Greetings All. My apologies in advance for the length of this message. During our campaign to regain public access to Historic Census Records we have used a variety of methods to make our needs known. We have written to MPs and Senators, to the Expert Panel, and various Ministers. Our recent brief tactic of faxing polite requests to Industry Minister Allan Rock was, we believe, a successful effort. Arising out of our legal Application for a Judicial Review and my recent cross-examination by Justice Canada lawyers comes a suggestion for another step in our campaign. As indicated in my recent posting regarding my cross-examination, my impression was that the lawyers from Justice Canada felt that anyone wanting access to the 1906 Census records should be making Access to Information Requests to Statistics Canada and/or the National Archives, and when we are refused we should submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner. Our suggestion at this time is that we should accomodate these learned individuals. We should do so by having everyone interested in genealogical or historical research submit an Access to Information Request for the schedules of the 1906 Census of the Western Provinces to Statistics Canada and/or the National Archives of Canada. Having made this suggestion I must now advise that anyone submitting such a request is required by the ATI Act to submit with each request a check for five dollars (Cdn) made out to the "Receiver General of Canada". At the discretion of the department to which the Request is submitted this check may, or may not, be returned. The ability to submit an Access to Information Request is limited to permanent residents of Canada. Unfortunately this requirement eliminates the participation of our many supporters from outside of Canada. An Access to Information Request may be made simply by writing a letter, or by downloading forms (in Word, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF formats) from a Government of Canada website at http://infosource.gc.ca/Info_4/atip/Request-Frms_e.html Your message need not be lengthy. Use your own words to say something like the following: "As a family historian and genealogist I have a requirement to view and obtain information regarding my ancestors from Historic Census Records. The Privacy Act of Canada, and Regulations attached thereto, provide that information from Census may be made available to any person or body, for purposes of research, 92 years after collection. This message is to be considered my Request, under the Access to Information Act, for access to schedules of the 1906 Special Census of the Western Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Thank you." Adjust the wording to suit your personal circumstance, but be specific about needing to view the records for the 1906 Census. Address your requests to Statistics Canada ATIP Co-ordinator, Pamela White R.H. Coats Building, 25th Floor Tunney's Pasture Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6 National Archives of Canada ATIP Co-ordinator, Bill Wood 395 Wellington Street, Room 349 Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N3 Departments receiving ATI requests are required by law to respond within thirty days of receipt of your request. When you receive their official denial of your request, and we know that it will be denied, you are then entitled to complain about this denial to the Information Commissioner of Canada. It is important that in addition to making the ATI Request you follow through with a complaint when it is denied. There is no charge to make such a complaint. Address your complaint to: Mr. John Reid Information Commissioner of Canada Place de Ville, Tower B 112 Kent Street, 22nd Floor Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1H3 So that we might be able to have some idea of how many ATI requests are made for the 1906 records I would ask that you send me a copy of your Request. These may be sent to me by fax at (604) 942-6843, or by snail mail to Gordon A. Watts 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Thank you all for your continued support. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts [email protected] 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 Permission to forward without notice is granted. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.362 / Virus Database: 199 - Release Date: 5/7/02