| Name: | Lorna Milne |
| Political Party: | Liberal |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Senatorial Division: | Peel County |
| Telephone: | (613) 947-7695 |
| Fax: | (613) |
| Email: | milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca |
| Website: | http://sen.parl.gc.ca/lmilne |
| Address: | Senate of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OA4 |
05/23/2002 - letter to Senator Lorna Milne from Jim Moeller.
The Honourable Lorna Milne, Senator The Senate of Canada Parliament Buildings Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4 Canada Senator Milne, I am writing in regards to the release of the 1906 census. As I am an American, my mother and her father were born Winnipeg, Manitoba. My grandmother, although born in England died in Winnipeg in 1922. Her family was in Manitoba and Ontario. Their locations have not been ascertained by other data sources, so it would appear the census data is needed to provide the information we need to complete our family history. While the discussion of whether to release the census data from 1906 and after is for the Canadian Parliament to resolve, I would like to interject that we and others around the world with Canadian families will be affected by that decision. It is my sincerest hope that the Members of Parliament will support the release of data so that all Canadian descendents, at home and around the world, will be able to complete our families. As it is difficult for many of us to access data from Canada, the availability of the data in the public domain is a huge benefit to the researchers, and often the only source we have for reference. Thank you for representing all of us in reaching this goal. Your tireless efforts and leadership is all we can ask, and all we can expect. Sincerely, Jim Moeller Beaverton, Oregon USA 10/04/2001 - letter to Senator Lorna Milne from Ken & Dot Gibson.
Senate of Canada Ottawa, ON Dear Senator Milne:- As a west coast historian - the informatin contained in the census papers of 1911 is the final link to 1891 & 1911 for the west coast. I request the release. Ken & Dot Gibson Tofino, BC 09/29/2001 - email to Senator Lorna Milne from Marg MacDonald.
Dear Ms. Milne Thank you very much for your "YES" support regarding the release of the 1906 and subsequent Census records to the public. As a Canadian citizen, I strongly support the release of these documents after the required length of time. I have been researching my families' roots for many years. Without such records as the Census' being available for all to review, it makes 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 numbers of our forefathers immigrated during this period. Once again than you for your efforts on our behalf, and I know that I speak not only for myself but for my colleagues as well. Sincerely, Marge MacDonald Maple Ridge, B.C. 09/23/2001 - email to Senator Lorna Milne from Pat Shankle.
To: Lorna Milne, SEN: Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 9:51 PM Subject: Re: PETITION Senator Lorna Milne Senate of Canada Ottawa,ON K1A 0A4 Dear Senator Milne, Thank you for all that you are doing to help pass Bill S-12. We live in California, and are trying to do research on our families, from here. My families came from Kings, and Richmond County N.S. My husband's families came from Lunenburg County, N.S. and Newfoundland. We are basically first generation citizens of the U.S.A. We have been to Canada a couple of times to do some research on these families, and have found censuses to be very helpful. We know that if we were to see the 1911 census, we would be able to decide when our grandparents died. We would also know which members of the family was still living in that area. We hope that you are successful in your endeavor to persuade your associates in this matter. Again thank you, Mary P. and Donald W. Shankle Oceanside CA USA 08/11/2001 - email to Senator Lorna Milne from Charlotte (Shorey) Croshaw.
To: milnel@sen.parl.gc.ca Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2001 11:45 AM Subject: Historic Census Records Dear Senator Milne: I was born in New Hampshire and now live in Nebraska. I never knew my father's people. He said they came from Canada into Limestone, Maine. That is all I knew until Dad passed away and I received a tintype of a lovely lady with the words "Mary Ellen Cyr, grandmother" on the back. How could that be? Isn't that a French name? Are we not English? I sent for grandfather's birth certificate at Limestone, ME and Mary Ellen Cyr was his mother. More searching and digging. Who was she? Where did she come from? I found, on the net, the US Census for 1860, Maine and there they were, Mary Ellen's father, Joseph Cyr, his father Antoine and his mother Elizabeth. Imagine finding you have a great grandfather named Jean-Baptiste CYR ??? Oh WOW! Please, please keep the records open. My family is the history of Acadia and I must find them. They are who I am. Thank You, Charlotte (Shorey) Croshaw CharFive@aol.com 07/01/2001 - Senator Lorna Milne has been the main advocate in the Senate of Canada seeking public access to Historic Census Records. During the 36th Parliament of Canada she presented Private Member Bill S-15, An Act to amend the Statistics Act and the National Archives of Canada Act (census records). Bill S-15 received second reading and was referred to Committe, however before it could proceed further an election was called, effectively killing all outstanding items in the Senate and the House of Commons, including Bill S-15. Following the election in November 2000, Senator Milne re-presented her Bill which received the designation of S-12. It has once again received second reading in the Senate and has been referred to Committee. It is expected Bill S-12 will be considerd by the Committee in the fall of 2001. Senator Milne has made many speeches on the Historic Census issue, both inside, and outside, of the Senate chambers. She has presented many petitions to the Senate supporting public access to these records. Her many speeches are too lengthy to include on this page, however many of them are accessible from the Contents page under "Senate Proceedings". 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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