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From: "Gordon A. Watts" <>
Subject: Post 1901 Census -- Press Release of Senator Lorna Milne
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:45:59 -0800


Greetings All

I copy below for your information a Press Release from Senator Lorna
Milne regarding access to Post 1901 Census. The information contained
therein, depending on the reaction of Statistics Canada, could forstall
our preparations to proceed to the Federal Courts for a Writ of Mandamus
for release of the records. Time will tell.

Happy Haunting. <]:-)

Gordon A. Watts
Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, BC

http://globalgenealogy.com/Census
en francais http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm

Permission to forward without notice is granted.
================================

Senator Lorna Milne demands that Statistics Canada stop breaking the law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OTTAWA - October 29, 2001

Today, the Hon. Lorna Milne demanded that Statistics Canada stop
breaking the law and allow the release of post 1901 census records to
the National Archives of Canada.

"It is now clear that Statistics Canada has a legal duty to release post
1901 census records, and they have repeatedly refused to do so", Senator
Milne asserted. "They can no longer claim any legitimate reason to
avoid this duty. This vital record of Canada's history and people must
be released into the keeping of the National Archivist of Canada
immediately".

Senator Milne was reacting to the release of 10 legal opinions that
Statistics Canada has received over the last 20 years on the issue of
the release of post 1901 census information. The documents were
obtained by the
Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
The committee is currently studying Bill S-12, Senator Milne's Private
Senator's Bill that would allow for the release of census information 92
years after the date of the census.

"The latest legal opinion unequivocally states that the better legal
view is that post 1901 census records should be released." she noted.
"Furthermore, the current Chief Statistician, Dr. Ivan Fellegi, was told
as long ago as 1981 that, in order to comply with both the spirit and
the letter of privacy and access to information legislation, Statistics
Canada would have to release post 1901 census information".

Senator Milne has received petitions from nearly 20,000 Canadians
calling for the release of post 1901 census information. The 1906
Western Census records were due to be released in 1998 in accordance
with the
National Archives of Canada Act and the Privacy Act, but Statistics
Canada has refused to act on this obligation.

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For more information, please call Jeff Paul at 613-947-9744

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