Greetings All. FYI Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: Gordon A. Watts To: letters@thegazette.southam.ca Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 9:28 PM Subject: Re: Old census data may soon go public Editor: Montreal Gazette Sir: Re: Ann Carroll's article (Montreal Gazette 9 January 2002) regarding Town Hall Meetings on public access to Historic Census records. I am infuriated every time I hear representatives of Statistics Canada making reference to a "PROMISE" of confidentiality of Census that lasts "FOREVER". I am further infuriated by media reports that promote this "promise" without questioning it's existence. The fact is that NO PROMISE WAS EVER MADE that confidentiality of Census would last FOREVER -- IT DOES NOT EXIST!! It does not appear in any legislation, either past or present. It does not appear in any issue of the Canada Gazette. It does not appear in any Proclamation of the Governor General in Council. It is not reported in Hansard for debates of the House of Commons or the Senate. It does not appear in any media accounts that have been found relating to the 1906 or 1911 Censuses. IT DOES NOT EXIST!! An Access to Information request was submitted to Statistics Canada for any and all documented evidence of such a "promise". Not one piece of such evidence was forthcoming. Surely, if a single piece of documented evidence existed that would substantiate this mythical "promise", Chief Statistician Ivan Fellegi would leap at the chance to produce it. Dr. Fellegi will have his chance to "put his money where his mouth is". Initial steps have been taken to bring a public interest action to Federal Court to force the transfer of the 1906 Census of the Western Provinces to the National Archives. Once under the control of the National Archives it will be subject to the Privacy Act and Regulations attached thereto, and will subsequently be accessible by the public, 92 years after collection. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC Tel 604-942-6889 http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index.htm en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm