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The first part of this paper provides an overview of the circumstances which help account for the development of "ethnic origin" and "visible minority" questions in the Canadian Census. The second part reviews aspects of the debate which occurred in Canada and France on the advantages and disadvantages of using ethnic origin and visible minority items in census questionnaires. Finally, selective features of ethnocultural diversity in Quebec are provided, based on responses to ethnic diversity and visible minority questions used in the Canadian census. This overview shows that census questions dealing with linguistic, cultural, and visible minority background complement each other and can help government decision makers, ethnocultural communities, NGOs, and scholars address key diversity issues within Canadian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]