DO YOU EVER WANT TO SEE ANOTHER CENSUS? Have you ever used the 1871, 1881, 1891 AND 1901 census records in your quest to find your ancestors living in various parts of Canada? Have you had the pleasure of learning that great grandfather Thomas was 53 years of age when the 1871 census was taken, or learning through the 1901 census that grandmother Alice was born on July 16, 1892? Census records have been a veritable gold mine for individuals researching their history. They are an important link to the past, a cherished part of our heritage. Do you realize this invaluable research tool will forever be lost to us because of a decision by Statistics Canada with the prompting of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada? Statistics Canada has decided that the 1911 census is the LAST one which will be made public. The 1911 census, which normally would have been released to the public in 2003, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS. This same ruling applies to all subsequent census records held by Statistics Canada. This issue has been the subject of much recent dialogue between officials of the National Archives and Statistics Canada. What normally would happen, is that the 1911 census records would be microfilmed and transferred to the National Archives of Canada, held by them until the expiration of 92 years following the taking of the census (2003) and then released to the public. The 92-year rule was established by government in the Regulations made pursuant to the Privacy Act. It permits the release of census records ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES after 92 years have elapsed following the taking of the census. It was on this basis that the 1891 and 1901 census records were released to the public. Although its reasons are far from clear, Statistics Canada's stand on this issue may be partly due to a belief that a guarantee of confidentiality will make it easier to ensure co-operation during further population enumerations. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner was actually pressing to have the 1911 census records destroyed. Fortunately the National Archivist refused to grant Statistics Canada its necessary approval. Not to be outdone its efforts to maintain total secrecy over these records, Statistics Canada has simply decided not to transfer its records to the custody and control of the National Archives. By so doing, the department has circumvented the 92-year rule prescribed by the Regulations made under the Privacy Act. Be assured, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, different in the type of information contained in the 1911 census from that shown in the 1891 and 1901 census records which we have all seen. Granted, the rules under which the 1911 census was taken may have differed, but the basic information covered is identical. So where is the invasion of privacy which is of so much concern? This decision has outraged the archival community, genealogists and our historians, but to no avail. The 1911 census and all future census records will remain closed ......UNLESS..... What can you and I do? Well, we can make our voices heard, LOUD AND CLEAR, to the politicians and to the bureaucrats who have made this unhappy decision. This is what you can do: * First and foremost, write to your local Member of Parliament and express your dismay. * Write to the Chief Statistician, Dr. Ivan Fellegi and express your concern over his decision to avoid what the government intended by failing to deposit the 1911 census records with the National Archives of Canada. His address is: 120 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6. * Write to the Hon. John Manley, PC, MP, the Minister of Industry to whom Statistics Canada reports and express your indignation over this turn of events. Ask him to provide you with the reason for this cloak of secrecy. His address is: The House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6. * Write to the Hon. Sheila Copps, PC, MP, the Minister of Heritage and urge her to take this matter up personally with her colleague, the Minister of Industry. Her address is: The House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6. Our friends to the south of us are now awaiting the release of the 1930 census to the U.S. National Archives - the information contained in their records is generally the same found in our census. Their practice has not brought their nation to its knees on the sacrificial altar of "privacy". Why should we be different? Why shouldn't the 92-year rule prescribed by the government be respected? If you ever want to see another census record, I urge you to become active! When writing to the House of Commons - there is no need for a postage stamp - all it takes is a moment of your time. If you e-mail your protest, also print out a copy and mail it. The delete key doesn't work on "snail mail". LYN WINTERS, Gloucester, Ontario. The author is a retired Officer of the R.C.M.P. and a former employee of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, plus a member of the Canadian Census Committee. Lyn is also the ONE PERSON who made me believe there was going to be a problem re 1911 census -- reason I am doing my bit!!! Thanks, Lyn! ============================== Answers:- >From Lyn Winters:- This was an article I wrote for the May-June, 1998 issue of the Ottawa Branch (of the Ontario Genealogical Society) News. It appears in Volume 31, No. 3 of that periodical at pp 69-70. Lyn. and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Go to Michelle Doucette's ACADIAN GENEALOGY You will find some interesting letters and a great deal of Acadian genealogy. Go exploring!! -- I did -- if you find something does not work, let me know. Muriel M. Davidson <davidson3542@home.com> Canadian Census Committee