| Name: | Mr. John Cannis |
| Political Party: | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Constituency: | Scarborough Centre |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-6823 |
| Fax: | (613) 943-1045 |
| Email: | Cannis.J@parl.gc.ca |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | 1450 Midland Ave Suite 211 Scarborough, Ontario M1P 4Z8 |
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05/24/2001 - email to MP John Cannis from Muriel M. Davidson. From: "Muriel M. Davidson" To: John Cannis - MP Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 10:17 PM Subject: Could We Post An Up-To-Date Message? To John Cannis, MP The last message posted on your person message board does not sound very flattering, should your Scarborough constituents read it! Go to http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score3.htm#ONT Click on your name at left hand side -- the message COULD be more positive, I am certain. Will you SUPPORT Murray Calder and his PMB C-312 if it is deemed votable? Also with identical wording in her S-12 Bill, is Senator Lorna Milne. They are both members of your Liberal caucus and receiving great support. Please remember family researchers, like Murray, Lorna and myself only need the bare details, not page after page of data -- details would include FAMILY GROUPINGS -- plus dates and religion. With that information, I would search church records for baptismal and other events in the life of my ancestor. Census is the only true record. Looking forward with a POSITIVE reply -- we like to see GOLD ticks. Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 09/28/2000 - email from MP John Cannis to Muriel M. Davidson. Mr. Cannis is reluctantly awarded a Gold Tick of support for Access to Historic Census. It should be noted that Mr. Cannis indicated support of Motion M-160 "as amended". Motion M-160 as amended by motion of Liberal MP Mac Harb was rendered virtually meaningless. It should be noted also that Mr. Cannis waited until after the vote before responding to the question of Muriel M. Davidson.
Date: Thursday 28 September 2000 To: Muriel M. Davidson Subject:RE; Hoping for a YES answer Dear Ms. Davidson, Yes, I supported the motion as amended. John Cannis, M.P. Scarborough Centre -----Original Message----- From: Muriel M. Davidson Sent: September 19, 2000 12:24 AM To: Cannis.J@parl.gc.ca; Subject: Hoping for a YES answer Q: Will YOU be supporting Jason Kenney and his Motion M-160? A: A simple YES or NO will do, please! Muriel M. Davidson
I thank all my Liberal colleagues who have participated in the debate. I especially want to thank the hon. member for Waterloo—Wellington for not only acknowledging the effort of the member of the Canadian Alliance but for very clearly pointing out the efforts the government has undertaken with respect to this issue. This is an important issue. Many Canadians have asked us about the census and we have an obligation to respond to their concerns. However, I, too, want to take this opportunity to re-emphasize to Canadians exactly what is happening. With the greatest of respect to the hon. member for Calgary Southeast, I must say that as much as his motion makes a lot of sense, the government and the Minister of Industry have already taken the initiative, as was so eloquently pointed out by my Liberal colleague, to put a panel together to look at this most important issue. I do compliment the effort by the hon. member for Calgary Southeast, but it is premature. We owe it to each and every Canadian to wait until the end of May when the panel will report back with its findings and tells us "This is what we have done. This is the information we have gathered. This is our opinion and this is our view". I am confident that at that time, not only the Minister of Industry, who is the minister responsible for Statistics Canada, but all of us in the House will make that decision on which direction to go in. The date the panel will report back is May 31, 2000. Canadians who want to maintain the protection of personal information and those who would like to examine personal information or communities, historically speaking, will have the opportunity at the appropriate time to participate. My Liberal colleague talked about the members of the panel, who are prominent Canadians. I will take this opportunity to tell Canadians who they are so they can be assured that the people looking into this most important issue are indeed people who are well recognized and well respected and have the expertise and the knowledge to face this most important issue. The five member panel is chaired by Dr. Richard Van Loon, president of Carleton University. The other members are Chad Gaffield, director, institute of Canadian studies and professor of history, University of Ottawa; the Hon. Gérard La Forest, retired supreme court judge; the Hon. Lorna Marsden, president and vice-chancellor, York University; and John McCamus, professor of law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. These prominent Canadians reflect how seriously the government is taking this issue. These individuals will do what is right. When they come to the government and the minister with their recommendations, I assure all the people who are interested in this important issue that we will take it as seriously as the hon. member for Calgary Southeast has in bringing forth this motion. The panel has been provided with all relevant documents and information so that it can do a proper job. The panel is reviewing this information and is meeting with key stakeholders to seek their views. It will not only be these five members doing the work. They will be reaching out to various members in various communities right across Canada to make sure that the data is transparent and well received. The panel's recommendations will be the basis for serious review and immediate follow-up by the government. Although historians, genealogists and researchers are upset that the 1906 and subsequent census records will not be accessible to the public and are asking that the legislation be amended, the privacy commissioner strongly opposes a retroactive amendment to the Statistics Canada Act which would provide access to individually identifiable census records collected in past censuses. This is a complicated issue. I want to detail what historical census records are available to the public at the present time. All microfilm records of the 1901 and earlier censuses are currently available to the public and are under the control of the National Archives of Canada. I want the people of Canada to know that because there is a perception that everything is locked away and hidden and not available to Canadians. That is simply not the case. People ask where historical census records are available. All microfilm records of censuses taken in 1901 and earlier are currently available to the public and are under the control of the National Archives. Provincial archives in many regional libraries have also acquired copies of the same records. Local libraries can request census microfilms through interlibrary exchange programs. Why are the earlier census records available to the public and not later ones? Many Canadians have been asking this question and I would like to take a few moments to explain. The earlier censuses were conducted under various census acts which did not contain the same type of confidentiality provisions that are a fundamental part of Statistics Canada legislation today. Consequently, it was not until the passing of the Privacy Act in 1983 that there was some legislative authority governing these 1901 and earlier records. Under the Privacy Act information under the control of the National Archives can be placed in the public domain in cases where the information was obtained through a census or survey 92 years ago. This is an issue which the average Canadian often does not understand. Therefore, I feel it is appropriate to outline to Canadians exactly what this issue is about so that they can feel comfortable that this government, previous governments or future governments do not have a big brother image over them, collect information, lock it up and use it as they so choose. That is simply not the case. That is why I am taking this opportunity to put Canadians at ease as to what exactly happens with the information we gather. The government has taken the bull by the horns. It has undertaken an initiative to move forward positively. In saying this, again, I compliment the member for Calgary Southeast because I know he cares. His heart is where it should be. He is attempting to ensure that each and every Canadian, organization and facility has access to this information. The Minister of Industry and the government recognize the importance of historical records. We have also taken the opportunity to point out our concern. There are privacy concerns. By the end of May we will be in a position to respond properly.
A web site has been posted at http://globalgenealogy.com/census to record MP's responses, so that those who are interested, will know the position that their elected representative has (or has not expressed) on the issue. Also included on the web site, is a correspondence log for each Member of Parliament, which will contain responses to this e-mail plus any other correspondence from the MP. The Question: "Would you, as an elected Member of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public, of Post 1901 Census Records, 92 years after they were recorded. ( 1911 census information available in 2003, 1921 in 2013 etc)" If you would like to expand on your position, your entire response will be posted to your individual correspondence log. The Post 1901 Census web site is sponsored by Global Genealogy & History Bookstore. A vast number of e-mails and calls from subscribers and web site visitors, clearly demonstrates that this issue is extremely important to them. Many readers have expressed that their current MP's position on this issue will weigh heavily in their decision process during the next election. |
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