In the quiet corridors of Sudbury’s Science North complex last Tuesday morning, I watched as Melissa Thompson, a 42-year-old mother of two, rolled up her sleeve for a blood pressure reading. The Statistics Canada health technician chatted with her about the unseasonably warm spring as she wrapped the cuff around Thompson’s arm. This wasn’t just another doctor’s appointment—it was data collection that will shape our understanding of Canadian health for years to come.
“I’ve never participated in anything like this before,” Thompson told me after her session, which included physical measurements and detailed questions about her lifestyle habits. “But when they called, I thought—why not? If it helps researchers understand what’s happening in Northern communities like ours, that matters.”
Thompson is one of hundreds of Sudbury residents participating in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), a major national health data collection effort that arrived in the city this month and will continue until July. The comprehensive study combines questionnaires, physical measurements, and biological samples to create what Statistics Canada calls “the most complete picture of Canadians’ health.”
This marks the survey’s seventh cycle since its inception in 2007, but it’s particularly significant for Sudbury. Northern communities have historically been underrepresented in national health research, creating blind spots in how we understand regional health disparities.
“Having good quality health information about Canadians living in different regions is crucial for developing targeted health programs,” explained Dr. Veronica Carson, principal researcher with the CHMS program, during the Sudbury launch event. “The data we collect here helps identify emerging health concerns specific to Northern Ontario that might otherwise go unnoticed.”
The mobile examination clinic—essentially a medical lab built inside trailers—has transformed a portion of the Science North parking lot into a temporary research station. Inside, health technicians collect information that ranges from blood pressure readings and body composition measurements to blood and urine samples that will be tested for environmental contaminants, nutritional markers, and infectious disease indicators.
Statistics Canada selected approximately 500 Sudbury residents through randomized sampling to ensure the data accurately represents the community. Those chosen receive an initial letter, followed by an in-person visit from a Statistics Canada representative who explains the process and schedules their appointment at the mobile clinic.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial. The COVID-19 pandemic created massive disruptions in routine healthcare, while simultaneously elevating public awareness of health data. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadians across all age groups reported worsening mental health during the pandemic, with particularly severe impacts in rural and northern communities where healthcare resources were already stretched thin.
“We’re particularly interested in capturing post-pandemic health indicators,” Carson noted. “Are we seeing increased rates of hypertension from delayed care? Has chronic disease management suffered? The CHMS gives us those answers at both the national and regional levels.”
While at the mobile clinic, I observed participants moving through stations that measured everything from grip strength to hearing acuity. The technicians—many hired locally—maintained a careful balance between clinical precision and human connection, explaining each procedure while entering data into secured tablets.
For Shannon Peltier, a member of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation who participated last week, the survey represents an opportunity for Indigenous health concerns to be documented within broader Canadian health data.
“Our communities have specific health challenges that often don’t show up in general statistics,” Peltier said. “Having First Nations people represented in this kind of research matters, especially around issues like environmental exposures that affect our traditional territories.”
The CHMS has previously revealed critical insights about Canadians’ health, including alarming data about physical activity levels. The 2018-2019 cycle found that only 16% of adults met the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week—information that directly influenced public health campaigns and school programming.
Previous cycles have also detected concerning levels of lead and other environmental contaminants in Canadians’ blood, resulting in updated public health guidelines. For resource-based economies like Sudbury, with its history of mining and environmental remediation, these environmental health measures carry particular significance.
Participation is voluntary but highly encouraged, with Statistics Canada emphasizing the privacy protections in place. All personal information is protected under the Statistics Act, which prevents individual data from being released or used for anything other than statistical purposes.
“The confidentiality concerns are understandable,” acknowledged Margaret Chen, the Statistics Canada field supervisor overseeing the Sudbury collection. “But we explain to participants that their personal information is completely protected by law. What matters is the aggregate data that helps us understand population health trends.”
Participants receive their individual results for certain measures, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and hearing tests—information that some participants value as a free health check-up.
When the mobile clinic completes its Sudbury residency in July, it will move to another Canadian community, continuing a cross-country journey that will ultimately include approximately 16 locations and about 7,000 participants by the end of 2025.
The resulting data will be analyzed and published in stages, with initial findings expected in early 2026. Previous CHMS results have been used extensively by researchers, policymakers, and public health officials to identify emerging health concerns and evaluate the effectiveness of health programs.
As I left the mobile clinic, Thompson was scheduling her follow-up appointment to receive her test results. “It feels good knowing that by taking a couple hours out of my day, I’m contributing to something that might help my kids have better healthcare down the road,” she said. “That’s worth the time.”
In a healthcare landscape where northern communities often struggle with access and representation, the arrival of the CHMS in Sudbury represents more than just data collection—it’s recognition that the health experiences of northern Canadians matter to our national understanding of wellbeing.
