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From: "Gordon A. Watts" <>
Subject: Post 1901 Census --
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 12:01:23 -0800


Greetings All.

While the Federal Government continues to seek conditions and
restrictions for genealogists seeking information on their ancestors
through Historic Census records, they seem not to have the same qualms
about placing personal information regarding our Parliamentary
representative, past and present, on a website accessible to everyone on
the net.

On the home page for Canada's Parliament located at

http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/index.asp?Language=E

you will find a link labeled 'Family Relations in the Canadian Houses of
Parliament'. This link takes you to another page located at

http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/family-famille/index.asp?lang=E

(If the link wraps to a second line in this message make sure you copy
and paste the entire URL to access the page.)

The opening of this page provides the following statement:

"Occasionally, politics can be a family affair. We are pleased to
provide you with parents and children, siblings, and spouses who have
served in the Canadian Houses of Parliament, from Confederation (1867)
to the current Parliament."

Where more than one member of a family has been elected or appointed to
either the House of Commons or the Senate information is provided on
each of those members. That information includes date and place of
birth, date of death, profession, political party, periods of
Parliamentary service, caucus and Parliamentary functions. Where
available a photograph is provided. Information is searchable in three
categories -- 'Parents and Children', 'Siblings', and 'Spouses'.

We have no complaint regarding the unrestricted access to this
information regarding our Parliamentary representatives. We do however
have some difficulty in knowing that under the conditions and
restrictions being sought by the Federal Government for access to
Historic Census records some of this very same information for ordinary
people would be restricted from publication until 112 years after
collection.

It would appear that in this instance, 'Sauce for the Goose' is not
necessarily 'Sauce for the Gander'!

Happy Hunting.

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

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


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