To all:- The Canada Census Committee has been endeavouring to add more French-language content to the official pages, for example:- http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm The information and explanation is very well-written, but in English only. We have taken care of petitions -- both languages! French-language replies are posted to Member of Parliament Scoreboard if received in French -- we use the language of the person. At present, we have several French language committee members, but this one bit of translation may be done by another. Members include: Jean-Guy Simard <jgsimard@nbnet.nb.ca> Jeannine Ouellet <jeannine.ouellet@sympatico.ca> Christine Joudrey <cjjoud@bserv.com> Looking forward to hearing from someone, Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee member http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html

To all:- A large brown envelope received today contained not a Christmas card, but the FIRST Census Petition from the Province of Quebec, sent by the Montreal Jewish Genealogical Society. Many, many thanks!! I feel there will be many more from the Jewish community, and with that in mind, have started another file -- waiting for other petitions for company. Christine Joudrey has a link placed with the Jewish Genealogical Society web site -- if there are others requesting census links, please let us know. Wonder why I have opened a separate file? Senator Lorna Milne said she would present GROUP petitions -- the one received today could be the start of a Group Petition. When Senator Milne does this, she mentions a bit about the history -- so I may be requesting a brief history in time. To obtain a petition, in either language, in PDF format, please go to http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm Please do NOT re-number the pages that have 25 spaces!!! A person may sign both Senate and House of Commons petitions at the same time, if Canadian -- Non-Canadians sign for Senate only. Where are the other groups? Senator Milne is a member of Ontario Genealogical Society -- I am waiting for petitions. Keep my mail-box filled! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee member http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm

Jan8864@aol.com wrote: > what can one do. Jan To all:- The last available year for a Canadian census is 1901. The 1906 one for three prairie provinces should have been released in 1998, but politicians prevented release of our history and heritage. Unless every researcher, amateur and otherwise, pitches in to help the Canada Census Committee, the 1901 census COULD be the last one you and I will be able to view. ============================================== Hi Jan:- The above is as posted on the QUEBEC-RESEARCH list and I am pleased you contacted me. First, are you Canadian or Non-Canadian? There are PETITIONS for both in PDF format, easily downloadable from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm Non-Canadians may sign only for the Senate. Canadians may sign for both Senate and House of Commons, in their own language. Addresses where to send petitions are on the pages. The Hon. Brian Tobin, MP, is the new Minister of Industry -- responsible for our census records. E-Mail: <Brian.Tobin@ic.gc.ca> You will receive a receipt from his Communications Secretary -- answer later, we hope. Mailing address: The Hon. Brian Tobin, MP / Minister of Industry / House of Commons / Parliament Buildings / Ottawa, Ontario / K1A 0A6 Your complete name, address and phone number should be given, write "from the heart", give area being searched, relationship, etc. If Canadian (or Non-Canadian) we have 300 other Members of Parliament to whom letters may be written http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm At the left is the MPs message board, showing previous messages At the right, Gordon Watts has a place where one may send a message. The symbols are interesting: GOLD tick means YES; RED X means NO; GREEN FENCE means "someone who cannot make up his/her mind" and the BLUE?? are either new MPs or those who did not answer. Some of the listowners refuse to allow any census postings -- Senator Lorna Milne could not believe that. The reasoning is that census is political, but it is genealogy and history. There is another interesting site with lots of genealogy: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Print off the petition(s) of your choice -- Be Prepared for Christmas company! Write if you have further questions -- but The Hon. Brian Tobin wants lots of mail, I am certain! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee member Subscribe: CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L-request@rootsweb.com

To all:- Following the election of November 27, and the need to re-present Private Member's Bills, a few new approaches have been added. One of these approaches are LINKS -- basically, creating a shortcut to the several official census sites. On my page <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~downhome/ Click on the Barney Kaufman flag logo -- you will be quickly transported to http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html This "coast-to-coast-to-coast" site was launched July 1, 1999 by Bryan Keddy and myself. You will notice many sites are listed -- even my page. These have all been linked by Bryan Keddy <bryanfkeddy@ns.sympatico.ca> with permission of the one maintaining the other page. The other LINK is directly to the official census pages, with link by Gordon Watts <gordon_watts@telus.net> Have you ever seen a line, which reads SAVE OUR POST-1901 CENSUS That line is the link set up, with words of their choice, but all meaning the same. Gordon Watts makes the link, plus the URL of the page is added to http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/ see Other Sites LINKS have several purposes -- able to go directly to the census pages, and above all, not having to remember the URLs for same. Should any reader wish LINKS -- do not hesitate to contact us. We want as many people as possible to learn about the census release problem -- with new Private Member's Bills, we need all exposure and publicity we are able to obtain. Personally, ALL Canadian GenWeb Sites should be linked -- census is genealogy and history -- not politics!! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee member http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm

To all committee members and others: When I forwarded attachments including the name of the new Quebec and New Brunswick bilingual representative, Jean-Guy Simard jgsimard@nbnet.nb.ca I forgot to add one other new committee member. Gordon Watts will make the changes when he gets back after Christmas, but we all give MARCEL MASON <masonm@nunanet.com>, resident of Iqaluit, Nunavut -- a very WARM welcome -- from our sunny, snowy south! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee

To all:- CANADIAN Petitions, in either French or English, are needed for both the Senate and the House of Commons. Identically worded Private Member's Bills will be presented "as soon as possible", by Senator Lorna Milne and Murray Calder, MP. The old numbers of S-15 and C-484 have been removed, and new numbers will be assigned. The CANADIAN petitions are needed to back our request and desire for release of the Post-1901 Canadian census records. POSTAGE will be going up January 1 by one cent -- five cents to United States -- so now is the time to save pennies by mailing petitions before January 1, 2001. The front page of the petitions has been changed just a bit, and Gordon Watts will change the PDF copies as soon as he gets back home. This will not really matter, as in every volunteer group, members are often changing -- this front page is not the important one(s). BE PREPARED and have copies of both House of Commons and Senate petitions ready for signing - a person may sign both. PLEASE do not re-number the 1 to 25 on the second page -- for example: If one has five sheets of 25s, that would equal 125 signatures, plus 8 from the first few signature lines -- total of 133. [We do not know how "sticky" the scrutineers, or whatever, will be]. Senator Lorna Milne wishes all a very Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a safe and swift passage of her Private Member's Bill. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee

Many thanks Sandra -- very fitting for the season, as many of us are trying to relax! Merry Christmas to you and yours from the Canada Census Committee Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Sandra Devlin wrote: <devlin7@attglobal.net> > A Genealogist’s Christmas Eve > > by Sandra Devlin > > 'Twas the night before Christmas and inside my house > Little was stirring, except my computer mouse. > Our descendants were nestled all snug in their beds, > While visions of ancestors danced in their heads. > > So I at my laptop, near trusty old printer > Put the finishing touches to the project of winter, > The gift I had promised for under the tree > A product of love, the family genealogy. > > My table with clutter galore was aspread > with pedigree charts of the living and dead; > old yellowed photos, letters of yore, > wills and diaries chronicling days from before. > > While others bought gifts at Wall-Mart or Sears, > I’d spent my time searching birth dates and years. > No need for ribbons or fancy gift wrappings, > This gift had a way of transcending the trappings. > > While surveying the charts with one final proof, > I must have missed the sound on the roof. > For what to my wondering eyes did appear, > But the jolly old elf, replete in his gear. > > Searching my face, old Santa could sense > My Christmas spirit was extremely intense. > He spied my research on the table spread out, > "A genealogist!" he exclaimed, “that removes any doubt.” > > As I climbed up the stairs feeling quite in the pink, > I looked back at Santa and shared a sly wink. > For he and I know that the gift of oneself, > Beats anything bought from a department store shelf. > > Sandra Devlin > Moncton, New Brunswick > > Web Page: http://sites.netscape.net/devlinsandra/missinglinks > >

To all:- A CENSUS STORY I have always been interested in history, aided by my grandfather and his copies of answers to census questions from 1901 to 1921. This old cheap scribbler is full of notes, written first by my paternal grandmother, later by Grandpa Farquhar! My mother started keeping a record of her replies with the 1926 census, many changes over the years, and her last recording was 1981. Possibly I have more complete records than we will ever see on released census records. My family research started about 1975, much was learned, until Allan Dunlop, formerly of PANS, told me of the coming problem re 1911 census. This was back in late 1980s, and like others, we worked alone, writing to this one and that one, but seemingly getting nowhere. During the years my work had centered around newspapers, with my last job as women's editor of the weekly newspaper, after being proofreader of a daily for some time. In March, 1999 I received a phone call from a friend whom you all know by now -- I was asked if I would like to take part in a "great venture" that would involve all from coast to coast. Sounded interesting!!! At that time, although living in Ontario, I only belonged to two lists, NOVA-SCOTIA and LUNEN-LINKS, due to my Nova Scotian research. A chat with Gail Facini Edwards, thinking about the amount of work for a couple days, then I posted two messages, one to each list. GORDON WATTS was the first to answer -- others have joined the Canada Census Committee, a volunteer group. Latest newcomers have been Don Tate from Newfoundland-Labrador (although he lives in Florida), Marcel Mason in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Garth Ulrich in charge of Saskatchewan. The committee members do not know each other, except by phone or e-mail, have become friends by working for a common goal. Two lists? The total is now about 30, plus lists to which Gordon belongs. We have come a long way since March, 1999 -- but we need to keep the PRESSURE on. Just because there was an election is no reason to slack off, NOW is when we need to get after the politicians. Thanks have been coming to Gordon Watts and to myself -- but YOU are to be thanked -- every reader!!!! Every letter writer!!! Yes, the phone call was from Senator Lorna Milne -- her Private Member's Bill is "ready to roll", the former number of S-15 removed -- the same will be done with Murray Calder's Bill C-484 -- NEW NUMBERS. Census is genealogy and history, but because Parliamentary bills have had to be necessary, some listowners prefer census news not to be posted in one province, and language difficulties in another, adding to the question "What can we do?" Lorna's husband, Ross Milne, has promised a huge barbeque for all the committee members -- in their Brampton backyard -- we look forward to enjoying it -- with YOUR help!!! Many thanks for the nice notes of thanks, I enjoy getting after the politicians and plan to do a bit more after January 1, 2001. In the meantime, my personal wish for all is a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee Brampton, Ontario

>>> Message may be FORWARDED, TRANSLATED, Please <<<< A Special Message for Family Researchers & Historians To all:- In another memo to the Canada-Census-Campaign list, my personal letter to The Hon. Brian Tobin, MP, Minister of Industry, has been posted. It is already printed off to be signed and mailed, FREE postage!!! The e-mail address as given on the Member of Parliament Scoreboard seems incorrect -- it was returned as UNKNOWN. We know that Brian Tobin has taken over Mr. John Manley's position as Minister of Industry, and as such, is reposible for our Canadian census records release. Check: http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm Click on Newfoundland for Brian Tobin. The correct address is <Tobin.Brian@ic.gc.ca> Would it be possible to let Brian Tobin receive as many letters as possible? Senator Lorna Milne warned him he would be busy -- so let's give him a BOUNTIFUL MAIL Merry Christmas!! He is responsible for OUR history records! Check my letter on the Census list -- or should someone wish a copy, let me know, please. I have set it up as they like to be addressed, plus my home address and phone number. Reason for "translation" -- this memo is also going to French language areas. My French verbs disappeared long ago!! Above all, ask for his reply on his office letterhead!!!! If YES, let me know, please. Remember -- we need the politicians to agree -- possibly even more than petitions!! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com. Canada Census Committee 25 Crestview Avenue Brampton, ON L6W 2R8 1-905-451-3542

The Hon. Brian Tobin, MP Minister of Industry House of Commons Parliament Buildings Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Dear Brian:- If I were in my native province of Nova Scotia, that is how we know you. However, I am now living in Brampton Ontario, member of the volunteer Canada Census Committee, striving for the release of Post-1901 Canadian census records of our history and heritage. Due to our continued and strong efforts the Expert Panel was appointed last November -- after John Manley received as much mail as you should expect in the very near future. The bottom line is: We wish the census records, not for monetary gain, but for family research, as simple as that. It is disgraceful that citizens of Canada have had to rely on Parliament to bring an end to this untruthful feeling -- there NEVER was any intention to keep the census records away from us forever!! Check http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm You will note Members of Parliament have been assigned different symbols, your symbol is a BLUE ? - meaning YOU have not let anyone know if you do or do not support release of our census records -- both yours and mine. <http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/> has many various sections, and we suggest you have THE MYTHS OF CENSUS printed for you -- it has been researched by Gordon Watts -- all copyright material removed. Senator Lorna Milne and Murray Calder, MP, will soon be presenting identically worded Private Member's Bills for release of OUR history records. How will YOU vote? Will you SUPPORT Lorna and Murray? Sincerely hope you do not recline on a piece of green picket fence -- the points of the pickets have been sharpened for the YES/NO people. Don Tate is our Canada Census Committee member for all of Newfoundland and Labrador -- he may have already been in contact with you. As one of the main ones of this committee, HOW WILL YOU VOTE, BRIAN? As soon as you reply to me on official letterhead, Gordon Watts will post YOUR correct symbol -- please make it a YES!! Please remember, without release of the census records, Newfoundland's online census records will be forever halted -- we cannot allow this to happen. Looking forward to a very early reply, Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee 25 Crestview Avenue Brampton, Ontario L6W 2R8 1-905-451-3542

Hi Glen. Thank you for your kind words. You are correct in stating that the Report of the Expert Panel has been due to the efforts of many others, not just myself. We are not finished however, until there has been a government Bill brought down, passed in the House and the Senate, and enacted to allow public access to the Census Records. We still have a lot of work to do. Thank you again for your interest and support. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Glen C. Bodie" <Glen_Bodie@compuserve.com> Sent: Saturday, 16 December, 2000 9:31 PM Subject: Thanks Gordon Watts -- I gave a quick read to the Expert Panel report at http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm and it looks like your hard work, and that of MANY others across Canada, has been successful. Thanks. Regards - Glen C. Bodie <SNIP>

Greetings all. Industry Minister Brian Tobin released the following announcement for the Press at the same time the Report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records was released. Please read it carefully. This reads to me like further delays in seeing a government Bill to allow public access to Historic Census Records. Mr. Tobin used phrases that are suspiciously similar to those used by Statistics Canada in the earlier part of our campaign. As we directed many email and letters to former Industry Minister John Manley it would appear that we must now concentrate on convincing Mr. Tobin of our desire for immediate action rather than months, or possibly years, of further delays. Mr. Tobin's email addresses are Tobin.Brian@ic.gc.ca and Tobin.B@parl.gc.ca . Please make Mr. Tobin feel welcomed in his new portfolio as Industry Minister and Minister responsible for Statistics Canada. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm This message has been posted to the Alberta-L, Canada-Census-Campaign-L, Can-British-Columbia-L, Census-Chat-L, Colchester, Lunen-Links-L, Nova-Scotia-L, Ontario-L, PictouRoots, Roots-L, Watts-L, and Wiltshire-EMI-L mail lists. Permission to forward without notification is granted. =================================== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 15, 2000 Minister Tobin Releases the Report from the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records Ottawa -- Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada, today released the report from the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records. In releasing the report, Mr. Tobin conveyed the government's appreciation to the members of the Expert Panel for their work and for the time and effort they invested in this important matter. The Minister indicated that the issues at stake are complex and far reaching. The government is committed to protecting the privacy rights of Canadians who were given an assurance of confidentiality at the time they completed the 1911 Census while, at the same time, the government must consider the legitimate needs of genealogists and others for access to historical census records. In light of these concerns the Minister indicated that further broad based consultation with all Canadians is needed. This consultation will take place as part of the already announced administrative and legislative review of the Access to Information and the Privacy Acts. The government's primary reason for undertaking additional consultation is to ensure that, if access to historical census records is provided, this is done in a manner that respects the government's deep commitment to privacy. To find out more about the report from the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records, please visit the web site at www.statcan.ca. For further information, please contact Heidi Bonnell, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Industry at (613) 995-9001.

Hello to Gordon and Muriel, With the release of the Expert Panel Report the two of you should feel very proud. I know that we have not won yet, but with the Governments own panel basically saying "release the damm thing" we are one very big step closer to getting the census released. WE ARE ONLY THAT CLOSE BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE A PAIR OF PITT BULLS WHO REFUSE TO LET GO. You two have led us and kept things going, and with the two of you sensing blood, I bet that in the New Year we get the Census released. By the way did you read the press release. I do believe that we have a new person to start writing letters to. Merry Chritstmas Gordon and Muriel and a very BIG THANK YOU from my family (especially the Youltons on the 1906 and the Barnes and Sim on the 1911) Jacquie Nex jacnex@home.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon A. WATTS" <gordon_watts@telus.net> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2000 8:47 AM Subject: [CCC] Report of Expert Panel finally released. > Greetings All. > > The long awaited report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic > Census Records has finally been published on the Statistics Canada > website. It can be viewed at > > http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm . > > The following two paragraphs extracted from it give an indication of > the input received from the many listers concerned with obtaining > public access to Historic Census records. > > "The Expert Panel held five working meetings during which time a > number of sessions were held with specific persons or groups (see > Annex A). Two telephone conferences were held with provincial > genealogical associations. The Panel Chair and Dr. Gaffield also had > the opportunity to meet with the Chief Statistician of Australia who > made time available during his scheduled visit to Ottawa in February > 2000. > > Over 2,500 letters, faxes and e-mails were sent to the Minister > responsible for Statistics Canada, the Chief Statistician and > numerous Members of Parliament prior to the announcement of the > Expert Panel. These were made available to the Panel members. During > the seven month duration of the Panel, a further 1,055 letters were > received from Canadians active in genealogical societies. The Panel > received 95 submissions from historical, archival and genealogical > associations as well as other interested Canadians." > > As expected from a few leaks about it's content, the Report > recommends allowing public access to all Census records 92 years > after collection. It is a very interesting read. > > On behalf of the Canada Census Committee I wish to extend thanks to > all who have participated in the campaign to gain public access to > Historic Census records. The battle is not over by any means, but > the release of the Report of the Expert Panel is another step > towards our goal. I urge all readers to continue writing letters > and email to their MPs, sign petitions, and keep up the efforts to > inform others about the problem regarding public access to Historic > Records. > > Thank you all for your interest and support. > > Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net > Canada Census Committee > Port Coquitlam, BC > > Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at > http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html > Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from > http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm > > This message has been posted to the Alberta-L, Canadian Census > Campaign-L, Can-British-Columbia-L, Census-Chat-L, Colchester, > Lunen-Links-L, Nova-Scotia-L, Ontario-L, PictouRoots, Roots-L, > Watts-L, and Wiltshire-EMI-L mail lists. Permission to forward > without notification is granted. >

absolutely excellent news, gordon. take a big bow. i believe it is your persistance and insistance that the report was finally made public. Thank you to you and muriel. the time and committment you both have displayed to this cause is remarkable. i know there are many others across canada and around the world are doing there bit too. your and muriel's examples and demonstrations of commitment to the cause have given all of us the release of the report. a report that gives us solid footing when contacting those "stubborn mp's." thanks for pushing for the release of the ammo.. merry christmas, seasons greetings and a very bright 2001 for the campaign. roz -----Original Message----- From: Gordon A. WATTS [SMTP:gordon_watts@telus.net] Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 10:48 PM To: CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [CCC] Report of Expert Panel finally made public Greetings All. The long awaited report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records has finally been published on the Statistics Canada website. It can be viewed at http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm . The following two paragraphs extracted from it give an indication of the input received from the many listers concerned with obtaining public access to Historic Census records. "The Expert Panel held five working meetings during which time a number of sessions were held with specific persons or groups (see Annex A). Two telephone conferences were held with provincial genealogical associations. The Panel Chair and Dr. Gaffield also had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Statistician of Australia who made time available during his scheduled visit to Ottawa in February 2000. Over 2,500 letters, faxes and e-mails were sent to the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, the Chief Statistician and numerous Members of Parliament prior to the announcement of the Expert Panel. These were made available to the Panel members. During the seven month duration of the Panel, a further 1,055 letters were received from Canadians active in genealogical societies. The Panel received 95 submissions from historical, archival and genealogical associations as well as other interested Canadians." I have not yet read more than the first page or two of this Report as I wanted to notify you that the Report had finally been released. I look forward to seeing what the full report has to say. On behalf of the Canada Census Committee I wish to extend thanks to all who have participated in the campaign to gain public access to Historic Census records. The battle is not over by any means, but the release of the Report of the Expert Panel is another step towards our goal. I urge all readers to continue writing letters and email to their MPs, sign petitions, and keep up the efforts to inform others about the problem regarding public access to Historic Records. Thank you all for your interest and support. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm

Greetings All. The long awaited report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records has finally been published on the Statistics Canada website. It can be viewed at http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm . The following two paragraphs extracted from it give an indication of the input received from the many listers concerned with obtaining public access to Historic Census records. "The Expert Panel held five working meetings during which time a number of sessions were held with specific persons or groups (see Annex A). Two telephone conferences were held with provincial genealogical associations. The Panel Chair and Dr. Gaffield also had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Statistician of Australia who made time available during his scheduled visit to Ottawa in February 2000. Over 2,500 letters, faxes and e-mails were sent to the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, the Chief Statistician and numerous Members of Parliament prior to the announcement of the Expert Panel. These were made available to the Panel members. During the seven month duration of the Panel, a further 1,055 letters were received from Canadians active in genealogical societies. The Panel received 95 submissions from historical, archival and genealogical associations as well as other interested Canadians." As expected from a few leaks about it's content, the Report recommends allowing public access to all Census records 92 years after collection. It is a very interesting read. On behalf of the Canada Census Committee I wish to extend thanks to all who have participated in the campaign to gain public access to Historic Census records. The battle is not over by any means, but the release of the Report of the Expert Panel is another step towards our goal. I urge all readers to continue writing letters and email to their MPs, sign petitions, and keep up the efforts to inform others about the problem regarding public access to Historic Records. Thank you all for your interest and support. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm This message has been posted to the Alberta-L, Canadian Census Campaign-L, Can-British-Columbia-L, Census-Chat-L, Colchester, Lunen-Links-L, Nova-Scotia-L, Ontario-L, PictouRoots, Roots-L, Watts-L, and Wiltshire-EMI-L mail lists. Permission to forward without notification is granted.

Greetings All. The long awaited report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records has finally been published on the Statistics Canada website. It can be viewed at http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm . The following two paragraphs extracted from it give an indication of the input received from the many listers concerned with obtaining public access to Historic Census records. "The Expert Panel held five working meetings during which time a number of sessions were held with specific persons or groups (see Annex A). Two telephone conferences were held with provincial genealogical associations. The Panel Chair and Dr. Gaffield also had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Statistician of Australia who made time available during his scheduled visit to Ottawa in February 2000. Over 2,500 letters, faxes and e-mails were sent to the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, the Chief Statistician and numerous Members of Parliament prior to the announcement of the Expert Panel. These were made available to the Panel members. During the seven month duration of the Panel, a further 1,055 letters were received from Canadians active in genealogical societies. The Panel received 95 submissions from historical, archival and genealogical associations as well as other interested Canadians." I have not yet read more than the first page or two of this Report as I wanted to notify you that the Report had finally been released. I look forward to seeing what the full report has to say. On behalf of the Canada Census Committee I wish to extend thanks to all who have participated in the campaign to gain public access to Historic Census records. The battle is not over by any means, but the release of the Report of the Expert Panel is another step towards our goal. I urge all readers to continue writing letters and email to their MPs, sign petitions, and keep up the efforts to inform others about the problem regarding public access to Historic Records. Thank you all for your interest and support. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm

To all:- I have just sent a letter of thanks to Marcel Mason, a subscriber of the NewBrunswick list, but living in a different locality: IQALUIT, NUNAVUT. Marcel has great advantages which he will use for our cause: a webpage, a chat/discussion group -- he will be adding links at his next update. Another interesting item: Where Marcel works, space is rented to the Member of Parliament for that area, so he believes it will not be too difficult to seek an answer re support of Post-1901 census records release. In addition, when Nunavut was declared a separate area of Canada, Senator Lorna Milne was present for the occasion. Senator Milne will be re-presenting her Private Member's Bill, formerly S-15, as soon as possible. Hopefully, Murray Calder, MP, will be able to re-present the identical bill, formerly C-484, at the same time. The LCCCC site http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html is now correctly named as the "coast-to-coast-to-coast" genealogy site, a description given by Peter Stoffer, MP. With all this activity, Canadians and Non-Canadians, let's get the petitions signed and letters (both e-mail and hard-copy) written - these add support. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm

Posted on <http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html> Following is the text of the article by Dean Jobb that appeared in the Halifax Sunday Herald: January 5, 2000. FOR THE RECORD: KEEP CENSUS OPEN By Dean Jobb MY BRANCH of the Jobb family came to Nova Scotia from Ireland in 1823. So says the document granting land in Wallace, Cumberland County, to my great-great-great grandfather, one Thomas Job. He signed the paper with a shaky X, which explains why some of my ancestors felt free to add another "b" to the surname while others thought it was cool to tack on an "e." But that's another story and not the point of this dip into my family history. Based on the land grant, I could assume Job or Jobb or even Jobe is an Irish name and that I should head to Ireland if I want to trace my roots further. But a census taken many years later tells a different story. In response to a question on country of birth, Thomas Job identified himself as a Scot. Ireland, it turns out, was only a stopover on the way to the New World. We Jobbs are as Scottish as any MacDonald. Luckily for me, my family has been in Canada long enough to show up in the records of censuses conducted before 1911. But privacy concerns are threatening to make it impossible for historians, genealogists and other researchers to access newer instalments of this treasure trove of information. The issue is access to the detailed records complied as census takers did the rounds, poking into citizens' private business with questions about age, family structure, marital status, ethnic origin, religion and occupation. There was even a politically incorrect query to determine whether anyone in the household was "blind, deaf or dumb, crazy or lunatic, idiotic or silly." The data collected on population trends has always been a valuable public resource. The detailed records identifying each respondent, however, have been kept secret, by law, for 92 years, then released through the National Archives. So researchers who mine these records to link families or better understand our history were expecting to get their hands on the 1911 census in the year 2003. The process has been derailed by the federal Privacy Act, which stipulates any guarantee of privacy made to collect data must be honoured. Those polled for the census since 1906 have been promised their answers will remain confidential. Statistics Canada - faced with the letter of the law and fearing respondents will clam up for the 2001 count and future censuses - refuses to make the records public, even though few 1911 respondents are alive to assert their privacy rights. The decision has created a minor but nasty political storm. Genealogists are a feisty, well-connected bunch and they have used their formidable presence on the Internet to press for access. Their letter-writing campaign to MPs and senators has put the issue on the political agenda. A private bill to open the 1911 and subsequent censuses, put forward by a Liberal senator from Ontario, Lorna Milne, is expected to be debated in the Senate next month. "The records of the 20th century," she argues, "should not be forever concealed from the public's eyes." [Her Bill, S-15 has had Second Reading] In response, the federal government has struck a blue-ribbon panel of scholars to see if a compromise can be reached that protects privacy while providing some measure of access. Their report is due by the end of May. Genealogists argue at least the basic facts should be accessible, so people can trace their family tree. But it's tough to know where to draw the line - medical researchers, for instance, could better study the incidence of disease by examining the complete records. Surely the 92-year waiting period is sufficient to protect the privacy of individuals. The United States, which operates with a 72-year waiting period, is about to release its 1930 census with no public outcry. The sensible solution is to continue to open all census records, so we can better understand the history of our families, our communities and our country. Everybody has a right to know if any of their ancestors were ever classified as "silly." Staff Reporter Dean Jobb's column appears every week in The Sunday Herald. E-mail: djobb@herald.ns.ca ======================= We sincerely hope Dean Jobb writes an updated column very shortly, but - we have yet to learn the Report of the Expert Panel - many politicians will not state YES or NO due to lack of this report - there may be a change in minister responsible for census Many thanks, to Dean Jobb, for above Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm Canada Census Committee

To all:- Three more Non-Canadian census release petitions were received today. This is great for the support, which we truly appreciate. Where are the Canadian genealogical societies, historical societies, amateur researchers and certified ones????? Your assistance is greatly needed. Parliament will resume January 1, 2001 and knowing Senator Lorna Milne, she has possibly applied for a Private Member's Bill -- date and number will be assigned later. We need both Canadian petitions and Letters from Members of Parliament to support Senator Milne's Private Member's Bill. At the same time, there hopefully will be one in the House of Commons, identical wording. PETITIONS are downloadable in PDF format -- but if some person does not have computer capacity for Adobe Acrobat, I will forward attachments. We now have a real "menu" with petitions in both official languages, so you would have to place your order from the menu at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm Check http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm Is YOUR Member of Parliament agreeable to release of census -- or has he/she never answered a letter, a BLUE ??? will designate this. Compose a letter which may be sent by e-mail, giving your riding and address. Before you move on to another one, print the letter as is, sign your name at the bottom and put in an envelope, addressed to: Name of Member/House of Commons/Parliament Bldgs., Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Postage is FREE. IF you receive an answer, please forward the WORDING of the letter to me for this list. If the letter is a YES one, put in an envelope and mail to Senator Lorna Milne, Senate of Canada, Parliament Bldgs., Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4 Again, postage is FREE. Reason: Letters may be used, in either language, in support of census release. E-Mails are nice, show a great deal of interest, but sadly, are counted according to subject. Also, many listowners refuse to allow census postings on the various lists, as they feel it is political. Actually, census records are GENEALOGY and HISTORY but we have had to revert to Parliament to hopefully obtain OUR heritage. Looking forward to a greater CANADIAN response -- the Non-Canadians are ahead of us!!! Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee Brampton Centre Riding 25 Crestview Avenue Brampton, ON L6W 2R8

To all who are still searching:- Anne Parkes has made a great offer -- please post to her directly, not the list, either CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN or BRITISHHOMECHILDREN We will be looking forward to hearing from Anne about any finds. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee ------------------------------- I've come across a listing of occupants of the above home from the 1881 census. Both boys and girls, some brothers and sisters, mostly teenagers but some younger. Most were born in Scotland, but there are a few from England and Ireland. I have no way of knowing if any left for Canada etc., but I'd be pleased to do a look-up if anyone is interested. There are slightly over 100 names. Please email any request directly. I'll respond through the mailing list if there is a find, and directly to the interested party if none found. Anne Parkes <anneparkes@home.com> Canada ==== BRITISHHOMECHILDREN Mailing List ==== ============================== Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2