After reading all the emails on the list, I am embarrassed to say I don't understand what is going on. What is Bill S-13 trying to do? I am under the impression that it is going to restrict access from the any future census, because how can they not publish 1911 census when it is the law to do so after 92 years? Thanks,Eileen

Eileen. The stated purpose of Bill S-13 is to remove some legal ambiguities regarding the transfer of Historic Census records to the National Archives. S-13 does provide for the transfer of Census records to the National Archives 92 years after collection. It states the purpose of that transfer is to allow the examination of those records by genealogists and historians. In addition to this, however, Bill S-13 imposes a number of conditions and restrictions on access to existing records that are not desired, and for which the government has demonstrated no need. By far the worst clause of Bill S-13 is Clause 8 -- the so-called "informed consent" clause. This clause would forever destroy the usefulness of Censuses from 2006 and on for any realistic demographic or academic research, and would disappoint many future genealogists seeking information on us, their ancestors. We must do everything possible to impress on our parliamentarians that Clause 8 is devastating and must be removed. Current legislation (Privacy Act and Regulations) clearly states, in my mind at least, that personal information from Census may be made available to any person or body for purposes of research, 92 years after collection. Unfortunately, for several years the government has not had the intestinal fortitude to direct our Chief Statistician to obey the law. They have allowed themselves to be dictated to by a single, apparently very powerful bureaucrat who took it upon himself to (mis)interpret legislation and improperly withhold the records from public access. The fact that the 1906 Census records were released and immediately made available online and through major libraries this past January demonstrates that the government has conceded that existing legislation allowed them to do so. If the 1911 Census records, reaching the end of the 92 year period of closure on 1 June 2003, are not made available as were the 1906 records it will further demonstrate that the bureaucracy is dictating to the government. I encourage all residents of Canada concerned with accessing the 1911 Census records to submit an Access to Information request to Statistics Canada. As the records would not be released before 1 June 2003, ATI request should not be mailed before that date. To mail them early might give them a technical loophole. Information on making the ATI request is provided on the Post !901 Census Project website. I hope that I have answered your question. Thank you for your interest and support. Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 7:29 PM Subject: [CCC] Bill S-13 After reading all the emails on the list, I am embarrassed to say I don't understand what is going on. What is Bill S-13 trying to do? I am under the impression that it is going to restrict access from the any future census, because how can they not publish 1911 census when it is the law to do so after 92 years? Thanks,Eileen ==== CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN Mailing List ==== How to unsubscribe from Digest Mode. Send a message to [email protected] that contains (in the Subject line and body of the message) the command -- unsubscribe -- and no additional text.