StatsCanWatch: Where have all the social science-y surveys gone?

Speaking of Statistics Canada -- and yes, I'm fairly sure I've done so more frequently in the last week or so than in my entire journalistic career to date -- it seems that the long form census isn't the only survey on the federal chopping block.  Since 2006, at least three others have been sent to the Great Research Data Repository in the Sky: the Workplace and Employee Survey, the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants and the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS).

Why? Here's what the agency's remarkably prompt and helpful media relations department had to say when asked about the decision to discontinue these projects:

Workplace and Employee Survey
The Workplace and Employee Survey was a cost-recovery survey designed to explore a broad range of issues relating to employers and their employees. This cost-recovery project was completed in 2008, with the release of results from the last survey conducted in 2006. A strategy is currently being developed with federal policy departments to examine ways to respond to information needs on workplace practices.

The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants
The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants was a cost- recovery survey designed to examine the first four years of settlement of recent immigrants to Canada. The sample consisted of immigrants who arrived in Canada in 2000 and 2001. The last interview was done in 2005-2006 and results were released in 2007. There are currently no plans to redo the survey.

Participation and Activity Limitation Survey
The Participation and Activity Limitation Survey is a cost-recovery survey designed to examine activity limitations of Canadians. The survey has been conducted a number of times following a quinquennial census. The last survey was conducted in 2006 with results made available in 2007. There are no plans to conduct this survey in 2011. In May 2010, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) announced a new strategy to monitor people with disability. We are working with HRSDC on the development of details of this strategy.

I should note that, thanks to a tip from a concerned policy wonk, I asked the agency about these specific surveys -- unfortunately, there's no quick and easy way to figure out how many others have been kiboshed. 

For example, at post time, a spokesperson was still trying to confirm the current status of the Aboriginal Children's Survey, which "was designed to provide a picture of the early development of Aboriginal children and the social and living conditions in which they are learning and growing." We've heard that it, too, has been axed, but at the moment, it still appears on the master list of active surveys. Then again, so do the Workplace and Employee Survey and the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.