Government Documents: Library and Archives Canada Digitizes Past Issues of the Canada Gazette (1841-1997)

From a Library and Archives Canada Announcement:

Today, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) commemorates the 170th anniversary of the Canada Gazette by making accessible the digitized back issues, from 1841 to 1997, on its website dedicated to this official publication.

[Our Emphasis] “Current issues of the Canada Gazette have been available to Canadians at most libraries and through subscription, and the Canada Gazette Directorate has a searchable database on its website of all issues since 1998,” said Daniel J. Caron, Deputy Head and Librarian and Archivist of Canada. “However, an online database that includes all issues of the Canada Gazette, since 1841 and searchable by keyword, is a major achievement that allows even greater access to this very important resource.”

Digitization of these back issues began in 2008. At that time, LAC’s database contained about 30 percent (or close to 300,000 pages) of the Canada Gazette corpus, including images taken from microfilm, microfiche and rare original copies of the Gazette held at LAC. In August 2010, the staff of LAC and the Canada Gazette inventoried the missing editions and, with the help of the Canada Gazette Directorate, were able to get copies from other libraries across Canada. Today’s announcement of the launch of the entire publication marks the completion of this multi-year initiative.

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Often referred to as “the official newspaper of the Government of Canada,” the Canada Gazette has been an important instrument in the Canadian democratic process for 170 years. It has informed Canadians of the operations of government and encouraged them to participate in the legislative process.

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