From: "Fletcher, Steven - M.P."
To: "Muriel M. Davidson"
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 11:48 AM
Subject: RE: All Bills MUST Be Voted ON

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 my 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. I 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.

Steven Fletcher, M.P.
Charleswood - St. James - Assiniboia
Ph: 613-995-5609, Fax: 613-992-3199

From: Fletcher, Steven - M.P.
To: Michelle Knoll
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 10:28 AM
Subject: RE: Census Release

Dear Ms. Knoll,

Thank you for your many emails on the subject of the release of census information. Contrary to the opinions expressed by your last correspondence, no response from this Member of Parliament cannot be interpreted as opposing the Conservative Party's 'position' on the issue. Mr. Fletcher simply has not yet given a response but has instead attended to the hundred or so emails a day of more pressing urgency such as Healthcare and constituent needs. You will receive an answer to your query when Mr. Fletcher gives direction for his staff to do so. As you have indicated that you are 'tired' of sending emails on the subject and we know that there is no vote on this issue, I assume that you will now wait for the reply in due time. Thank you.

Sincerely

Michelle Cormier,
Executive Assistant to Steven Fletcher, M.P.
Charleswood - St. James - Assiniboia
Ph: 613-995-5609, Fax: 613-992-3199

From: "Muriel M. Davidson"
To: Steven Fletcher, MP
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 3:20 PM
Subject: Let's Make the Manitoba Scoreboard GOLD

To Steven Fletcher - MP

After receiving a positive message from another Member of Parliament in Manitoba, I checked the scoreboard

http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score2.htm#MB

I noticed your BLUE ?? was still showing very prominently. Should you change your "No Answer" to a YES, Manitoba will match Nova Scotia with all MPs 100% in agreement.

Census records are records of your past and mine, plus being the last ones prior to the First World War. The 1911 census would be a continuation of the 1906 records, only of your three western provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Ridings have changed over the years but history records are still there -- now needing the 1911 census to go one step further. We hope to assist with this when a new bill might be presented in the House of Commons.

Looking forward to a positive answer,

Muriel M. Davidson  muriel_davidson@sympatico.ca
Co-Chair, Canada Census committee

29 August 2004

Mr. Steven Fletcher
Member of Parliament
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Mr. Fletcher

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
Co-chair, Canada Census Committee