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Munir Sheikh, former chief of Statistics Canada, takes his seat at a House of Commons committee hearing looking into changes in the long-form census last Tuesday.

Time has almost run out for reaching a compromise on the now-notorious mandatory long census.

Statistics Canada says the replacement voluntary questionnaire will go to print on Aug. 9 and printing will continue until next May.

The questionnaire will eventually be sent to one in three households.

Critics say the voluntary questionnaire won't provide the data they need to make policy or business decisions, and they are urging the government to reconsider.

But with the Conservatives digging in their heels in recent days, the last chance for any reconsideration is probably next week, when provincial premiers could raise the issue at their annual face-to-face meetings.

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