What is ATIP and why is it so important to Canadian genealogists?
A recent news report in The Globe and Mail, “Library and Archives planning deep cuts to access to information team, document shows,” has raised concern about planned reductions to the Access to Information and Privacy Act (ATIP) function at Library and Archives Canada.1 For many readers, this may sound like an administrative or staffing matter: important perhaps, but somewhat distant from day-to-day historical research. For genealogists, however, I think this proposed plan has disturbing implications.
In Canada, many of the federal records most useful for reconstructing lives are not simply sitting on an open shelf waiting to be consulted because enough time has passed. This is one of the common misconceptions about federal archival access. Researchers often assume that older government records move into the archives and become routinely available after a set number of years, as happens in some other jurisdictions. In practice, the Canadian situation is much less straightforward.
For genealogists, many of the records we most want to see are personal files: citizenship and naturalization records, immigration files, pension files, wartime records, and other federal files that document the lives of ordinary people. These are often precisely the records needed to establish citizenship, kinship, legal status, residence, military service, and other core elements of genealogy. Such records are also important in proving citizenship by descent, the hottest topic in Canadian genealogy since Bill C-3 became law in December 2025.2 At LAC, access to these records is frequently governed by the Access to Information and Privacy process.3
Let me say that again: for Canadian genealogists, ATIP is not a side door. In many cases, it is the door. This is why reported cuts to ATIP matter. If the report is accurate, and if the changes are implemented in the way described, the likely consequence goes beyond inconvenience. It may weaken the practical release system for the classes of records genealogists most need.
Visiting Ottawa isn’t an ATIP workaround
While I am discussing access, let me clarify another common misconception: visiting LAC in person does not override the need to file an ATIP request. Too often, I have seen researchers stand in line, politely request files, and then be told they must file through ATIP instead. The most common response is some version of: “But I’ve come all this way to see these files. Are you telling me I can’t see them?” In other words, being physically present at LAC is not a workaround when access depends on ATIP review.
The evolution of the ATIP process
That does not mean no one is trying. In recent years, LAC has acknowledged problems in the access system and has reported efforts to improve it, including declassification work and other transparency measures.4 It is also fair to note that using ATIP as a release mechanism is, in my view, an improvement over the previous ad hoc system. A formal process is better than no process.
Implications for historians, genealogists, students and Canadian history
The concern is what happens when the capacity behind that process is reduced. At the moment, I have three pending ATIP requests that would be directly affected, and I see medium- to long-term risks for future research. If ATIP capacity contracts, genealogists, historians, master’s and PhD students, and others who depend on these records may face longer waits, greater uncertainty, and more difficulty integrating federal files into timely research projects.
This matters for Canadian history generally. It matters especially for work on communities already poorly served by the archival record. Where histories were overlooked, under-collected, or shaped by exclusionary law and administration, access delays are not neutral. They deepen existing archival imbalance.
What you can do right now
For now, I think the best response is informed caution. Researchers do not need to panic, but we do need to pay attention. It is wise to be realistic about which projects may depend on federal personal files, to continue developing work from records already secured, and to broaden source strategies where possible. Provincial archives, local repositories, court records, newspapers, community collections, and family-held material cannot replace federal files entirely, but they can help keep research moving while access questions remain unresolved.
This moment calls for careful thought. We should distinguish carefully between what has been reported, what has been officially confirmed, and what has actually been implemented. At the same time, we should not minimize the stakes. For many Canadian genealogists, historians, and community researchers, ATIP is not peripheral to archival work. It is central. If its capacity is significantly reduced, the effects will be felt far beyond administrative offices. They will be felt in the reconstruction of lives, the writing of history, and the ongoing effort to recover stories that were never well served by the archival record in the first place.
Let your MP know how you feel about the proposed changes
As Canadian citizens, we can let our elected officials know what is important to us, their constituents. If contacting your Member of Parliament appeals to you, here are both the link to find your MP’s contact information, and a suggested note.5
Dear [MP Name],
I am writing as your constituent about the reported planned reductions to the Access to Information and Privacy Act (ATIP) function at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For genealogists, historians, students, and community researchers, ATIP is often the practical route to federal records about ordinary people’s lives, including citizenship, pension, wartime, and other personal files.
If that capacity is reduced, access to Canadian historical records may become slower and less reliable. I hope you will raise this issue with the government and support measures that protect timely access to historical records at Canada’s national archives.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Tip: A short personal sentence makes the letter stronger. For example: “My own research depends on federal records to reconstruct family histories and community histories that cannot be documented any other way.”
Postscript
As a genealogist, I celebrate every effort to make records more visible and more usable. The issue is not the records themselves, but access. More access means a deeper understanding of the stories that shape individuals, families, and communities. Over many months, my team and I have worked with the good people at LAC to improve understanding of, and access to, records that matter to our community. That work has produced real, methodical progress. We are already seeing better search functionality and greatly improved finding aids, and in some instances new finding aids were created through that collaborative effort.
At the same time, I have heard firsthand about the pressures and challenges facing LAC staff. That is why I am dismayed by any suggestion that this progress may now be curtailed, shelved, or slowed in response to a government-wide call to reduce expenditures. Better finding aids are important, but if ATIP capacity is significantly reduced, the bottleneck does not disappear. It simply moves from finding the records to gaining access to them.
Acknowledgement
This post was prepared by the author with the assistance of ChatGPT. All interpretations, opinions, and final editorial decisions are the author’s own.
References
- Bill Curry, “Library and Archives Planning Deep Cuts to Access to Information Team, Document Shows,” 9 Mar 2026, The Globe and Mail, accessed 9 Mar 2026: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-library-archives-cuts-access-to-information-team-document-shows/. ↩︎
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “Bill C-3: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into effect,” Canada.ca, December 15, 2025, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2025/12/bill-c-3-an-act-to-amend-the-citizenship-act-2025-comes-into-effect.html. ↩︎
- Library and Archives Canada, “Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP),” Canada.ca, last modified July 29, 2025, https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/services/public/access-information-privacy.html. ↩︎
- Library and Archives Canada, “December 2025 – ATIP action plan progress report,” Canada.ca, accessed March 9, 2026, https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/corporate/transparency/reports-publications/atip/action-plan/december-2025-update.html. ↩︎
- Parliament of Canada, House of Commons / Chambre des communes, no date, Find your Member of Parliament, : https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en ↩︎
