Following email received from Gordon Watts, the gentleman who has been a tower of strength in our campaign to have public access to our historic census records. Good news for all genealogists and the Canadian people as a whole! Pat __________________ Greetings All. Sound the Trumpets!! Ring the Bells!! Shout it from the rooftops!! I have just received a telephone call from the Office of Senator Lorna Milne. The Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has PASSED Bill S-12 - An Act to Amend the National Archives of Canada Act and Statistics Act (census records), WITHOUT AMENDMENT. The Bill will now be referred back to the Senate in Report Stage and will receive more debate. We are optimistic that following that debate Bill S-12 will pass third reading and be referred to the House of Commons. We still have a ways to go, but having the Senate Committee pass this Bill, especially without amendment, has been a major step towards achieving our goal of regaining the public access to Historic Census records that we are presently denied. While passed without amendment, the Senate Committee did have some observations to make regarding the Bill. I am not at this time aware of what those observation are, but will post them as soon as I know what they are. Having passed this stage does not mean that we can let up on our efforts to let MPs and Senators how we feel regarding this issue. I encourage you to write the Members of the Senate Committee thanking them for their accepting Bill S-12. Write other Senators to encourage them to support the Bill in debate and to vote to pass the Bill in third reading. Write the MPs as well to seek their support when the Bill is referred to the House of Commons. Continue to collect signatures on our petitions. We need to tell our representative in Parliament that it is not just a handful of genealogists and historians that seek access to these records -- it is the people of Canada who do so. This morning I am a 'happy camper'. Please forward this news to all mail lists to which you belong.