| Name: | Mr. Gary Schellenberger |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
| Constituency: | Perth--Middlesex |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-6124 |
| Fax: | (613) 998-7902 |
| Email: | schellenberger.g@parl.gc.ca |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | 544 Huron Street Stratford, Ontario N5A 5T9 |
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01/07/2005 - email from MP Gary Schellenberger to Sheila Hill. From: "Schellenberger, Gary - M.P." Dear Sheila; I very much appreciated receiving your note of December 20, 2004, and I recognize the importance of census data to many Canadians, particularly when researching genealogy and family history. As with any issue, I will continue to examine the release of post 1906 Census records and review the concerns of those most directly affected. That having been said, it is my intention to continue to support the release of these records. As always, please do no hesitate to contact my office if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Gary Schellenberger, M.P. -----Original Message----- It was very nice to see you in Clifford for our Remembrance Day service. I hope that you will vote in favour of Bill S-18 which will allow genealogist to have access to the census. Thank-you Sheila Hill 10/04/2004 - letter from MP Gary Schellenberger to Gordon A. Watts. 4 October 2004 Gordon A. Watts Dear Gordon, I very much appreciated receiving your letter of August 29, 2004, and I recognize the importance of census data to many Canadians, particularly when researching genealogy and family history. As with any issue, I will continue to examine the release of post 1906 Census records and review the concerns of those most directly affected. That having been said, it is my intention to continue to support the release of these records. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if I can be of any further assistance. Regards, Gary Schellenberger, M.P. 08/29/2004 - letter sent to MP Gary Schellenberger from Gordon A. Watts 29 August 2004 Mr. Gary Schellenberger Dear Mr. Schellenberger 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 07/13/2004 - email from MP Gary Schellenberger to Muriel M. Davidson From: Shellenberger, Gary - M.P. Dear Muriel; Thank for your note. I very much appreciate your kind words of congratulations. Regarding the release of census data I would expect that I will be receiving a gold check mark in the next few days from the website you mentioned. Our party critic Mr. James Rajotte has been doing a great deal of work on this matter, and I notice he has a gold check beside his name on the web page. 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. However, the Conservative Party did not support the census legislation tabled in 2003 in the House of Commons (S-13 An Act to Amend the Statistics Act). S-13 is flawed as it will allow limited access to "tombstone" census information after 92 years. Full access to census records will only be allowed after 112 years. We believe S-13 further complicates matters by allowing access after 92 years only to designated individuals. The designation process will result in a complicated bureaucracy, added costs and the question of who will police the census. Let me assure you that we will continue to examine the release of census material and will take into consideration the concerns of those most affected by this matter when reviewing any relevant legislation. Sincerely, |
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