----- Original Message ----- From: Muriel M. Davidson Sent: Tuesday, 21 September, 1999 3:51 AM Subject: The Hill Times, Ottawa, Canada -- A Reprint (May be forwarded to newspapers or lists) The following reprint from The Hill Times was forwarded by The Honourable Lorna Milne, Senate of Canada. The writer is unknown. The first paragraph seems misleading -- we are hoping to have the 1911 census records released in 2003, but to date there has not been any vote. It was the Statistics Canada 1998-99 "Annual Report on Access to Information and Privacy" which was released in August, 1999. Muriel M. Davidson, 25 Crestview Ave., Brampton, ON L6W 2R8 <Farquhar@netcom.ca> ============================================================ MPS AND SENATORS KEEP UP THE FIGHT TO SEE 1911 CENSUS RESULTS From: The Hill Times, Ottawa August 30, 1999 1911 was a good year ... Well. it might have been, but it's hard to know if we can't get our hands on the census from that year. According to the Statistics Canada 1998-99 Annual Report on Access to Information and Privacy, which was released last week, the stats gurus can't release census reports to the general public until 92 years after the fact. This is in keeping with the Privacy Act and means anyone wanting to see the 1911 census will have to wait another four years, which some Members of Parliament and Senators find unreasonable. A major letter-writing campaign has been going strong since the spring of 1998, followed by a motion by Ontario Liberal Senator Lorna Milne last November. Senator Milne is continuing to work on a private member's bill that she hopes will be brought forward this year. Among the supporters in the Commons to open up census reports are Ontario Liberal MP Murray Calder, Nova Scotia Tory MP Gerald Keddy, and Alberta Reform MP Jason Kenney. Mr. Keddy is still in the drafting stage of a private member's bill dealing with the issue and Mr. Kenney put a motion forward on Feb. 11, known as Motion 571. The minister responsible for Statistics Canada, Industry Minister John Manley, has brought forward two options to allow for easier access. The first would be to amend the Statistics Act, to allow for the release and transfer of the 2001 Census to the National Archives. The second option would be to alter the confidentiality provisions of the act so that all censuses taken from 1911 to now would be placed within public reach. Supporters of better access say it's imperative that the public has access to the information for reasons of historical significance. Not having access to this sort of documentation would prevent individuals from easily researching their family tree or completing biographical works. The last census records to be released and transferred to the National Archives took place in 1993 for the year 1901. ============================================================