How to use the ICO
Preface
Welcome to the Inter-Corporate Ownership (ICO) product. This GUIDE has been developed to help you navigate the ICO product. It is made up of two sections. The first section of the guide will deal with browsing the database and will be divided in two components: Corporation Name Search and Filter Search. The second section of the guide will cover some of the features and tools of the enterprise structure, such as the Copy function and the Details pane window.
Browsing the Database
The filter options are on the left hand side and the corporation name search is located in the centre of the screen.
Corporation Name Search
The Corporation Name Search is the most common of the searches on the ICO. To search by name simply:
- Enter the name of the corporation you are looking for in the text box.
- Press the «ENTER» key or select the «Search» button besides the search box. A list of corporations matching your search criteria will appear:
- From the list, select the corporation you wish to view by clicking once on the name. It will display the enterprise structure of this corporation and bring you to this corporation wherever it is within the structure.
Now you know how to search a corporation by name. To begin a new search, select «Back to search filters» on the left hand screen, then select «Clear».
Filter Search
You can also search the database by using specific filters. These filters are based on a variety of variables available for most corporations. Please note that some of these variables are not available for all corporations. Also note that this database is dynamic, and that with each variable selected within a filter, variables in other filters may not be available. Furthermore, each entry within a filter is followed by a number in brackets (##). This number represents the number of records in the database with this variable. This number will evolve based on the filters selected.
Various filters are available from the ICO main screen. See a description of each below:
Industry
The ICO classifies each active Canadian corporation into one of 71 industry groups. These 71 industry groups are a subset derived from the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). When information is not available to derive an industry classification, none has been assigned. This filter allows the user to focus on a particular industry or related industry group. A complete list of the 71-group subset of the NAICS is available in the About the ICO help file under the Industrial and Geographical Classifications section.
Country of Control
The Country of Control filter allows the user to search for corporations that are controlled by corporations in a specific country or area of interest. The Standard Classification of Countries and Areas of Interest (SCCAI) is the source for the list of these countries and the official classification used by Statistics Canada. The list of countries and areas of interest, alpha-3 code and name, is available in the About the ICO help file under the Industrial and Geographical Classifications section.
Country of Residence
This filter is based on the same classification system as the Country of Control filter, which is based on the Standard Classification of Countries and Areas of Interest (SCCAI). With this filter, the user can search for corporations based on their residency and not their control. The list of countries and areas of interest, alpha-3 code and name, is available in the About the ICO help file under the Industrial and Geographical Classifications section.
Province/State of Residence
This filter allows the user to search for corporations based on their province, territory or state of residence. The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is the source for this list. The list of provinces, territories and states, alpha-2 code and name, is available in the About the ICO help file under the List of Mnemonics.
Linkage
This filter allows the user to search for corporations that may or may not be linked to other corporations. The vast majority of corporations in the ICO product are linked, however a small number are not.
Entity Type
This filter allows the user to search for specific types of corporations such as partnerships, Canadian corporations, government business entities, and groups of related individuals to name a few.
Search Example
Now that the filters are known, we are ready to try a search. For this purpose, the following scenario has been used (select «Clear» button so no corporation names appear in the box).
We are looking for corporations in the Oil and Gas Extraction and Support Activities, residing in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and controlled by corporations in France.
Steps to identify such corporations are as follows:
- Under the Industry filter, choose «Select» and then find «21C – Oil and Gas Extraction and Support Activities», then select «OK»;
- Then, under the Province/State of Residence, «Select» and then choose both «Alberta» and «Saskatchewan», and select «OK»;
- Finally, under the Country of Control filter, «Select» and choose «France», select «OK» to finalize your search.
Note that for each individual filter, you can do a name search by entering a word in the «Search» box below each filter title.
To clear a filter, select the «X» next to the specific filter. If you wish to clear all filters at once, select «Reset filters» at the bottom of the filters pane. This also resets the database when a name search is done.
Features and Tools
About multiple entries
Multiple entries for the same corporation, in the corporation list search results, represents the presence of more than one ownership link for this corporation. As such, a corporation with two or more owners will be displayed two or more times accordingly. Please note that if the first entry in the list is selected, the application will bring the user to the first instance the corporation is found in the database. If the second entry is selected, then it will bring the user to the second instance the corporation is found, and so on.
Back to search filters
The Back to search filters function allows the user to return to the main page and add or remove filters or search for another corporation altogether.
Contact us
The Contact us function provides the user with the various options to contact Statistics Canada with any questions, comments or technical issues.
Clear
The Clear function allows the user to clear the word search field on the main page, or the corporation search text box when in an enterprise structure.
Collapse all
The Collapse all feature is the opposite of Expand all. This feature allows the user to display an enterprise structure at its highest level, listing only the top corporation (Level 1) and its direct subsidiaries (Level 2).
Copy
The Copy function is available at the Corporation list page and allows the user to copy the search results into others applications. The Copy function is also available when the user is in an enterprise structure. This function allows a user to copy the current structure into other applications.
To copy a structure, simply select «Copy» located at the top right hand side of the screen. A pop-up screen will appear letting you know that you can now paste in other applications.
Details pane
Under the enterprise structure, the Details pane provides the user with additional information on the highlighted corporation within the enterprise structure. It is only available when viewing a structure.
Expand all
The Expand all feature is the opposite of the Collapse all. This feature allows the user to expand the enterprise structure to show all levels.
N.B.: Within an enterprise structure, selecting the «+» or «-» allows the user to expand or collapse specific portions of the enterprise.
Investor pane
The Investor pane is available within an enterprise structure. Furthermore, it is only available if a corporation has investors who are not part of the enterprise structure being displayed. When available, it will be display above the enterprise structure.
The Print function is available only when a user is in an enterprise structure. This function allows the user to print the current enterprise structure. Simply select «Print» located at the top right hand side of the screen and the Windows Print Preview page will open. Follow the instructions to print.
Search
The Search function within an enterprise structure allows the user to search by name for corporations within the structure. Simply type the name of the corporation in the search box and press «ENTER» or select «Search».
Other Functions
To get additional information on multiple entries in the search list or within an enterprise structure, select the «About multiple entries» tab on the top right corner of the product page, next the «More information» tab.
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