| Name: | Mr. Peter Goldring |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
| Constituency: | Edmonton East |
| Province: | Alberta |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-3821 |
| Fax: | (613) 992-6898 |
| Email: | goldrp@parl.gc.ca or goldrp1@parl.gc.ca |
| Website: | http://www.petergoldring.ca |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | 9111 - 118 Avenue NW Edmonton, Alberta T5B 0T9 Tel. 780-495-3261 Fax. 780-495-5142 |
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10/21/2004 - email from MP Peter Goldring to Muriel M. Davidson. From: "Goldring, Peter - M.P." Dear Ms. Davidson, Thank you for your letter expressing support for the release of post-1901 census records. I appreciate knowing your views on this issue and am pleased to be given the opportunity of providing you with our position. The Conservative Party and I support 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. If you have any further questions or concerns please contact my office at (613) 992-3821. Sincerely, Peter Goldring 10/21/2004 - email from MP Peter Goldring to Adele Turner. From: Goldring, Peter - M.P. [mailto:Goldring.P@parl.gc.ca] Dear Ms. Turner, Thank you for your letter expressing support for the release of post-1901 census records. I appreciate knowing your views on this issue and am pleased to be given the opportunity of providing you with our position. The Conservative Party 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. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to phone my office at (613) 992-3821. Sincerely, Peter Goldring 10/16/2004 - email from office of MP Peter Goldring to Naomi White. From: "Goldring, Peter - M.P." Dear Ms White, I will pass your comments/question on to Mr. Goldring. Sincerely, Mark Penner ----Original Message----- Would you, as an elected Member of Parliament, propose or support a Motion in the House of Commons calling for the government to direct the Chief Statistician of Canada to immediately transfer care and control of the 1911 National Census of Canada to the National Archivist? R.S.V.P. Naomi White 08/29/2004 - letter sent to MP Peter Goldring from Gordon A. Watts 29 August 2004 Mr. Peter Goldring Dear Mr. Goldring Congratulations on your recent election as a Member of Parliament. To have the trust and respect of those who voted for you is a great honour. Members who have been re-elected will be aware of an issue affecting a great many Canadians that seek their personal ancestry through research of Historic Census records. Newly elected Members may not yet be aware of this issue. It has been estimated that in excess of 7.5 million Canadians have an interest in genealogy and family history. These individuals seek to regain the same public access, with no added conditions or restrictions, to 92-year-old records of Census after 1906 that is currently available for 240 years of Census records up to that time. Access to Census records after 1906 is prevented at this time because of the (believed illegal) policy of a federal civil servant - Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi - Chief Statistician of Canada. The Library and Archives of Canada Act (and it's predecessor) has designated to the Librarian and Archivist the authority to determine what records of government are of archival or historical value and that shall be deposited in the National Library and Archives. Librarian and Archivist Ian E. Wilson determined that schedules of Census have archival and historical value. He declared them to be a National Treasure. He requested the Chief Statistician to return care and control of the records in question to his authority. Dr. Fellegi denied that request. The Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Privacy Regulations, make specific provision for personal information collected through Census or Survey to be made available to any person or body for purposes of research, 92 years following collection. The legislation assumes these records to be under the care and control of the National Archivist. By refusing to return care and control of the records in question to the Librarian and Archivist for subsequent public access the Chief Statistician has acted in deliberate contravention of the Library and Archives of Canada Act, the Access to Information Act, and the Privacy Act. He has usurped the authority of the Librarian and Archivist to determine what governmental records are of archival or historical value and that shall be deposited in the Library and Archives of Canada. In dictating policy instead of following policy determined through legislation passed by Parliament he has usurped the authority of that body. Do you believe that any Federal bureaucrat, regardless of how highly placed or regarded, is above the Laws of Canada? Do you believe that a civil servant has the power to dictate policy that contravenes legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada? The Access to Information and Privacy Acts are complementary Acts born of the same Bill debated and passed by Parliament. Do you believe the parliamentarians who passed this legislation would knowingly include clauses in one Act, the effect of which would be to totally nullify clauses in the other? If your answer to any of these questions is 'NO' we ask that you support our efforts to regain the same public access - with no added restrictions or conditions - to Historic Census records after 1906 that is currently available for 240 years of Census records up to that time. We seek nothing new. We seek only that which current legislation states we are entitled to - access that we have had in the past but is currently (believed illegally) withheld from us by the Chief Statistician of Canada. We ask that you call upon the Government of Canada to immediately direct the Chief Statistician of Canada to obey the Laws of Canada. We ask that he be directed to return care and control of schedules of Historic Census to the Librarian and Archivist of Canada for subsequent public access in accordance with the Access to Information and Privacy Acts. We ask further that you ensure continued public access to Historic Census records by seeking a government Bill that would add to the Statistics Act a single clause, similar to the following: "Original schedules of Census or authentic copies thereof shall, not later than thirty (30) years following collection, be transferred to the care and control of the National Archivist for subsequent public access in accordance with provisions of the Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Regulations attached thereto." In reading my letter you may not feel any obligation to respond to someone living outside your electoral riding. The votes you cast in Parliament, however, affect all people living in Canada and in that respect your constituency is all of Canada. Considering this, even though I do not reside in your riding I would greatly appreciate your personal response to my letter. Your response, stating your support (or otherwise) of the access we seek, will be posted to your Correspondence Log on the Post 1901 Census Project website. It will be available for viewing by your constituents on the MPs Scoreboard at www.globalgenealogy.com/Census Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and for your consideration of this very important issue. Respectfully Gordon A. Watts 11/21/2001 - email to MP Peter Goldring from Julie.
To: Goldring.P@parl.gc.ca Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2001 7:46 PM Subject: 1901 Census Please!!! Don't close off this main avenue of information!!! My parents separated when I was three months old, my mother nor grandparents never spoke of my father's family....at 49 years of age, and hundreds of hours researching, I now MAY have a possible glimmer of my paternal father's family. I am a taxpayer, I did not elect you to use your personal agenda to take away MY RIGHT to know my family.... Could you take a few private moments, to explain to me why you think you have that right???? Julie 09/24/2001 - email to MP Peter Goldring from Frank McKerry.
To: Peter Goldring, MP: Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 10:45 PM Subject: Release of Canadian Census Peter GOLDRING, M.P. Edmonton Centre-East. Sir, I know I am not one of your constituents, but as a member of Parliament you also represent me when you vote. It is noted that you are undecided on how you are going to vote on the bill that will be coming to the House soon on the release of the Canadian Census to Archives Canada. Thousands of families, including many of your constituents are tracing their ancestors who pioneered this great country Canada, we require the Census to have family closure, we urge you to please vote YES for the Census to be turned over to Archives Canada. Respectfully Frank McKerry Vernon, BC 08/10/2001 - email to MP Peter Goldring from Muriel M. Davidson.
To: Peter Goldring: MP Sent: Friday, August 10, 2001 6:36 PM Subject: Would It Be Possible To Answer????? To Peter Goldring, MP:- Two other elected ones with "The Hon." titles are messing up the Alberta census scoreboard -- to date you have not replied at all. I know your political party has had some rough weather -- it is a whole month before reopening of Parliament on Sept. 19. Could we have an answer of SUPPORT or NON-SUPPORT re regaining the Canadian census records -- do you support Bills and Motions to gan this access? Alberta has never had a Canadian census released. Check http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score1.htm#AB Find your name, click on it and read the messages/replies you did not send -- I have written to you before -- As you also represent Edmonton, as do Kilgour and McLellan, have you discussed anything with the ones who elected you??? You owe them the courtesy as they pay your salary in Ottawa. Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 04/30/99- e-mail from The Global Gazette to MP
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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