Acquisition of Government
Records
Every year in
support of its policies, programs and services, the Government of Canada
creates and manages records in a variety of recording media, increasingly
in electronic form. Ranging from executive correspondence, policy
statements, agreements, research reports, program files, contracts, deeds,
leases, surveys and transactions of service to statistical data,
photographs, architectural drawings, plans, maps and audio-visual and
sound recordings, these records are critical
- to the
efficient administration of government as it conducts business and
the affairs of state on behalf of the Canadian public;
- to the capacity
of the citizenry to hold government accountable for its decisions
and actions in our democratic society; and
- to the
preservation of knowledge about our national history and collective
memory for the benefit and use of future generations.
The National
Archives of Canada serves as the permanent repository of the archival and
historical records of government and facilitates the management of
government records. Under the National
Archives of Canada Act
(1987), the authority to dispose of records, either by their
transfer to the National Archives, by their destruction, or by their
alienation from the control of the Government of Canada, is granted to
government institutions by the National Archivist (Section 5). In
addition, the Archivist may require government institutions to transfer
records deemed to have archival or historical importance to the National
Archives for long-term preservation (Section 6).
In its commitment to
the preservation of governments recorded memory, the National Archives
acquires or protects records
- which document
the deliberations, decisions and actions of government in relation
to its assigned business functions, programs and activities, as well
as records which establish the sovereignty, organization and
administration of government;
- which provide
government and the public with information about the policies,
decisions and programs of government institutions over time for the
purposes of review, scrutiny and understanding;
- which document
the impact of government decision-making upon citizens and groups in
Canada and the interaction between the Canadian public and the
state;
- that are
considered essential to protect the collective and individual rights
and privileges of Canadians and their social, cultural and physical
environment;
- of national
significance which contain significant or unique information that
will substantially enrich understanding about Canada’s history,
society, culture and people; and
- that the
Government of Canada is required to maintain for a substantial
period of time by law.
For more information
on government records, consult Services to
Government.
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