| Name: | Mr. Mark Holland |
| Political Party: | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Constituency: | Ajax - Pickering |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Telephone: | (613) 995-8614 |
| Fax: | (613) 996-1289 |
| Email: | Holland.M@parl.gc.ca or mark@markholland.ca |
| Website: | http://www.markholland.ca |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | Suite 106 92 Church Street South Ajax, Ontario L1S 6B4 |
|
10/14/2004 - letter from MP Mark Holland to Gordon A. Watts. October 14, 2004 Gordon Watts Dear Gordon: Thank you very much for your letter of August 29 concerning the historic Census. I apologize for the delay in responding -- there are many6 complex issues that a new MP faces for the first time. As I understand the issue, there should be no legal reason why the 1911 census cannot be released immediately. I understand that the 1906 Western Canadian census was released when Allan Rock was Industry Minister, and that the rules governing the 1906 and 1911 censuses were not substantially different. By cc. to Industry Minister David Emerson, I am suggesting that this should be addressed. I understand that a legal opinion obtained by the Justice Department several years ago recommended that for censuses after 1918 that the legislation should be changed to provide greater clarity. I am also aware that the Senate bill introduced in the last Parliament to address this was seen as impractical and overly restrictive by genealogists and researchers such as yourself. I therefore hope that the government will introduce new legislation that provides this clarity while respecting the needs of researchers to access this valuable historical record. I am, frankly, puzzled that there should be any objection to releasing what is essentially tombstone information years after any adults records in the census have died. Please know you can count on my support for your efforts should this matter come to vote. Sincerely, Mark Holland, M.P. Cc: Hon. David Emerson, Minister of Industry 10/14/2004 - email from MP Mark Holland to Adele Turner. This message earns him a Gold Tick. From: Holland, Mark - M.P. [mailto:Holland.M@parl.gc.ca] Dear Adele, Thank you very much for your e-mail about the historic census. I support the release of historic census records to genealogists, historians and other researchers. As I understand it, it should be possible to release the 1911 census records under existing laws, but a legislative change is necessary to clarify the terms of release for records after 1918. I hope the government will introduce such legislation, and I will support it if it provides access to researchers without undue restrictions. I am also asking Industry Minister David Emerson to look into the matter of releasing the 1911 records on the same basis as the 1906 records were released when Allan Rock was the minister. Thanks again for bringing your thoughts on this matter to my attention. Sincerely, Mark Holland, From: "Holland, Mark - M.P." Hi Muriel, I've passed information about the census issue to Mark, including a memo sent out yesterday by Lorna Milne that gives a good overview of the issue. Mark is currently becoming familiar with a number of issues, and he wants to give each careful consideration. Hopefully Mark will be able to give you definite response in the very near future. Best wishes, Richard McGuire, Executive Assistant 09/10/2004 - email from office of MP Mark Holland to Carol McNerney. From: "Holland, Mark - M.P." Dear Carol, Thank you for your e-mail to MP Mark Holland about the historic census issue. I will bring your e-mail to his attention, and discuss this issue with him. As I previously worked for MP Murray Calder, who introduced legislation on the historic census, I am very familiar with this issue. Best wishes, Richard McGuire, Executive Assistant -----Original Message-----
From: Carol McNerney [mailto:cmcnerney@rogers.com] Dear Mr. Holland: I would just like to make a brief statement here to you regarding the 1911Census. I have been researching for awhile and would like to be able to finish the family tree for my family true, but first and foremost I would like to have the chance to know where they settled at different periods of time and try to trace a couple of very serious illnesses that lurk in our past. I have scoliosis with severe arthritis and osteoporosis so basically the computer and library is my help. My daughter has a form of scoliosis which is spinabifida and so does my grandson. Any information I can obtain on our back ground is very important to me. People searching for their families are not interested in the other names on the census. Yes they see them but pass them by quickly looking for their own family. It is a very big help to us as researchers both for genealogy and history. I just recently, thanks to the census and a friend , discovered who my gr grandmother was before she married. Until that time I did not know her except for her married name. Please help us in our quest for the release of the `1911 Census which should have been out last year. Thank you for your tme and patients and PLEASE VOTE YES for the Census. Carol McNerney 08/29/2004 - letter sent to MP Mark Holland from Gordon A. Watts 29 August 2004 Mr. Mark Holland Dear Mr. Holland 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 06/28/2004 - Mr. Mark Holland was elected to the House of Commons 28 June 2004. |
|
|
