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Family History Scotland
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jean List [mailto:jean_list@telus.net]
Sent: December 22, 2003 10:00 AM
To: Marain Elder; Ken Yip; Cathy Magee; Gil Kitchen; Harvey Hudson; Keith & Gail Lachance; Elizabeth Christie; L Irving; tom steele; Eunice Robinson
Subject: Fw: Family History Scotland - now accepting online credit card payments

F.Y.I. Jean
----- Original Message -----

From: Family History Scotland
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 8:00 AM
Subject: Family History Scotland - now accepting online credit card payments

Dear Genealogist

http://www.familyhistoryscotland.co.uk
Family History Scotland can now accept credit card payments.
CDs coming soon:

Greenock Post Office Directory 1906
Paisley and Johnstone Commercial Directory 1848
Central Counties Directory 1878: Clackmannan, Fife, Kinross, Perth, Stirling
Lothians Directory 1878: Midlothian (incl. Edinburgh), East Lothian, West Lothian

Website designed by PIXELBASE http://www.pixelbase.co.uk

From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - Senator Scoreboard updated
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 21:16:04 -0800

Greetings All.

FYI. The Senators Scoreboard on the Post 1901 Census Project website has just been brought up to date. Five new Senators have been added and two retired Senators have been removed.

Added to the Scoreboard are:

Jim Munson, Ontario, Liberal munsoj@sen.parl.gc.ca
Paul J. Massicotte, PQ, Liberal massip@sen.parl.gc.ca
Madeleine Plamondon, PQ, Independent plamim@sen.parl.gc.ca
Percy Downe, PEI, Liberal downep@sen.parl.gc.ca
Terry M. Mercer, Nova Scotia mercet@sen.parl.gc.ca

Removed from the Scoreboard are:

Roch Bolduc, PQ
Raymond C. Setlakwe, PQ

Be advised that the government websites on the individuals above do not currently show their email addresses. Addresses shown are calculated and may not be correct. Corrections will be made to the Scoreboard as we become aware of them.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

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From: "Eunice Robinson" <eunice@dccnet.com>
To: "'Robert Daniel'" <bcgs@bcgs.ca>, "'Jean List'" <jean_list@telus.net>
Subject: FW: [archives-bc] govt. review of FOIPP
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 21:03:35 -0800
Jean, fyi - should we pass this on to Gordon Watts?
Bob, might be worthwhile posting on our site.
Eunice

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-archives-bc@aabc.bc.ca [mailto:owner-archives-bc@aabc.bc.ca] On Behalf Of Erwin Wodarczak
Sent: December 15, 2003 9:08 PM
To: archives-bc@aabc.bc.ca
Subject: [archives-bc] govt. review of FOIPP

Dear Colleagues,

A special committee of the B.C. Legislature is now conducting the second formal review of the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act. The submissions made to this committee, and its report to the Legislature, will be a major influence on the government's future approach to FOI and privacy.

The committee has scheduled public hearings and is accepting written submissions. This is an opportunity for archivists to make their views on FOI and privacy to be heard.

More information is available through the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association Web site <http://www.fipa.bc.ca/>. Thanks to Darrell Evans of FIPA for the heads-up on this.

Erwin Wodarczak
President, AABC
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From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - New Cabinet Members
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 13:10:13 -0800
Organization: Canada Census Committee

Greetings All.

Our new Prime Minister Paul Martin has announced this morning the makeup of his new Cabinet. Those of particular interest to us are the appointments of Lucienne Robillard as Minister for Industry, and Helene Chalifour Scherrer for Canadian Heritage.

Lucienne Robillard (Quebec) is shown on our Scoreboard as 'sitting on the fence' because the only response to our questions of support for access has been an acknowledgement of receipt from her staff. She has never personally responded to our questions.

Helene Chalifour Scherrer (Quebec) is shown with a blue question mark -- indicating that she has never responded to our questions of support for access.

Paul Martin (Quebec) is also shown as 'sitting on the fence'. His only responses to our questions has been referring the questions to then Industry Minister Brian Tobin and an auto-response that did not in any way respond to the questions asked.

It is time once again to sharpen our pencils and limber up our fingers on the keyboards to write to these new Ministers in particular, and all Members of Parliament, to remind them that we seek the same unrestricted access to Historic Census records that we have had for 240 years of records up to 1906.

We must encourage the new Heritage Minister to continue, and expand, the provision of online access to Historic Census records, and other records of vital interest to genealogists and historians.

We must advise the new Industry Minister, and all Members of Parliament, that the conditions and restrictions of Bill S-13 (should it be resurrected) are not what the people of Canada have been seeking. They must be reminded that those conditions and restrictions have not been supported by any reports or studies, and in fact they have been previously rejected by virtually everyone who has expressed an opinion regarding public access to Census records.

We must remind now Prime Minister Paul Martin of his statements that the roll of public servants is to administer government policy while the roll of Parliament and government is to direct that policy. He should be reminded that he suggested civil servants should 'butt out' of attempts to direct policy rather than administer it. He should be requested to follow through on his reported position regarding this and direct Chief Statistician Ivan P. Fellegi to obey the existing laws of Canada and transfer Historic Census records to the care and control of the National Archivist in accordance with those laws.

We have had a short rest in our efforts to regain public access to Historic Census records. It is time now, with a new Prime Minister and Cabinet, to renew those efforts.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Back to Top

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - Bill S-13 is dead.
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 15:18:10 -0800
Organization: Canada Census Committee

Greetings All.

It is official. Bill S-13 is dead.

This afternoon Prime Minister Jean Chetien announced that Parliament has been prorogued. This means that all unfinished business before Parliament dies on the Order Paper. The next session of Parliament is scheduled to start 12 January 2004.

Hopefully this will allow us the time necessary to see our legal action scheduled for a hearing before the Federal Court and to receive a favourable verdict for the release of the 1911 Census. With a change of Prime Minister, and new Cabinet Members, perhaps we may get some that will listen to us instead of listening to the dictates of the Chief Statistician.

Take a breather, and get ready to start writing letters once again.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

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From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census -- Hansard extracts re: Bill S-13
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 23:24:07 -0800
Organization: Canada Census Committee

Greetings All.

Extracts from Hansard regarding the latest round of debates in the House of Common on Bill S-13 have been placed on the Post 1901 Census Project website in both official languages. They are accessible at

http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Hse32.htm
en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Hse32_f.htm

The earlier round of debates, held 20 October can be found at

http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Hse31.htm
en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Hse31_f.htm

A verbal vote was taken on the motion to have Second reading and refer the Bill to Committee. This vote passed, however a recorded vote was called for and will take place, assuming Parliament has not been proroqued, on Monday 17 November 2003 (as shown on the Projected Order of Business for the House of Commons).

For those who have questioned why no motions for amendments were made during this debate, amendments to the Bill cannot be proposed at this stage. According to the Rules of Parliament amendments to Bills can be made for various reasons during Committee, at Report Stage, and at Third Reading.

Happy Hunting

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Nov 6/03
From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
To: <jgalley@zeuter.com>
Cc: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Hi Jim.

It would appear that the government pulled a swifty on us. When I last checked the Projected Order of Business, Bill S-13 did not appear after Monday, however it appears that it was debated today (Thursday). I did not see the proceedings of the House today and will have to wait to review Hansard tomorrow to see what was said.

If government is proroqued tomorrow, then all unfinished business dies on the the order paper. As I have stated before, it is possible that when Parliament resumes in a new Session, they could bring forward anything they feel strongly enough about.

At this moment, it is questionable whether Parliament will be proroqued, or recessed, for the Liberal leadership convention. Two things go in favour of a recess rather than proroguing. First -- apparently Don Boudria called for a vote on the motion on the first Monday after resumption of Parliament following the leadership convention. Second -- the Projected Order of Business for the House now shows the House sitting on Monday 17 November 2003, and Bill S-13 receiving Second Reading vote at that time. A recess would not cause unfinished business to die on the Order Paper.

The motion before the House has been that S-13 receive Second Reading and be referred to Committee. I am not aware of any amendments to that motion. As I have indicated before, anyone considering making a submission to the House Committee reviewing S-13 should be working on that submission at this time. We would like to see a great many of such submissions to ensure the Committee is aware of our concerns regarding Bill S-13.

We will see what happens tomorrow -- whether the government is recessed or proroqued.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Galley" <jgalley@zeuter.com>
To: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 12:01 PM
Subject: Query

Just wanted to ask if the house adjourns to-morrow, will the bill die on
the order paper. If so what will happen? Regards Jim

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Greetings All.

It appears that it is necessary once again to remind listers that if you are using an anti-spam program such as SpamCop or SpamArrest, you must take steps to place the domains of any mail lists you belong to on the whitelist that allows passage of messages from those lists.

In the case of rootsweb mail lists placing *@rootsweb.com in your whitelist will allow passage of all rootsweb mail lists. If you do not do this everyone who posts to the list will receive a request for confirmation that they are not a spammer, and as list administrator I will likely receive a bounce message.

For those who are on my personal group mailing list, and who wish to continue receiving my posts regarding the Census issue, please ensure that my email address is included in the whitelist of any anti-spam software that you might be using.

If I start getting bounce messages because of anti-spam software that is not properly configured the offending email address will be unsubscribed from the CCC list, or removed from my personal group list.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Gordon
Back to Top

Greetings All.

Even though shown on the House of Commons Projected Order of Business for today (Monday), Bill S-13 received no further debate. All available time was taken up by debate on Bill C-46, which has not yet been completed. Bill S-13 does not yet appear on the Projected Order of Business for the rest of the week.

While not addressed directly, one MP speaking on Bill C-46 made a comment indicating the possibility that the current Session of Parliament would be concluded this coming Friday. It was not clear whether that would be by proroquing or simply by recessing of parliament. There was also a comment indicating that should a Federal election be called by the new Prime Minister, because of clauses in the Elections Act it could not take place before April 2004. I believe that
has to do with realignment of electoral districts to accomodate increased MP representations due because of population increases reflected in the 2001 Census.

We will keep you advised of any further developments. Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings all.

While not originally shown on the House of Commons Projected Order of Business for the coming week, Bill S-13 now shows up on the schedule for Monday. There are two Bills at Report Stage scheduled before Bill S-13.
It is possible that debate on those two Bills could take up all the available time and they will not get to S-13 but there is no certainty this will happen.

Debate on the earlier scheduled Bills, C-46 and C-20, starts at 3:00 PM Ottawa time. The House normally adjourns at 6:30 PM so that leaves 3.5 hours available Monday for debate on all Bills on the schedule. There is currently 3 hours and 25 minutes left available for Second Reading debate for S-13.

House proceedings are televised through CPAC on channel 396 for StarChoice satellite subscribers. Bell ExpressView and cable subscribers will have to check their listings to find what channels to watch.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Even though Bill S-13 was scheduled for further debate this past Friday, the House of Commons did not finish other business in time to have the next session of Second Reading debate on this Bill.

Although the Parliamentary Calendar shows the House should be sitting all this week, the Projected Order of Business is so far posted only for today and Tuesday. In what is posted so far, Bill S-13 is not yet scheduled for further debate.

We will keep you advised on any changes or further developments.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

There was no further S-13 debate today in the House of Commons.

For those interested the S-13 debate extracted from Hansard for Monday has been placed online on the Post 1901 Census Project website. For direct access to the debate click on the following URL
http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Hse31.htm

We will keep you updated on further debates.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

You are all aware that the Canada Census Committee has undertaken a second legal action in an attempt to compell Statistics Canada to transfer records of the 1911 National Census of Canada to the National Archives for subsequent release to the public. That action, Beatty v AG Canada et al is being conducted by Calgary Lawyer Lois Sparling.

Lois advises that our action has reached a point where your urgent assistance is required.

To find out how you can help, please visit the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. Follow the first link on the home page, i.e. "Your Assistance is Required NOW!!"

Thank you all for your continued support.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

While many of us thought that Second Reading debate in the House of Commons re: Bill S-13 was unlikely to take place before government prorogued, it appears that we may have under-estimated the government's desire to have something passed before the courts deal with our current legal action. (This is speculation on my part.)

The first session of this debate has just finished. The opening speaker was Serge Marcil (Liberal), Parliamentary Secretary to Industry Minister Allan Rock. It is unfortunate that Mr. Rock did not see fit to open the debate himself.

Others speaking to the Bill were Brian Masse (NDP), Larry Bagnell (Liberal), Grant McNally (CA), Paul Crete (Bloc), Peter Adams (Liberal), Paul Szabo (Liberal) and Gerald Keddy (PC).

One Member spoke briefly on two occasions. He seems to have a one track mind stuck on 'privacy in perpetuity'. In my humble opinion his one track mind is 'derailed'. I will not mention his name here but in reading the Hansard transcription of the debate there will be no doubt about who it is. The Hansard transcription will not be online until tomorrow. I should be able to have it on the Post 1901 Census Project website by Wednesday.

I assume that debate will continue tomorrow (Tuesday) and each Hansard transcription will be placed on the website as soon as possible.

The motion before the House is to have Second Reading on S-13 and refer it to the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
I have already notified the Clerk of the Committee that I wish to testify before the Committee. Anyone considering submitting written submissions to the Committee should start working on them now. Contact information for the Committee is as follows:

Louise M. Thibault, Clerk
House Standing Committee on
Industry, Science and Technology,
House of Commons
180 Wellington Street
671, Wellington
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A0A6

Tel (613) 947-1971
Fax (613) 943-0307
Email: INST@parl.gc.ca

I will post the MPs currently on the Committee in a subsequent message.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

It appears that it is necessary once again to remind listers that if you are using an anti-spam program such as SpamCop or SpamArrest, you must take steps to place the domains of any mail lists you belong to on the
whitelist that allows passage of messages from those lists.

In the case of rootsweb mail lists placing *@rootsweb.com in your whitelist will allow passage of all rootsweb mail lists. If you do not do this everyone who posts to the list will receive a request for confirmation that they are not a spammer, and as list administrator I will likely receive a bounce message.

For those who are on my personal group mailing list, and who wish to continue receiving my posts regarding the Census issue, please ensure that my email address is included in the whitelist of any anti-spam software that you might be using.

If I start getting bounce messages because of anti-spam software that is not properly configured the offending email address will be unsubscribed from the CCC list, or removed from my personal group list.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Gordon

Greetings All.

Forwarded for your information.

Gordon

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@sen.parl.gc.ca>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 5:34 AM
Subject: [CCC] S-13 House of Commons

Good morning gang:

Just a quick note to let everyone know that S-13 is on the projected order of business for the House today. It is scheduled third, and therefore it is not likely that it will come up, but it is at least possible. Government business starts at noon today and continues until 6:30 pm. The only interruption will be question period, and general orders or the day. That means there will be a break between 2 and roughly 3:30.

Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne
Ph: (613) 947-9744
Cell: (613) 715-2965

==== CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN Mailing List ====
Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census Issues at
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

My apologies if you have already received the message below. When sent earlier the only place it appeared to go to was never-never land. There seems to some problem at the moment with my sending messages to multiple addresses.

I have just received a message from Ross Milne, Senator Lorna Milne's other half, advising that my Co-chair on the Canada Census Committee, Muriel M. Davidson, is currently in the hospital.

Muriel has had some medical problems for a few months that have now resulted in her admission to the hospital. She has advised Ross that she expects to be home soon.

I am sure that many of you will want to join me in wishing Muriel a speedy and lasting recovery from her current difficulties. For those that might wish to express their personal good wishes to Muriel on her return home, her email address is

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

Greetings All.

FYI. Further updates to the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature, have been done. Of particular interest to some will be the addition of nineteen statutes of Canada dealing with Census and Statistics dating from 1870 to the present time.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

FYI. I have spent the past couple of days making a number of changes to the Post 1901 Census Project website. The changes are intended to make navigating the website easier. Some older, outdated pages have been removed and some new ones added. Others have been changed to bring them more up to date with the current situation. More changes are in the works. Your suggestions and comments are welcomed.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

A few weeks back I posted a message suggesting that genealogists and historians concerned with regaining public access to Historic Census records might consider welcoming back our MPs to the Fall Session of Parliament. My suggestion was that a group of those concerned might do this by staging a small, peaceful demonstration at the Parliament Buildings, during the time that Parliament reconvenes, to convey our concerns regarding Bill S-13. I suggested that some of the local societies might consider organizing such a demonstration. My reason for the suggestion was to bring to the attention of the general public, rather than only genealogists and historians, our concerns regarding the withholding of 92 year old Census records.

I have not been contacted directly by any of the local societies, but through third party information I have learned that they have declined to follow through on my suggestion. Their reasons for doing so are their own, and I respect that even though I was disappointed in their position.

I still think that such a welcome back for the MPs would have been a good idea. I accept, however, that others may not always agree with my thoughts. I believe we all seek the same thing -- unrestricted access to Historic Census records -- although we may not always agree on the best way to achieve that.

I thank those that contacted me to support my suggestion.

I encourage everyone to continue contacting their parliamentary representatives to express ourr concerns regarding conditions and restrictions of Bill S-13, and to seek their support for moving and voting for amendments to the Bill that we consider necessary.

Happy Hunting

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

FYI. The lastest of my columns on Post 1901 Census is now online. It can be accessed at

http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazce/gazce97.htm

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.

FYI -- four new MPs have been added to the Member of Parliament Scoreboard of the Post 1901 Census Project website. All are for Quebec.

They are:

Gilbert Barrette -- Témiscamingue -- barrette.g@parl.gc.ca
Sébastien Gagnon -- Lac-Saint-Jean -- Saguenay gagnon.s@parl.gc.ca
Roger Gaudet -- Berthier -- Montcalm -- gaudet.r@parl.gc.ca
Christian Jobin -- Levis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudier jobin.c@parl.gc.ca

The email addresses are calculated and may not be correct or active at this time. The Government website is down as I write this and I cannot confirm the addresses.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

As the end of summer is approaching we hope that everyone has had a good holiday, and if travelling, they have returned home safely. While over the summer many have slowed down activities related to regaining public access to Historic Census records, it is time now to think about getting back in gear.

Parliament resumes sitting at 11:00 AM Monday 15 September 2003. It would be nice to see our MPs welcomed back by a group of genealogists and historians carrying placards seeking release of Historic Census records and either amendments to, or defeat of Bill S-13. This is not something that I can organize from British Columbia but perhaps it is something that could be set up by some of the genealogical groups in and around Ottawa.

Such a demonstration need not be lengthy – perhaps four hours from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It should be held as close to the front entrance of the main Parliament Building as possible. Media scrums normally take place in the Parliament Building at noon so there should be a number of media reporters present at that time. Someone knowledgeable about the Census issue should be present and be prepared to act as a spokesperson. Media sources should be contacted in advance to advise the demonstration is taking place and what it is about. Perhaps a few supportive MPs might be persuaded to join the demonstration for a short time.

Any takers? Is there anyone out there willing to organize such an activity? Is anyone from the Ontario Genealogy Society or other groups in and around Ottawa reading this? If someone is willing to have a go at this let me know and I will do what I can to put people in touch with each other.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census -- Complaints to Information Commissioner
Greetings All
The expected rejection of our Access to Information requests to Statistics Canada have started coming in.
The next step in our campaign is for those receiving these rejection notices to submit a letter of complaint to John Reid, the Information Commissioner. With this in mind I have posted to the Post 1901 Census Project website (at the URL following my signature) a new page containing a sample letter of complaint. Follow the first link on the home page of the website.
Following through with complaints to the Information Commissioner is a very important phase of our campaign to regain public access to Historic Census records. We expect that Mr. Reid should be prepared to take the issue to the Federal Court, as he was prepared to do for the 1906 records that were released on 24 January 2003. We hope that his investigation of our complaints will be speedy and productive.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

My thanks to Norma Brown for forwarding to me a copy of her notice from Statistics Canada regarding the rejection of her request for access to the 1911 Census records.
The response was dated 27 June 2003 so Canada Post would appear to have been on the job for the speedy delivery.
Reasons given for the rejection stated that the records have not been transferred to the National Archives and 'remain under the care and control of Statistics Canada'.
It mentions that Bill S-13 is currently waiting second reading in the House of Commons and that it is intended to 'remove any legal ambiguity in relation to historical census records, including those from the 1911 Census'. We all know that there is NO legal ambiguity regarding access to the 1911 records.
The letter concludes
"Accordingly, at this time, the schedules of the 1911 Census are being exempted from disclosure pursuant to section 24 of the Access to Information Act which reads as follows:

'24(1) The head of a government institution shall refuse to disclose any record requested under this Act that contains information the disclosure of which is restricted by or pursuant to any provision set out in Schedule II.'

Section 17 of the current Statistics Act replace similar provisions found in the Census and Statistics Act, R.S.C. 1906, c. 68 under which authourity the 1911 Census was taken and pursuant to which the 1911 Census Instructions were issued. Those Instructions were issued, assented to by the Governor in Council and published in the Canada Gazette on April 22, 1911. The Instructions had the force of law and continue to be in effect by virtue of the Interpretation Act."

The letter advised of the entitlement to bring a complaint before the Information Commissioner. I will shortly post a copy of what I will be sending to the Information Commissioner as my complaint. Submitting these complaints is a very important part of our campaign and I urge all who submitted ATI requests for the 1911 Census, and have been refused, to submit such complaints.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Fw: C-36 update 26 june/03
Greetings All.

Forwarded for your information.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wallace J.McLean" <ag737@freenet.carleton.ca>
To: <gordon_watts@telus.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 4:10 PM
Subject: C-36 update

This is an updated version of my action alert on the copyright extension provisions of Bill C-36, provisions that are going to restrict unfettered access to thousands of historical documents that would otherwise be open to republication, digitization, or other creative and adaptive reuse after this year.
So far the response that I'm aware of from the family history community has been disappointing on this file. I hope I can chalk it up to summer, but this Bill is going to back before the House of Commons as early as September 15th. There won't be a lot of time to organize opposition, unless members of the research community start speaking out, and soon.
Thanks again for disseminating an earlier version of this. Anyone who wishes to help protect the public's right to the public domain should feel free to contact me directly.

C-36 THREATENS FAMILY HISTORY IN CANADA
Bill C-36 is going to be as detrimental to the study of family history in Canada as the closure of the 1901 census.
Until 1998, the Copyright Act provided for perpetual copyright protection in unpublished works of deceased authors. (How they figured that would work, no one knows.)
In 1998 the rule was changed, and the usual "life+50" rule would apply to posthumously still unpublished works. However, a sunset clause was provided. Obviously, many people had been dead for more than 50 years, with unpublished "works" left behind. The term "works" includes almost anything written, letters, documents, reports, etc., not just unpublished book manuscripts. But their heirs, assigns, and literary agents were given another five years of protection -- i.e. to year-end this year -- to publish that material. If they published, they would obtain further term of copyright protection, and the further revenue from sales of that work.
Otherwise the unpublished materials would start coming into the public domain on January 1, 2003 -- as it properly should, to ensure the promotion and dissemination of Canada's own documentary heritage.
For persons who died after 1948, their unpublished material will not become public domain until 2049, up to a century after their death, and in many cases two centuries or more after the events described in many archival letters or documents.
Problem: (if you're the heirs of Lucy Maud Montgomery). You've been sitting on her unpublished letters and manuscripts for over half a century, and for another five years of grace since the 1998 Copyright Act amendments. Under those amendments, they're about to become common property in the public domain. What do you do? You call Sheila Copps, she puts a rider in Bill C-36, which is an unrelated act to reorganize the National Library and National Archives, amending the Copyright Act... yet again.
This is very good for the descendants of Anne of Green Grables. All of LMM's published works are already in the public domain (life+50 rule).
However, the heirs want to milk the LMM cash cow of unpublished manuscripts for a while longer yet. So, Sheila Copps is giving them 14 more years of copyright protection (up to 2018 if the work is still unpublished), and ANOTHER 20 of copyright protection for the work from the time it is published. This applies to the unpublished "works" of all "authors" who died from 1930 to 1949 inclusive.
Upshot? Depending on when you died, "you" may will "enjoy" CR Protection in your unpublished works for anywhere from 67 to 107 years after you died. Sweet deal, if you are the heir, assigns, or literary agents of one of a handful of people who left MSS or letters, documents, or other materials behind, unpublished, commercially valuable, from January 1930 to December 1949; AND if you had the prescience to dispose of your copyright in your will.
Downshot? The "works" of "authors" who died in this period will now have to be restricted by libraries and archives for another 14 years, or until the expiration of the next period that LMM's heirs con the government into giving them, whichever comes last. And you can bet this won't be the last time a special interest comes slithering to Parliament for a copyright term extension.
Since "work" has a broad definition, family historians, scholars, editors, publishers, translators, dramatists, screenwriters, researchers, archivists, librarians, novelists, historians, genealogists -- everyone who uses archives in Canada -- are about to lose access to millions of pages of 19th and early 20th-century historical material, which otherwise would enter the public domain. Archives and libraries will not be able to authorize the publication of any such material. Why not? Because in theory, someone, somewhere, will continue to hold the copyright without even knowing about it. These will often be the same people who cared so little for the material that they donated it to an archives, or cared so much about its preservation for posterity and the use by modern-day researchers, that they donated it to an archives.
Up to 87 years after the death of the writer of a letter, diary, or other document, the copyright trail will be cold. Given time, intestacy, and the management of archives and special collections, there is going to be no practical way of tracing copyright ownership in all but a minute fraction of "works", mainly by a very few famous people. Even tracing ownership of copyright in works authored by people who died much more recently is often very difficult -- just check the copyright page of many textbooks for proof. But the law will still have to be applied to all "works" by "authors" who died during this period. And their material will still be under copyright protection long after their descendents, if they had any, have forgotten about it, and will be denied to anyone who wants to reproduce it, EVEN IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE DESCENDANTS.
The rights hardliniers in the "artistic community" say it's all about authors' fair reward, but you are equally dead 2 minutes, 50 years, and 70 years after you die. No one writes a book, poem, song, or story, hoping to amortize it not only for the period of their life, but for 50 years after they're dead! And no one wrote an archival letter giving account of life on the Prairies in the 1890s, or describing their passage across the Atlantic to Newfoundland in the 1870s, hoping to get paid. The material was written without hope of commercial benefit, and has been preserved by accident or design so that future generations could make use of it in new ways. C-36 WILL TAKE THIS LIBERTY AWAY.
The LMM Copyright Extension Act, aka Bill C-36, is bad law. Note especially: EVERY SINGLE "AUTHOR" AFFECTED BY BILL C-36 IS ALREADY DEAD.
This provision isn't going to induce them to write another word, but it will make the people who are lucky enough to share their gene pool a little bit richer, IF they wrote something commercially valuable sometime before 1949.
Otherwise, all this is going to do is keep the rest of us from publishing our family or community histories, or turning our MA thesis into a regional press book, putting 19th and early 20th century correspondence on our family or local history web sites, or republishing archival documents, or adapting, dramatizing, or anthologizing millions of pages of historically and academically valuable material whose creators are dead and whose copyright owners are completely untraceable.
It will put copyright restrictions on letters, reports, documents, manuscripts, and other previously unpublished materials for up to 107 years after the death of their creator, and even longer after their creation. This will be so even though the general rule for copyright protection is life plus 50 years.
The following is a frightening hypothetical example. IT COULD BE REAL.
Mr. Smith was born in 1838. In 1860, as a clerk in the Nova Scotia legislature, he kept a diary describing details of the lives of important 19th-century Nova Scotia public figures, details available nowhere else. Mr. Smith died in 1930. Under Bill C-36, this diary will be under copyright protection until AT LEAST 2018... 157 years after it was written and 87 years after the author's death. Until 2018, anyone -- even members of Mr. Smith's family -- who wishes to obtain copyright clearance to publish this document, will have to trace Mr. Smith's GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. And if they can obtain that clearance, and publish the diary, it will obtain another 20 years of copyright protection, up to as late as 2038... TWO CENTURIES AFTER MR. SMITH'S BIRTH.
This is nuts.
And it is being done entirely at the behest of the literary heirs of one author, Lucy Maud Montgomery; heirs who were already given a grace period, until 2003, by the Copyright Act reforms of Bill C-32 in 1998.Lucy Maud Montgomery's heirs will do well by Bill C-36.The rest of us are about to get cut off from the 20th-century history of our own families, our own communities, our own institutions, our own politics, and our own societies.
Bill C-36 will prevent you from publishing your own Aunt Mae's diary from the First World War and Spanish Flu.Bill C-36 will prevent you from publishing your own grandfather's letters home from a Northern Ontario lumber camp.
Bill C-36 will prevent you from publishing the Parish Priest's 1898 account of meeting your great-grandfather on his rounds, and marrying the great-aunt and great-uncle who you only know from pictures.
Bill C-36 is going to shut the door on all manner of family history, scholarly, and heritage publications for at least another 14 years, or until the next extension that a special interest can secure. Material that would have become public domain at the end of 2003 is going to be re-privatized, and copyright rights are going to be revived, even though there will be no way in law or in fact to identify the holders of those copyrights.
That is exactly why limited terms of copyright were instituted in the first place. Bill C-36 turns that principle on its head, just to suit Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Librarians, archivists, teachers, genealogists, publishers, dramatists, scholars, students, academics, translators, museums, conservationists, researchers, and scientists are about to be saddled with impossible copyright restrictions.
The public domain is about to take another hit, and no one is standing up or speaking out.
This measure was written into a draft bill following a sham consultation of exactly FOUR stakeholders, whose sessions were held behind closed doors, whose mandate and activities were never publicized, and whose final report was given to the public without any meaningful notice or period in which to respond.
When the controversy over C-36 broke in the House of Commons Heritage Committee, the regular members of the Committee reached an agreement to pull the offending Copyright Act amendments from the bill. However, in an extraordinary session held outside the regular parliamentary session, substitute members of the Committee voted to reinstate them.
This is wrong.
Please contact your Member of Parliament, members of the House of Commons Heritage Committee, and the line Ministers (Allan Rock, Industry; Sheila Copps, Heritage) to voice your opposition to this measure being rammed through Parliament without full, fair, and open Parliamentary and public debate on this issue.
Otherwise, the door is closing on our 20th century history, until far too long into the 21st... assuming, in the best case, that there is no further amendment to the Copyright Act, extending the term for the benefit of Lucy Maud and other special interests.
Please protect the public domain.
Voice your concerns to...
(1) YOUR OWN MP = first five letters of surname + initial @parl.gc.ca
(see examples below).
* * * This is the single most important person to contact, ESPECIALLY if he or she is also a Member of Parliament listed below. If you only lift pen or open your email to write one person, make it YOUR OWN MP. * * *
(2) The "line ministers" and departments with responsibility for Bill C-36 and copyright:

Minister Sheila Copps: coppss@parl.gc.ca AND Min.Copps@canadianheritage.gc.ca
Minister Allan Rock: rocka@parl.gc.ca AND Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca
Heritage Canada Copyright Office: Copyright-droitauteur@pch.gc.ca
Industry Canada Copyright Office: copyright-droitdauteur@ic.gc.ca
Mr. Ian Wilson, National Archivist of Canada: iwilson@archives.ca
Mr. Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada: roch.carrier@nlc-bnc.ca

(3) Members, House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage:

VICE-CHAIRS
Jim Abbott (CA, BC): abbotj@parl.gc.ca
Paul Bonwick (Lib, ON): bonwip@parl.gc.ca

MEMBERS
Carole-Marie Allard (Lib, QC, Parliamentary Sec., Canadian Heritage): allarc@parl.gc.ca
Sarmite Bulte (Lib, ON): bultes@parl.gc.ca << voted FOR copyright extension
R. John Efford (Lib, NF): efforj@parl.gc.ca
Liza Frulla (Lib, QC): frulll@parl.gc.ca << voted FOR copyright extension
Christiane Gagnon (BQ, QC): gagnoc@parl.gc.ca
John Harvard (Lib, MB): harvaj@parl.gc.ca
Wendy Lill (NDP, NS): lillw@parl.gc.ca
James Lunney (CA, BC): lunnej@parl.gc.ca
Dennis Mills (Lib, ON): millsd@parl.gc.ca
Gary Schellenberger (PC, ON: schelg@parl.gc.ca << voted AGAINST extension
Alex Shepherd (Lib, ON) shepha@parl.gc.ca
Caroline St-Hilaire (BQ, QC): sthilc@parl.gc.ca
Chuck Strahl (CA, BC): strahc@parl.gc.ca

Voted AGAINST copyright extension (hooray!)
Mauril Bélanger (Lib, ON): belanm@parl.gc.ca

Voted FOR copyright extension (boo!)
Larry Bagnell (Lib, YK): bagnel@parl.gc.ca
Ray Bonin (Lib, ON): boninr@parl.gc.ca
Guy St-Julien (Lib, QC): stjulg@parl.gc.ca
John Godfrey (Lib, ON) godfrj@parl.gc.ca

I live in Southwestern Ontario & I take pictures of grave markers for people from outside the area and I would like to offer my services. I charge $.40 / km plus $3.00/picture. If the client wishes to have a CD with the photo's on it, that is $10.00 plus postage. When I do a rubbing, I take a picture of it with my digital camera & I would include the actual rubbing with the photo. I would also loke to find some contacts who would be interested in taking pictures of markers for people with family buried in BC.
Thanks for your interest.
Jackie Riggs topdog@wightman.ca

To: "'British Columbia Genealogical Society'" <bcgs@bcgs.ca>
Subject: FW: EMPRESS of IRELAND/ June 5
-----Original Message-----
From: Marion Kelch [mailto:czardust@telusplanet.net]
Sent: June 5, 2003 9:15 PM
Subject: EMPRESS of IRELAND/ June 5

Hello Everyone

Just a short update with a few interesting points.

CBC Interview, Quebec City, June 2

On Monday June 2, CBC Radio hostess Jacquie Czernin contacted me and asked if we could set up an interview to coincide with the opening of the Rimouski Museum. Consequently, Irene Johnstone( who lost her grandparents and two uncles) and Eunice Gulbraa (whose father came over on the liner and whose CPR ticket was issued from Norway to Alberta) and myself were interviewed. The interview was aired live about 5:45 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

The theme for our portion of the interview was "Why the Empress of Ireland is also important to Western Canadians". Just before the end of the interview, Annemarie Bourassa of Musee de la Mer asked me "Why were so many people traveling to the West?" Those of us out here all know the story of how our parents and grandparents came from other countries, lured by the prospect of cheap land, with the goal of turning this sparsely populated and underdeveloped area into the bread-basket of Canada. Canadian Pacific Railway played a major role in bringing people from Europe to the Canadian West.

Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905. From 1901 to 1910, the populations of these two provinces quintupled. This coincided with the Empress of Ireland's years of service ( 1906-1914) during which time, together with her sister ship the Empress of Britain, she brought over thousands of our pioneers. In contrast, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario began their early development as far back as the 17th and 18th century so it is very understandable for someone from there to wonder why everyone was heading out West during the early years of the 20th century.

The entire interview was a great experience for us and I believe we all learned something from each other. Jacquie Czernin is to be thanked for always thinking of the Empress of Ireland Artifact Committee. It is the third time she has interviewed us. Her e-mail is <jczernin@hotmail.com>

Article in The Beaver, Canada's History Magazine. June/July /03

Mr. Doug Whiteway, Associate Editor of The Beaver magazine included a very informative article about the Empress and our Committee (page 4) in which he included the mailing address for donations. He also coined some new words. He refers to the artifacts as Empressabilia and to our Committee as Empressphiles. We appreciate immensely being included in this highly venerated magazine. One can e-mail the magazine at <cnhs@historysociety.ca>

Here is a summary of the major media coverage thus far:

The Montreal Gazette Mark Abley, December 19/02
Calgary Herald December 19/02
The Provost News January 14/03
The Ottawa Citizen Graham Hughes Feb. 18/03
The Ottawa Citizen Editorial Feb. 24/03
The Calgary SUN Michael Platt ( 2 full pages) May 04/03
The Beaver June/July 03
COUNTRY CANADA TV aired March 9/03

We must remember to invite these particular members of the media to our Victory Celebration!

Many people doing many things.

John Coad of Calgary, also mentioned in the Calgary SUN article, has been contacting many interested persons regarding the artifacts and the work of our Committee. Every contact leads to another contact which leads to another contact, and so on.

Virginia Bell made the very clever suggestion that perhaps Philippe Beaudry might allow a few of his artifacts to go on display in the Canada Science and Technology Museum or even a museum in western Canada. This would provide good publicity and would engender much more interest in our campaign.

Andre Escaravage from the Quebec has made some extremely valuable suggestions and is working toward providing us with other possible sources of funding. We really appreciate his efforts.

Derek Grout in Montreal and Gerry McPhee in New Brunswick will be approaching Foundations in their respective areas on behalf of the Committee's applications.

Each day I receive e-mails from more people concerned about the artifacts. Sometimes they track me down by phone. ( I am, after all, the only M. Kelch in Czar, AB...pop.180!) Many wish to contribute. Every donation, of any size, is greatly appreciated and sends a strong message that people care about the proper retention and placement of our heritage.

Colleen Collier from California recently wrote to say "The Empress of Ireland artifacts in Florida? It just doesn't fit."

There are approximately 60 people actively working towards the goal of procuring the artifacts for the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Donations and Tax credits.

If one is paying income tax, the first $200 donated to any charity entitles one to a tax credit worth about 25% once provincial tax breaks are taken into account. All donations( not necessarily to the same charity) above $200 qualify for tax credits of about 46% with provincial allowances factored in.

Please feel free to send in any ideas and comments.

Thanks for all what you are doing!

Marion

To: "'British Columbia Genealogical Society'" <bcgs@bcgs.ca>
Subject: FW: Kirkin o' the Tartan, on June 22/03

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron MacLeod [mailto:jrmacleod@telus.net]
Sent: June 6, 2003 6:59 PM
To: Scotschair VII
Subject: Kirkin o' the Tartan

SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2003

KIRKIN' O' THE TARTAN -- ST. ANDREW'S WESLEY CHURCH

Park behind the Seaforth Armory on Burrard Street in Vancouver, B.C. by 10:15 am.
Climb aboard the free bus and travel up Burrard to St. Andrew's.
The clans and the tartans are assembled.
The service commences at 11:00 am.
Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnola will be present, recognizing the MacDonalds of the Isles. Her connection to the Highlands is through the Murchison line, ancient adherents of the Lord of the Isles.
Following the service, gather in clans on the street and walk back across the Burrard Street Bridge to the Armory.
Proceed inside for speeches, dancing and the pipes.
If walking is not your desire, park close to the church, then drive to the Seaforth Armories.

Back to Top

From: Ron MacLeod [mailto:jrmacleod@telus.net]
Sent: June 4, 2003 6:14 PM
To: Scotschair VII
Subject: Highland Games & Bothy Ballads Schedule

Greetings: for those on the trail of Highland Games and for those into Bothy Music [this courtesy Helen Dixon]…The Games websites have good information and directions for getting there.....regards, the other Ron

1. June 7 - Bellingham Highland Games, www.bellinghamhighland.org
2. June 20, 21, 22 – BC Legions Highland Games [Chemainus], www.highlandgathering.ca
3. June 28 - BC Highland Games [Coquitlam], www.bchighlandgames.com
4. July 5 - Penticton Highland Games, www.pentictonhighlandgames.com
5. July 12, 13 - Skagit Valley Highland Games [Mt. Vernon], www.celticarts.org
6. July 19 - Portland Highland Games [Gresham], www.geocities.com/ptrip_99/
7. July 26, 27 – Pacific Northwest Highland Games [King County Fairgrounds, Enumclaw WA], www.sshga.org

Ethan Music Trust is a musical heritage organization. It promotes traditional music concerts, free issue of heritage material to schools, restoring the Aberdeen Bothy Ballad Championship as an annual event, and digital improvement and re-issue of old recordings of music, song and the spoken word.

If you are interested in a catalogue or details of stock list of Bothy Ballads, with its roots in north and east of Scotland, contact, The Director, Yt han Music Trust, Woodend Leask, Ellon. Aberdeenshire, AB 41 8JY,
Email ythan.music@virgin.net

Back to Top

To: "Gordon A. WATTS" <gordon_watts@telus.net>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - A note from Senator Milne

Greetings All.

The following message from Senator Lorna Milne is forwarded for your information. For information about submitting Access to Information Requests for the 1911 Census of Canada please check the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. We encourage everyone to send ATI requests made to Statistics Canada for access to these vital records.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

----- Original Message -----

From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 5:04 AM

Subject: [CCC] A note from Senator Milne

Dear friends:
I found out this morning that the House of Commons will not deal with S-13 before they rise for the summer break. As you all know, they made several attempts to get it debated over the last few days, but were unsuccessful. The rest of the agenda is now booked with other bills including campaign finance reform and the ethics package that must get through before the end of the summer. I am extremely disappointed with this delay in our on-going campaign.
I urge all members of the CCC to start a new email and letter campaign to their MPs at the beginning of September. There is not much point in writing right now because your letters will be long forgotten by the time the fall rolls around. You should write in the week or two leading up to the resumption of Parliament on September 15th. We have been working hard for almost one solid year now, and we can all use the summer to rest and recharge our batteries.
I also want to congratulate Lois Sparling on her renewed attempt to get the courts to rule that Stats Canada must release the 1911 census. She has my 100% support in her endeavour. I have also been really pleased to see how many of you have filed ATI requests asking for the 1911 census. Do keep them coming.
I'm sorry that I don't have better news for you, but I promise that as things develop, I will keep you posted.
Yours truly,
Hon. Lorna Milne

Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne
Ph: (613) 947-9744
Cell: (613) 715-2965

With all our petitions, letters and email seeking to regain public access to Historic Census records it is felt that the greatest factor in the eventual release, on 24 January 2003, of the 1906 Census of the North-Western Provinces was our Legal Action instituted on behalf of eleven plaintiffs from across Canada. Even though that Action did not actually make it before a Judge, the effect was that we won our case and the Courts awarded costs to our lawyer.
It is obvious from the testimony of the Chief Statistician, the Privacy Commissioner and the comments of Senators opposing the amendments we seek to Bill S-13, that their greatest fear is the Courts would give us what we seek -- unrestricted access to all Census records -- past, present and future.

On Thursday 5 June 2003 our lawyer, Lois Sparling, submitted a second Action in Federal Court relating to access to Census records. This new Action, like the previous one, deals with the failure of the Chief Statistician to turn over control of the Census to the National Archivist. Unlike the previous Action, this one has only one plaintif -- Merle Beatty of Calgary. She has submitted an ATI request but Lois has not waited for it to be refused before starting the current Action.
We believe the ATI requests we suggest supporters of access make are a very powerful, meaningful way of sending a message to the government.
The greater the number of requests made, the stronger the message. ATI request forms were distributed at last weeks AFHS meeting -- it is thought about 50 requests will result from this. It is my intention to distribute request forms at the BCGS meeting this coming Wednesday.
Perhaps other genealogical and historical organizations will see fit to do likewise.
Complaints regarding the refusal of Statistics Canada to release records of the 1911 Census must be submitted to the Information Commissioner.
We believe he will be prepared, as he was prepared to do for the 1906 Census, to proceed himself to the Courts on behalf of the complainants.
Perhaps he can do so in time to join with Lois in her Action.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

Even though Bill S-13 - an Act to amend the Statistics Act - was on the schedule for second debate in the House of Commons three days of this past week, it did not happen. The projected schedule for the coming week does not show Bill S-13 as being included. I stand to be corrected, but it begins to look as if no further action on Bill S-13 will happen before Parliament recesses for the summer. If so, this gives us more time to convince our Parliamentarians of the need for amendments to remove the conditions and restrictions imposed by the Bill.

1 June 2003, last week, marked the 92 year anniversary of the taking of the 1911 Census. We suggest that all who are interested in regaining access to Census records submit an Access to Information request for access to the 1911 Census records. While we expect all such requests to be refused, submitting them is another way of applying pressure on the government. Information on how to submit ATI requests has been posted on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - 2nd reading of Bill S-13 in H of C (June 5/03)

Greetings All.

First debate in the House of Commons on second reading of Bill S-13 - an Act to amend the Statistics Act is on the House schedule for today (Thursday). It has also been on the schedule the past two days but has not yet made it.. Time will tell if it will make it today. Should it happen, debate should start some time after 3:00 PM Ottawa time. It will be televised on CPAC. There is at least one Bill ahead of it on the schedule.
Time limits for debate have been set as follows:

S-13 - The Minister of Industry - An Act to amend the Statistics Act -
Second reading (first time debated)
Length of speeches, pursuant to Standing Order 74:
The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition - unlimited time.
First three Members - 40 minutes maximum.
All other Members - During the 5 hours of debate following the first three Members - 20 minutes maximum and speeches are subject to a 10-minute question and comment period.
After the period of debate referred to above - 10 minutes maximum.

It is expected that Bill S-13 will be referred to the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Those considering making a submission to the Committee should be preparing to do so now. Addressing information is as follows:

House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology
House of Commons
180, rue Wellington Street, Room / pièce 671
OTTAWA, Ontario K1A 0A6
Attn: Jean-François Pagé, Clerk
EMail : inst@parl.gc.ca
Telephone : (613) 947-1971
Fax : (613) 943-0307

Makeup of the Committee is as follows"

I was advised this afternoon that Bill S-13 - An act to amend the Statistics Act, completed third reading in the Senate today and has been referred to the House of Commons. It was passed in the Senate without amendment.
As I write this the online Hansard record of the Senate debates has not yet been updated. This should be updated by tomorrow (Wednesday) and I will extract the debate on S-13 and post it to the Post 1901 Census Project website as soon as it is available.
It is unfortunate that the Senators did not listen to our pleas for vital amendments to be made before passing the Bill. It is now more important than ever that all of us inform our MPs about the problems with conditions and restrictions imposed by Bill S-13 -- especially the need to remove Clause 8, the 'informed consent' clause that would forever destroy the 2006 and subsequent Censuses for any realistic research by historians and genealogists.
This must be done NOW! Do not wait for others to do it for you. If we do nothing, Bill S-13 will be passed exactly as currently worded. This is something that I do not believe any one of us wants.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - Opening of Canada History Centre (May 26/03)

Greeting All.
This afternoon I received an interesting email from Ian Wilson, National Archivist of Canada. He advised me of an announcement by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien regarding the formation of a Canada History Centre.
I have placed on the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature, new pages in both English and French that contain the News Release, a Backgrounder, and a speech by the Prime Minister regarding the formation of this Centre. I would urge listers to have a look at these pages as there are a number of interesting comments in them.

From the News Release:

"The role of this institution will be to increase accessibility of all Canadians to their history."
"The Canada History Centre will focus on those who have contributed to the building of Canada and the flourishing of our democracy."

From the Backgrounder:

"The Canada History Centre will promote debate on Canada's history from diverse perspectives. It will focus on our leaders, statesmen and stateswomen and political processes and institutions as well as on grassroots organizations and people from all walks of life who have shaped Canada's distinct model of democracy and governance."

From the speech of the Prime Minister:

"This Centre will soon become the site of one of the most important meetings in its history: one between Canadians and their shared past."

"Together Canadians have built a nation that is strong, prosperous and free. We must know the builders of our nation to sustain what their mind and hearts, their muscles and their blood, have created."

"We must once again strengthen the ties that bind us together and the understanding of Canada that we share. Our past must be near us as we move into the future."

"Listen carefully and you can hear echoes in this magnificent building. ......... Echoes of immigrants arriving from Pier 21 in Halifax, some to stay, some to open up the Canadian West."

"The Canada History Centre will bring to life the memories of men and women who, through their ideas, their vision and their actions, inscribed their names on the rolls of our history."

"The new Canada History Centre will open a door to the great wealth of our history and our heritage........"

I suspect that there are those among us that are willing to point out to the Prime Minister that while he and the Canada History Centre seek to promote the history and heritage of the people of Canada, Statistics Canada and the conditions and restrictions of Bill S-13 seek to do just the opposite.

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: Post 1901 Census - Seeking access to 1911 Census records. (May 24/03)

Greetings All.

The date of the National Census of Canada for 1911 was effective the first day of June. The Privacy Act and Regulations attached thereto specify that records of Census may be made available to any person or body for purposes of research, 92 years after collection. Therefore, records of the 1911 National Census of Canada should be made accessible to the public after 1 June 2003. It is believed this is unlikely to happen at this time therefore it is suggested that those interested in accessing these records submit an Access to Information request to Statistics Canada.
To find out how to submit your Access to Information request please visit the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature.
On another subject -- It has been brought to my attention that some people believe because the 1906 Census records have been released unconditionally that the Census issue has been resolved and that no further action on our part is required. This is definitely not the case.
The government brought down Bill S-13, presently in third reading debate in the Senate, to deal with the Census issue. In doing so, however, they have listened more to the burueaucrats than to the desires of the people seeking access. S-13 imposes conditions and restrictions on access that have several times been rejected by the people. One clause in particular would require specific authorization at the time of enumeration for records from 2006 and on to be made available 92 years after the Census takes place. This "informed consent" clause would destroy future Census records for any scientific, demographic or academic research, and would cause many future genealogists to find no information in the records on us, their ancestors.
A battle has been won, but the war goes on. To get up to date on what is happening follow the link for information on Bill S-13 on the Post 1901 Census project website.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

FYI. The latest edition of my column on Post 1901 Census has been posted online. It is accessible at:
<http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazce/gazce93.htm>
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

Bill S-13, An Act to amend the Statistics Act has been reported back to the Senate without amendment. Debate on third reading of the Bill began Wednesday 30 April 2003. I have extracted and transcribed the debate as recorded in Hansard, and placed it on the Post 1901 Census Project website for all to view. It is accessible at
<http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Sen70.htm>
en français <http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Sen70-f.htm>
Further debate on S-13 is to come and it will also be posted.
Happy Hunting
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

While Senator Murray has stated support for Bill S-13 it is obvious that he does not truly support it. From the start he has opposed public access to Historic Census records and during Senate Committee hearings he used a political ploy to prevent discussion and voting on amendments that a majority of witnesses supported. On the Senator's Scoreboard he is therefore once again award his Red X of opposition.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

I copy below for your info my letter sent to all Senators by email, and that will be sent by Canada Post this afternoon. We hope that many others are sending letters to the Senators to express their opinion regarding the restrictive conditions of Bill S-13. Once we learn the final draft of what the Senate will forward to the House of Commons we will need your help in writing to your Members of Parliament as well.In writing your letters please use your own words. Do not simply copy those written by someone else and say "me too". Such letters would likely be viewed as form letters and will likely be ignored.

Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 10:16 AM
Subject: Bill S-13 needs a full debate in the Senate.
1455 Delia Drive
Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C 2V9
23 April 2003

For most of my adult life, I have believed that in Canada we live in a Democracy. Living in a Democracy I believed that we elect people to represent us in the House of Commons, and that those representatives should put forth the views of the people they represent. In so doing I believed that the common people had an opportunity to make a difference - to seek redress and right wrongs perpetrated by the bureaucracy.
Senators are not elected but are appointed by the Government - also to represent the people of Canada, but additionally to provide a "sober, second look" at what those in the lower chamber are up to.
For the past six years the people of Canada have been involved in a campaign to regain the public access to Post 1901 Census records that has been improperly, and believed illegally, withheld from us by the Chief Statistician of Canada. Petitions containing more than 62,000 signatures have been sent to Ottawa and have been presented in the Senate and the House of Commons. Untold numbers of letters and email have been sent to Members of Parliament and Senators. All have sought the same thing - to regain the same, unrestricted access to records of Census after 1901 that has been available for 235 years up to that time.
On 24 January 2003 the government unconditionally released the 1906 Census of the North-Western Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Within minutes of the announced release of these records, scanned images of the Schedules of Census were made available online for the entire world to view and research. In releasing these records the government conceded that current legislation, i.e. the Privacy Act and Regulations attached thereto, allowed them to do so.
After five years of campaigning the government finally introduced a Bill to deal with the concerns of those seeking access to Historic Census records. In so doing, however, they ignored what those concerns were.
The opening 'Summary' of Bill S-13 states "this enactment removes a legal ambiguity in relation to access to census records taken between 1910 and 2003". Bill S-13 does considerably more than remove a legal ambiguity. It provides for transfer of Census records to the control of the National Archives 92 years after collection. It specifies that the purpose of that transfer is to permit examination of those records for genealogical or historical purposes. However, in so doing it imposes conditions on access for which there has been no demonstrated need, and that were not envisioned in existing applicable legislation, or in the Instructions to Enumerators of Census that have, and always have had, the force of law.
It was expected that some of those conditions would be removed, or amended, during debate and consideration of Bill S-13 by the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Such was not to be, however, as the proceedings of the Committee hearings were shanghaid by Senator Lowell Murray using a political ploy that resulted in S-13 being reported back to the Senate without amendment. Because of that political ploy there was no clause-by-clause deliberation of Bill S-13. Neither was there any debate relating to tabled amendments.
Those amendments were supported by four of five witnesses that testified at the first Committee hearings. It is believed that Honourable Senators, being Honourable in more than just name, likely believe in the principles of democracy - that the purpose of government is to serve the will of the people, not the other way around. In drafting Bill S-13 government has listened more to one apparently very powerful bureaucrat than to representations by tens of thousands of Canadians. The conditions imposed by Bill S-13 do NOT reflect the will of the people.
We call upon the Honourable Senators, being Honourable in more than just name, to permit in the Senate what did not happen during the Senate Committee hearings. We call upon you to conduct a full, free debate on the merits, or otherwise, of restrictive conditions of access imposed by Bill S-13. We call upon you to conduct a full, free debate on all of the amendments sought by the people of Canada. We call upon you to send to the House of Commons a Bill that is truly reflective of the will of the people.
The amendments to Bill S-13 sought by the people are, in order of importance:

* Removal of Clause 8 - the supposed "informed consent" clause.
This clause, if retained, will destroy forever any possibility of Census from 2006 and on being used for any scientific, demographic or historical research, and will prevent many genealogists from being able to research their ancestry. Barring total removal of Clause 8, clarification must be made to make it an OPT-OUT provision rather than OPT-IN. Such a provision would ensure that only those who have given conscious thought to the issue, and that specifically object to access of their information 92 years in the future, would be excluded from the records.

* Removal of all restrictions or conditions for access for at least the 1911 and 1916 Records of Census. The 1911 and 1916 Censuses were conducted under the same legislation and similar Instructions to Enumerators as was the 1906 Census. Records of the 1906 Census have been released without restrictions of any kind, and have been placed online for the entire world to view.

* Removal of the "twenty-year" period during which only partial disclosure of information found in Census records might be made by a researcher. Removal also of the need to commit to an "undertaking" regarding this partial disclosure. Need for these conditions have not been demonstrated. They contribute nothing to the privacy of respondents to Census. They do not prevent information from being known. They create a costly, bureaucratic procedure that in the end run will simply be an inconvenience for those that would share information through their family history. We do not oppose Bill S-13 as a whole, but we most certainly oppose the unwarranted conditions it imposes on the access to Historic Census records that we believe is already permitted under the Privacy Act and Regulations attached thereto. If the purpose of Bill S-13 is, as stated, to remove an ambiguity - that being the transfer of control of Historic Census records to the National Archives for subsequent public access - let it do just that. Do not allow it to impose conditions on that access for which there has not been any demonstrated need.
I remain available for any clarification you might seek regarding this issue. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-chair, Canada Census Committee
Tel (604) 942-6889
Fax (604) 942-6843

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

Over the past several weeks many people have expressed concerns regarding Bill S-13 and the conditions it imposes upon access to Census records after 1906. Concerns have been expressed that the Canada Census Committee appears ready to accept Bill S-13 as currently worded.
Obviously some clarification in this is required.
To begin with, we do NOT like S-13 as currently worded. We (I) have said repeatedly that everyone should be contacting their elected and appointed representative to voice their opinions regarding the restrictions and conditions imposed by S-13, and to seek amendments to make the Bill more acceptable to those seeking access to the Census records. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is not a matter of willingly accepting Bill S-13 as currently worded.
I have stated that unless something catastrophic happens, being a government Bill, S-13 will pass in the Senate and in the House of Commons. The fact is, that is something that is out of our hands. WE do not have option, or power, to drop or withdraw the bill. That is entirely in the hands of the government. The Senate, or the House of Commons could, by a vote, defeat the Bill, but being a government Bill that is unlikely to happen.
We have long sought a government Bill to deal with our concerns, believing that a government Bill would be sure to pass. It was expected that when such a Bill was drafted it would reflect the concerns of the public in seeking the same unrestricted access that we have had for the past 240 years. We were disappointed with the conditions imposed on access by S-13 but felt that it could be made more acceptable by seeking that certain amendments be made. We were further disappointed when the proceedings of the Senate Committee hearings were shanghaid by Senator Lowel Murray moving that S-13 be reported back to the Senate without amendment.
Senator Murray obviously opposes any amendments that would make access easier and his motivation in making his motion was most certainly not because of his support for S-13, but to prevent debate on the tabled amendments that the majority of witnesses appearing before the Committee had expressed support for. We wonder about those who apparently oppose the will of the people and who seem to fear a free and open debate regarding what the people seek. We believe that those Committee members that sought to prevent a debate on the amendments have abrogated their responsibilities to the democratic process.
Once more, loudly and clearly. Unless something drastic happens to cause the government to withdraw Bill S-13, it will be passed as currently worded. The most that we can do at this point, and MUST do, is to convince the Senators at large, and our Members of Parliament that the conditions imposed in Bill S-13 are NOT the will of the people and amendments MUST be introduced to remove or modify them..
The most important of the amendments we must seek is the removal of Clause 8 - the "informed consent" clause - for future Censuses. Failing removal of Clause 8, we must seek to ensure that it is an OPT-OUT provision rather than OPT-IN.
Second in importance on the list of amendments to seek is to see at least the 1911 and 1916 records released without restriction, on the same basis as those for 1906 (and 235 years of earlier records) have been previously released.
We would of course, like to see other amendments to remove the 20-year non-disclosure clause and the need to commit to the "undertaking".
However, when all is said and done, they are something that most of us can live with. That is not to say that we wish to, but we can if need be.

Write your letters and email NOW. The House of Commons resumes sitting on 28 April and the Senate on 29 April. There is still time to visit your MPs in their constituency offices before their return to Ottawa. No postage is required for letters to MPs and Senators if mailed within Canada. Please copy your letters and email to the office of Senator
Lorna Milne.
Contact information is available on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. Follow the link for items pertaining to Bill S-13. E-mail addresses are available on the MP and Senator Scoreboards.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

Society will host the Society’s annual Seminar at the International Plaza Hotel near the airport. The theme of the conference will be “The 3R’s of Family History: Resources, Research, Results” featuring different streams of interest: Methodology, Technology, Toronto, Ontario, and Canadian research and a miscellaneous stream which could include topics related to such things as Society Management, genetics/DNA and others.
Research trips will be provided to four major archival centres during the Seminar, so participants will receive overviews of their holdings. Plans are also being made for special pre-conferences.
The organizers are inviting proposals for one-hour lecture sessions or longer workshops in keeping with the theme of the Seminar and the various streams. The deadline for proposals is May 1, 2003.We would appreciate it if you could pass this information on to your members.
For further details about submitting proposals, please refer to the Seminar website:
http://www.ogsseminar.org/

The unrevised testimony of the Senate Committee hearings on Bill S-13 held Wednesday 9 April 2003 has been placed on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. On the opening page follow the links to items pertaining to Bill S-13.It has been a long and disappointing day. My comments regarding the reporting of Bill S-13 back to the Senate without amendments or clause by clause consideration will wait until tomorrow.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

I forward for your information the following message posted to the Canada Census Campaign mail list by Senator Lorna Milne regarding Bill S-13.We are disappointed that the Senate Committee, after hearing from Privacy Commissioner George Radwanski, and once again from Chief Statistician Ivan P. Fellegi, did not see fit to consider the amendments sought to the Bill. I will have more to say regarding this in a subsequent posting, when I have had more time to digest the testimony given to the Committee yesterday.
In the meantime I am working at putting yesterdays testimony on to a page of the Post 1901 Census Project website. I expect to post it to the website either tonight, or first thing Friday morning. I will post to the lists when it is available.
While disappointed with yesterdays proceedings we wish to thank Senator Milne, and Jeff Paul, for the endless work they have put in on our behalf.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: [CCC] A note from Senator Milne

Dear Friends:

Yesterday the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology met to make its final decisions on Bill S-13. Although there is some good news, the results were disappointing. The committee unanimously passed the bill, and it will now move on to third reading in the full Senate chamber. Unfortunately, the committee chose not adopt any amendments to the bill.
I know that all of you will be most disappointed with this outcome. The immediate question that springs to mind is "why?". Simply put, we did not have the votes there to pass the amendments. You should all know that 5 of the 8 Liberal Senators present were supportive of the amendments. Unfortunately, all 4 members of the Progressive Conservative party were not willing to upset what they saw as a delicate balance between all interests. In the end, the committee chose to not consider the amendments proposed by Sen. Cordy any further. The bill was passed without voting specifically on the amendments. The whole matter was immediately approved and sent back to the Senate without amendment.
I know very well that that all of you were counting on me to deliver on these issues, and I did not. For that I apologize. I tried my best, but simply could not convince a majority of Senators that further steps needed to be taken. Just so you all know I spoke individually with each and every member of the Social Affairs committee numerous times leading up to the vote yesterday, and it simply did not work out. I am sorry things did not go better.
As I said at the beginning of the email, though, all is not lost. The bill will pass, rather quickly I imagine. We will get to see the 1911 census this summer. We will be able to see census returns for years to come. There will still be a historical record; but it won't be the one we would have shaped.
I thank each and every one of you for the fantastic amount of work you have done on this issue. We have come a long way, but have fallen just short. I hope in the long run we will see this for the great victory that it is. Today, though, we'll just have to start to move on with this proposal.
Yours very truly,
Lorna Milne

A number of further updates have been done on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. The latest files updated have been the Hansard extracts from Senate debates relating to the Census issue. Included is the second reading debate of Bill S-13 held 11 February 2003 when it was referred to Committee.
Next on my "to do" list is bringing up to date these same Hansard extracts for the French language pages of the website.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

FYI. On Friday 21 March 2003 the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature, achieved 300,000 hits since 27 April 1999. While many of those hits will be repeat visits from interested parties, this figure shows the interest in the Post 1901 Census issue.
As I write this, the total number of hits, on the home page only, is 300,128.
The MP and Senator Scoreboards have just been updated, and are current with the information that I have been provided by those who have sent me information. If you have correspondence from any MPs and Senators that would change the positions shown for them on the Scoreboards, please forward it to me.As reported the other day, the Senate Committee hearings regarding Bill S-13 have been delayed until 9 April. Anyone planning on making a submission to the Committee should do so now. Time is running out. Contact information is available on the Post 1901 Census Project website.
Muriel and I continue to accept Census petitions and will do so until the issue is settled. Petitions have served their purpose and have accomplished what we sought with them. We feel efforts now should be directed first to submissions and letters to members of the Senate Committee deliberating Bill S-13, and secondly to contacting the remaining Senators who will shortly be debating S-13 during third reading in the Senate. Your submissions and letters should advise that the people of Canada seek unrestricted access to Historic Census records, without the various strings and conditions that certain clauses in Bill S-13 impose, and request amendments to made to reflect the will of the people. Some personal experiences that demonstrate the importance of Census records in your own research -- how it has contributed to the success of that research -- might touch a chord with some of them, and may demonstrate why we feel unrestricted access is so important to us.
As I have mentioned several times before, please use your own words in writing the Senators and MPs. As also mentioned before, be polite and respectful -- we seek the support of these people and to berate them for positions that might oppose your own will not accomplish that support and might very well turn them in the opposite direction.
Until we see how Bill S-13 reads after third reading in the Senate it is difficult to know specifically what to write in letters to the Members of Parliament. We should think about that, however, and possibly prepare our letters to them in advance, being prepared to make adjustments when third reading is completed in the Senate. Once third reading is completed and the Bill is referred to the House of Commons we believe that it will proceed through the House quite quickly. Our thoughts are that the government wishes this issue settled before the summer recess in order to avoid ATI requests for the 1911 Census records, and subsequent complaints to the Information Commissioner should such requests be refused by Statistics Canada.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

We have just been advised that further hearings of the Senate Committee deliberating Bill S-13 - An Act to amend the Statistics Act, have been delayed until 9 April 2003.The apparent reason for the delay is the insistence of certain Committee members on having the Privacy Commissioner make an appearance before the Committee to state his opinion regarding S-13. 9 April 2003 is the first date the Privacy Commissioner has available to make an appearance.
While the delay is disappointing, it does give those wishing to make a submission to the Senate Committee more time to do so.Contact information for making a submission is available on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

I have just sent an addendum to my written submission to the Senate Committee deliberating Bill S-13 - an Act to amend the Statistics Act. It is too long to include in an email. For those interested in viewing it I have placed it on the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature. Follow the link on the home page -- "Links pertaining to Bill S-13".
Anyone else intending to make a submission had better do so now. The following is the conact information taken from the website of the Senate Committee. Note that Line Gravel is no longer the Committee Clerk.
Committee Clerk: Daniel Charbonneau (613-991-0719)
Administrative Assistant: Monique Régimbald (613-993-0426)
General Information: (613-990-0088)
Facsimile: (613-990-6666)
Committee Email Address soc-aff-soc@sen.parl.gc.ca
Mailing Address:
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Senate, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A4

-----Original Message-----
From: Marion Kelch [mailto:czardust@telusplanet.net]
Sent: April 10, 2003 8:47 PM
Subject: EMPRESS of IRELAND update April 10

Hello Everyone.

Today is April 10. Our efforts to purchase the Empress of Ireland artifacts continue.

Here is the latest:

DONATIONS/RECEIPTS
We are about to deposit the donations received thus far in a Royal Bank Account in Ottawa set up by our treasurer, Maurice Van Welter.
Very shortly, each donor will receive a tax deductible receipt and a letter of thanks. Our secretary, Gwen Landry will be handling the mail-out.

The donations to date come to $12,124. Given that these donations came in without any commercial advertising, we are very encouraged. Every donation, large or small, is much appreciated. It is a strong indication that Canadians and Americans care about the final destination of the artifacts. It sends a strong message to MPs, Senators and Foundations that this issue is important to many people. Donations still continue to come in.

We have carefully recorded the information from those donors who donated in memory of someone.

By depositing these donations, it means that we are now going ahead with our stated mission of procuring the funds to purchase the collection for the Canada Science & Technology Museum. More about that a little later under PROPOSED FUND RAISING STRATEGIES.

PASSENGER LIST
Those of you who had ancestors who sailed on the Empress as well as those who perished, please remember that we would very much appreciate receiving at least a one page biography about these people. We want to include this information in the archives. Pictures would be great too. Geoff Whitfield of the UK, a researcher and British Titanic Society officer, has indicated he is very interested in this project. He has been researching the Empress of Ireland passenger list. Since working on this Committee, I have been contacted by 8 people who told me their relatives were on the final voyage of the Empress. We want to bring their stories to life. Please start working on this!

TWO NEW VOLUNTEERS!
We are absolutely delighted to welcome two new volunteers to the Committee.

1. Connie Nisinger, a teacher-librarian who resides in Godfrey, Illinois. This wonderful person whom
I've come to know over the last three months, is a royalty stalker! I expect Connie has taken
more good pictures of the Royal Family than any professional photographer. I believe the
Queen deliberately orders her caravan to stop when she spots Connie in the crowd! Wouldn't
you guess...her e-mail address is <HRHConnie@aol.com> She also sent many e-mails to our
Prime Minister, MPs and Senators, receiving replies in about two days. Can you guess
why?! On a more somber note, Connie's father lost two half-siblings in the sinking. On the
passenger list these children appear as Josefa and Wladislaw ZOUK however the family name is
spelled ZUK. We know that these children were buried in Canada but as yet the family has not
been able to find the graves.
Connie recently entered this information in the Guestbook of www.seaviewimaging.com
If any of you can help, please send Connie an e-mail.

2. Geraldine McPhee, a retired teacher who resides in Fredericton, NB. Gerry taught in a rural
school and mainly taught French as a second language. She much enjoys retirement. After
viewing the Country Canada show, Gerry contacted me. I was so impressed to hear from
people all across the country and I asked Gerry if she would be a contact way out in New
Brunswick. After I sent her information about our group she very kindly agreed. Her e-mail
address is ngmcphee@yahoo.com

Please welcome our two new volunteers!!!

Below is an inserted piece about fund raising. If any of you have any comments, suggestions or ideas
concerning this, you are highly encouraged to send them in.

PROPOSED FUND RAISING STRATEGIES

PRIMARY MISSION:

To directly or indirectly purchase for the Canada Science and Technology Museum, in Ottawa, 401 artifacts and over 500 pieces of archival material from diver Philippe Beaudry of Longueuil, QC who legitimately retrieved the artifacts from the wreck of the Empress of Ireland.

SECONDARY MISSION:

Through wide publicity resulting from this campaign, it is also our goal to raise the public profile of the story of the Empress of Ireland, to locate numerous descendants of those who sailed on the liner and of those who perished on May 29, 1914. The ultimate goal is to create from across Canada, the United States and also Europe, an enormous network of Empress of Ireland fans and supporters.

The FUND RAISING STRATEGY WILL HAVE THREE CONCURRENT TRACKS

TRACK ONE

This track will be a constant and sustained effort to obtain incremental financing or a low interest loan from either the Treasury Board or from a Chartered Bank or some other major Financial Institution enabling the Committee to purchase in one or two installments the collection from Mr. Beaudry. At this point the collection of artifacts will be placed in the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

The Committee will seek volunteer professional assistance upon the advice of those MPs and Senators who fervently support the goals of the Committee.

Time span: as soon as possible.

TRACK TWO

This track comprises multi-activities all of which will be instituted.

Applications sent in immediately requesting major donations from various Foundations and Corporations across Canada.

Essential to the appeal is to show how the Empress of Ireland is important to all Canadians in that it is both a Mayflower of early 20th century immigration and a Titanic in the St. Lawrence River.

Derek Grout, author of Empress of Ireland: The Story of an Edwardian Liner, spent
some time in January contacting various Foundations in Montreal. The initial reaction
to the mission of the Empress of Ireland Artifact Committee was very positive. At that time, it was thought that March 1/03 was the deadline. Most Foundations require about 4 months to process an application. The Committee will send applications to the 35 Foundations which contributed large sums to the new Canadian War Museum. In addition the Committee will appeal to 1000 Businesses listed on the CD-Rom ³Canadian Fund Raising Directory² .

Because I have this CD-Rom and much information about Foundations, I have begun work on this. I start mailing the grant requests tomorrow. I will keep everyone up to date on the results.

These Foundations could be given the option to ³Sponsor an Artifact². For example Bell Telephone might choose to sponsor the purchase of the big Bell or Telus may
wish to sponsor the purchase of the Captains telephone. These companies would be given the right to include this information in their promotional advertising.

Applications sent in to several American Foundations in consideration of the fact that 230 of the 300 American passengers perished aboard the liner in 1914. It is anticipated American Foundations may contribute if a a special tribute to these 230 is set up in the Museum.

Continuation across Canada and the United States of appeal to individual donors via media, speaking engagements and advertising which targets:
a. descendants of those who sailed on the liner and of those who perished.
b. historical groups, antique clubs, service clubs and other groups whose social
profiling would be sympathetic to our mission.

Publicity event relating to the photo-reproductions on canvas of the painting of the Empress of Ireland by American child prodigy Briana Bach Hertzog. After discussing this with Nancy Bach Hertzog, we came to the conclusion that this technique would enable more people to purchase a 'painting' of the Empress. Have you seen some of these photo-reproductions on canvas? From a few feet away, one would swear it is an original painting.

One-Event fund raisers like a Benefit Concert or a Celebrity Gala.

Time span: April-September

TRACK THREE

This track is a long-range and sustaining fund-raising approach which will take time to develop and will be instrumental in addressing follow-up costs such as interest charges if there should be any. Funds from this track, if they exceed the purchase price of the artifacts, also could be applicable to cataloging and display costs incurred by the museum or to other unforeseen changes:

POSSIBLE PROJECTS

Empress of Ireland CD--music pertaining to the story of the liner.

Children¹s book on Empress of Ireland in the style of Polar The Titanic Bear

Em my Award Calendar featuring 12 winning Tabby Cats depicting Em my

Production and sale of promotional cards, greeting cards etc.,

Time span: indefinite

THE EMPRESS OF IRELAND AND THE WAR IN IRAQ.

Just as the news of the outbreak of World War One obscured the publicity concerning the sinking of the Empress
( remember, news traveled much slower then), the media interest in the Iraqi War is obscuring any publicity concerning the artifacts. As soon as there is a break in the Iraqi situation, one major newspaper will be featuring a two page spread. It is useless to issue any press releases right now. So we continue our work behind the scenes and will be ready when the phones start to ring again. The Beaver Magazine will be carrying an article in the June/July issue.

It's always nice to hear from you. Drop a line any time.
Until next time.....

Marion

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1901 Census

Greetings All.
FYI. My latest Global Genealogy column relating to Post 1901 Census has is now accessible online at http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce91.htm
It has my report on the Senate Committee hearings re: Bill S-13 held 27 February 2003, and contact information for sending your submissions regarding it to the Committee. The Committee is set to reconvene 26 March 2003 so if you intend to make a submission to them, do it now. Time is getting short.
Bill S-13, my written submission to the Committee, and the unrevised testimony of the Committee hearings are accessible from the first main link on the home page of the Post 1901 Census Project website at the URL following my signature.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1901 Census - Bill S-13

Greetings All

I think that sections of Bill S-13 dealing with the twenty-year extension of so-called privacy, and penalties for disclosure of "restricted" information are receiving more attention than they might warrant.

I have stated that I do not like the twenty-year extension. I have stated that I do not view it as necessary or desirable. I have stated that without the twenty-year extension a number of other clauses of Bill S-13 would not appear to be necessary. I have stated my view on the reason why it was included in the bill.

I do not withdraw any of my statements regarding this.That being said, I think that many people are forgetting what the PURPOSE of our campaign has been, and are ignoring the POSITIVE aspects of Bill S-13.

From the start, in February 1998, my goal has been to regain the ACCESS to Historic Census records that we have been denied by Statistics Canada and Chief Statistician Ivan P. Fellegi. Many thousands of people have helped in our campaign to attain that goal. What must not be forgetten is that Bill S-13, if passed exactly as currently worded, with no amendments, will give UNRESTRICTED ACCESS to ANYONE and EVERYONE, 92 years after collection, provided they are willing to commit to an "undertaking".

Do I like the concept of committing to an "undertaking" to obtain access? -- NO.
Am I satisfied with Bill S-13 as currently worded? -- NO.
Will I continue to seek amendments to make S-13 more acceptable? -- YES.
Do I encourage others to seek those amendments as well? -- YES
Will I support passage of Bill S-13 if we are unable to obtain ALL the amendments we seek? YES.

For the past five years, 90 percent of my waking time has been spent exclusively on the Census campaign. Should Bill S-13 be defeated because more amendments have been made than the government is willing to accept, am I willing to spend the next five years or more of my life seeking a Bill that would give us access without a "twenty-year" clause?
The answer to that question is a most emphatic -- NO!!!

There are currently two amendments on the table that will be considered by the Senate Committee deliberating Bill S-13. The first would see the release of the 1911 and 1916 Census records released without condition, on the same basis as those for 1906 and earlier have already been released. We feel there should be little problem obtaining this because of the precedent of the 1906 records now having been released without condition. The 1911 and 1916 records fall under the same legislative statutes as did the 1906.

The second amendment under consideration would change the "informed consent" clause from an OPT-IN, to an OPT-OUT provision. We would prefer to see the removal of any "informed consent" for future Censuses, however an OPT-OUT provision is infinitely better than an OPT-IN provision. Ivan Fellegi opposes this amendment and some members of the Senate Committee are waffling on it - wanting to know the position of the Privacy Commissioner on Bill S-13. My belief is that if the Privacy Commissioner were truly concerned about Bill S-13 he would have appeared before the Committe himself, or appointed someone to appear on his behalf. He did neither. He was, and is, most certainly aware of the Bill.

Many people have made suggestions regarding Bill S-13 in postings to various mail lists. I hope that they have also sent those suggestions to the Senate Committee deliberating the Bill. I think it unlikely that many of the Committee members are subscribers to the lists.
Members of the Senate Committee deliberating on Bill S-13 are as follows:
Kirby, Michael Chair
LeBreton, Marjory Deputy-Chair
Callbeck, Catherine S.
Cook, Joan
Cordy, Jane
Di Nino, Consiglio
Keon, Wilbert Joseph
Kinsella, Noël A.
Léger, Viola
Milne, Lorna
Morin, Yves
Roche, Douglas
Carstairs, Sharon ( or Robichaud, Fernand ) Ex-officio
Lynch-Staunton, John ( or Kinsella, Noel A. ) Ex-officio
Senator Lowell Murray is apparently a member of the Committee as well, even though he is not listed as such on the Committee webpage.

Send your suggestions to amendments to Bill S-13, and your support for unrestricted access to all records of Census to:

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Senate, Ottawa, Ontario
Canada, K1A 0A4
Committee Email Address soc-aff-soc@sen.parl.gc.ca

The mailing address for other Senators is:
Hon. (Name of Senator)
Senator
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A4

In sending messages to the Committee and other Senators make specific suggestions regarding specific clauses in Bill S-13. Please use your own words. Do not simply copy someone else's letter and say "me too". Such messages would be viewed as little better than form letters and would likely be ignored entirely. Be polite and respectful -- you are seeking their support for your suggestions. Send your suggestions NOW.

The Committee is expected to have clause-by-clause deliberation on the Bill shortly after Parliament resumes one week from Monday.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-D@rootsweb.com>, "Dave" <dave.fortin@sympatico.ca> Subject: Post 1901 Census - Re: 112 Years

Greetings All.

It seems that many have a misconception regarding the 92 years versus 112 years spelled out in Bill S-13.

As things stand now, with the current wording of Bill S-13, ANYONE and EVERYONE willing to accept the "undertaking" would have FULL, UNRESTRICTED ACCESS to the records after 92 years. It is not expected this will change
It is NOT what might be ACCESSED that would be restricted in the twenty year period starting 92 years following collection, but what any specific researcher may DISCLOSE to others. They would be allowed to DISCLOSE to others only that BASIC information that would be spelled out in the Regulations attached to the legislation. Information beyond the BASICS spelled out by the Regulations would be restricted from DISCLOSURE for the additional twenty years, after which ANYTHING might be disclosed.

Hope this clarifies things somewhat for those who were unsure about this.Regarding the reference to birth registrations, registration of Vital Statistics -- births, marriages and deaths, is a Provincial responsibility and as such periods of closure for these records vary from Province to Province.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

----- Original Message -----

From: "Dave" <dave.fortin@sympatico.ca>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-D@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 1:05 PM
Subject: 112 Years

I don't think we should wait 112 years after all post 1906 Census. I can understand if they put it up to 97 years, which is if I'm right, how long you have to wait for the release of the birth registrations. If the government refuse to bring back the census release to 92 years, then we can ask them to reduce it from 112 to 97 years.

Dave

From May 27 to 30, 2004, Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society’s annual Seminar at the International Plaza Hotel near the airport. The theme of the conference will be “The 3R’s of Family History: Resources, Research, Results” featuring different streams of interest: Methodology, Technology, Toronto, Ontario, and Canadian research and a miscellaneous stream which could include topics related to such things as Society Management, genetics/DNA and others.
Research trips will be provided to four major archival centres during the Seminar, so participants will receive overviews of their holdings. Plans are also being made for special pre-conferences. The organizers are inviting proposals for one-hour lecture sessions or longer workshops in keeping with the theme of the Seminar and the various streams. The deadline for proposals is May 1, 2003. We would appreciate it if you could pass this information on to your members.
For further details about submitting proposals, please refer to the Seminar website:
www.ogsseminar.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Marion Kelch [mailto:czardust@telusplanet.net]
Sent: February 13, 2003 9:40 AM
Subject: Empress of Ireland URGENT

Hello Everyone,

Here is the situation. On February 19, the Liberal Party caucus has a major meeting. It is at this meeting that we need to have the issue of the Empress of Ireland artifacts included in discussion amongst the party members. Sheila Copps must come under pressure.

To achieve this, we are hoping to have articles appear on February 18 in the newspapers especially in Ottawa and across the country if possible.

I have been advised on good authority that we MUST be doing the following:

In the next four days including Monday February 17, please try to Phone one or more of the following: ( we exempt those people who reside in the US!!)

1. Your own Member of Parliament
Try to talk to him/her personally but if not, insist you speak to an aid.
If you cannot find the phone number go to http://www.parl.gc.ca
Work your way through this site unit you find
House of Commons, Current
If you still cannot find the number, e-mail me with the name of the MP and I'll get back to you.

Also, if possible ( and your wallet is healthy!) Contact Any of the following:
Hon. John Manley ( MP for Ottawa)
Hon. Anne McLellan (MP for Edmonton West) One of the few Liberal MP's from the West
613.992.4524
Rt. Hon Joe Clark 613.995.1561 or 613.947.4552 fax 613.947.8898
Loyola Hearn 613.992.0927
Kevin Sorenson (MP for Crowfoot) 613.947.4608 or at Killam ( weekend) 780.385.7080

or any other MP or Senator you should happen to know.

Here is the message to give.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT. Insist that the Empress of Ireland artifacts MUST stay in Canada.

If you are a descendant of one of those who sailed or perished on the liner, be sure to mention this.

Point out that you want some action on this matter NOW!
A national museum will take the collection if funds are provided. This museum is submitting an application for the $750,000 matching grant from Heritage Canada. (Counter the argument that no museum has applied.)

Make the point that the Beaudry collection is vastly superior to any other collection in Canada.
Together with the archives it has close to 1000 pieces ( 401 artifacts, 600 archival) while Musee de la Mer owns 360 pieces of which 260 are wood and all the other items in the museum are on loan. It has virtually no archival pieces. Again, we are not belittling the Musee de la Mer but just pointing out the importance and superiority of the Beaudry collection. Canada has room for two collections! We do not want any major collection of artifacts from the Empress of Ireland leaving this country.

Also, to have a collection at Musee de la Mer is not enough. It is a regional museum in an out-of-the- way location. The Canada Science and Technology Museum is more centrally located and is a National Museum. It could be more interpretive of the Empress of Ireland as an IMMIGRATION ship and appeal to the hundreds of thousands of people today who have some connection to the liner. This is the Mayflower aspect as opposed to the Titanic aspect.

Make the point that people from Canada and the United States are donating to a fund raising organization made up entirely of VOLUNTEERS..the Empress of Ireland Artifact Committee. Many of us are willing to work over the next two years to raise funds to repay the government if it would make arrangements for interim financing. It's called 'bridge financing'. Also Foundations are showing interest but we need at least 5 months to get an application submitted.

The most important point is that Sheila Copps must act now to work out an AGREEMENT by March 1 to purchase the collection . After that time the artifacts will leave the country forever.

Urge the MP to put pressure on the Minister of Culture next Tuesday and Wednesday in the House and Party Caucus meeting.

You can also e-mail but I discovered in some cases it takes about 4 -5 days before the e-mails are even registered in the MP's mail room system. Nothing is more effective than a phone call. I know this might cost a little and I'm sorry but please try to do so if possible. If you find out the MP will be in your home riding over the weekend, perhaps you can make an "appointment" for a phone call then.

If we do not get action going by the 19th, our cause may be lost.

Get back to me if you have questions. I will be working the phone lines all day Thursday, Friday and Monday.
If you also e-mail, here is the address: Last name, dot, first initial capitalized,@. parl.gc.ca
Thanks. So: Kevin Sorenson is:
Sorenson.K@parl.gc.ca
also: mpsorens@telusplanet.net
Marion

For those seeking the wording of Bill S-13 -- An Act to amend the Statistics Act, links to the Bill in both official languages, are now on the opening pages of the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature..

Greetings All.
Forwarded from the Office of Senator Lorna Milne.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 7:29 AM
Subject: [CCC] Indexing censuses

Hey there gang:
Senator Milne wants me to ask everyone a question about indexing census returns. We would like to know exactly what information people index, and the ways that the index is used. In fact we need more general detail on these kind of projects. We want to ensure that there is a place for that kind of work under S-13. If any of you who do this kind of work could get back to us we would greatly appreciate it.
Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne

Greetings All.
Forwarded FYI
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith Rempel" <rempel@jrsolutions.net>
To: <gordon_watts@telus.net>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 7:49 AM
Subject: 1906 census transcription efforts

Gordon - I wouldn't be surprised if you were watching with some interest how our progress is going - the 1906 census transcription.
1906 Census Transcription Centre
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/data/census/1906/
At this point, just 2 weeks into the data, we have over 200 pp of transcriptions online. The majority are housed on the AFHS website, but a few have elected to house their transcriptions on society or genweb sites. That's certainly okay with us - we can provide links to those efforts and still provide a good general site that provides reasonable access to the images and the transcriptions.
I'd be most pleased if in your website/communications you'd invite the public to let us know (webster@afhs.ab.ca) about transcriptions that they are publishing (online or in paper), are planning to transcribe (to minimize duplication), or would like to have us publish online for them.
Folks do not need to be a member of the AFHS for any of these courtesies to be extended. Our motivation is to provide an easy-to-use environment where images and transcriptions can be accessed (and searched more easily) and to do so with a minimum of duplicated effort.
Note - for technical reasaons, our little 1906 search tool (on the above url) will not be able to search transcriptions published outside of the AFHS website.
As the transcription efforts continue, we certainly will consider compiling an every-name index to the 1906. But, that will have to wait until subdistricts and districts are completed. At this time, over 200 pp have been transcribed/placed online and on average about 20+ are going on line daily. This means 1.1% of the task is complete.
Another important caveat. Because of the difficulty of reading the names on the images, the great diversity of cultures/names represented on the images, we cannot assure that transcriptions of names are accurate (or that the enumerators accurately documented such names either). For good or for ill, we have opted to simply proceed with a mass transcription effort at this time - with no proofreading project planned. This is a limitation, we know. But, to be effective proofreaders we'd likely need to line up 3 culturally-specific persons to transcribe, proof & eliminate disagreements about what is actually on the image. Instead, we hope that visitors will be creative in their searches on our site (and the archives images site), and know that any transcription or index is just a finding aid; original documents/facsimiles should always be consulted.
Thanks!
In Kinship,
Judith Rempel, Webster
rempel@jrsolutions.net
and
webster@afhs.ab.ca

Alberta Family Histories Society
http://www.afhs.ab.ca
1906 Census Transcription Centre
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/data/census/1906/
Canadian Genealogical Projects Register
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/registry/

Greetings all.
I have just got off the phone from Jeff Paul in Senator Milne's office. One topic of discussion was the proposed "undertaking" mentioned in Bill S-13. Jeff has been trying to obtain permission to post the "undertaking" on the lists but he has so far been unable to do so. He did, however, read it to me.Other than the fact that I see no need for either the non-disclosure of any information beyond the mandated period of closure (currently 92 years), or for the need of any "undertaking" at all, I did not find it to be onorous or highly restrictive. From my memory of what was read to me, the "undertaking" would be something along the lines of the following:

" I _____(name)______ make application for access to records of the __(year)__ Census.
I am conducting __(genealogical / historical)___ research.
I agree not to disclose, during the period of 92 years to 112 years after collection, any information from these records other than the following: Name, Address, Age (or birthdate), Sex, Marital Status, Origin, and Occupation.
I agree not to infringe on any Copyright relating to these records.
I am aware of the penalties for violation of this undertaking.
Signed ___________________ Date _______________ "

Do not hold me to the exact wording, but this is the jist of what the "undertaking" would be.
There would also be a very minor form specifying permission for someone to do research on behalf of another person.While the so-called "compromise solution" of Ivan Fellegi defined "family" very narrowly as "a direct descendant of a direct ancestor", there is no such definition attached to Bill S-13. In a Legislative Summary available to MPs and Senators there are a number of questions and answers relating to the Census issue and Bill S-13. One of those questions relates to a definition of 'family' for purposes of research.
The answer was that 'family' would include anyone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption. That pretty well covers every possibility.
There have been many concerns expressed on the lists regarding what the "undertaking" would entail. I hope that this information helps to relieve any anxieties regarding it.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Forwarded on behalf of Senator Lorna Milne's office.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 9:01 AM
Subject: [CCC] A little time and a little trust

Greetings to the list:

Well everyone, Senator Milne and I were hoping that it would not come to this, but unfortunately we are going to have to put an awful lot in jeopardy to deal with the concerns of everyone here. The fact of the matter is that Senator Milne has been working furiously behind the scenes for 2 months on each and every one of the issues that have been raised by everyone. The problem all along has been that she was asked to sponser the bill. That is a double edged sword that we were by and large willing to deal with. On the one hand it gives us complete control of how the bill is managed through the Senate. On the other hand, it forces us to look like we support the government position until a new concensus "emerges" that allows everyone to save face. It allowed us to do our work without looking aggressive and without beating up our opponents with big sticks. My dad always taught me to be a good and classy winner, and we had intended to do so.
However, in all good conscience to all of those who genuinely care, and to the many thousands of you who have been supportive of us, we have to speak out about what is being said on the listserve. Last week we asked for some time and some trust and asked for constructive support. Unfortunately this is too emotional an issue for some. Senator Milne knows what I am about to write, and she has one message to everyone. Spilling the beans right now jeopardizes our chances for 100% success over the next two months. However, the conspiracy theories that are being suggested by many people out there simply are not true, and left unto themselves they will do substantial damage to the bill. They have no basis in fact. This is the biggest file of Senator Milne's career as a Senator. She is not going to abandon it and is not going to settle for a half of a loaf. Let me be specific.
THIS BILL WILL BE AMENDED. Senator Milne has lined up other Senators to introduce the amendments so she can maintain her spot as the sponsoring sentoar. Senator Milne will vote for amendments to this bill. In fact last week I personally met with the Senate's legal counsel who is an expert in legislative drafting. I directed him to draft a few amendments for us that will be introduced by others. The Minister of Industry, the Government Leader in the Senate, the Deputy Government Leader in the Senate and all of their staffs all know this is coming.
They have given us the weight of a government bill to let us get it through. They gave us a framework and told us to go to town. This bill will get through only after Senator Milne is happy with it.
THE 1911 AND 1916 CENSUES WILL BE RELEASED WITHOUT RESTRICTION. An amendment is currently being drafted to deal with exactly that issue.
Dr. Fellegi has admitted to Senator Milne in my presence that the government will not try to argue that there are different legal circumstances for the 1911 and 1916 census than the 1906 census. We will bring that out in committee and use it to punch through an amendment.
WE'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU WHAT THE WAIVER IS. The only thing that I have not done yet is actually post the waiver on the listserve. The Privy Council Office has extremely strict rules on how regulations can be handled. This is a problem with each and every bill that the government has. I have made myself look like a dolt trying to play dumb, trying to play smart, asking, pleading, and demanding that this waiver be released. If I release it Sen. Milne will be violating the Official Secrets Act. The only way it can be done legally is by the Pricy Council Office. I'm not ready to go to jail on this one folks. The Privy Council Office refuses regulations for ALL legislation and does not make exceptions. I can't make them budge. I have already said exactly what the waiver does, though. In its 94 words the waiver allows complete access to the records and limits publication to tombstone data such as name, address, age, sex, marital status, origin and occupation. I think that there was also a mention of the Copyright Act as well, but I haven't brought that up because genealogists have always had to follow the Copyright Act.
But given the fact that this is the biggest sticking point of all I will go to the mountain once more and see what I can do.
OPT IN VERSUS OPT OUT. Another amendment that is currently being drafted will specifically create the situation where those who do nothing will have their census forms sent to the National Archives.
Privacy freaks will actually have to spend real energy to get their census out of the loop. If we did not have an informed consent for future censuses it would not have gone through cabinet. Pure and simple that is the 1 price we have to pay is informed consent. We would have lost at cabinet without it. It WAS that close. If we kill this part of the bill we will lose the backing of cabinet and the house of cards comes down. Do we really want to seal the deal to eliminate access to census material forever?
WHO IS GOING TO ENFORCE THIS? Great question! Who is going to spend money on police for this? Great question! Who is going to spend cash to creat a bureaucracy? Great question! The answer is NOBODY. The only way that any penalty provisions will ever be enforced is if someone complains directly to Ivan Fellegi. In fact there is a deal in place where Stats Canada will only enforce this through complaints. There have been over 54 million hits to the Archives website for the 1901 and 1906 census and there has not been one complaint. The waiver and conditions will not affect people who just want to find their family.
IS THERE STRATEGY GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES? Absolutely. I talk to Gordon Watts daily. Muriel talks to the Senator almost daily (not as much this week with renovations going on, though). We hosted a conference call to get the message out on the first day this bill was introduced in the hopes that we could explain what was happening and ask for some time and space to do our job. I've gone to lunch with potential witnesses on the bill to line up strategy and ensure we are all singing from the same song sheet. This is the biggest file in the office. Everywhere the Senator has gone for the last week she has been lining up Senators to get this thing worked out. Sometimes, though, we can't reveal everything we do as it all has to happen in a specific order.
Folks I hope this better explains what we are doing here in the office.
We are not going to let you down. We know how important this is. We know this is all about family and nothing could be more personal. All Senator Milne needs is a little more time and a little more trust. I hope that this gives everyone reason to give that to her. We have also been receiving lots of positive messages directly in our office. I would ask that those who support our point of view to please be a little more active on the listserve. I suspect that the debate has been one sided and would appreciate more interventions from the other side.
Yours very truly,
Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne

Greetings All.
I have just received a call from Jeff Paul in Senator Milnes office..
Senators Lorna Milne and Lowell Murray both spoke on Bill S-13 in Second Reading in the Senate today. The surprize of the day is that Senator Murray apparently spoke in support of the Bill, saying that it was a reasonable compromise.
The Bill received UNANIMOUS support for Second Reading and has been referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. The first meeting of the Committee to deal with S-13 could be as early as Thursday. It is expected to take more than one meeting.If it is your intention to make a submission to the Committee, now is the time to do so. In preparing your submission please keep in mind my comments of previous messages, and the posting today by Jeff Paul.
Submissions should be sent to
The Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Senate, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A4
Attn: Lyn Gravelle, Committee Clerk
The email address is
soc-aff-soc@sen.parl.gc.ca

Greetings All.
Forwarded from the office of Senator Lorna Milne.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 2:03 PM
Subject: [CCC] Second reading of Bill S-13

Good afternoon gang!
I am very pleased and proud to tell all of you that Bill S-13 passed second reading unanimously. Hearings will proceed very quickly, and I will keep you posted on the dates and schedule.
For all those who are interested, Senator Milne's second reading speech on the bill follows.
Yours truly,
Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne

SECOND READING SPEECH
S-13
AN ACT TO AMEND THE STATISTICS ACT
Honourable Senators I am extremely proud to begin this afternoon by uttering the one sentence that I have been waiting five long years to say.
I rise, Honourable Senators, to speak on Second Reading as the sponsor of a Government Bill that will allow for the release of historic census records.
As all but our newest contingent of Senators are well aware, for the last five years I have been fighting an uphill battle with Statistics Canada to allow for the release of the nominal census records for Canada's historic censuses. It is a battle that I certainly did not seek out. On February 19th of last year I told this place that this issue: "deserves the leadership and the attention of the government. There is nothing I would like more than to have the government announce that it will take the necessary steps to balance the interests of all concerned. I still hope that this issue will be taken out of my hands".
Over the course of my speech on that day I was particularly harsh with Dr. Ivan Fellegi - maybe overly harsh as Sen. Murray pointed out at the time. Today, however, the Chief Statistician, the Minister of Industry, and I all agree that this bill strikes an effective balance between all kinds of competing interests. It does so by providing a framework that allows wide ranging research by historians, genealogists and others. It also specifically protects people's privacy in a number of ways. In addition, the bill clears the way for all Canadians to make an active and informed decision on whether or not to include themselves in Canadian history in the future. I am confident that we will all be there.
I will start, then, by outlining for our new colleagues what all of the fuss has been about over the last five years. I will move on to give you a quick update on what steps the government has already taken to release historic census information. I will provide Honourable Senators with all of the information they need to know about the bill, and then I will make my pitch for the support of this bill by each and every one of us.
For hundreds of years Canadians have been using nominal census records, some dating as far back as 1666, to trace and research Canadian history. Up to 1993 the Canadian government had always made 92-year-old census records available to the public through the National Archives. The pre-confederation censuses of 1851 and 1861, and the national censuses of 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901 have been an invaluable resource for Canadian historians, genealogists, and medical researchers who have all found them to be the only primary source of information on Canadians in their family groups.
In 1998, as we approached the 92nd anniversary of the 1906 special Western Census, Statistics Canada was preparing to release the census when it hit a snag. The regulations had exactly the same confidentiality and disclosure regulations as all previous regulations, but in 1905 the government had passed a bill specifically giving these regulations the force of law. The regulations did make certain references to confidentiality, and they prevented the census takers of the time from disclosing any information that they collected in the course of their duties.
As a result of legal advice, Statistics Canada erred on the side of caution and announced that it would not release the 1906 census as planned.
This upset historians and genealogists greatly. They did agree that census takers were not allowed to go up and down the road gossiping about their neighbours. In fact, no genealogist or historian doubts that contemporary confidentiality was then and is now essential. They were adamant, however, that a different section in the same regulations was equally, if not more important. That section specifically stated that the nominal census returns would be stored "in the Archives of the Dominion".
My response was fairly straightforward. I thought that this was a simple oversight that would be perfect for a private Senators' bill. Little did I know that I would have to introduce that same bill twice and wait 5 years before getting to this day. I worked closely with the genealogical and historical communities who collected petitions and pounded out emails to Senators and to the other place to encourage government action. The progress was slow but steady. Over the course of the battle I presented petitions with over 26,000 signatures to the Senate, all calling for action on this very important part of Canadian history. While I was working in the grassroots, the government was doing its own homework on the issue.
In order to try to find a way out of the legal logjam, the Minister of Industry at the time - John Manley, appointed an Expert Panel to study the issue and report back to him. The conclusions of the Expert Panel were fairly straightforward. The panel, led by former Senator Lorna Marsden, and former Supreme Court Justice Gerard LaForest, found that there was no legal impediment to the release of census records created prior to 1918. In 1918, however, the Statistics Act was amended to include the same confidentiality provisions as had been contained in the earlier regulations governing the 1906 through 1916 censuses. Although there was no mention of the National Archives in the 1918 Act itself, the regulations governing the 1921 and all subsequent censuses - which had, and have the force of law - all made specific reference to the fact that the nominal census returns would be turned over to "the Archives of the Dominion". The Expert Panel concluded that the placing of this reference in the regulations rather than the bill, was not a specific policy choice, but an oversight. The panel recommended that "for greater certainty" the Statistics Act be amended to allow for the release of post 1918 census records.
Although the Report of the Expert panel cleared things up in the minds of many people, it was still not sufficient to deal with the qualms harboured by Statistics Canada. Legal niceties notwithstanding, the Chief Statistician was genuinely concerned that Stats Canada would take a hit to its reputation if it were seen to go back on its word. In my own personal opinion, the reputation of Statistics Canada is worth fighting for. Stats Can is a world leader in statistics methodology and integrity. It is seen as a model around the world. It relies on that reputation in the international community, and indeed within Canada, when it asks for highly sensitive and private information from business, industry, government and individuals. It became necessary to ensure that decisions concerning the release of historic census records would not affect the broader present day or future operations of Statistics Canada.In November 2001 Statistics Canada announced further public consultations by way of focus groups and town hall meetings. The goal was to measure the reaction that Canadians would have to the release of census records. After a lot of study, and hundreds of submissions, Statistics Canada was able to conclude sometime this past summer that post 1901 censuses could be released. All that had to be worked out were the details. It took another 7 months to hammer out those details. I must admit to all Honourable Senators that at times I was part and parcel of that delay. There were certain things that I felt had to get done, and the Minister of Industry agreed with me that we would not proceed until some conditions had been met.I am thrilled to tell you that the details have been worked out, much has been accomplished, and we are now able to move forward. At this time I want to take a moment to recognize the valuable input of one particular Senator at just the right time. On March 7, 2002 Senator Murray spoke on my bill and implored everyone to reach a consensus. He appealed to the Senate to continue to work to find a compromise that would accommodate all of the different perspectives. I took many of his comments to heart, and I hope that he will be able to support this solution. It is precisely the type of compromise he suggested almost a year ago.
Let me turn now to what the government has already done to open up the historic census records to researchers. On Friday January 24, the government released the entire 1906 census online and without restriction. Although Stats Can felt there may be some ambiguity in the law governing the 1906 census, the government agreed that there was no longer any need to withhold it. Ninety-seven years were long enough to deal with any privacy concerns. Since the 1906 census was only an agricultural census of three provinces, it contained information that was not highly intrusive. Also, since it was the first census taken of Alberta and Saskatchewan and therefore the government agreed, as part of the compromise solution, that the 1906 census would be released immediately.
What has been the response of the public you might ask? I'll let the numbers tell the story. The government put the 1906 census on line on January 24th. In the first 12 days that the census was online, the site received 4, 870,569 hits. You may also want to know how widespread the access was. We can learn that, from the number of internet service providers that accessed the site. Sympatico is one service provider with millions of subscribers; the Senate is also a service provider, as is AOL and Rogers cable. If every one of the millions of people who use those four internet service providers accessed the historic census, the National Archives would have recorded only four "visits". On average, in the first 10 days that the 1906 census was on line, the Archives averaged 3,972 visits per day by servers. Not only is a lot of research being done, but clearly that huge number of servers must come from all corners of the globe.
As an aside, Honourable Senators may not be aware that the 1901 census has been on line since June of last year. In the first 7 months that the 1901 census was on line (June to December) the National Archives received a staggering 51,704,325 hits. There is absolutely no doubt that this census information is vitally important to Canadians, and indeed to people around the world. Between the 1901 and 1906 censuses there are over one half of a million hits per day. That is truly remarkable.
You may be asking what is the downside to all of this? Are there any problems? Well, after more than 56 million hits to the National Archives website, the exact number of complaints about the service lodged with the National Archives is ZERO. This speaks volumes about the value of this service, and the importance that Canadians place on their history.
I will now turn to the bill itself, as it is the second and most significant part of the compromise solution. The government has introduced this bill to govern the release of all censuses that have taken place in the past, and all censuses to be taken in the future. I believe, Honourable Senators, that you will find this framework both well balanced, and fair.
Honourable Senators, as this is quite a short bill, I want to take the time to walk you through it step by step so we all understand exactly what the bill does. The bulk of this bill adds to section 17 of the Statistics Act which governs secrecy at Statistics Canada. The entire scheme that will govern the release of historic census records is set out in clause 1 of the bill which adds new sections 17(4) through 17(10) to the Statistics Act. Clause 2 of the bill then adds section 17.1 which gives the governor in council certain regulatory powers that I will outline later. Finally in clause 3 the bill includes a penalty provision that applies solely to the disclosure of census information.

Sections 17(4) to 17(7) govern the release of nominal census records from censuses taken from 1911 to the present. Section 17(4) gives genealogists and historians express but conditional permission to examine census records 92 years after the date of the census. The condition is that genealogists must sign an undertaking that will limit the information he or she can disclose. Historians must sign a similar undertaking as well, and they must also have their research proposal approved by an acceptable authority.

Under section 17(5) those people who have the right to approve access to the census must assess the public and scientific value of the research before allowing it to go forward.
Section 17(6) goes on to specifically note that everyone who signs an undertaking under 17(4) must comply with the undertaking.
Finally, section 17(7) states that everyone may freely examine and disclose census records 112 years after the date of the census: that is, completely without restrictions.There are a few key details to note from sections 17(4) through 17(7).
These sections do NOT limit which parts of the nominal census returns a person can look at or copy. It is the government's intention that the undertaking that genealogists and historians sign will limit the information that they can disclose to others to "tombstone information" including name, address, age, date of birth (where available), sex, marital status, origin, and occupation. This limitation on publication will last for 20 years. When that 20 years is up, 112 years after the date of the census, there will no longer be any limitations on what can be published or who can access census material.
Section 17(8) governs the release of census material from censuses in the future. The next census is scheduled for 2006. Section 17(8) limits the census data that can be examined to the returns of those people who consent to having their information released to the National Archives. In other words, on future census forms Canadians will be asked to give their prior informed consent to having their census return stored in the National Archives. If a person withholds consent, their information shall forever remain private. These future census returns will ALL be available 92 years after the date of the census. No two step procedure is required for these census returns because each person will have already given their informed consent on the issue.
Section 17(9) specifically allows those who examine the nominal census returns to publish the information that they find there. This will, of course, be limited by the undertaking that genealogists must sign for the period 92 to 112 years after each historical census.
Section 17(10) orders Statistics Canada to transfer the individual census returns to the National Archivist 92 years after each census date. The National Archivist will then become responsible for regulating access to the records. This is most important! Once the scheme for releasing historic census records is laid out in section 17.1, the act goes on to set out the regulatory powers of the Governor in Council in relation to the scheme in section 17. Clause 2, which creates section 17.1, allows the Governor in Council to make regulations:
(A) prescribing the form and content of the undertaking that must be signed by genealogists and historians; and
(B) prescribing the categories of people that can approve a historian's research
These regulations must be made on the recommendation of BOTH the Minister of Industry (who is responsible for Statistics Canada), and the Minister of Canadian Heritage (who is responsible for the National Archives).
Finally, in clause 3 the bill adds a section to the penalty provisions of the Statistics Act that states that any person who breaches an undertaking under section 17(6) will be guilty of an offence and liable for a fine of up to $1,000. This penalty is less substantial than those in the rest of the Statistics Act. There is no possibility of jail time or a criminal record for an offence relating to the disclosure of historic census records.
Honourable Senators, that gives you a solid foundation in the nuts and bolts of the bill. I want to spend some time now helping you all understand the various policy trade offs that have been made in this bill. I want you to understand what steps are being taken to protect privacy, and I want you to understand why it is so very important that this bill be passed.
When this whole debate started 5 years ago, genealogists and historians were very bluntly told that there would be no further access to historic census records ever. The door was to be slammed shut, we were told, in order to protect privacy. In releasing the 1906 census and in introducing this bill, the government has made the ultimate concession.
They have agreed that census records should generally be available with an absolute minimum of restrictions. In fact, under this scheme, 100% of past census records will be available for unrestricted research at some point in time - in 112 years. That concession alone is more than enough to warrant my support of this bill. The government has seen the historic value of census records, and has decided to open the vault. Access to history will not be compromised.I turn now, then, to the limits that are being placed on access under this bill. I have struggled long and hard over what is set out here, and I have come to the conclusion that the temporary limits are justified. One simply can not ignore the fact that in 1918 the Federal Government wrote privacy provisions into the Statistics Act. Nor can we ignore the fact that all of the regulations governing the 1911 and 1916 census had the force of law. Those regulations mentioned both release to the Archives of the Dominion, and the need for privacy. Privacy rights are real rights and it would be totally improper for the Federal Government to disregard them.
One of the fundamental truisms of privacy law is that all information loses its sensitivity as time passes. Privacy theorists argue that one of the ways that you can resolve privacy issues is to let additional time pass in order for documents to lose more sensitivity. The censuses from 1851 through 1901 were all governed under a set of laws that were different than those taken after 1901. It stands to reason that because of the perceived lack of clarity in the legislation, the 1911 and subsequent censuses could be deemed more sensitive on their 92nd birthday than earlier censuses. To cure this sensitivity, the censuses will be released but some information will still be unpublishable after 92 years, and all information will be released, completely free of restrictions, after 112 years.
I want to take this opportunity to assure any genealogists and historians that may be listening or reading Hansard later, that the undertaking that is being proposed is nothing to be concerned about. The government does not want to make it difficult to conduct historical and genealogical research. I have been told that the forms will be short, simple, and easy to understand. More importantly, I have been given the personal assurance from the National Archivist that any requirements that the waiver has, will not prevent the historic census records from being accessible through the National Archives website or through local libraries that will have both the microfilm, and the ability to collect signed undertakings. At the same time, it is Statistics Canada's position that the use of the waiver will sufficiently protect any privacy interests that arise from the release of the records.The principles governing the release of future censuses are, I believe, equally sound. Starting with the next census is 2006, Canadians will have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not their census returns will be turned over to the National Archives. If they decide they don't want their information to be made public, it will not be disclosed. Many genealogists and historians won't be happy with this measure, but I must stress that census information, particularly the information now asked for on the long form, is intensely personal. As such, each individual should have a great deal of control over how it is used. The principle of prior informed consent is the best way to handle the situation.Some have expressed the concern that if people are given the opportunity to opt out of the disclosure to the National Archives, serious damage will be done to the integrity and statistical validity of the historic record. I hope these worries will prove to be unfounded. Let me share a key piece of information with Honourable Senators. When Statistics Canada conducted the Canadian Communities Health Survey, it asked Canadians if they would be willing to release their health information to local authorities to increase the quality of health care in their community. Personal health issues are extremely sensitive, but over 95% answered that they would be willing to do so. That is a truly astonishing response rate and it bodes exceptionally well for the release of historic census records.
Honourable Senators, this is a solid bill, and is a good compromise. It achieves the goal of historians and genealogists of gaining access to historic census records and of properly preserving them. It provides adequate safeguards for privacy that are entirely appropriate. It is a bill that strikes the balance that I have been seeking for a very long time. I am proud that the government, and in particular Minister Allan Rock, took the bold step of releasing the 1906 census. I am also proud that they cared enough to preserve and protect Canadian history, and Canadians' privacy for generations to come.
I urge all of you to support this bill. Thank you.

Greetings All.
Forwarded FYI.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 6:10 AM
Subject: [CCC] S-13 Issues

Good morning everyone:
I hope that you all had a relaxing weekend and are ready to sit on the edge of your seats as debate on bill S-13 gets under way in the Senate chamber this week. I want to start by thanking everyone for your time and input on all of the issues that this bill raises. You can rest assured that Sen. Milne is personally seeing all of the emails that are being posted on the listserve and she has a firm handle on what is concerning everyone.
I think that Gordon has hit the nail on the head with each and every one of his postings so far, and his comments have been most helpful.I want to take a minute or two to hit on a couple of the points that were raised in the various posts since Thursday night.First of all, Alf from Vancouver asked whether anyone has done any research on complaints regarding the 1901 and 1906 census releases on line. As of late Friday afternoon when I talked with the National Archivist, no complaints had been received by him about ANY historic census, let alone the latest releases online.
Many have raised the concern that we may not be able to index the census until the 112 years are up. I must admit that is a very good question, and it is something that we will try to get addressed in the hearings that will take place on this bill. That having been said, I take a slightly different view of the work being done by those who are indexing the census. I would not categorize those people as genealogists. I believe they would fall into the category of historian. They would be able to get approval to do their work, and then they could index the tombstone information that may be released between 92 and 112 years. That's just my take on the matter.
Another seemed quite concerned that it would not be possible to hire someone to do census research for you. You can rest assured that under (4)(a) of this bill specific reference is made to those who do research for others, and that is specifically permitted under the bill. If you do not have access to the census records, but need that access, you are allowed to hire or ask someone to do the work. No problems at all.
I have a couple of comments on the study that is going to be done by the committee on the bill. First of all, I learned late on Friday afternoon that Cathy Piccinin is no longer the clerk of the committee. The new clerk is Lyn Gravelle. If you have already sent stuff to Cathy that is fine because she her new job is Policy Advisor to the chair of the committee that will study the bill. In any event it will all get into the right hands.
>From now on, though, you can address information to Lyn Gravelle, or even better, just address it to the clerk of the committee. The email address for the committee is: soc-aff-soc@sen.parl.gc.ca
Finally, there is no need to wait on the submissions. They can come at any time. If you send them to the clerk alone, she will coordinate them and send them in pacakages to all of the members of the Social Affairs Committee along with the bill and any other work that is being done on the bill. Sending the goods to the clerk is the best thing to do as that ensures that it won't get lost in the shuffle.
I hope that this helps. Thanks once again for all of your comments, keep them coming!
Jeff Paul
Policy Advisor
Office of the Hon. Lorna Milne

Greetings All.
Since posting the text of Bill S-13 on Wednesday I have done little else but read a great deal of email in response to my posting. Much of that email had angry first responses to reading the Bill. I have responded personally to some of that email, either privately or publicly, but because of the volume coming in I have been unable to respond personally to all. I have, however, read each and every one that has come in, as well as any posted to the several mail lists to which I subscribe. Many of the email received have made similar comments and asked similar questions. To answer those I have posted a number of responses to the mail lists.
Bill S-13 has been presented to the Senate and received first reading, after which it was published (in theory at least - it still does not appear on the government website). First reading is basically nothing, and it is not actually read in the Senate proceedings. Second reading is expected to begin on Tuesday 11 February 2003. Second reading is where discussion of the Bill begins, and depending on how many Senators wish to speak on the Bill, it could be spread out over several sitting days.
At some point the Bill is expected to be referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. It is in Committee where the real discussion takes place, and interested parties have the opportunity to make presentations, either for or against the Bill, to the Committee. Anyone can apply to appear before the Committee but it is not likely that everyone who applies would be accepted. For Bill S-13 there is expected to be a number of access supporters, including myself, making presentations and making suggestions for amendments to improve the Bill.
In addition to hearing submissions from those personally attending the Committee hearings, the Committee will accept written submissions from the public. Those interested in making a submission should send them
to:
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Senate, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A4
Attn: Cathy Piccinin, Committee Clerk

In making a submission your goal is to gain support for your position from those you write to. You will get nowhere by going off the deep end and simply writing angry letters stating what you do not like about the Bill. Doing this would likely anger those in a position to make constructive changes to the Bill, and may turn them against what you are trying to accomplish. Before writing your submission you should read again the Bill itself, and information posted by Senator Milne, National Archivist Ian Wilson, myself and others so you are thoroughly familiar with all of it.
Make your points one at a time, making reference to the clause or section of the Bill in question. Give reasons for the position you take regarding each clause, and make constructive suggestions on how you feel the clause or section referred to, and the Bill itself, might be improved. Take time to once more study the Bill, and the information that has been posted subsequent to the Bill being published. Think out what you want to say, and what recommendations you would make, and then do so in a polite, respectful and reasoned letter to the Committee.
Use your own words to make your point. Do not simply copy something posted by others who have made a submission and say "Me Too!". When you feel you are finished writing it, put your submission away for a day or two, then go back and review what you have written. You may find you missed some points you wanted to make, or want to make some corrections.
Your submission will likely be better for having done this.
Do not send your submission to the Committe right now. Not only has the Bill not yet been referred to the Committee, but discussion on it in Senate Chambers has not yet begun. It is better to wait until second reading has at least begun and some discussion regarding the Bill is under way in the Senate. Until that happens it may be that some of the Committee members will not be aware of what we are talking about. A remote possibility perhaps, but a possibility nevertheless.
Your submission to the Committee should be done through normal postal channels, i.e. snail-mail. Copies of your submission would be appreciated by Senator Milne at
Hon. Lorna Milne, Senator
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A4
Any email to Senator Milne should be sent to her office address of milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca Please do not sent messages to her home address which was inadvertantly posted earlier.
I would appreciate being copied as well.
My comments here refer to formal written submissions to Committee members but that does not mean you cannot write to your elected or appointed representatives as well. In either case, my comments about making your remarks polite and respectful, as well as reasoned and constructive, still stand. I will post the makeup of the Senate Committe in a future post.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Greetings All.
Forwarded FYI.
Gordon
----- Original Message ----- From: Christine Joudrey
To: cjjoud@rogers.com ; gordon_watts@telus.net ; PAULJ@sen.parl.gc.ca ; lmilne@sympatico.ca ; davidson5790@rogers.com
Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 11:22 AM
Subject: Post-1901 Census -- Bill S-13 Has Started On A Journey!
To all -- please forward to all provinces!
WE have started on a long journey with Senator Lorna Milne -- and we have all heard "a long journey begins with the first step!" Senator Milne took the FIRST step of the journey of Bill S-13 through Senate and House of Commons with the First Reading on Wednesday. Her next step will be on Tuesday with the Second Reading.

There will be bumps on the road -- known to us as Third Reading, Committee Review, Amendments, others will speak against the legislation as first presented. As WE travel along with Senator Milne, we will learn more about the parliamentary process and how we are able to assist.

Senator Lorna Milne welcomes SUGGESTIONS -- items she may have overlooked milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca. These suggestions and bits of personal information -- not just gripes -- may be just the items that are needed.

My personal bit of information is that the 1911 census would be the first census listing my mother and her family -- they moved to Nova Scotia from Maine in 1909. Also, veterans at Sunnybrook are signing petitions -- the 1911 census was the last one before World War One.

Above all - should you wish to send a personal message to me, send to Christine Joudrey cjjoud@rogers.com - Christine is acting on my behalf and in contact with Senator Milne. Messages may also be sent to my son, Don Davidson davidson5790@rogers.com

I am enjoying time with my husband, a veteran and resident of Sunnybrook for almost two years -- but I will be back shortly.

In the meantime, READ the words of Bill S-13 and travel along with it as it travels from the Senate to the House of Commons and US. Senator Milne is working on behalf of all of us -- regardless of where we live -- the census affects many in all parts of the world. Above all, a personal note of thanks to Senator Milne will give her encouragement -- remember, the final version of S-13 will be different than the first presentation. I am positive and know Senator Milne desires the census records in the same format as 1901 and the now online 1906. [Still have to do my bit of research]

A special request to all Canada Census Committee members -- your help is really needed now -- WE are all travelling the journey of Bill S-13 and keeping step with Senator Milne.
Muriel M. Davidson, Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~downhome/committee.html

Greetings All.
Yesterday I sent a message to Ian Wilson, the National Archives. I asked for his confirmation that, when pending legislation was passed, it was the intention of the National Archives to place the transferred Census records online. The pertinent portion of his message to me is copied below.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

From: Wilson, Ian
To: 'Gordon A. Watts'
Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 3:38 PM
Subject: RE: Census legislation
Gordon
With regard to your question about online access, the National Archives is committed to making as many of its holdings as possible available through our website. We do not believe that there is any restriction in the present amendment which would prohibit the National Archives from making post-1906 censuses available online.
I would add three other key points which I hope are not overlooked in this continuing process:
--the 1906 census is fully open and accessible both online and in microfilm format through inter-library loan and in a number of libraries and archives.
--the amendment, as currently proposed, requires the transfer of census records to the NA 92 years after the taking of the census in order to permit their examination
--the Expert Panel and others have recognized that the 1918 Statistics Act affected the issue of research access and needs to be addressed to clarify access for subsequent censuses. The bill being considered by Parliament does this.
The National Archives looks forward to continuing to work with the genealogical and research communities in providing access to this essential part of our heritage.
Best wishes
Ian

To: "Gordon A. WATTS" <gordon_watts@telus.net> Subject: Post 1901 Census - Explanation of Bill S-13

Greetings All.
It is apparent from the many messages that I have received that there is considerable confusion and misunderstanding regarding the content and meaning of Bill S-13. I hope here to clarify a number of points about the Bill AS I UNDERSTAND THEM. I make no attempt here to suggest necessary changes to the Bill -- that will come later. I attempt here only to explain the Bill as it is CURRENTLY worded.
Read the Bill, then read it again, and then again, keeping the comments I make here in mind. Bear in mind the Bill as it now reads is not necessarily what it will read in the end. It is subject to amendment as it goes through the legislative hoops. Many of us will be fighting to see those amendments made.
What appears to be the most misunderstood part of the Bill is when, and by whom, records of Census would be accessible. In relation to this, there is confusion regarding references to the "twenty-year period" that is subject to "certain condititions" stipulated in an "undertaking", the terms of which are not yet known. Jeff Paul, assistant to Senator Milne is making every attempt to obtain the terms of this "undertaking".
The "Summary" of Bill S-13, subsection (4) and (4)(a), as well as the first paragraph of the "backgrounder" attached to the CNW News Release Wednesday from Allan Rocks office, all indicate that records of Census from 1911 to 2001 WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE to genealogical researchers, 92 YEARS after collection, subject to the signing of an "undertaking".
Subsection (4) and (4)(b) say the same thing for those conducting HISTORICAL research. Subsection (4)(b)(i) and (ii), and the third paragraph of the CNW News Release indicate historical research projects would be required to be confirmed by appropriate peers or community leaders, and would also be subject to the signing of an "undertaking".
The requirements for confirmation by peers for historical research projects DO NOT APPLY TO GENEALOGY RESEARCH.
The terms of the "undertaking" are not yet known but in the CNW News Release the second paragraph of the "backgrounder" states "Genealogists or their authorized representatives would agree in advance that they would release only tombstone information pertaining to their own family members. Tombstone information is defined as name, address, age, sex, marital status, origin and occupation.". It is believed that the "undertaking" would not so much restrict who may access the records, but would prevent either genealogical or historical researchers from passing on any information, other than the "tombstone" information mentioned above, prior to the expiration of the twenty year period..
Subsections (5) and (6) are, I believe, self-explanatory.
Subsection (7) is where the "twenty year" period comes into play. The twenty year period from 92 to 112 years, is the period during which the terms of the "undertaking" are in effect. It DOES NOT MEAN that no access would be allowed until after 112 years. Access would still be available after 92 years. After 112 years there would be no requirement for a researcher to sign an "undertaking", nor would there be any restriction on what information from Census might be released by the researcher. This provision applies only to those Censuses up to that of 2001.
Subsection (8) is an "informed consent" provision that, as it stands, is an "opt-in" option. This would require every individual enumerated in a Census from 2006 and later to give their consent for release to the public 92 years in the future. Without that consent, their records would not be made available. For an "opt-in" provision those who fail to complete the option because of apathy, or they do not care one way or the other, are considered to be negative responses. This would result in an extremely fragmented history.Subsection (9) indicates any researcher of a census from 2006 or later may, 92 years after collection, disclose any information found in that Census. There is no "twenty year" period connected with any Census from 2006 or later, and no "undertaking" to be signed.
Subsection (10) is likely the most important of the clauses in Bill S-13. It guarantees that the records of every Historical Census still under the control of Statistics Canada, and every Census yet to be taken, will be transferred to the National Archives of Canada, 92 years after it is collected. Never again could the Chief Statistician refuse to turn control of the records over to the National Archivist and never again would researchers have to go through again what we have gone through for the past 5 or 6 years. Not only does Subsection (10) guarantee the transfer of records to the National Archives, but it contains wording that ensures the release of the records for examination by researchers.
The remainder of the Bill should be self-explanatory.
As requested above, please read the Bill again, keeping in mind my explanations. Senator Lorna Milne wants to know your concerns regarding Bill S-13. In sending those concerns to her keep in mind that she has been working very hard on our behalf. If it were not for her we would not now have unrestricted access to the 1906 Census records.Do not just send a message saying "I don't like it!" This is your opportunity to politely say what you like or do not like about it, and to offer constructive comments on what you believe would be necessary to improve it. Senator Milne's email address is milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca
Please copy me at gordon_watts@telus.net when sending your messages to her.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

To: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA> Subject: Message from Senator Lorna Milne

Greetings All.

FYI. The following message from Senator Lorna Milne was posted to the Canada-Census-Campaign mail list this morning. Please pass it to others concerned about the proposed Census legislation. Thank you.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.
----- Original Message -----

From: "Paul, Jeff: SEN" <PAULJ@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>
To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 7:25 AM
Subject: [CCC] Message from Senator Lorna Milne

Dearest Friends:
When I arrived at the office this morning I was not at all surprised to find my inbox filled with comments, concerns, and even a little outright anger about the new census bill. You're right, it does not allow for 100% clean and total access after 92 years, but as I have said on many occasions, comprises have to be made in order to gain access to the historical record.
My message to you is "DON'T PANIC".
We all have to understand that the real choice we are making is not between this legislation and complete unfettered access to the historical census. The real choice is either this framework or never having any access to census records ever again. This bill guarantees forever that the census returns will be turned over to the National Archives and never again will we face this deplorable situation.That having been said, I ask for two things from all of you: a little time, and a little trust. This fall and winter I asked you for a little time and a little trust as I was working behind the scenes to get the 1906 census released. You gave me that time and that trust and we won a battle. All of us now have the 1906 census at our desktops with unfettered access. I ask for your indulgence once more. If I have to cash in my chips with all of you to do that, then I think my chips will be well spent.Now, let me get specific with some of the things that people have been asking about this bill. Does this bill mean that access to the census records will only be available in Ottawa? NO. The 1911 and subsequent historic censuses will be available online. I have the personal assurance from the National Archivist that web technology will easily accommodate any undertaking that is required by regulation.Will we be able to browse the census records fully? Yes we will. Nothing will be withheld from you. For 20 years there will be limitations on what you can publish from what you find in the census records. I have received assurances that these limitations will not be onerous. I have been given these assurances by people I know personally and have trusted for many many years. Why do we need to tack on another 20 years? Well, I must tell you that despite all of my comments about Dr. Fellegi over the years I must say that he has arrived at his legal opinion regarding confidentiality honestly.
There is a real culture of secrecy over at Stats Canada because for so much of the work they do secrecy is absolutely required. They believe just as passionately that there was a promise as we believe that there was no promise. After some prodding from Minister Allan Rock, Statistics Canada is now willing to agree to disagree and move on with a compromise. They are willing to say that there is ambiguity if we are. That isn't losing the war, that's winning it. In tough negotiations two sides can only move forward if they acknowledge the gaps they will never bridge and move on. This requires compromise. Don't forget that for 1911 through 2001 there is full and unfettered access after 112 years, and every census taken from now on will be released fully and in its entirety 92 years after the date of the census. There is no capitulation there. Another issue that I see is generating obvious concerns is the requirement that in the future people must consent to making their information public. To be honest, everyone, this isn't something that we can go forward without. I am sure that if each of you looks way down deep you will understand that people must have freedom of choice in this country.
Privacy rights are real rights, and we can't ignore them. I don't think it is at all proper for any of us to force this down other people's throats.
In all cases we are looking at a people's very private lives - just look at the 2001 long form! People should have a choice. This issue has become so big that the government can not ignore it on the next census. It would be irresponsible to fail to deal with it head on. That is why we must have informed consent.Let me give you one more reason why I am not worried about informed consent. When Revenue Canada asks people if they can send information to Elections Canada to put their name on the voters list, over 98% give permission. When Statistics Canada asks Canadians if they can link their census records to their health records for more detailed research, over 93% give permission. I have also been guaranteed that Statistics Canada will spend huge amounts of money begging Canadians to give permission for their returns to be stored in the National Archives. And I promise you that I will be right in there doing everything I can to promote as well. The bottom line is that the integrity of the record not be compromised.Will I be sponsoring the bill? Absolutely, and I am proud to do so.
I wouldn't have it any other way. It means that I still have an element of control over how it maneuvers through the Senate. It also ensures that it will not drop off of the radar screen. We are very lucky right now because things are a bit quieter than usual in the Senate, and we should have time to get people to pay attention to us. Since I am the sponsor of the bill, I can use my role to take advantage of this lull.
After all of this I know that many of you will still not be 100% happy. But don't forget, this isn't a law yet. Let me leave you with some food for thought. 36% of the government bills introduced in the Senate in the last session of Parliament were amended. Some of the bills that weren't amended include the Blue Water Bridge Authority Act, and the Tax Conventions Act - hardly controversial stuff. You should also know that the one line that Liberal Senators like to hear more than any other is: "I really like this government bill, would you let me help you make it better". It gives us lots of good work to do Once again, I ask for a little time and a little trust. This is a very good bill. We have won the war. We will write the history of this struggle, and our ancestors will find us in the census. If you have more concerns, post them here so we can all discuss them. I truly care about what you have to say.

==== CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN Mailing List ====
How to unsubscribe from Mail Mode. Send a message to CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L-request@rootsweb.com that contains (in the Subject line and body of the message) the command
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To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1901 Census - News release re: pending legislation

Greetings All.
My thanks to Elizabeth for pointing me in the direction of the following Canada News Wire release from the office of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry. I pass it on for your information. I found particularly interesting the backgrounder information as it adds a little more information to the legislation, a copy of which I posted earlier. As indicated in my previous post, I have my own opinions regarding the proposed legislation but will reserve comment for a day or two, preferring for the moment to receive your comments without them being influenced by mine.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.
================================

Legislation to Enable Future Access to Historical Census Records OTTAWA, Feb. 5 /CNW/ - An Act to amend the Statistics Act was introduced in the Senate of Canada today. The proposed legislation will permit access to historical census records and establish new procedures for the release of future census records.
On January 24th, 2003, Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Statistics Canada and Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for the National Archives of Canada announced the immediate release of the 1906 census records. At the time, Minister Rock also announced that the Government would introduce legislation to clarify the Statistics Act in order to enable the release of records for censuses taken between 1911 and 2001.
The proposed legislation will provide genealogists and historical researchers with access for genealogical, scholarly, cultural or educational purposes beginning 92 years after the census took place. After 112 years, the records will be fully released. "Census records remain the most commonly used tool in genealogical and historical research and I am pleased to sponsor this bill", said Senator Lorna Milne. "I believe this bill provides reasonable access to historical census records and meets the needs of genealogists and historians for information on their families and communities."
The bill also establishes new procedures for balancing the importance of census records with the concerns for the protection of personal information. Starting with the 2006 Census, Canadians will be able to decide if they will allow their personal census information to be released publicly after 92 years. Individual census records would be released only where consent is given. To allow Canadians to decide in future censuses whether others can have access to their information is in keeping with the highest standard of privacy protection.
"This bill paves the way for access to historical census records", said Minister Rock. "It meets the legitimate interests of genealogists and historians while continuing to put all appropriate safeguards in place to protect the privacy of individuals."
Backgrounder
An Act to Amend the Statistics Act
- The bill will permit access to the 1911 to 2001 census records, 92 years after a census was taken. Access will be subject to specific conditions.
- Genealogists or their authorized representatives would agree in advance that they would release only tombstone information pertaining to their own family members. Tombstone information is defined as name, address, age, sex, marital status, origin and occupation.- Historical researchers would have the public and scientific nature of their proposed research confirmed by appropriate peers or community leaders prior to starting their work. Again, only tombstone information could be released.
- The conditions would be in effect for a 20 year period following the release of the historical census records 92 years after the census. After 112 years, the conditions would be removed and access and release would be unfettered.
- The bill will allow Canadians to decide, starting with the 2006 Census, whether they allow their personal census information to be made publicly available 92 years after the census. Those census records would be made publicly available only when consent has been given
.- Access to census records as specified in the legislation would be achieved by using existing National Archives access mechanisms.
For further information: Selena Beattie, Office of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry, (613) 995-9001; Media Relations, Statistics Canada, (613) 951-4636

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1901 Census - Proposed legislation presented to Senate

Greetings All.
The long awaited government legislation to deal with continued access to Historic Census records was presented to the Senate of Canada this afternoon by Senator Lorna Milne. Senator Milne had been asked to sponsor the Bill in the Senate.
I copy below the text of the new Bill, for which I do not yet have a number. I have my own opinions regarding this Bill but will reserve my comments for the moment. In reading this Bill, keep in mind that it is subject to amendment. As always, I am interested in your comments.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

================================

Summary
This enactment removes a legal ambiguity in relation to access to census records taken between 1910 and 2003. It allows genealogical and historical researchers access to these records under certain conditions for a 20-year period, beginning 92 years after the census took place.
One hundred and twelve years after the census, anyone may examine the records without restriction.
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. Section 17 of the Statistics Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

(4) The information contained in the returns of any census of population taken between 1910 and 2003 may, starting ninety-two years after the census is taken, be examined by
(a) a person wishing to conduct genealogical research on their own behalf or, where authorized by another person, on behalf of that other person, if the person who will conduct the research signs an undertaking in the form prescribed by regulation: or
(b) a person wishing to conduct historical research if
(i) their research project is approved by a person who is a member of a category of persons prescribed by regulation, and
(ii) they sign an undertaking in the form prescribed by regulation
(5) In deciding whether to approve a historical research project, a person must assess the public and scientific value of the research.
(6) A person who signs an undertaking under subsection (4) shall comply with the undertaking.
(7) The information contained in the returns of any census of population taken between 1910 and 2003 may, stating one hundred and twelve years after the census is taken, be examined by anyone
(8) The information contained in the returns of population taken in 2006 or later may, starting ninety-two years after the census is taken, be examined by any-one if the person to whom the information relates had, at the time of the census, given their consent to disclosure of the information.
(9) A person who examines information under subsection (7) or (8) may disclose that information.
(10) The returns of each census referred to in subsection (4) or (8) shall, ninety-two years after the census is taken, be transferred to the National Archives of Canada in order to permit their examination under subsection (4), (7) or (8).

2. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 17:
17.1 (1) The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, make regulations
(a) prescribing the forms of undertaking for the purposes of paragraph (17)(4)(a) and subparagraph 17(4)(b)(ii); and
(b) prescribing categories of persons for the purposes of subparagraph 17(4)(b)(i).

(2) A form of undertaking prescribed under paragraph (1)(a) may include conditions relating to the use and disclosure of the information to which the undertaking relates.

3. The act is amended by adding the following after section 35; 35.1 Every person who contravenes subsection 17(6) is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars

4. This Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Improvement to 1906 access.

Greetings All.
In response to some suggestions I made for improving access to the 1906 Census records I received the following message. I copy it here for your information.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.

----- Original Message -----

From: Piché, Jean-Stéphen
To: 'Gordon A. Watts'
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 12:55 PM
Subject: RE: Improvement to 1906 access.
Mr. Watts
We are currently working toward improving the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 website. Included in our upcoming enhancements are the addition of the Index maps from the Electoral Atlas for the provinces of the Northwest Territories (Sask. and Manitoba) and Alberta. These Index maps will be manipulated to include important meridians and district number. A legend including district numbers and district names will also appear on the maps. Another project currently being undertaken is the addition of a Postal Address field in our 1906 database. This field will allow researcher access by a geographic locator (i.e. in most cases the name of a town). These additions will be available in phase II of the 1906 Census project which is scheduled to be completed in April 2003. I trust these improvements will greatly improve accessibility to the Census records.
Sincerely,
Jean-Stéphen Piché
Director
Online Services Division
National Archives of Canada
email: Jpiché@archives.ca
tel: 613.996.0029 fax: 613.992.1560

-----Message d'origine-----

De : Gordon A. Watts [mailto:gordon_watts@telus.net]

Envoyé : 30 janvier, 2003 17:27
À : Gabrielle Blais
Objet : Improvement to 1906 access.

Hi Gabrielle.
I would like to pass on to you something that I would think could improve the access to the 1906 Census records. My suggestion is based on some limited personal experience once the receipt of email resulting from last Fridays announcement died down, and on comments I have received, and seen on various mail lists, from those having difficulty in finding their way around the website.For those familiar to the range and township arrangement, or those living in the districts and sub-districts in which they seek information, the existing electoral maps are useful and relatively easy to understand. I particularly like the fact that putting the cursor over a number in the district map brings up a description box. For those who are researching from afar, without knowledge of the area things are somewhat more difficult.
What is lacking for the 1906 web pages, and something that I personally would find useful and desireable, is a Provincial map showing a pictorial layout of the districts. It need not be fancy or detailed, just something to show the relative positions of the Districts within the Province. The existing Provincial links could access the Provincial map, and a link provided within each District on the Provincial map could connect to the current District and Sub-district maps.
The lack of such a map, and the lack of knowledge on my part regarding the layout of the Districts within the Province of Saskatchewan caused me to use the better part of an hour to find where Weyburn might be found in the Census records.
The name of the District does not always give a clue as to the relative location of the District within the Province, and in fact can be misleading. For example, in Saskatchewan, you (or I, at least) would expect East Assiniboia and West Assiniboia districts to be adjacent.
This is not the case, however, as they are separated by the Qu'Appelle District.
The current descriptive text descriptions are useful, but not particularly user friendly, and the website would be vastly improved (in my opinion) by the addition of the provincial maps suggested.There is one other thing you might be able to help me with. I use 17" monitor on my computer with a higher resolution than the standard VGA or SVGA resolutions. As such, images coming in are somewhat smaller than I would like. I have discovered how to increase the frame size of the Mr. Sid viewer and I set the custom parameters for that such that I can get an image that is close to full screen. The problem is that for every image that I wish to view, I must go through the routine of changing the frame size all over again. Do you know if there is any way that I can set my custom frame size as a default so that it remains the size I want without having to set it up for each and every image that I download for viewing. Anything you might suggest would be appreciated.
Take care.
Gordon

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Searching the 1906 Census

Greetings All.
Since the release of the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces on 26 January many people have been having problems navigating the Census pages. From the messages I see posted to the various mail lists, and those sent to me directly, it is obvious to me that many people anxious to find their relatives are diving straight into the database without first reading the Introduction, or the information provided on the opening page of the Census Districts and Maps.
I strongly suggest everyone seeking their ancestors in the 1906 Census read the information on those pages and you will likely find many of your questions answered before you ask them.The descriptions of the various sub-districts are useful, but are not particularly user friendly. I have contacted the people in charge of the 1906 Census, suggesting some things that would improve the navigation of the 1906 Census. I have received a response to my suggestions and I will copy my letter, and the response received, in another posting. Until then I copy here a number of tips to help you navigate the Census pages.
To begin with, as has been stated many times, the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces was a Census of the Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba ONLY. Those seeking information information in other provinces will have to refer to the online 1901 Census, or wait for the 1911 National Census of Canada. We expect that the 1911 should be available by the end of 2003.
The District and sub-district descriptions make reference to Township and Range numbers. This is fine for those familiar with these designations, more particularly those who live in the areas described, but is difficult for those researching from afar. Garth Ulrich, Canada Census Committee for Saskatchewan suggests that a place to start your search is to first find the township and range numbers of a post office for the town of interest, or one that is nearby. To do this, access the ArchiviaNet website for "Post Offices and Postmasters" at the following URL: http://www.archives.ca/02/020109_e.html Click "Search the Database" and input such information as you have available and click "Submit Query". For example, for a search of my own I input "Fairmount" in the "Office Name:" window, and "Saskatchewan" in the "Province" window. On clicking "Submit Query", a new page opened with one postal station listed. If there is no postal station for the place selected, you will get either a page stating nothing was found for your query, or a listing of several postal stations near the area sought. Click on the icon to the left of the postal station of interest. In the case of my own search, there was only one option provided.
At the bottom of the page listing the postmasters is a section for "Additional Information". Here you will find the location description. For my search it showed "Sec. 22, Twp. 28, R.24, W3". The section number can be ignore as it plays no part in navigating the Census pages. Return to the Search page for the 1906 Census at: http://www.archives.ca/02/02015302_e.html Click on "Census Districts and Maps", then on the link for the Province of interest. On the resultant page scroll down the page seeking to match the desciption found for the postal station. To speed your search, look for the township, range, and meridian information in reverse order, i.e. in the case of my search W3 indicates that the location is West of the Third Meridian. The W3 was the easiest part of the description to find.
In my search for Saskatchewan I found the sub-district description "Townships 19 to 34 inclusive in ranges 21 to 28 inclusive, and fractional Townships 19 to 34 in range 29, all west of the 3rd M". To the left of this description was the "sub-district" number "13". Scrolling up to the top of the section I found the "District" number and name of "12 - Assiniboia West". I now had the information needed to input on the Census search page, i.e.
Province: Saskatchewan
District Name: Assiniboia West
Distric Number: 12
Sub-district Number: 13
Submitting my query with these parameters I came up with three pages of names for this Census. This was the area of my grandparents homestead. Their names did not appear on these Census pages so I now know that they did not come here until sometime after the Census of 1906 was taken.
Now I must wait until the release of the 1911 Census to find them there.
Some additional information. I found it useful to have a roadmap handy to find the relative position of the place I sought in the Province. There are seven major Meridians defined, the first (or principal or prime) meridian was established on the international border, near Emerson, Manitoba, at longitude 97° 27' 28'' W (of Greenwich). Meridians number east to west at consistent intervals. A location description that includes "W3M" or "W3" indicates that it is west of the third meridian. Ranges number east to west, referenced from the first meridian to the east, i.e. Range 24 is the 24th range west of the refenced meridian. Townships are 36 square miles in size and number south to north from the Canada - US border. Townships are square with sides of 6 miles in length so it is possible from the range and township numbers to estimate relative distances from the referencing meridian and the 49th Parallel.
Improvements to make searching the Census pages easier are on the way, but in the meantime I hope the suggestions here will help researchers.

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1906 Census

Greetings All.

I have received from Gabrielle Blais of the National Archives the following list of libraries and archives to which microfilm of the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces have been sent. A number of other institutions have ordered films but as they have gone through a third party supplier they are unknown at this time.

Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm
Permission to forward without notice is granted.
================================
Vancouver Public Library - Hastings Branch
2674 E Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

Victoria Public Library - Central Branch
735 Broughton Street
Victoria, BC

Okanagan Regional Library
Headquarters
1430 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC

Western Manitoba Regional Library, Brandon Branch
710 Rosser Avenue, Unit 1
Brandon, MB

North York Central Library
Gladys Allison Canadiana Room
5120 Yonge St., Floor 6
Toronto, ON

W.R. Castell Central Library
616 Macleod Trail, S.E.
Calgary, Alberta

Frances Morrison Library
311 - 23rd Street East
Saskatoon, SK

Provincial Archives of Manitoba
200 Vaughan Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Saskatchewan Archives Board

University of Regina
Regina, SK
Provincial Archives of Alberta
12845 - 102 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5N 0M6

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Post 1901Census - Replay of radio interview

Greetings All.

I have been contacted by a number of people who advised they had difficulty in accessing the website or various radio stations to listen to the Peter Warren radio interview of Senator Lorna Milne and myself.

They expressed their disappointment in not being able to hear it. For the information of those who would like to hear the interview, I have discovered that it is accessible via the Internet in the Audio Vault of Radio Station CKNW (Vancouver). To listen to the interview, go to the website at http://www.cknw.com/home/index.cfm and click on "Audio Vault". Select the date of "Sat Jan. 25" and a time of "12 pm" and click "Go". This will open up Windows Media Player and after a minute or two the audio begins. There is a news broadcast before the interview begins. The audio file is a one hour segment of the program and the interview itself takes up a little more than half of the segment.

Thanks to all for your interest.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net

Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee

Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census

en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Access to 1906 Census records 24/01/03

Greetings All.

Since our announcement this morning regarding the immediate release of 1906 Census records we have had a number of reports of people experiencing difficulty accessing the records. We can only assume from reports received that the number of people attempting to access the records could be swamping the website.

Considering the number of subscribers to the Global Gazette, and the number of mail lists to which Muriel and I post directly, a conservative estimate of the numbers that have known about the website since shortly after it opened this morning would be 40,000 people. Add to this the readers of mail lists to which others forward our posts, and you could have a great many people trying to get access at the same time.

We suggest that if you experience difficulty accessing the 1906 records, just wait awhile, or wait until tomorrow, and try again. Traffic at the website is likely to be very heavy, at least for the next few days. We have been waiting for this access for a long time. A day or two more won't hurt.

Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Permission to forward without notice is granted.

Greetings All.

"Genealogists, historians, and researchers across the country won a major victory today as Industry Minister Allan Rock announced the immediate release of the nominal records from the 1906 census. Ontario Senator Lorna Milne (Liberal -- Peel Region) welcomed the news."
So reads the opening paragraph of a News Release issued today, 24 January 2003, by Senator Lorna Milne.
The full text of Senator Milne's News Release, and other pertinent News Releases, can be found on the Post 1901 Census Project website at <http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census>
The announced release of the 1906 Special Census of the Western Provinces is indeed a major victory for genealogists and historians who have been actively campaigning for this for the past five years. It is felt that release of the 1906 Census will lead the way for the eventual release of the 1911 and subsequent Censuses of Canada.
We are grateful to Industry Minister Allan Rock for recognizing what is right and proper, and doing what legally should have been done in 1998.
We are pleased that the Minister has released the 1906 records in full, and without restrictions, on the same basis as 1901 and earlier records have been available.
We are grateful also to MP Murray Calder, and especially to Senator Lorna Milne for the effort they have put in for us to reach this point in our campaign.

We have won a major battle, but the war is not yet over. We have yet to deal with expected legislation that must ensure the orderly and continued release of Historic Census records, after the legislated period of closure. We expect that legislation to be brought down shortly after Parliament resumes sitting at the end of January. We trust Minister Rock, in drafting the legislation, to remember that what we seek is the same unrestricted access to records after, now 1906, that is currently available for records up to then.
Check my latest column giving more details at <http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce89.htm>
Happy Hunting.

Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net

***************************************************************************************

Greetings All.

Subsequent to the announcement of Ministers Rock and Copps regarding the immediate release of the 1906 Census of the Western Provinces, Ian Wilson - National Archivist, has announced that those records are now accessible online.

They can be viewed at

<http://www.archives.ca/02/020153_e.html>

<http://www.archives.ca/02/020153_f.html>

Our thanks to Ian Wilson and his staff for preparing these records so that they might be accessible so soon.
Happy Hunting.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net <mailto:gordon_watts@telus.net>
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC
<http://globalgenealogy.com/Census>
en français <http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm>

From: Marion Kelch [<mailto:czardust@telusplanet.net>]
Sent: January 15, 2003 9:54 PM
Subject: Empress of Ireland/Provost News

Hello Everyone,
I thought you might like to see how my hometown newspaper carried the story of the quest to save the artifacts. The article will only be carried for 6 more days. Be sure to also Click on Full Story after you open the site.
<http://provostnews.ca/>
Marion

09 Sept 2002:- Information on the The Maple Leaf Legacy Project

The Maple Leaf Legacy Project was started in 97 by a Canadian, Steve Douglas, who is living in England to pursue the aims of the project. It is a non-profit project and the aims are to obtain a photograph of every Canadian War Grave and commemoration of the 20th century and to make these images available for viewing on the project web site, at no cost, to Canadians everywhere.

To date we have collected images of over 54,000 commemorations with the help of hundreds of volunteers worldwide. There are approx. 115,000 commemorations in 74 countries.

Please check our web site at www.mllp.demon.co.uk for further information.
Below is the list of the venues for Steve's upcoming slide/talk presentation on the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and also the work of the MLLP.
Monday, Sept. 16 - 7-9pm, New Westminster Public Library, 716 - 6th Avenue, New Westminster
Wednesday, Sept. 18 - 10:30 am, CKNW Radio with Rafe Mair,
Wednesday, Sept. 18 - 7-9pm, Vancouver Public Library, Alma Van Dusen room, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
Thursday, Sept. 19 - 7-9pm, Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 148-4358 E. Hastings St.Burnaby, B.C.
Friday, Sept. 20 - 2-4pm, North Vancouver City Library, 121 W 14th St., North Vancouver
Friday, Sept. 20 - 7-9pm, Army Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada, Steveston Unit 284, 11900 No. 1 Road, Richmond.

Regards,
Heather Darney

20 March 2001 OLD NEWS IS GOOD NEWS -

A new website makes it easier to research documented history with a fully searchable database of newspapers, including The New York Times from the 1800's. And the best part? It's free.
NewspaperArchive.com is a website sponsored by Heritage Microfilm, an archival microfilm company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The new site is quickly becoming one of the most popular sites for genealogical and historical research on the Internet.
Used by thousands of genealogical researchers, NewspaperArchive.com is already getting over 100,000 hits each month.
"We're literally making improvements every day", reported Chad Rosenbohm, Webmaster of the innovative site. "We're tweaking the search engine, adding capacity, and generally refining the system to make it more accurate and friendly in every way."
Heritage President Chris Gill adds: "We believe that in the future, all information will be freely available over the Internet. We're making it happen now."
NewspaperArchive.com provides a handy suite of search tools that allows users to specify Proper Names, phrases, and use Boolean search terms.
"A great feature we have added is called Yellow Hit Highlighting", continued Rosenbohm. "The Yellow Hit Highlighting makes your selection stand out, so you'll know which area of the image to magnify."
Who pays for all this? Well, right now Heritage is sponsoring the public domain New York Times (1851-1923. Other newspapers have paid to have their publications scanned and hosted.
"There is a tremendous interest in scanning and online hosting right now, and we can do it for about 20% of the cost that other companies are charging", enthuses Gill. "With our system you get the original layout, pictures and all, not just a text file."
For further information visit http://www.NewspaperArchive.com
Sincerely,
Chris Gill
President
Heritage Microfilm, Inc.
888-870-0484
chris@heritagemicrofilm.com

12 April 2001

FYI -The recent updates for the BC Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations have finally been received. The following microfilm reels are now available in the History & Government Division:
Birth Registrations - 1900
Marriage Registrations - 1925
Death Registrations - 1980
Kate Russell, Librarian, History & Government Division, Vancouver Public Library

05 Feb 2001

From Marge Clark Kapas mkapas@vcn.bc.ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 22:19:58 -0800
From: khalua.m <khalua.m@3web.net>
To: Laurel Lowndes <lowndesgh@efni.com>, M. Kapas <mkapas@vcn.bc.ca>
Subject: [Fwd: Rare Immigration Records Now Available on Microfilm/De rares
registres d'immigration sont maintenant disponibles sur microfilms]
Xenia Stanford wrote:
> Posted on behalf of the Archives of Ontario: (le texte français suit l'anglais)
> * Rare Immigration Records Now Available on Microfilm *
> The Archives of Ontario is pleased the announce the availability of Rare Immigration Records.
> About the Records:
> Thanks to financial support from the Friends of the Archives of Ontario, the Archives has acquired a set of highly significant Canadian immigration records from Columbia University. While at Columbia, they were known as the Toronto Emigration Office Records, or more informally as the Hawke Papers.
> These records, which date from 1831-1892, were mainly compiled by Anthony Bowden Hawke and his successor J. A. Donaldson. Hawke was the first specialized emigrant agent assigned to assist immigrants in settling Upper Canada (which became Canada West, and then Ontario). He served as Chief Emigrant Agent for a number of years.
>
> This important collection is now part of the Archives' larger collection of Provincial Immigration Records (RG 11). It includes official correspondence and records which document assistance provided to immigrants in the form of transportation, food, and shelter. Of particular note are records of assistance provided to widows, orphans, and others who fled to Canada during the difficult Irish famine time period. Earliest in date are financial records containing accounts of A.B. Hawke, Peter Robinson, Alexander McDonell and others.
>
> While the records originate mainly from the Toronto and Kingston emigrant offices, records of arrivals and destinations pertaining to other locations are also included. Some registers document the arrival of young children, including "Barnardo's Boys", who were among the more than 100,000 British Home Children sent to Canada between 1870 and 1940.
>
> These papers will be of immense value to genealogists and scholars studying immigration patterns and conditions of life in nineteenth-century Ontario.>

> As of Thursday, February 1, 2001 microfilm of these important records will be available to the public in one of two ways:
>
> (1) In person, in the Main Reading room of the Archives of Ontario (77 Grenville Street, Toronto, Ontario) on self service microfilm. Information about the opening times of the main reading room are available on the Archives of Ontario Web page at the following link - http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/about/locate.htm
>
> (2) On interloan from the Archives of Ontario to your local library. To find out more about the Archives of Ontario Interloan program and to determine what is available for loan please see the online Interloan catalogue at the following Archives of Ontario web page:
> http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/interloan/index.html or the separate page for the Immigration records at: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/interloan/i-immigration-t.htm
>
> For more information about the records and to see samples of original pages, visit the Archives' website at: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/interloan/hawkes.htm
>
> Important Note:
> THE ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO IS NOT ABLE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH. Microfilm copies of the records may be accessed using one of the two methods described above.
> Xenia Stanford (xenias@cadvision.com )
> A.G.E. Ancestree Genealogical Enterprises
> Phone: (403) 295-3490
> Fax: (403) 274-0564

21 January 2001

As a friend and former visitor to our California Search portal <http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com> we would like to encourage you take a peak at recent and on going database developments. A revised California Death Index which includes rare 1930-39 data was released earlier this month and the 1940-97 Search software has been greatly improved for speed and ease of use.

You might also wish to re-examine Premium Search Advantages ( <http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/gen/regadvan.htm> ) which among others benefits allows access to ongoing database developments in progress.
We thank you.
The Vitalsearch Company Worldwide, Inc

21 April 2001

Dear British Columbia Genealogical Society,
The Newspaper Archive (<http://www.newspaperarchive.com/>) is the world's largest FREE PUBLIC ACCESS and PRIVATE online historic newspaper and document database.
More than 100,000 pages of historic newspapers and documents are online now with 2,000 more pages being added every day.
The Newspaper Archive can put your local newspaper's microfilm online in a full-text, full-image database. Please visit http://www.newspaperarchive.com/ to learn more about putting your local history online
Sincerely,
Chris Gill
President
Heritage Microfilm, Inc.
888-870-0484
chris@heritagemicrofilm.com

20 April 2001

If your association or other organization is interested in providing web-based classes such as continuing education, skills upgrading, or other kinds of training to your members or the public, you might like to take a look at our web courseware solution. < http://www.eufrates.com/ >

Thanks for your time.
Brad Jensen
President
http://www.Eufrates.com

24 Aug 1999:- a note sent to the BCGS from the BC Archives about the new addition of the Birth Registrations

Attached is information about the British Columbia birth, marriage and death registration indexes on the BC Archives website which has been updated to include the 16 June 1999 release of the index to births to and including 1898.

The British Columbia Archives (BC Archives), the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency (BCVSA), and the Information and Data Management Branch (IDMB) are pleased to announce the release of indexes to B.C. birth registrations (1872-1898) on the BC Archives website, effective 16 June 1999> (http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca).

The BC Archives website provides an extensive source of genealogical information on pioneer residents of the Province of British Columbia. In addition to the Genealogical Resources page, the website offers direct on-line searching of historical B.C. Vital Event Indexes (nearly 1 million names in total), consisting of birth events over 100 years old, marriage events over 75 years old, and death events over 20 years old.

Indexes to marriages (1872-1921) and deaths (1872-1976) were first released on 13 January 1997. Earlier this year, those indexes were updated to include marriages for 1922-1923 and deaths for 1977-1978.

Since the initial release in 1997, the Vital Events portion of the BC Archives website has taken more than 3 million hits, from around the world.

This project is the result of close cooperation between the BCVSA and BC Archives/IDMB, in partnership with the Genealogical Society of Utah which has provided the staff to microfilm the original registration documents. Volunteers from the West Coast Family Histories Society and the Victoria Genealogical Society provided an invaluable service by indexing early birth, marriage, and death registrations. Volunteers from the West Coast Family Histories Society undertook the very time-consuming task of sorting birth registrations in preparation for microfilming.

Microfilm copies of original birth registration documents (1872-1898), marriage registration documents (1872-1923) and death registration documents (1872-1978) are available for viewing in the BC Archives reading room in Victoria.

For a list of libraries and genealogical societies which hold a copy of the marriage and death microfilm released in January 1997, please consult: http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/vs/genealogy/microfilm.html

28 May 1999
Date: Fri, 28 May 1999
From: Marian Elder

Hi, Here is a copy of the letter Gordon Watts sent out last week on this subject, as I mentioned at the meeting. I will bring the original letter from Statscan to the meeting. P.S: the following URL is where Gordon will be posting further info on this campaign: http://globalgenealogy.com/gazette.htm (The Global Gazette).
Subject:
Re: [NOVA-SCOTIA-L] Post 1901 Census - Another tick mark
Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 22:25:55 -0700
From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@bc.sympatico.ca>
To: <marian_elder@bc.sympatico.ca>
CC: "Pictou Roots LIST" <pictouroots@onelist.com>, "Ontario LIST" <ONTARIO-L@rootsweb.com>, "Lunen Links LIST" <LUNEN-LINKS-L@rootsweb.com>,<NOVA-SCOTIA-L@rootsweb.com>
Hi Marian and listers.
In a letter to one of our supporters, written by Louise Desramaux of Statistics Canada, responding to a letter to the Hon. John Manley, the lister was advised of two options Statistics Canada has drafted at the request of Mr. Manley. (These two options were also found by Lyn Winters under Access to Information requests). These options were:
1. That beginning with the 2001 Census and continuing thereafter at 10 year intervals, information would be released after 92 years. This would see the next Census released in 2093 (not 2094 as is the date most commonly referred to for this). With this option there would be a 100 year gap in Canada's Census information released to the Public. This would be a disaster for genealogists and historians. None of us living today would ever see it.
2. That the legislation ensuring privacy forever could be changed retroactively to provide a time limitation of 92 years to the privacy clause of the Statistics Act. This option would mean that the 1911 Census could be released in 2003 as originally expected, and subsequent Census information would be released at 10 year intervals as was done with those Census reports up to and including 1901.
This second option is the one that we are currently looking for and our letters should stress that the first option is to be considered totally unacceptable to us. As to the intentions of Mr. Manley, that has yet to be seen. In one respect however, it is encouraging that Mr. Manley has requested Statistics Canada to developed options to address our concerns. It means that our message is getting through. A Bill put forth by the responsible Minister of the Government has a greater likelyhood of being passed than a Private Member's Bill. We can only hope that it would be a Bill that we could live with.

I hope that this explanation clarifies things for you. Thank you for your question, and your continuing support.

One additional note. A few MPs, rather than referring to a time limitation of 92 years, have stated support for release of Census information "after a reasonable period". Some have suggested a "reasonable period" could mean release "after 30 years". While legislative changes allowing release of Census information after 30 years would have most of us turning cartwheels, realistically however I do not see it happening. This however will not stop me from writing Mr. Manley and suggesting a 30 year period before release as a third option.
----------------------------------------------
I send Post 1901 Census information to the Nova Scotia, Lunen-Links, Ontario, and PictouRoots mailing lists. Feel free to pass these postings on to other mailing lists, Family History Societies, and Newsletters.
Thank you for your continuing support. Together we can obtain our goal.
Happy
Hunting.
Gordon A. WATTS

05 Jan 1999:- I thought the following was important and hope some or all of it can be put
on-line and people will write to the Senator.

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 10:43:37 -0400
From: "Leland Harvie" <lharvie@istar.ca>
Subject: Senator Milne takes up Access to Canadian Census issue

Senator Lorna Milne (Liberal - Ontario) has taken up the issue of access to post-1901 Canadian Census returns in a speach delivered on the 17th of November, (Hansard copy reprinted below).

Words of encouragement may be directed to:

Senator Lorna Milne
The Senate of Canada
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4

E-mail may be directed to her office at <downec@sen.parl.gc.ca>

Debates of the Senate (Hansard)
1st Session, 36th Parliament,
Volume 137, Issue 92
Tuesday, November 17, 1998

The Honourable Gildas L. Molgat, Speaker
Access to Census Information Inquiry-Debate Adjourned

Hon. Lorna Milne rose pursuant to notice of October 27, 1998:

That she will call the attention of the Senate to the lack of access to the 1906 and all subsequent censuses caused by an Act of Parliament adopted in 1906 under the Government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

She said: Honourable senators, in 1918, the Borden government passed a new Statistics Act. While this does not sound particularly innovative, there was a clause in this act which is currently causing a great deal of consternation. Clause 15(1) reads, in part:

No individual return, and no part of an individual return, made, and no answer to any question put, for the purposes of this Act, shall, without the previous consent in writing of the person... be published, nor, except for the purposes of a prosecution under this Act, any person not engaged in connection with the Census be permitted to see any such individual return or any such part of any individual return.

This clause codified what had been merely a regulation under the Laurier government, and only in effect since the 1906 western census. From that time forward, there would be no access to individual census returns except by the person who completed them. While this happened a long time ago, and does not sound very important now, from now on it will have a tremendous impact upon genealogists, demographic researchers and historians.

In the United States, census data can be accessed after 72 years, and in Great Britain after 100 years. Up until now, anyone researching in Canada has been able to access individual census data after 92 years. However, because of this law, the 1901 census will be the last individual data that will ever be available to researchers. I have been informed that 7.5 million people in this country are involved in genealogical research.
Obviously, the researchers for these people are very concerned about this situation.

A letter sent out by the Upper Ottawa Valley Genealogical Group, of which I am a member, states:

The data on census forms has been helpful in tracing family trees; it has helped in tracing medical problems passed along in genealogical lines.
Family lineage has also successfully been used in court cases to prove lineage and settle inheritance legalities.

Genealogical research is a boon to the Canadian tourist industry. Anyone who is involved in researching their family history usually consults the census reports released by Statistics Canada. After locating useful information, these researchers end up visiting the various locations in Canada where their ancestors lived.

Thousands of people come from around the world each year to do this. The letter goes on to state:
They spend hard cash for meals, accommodation, transportation and souvenirs...
Not to mention film for their cameras.
Genealogy is one of the fastest growing hobbies and businesses. Numerous Canadian companies do millions of dollars worth of business yearly in this field, from researchers, publishers and writers to suppliers of software, books, et cetera. There are at least 35 publishers in Canada whose main publishing interest is family history.
There are approximately 500 genealogical societies and groups across the country, and every province has an overall provincial society.
Almost every family has someone who is doing family research.

Honourable senators, I am the genealogist in my family. I have published three family histories, and I know how invaluable the census data was in tracing those families. It was an absolutely essential research tool for reconstructing the family unit and tracing them back by 10-year periods.
Essentially, it provided a snapshot in time.

I look around this chamber and, in spite of what many Canadians presently suspect, none of us were born before 1923. Thus, unless this law is rescinded, none of our descendants will ever have the wonderful experience of finding us in the census. While this information may not be as necessary in later years, given computerized records, photography and other technological advances, consulting the census is still an important method of tracing your family, and always will be.

Another group which this old law will substantially impact are historians. They use the census to trace trends in Canada - that is, social mobility in individual families, changes in neighbourhood settlement patterns, birth rates, literacy rates, reported religious affiliation, and so on.
They often follow families who have been living in the same house for decades, and manage to reconstruct some idea of what life was like at that time. By cutting out this source of information we are limiting the access that Canadian historians have to information about our past.

As the prominent historian, Father Joseph Gravelle of Otter Lake, Quebec, said before his death in 1971:

Genealogy is not concerned with Blue Bloods and First Families but rather with the Little People who made up the backbone of the country, who pioneered and settled and made their own contributions in their small and
untrumpeted ways.

That is true for history, too. If we cut off access to information about the "Little People," then the only ones who will be written about will be the "Blue Bloods," the "First Families" and the business tycoons of this country. This skew will become obvious in literature written about Canada.

To be fair, I must give the other side of the picture as well. This issue cannot be seen strictly in black and white. A serious concern which rests on the other side of the issue is privacy. By allowing access to this information, we are changing the rules under which the information was collected. We must ask ourselves how we would feel if it were our personal data that was being used 92 years in the future.

Furthermore, in his 1994-95 report, the Privacy Commissioner recommended that all personalized records from the 1991 census, as well as all other census records not already in the public domain, be destroyed once Statistics Canada has processed the data to ensure its accuracy and quality. This solution would require Statistics Canada to seek an amendment to the census retention and disposal schedule approved by the National Archivist under the National Archives of Canada Act. Luckily, Statistics Canada never agreed to do this, and the 1991 census is still safely maintained. However, the concerns of the Privacy Commissioner do need to be addressed.

How does the release of personal information from a census interfere with a person's right to privacy, particularly when that privacy has been guaranteed even though 92 years may have passed?

Let me close by saying that I am greatly concerned by this lack of access to census data. Through this change, we will destroy a growing Canadian industry, as well as distinguish Canada as being the one nation in the western hemisphere which does not welcome and encourage people to research their families. However, privacy concerns must be balanced with the wish of people to access this kind of information. Perhaps through debate we can develop some ideas about how these two concerns might be balanced. I invite my fellow senators to involve themselves in a discussion of this matter. I feel that it is important, and something which definitely needs to be addressed.

Hon. John B. Stewart: Honourable senators, I have a question that I wish to pose to the Honourable Senator Milne.
I notice that she did not put forward her own proposal as to what should be done to address the situation that she has described.

(1520)

Would the honourable senator consider having a bill drafted to address the problem, with the notion that the bill would be given second reading quickly? We would then go into committee with the understanding that the clauses in that bill would not be regarded as sacrosanct, but could be amended to achieve the kind of balance suggested by Senator Milne.

Honourable senators, I am afraid that nothing will be achieved if we go on debating without having a document before us, and the disastrous effects to which Senator Milne referred will be upon us. I propose that solution to Senator Milne as a modus operandi and ask if she has any thoughts on it.

Senator Milne: I thank the honourable senator for his question. My honourable friend's thoughts follow along exactly the same lines as mine.
I was hoping there would be some debate in this place on the matter before I started work on drafting a bill, which I am seriously considering.
Perhaps I should move a motion asking the Senate to refer the matter to a committee for further study. Out of that committee study might then come a Private Member's Bill.

On motion of Senator Johnson, debate adjourned

31 Mar 1998-2 a note from Lynda M. Cunningham
Hello fellow researchers,
Some of you are still reporting problems in reaching the Cabinet Ministers who are involved in the closure of the 1911 Census of Canada and all future census records.
I logged on to the Parliamentary Website www.parl.gc.ca this am and copied the detailed information they show with respect to the Hon Sheila Copps and the Hon John Manley. Their respective addresses are:

Name: The Hon. Sheila Copps
Political Party: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Hamilton East
Province: Ontario
Telephone: (613) 995-2772
Fax: (613) 994-1267
Email: Copps.S@parl.gc.ca

Name: The Hon. John Manley
Political Party: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Ottawa South
Province: Ontario
Telephone: (613) 990-8640
Fax: (613) 990-2592
Email: Manley.J@parl.gc.ca

Please do not forget your local Member of Parliament -- you may obtain his address by visiting the Parliamentary Website cited above.
I will again provide the e-mail address for Dr. Ivan Fellegi, the Chief Statistician, as he is probably the most important player in all of this.
His e-mail is: fellegi@statcan.ca
Bear in mind we are not all on the internet. If you have friends, acquaintances, or are connected to historical societies, genealogical societies, please pass the details on to them and ask them to consider writing their local MP, as well as the Federal Ministers involved AND the Chief Statistician at Statistics Canada.
>
> Thanks.
> Lyn.
>
Back to Top

31 Mar 1998-1 As Posted on ns-roots-l by Lyndall Winters lyngene@cyberus.ca
--------------------------------------------------------
Some of you out there may have seen Pat Smith's message to "fellow researchers" expressing concern over the complete closure by Statistics Canada of the 1911 census. I followed this up with a message of my own on the nsroots providing my "two bits". Since then, I have again discussed this question with the StatsCan and have received much the same response -- the 1911 Census and all future census records will not be open to those seeking their ancestors (genealogy).
For any of you who have used the 1901 Census which was released in 1993 and have found, as I have, my grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. complete with dates of birth, this will never again be available to you, unless we all express our voices, loud and clear to the people who are in a decision-making role in Ottawa.
I am convinced that Statistics Canada could release these census records without causing anyone personal anxiety by discrete use of the "severance principle". This in essence is extracting those portions of the records which contain very sensitive information (such as household income, etc.) and releasing the remainder. In other words, they could, if they so desired, provide the genealogical community with the same records we have seen in the 1901 census. They are not prepared to do this.
The prospect of change does not look promising, but one avenue of approach might be a concerted campaign of letters and e-mail to the three main players involved. They are as shown below.
Do you believe in our rights as citizens? Do you believe that governments should make these arbitrary decisions? If you ever want to see another census record, I suggest you write, phone, e-mail the following people.
Special attention should be given to making contact with your local MP. It is surprising what the democratic process can produce!

Persons to whom to write or e-mail:

The Hon. Sheila Copps, PC, MP
Heritage Minister,
House of Commons,
111 Wellington St.,
OTTAWA, Ont.
K1A 0A6

e-mail address: min_copps@pch.gc.ca

The Hon. John Manley, PC, MP
Industry Minister,
House of Commons,
111 Wellington St.,
OTTAWA, Ont.
K1A 0A6

e-mail addresses: manlej@parl.gc.ca (Parliament Hill office) manley.John@ic.gc.ca (Departmental office)

The Chief Statistician,
Statistics Canada,
120 Parkdale Avenue,
OTTAWA, Ont.
K1A 0T6

e-mail address: fellegi@statcan.ca

Your local MP whomever that would be.

A final thought -- if we let this slide, we will be alone in this restrictive policy. The US will soon be releasing the 1930 census records!!
The UK also releases Census material. Why should Canada feel obligated to do things in secret?? A word to Canadians and those with Canadian roots who are now living in the USA -- a word from you folks would help as well.
While you may not have an MP to whom to turn, you can write letters and send e-mail.
Let's be polite, BUT LET's BE FIRM!

Lyn

Cathy DiPietro vdpcom@warwick.net listowner: Lunen-Links-L
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5699/index.html

Back to Top

Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 10:29:43 -0700
To: bcgs@npsnet.com
From: "Lynda M. Cunningham" lmcunn@direct.ca
Subject: 1911 Census

Hello fellow researchers,
    This refers to Pat Smith's message plsmith@ns.sympatico.ca about the closure by Stats Canada of all future Census records -- yes, we are not only concerned about the 1911 records but ALL future census records. I have been tempted to raise this subject on the nsroots ednet for some time but have hesitated to do so, feeling that no one cared enough about it.
Perhaps this is unfair -- perhaps other researchers are simply not aware of what has happened. I became aware of this in 1991 whilst still employed with the Federal Government. I raised the issue at that time with the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and could not seem to generate any interest.
    The response which Pat received from National Archives is not entirely accurate -- probably because the person involved was simply not aware of the situation. Perhaps I could offer my interpretation of how the Statistics Act and the Access to Information Act (Federal) apply in this situation.
    Concerning the comment that "...the microfilming of the various census records up to 1901 was possible because these came under the Access to Information Act" -- the Access to Information Act (ATIA) has no bearing on whether or not records are microfilmed. What does apply is the approach which Statistics Canada takes toward permitting such records to be released to the public. I might add that with certain specified stipulations, the ATIA applies to ALL federal government records, bar none.
    The ATIA spells out (Schedule II) certain provisions of certain Acts which makes it mandatory for institutions to protect certain records. The Statistics Act contains such a provision relating to records in their possession. However, the ATIA also contains a provision that makes it mandatory for the institution to apply the severance principle and thereby release what it can.
    I know this is getting somewhat technical, but without quoting the particular sections of the ATIA and the Statistics Act, it appears to me that Stats Canada should sever and release any of the records which we, as researchers, are accustomed to seeing in the census records of 180l through 1901. I was told by an employee of Stats Canada that they have adopted this posture based on a legal ruling. Their great concern was over the more recent census where a certain segment of the population were required by the Statistics Act to answer certain very personal questions about their family circumstances, including their family income, etc. They felt that in order to ensure complete cooperation of the general public, they, the department, needed to be able to assure the public that ALL FUTURE CENSUS WOULD BE CLOSED.
    When I first became concerned with this issue in 1991 I contacted the Access to Information Coordinating Office at Stats Canada and the following is the gist of my notes made for my own records at that time:
    "I contacted the Coordinating Office of Statistics Canada by telephone on 91-02-20 concerning the 1891 Census records and what treatment will be given by Statistics Canada to any subsequent records.
    "I spoke with _________ and learned that the ((1891)) Census has been transferred to the National Archives and is fully available to the public. The 1901 records have also been transferred but will not be made public until 1993 ((they have since been released)) in accordance with their legislation which apparently stipulates that such records will not be made public until 92 years after the taking of the census.      "_________ informed me that the 1901 census will be the last to be made fully public. He explained that they have received a legal opinion which advises them that such records shall remain private.      "_________ said that the only exception would be on a case by case basis,
e.g. the records would be opened for the purpose of settling estates.    "This might be a good subject for research by the Genealogy Society-- if what ________ says is correct, it might well be a suitable topic for lobbying for change in the legislation."
    As I mentioned above, I voiced my concern over this issue a number of years ago but to no avail. I am encouraged to learn from Pat that some of the Genealogical Societies have taken up the cause.
    I do not think that we can look to our good friends below the border for help on this, except we might use their practice as a point of comparison with the very severe treatment of Census records here in Canada. I think the best avenue is to generate enough discussion amongst Genealogical Societies, historical societies and JUST PLAIN RESEARCHERS through lobbying of MP's and thereby bring enough pressure upon Stats Canada to change.
    There may be another modus operandi available and I am willing to go into this with any interested party on an individual basis.
    Happy researching! Hope I haven't bored everybody.
                         Lyn
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Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 23:48:10 -0700
To: bcgs@npsnet.com
From: "Lynda M. Cunningham" lmcunn@direct.ca
Subject: [NOVA-SCOTIA-L] 1911 Census of Canada

Fellow Researchers:

Concerned about a rumour that microfilming of the 1911 Census would not be permitted for whatever reason, I contacted the Genealogy section of the National Archives of Canada a while ago. Apparently, the microfilming of the various census records up to 1901 was possible because these came under the Access to Information Act. The Census records later than 1901 come under the Statistics Act. I was told that it is necessary to get the 1911 records
transferred to being under the Access to Information Act, to enable their being microfilmed.

It would seem that the way to do this is through one's MP and by public pressure generally throughout Canada. I was given to understand that some genealogical societies are starting to work on this. Since the required 92 year lapse of time will be up in the year 2003 and knowing how long it can take sometimes to get changes in legislation, it is not too soon for all of us, both through our societies and as individuals, to start to make the federal government aware of how vital it is to have this resource publicly available. The type of information recorded on the 1911 Census is virtually the same as that on the 1901 Census, I gather, so there is no additional need to protect privacy.

I spoke to the office of the MP for the South Shore a couple of weeks ago, requesting information about the best approach, but have heard nothing back.
The staff member sounded totally uninterested & the MP is not of the party in power, so may have other priorities.

Does anyone have any further ideas about how we can bring pressure to bear,
or how our friends south of the border can help?

Pat, Lunenburg

plsmith@ns.sympatico.ca

==== NOVA-SCOTIA Mailing List ====
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March 25 & 27, 1998
Cyndi Howell
Hi all -

Just a reminder to everyone that my web site has a new address: http://www.CyndisList.com Please be sure to update your bookmarks, links to the site and/or your NetMind / URL Minder registration (if you've used that service).

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April 25/97-- SPECIAL INTEREST TO GENEALOGISTS IN CANADA. The following email was sent by Ronald (RON) Cox, to the BCGS,
Hi Gang;

Last night Bill C-32, An Act to ammend the Canadian Copyright Act, received third reading in the Senate. All that now remains is to receive Royal Assent, and it becomes law.
No changes were made, but the Senators commented that;
- "a compromise totally satisfactory to all parties would have been impossible to achieve".
- a review should be made after three years to monitor developments under the revised legislation.
- Study for Phase III of the Act's revisions should proceed quickly.

Phase III is to cope with Information Highway/Internet copyright issues.

To all of you, a great big thanks from both Fawne and I for all your support. Your messages, faxes, phone calls to MPs, and letters to the Government did it. And your messages of support to both Fawne and I individually gave us a needed boost at times, as well as news that you had picked up from your sources. Only two flames from a gentleman in Texas who spotted the messages on Canada Roots-amazing there weren't more.

We all owe a big thanks for sharing information, thoughts, and much valued counsel to:- Jean Dryden, Chair of the Copyright Committee, Association of Canadian Archivists, and Jim Miller, President, Canadian Historians Association. (You'll never know how much we appreciated, and all gained, from their help.)

So Phase II is now largely yesterday's news. Phase III will be a new challenge. And I think you will all agree individuals working together can make a difference; our politicians now know how to spell genealogist, and that the internet can be a force to contend with. :-)

All the best with your research, and when you make a copy of that 150 year old unpublished document, you are no longer a law breaker. :-))

Fawne and Ron

Ronald (RON) Cox, roncox@cam.org , 74 Brunswick Dr., Beaconsfield, QC, H9W5H2, CAN
"He, who takes no interest in the history of his ancestors, does not deserve to be remembered by his posterity."
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Since Aug/03 Hit Counter


	30% Trade Discount
	Family History Scotland - now accepting online credit card payments
	Post 1901 Census - Senator Scoreboard updated
	[archives-bc] govt. review of FOIPP
	Post 1901 Census - New Cabinet Members
	Post 1901 Census -- New column up
	Post 1901 Census - Bill S-13 is dead.
	Post 1901 Census -- Hansard extracts re: Bill S-13
	It would appear that the government pulled a swifty on us
	Spam Blockers (3/11/03)
	Post 1901 Census - debate on Bill S-13 (3/11/03)
	Post 1901 Census - Debate resumes on Bill S-13 (1/11/03)
	Post 1901 Census - Bill S-13 ( 27/10/03)
	Post 1901 Census - S-13 Hansard Debate online 21/10/03
	Post 1901 Census - Request for assistance in legal action 20/10/03
	Post 1901 Census -- Debate on Bill S-13 ( 20/10/03)
	If you are using an anti-spam program (18/10/03)
	Fw: [CCC] S-13 House of Commons (20/10/03)
	Post 1901 Census - Muriel Davidson (05/10/03)
	Post 1901 Census - More updates to website (22/09/03)
	Post 1901 Census -- Website updated (16/09/03)
	Post 1901 Census -- No Welcome Back for MPs (14/09/03)
	Post 1901 Census -- New column posted (03/09/03)
	Post 1901 Census - New MPs added to Scoreboard (01/09/03)
	Aug 21/03, a note from Gordon A. Watts
	Post 1901 Census -- Complaints to Information Commissioner
	Post 1901 Census - ATI requests rejected 30 june/03
	Fw: C-36 update 26 june/03
	June 30, 2003, Please note changes in Salt Lake City Hours
	June 19, 2003, News about a service offered by Jackie Riggs "Grave markers"
	EMPRESS of IRELAND/ June 5
	Kirkin o' the Tartan, on June 22/03
	Highland Games & Bothy Ballads Schedule
	Post 1901 Census - A note from Senator Milne
	Post 1901 Census - Another Court Action (June 7/03
	Post 1901 Census -- Debate of Bill S-13 (June 7/03)
	Post 1901 Census - 2nd reading of Bill S-13 in H of C
	Post 1901 Census (May 27/03)
	Post 1901 Census - Opening of Canada History Centre
	Post 1901 Census - Seeking access to 1911 Census records
	Post 1901 Census -- New Column posted.
	Post 1901 Census -- Third reading of Bill S-13
	Post 1901 Census -- Bill S-13 needs a full debate in the Senate.
	Post 1901 Census - Senator Lowell Murray
	Post 1901 Census - Bill S-13
	Call for Papers From May 27 to 30 2004, Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society
	Post 1901 Census -- 10/04/03 Senate Hearing Testimony
	Post 1901 Census - 10/04/03 Re: A note from Senator Milne
	Post 1901 Census - 22/03/03 More updates to website
	Post 1901 Census - 22/03/03 Website Updates & more
	Post 1901 Census - 20/03/03 Senate Hearings delayed
	Post 1901 Census Project 17/03/03 Addendum to written submission
	EMPRESS of IRELAND update April 10/03
	FYI. My latest Global Genealogy column
	Sections of Bill S-13 dealing with the twenty-year extension of so-called privacy, and penalties for disclosure of "restricted" information are receiving more attention than they might warrant.
	Many have a misconception regarding the 92 years versus 112 years spelled out in Bill S-13.
	Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society’s annual Seminar The organizers are inviting proposals for one-hour lecture sessions or longer workshops in keeping with the theme of the Seminar and the various streams
	Issue of the Empress of Ireland artifacts On February 19, the Liberal Party caucus has a major meeting. It is at this meeting that we need to have the issue of the Empress of Ireland artifacts included in discussion amongst the party members. Sheila Copps must come under pressure
	Indexing censuses (Feb 14/03)
	Re: 1906 census transcription efforts
	Post 1901 Census - The "Undertaking"
	Post 1901 Census - A little time and a little trust
	Post 1901 Census
	Post 1901 Census - Second reading of Bill S-13
	Post 1901 Census - More from Senator Milne
	Post 1901 Census - Submissions to Senate Committee
	Post-1901 Census -- Bill S-13 Has Started On A Journey!
	Post 1901 Census - Response from National Archivist
	Post 1901 Census - Explanation of Bill S-13
	Message from Senator Lorna Milne
	Post 1901 Census - News release re: pending legislation
	Post 1901 Census - Proposed legislation presented to Senate
	Improvement to 1906 access.
	Searching the 1906 Census
	Post 1906 Census
	Post 1901Census - Replay of radio interview
	Access to 1906 Census records 24/01/03
	24 January, 2003**** SPECIAL NEWS about 1906 Census release
	19 Jan 2003 -quest to save the artifacts.
	09 Sept 2002:- Information on the The Maple Leaf Legacy Project
	20 March 2001:- A fully searchable database of newspapers,
	12 April 2001 The recent updates for the BC Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations have finally been received.
	21 April 2001:- World's largest FREE PUBLIC ACCESS and PRIVATE online historic newspaper and document database.
	20 April 2001:- If your association or other organization is interested in providing web-based classes
	05 Feb 2001:- Rare Immigration Records Now Available on Microfilm
	21 January 2001:- A revised California Death Index which includes rare 1930-39 data was released earlier this month
	24 Aug 1999:- a note sent to the BCGS from the BC Archives about the new addition of the Birth Registrations
	28 May 1999:- a note sent in by BCGS Menber Marian Elder re post 1901 Canadian Census
	about upcoming genealogy workshops at the Cloverdale Library, for March, April & May
	05 Jan 1999:- A note from BCGS Members Doug & Dorothy Graham re: access to post-1901 Canadian Census returns
	31 Mar 1998:- A note about WHO to contact information re: the 1911 Census Records
	31 Mar 1998:- more discussion on the 1911 Census Records
	25, 27 Mar 1998:- Cyndi Howell Website updates
	26 Mar 1998:- A note about the closure by Stats Canada of all future Census records
	25 Mar 1998:- Statement about recent changes at USGenWeb
	24 Mar 1998:- A note about a rumour that microfilming of the 1911 Census would not be permitted
	22, 23, 24 Mar 1998:- Cyndi Howell Website updates
	7 July 1997:- Vancouver Public Library has a copy of the B.C. Archives Marriage records from 1872-1921 and the Death records from 1872-1976
	25 April 1997:- Bill C-32, an Act to ammend the Canadian Copyright Act, received third reading in the Senate.