Greetings All. In a review of the current list of Senators I found that a number have retired in the past six months, or are about to retire this month, and one has resigned. Those Senators that have retired or resigned are Senators Ed Lawson (BC), D. Roche (AB), R. Kroft (MB), J-R Gauthier (ON), G. Beaudoin (QC), B. Robertson (NB), and E. Rossiter (PEI). Retiring this month are Laurier LaPierre (ON) and Yves Morin. There are currently 13 vacancies for Senators. I have updated the Senator's Scoreboard to reflect these changes. The Scoreboard Totals have been brought up-to-date as well. A reminder that we are seeking your thoughts about Bill S-18. Full details about this new Census Bill are available at the Post 1901 Census Project website at www.globalgenealogy.com/Census . Briefly, this Bill would provide full, unrestricted public access after 92 years, with no added conditions or restrictions, for Censuses from 1911 to 2001. For Censuses from 2006 and later it would impose an 'informed consent' clause that would require each respondent to the Census to give permission for their information to be released 92 years later. There is a provision that would require a review of the effect of the 'informed consent' clause after two Censuses had been conducted. When sending us your opinions please copy in Senator Milne at paulj@sen.parl.gc.ca Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-chair Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f Permission to forward without notice is granted

I am happy to see the our government has finally seen fit (assuming that the new Bill S-18 is passed, which it should with ease) to commit to continuing to release all censuses to date after 92 years, just as they have done in the past. It is a shame it has taken this long and this much effort to achieve what has always been the law and therefore should have been done all along. I am, however, very disappointed to see that the "informed consent" clause is still proposed to be implemented on censuses from 2006 onward. and it is even worse that the respondent must "opt in" (check a box) in order for his/her information to be released. In the first place, it is a shame that much historical data will be permanently lost to future historians and genealogists because of this provision. Release of all census information after such a long time is no threat to anyone. I would certainly hope that common sense will prevail and that we will see an amendment proposed and carried that would remove this clause. If it is decided that a choice box is absolutely necessary, I would much rather that the respondent be required to check it only if he/she specifically does NOT want the information released. Sealing of this information should not occur by default as it is very easy to miss filling out a small check box that is part of a larger response form. I feel very sorry for the person who, in 2098 or later, is looking in the 2006+ censuses to try to find out who were his/her grandparents (this could be you) who may have been born as early as 1915, only to realize that grandpa and grandma, or their parents, forgot to check the box allowing future access. Further, in the Questions and Answers page relating to Bill S-18, it is stated as follows: Q: What happens to my information if I answer "no" to the consent question? A: If you answer no or leave the consent question blank, your information will never be made publicly accessible. Q: What happens if I change my mind and decide not to release my information? A: It is important that you carefully consider the question before you respond to ensure that it reflects your views. However, should you decide to change your response, Statistics Canada will accept any such request." How fair or logical is it that one can, at some later date, decide to reverse an earlier decision to release his/her census information, but the same person cannot, at some later date, decide to reverse an earlier decision not to release his/her census information (information that may have been provided on his behalf when he/she was only one year old)? Fortunately, this provision does not appear in the proposed Bill and will likely therefore be only a Regulation, which should be much easier to change. On the more positive side, I notice that the Statistics Canada press release announcing this new bill promises that "Statistics Canada, in conjunction with Library and Archives Canada, will, as part of the 2006 Census public communications campaign, encourage Canadians to allow future access to their census records to preserve Canada's history for future generations." Also, on the Question and Answer page, they state: Q: Why would I want to make my personal information accessible in 92 years? A: If you choose to make your name-identified census information available, you will make a valuable contribution to preserving Canada's history for future generations. It boggles the mind that Statistics Canada would on one hand "encourage Canadians to allow future access to their census records" in order to "preserve Canada's history for future generations" and on the other hand would continue to inhibit the full release of census information by insisting on the "informed consent" clause. However, if implemented properly (I think we will have to rely on Library and Archives Canada to ensure that this happens, not Statistics Canada), this government encouragement should help to ensure as large a positive response as possible. I hope that this is well publicized, that the encouragement is strong and prominent, and that it is also printed on the form itself. The fight is not quite over until Bill S-18 is passed. Hopefully there will be at least one amendment deleting the "informed consent" clause, but we may have to hold our collective noses and accept the Bill as it stands, in order to avoid the possibility of further delays in, or even never, obtaining access to any further censuses. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all of those responsible for helping to obtain ongoing access to Canadian censuses and, in this case, an improved Bill. I would especially like to thank Senator Lorna Milne, who has led the fight in Parliament, Honourable David Emerson, who has acted quickly to resolve this matter, and Gordon Watts, who has worked so hard and so effectively over the past several years to achieve our goals. Gordon Berdahl A reminder that we are seeking your thoughts about Bill S-18. Full details about this new Census Bill are available at the Post 1901 Census Project website at www.globalgenealogy.com/Census . Briefly, this Bill would provide full, unrestricted public access after 92 years, with no added conditions or restrictions, for Censuses from 1911 to 2001. For Censuses from 2006 and later it would impose an 'informed consent' clause that would require each respondent to the Census to give permission for their information to be released 92 years later. There is a provision that would require a review of the effect of the 'informed consent' clause after two Censuses had been conducted. When sending us your opinions please copy in Senator Milne at paulj@sen.parl.gc.ca