POST 1901 CENSUS PROJECT
Open the door to Canada's Historic Census
TOWN HALL MEETINGS |
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This page contains correspondence from Leslie, relating to the Town Hall Meeting held in Ottawa. Leslie attended the evening session of these meetings. From: Leslie To: Gordon A. Watts Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 6:36 PM Subject: RE: [LL] Post 1901 Census -- Town Hall Meetings -- Impressions Hi Gordon and list members, "I would appreciate it if some-one attending these meetings would let me know what transpired and how they felt the proceedings had gone. Let us know as accurately as possible what information was given and what questions asked. I am particularly interested in knowing if the unsubstantiated "promise" of Statistics Canada is introduced, and what degree of emphasis is placed on it. - Gordon A. Watts" Although I live in Québec, I managed to tool over to Ottawa amid the season's first snowflakes to attend the second town hall meeting. In answer to your question about the promise made to census respondents and the emphasis placed on it, I would say that this was the main thrust of the meeting. It will be interesting to compare my impressions with those of others present. Three out of four scheduled speakers presented very convincing arguments for the release of census information. The fourth, privacy consultant Murray Long, also ended up advocating releasing the information, but was more interested in rules for future census. For American readers, Canada doesn't have a federal district like the U.S. Ottawa is the nation's capital and also an Ontario city. This might explain why the speakers' references were more provincial than national. Everybody who spoke supported the idea that the 92 year rule has been working very well, so it shouldn't be changed. A compromise solution was available in printed form. One of the main speakers, Patricia MacGregor, remarked that "the compromise solution is so restrictive that it is little better than no access at all." Information on this meeting will be posted Monday at: http://erg.environics.net/ I hope that this gives you an idea of what transpired at the meeting. Leslie |
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