In the gerontological literature, the term kinkeeping appears frequently in reference to activities such as visiting, telephoning, letter writing and mutual aid. A survey of 464 adults in Ontario found that over half could name someone in their extended family, usually female, who worked at keeping family members in touch. Siblings were often mentioned as kinkeepers, especially as people grew older and parents died. The succession of the kinkeeper role tended to pass from mother to daughter. Family continuity and caring seemed important to the respondents. The findings suggest that kinkeeping is as valuable to the young as to the old and results in a binding together of the generations. (JAC)