There is a two column article in the National Post - June 20, 2000 issue - page A11. snip> The Headline: Keep Census Data Secret Public Tells Ottawa. - by Jim Bronskill. Ottawa - Canadians reject the idea of releasing historical census data that the government gathered under promises of confidentiality,suggests a newly released focus group study prepared for a federal panel. The study found people objected to retroactively changing the law to allow disclosure of Individual answers from the 1906 and subsequent population surveys <snip> Most participants felt that the government made a promise of confidentiality and this should be respected, says the study. People who answered those censuses believed their answers would be confidential and thus, it would be a breach to release the information" This is probably the first time that the majority of the general Public ( at least the readers of National Post) have been made aware of this issue. Hopefully this article will encourage more people to support the efforts of this campaign - rather than attempt to stifle the cause. Stella

The article is available on-line and it is very disturbing. http://www.nationalpost.com/news.asp?s2=national&f=000620/322391.html L. Harvie Halifax, NS On Tue, 20 Jun 2000, Stella Stanger wrote: > There is a two column article in the National Post - June 20, 2000 issue - > page A11. > snip> > The Headline: Keep Census Data Secret Public Tells Ottawa. - by Jim > Bronskill.

Hi, "In some of the focus group sessions, as soon as the notion of 'breaking a promise' emerged, the idea was seized upon by other participants who then expressed their opposition to release. Keeping these data as confidential came to be seen as the 'right' or moral thing to do." There is that promise again sticking out its ugly head! That is a very disturbing article as a rebutal they should print Gordon Watts' "Myth of Census". I think the Liberals (I use that word loosely) have their annual 2 day meeting this week. I think with an election call next year and the fact that the 2001 census will be sent out then, this is starting to become a Hot Potato. All I know as a Canadian the focus group didn't ask me. Did they ask you? Wayne Cook http://www.waynecook.com (A History Television Approved Site) and your Host for the Simcoe County Genweb page at http://www.waynecook.com/simcoe.shtml Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada 1. Historic Plaques of Ontario 557 Plaques online, part of the Historic Plaques of the World Project, Provincial & State Hosts neededl 2. The Canadian Query Boards at http://www.waynecook.com/bulletin.html

Can we email Jim Bronskill at the National Post and bombard him with emails? Adele Turner Vancouver ----- Original Message ----- From: Stella Stanger <sstanger@coord2.ucs.sfu.ca> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: June 20, 2000 10:44 AM Subject: [CCC-L] Keep Census Date Secret - Public Tells Ottawa > There is a two column article in the National Post - June 20, 2000 issue - > page A11. > snip> > The Headline: Keep Census Data Secret Public Tells Ottawa. - by Jim > Bronskill. Ottawa - Canadians reject the idea of releasing historical > census data that the government gathered under promises of > confidentiality,suggests a newly released focus group study prepared for a > federal panel. > The study found people objected to retroactively changing the law to allow > disclosure of Individual answers from the 1906 and subsequent population > surveys > > <snip> Most participants felt that the government made a promise of > confidentiality and this should be respected, says the study. People who > answered those censuses believed their answers would be confidential and > thus, it would be a breach to release the information" > > This is probably the first time that the majority of the general Public ( > at least the readers of National Post) have been made aware of this issue. > Hopefully this article will encourage more people to support the efforts of > this campaign - rather than attempt to stifle the cause. > Stella > > ______________________________

Hi Adele. By all means write letter to the editor of the National Post, marked attention Jim Bronskill. I would suggest that any letters written be polite and factual. Mr. Bronskill is not who we have our complaint with, he is simply the messenger. A brief letter stating disagreement with the survey results are more likely to be printed than a long dissertation. I think the reason few of my letters get printed is they consider them too lengthy for their purposes. As all of you know I can get a little wordy at times <]:-) Write something that you think might get printed rather than a blast at anyone. Happy Hunting. Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: Adele J. Turner <aturner@axionet.com> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, 20 June, 2000 11:15 PM Subject: Re: [CCC-L] Keep Census Date Secret - Public Tells Ottawa Can we email Jim Bronskill at the National Post and bombard him with emails? Adele Turner Vancouver ----- Original Message ----- From: Stella Stanger <sstanger@coord2.ucs.sfu.ca> To: <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: June 20, 2000 10:44 AM Subject: [CCC-L] Keep Census Date Secret - Public Tells Ottawa > There is a two column article in the National Post - June 20, 2000 issue - > page A11. > snip> > The Headline: Keep Census Data Secret Public Tells Ottawa. - by Jim > Bronskill. Ottawa - Canadians reject the idea of releasing historical > census data that the government gathered under promises of > confidentiality,suggests a newly released focus group study prepared for a > federal panel. > The study found people objected to retroactively changing the law to allow > disclosure of Individual answers from the 1906 and subsequent population > surveys > > <snip> Most participants felt that the government made a promise of > confidentiality and this should be respected, says the study. People who > answered those censuses believed their answers would be confidential and > thus, it would be a breach to release the information" > > This is probably the first time that the majority of the general Public ( > at least the readers of National Post) have been made aware of this issue. > Hopefully this article will encourage more people to support the efforts of > this campaign - rather than attempt to stifle the cause. > Stella > > ______________________________