We hereby support the initiative of Senator Lorna Milne in introducing a Bill in the Senate which would lead to the restoration of our right to see all census records. I stress that the wording above is merely suggested. Individuals and groups are encouraged to word a petition differently so that each accurately reflects the feelings of the petitioners. This whole fight was started by a determined man named Lyn Winters in Kanata, Ontario who was willing to speak out. Once lost, it will not be regained.
Winters is an avid amateur genealogist.
His concern is mainly that fellow researchers have the opportunity to learn about their family ties through the data collected by census takers every 10 years. From the tourism perspective, people visiting the Island in search of their roots is a significant factor, too. These are valid reasons to join the voice of dissent, but they are only minuscule parts of the overall issue. The real danger, in my opinion, if census records are allowed to be withheld, will be its precedent value in suppressing other information floating around in the bowels of Ottawa which belongs to the people, not to the bureaucrats. Unfortunately for the peons, freedom of information is one vital part of democracy.