17 December 2014

Macleans on "Why are our national archives being locked from public view?"

An opinion piece by Anne Kingston in Macleans rehearses the familiar and sorry story at Library and Archives Canada. Few would argue with the article's view that Daniel Caron left the organization reputation shattered, its credibility in ruins. New management under Guy Berthiaume is working on restoration but can't do so alone.

Accepting recent recommendations from the Auditor General and sage advice from a Royal Society Expert Panel is encouraging. Even more so would be recognition from Minister of Canadian Heritage Shelly Glover that previous cuts went too far.

$80 million can be found for the Science and Technology Museum. $110 million is promised for the National Arts Centre. Both address structural deficiencies. The pressing deficiencies at aren't in the buildings but in the programs at LAC. A meaningful gesture toward restoring credibility in the organization's role in preserving and sharing Canada's documentary heritage would speak volumes. Not doing so would equally send a clear message about the Harper government.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

John, you fill a vital role with your blog; Mr Harper and his crowd just loathe any thing and any one intellectual. You are showing your readers what is going on, and showing them in applied, practical ways not just as a theoretical or philosophical
system.

We are a young parliamentary democracy; it is now at risk.

Rod Blaker