CENSUS-CHAT-L Archives

From: "Gordon A. Watts" <>
Subject: Post 1901 Census -
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 19:33:17 -0800

Greetings All.

In the past little while there has been a number of postings to
different mail lists regarding privacy legislation that took effect in
Canada on 1 January 2004. In the postings that I have seen it is
obvious that few people understand the scope and purpose of the
legislation, and because of this fear is spreading that it means the
'end of genealogy research in Canada'.

Before anyone goes off the deep end they should understand that while
new legislation was indeed enacted it was not done on a spur of the
moment and that there was a considerable period during which the
Provincial governments had time to review the proposed legislation and
to enact their own legislation that at least matched, or exceeded the
provisions of the Federal legislation. Some provinces did exactly that.
The Bill which brought forth this legislation was debated at length in
Parliament before it was passed.

The legislation in question is the 'Personal Information Protection and
Electronic Documents Act'. It can be viewed online at the following
URL.

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/p-8.6/91355.html

I would urge anyone and everyone with concerns about what they can do,
and not do, to access and read this legislation. I copy here a small
part of it that states the purpose of the act, who it applies to, and
who it does not apply to. It mostly concerns businesses and commercial
activities, and to some extent to non-profit organizations. It does not
prevent, as one posting suggested, someone from asking their wife for
information regarding her siblings.

Do not panic. The end of the world (genealogically speaking) has not
yet arrived.


==============================

3. The purpose of this Part is to establish, in an era in which
technology increasingly facilitates the circulation and exchange of
information, rules to govern the collection, use and disclosure of
personal information in a manner that recognizes the right of privacy of
individuals with respect to their personal information and the need of
organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information for
purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the
circumstances.

Application

4. (1) This Part applies to every organization in respect of personal
information that

(a) the organization collects, uses or discloses in the course of
commercial activities; or

(b) is about an employee of the organization and that the organization
collects, uses or discloses in connection with the operation of a
federal work, undertaking or business.


(2) This Part does not apply to

(a) any government institution to which the Privacy Act applies;

(b) any individual in respect of personal information that the
individual collects, uses or discloses for personal or domestic purposes
and does not collect, use or disclose for any other purpose; or

(c) any organization in respect of personal information that the
organization collects, uses or discloses for journalistic, artistic or
literary purposes and does not collect, use or disclose for any other
purpose.

===============================

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

Permission to forward without notice is granted.

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• Post 1901 Census - by "Gordon A. Watts" <>