Open Canada's Post 1901 Census Records, Correspondence to/from Canadian Ministers of Parliament- The Global Gazette (original) (raw)

Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 12:20 PM
Subject: RE: Access to Census Records

OTTAWA
Friday, June 1, 2001

Dear Ms. MacDonald:

Thank you for your letter urging me to support Murray Calder's Bill C-312. Please accept my apology for the delay in responding to your inquiry.

The Canadian Alliance supports the preservation of census records and the subsequent transfer of these records to the National Archives for public release. We believe that keeping the records confidential for the historical 92-year period is an adequate length of time, and that this is generally consistent with the practice in Britain and the United States where records are kept confidential for 100 and 72 years respectively.

As a result, it is my intention to vote in favour of Mr. Calder's Bill C-312.

Thank you very much for writing. I hope that you are satisfied with my reply.

Sincerely,

Larry Spencer, M.P.
Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre

-----Original Message-----
From: M Macdonald [mailto:mmacd@smartt.com]
Sent: April 8, 2001 9:47 PM
To: Spencer.L@parl.gc.ca
Subject: Access to Census Records

Mr. Larry Spencer;

As a Canadian citizen, I am writing to express my support for the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records. I encourage you to take a strong stand on BILL S-12 AND BILL C-312 which will allow the publishing of the 1911 Census records and any future census records as well.

As a genealogist, I depend heavily on census returns. The Expert Panel acknowledges that these records are important and says they should continue to be made available. The government's deferral of this matter for further study is puzzling to say the least.

The majority of MPs from BC, Alta. Sask. and Man. have stated their support, yet you remain undecided.

I have been researching my families' roots for over 8 years. Without such records as the Census' being available for all to review, it makes the search very difficult, if not impossible. This particular census is especially vital to my research and I'm sure to many others.

My families originated in Europe and immigrated in the late 1800s to the US and then to Canada in the early 1900s. I have been successful in tracing many ancestors through the US Census and the UK Census, without which, it would not have been possible and hopefully with your support I and many others like me will be able to continue to do so through the Canadian Census.

Most of the vital information is contained in the first decade of the 1900s, when the immigration level was at a high peak.

Many members of our families have developed a great sense of history in finding their roots and I feel it can only enhance them as citizens of our country.
Genealogists everywhere have volunteered many, many hours to the realization of their searches and I feel that with the release of this census information and future census information, it will only heighten others' interest as well.

I strongly urge you to support these two bills S-12 and C-312.

If you have very good reasons why you should not support these bills, I would appreciate knowing just what they are.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Marge Macdonald,
Maple Ridge, B.C.