| Name: | D. Ross Fitzpatrick |
| Political Party: | Liberal |
| Province: | British Columbia |
| Senatorial Division: | Okanagan-Similkameen |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-4974 or (613) 943 7797 |
| Fax: | (613) 992 7360 |
| Email: | fitzpr@sen.parl.gc.ca |
| Website: |
| Address: | Senate of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OA4 |
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12/07/2004 - letter from office of Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick to Muriel M. Davidson. December 7, 2004 Dear Mrs. Davidson:- Thank you for your letter of November 30th concerning Bill S-18. I am happy to advise you that Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick fully supports Senator Milne's bill regarding the release of census records. We appreciate your taking the time to write and express your views on this very important issue. Sincerely, David Schneider, Special Assistant to 09/04/2002 - email to Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick from Adele Turner.
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 10:06 AM To: D. Ross Fitzpatrick, Senator Subject: How do you plan on voting this important issue? A simple "YES" or 'NO" will suffice. I would like to know how you stand on the Release of the Post 1901 Historic Census? You have never declared yourself in regards to this extremely important issue. Many of us that are concerned about our Canadian history, fear that it will all be lost due to some poor decisions made by our short sighted politicians. I would like to know if you are just another politician that is spouting the "privacy" rhetoric. Besides whose privacy are you trying to secure? IT CERTAINLY CAN'T BE A MAN 87 YEARS OLD MAN (who is my father) BECAUSE HE WASN'T EVEN BORN IN 1911. There really isn't any logic in the present thought process of destroying our history. This is OUR heritage....it belongs to ALL Canadian people who built this country and no one should deny us our links to OUR OWN PAST! Remember that we judge the greatness of past civilizations by the written records left for posterity and condemn those countries as 'backwards' that have left nothing for history. Please tell me in what category will Canada be recognized for in generations to come? Present and future genealogists, and those that are unborn, are relying on our good judgment and our insistence to save our history. We must not disappoint ALL future generations of Canadians. PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR FELLOW CANADIANS......SAVE THE POST 1901 CANADIAN CENSUS FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS! Adele J. Turner North Vancouver, BC 03/26/2002 - email to Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick from Linda Falls.
To: fitzpr@sen.parl.gc.ca Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 8:58 PM Subject: Release of the post 1901 census Dear Mr. Fitzpatrick: I am writing to urge you to support release of the post-1901 census. As a citizen who is eagerly researching my Irish ancestors and their emigration to Canada, I rely on access to census information to trace the dispersal of my family. For me, history and my own family's past comes alive as I discover where my relatives lived. What a wonderful means to discover more about them and more about my country. I intend to visit these places, perhaps to see their gravestones and see unknown parts of my country. While I have much respect for the privacy of individuals, I believe that a census is a public instrument which should be shared after a respectful period of time. The United States has just released its 1930 census. Let's make our society more open and enlightened with knowledge so that we can learn from both our own individual and collective past. Sincerely yours, Linda Falls 02/28/2002 - email to Senators Pat Carney and D. Ross Fitzpatrick from Frank McKerry.
To: Senator Pat Carney Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 12:17 AM Subject: Bill S-12 Hon. Senators: It is still showing that you both are undecided on how you will be voting on this very important bill. Twice I have writen requesting you to please support this bill that will give the Post 1901 Census to Archives Canada for release to the many thousands of families awaiting these important Census for closure and information on their families. Once again I am calling on you to support and vote YES on Bill S-12 put forward by Senator Milne. Respectfully Frank McKerry Vernon, B.C. 10/19/2001 - email from office of Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick to Sharon Walker.
To: Sent: Friday, October 19, 2001 11:17 AM Subject: Post 1901Census Records Dear Sharon, On behalf of Senator Fitzpatrick I would like to thank your for you e-mail regarding the release of Post 1901 Census records. Senator Fitzpatrick appreciates your concerns and will certainly take them into consideration when reviewing the legislation that pertains to the release of census records. Once again thank you for your comments. Your sincerely, Andrew Brooke Research Assistant to the Honourable D. Ross Fitzpatrick The Senate of Canada Room 246 East Block Direct Tel: (613) 943 7797 Fax: (613) 992 7360 10/04/2001 - email to Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick from Sharon Walker.
I am interested in researching my family's history and wish to gain access to the 1911 and subsequent census records. It has been estimated that there are some 7.5 million plus Canadians involved in Genealogical research. These citizens, in their quest for their past, for their Canadian heritage, depend heavily upon the information provided in Census reports. Under current legislation, post 1901 Census reports will not be released to the Public after 92 years, as have been Census reports up to and including 1901. I am aware that Statistics Canada will not transfer these records to the National Archives because they claim it would violate Section 17 of the Statistics Act. Strong representations have been made to Mr. Tobin's office as minister in charge of Statistics Canada to change the legislation that controls release of the census. I have recently learned that there are two alternatives to correct this undesirable situation. The first alternative is to introduce retroactive legislation to permit the release of all census records once they are 92 years old, as now provided for in the privacy regulations. The second alternative is to change the legislation to permit the release of census records STARTING WITH THE 2001 census. The second alternative is completely unacceptable as it would prevent researchers from viewing any census records falling between the years 1911 and 2001. The 92-year-rule gives more than adequate privacy protection to citizens enumerated in the census. In the past two years, many of those 7.5 million plus voters, including myself, have sent numerous letters and email to their local Members of Parliament, Government Ministers, and Senators expressing their dismay with, and opposition to, this legislation. We have requested the legislation be amended to allow release to the Public of Census records after 92 years, starting with the 1911 Census. I write to ask the following question: would you vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public of Post 1901 Census Records after 92 years, starting with the 1906 Census? I respectfully request and strongly urge you to support the retroactive legislation to permit the release of the 1911 and subsequent census records. I await your answer to this question at your earliest convenience. Sharon Walker 10/03/2001 - email from Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick to Marg MacDonald.
To: 'M MacDonald' Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 8:19 AM Subject: RE: Release of Post 1901 Census Please be assured that your concerns will be brought to Senator Fitzpatrick's attention at the earliest possible opportunity. R. Carolyn Hume Assistant to the Hon. D. Ross Fitzpatrick 09/29/2001 - letter to Senator D. Ross Fitzpatrick from Marg MacDonald.
I am aware that you are 'UNDECIDED' regarding the release of the 1906 and subsequent Census records to the public. As a Canadian citizen, I do support the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records, and I encourage you to take a strong stand on BILL S-12, which will allow the publishing of the post 1901 Census records and any future census records as well. I have been researching my families' roots for many years. Without records such as the Census' being available for all to review, it make the search very difficult, if not impossible. These particular census are especially vital to my research and I'm sure to many others, since huge number of our forefathers immigrated during this period. The Expert Panel acknowledges that these records are important and says they should continue to be made available. I strongly urge you to support Bill S-12, making the information available to future generations of Canadians. If you have bery good reasons why you cannot support this Bill, I would appreciate knowing what they are. Thank you. Respectfully, Marge MacDonald Maple Ridge, BC 09/24/2001 - email from office of Senator Ross Fitzpatrick to Frank McKerry.
To: "'Frank McKERRY'" Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 10:02 AM Subject: RE: Canada Census Dear Mr. McKerry, My name is Manon Joly, I am the assistant to the Senator. I will make sure that your message is given to him as soon as possible. Regard, Manon -----Original Message----- From: Frank McKERRY [mailto:mckerry@home.com] Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2001 2:56 AM To: fitzpr@sen.parl.gc.ca Subject: Canada Census Hon. Sen.D.Ross FITZPATRICK: The senate will be asked to Pass the Bill to allow the access to the Canadian Census for 1901. There are many families including my own that are awaiting the release of these important census to trace ancestors that pioneered this great country we live in. Without this information we are at a brick wall on the discovery of these and other family members. It is noticed that you have indicated that you are undecided on how you would vote on this Bill. We urge you to vote YES for the passing so that we can get on with our much needed research. Respectfully Frank McKerry 07/01/2001 - letter sent to all Senators by Gordon A. Watts.
Greetings. You may be aware that in the past several years a great many Canadians have been seeking to regain public access to Historic Census Records, 92 years after collection, as allowed by Regulations attached to the Privacy Act. Public access to Census Records after 1901 is currently prevented because of misinterpreted legislation and faulty legal opinions from Justice Canada that cause Statistics Canada to withhold control of these records from the National Archivist. In November of 1999, then Industry Minister John Manley commissioned a panel of experts to study and make recommendations relating to public access to Historic Census Records. Their Report was submitted at the end of June 2000. It was finally made public, because of an Access to Information Request, on 15 December 2000. Current Industry Minister Brian Tobin, on releasing the Report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census, rejected the recommendations contained therein, stating that “further broad based consultation with all Canadians” was required. It is the considered opinion of this writer that Mr. Tobin has likely not even read the Report of the Expert Panel, and is taking his direction from Chief Statistician Dr. Ivan Fellegi, who opposes public access to these records. I urge each of you to read for yourself the findings of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records. It is available in hard copy, or accessible on the Statistics Canada website at: http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm en français http://www.statcan.ca/francais/census96/finalrep_f.htm Briefly, the Expert Panel found that a guarantee of perpetual confidentiality was not intended to apply to the census. They felt that it had always been intended that census records would eventually become public and did not view any legislation deemed necessary to do so as breaking of a promise to respondents. The Report recommended allowing public access to all Census records, past, present and future, 92 years following collection. They advised caution only regarding any legislative steps that might be thought necessary to effect release of Census between 1921 and 2001. They suggested that any legislative change felt necessary be done in the National Archives Act rather than in the Statistics Act. This message is being sent to all Members of the Senate of Canada to ask for individual responses to a specific question regarding how you would vote on a Bill supporting public access to Historic Census Records. An example of such would be Bill S-12, presented to the Senate by the Honourable Lorna Milne. Bill S-12 has received second reading and has been referred to Committee. Bill C-312, identical to S-12, has been presented to the House of Commons by MP Murray Calder. The Question: “Would you, as a Member of the Senate of the Parliament of Canada, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public, of Post 1901 Census Records, 92 years after they were recorded? (1911 census information available in 2003, 1921 in 2013, etc.)” A website dealing with Post 1901 Census has been posted at http://globalgenealogy.com/Census Among other things, it contains an explanation of the problem, petitions to download, links to various submissions to the Expert Panel, Bills and Motions relating to Historic Census, extracts from Hansard for the House of Commons and the Senate, and to columns written by myself that have been published in the Global Gazette -- an e-magazine published by Global Genealogy. The website also contains ‘Scoreboards’ showing the position of MPs and Senators relating to the above question. Your response (or lack thereof) to the question above will be recorded on the Senator’s Scoreboard located on this website. Should you wish to comment, or elaborate on your position, a correspondence log for each Senator is accessible from the Scoreboard. Correspondence to or from you that has been forwarded to me, will be recorded in this log. The Post 1901 Census web site is sponsored by The Global Gazette, an online magazine serving the genealogical and heritage community. A vast number of e-mails and calls from subscribers and web site visitors, clearly demonstrates that this issue is extremely important to them. I look forward to your early reply. Thank you. Sincerely, Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee |
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