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Online census information being requested from the community

The community members of Sylvan Lake will see a census information request next month posted on their doors.

The community members of Sylvan Lake will see a census information request next month posted on their doors.

The information will provide a web address and a pin number to a two-minute survey that will collect the number and the ages of the residents living within that home.

The Sylvan Lake Municipal Library has computers and Wi-Fi access to people who do not have a computer or access to the internet.

People will have about two or three weeks to complete the survey online, said Town of Sylvan Lake communications officer Joanne Gaudet.

If people do not complete the survey within the required time frame, the census enumerators will visit them with a polite reminder to go online, or collect their information from their doorstep, said Gaudet.

“Our message is if you don't want to see our smiling faces on your door step, kindly take the online survey,” Gaudet said. “It certainly helps us all out because funding for FCSS programs, social services, recreational programs, facility and infrastructure is all part of it.”

The last census was taken in 2013 and the population of Sylvan Lake was over 13,000, Gaudet said.

Now the anticipated population will be over 14,000 if everyone accounts for themselves, she said.

“We have grown a lot in that amount of time, based on our assessments and things like that,” Gaudet said. “It's time that we get another count so that we're getting the right amount of funding so we can service properly.”

Gaudet said the information is not shared with other town departments and directly impacts how residents are taxed, as money is accessed through provincial and federal governments.