POST 1901 CENSUS PROJECT
Open the door to Canada's Historic Census
TOWN HALL MEETINGS |
|
This page contains correspondence from Lisa Drapeau, relating to the Town Hall Meeting held in Ottawa. Lisa attended the both sessions of these meetings. From: "Lise Drapeau" To: "Gordon A. Watts" Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 10:39 PM Subject: The Town Hall meetings in Ottawa, On Gordon, I just finished gathering my notes to give you an accurate report. I hope it tells you what you wanted to know. I can tell you that everyone who was there was in favor of the release of the Census. Best regards Lise Report of the Town Hall Meetings in Ottawa Both Town Hall meetings were held in the Guy Carleton Room in the Marriot Inn Residence, 161 Laurier Avenue, West in Ottawa. About 40 persons were in attendance in the afteroon and 35 in the evening. We were asked to call to confirm our présence, but no one was asked any questions when they arrived. The only ones who knew who was there and where they came from were the Environics Group. A report is supposed to be available on line and on the environics electronic address on Monday the 17th of Décember 2001 at 18.h00 Both consultations were videotaped and audiotaped. M. Chris Baker, who was the moderator for both meetings, is the vice-president of Environics Research Group,he was the only one asking questions to the presentators, then he would continue with the next presentator. But at the end of each session, spectators were allowed to present their opinion and this was also videotaped and audiotaped. The first session ended at 16h30 and the evening session at 20h30. Every presentator had a fifteen minutes presentation and they stuck to that.Their text seemed timed. The only thing I deplore is the fact that there was no transcript of the presentator's presentation available to the spectators after the consultation, I found it very hard to listen and to take notes at the same time. M. Lang is the only one who had copies of his presentation available for the spectators, and I appreciated that as I was able to concentrate on what he was saying rather than trying to take notes. I should have taken stenography when I went to school, it would have been very useful. In his introduction for both consultations M. Baker mentioned that it was "not clear" and for "how long" the confidentiality would stand. Records have a value -- release nothing or release everything. M.Gordon Taylor (I do not know of his qualifications)14h15-14h30 I was talking to M. Gordon Taylor, I asked him to send you a transcript of his presentation. Here is a short summary of what he said: a) "why was the report of the Expert Panel not released for six months?" b)"the government should accept the recommandations of the Expert Panel" c)"I will not see a census with my name on it & I don't care" "I have my own reasons & I won't reveal them in public" d) "Statistics Canada - save our census release them 92 years after to the National Archives and it should work" Jeff Paul a lawyer from 14h35-14h55 I also asked M.Jeff Paul to send you a transcript of his présentation and he told me that you already have it. Here a summary of what he said: 1)"Statistics Canada is breaking the law by not releasing the Census" 2)"Is it possible to break the law showing the 1906 Census and post?" 3)He quoted something from Sec 23 ?????? May be his transcript will be a better description? 4)"Except for Statistical information, independant enumerators were doing Census around their neighbourhood that everybody would know about them" 5)"The government of Canada should act in good faith and has a legal obligation to release the Census 6)"give the Census a place in the National Archives" 7) "Why do these genealogists & historians want to know about everybody?" 8) "I cannot support the compromise of a restricted approach" Lyn Winters 14H55-15H15 I talked also to M. Lyn Winters (I remember translating an article in French for you that M.Winters wrote) He told me that he would send you a transcript of his presentation. Here is a summary of Lyn Winters' presentation: 1)"The Census reveals all about a family: Where they lived. The type of home they had. And a profile of their family" 2)"I was shocked to hear that it would be the last Census I would be able to have access to" Carol Martin The last presentator of the afternoon was Carol Martin, of the Historical Society of the Upper Gatineau 15h15-16h00 1)"The Census would fill the gap" 2) "give a picture of Canada's past" 3)"she mentioned that Census would be a valuable information to all" 92 years after it's collected" 4)"they did a small project up the Gatineau, and for that they met the people and questionned them about who they are, where they came from, how did they get here, what kind of work they were doing etc..etc..") It was valuable information to all." They have published booklets (around 25 of them) and they are available to the members of the Genealogical Society of the Outaouais, at the National Archives of Quebec in Hull". 5) "She also talked about the Lorna Milne and Murray Calder's projected bills in the Senate and the House of Commons." This is a summary of what she talked about. Questions of the moderator: ( I do not remember whom the questions were asked to?) But I'm writing them own anyway. "Wales and England, are they releasing everything in their Census?" "Where do they come from?" "Why did they come here?" "Where did they go in Canada?" "What did they do?" "What year did they immigrate?" "Where did the ship sailed from?" Their address, relationship, marital status, place of birth, date of birth ...................... The questions that were excluded: Nationality, profession or occupation, work part-time or full-time, education, language, cost of education, if they could read or write. After the formal presentators, invited some spectators to come forward with their opinion: The persons were: Bill Arthur Ruth Kirk Marie-Marthe Dubois Carol Ingram M.Conway They only talked for a few minutes, some learned from Census about genetical disease in their family etc.etc. I could not hear everything that was said as all presentators were facing the moderator and had their backs facing the spectators. Some had a great voice at the microphone but others didn't. M. Conway presented us with a family tree on a board 5'x 2' with some pictures of his ancestors ".....Scott Conway...and of himself on it. All he said was " I need the Census to complete my wife's, family tree" It was very impressive. Second Town Hall Meeting in Ottawa (16h00-18h00) The second meeting started exactly at 18h00. M. Baker in his introduction said 1)" the Census are of public interest. 2)"confidentiality of the records would be kept but did not know for how long" - "encourage people to know more about their family. 3)" analysis of the consultations would be done after all the consultations are over". The formal presentators were: Alison Hare 18h15-18h30 Chad Gaffield 18h35-18h50 Patricia MacGregor 18h55-19h10 Murray Long 19h15-19h30 Alison Hare ( of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society) 1)" she is in favor of the Census being released" 2)"my family and my family's history" 3)"our family and your family's history, not about war and elections, but births, marriages and deaths." 4)"the value of the Census is widely recognized. 5)"genealogists are patiently waiting 92 years" 6)"the Expert Panel received no complaints about Statistiques Canada " Questions by M.Baker 1)"How many years before releasing the Census?" 2)"92 years is sufficient" 3)"genealogical research" 4)"confidentiality can cause a problem" 5)"then he talks about" " the options" Chad Gaffield (professionnal Historian, teacher at theUniversity of Ottawa.) 1)"historian preservation" 2)"system upon the good will of the people of Canada" 3)"the good will of the canadian people was threatened by ill-advised persons that the Census be forever kept " 4)"for historians, it is vital to collect the information" 5)"there is no threat other than the good will of the canadian people" Patricia MacGregor, calls herself an amateur genealogist 1) "Census information" 2) "availability" 3) "promise" made to canadians" there was never any proof" She is making a research about her family, that research will end with the 1901 Census, if the 1906 Census does not become available. She will never know where her great-grandmother lived after her husband died in 1905, she will never know the location of that land." Murray Long (private citizen) You will receive his presentation by snail mail. A few other persons from the spectators were invited by M. Baker to give their opinion. John Raid (private citizen) a M. MacKenzie from Brockville,Ont another gentleman but I did not get his name I hope this is helpfull to you as I realise, it is not complete, for different reasons I gave you.. Guess I would not have succeeded too well as a reporter. Best regards Lise |
Post 1901 Census Project Site Sponsored by:
Everything for The Family Historian!
1-800-361-5168 Bookstore Website
Copyright © GlobalGenealogy.com Inc. 1995-2009
