Greetings All. Christmas is over and we are now into the new year -- 2002. Time to get back to work. The next Town Hall meetings are coming up on 7, 9, and 11 January in Halifax, Toronto, and Montreal respectively. Not much time left. While I have been advised of some participants scheduled for these meetings, there are certainly others that I am not aware of. It would be appreciated if anyone scheduled to speak or attend these meetings would please advise me. >From the Ottawa meetings it is obvious that Statistics Canada has directed Environics to be on the lookout for certain things. Questions asked by the moderator show that they are looking for any indication that knowledge Census records would be released after 92 years will lessen individuals participation in Census, or lessen their trust in Statistics Canada in general. Presentations to the Town Hall meetings should include wording that would show just the opposite -- participation in Census and trust in Statistics Canada would increase with knowledge of eventual release of Census records. Chief Statistician Dr. Ivan Fellegi has changed the focus of his attack on our efforts from the strictly legal (because he knows he would lose), to one of a fear of lessening the integrity of the statistical agency. He still insists on promoting the non-existant 'promise' of never-ending confidentiality even though he has been unable to produce any documented evidence of it. Our counter to their insistance there is a 'promise' is to ask them to produce evidence of it. The legislation quoted by them certainly does not contain any 'promise' that confidentiality of Census will never end. Another main thrust of the Town Hall meetings is to promote the so-called 'Compromise Solution'. Copies of this 'compromise' were made available to all attending the Ottawa meeting and it is expected that this will be repeated at all upcoming meetings. Every speaker at the Ottawa meeting was asked if the 'compromise' was something they could support. Every speaker rejected it. To see a copy of this 'compromise', and my critique of it, visit my column regarding it at http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce74.htm After reading the 'compromise' please send me your comments regarding it. Please make your comments relevant to the 'compromise' suggested rather than to my critique. I will be sending many of these to Environics and Statistics Canada. My intent at this time would be to include senders names (unless requested not to) but not email or snail mail addresses. Further reports of the Ottawa Town Hall meeting and a critique of Dr. Ivan Fellegi's presentation to the Senate Committee is in my column at http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce75.htm The full schedule of Town Hall meetings, and information regarding how to register as a speaker or to attend as part of the audience, is at the Environics Research Group website at http://erg.environics.net/ Obtaining information regarding the Town Hall meetings is relatively simple -- that is available from those who request to participate or attend, and who give us reports on what has taken place. Getting information regarding what takes place in the Focus Group studies that follow each Town Hall meeting is quite another thing. Participants in the Focus Groups do not apply or volunteer as is the case for the Town Hall meetings -- they are chosen at random through telephone polls and must meet certain criteria to be accepted. We know little about the criteria, or about information given and questions asked of participants. We would appreciate anyone participating in these Focus Groups letting us know what takes place in them. We cannot stress enough the importance of participating in these Town Hall meetings. The worst thing we can do is have any of these meetings take place without our presence. Please keep us up to date on what happens at these meetings. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index.htm en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm