Project Overview

The Access to Information Act requires "the head of every government institution shall, not later than July 1, 1985, provide facilities at the headquarters of the institution and at such offices of the institution as are reasonably practicable where the public may inspect any manuals used by employees of the institution in administering or carrying out programs or activities of the institution that affect the public." For the overwhelming majority of Canadians, these facilities are inaccessible.

In a petition presented in the House of Commons, the President of the Treasury Board was called upon to post these manuals on-line so that they would be available to Canadians with Internet access. The President's response was that Canadians may "contact the institution's Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator to request a copy of the manual(s) either through an informal process or through a formal request under section 4(1) and 6 of the [Access to Information] Act." The purpose of this project is to acquire these government manuals through the ATI Act and make them publicly available in accordance with the Government of Canada's copyright policy.