contracts are currently up for tender, and how do I go about submitting a bid?

Education

• Where can you find information on student loans, scholarships, and grants for Canadian Students? [Requests from both teachers wanting to help students out, as well as students themselves]

Employment

• Can I post my resume on the Internet?



• Can I look for a job on the Internet?



• How many weeks of employment do I need to qualify for Employment Insurance under the new regulations?



• Is the full National Occupational Classification (NOC) available on the Internet?



• What's an NOC [SIC, HS] number? How can I find out what NOC [SIC, HS] number I need to fill out this form?



• How many weeks of work do I need to qualify for UI in the Halifax area?



• Minimum wages recently changed. What are the current minimum wage specifications for Nova Scotia?



• Where is the latest version of the Unemployment Insurance Act? How about the regulations pertaining to this act?



• What are some of the benefits that a visible minority can receive?



• I want information on working abroad.



• I'm looking for listings of current contract ("casual") positions within the Nova Scotia government.



• What kind of information is available for persons with disabilities looking for employment?



• I want information in "value-added careers" for Nova Scotia.



• What kind of information about programs for youth does the HRDC have on its site? Is the information anything that is not currently available in print?



• I need to hunt for a job, and I want to stay in Nova Scotia. Is there anything that can help me?



• I heard that the metro school boards have amalgamated, and that there are school job listings floating around. Can I find them on the Internet?



• Any information about environmental careers?

Finance

• Are Canada's Harmonized Tariff Schedules available on the Internet (or even in print)?



• Can I file my tax forms over the Internet?



• Is Unclaimed Balances on the Internet?

Health

• I want information on health-related companies or industries in Nova Scotia.

Immigration

• I have to study for the Canadian citizenship test. What kind of questions can I expect to encounter?



• Is there any information on ESL (English as a Second Language) training for immigrants?



• I want information on programs to help immigrant entrepreneurs outside of Nova Scotia.



• How and where do I apply for a passport?



• I'm looking for the sort of community information that would be of interest to new immigrants -- apartments for rent, social service agencies, citizenship information, introductions to local culture, and local organizations that may be of help in setting up a social life. Is there anything on the Internet to help me?



• Landed immigrants and refugees are eligible for low-interest loans from the government. What is the rate of interest on such loans for each group, and when do they need to pay the money back? ["Right of landing" loans -- most patrons interested in the refugee class repayment schedule.]



• How does a person apply for a visitor's visa to Canada? A student authorization? Landed immigrant status?

Government Programs and Services

• I have had requests for information on Social Assistance and Welfare Assistance in Nova Scotia.



• Where can I order my "free" Canadian flag?



• What are the current federal and provincial definitions and criteria for "disabled", especially in regard to programs like pension, job training, law...?



• What kind of medical research is the federal government currently funding?



• I need the address for the publishing arm of the Canadian government.



• Does the DND's Halifax Command have any information about its recent ISO 9000 initiatives?



• I'm interested in information about government programs for seniors.



• What projects on community economic development are people working on outside Nova Scotia?



• How do I find out how to get a congratulatory letter from the Prime Minister sent to my grandparents on their 50th anniversary?



• I'm looking for the phone number for the "Director of Appeals" for the Canada Pension Plan.



• What kind of information does the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics have on the Web? Does Statistics Canada supply their information?



• I'm looking for information about how to apply for CUSO. [not a govt agency, however the client thought so]



• I'm trying to look up the number for the Africa Desk of CUSO (at least, I think it's CUSO).



• I'm looking for Captain John T. Morgan at the Transportation Safety Board.



• There was recently some fuss about the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women in the news. Will their home page tell us what the fuss was all about? Exactly how is this agency connected to the provincial government?



• What is the CRTC?



• I want information on what the government is doing about family violence in Canada.



• Any information out there about the Canadian government's efforts at fostering community development?



• I've been working (legally) in Canada, but I am not a Canadian citizen. I noticed the other day that my pay stubs say that contributions to EI and CPP have been deducted from my paychecks. Since I am not eligible to draw EI and CPP, is there any way I can get the money deducted from my paychecks for these programs back?

Statistical Information

Many requests were received for statistical information such as unemployment figures, employment figures by industry, number of births and deaths for a particular province and for Canada in general, etc.

• How many people of German origin live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area?



• I'm looking for statistics on minivan and truck ownership in Canada.



• Although complete census data is usually not released until 100 years after the census is taken (in order to ensure individuals' privacy), the government released the data for the 1901 census ahead of schedule five years ago. However, I have heard that the government will not be releasing the 1911 census data early. Is this true? [Could be a bill, a policy decision, or mentioned somewhere in the legislature]



• Are Statistics Canada's daily stats available online?



• What are the latest population statistics for Halifax? for Nova Scotia? for the rest of Canada?



• I want to see statistics on employment and labor for the last five years.



• I want recent population statistics -- for Canada, for Nova Scotia alone, and for countries in the rest of the world -- particularly pertaining to immigrants from different countries.

Laws, Regulations, & Parliamentary Information

• What are the regulations regarding changing your name in Canada? [Access NS's Directory of Permits, Approvals & Licences]



• What is the address of my MP in Halifax? [NS Government- House of Assembly Directory]



• I need all updates to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act since the mid-1980s.
  
  
• Who is currently my MP, and how can I contact him or her?



• We get a lot of requests for information about the "Rape Shield Law". Is this law included in the Statutes? Is there any more information about it on the Internet?



• What information about the Kreever Inquiry into tainted blood is available on the Internet?
• Is the Canada Gazette online?



• Do you have any general information on copyright law?



• Are the Nova Scotia statutes online? Is a particular act or statute online?



• I want to know who my municipal councillor is, now that the metro area has amalgamated. However, I'm not sure what district I belong to.



• Is there a list of Canadian high commissions, consulates, and embassies abroad on the Internet? There used to be such a listing in print, but the library's copy is two years old.
• I'm looking for the address of Geoff Regan, the MP for Halifax West.



• A few years back, I remember hearing that some new environmental assessment legislation had been passed, I think by the government of Nova Scotia. Can we find that legislation on the Internet?



• I need an up-to-date copy of the criminal code.



• Who is the Canadian ambassador to Kazakhstan?



• Is there a quick list of current premiers?



• I want names of all the people who have run the Order of Canada since the organization's beginnings.



• I recently read in the newspaper that a new commission study was just published, on doctors leaving Canada for the U.S. The study may have been conducted in Alberta. Was this study government-sponsored, and is it available on the Internet?



• How can I send comments to [the prime minister, the provincial premier, my MP, etc.] if I do not have an e-mail account?



• Is the full text of the North American Free Trade Agreement available over the Internet? What does it have to say about Canadian sylviculturalists' availability to work in the U.S.?



• What does current Canadian copyright law have to say about copyright of Internet resources? If a Canadian illegally copies a file from an American site, which country's law takes precedence in the courts?



• What's the status on the U.S. Helms-Burton law and Canada's response to this legislation?



• What kind of information does the government provide about import/export regulations between the parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement?



• I'm studying for my upcoming driver's test. Are Nova Scotia's traffic laws and a copy of some practice questions available on the provincial government site?



• Is Hansard available on-line? [This question was asked about 20 times]

Other Information Categories

Environment & Weather

• What's the latest news about the Irving Whale? [Environment Canada]



• Are the Monthly Meteorological Summaries, put out by the Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada, available on the Internet? They seem to have stopped publishing them in print -- if they're still being published in print form, how can we re-subscribe, and how much will they cost?



• I'm a surfer, and when hurricanes and tropical storms hit the coast, they make really great waves. Can I find out what the wave forecast is for Lawrencetown Beach this weekend? [asked July 13-14, 1996, when Hurricane Bertha hit]



• I'm traveling to Ontario tomorrow, and would like to know what the weather is going to be like there so I know what to pack.



• How do I compost my kitchen waste?



• What was the weather in Dartmouth like from July 19 to July 22, 1996? [Story behind this question: a woman had a real estate agent showing her house while she was away. Her deck furniture was turned over to protect it from the weather, and her deck umbrella was closed. When she came back, her furniture was upright and had been water-damaged, and her umbrella was turned inside-out by the wind. She thinks the agent fooled around with her deck furniture and forgot to put it back, but the agent says all the damage is due to the weather. She wants to know what the weather was like on the days she was gone]



• What do the governments have to say about the cleanup of the Sydney Tarponds?



• How can I get deer to stay out of my garden?

Recreation & Tourism

• I want information on the Trans-Canada Trail, especially a map of the proposed trail site in New Brunswick.



• Is there any information available on which tourist attractions and accommodations in the Maritime provinces are accessible to wheelchair visitors?



• I need to book a hotel in Fredericton. Does the N.B. government provide any tourist information that may be of help to me?



• I'm looking for information on accommodations in Nova Scotia (hotels, motels, lodges, etc.)
• I'm planning a vacation in British Columbia. What kind of information is there on out-of-the-way sites of interest?



• Is there any information available on the following tourist attractions in Nova Scotia: Yarmouth County Historical Museum and Archives, Shelburne Museum and Archives? Do these attractions have their own home pages?



• Is there any information available on Roosevelt's summer home in Campobello, New Brunswick?

Fisheries

• Has the dispute between the U.S. and Canada about Pacific salmon quotas been resolved?



• What's the current government policy on sealing?



• Are there any documents dealing with fishing moratoriums?



• Is there any information on the TAGS program for fishers? What's it about, will and/or when will it affect me, and what are the financial benefits of the program?

Agriculture

• I'm interested in information on the importation of bees from West Africa.

Miscellaneous

General requests for provincial information such as the provincial flower and premiers were plentiful. Also, questions such as does a certain province or town have a home page were frequently asked.

• Does the government publish any information about space exploration on the Internet?



• How many detachments does the RCMP have across Canada?



• Can I find out who was featured on "Morningside" on a particular day?



• Does the National Gallery of Art have any of its exhibits online?



• Can I e-mail Michael Enright from CBC's "As It Happens" radio show?



• Can I check the status of my stocks on the TSE?



• I heard that Louis Riel was recently named a Father of Confederation. Is this true?



• How are our Canadian athletes in Atlanta doing today? [during the Olympics]



• Does the Canadian government, or any of the provincial governments, have any genealogical databases up?



• Does the National Museum have pictures from its collection online?



• Why isn't my search for [fill in the blank] coming up with any results on [Champlain, Govt. Of Nova Scotia search engine, Supreme Court search engine]?



• What kind of information does the government provide on family violence? Racial discrimination? First Nations' history? Volunteering?