To Don Dixon:- I just finished totalling the number of signatures forwarded to me to date -- a total of 339 from United States, and 201 from Canada. There were none from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward island or Newfoundland. When the election was announced on Oct. 22, 2000, that meant that all previous paperwork was useless -- Gordon Watts and Bryan Keddy salvaged census pages -- WE HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN! Go to: http://globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm This is the approved petition, easily downloaded or I have attachments, available for both Senate and House of Commons, French or English. One of your provincial residents, Jean-Guy Simard is a terrific translator!!! Work is still in progress -- but should be uploaded next week. One person may sign for both Senate and House of Commons -- addresses on petitions. Not only members but all residents of New Brunswick may take an active part -- we suggest this petition be used so the scrutineers do not trash it. REASON FOR PETITIONS? Senator Lorna Milne and Murray Calder, MP will again be presenting identically worded Private Member's Bills to hopefully gain automatic transfer of census records to National Archives, without having to go through this mess again. Lorna, Murray, Gordon, Doug -- in fact the whole Canada Census Committee want to get back to personal genealogy. When Senator Milne has a number of petitions, she "advertises" about her Bill, and it is written in Hansard -- she does not let the Senate members forget. TIME FRAME? -- When the last vote is in and the Bill is passed. To date, we do not know the date of the First Reading -- then there is Second Reading, and if over 100 sign in favour, it goes on to Third Reading and a Vote. As you can see, we have a great deal of time. LETTERS to all Members of Parliament, especially The Hon. Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry, who is trying to have "more discussion". Another one is our Prime Minister -- the "boss" -- The Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien. Go to this site http://globalgenealogy.com/census/index6.htm (French available soon) You will be able to see which of your MPs are in favour. Full addresses must be given -- but FREE POSTAGE. OTTAWA:- Both Senator Lorna Milne and Murray Calder, MP would warmly greet any visitor -- you would find both of them very warm and friendly. Lorna may have more time available -- but anyone is welcome. Lorna Milne : SEN <milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca> [She is one of my neighbours] I am very pleased of your future assistance -- and if you check the URL above with my name -- you will find I am from Nova Scotia and proud of it! Should there be other queries, please ask, and Gordon Watts may follow this up with anything I have not covered. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canada Census Committee member 25 Crestview Ave., Brampton, ON L6W 2R8 1-905-451-3542 Don Dixon wrote: > Hello Muriel Davidson, > > We appreciate your message via the NB List. I am a member of the Capital > Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society. We are also surprised at > the lack of petitions forwarded to you. We have the impression that all > letters and petitions sent to Ottawa in the past few years are not now in > your possession. This apparently means we need to start again. Previously, > NBGS Executive elected not to sponsor a post-1901 Census release petition > but recommended to membership the writing of letters. The writer knows of at > least one such petition that was placed at the Provincial Archives here in > Fredericton. Many of our members and others did sign that petition however, > I do not know who sponsored it. > > Yesterday morning, I attended our scheduled executive branch meeting and > later in the day was present at a separate NBGS parent body executive > meeting. A motion was made and approved at both meetings to provide the > Canada Census Committee with signed petitions from NBGS members and others. > We plan to do this by placing petition forms at the Provincial Archives of > New Brunswick and at other record repositories, at monthly meeting locations > of all branches, in the spring publication of our journal Generations and > the forms will also be available for signing at other special events we are > planning this year. > > We wish to know what time frame we will be working within in order to > effectively help your Committee. Also, what procedures do you wish us to > follow in the creation and wording of the header to the blank petition > forms. If you have a standard petition format with text available, it will > be appreciated if you could attach same to an email message for our printing > and distribution. Do you presently have established a deadline date for > receipt of the signed petitions? Please forward a mailing address where > signed petitions may be sent. One of our members wants to know if any of > your committee might be in Ottawa the first week of April. If so, that lady > would like to meet with a representative when she is there. > > We look forward to working with your Committee to positively influence the > release of post-1901 Census reports in Canada. > > Best wishes, Don Dixon, VP, Capital Branch NBGS > <ddixon@nbnet.nb.ca>