SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING BE PRINTED AND SAVED The National Registration File of 1940. revised June 3, 1999 The following is quoted from a letter I received from Mr. Paul Johnson of the Census Pension Searches Unit on March 13, 1999. It explains the whole thing much better than I could ever hope to. The Census Pension Searches Unit was set up to provide information to the person named in the record for historical support of applications for pensions, citizenship, passports and similar situations, where other preferred administrative records are required but no longer exist or were never issued. The Statistics Act, under which census records have been collected since the early 1900s, provides for their protection and permits the release only to the person named in the record. These confidentiality provisions are timeless and remain in effect even after the person is deceased. The National Registration File of 1940 resulted from the compulsory registration of all persons, 16 years of age and older, in the period from 1940 to 1946. This information was originally obtained under the authority of The National Resources Mobilization Act and the War Measures Act, and custody of the records was subsequently given to Statistics Canada, then known as the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. As a result, the National Registration File of 1940 is not subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act but is instead covered by the Privacy Act. According to this Act, where a person has been dead for more than 20 years, the information is no longer considered to be personal and could be disclosed. To provide third-party information from the National Registration File of 1940 for genealogical purposes, a standard fee of $48.15 is charged for each search undertaken that is successful in locating the requested record. A search can be undertaken for an individual after the following information or documentation has been provided: - Proof that the individual has been deceased for more than 20 years (A death certificate is preferable. However, any document which indicates the date of death, for example an obituary notice, is acceptable.); - The individual's place of residence during the registration period; and - A cheque or money order in the amount of $48.15 made payable to Statistics Canada. Inquiries should be forwarded to: Mr. Paul Johnson Census Pension Searches Unit Census Operations Division Statistics Canada B1E-34 Jean Talon Building Tunney's Pasture OTTAWA, Ontario Canada K1A 0T6 Genealogical searches are processed at a cost of $45 plus GST, prepaid. The total is $48.15. Should the search fail, this amount will be refunded. There is no charge for searches that are required for purposes other than genealogy. NEW There is a web page for ordering these searches from the internet. I have not used it myself. It is located at: http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/93C0006.htm and they say Visa or Mastercard can be used to pay for the search. This is not so. They do not accept credit cards as of Sept. 1998, and it IS necessary to provide the proof of death. In other words send in a cheque and provide proof of death. What is on the Card for Men. Date of Registration, Electoral District, Polling Division, Card.# are across the top, with the form 8 1/2 x 11, wide side at top. The following questions are in two rows, with blanks for answers. It is signed at the bottom by the registered person and the person taking the information. 1. Surname Given Names 2. Permanent postal address (if away from usual residence when filling in card give name of usual residence) Street and number Rural Route and post office Town or City Province 3. Age last birthday Date of Birth Year, month, day 4. Conjugal conditions: Single Married Widowed Divorced 5. Of what dependants (if any) are you the sole support:- (a) father (b) mother (c) wife (d) number of children under 16 (e) number of other dependents (f) do you contribute partial support to any one. 6. Country of birth of (a) yourself place (b) your father place (c) your mother place 7. Nationality or country of allegiance: British Subject (a) by birth? (b) by naturalization? (c) foreign citizen? (d) if naturalized, in what year? (e) in what place? (f) if not British subject, to what country do you owe allegiance? (g) if an immigrant, in what year did you enter Canada? 8. Racial origin 9. Language or languages: (a) do you speak English? (b) French? (c) what other language do you speak, read and write? 10. Education: (a) Primary only (b) primary and secondary (c) Vocational training (Business College, Technical High School) (d) College or University Degree? 11. Is your general health (a) good? (b) fair? (c) bad? 12. If blind, deaf, dumb, crippled or otherwise physically disabled, state nature of disability If permanently disabled, are you in receipt of a pension? In respect of War Service? Workmen's Compensation? Old age or Blind? Other? (specify) 13. Class of occupation: (a) Are you an employer of labour other than domestic? If so, state business (b) Are you working on own account, but not employing labour? If so, state business (c) Are you an employee? (1) working at usual occupation (2) working at other than usual occupation (3) Unemployed (4) Not working because pensioner, dependent, retired, independent means (specify) 14. Occupation or Craft:- Years of experience in (a)present occupation? (b) What is your regular occupation? (c) What other work can you do well? (d)If an employee, who is your present employer? Name address Nature of business where employed? (state precisely) (e)If experienced in a skilled industrial occupation or profession, describe specifically the type or types of work in which you are specially equipped by training or experience 15. Unemployment: (a) How many weeks did you work in the past 12 months? (b) If out of work now, state number of weeks since last employed in any occupation other than work performed in return for direct relief (c)Are you totally incapacitated for employment? 16. (a1)Were you brought up on a farm? (a2) Until what age? (b1) Have you worked on a farm? (b2) How long (b3) In what province or country (c1)Can you handle horses? (c2)Drive a tractor? (c3) Use farm machinery? (c4)Can you milk? (c5) Are you able to do other farm work? 17. Is there any particular occupation in which you would like to be specially trained? 18. Defence Services: (1) Have you previously served in any Naval, Military or Air Forces? If so, state (a) Forces of what country (b) Approximate dates between which services performed (c)Unit (d) Rank held (2) If retired or discharged, give reasons therefor (3) Have you been rejected for military service in the present war? (a)why (b)where What is on the Card for Women. The first 15 questions are IDENTICAL to those asked of the men. The remaining 5 questions on the form are as follows: 16. State length of experience (in years) if any in: (a) General Farming? (b)Truck farming? (c)Fruit farming? (d) Poultry farming? (e)Dairy farming? (f) Business establishments? 17. Can you (a) handle horses? (b) drive motor trucks? (c) drive an automobile? (d) drive a tractor? (e) use farm machinery? (f) milk cows? (g) do plain cooking? 18. Indicate here any qualifications or practical experience which you possess, not already described 19. Is there any particular occupation in which you would like to be specially trained? 20. Do your circumstances permit you to serve in the present national crisis, by changing your present occupation to some other for which you are qualified? (a) Where you can return home daily? (b) Away from home? ------------------------- I personally have ordered a copy of the form for my grandfather. The service was very prompt, and included a photocopy of the original sheet, plus a fresh copy filled in to duplicate his responses. There was also a typed page summarizing his name, residence, date of birth, age, place of birth, date of registration, and year of immigration. A covering letter was also included. It did not answer the questions I had hoped it would, but I can see its' benefit to many genealogists.