The National Registration File of 1940.



                      


     The following is quoted from a letter I received from Mr. Paul Johnson
of the Census Pension Searches Unit on March 13.  It explains the whole thing
much better than I could ever hope to.

        "The Census Pension Searches Unit was set up to provide information to
the person named in the record for historical support of applications for
pensions, citizenship, passports and similar situations, where other preferred
administrative records are required but no longer exist or were never issued.
The Statistics Act, under which census records have been collected since the
early 1900s, provides for their protection and permits the release only to the
person named in the record.  These confidentiality provisions are timeless and
remain in effect even after the person is deceased.
        The National Registration File of 1940 resulted from the compulsory
registration of all persons, 16 years of age and older, in the period from
1940 to 1946.  This information was originally obtained under the authority
of The National Resources Mobilization Act and the War Measures Act, and
custody of the records was subsequently given to Statistics Canada, then known as
the Dominion Bureau of Statistics.
        As a result, the National Registration File of 1940 is not subject to
the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act but is instead
covered by the Privacy Act.  According to this Act, where a person has
been dead for more than 20 years, the information is no longer considered to
be personal and could be disclosed.
        To provide third-party information from the National Registration File
of 1940 for genealogical purposes, a standard fee of $50.85* is charged for each
search undertaken that is successful in locating the requested record.
        A search can be undertaken for an individual after the following
information or documentation has been provided:
-               Proof that the individual has been deceased for more than 20
                years (A death certificate is preferable.  However, any
                document which indicates the date of death, for example an
                obituary notice, is acceptable.);
-               The individual's place of residence during the registration
                period; and
-               A cheque or money order in the amount of $50.85* made payable
                to Receiver General of Canada *. "

* - Updated Sept., 2011.

Inquiries should be forwarded to*:

Census Pension Searches Unit
Census Operations Division
Statistics Canada
B1E-34 Jean Talon Building
Tunney's Pasture
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0T6


Genealogical searches are processed at a cost of $45 plus GST/HST, prepaid.
The total is $50.85* with Ontario HST. Should the search fail, this amount will be refunded.
There is no charge for searches that are required for purposes other than
genealogy.

   NEW 
There is a web page for ordering these searches from the internet.  I have not
used it myself.  It is located at:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-911.007-e.html
and they say Visa or Mastercard can be used to pay for the search.

I was advised by Candy-Lea Chickite of BC that she was able to order by email with
her credit card, and provided proof of death with an attached scanned image of a death certificate.
Hopefully this method will continue to be accepted.


A Note Regarding the Charges for the Copy of the Form:
The only cases  in which there is no charge is when ".......a person on
the registration  is requesting the information on himself......"  or
"........a third party who has power of attorney  for an individual on
the Registration ........is accessing information for the purpose of
administring the estate.   In all other cases, a third party wishing to
access  information on the Registration will be charged $50.85*."
Sally Funk
Delta BC



Eileen Powers advised in a message to the Ontario List at Rootsweb that she had success
with an email enquiry to the statcan office.  I am including a quote from her message, in
case it may help someone.
-quote-
To: ONTARIO-L@rootsweb.com
Subject: enquiring to the National Registry 1940

Hello,
This may help some of you in an enquiry re the Canadian National Registry
1940.

Thanks to information from Irvin & Chris, I was able to email to:

Jacques Dubois
Sous Sous-Section des Microfilms et des Recherches aux Fins des
Pensions(Recensement)
Census Microfilm and Pension Search Sub-Unit
Tel:(613)951-4571
Fax:(613)951-4574
jacques.dubois@statcan.ca 
-end quote-




  What is on the Card for Men. 


Date of Registration, Electoral District, Polling Division, Card.#
are across the top, with the form 8 1/2 x 11, wide side at top.  The
following questions are in two rows, with blanks for answers.  It is signed
at the bottom by the registered person and the person taking the information.

1. Surname     Given Names
2. Permanent postal address (if away from usual residence when filling
     in card give name of usual residence)
     Street and number
     Rural Route and post office
     Town or City
     Province
3. Age last birthday        Date of Birth    Year, month, day
4. Conjugal conditions:  Single  Married  Widowed  Divorced
5. Of what dependants (if any) are you the sole support:-
     (a) father  (b) mother (c) wife (d) number of children under 16
     (e) number of other dependents  (f) do you contribute partial support
     to any one.
6. Country of birth of (a) yourself   place
                       (b) your father   place
                       (c) your mother   place
7. Nationality or country of allegiance: British Subject (a) by birth?
     (b) by naturalization?   (c) foreign citizen?  (d) if naturalized, in
     what year?  (e) in what place?  (f) if not British subject, to what
     country do you owe allegiance?  (g) if an immigrant, in what year did
     you enter Canada?
8. Racial origin
9. Language or languages: (a) do you speak English?  (b) French?
     (c) what other language do you speak, read and write?
10. Education: (a) Primary only   (b) primary and secondary  (c) Vocational
     training (Business College, Technical High School)  (d) College or
     University Degree?
11. Is your general health (a) good?  (b) fair?  (c) bad?
12. If blind, deaf, dumb, crippled or otherwise physically disabled, state
     nature of disability
     If permanently disabled, are you in receipt of a pension?   In respect
     of War Service?  Workmen's Compensation?  Old age or Blind?
     Other? (specify)
13. Class of occupation: (a) Are you an employer of labour other than
     domestic?  If so, state business   (b) Are you working on own account,
     but not employing labour?  If so, state business  (c) Are you an
     employee?  (1) working at usual occupation    (2) working at other
     than usual occupation   (3) Unemployed    (4) Not working because
     pensioner, dependent, retired, independent means   (specify)
14. Occupation or Craft:-                       Years of experience in
     (a)present occupation?
     (b) What is your regular occupation?
     (c) What other work can you do well?
     (d)If an employee, who is your present employer?  Name
     address   Nature of business where employed? (state precisely)
     (e)If experienced in a skilled industrial occupation or profession,
     describe specifically the type or types of work in which you are
     specially equipped by training or experience
15. Unemployment: (a) How many weeks did you work in the past 12 months?
     (b) If out of work now, state number of weeks since last employed in
     any occupation other than work performed in return for direct relief
     (c)Are you totally incapacitated for employment?
16. (a1)Were you brought up on a farm?  (a2) Until what age? (b1) Have
     you worked on a farm? (b2) How long  (b3) In what province or country
     (c1)Can you handle horses?  (c2)Drive a tractor?  (c3) Use farm
     machinery? (c4)Can you milk? (c5) Are you able to do other farm work?
17. Is there any particular occupation in which you would like to be
     specially trained?
18. Defence Services: (1) Have you previously served in any Naval, Military
     or Air Forces?  If so, state (a) Forces of what country
     (b) Approximate dates between which services performed
     (c)Unit   (d) Rank held  (2) If retired or discharged, give reasons
     therefor  (3) Have you been rejected for military service in the
     present war?  (a)why  (b)where



  What is on the Card for Women. 


        The first 15 questions are IDENTICAL to those asked of the men.  The
remaining 5 questions on the form are as follows:

16. State length of experience (in years) if any in: (a) General Farming?
     (b)Truck farming?   (c)Fruit farming?    (d) Poultry farming?
     (e)Dairy farming?  (f) Business establishments?
17. Can you (a) handle horses?   (b) drive motor trucks?  (c) drive an
     automobile?  (d) drive a tractor?   (e) use farm machinery?
     (f) milk cows?   (g) do plain cooking?
18. Indicate here any qualifications or practical experience which you possess,
     not already described
19. Is there any particular occupation in which you would like to be specially
     trained?
20. Do your circumstances permit you to serve in the present national crisis,
     by changing your present occupation to some other for which you are
     qualified?   (a) Where you can return home daily?   (b) Away from home?





     I personally have ordered a copy of the form for my grandfather.  The
service was very prompt, and included a photocopy of the original sheet,
plus a fresh copy filled in to duplicate his responses.  There was also a
typed page summarizing his name, residence, date of birth, age, place of
birth, date of registration, and year of immigration.  A covering letter was
also included.  It did not answer the questions I had hoped it would, but
I can see its benefit to many genealogists.

Click  here  to get back to my main index page.

Bill Martin, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
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