Canadian Government Information on the Internet 1, 2

Anita Cannon

ABSTRACT: This article provides a list, with brief descriptions, of the Canadian federal, provincial and municipal government information available on the Internet. The telnet, gopher, FTP or WWW address, or Universal Resource Locators (URLs), are given for each site. Hypertext links have been created so that if you have a Web client such as Mosaic, Lynx, or Cello, you can click on the URL to connect directly with each site.

RÉSUMÉ : Cet article offre une liste, avec de brèves descriptions, de l'information gouvernementale canadienne de niveaux fédéral, provincial et municipal disponible sur l'Internet. Les adresses de telnet, gopher, FTP ou WWW ou les URLs (Universal Resource Locators) sont donnés pour chaque site. Des liaisons sélectionnées d'hypertexte ont été créées de sorte que si vous aves un client Web tel Mosaic, Lynx ou Cello, vous pouvez cliquer sur l'URL pour vous mettre en liaison directe avec le site.

1. Introduction

The Internet holds great promise for providing free and equal public access to government information. With public access to the Internet expanding at an exponential rate, especially through freenets and the installation of terminals in public libraries, the Internet is becoming an ideal medium for governments to improve access to their information, while reducing the significant printing and distribution costs associated with hard copy publication.

This guide is intended to give a snapshot of the Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal government information currently available on the Internet. There are changes happening almost every day, many new sites are in the experimental stage, and many of the existing sites are making new information available. An attempt was made to select only those sites which are intended for public access and have posted information of interest to the public. Highly research oriented sites or those listing no more than a description of their department were not included. Sites requiring payment or limited to a special group have also been omitted. Additions and comments are welcomed by the author.

The organization of this guide roughly follows the subject-oriented approach of Blake Gumprecht's guide to Internet sources of government information. The three basic levels of government have been listed separately, as provincial and municipal documents are often of local interest only. The information available from each source is briefly described in each entry, and the various modes of access (gopher, telnet, ftp, WWW browser) are given using a slightly modified Universal Resource Locator system, where "//" separates the mode of access from the address, "/" indicates a subdirectory (e.g. for ftp), or a lower menu level (e.g. in gopher), and special login sequences are spelled out in more detail. It is assumed that readers have some familiarity with Internet tools.

There is much less Canadian government information available on the Internet than there is American. There are various reasons for this, including Crown copyright, or the fact that in Canada, government information is not automatically in the public domain as it is in the United States. There has also been some reluctance to trying something new in some government offices, as almost all governments struggle with budget cuts and reduced staff. Fortunately, more and more government offices are realizing that the Internet can afford them a quicker, easier, cheaper, less labour-intensive way to provide public access to their information than many of the traditional ways could.

Where information was found in more than one place, the original, or more stable source was noted. However, there is no guarantee that what was there today will be there again tomorrow. Also, there can be a difference in the files available at a particular site, depending on the mode of access. A telnet approach may not reveal the same files as a gopher approach to the same site.

Comments, suggestions and additions are welcome. Please address these to acannon@vm2.yorku.ca. Future, updated versions of this guide will be available from the Clearinghouse for Subject-Oriented Internet Resource Guides:

gopher://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/inetdirs/Clearinghouse... /Guides on the Social Sciences/Canadian Government

ftp://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/inetdirsstacks/canada:cannon

2. Major Gopher and WWW Sites (Federal):

Federal Government Gopher Server: The menu currently lists eleven sites, including one for Government of Canada electronic mail addresses.

gopher://ariel.gta.doc.ca

National Library of Canada: Still in the experimental stage, but already very useful, this gopher server has been set up as a gateway to Canadian government information on the Internet, especially federal information. It is an excellent place to start, and can lead you directly to many of the other sites listed. Among the information available: National Library of Canada publications such as the annual report, bibliographies and pathfinders, the publications catalogue, staff directory, and the full text of the throne speech (in: /electronic publications).

gopher://gopher.nlc-bnc.ca

Open Government Project: World-Wide-Web project developed by Industry Canada to show how the federal government works and who the key participants are. Provides information on the Senate, the House of Commons, Supreme Court of Canada, full text of important government documents and treaties, links to other government departments and provincial information.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/open government project

WWW: http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/opengov

3. Federal Information (by subject):

3.1 General Information

Canada Communication Group - Publishing: Publisher for the federal government. Lists press releases and the Weekly Checklist for the past three months.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	/government centre/federal government 
	login: guest

3.2 Archives

National Archives Catalogue of Computer Files: Provides access to approximately 5,000 computer files: Canadian Shipwrecks Database, Canadian Civil Aircraft Registry, 1871 Ontario Census, post office histories, Spicer Commission records, tree ring data, immigration registries, Indian treaties, genealogy research guide, history of Canadian comics, descriptions of Indian bands and agent offices in Ontario for the past 300 years, posters, maps, aerial photographs, etc.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	/Government Centre/National Archives of Canada
	login: guest

3.3 Astronomy

Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (Victoria, B.C.): Information on the Centre, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, images from the Hubble Space Telescope, list of astronomy meetings.

WWW: http://ucluelet.dao.nrc.ca

3.4 Census and Statistics

1991 Census of Population Documentation: Documentation relating to the 1991 Census of Population, e.g. codebooks for the geographic and reference files, record layouts for profile files, bst files, sas and spss control files. (For use with the Census data tapes. Note this is not the actual Census data.)

gopher://alpha.epas.utoronto.ca/Data Library, Census of Population, Census of Population, 1991

or:

gopher://gopher.epas.utoronto.ca

Statistics Canada Gopher: Provides searchable full text of Statistics Canada Daily Reports (current and previous 6 months), schedules of upcoming statistical releases, information about the agency and its publications and services. CANSIM directory and index: alphabetical list of subjects with matrix numbers (in: /Statistics Canada Services)

gopher://talon.statcan.ca

telnet://142.206.64.2:70

ftp://talon.statcan.ca/pub

3.5 Economics

1994 Federal Budget: Full text of the 1994 federal budget.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/industry canada documents/ isc.news.releases/federal.budget.1994

ftp://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/pub/isc/isc.news.releases/federal.budget.1994

http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/isc/isc.html

Consumer Price Index: For monthly CPI for Canada, 1985 to the present, see "CPI History". For calculations of the monthly changes in the inflation rate for the most recent months, see "CPI Monthly Summary".

gopher://provost-admin.uwaterloo.ca/Operations Analysis

3.6 Emergency

Emergency Preparedness Canada: Long list of their information booklets and publications, e.g. Bomb Threat Manual, Annual Report, Guide to the Preservation of Essential Records, and ordering information.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	/government centre/federal government of Canada

3.7 Geology

Canadian GeoScience Information Centre: Information on the collections and services of the libraries that make up this centre and its telephone/fax/email directory.

gopher://gopher.emr.ca/NRCan-Info-English/gsc/cgic

Geological Survey of Canada: Information about earthquakes in Canada, minerals, meteorites, the Geological Survey of Canada, and more.

gopher://gopher.emr.ca/NRCan-Info-English/gsc

3.8 Industry

Industry Canada Documents: Full text of publications sponsored by Industry Canada, arranged by sector.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/industry canada documents/ isc.publications.english

http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/isc/isc.html

ISC News: Industry Canada news releases and fact sheets. Archives are not indexed (use wais text-searcher on gopher to find news releases and fact sheets on a topic). e.g. Jan. 18, 1994: full text of Throne Speech.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca

ftp://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/pub/isc/iscnews (see also under Discussion Lists)

Industry Profiles: Full text of publications by Industry Canada experts, providing an analysis of the competitiveness of various manufacturing and service sectors in Canada.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/Industry Canada Documents/industry.profiles

3.9 Law and Legislation

gopher://wiretap.spies.com/government documents (US & the world)/ Canadian documents

Canadian Human Rights Commission: Full text of the Human Rights Act, 1993, Annual Report, information on harassment, AIDS discrimination, how to file a complaint.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

Electronic Frontier Canada: A non-governmental organization set up to ensure that the right to privacy and the democratic values in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are protected in the face of new computing and telecommunications developments. Includes the full text of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, memos, speeches and press releases by the government and lobby groups.

gopher://gopher.ee.mcgill.ca/EFC-Electronic Frontier Canada Gopher

North American Free Trade Agreement: Full text of NAFTA (American version). 1993 final agreement, text divided into sections, includes the September 1993 Labour and Environmental Side Agreements:

gopher://cyfer.esusda.gov/Americans Communicating Electronically/ National policy issues/nafta/nafta

Keyword searchable version:

gopher://dewey.lib.ncsu.edu/waissrc:/wais/freetrade.src

ftp://ariel.unm.edu/pub/nafta

Quebec Statute Law and Case Law documents: Keyword searchable versions of the Civil Code, and Court Decisions on Unemployment Insurance.

gopher://gopher.droit.umontreal.ca

Experimental version of Supreme Court Decisions with searchable index, and Supreme Court Bulletins also available at:

gopher://gopher.droit.umontreal.ca

3.10 Meteoroloy

Environment Canada Gopher: Weather forecasts, maps, charts and satellite images, and Canadian Climatic Perspectives, a weekly publication on temperature, precipitation and wind from weather stations across Canada.

gopher://cmits02.dow.on.doe.ca

3.11 Natural Resources

Natural Resources Canada: Describes the mandate and structure of Natural Resources Canada, information about its sectors, employee telephone and electronic mail directory, list of statutes administered by NRCan, information about the Minister, and recent news headlines concerning NRCan (in: /emr.general)

gopher://gopher.emr.ca/nrcan-info

http://www.emr.ca

ftp://emr.ca

3.12 Telecommunications

Full text documents (also available in French):

ftp://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/pub/isc/

	index of files: /00readme

Communications Research Centre: Full text of Canadian government news releases and fact sheets about communications policy and developments in communications technology.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/industry canada documents

(See also Discussion Lists)

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: Provides access to select news and feature radio programs, lists of CBC radio products, information about transcripts available from the CBC and more.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/cbc radio trial

ftp://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/pub/cbc

WWW sound files http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/cbc/cbc.html

WWW newscasts http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/cbc/news.html

Gazette-List: Extracts from Canada Gazette pertaining to communications issues, e.g. changes to telecommunications regulations and legislation, and information about licensing applications.

gopher://debra.dgbt.doc.ca

ftp://debra.dgbt.doc.ca

(See also Discussion Lists)

4. Provincial Information:

4.1 British Columbia

Freedom of Information Gopher: Searchable version of the Directory of Records, a directory of records and personal information held by British Columbia government ministries and Crown corporations. Available on the British Columbia Systems IBM Gopher.

gopher://bcsc02.gov.bc.ca

Government Centre, Victoria Free-Net: Has a lot of provincial information such as: a searchable list of rare British Columbia plants, statistics, road reports, Ministry of Health press releases, a searchable index of government programs and services, and a British Columbia government telephone directory.

gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca/government centre

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources: Information on solar energy (under /energyBC/ ministry solar/solar profiles). Tips on how to reduce fuel bills (under /energyBC/ otherenergy/fuelsmartnews).

gopher://energy-bc.empr.gov.bc.ca

Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks: Includes the Ministry vision and objectives, discussion papers, snow bulletins (current and several months back), British Columbia Forest Practices Code, State of the Environment Report for British Columbia, air quality data, images and text on British Columbia wildlife, and a searchable British Columbia government telephone directory.

gopher://gopher.env.gov.bc.ca

Groundwater Section: Includes groundwater maps and images, water well records, industry contacts, national groundwater strategy, water quality limits.

4.2 New Brunswick

1994/95 Provincial Budget: (On National Library of Canada Gopher)

gopher://gopher.nlc-bnc.ca

4.3 Nova Scotia

Department of Economic Development (Halifax): Planned for June 1994: one-stop information and service centres in 5 locations in Nova Scotia. Contact: cjcarr@industry1.ditt.ns.ca

4.4 Ontario

Government of Ontario Information Service: A Bulletin Board System which has on it the new Environmental Bill of Rights. Under this new law, the public has a right to information about government decisions that affect the environment. Fourteen ministries come under the Bill and the information they post here will make up the Environmental Registry. Currently available: Information about the Environmental Bill of Rights, Statements of Environmental Values, environmentally significant proposals and decisions, and a list of cases where court actions have been initiated. Restricted to Ontario residents.

telnet://192.75.156.92

(You will be asked to sign in with your name and address.) Username: BBS

Ministry of Economic Development and Trade: Includes telecommunication strategy fact sheets.

gopher://govonca.gov.on.ca/pub/medt

Ministry of Education and Training Public Gopher: Information about the new ministry, news releases, and Ministry telephone directory. In planning stage: Full text documents such as the common curriculum, education statistics, a directory of education, etc.

gopher://gopher.mcu.gov.on.ca

Ministry of Environment and Energy: Includes decisions of the Environmental Assessment Board of Ontario.

gopher://govonca.gov.on.ca/pub/env

Ontario Government Gopher: Lists other Ontario gophers. "Organizational charts" contain information about departments, ministries and provincial government agencies. foi_ndex.txt is a subject index file to the information. More information being added currently and in the near future.

gopher://govonca.gov.on.ca

Ontario Legislature: List of members with their Queen's Park address and telephone number. (From National Capital FreeNet under the Advisory Council on Aging for Lanark, Leeds and Grenville.)

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	login: guest
	enter choice: go aging

Ontario Telecommunications Strategy: Factsheets and other documents on telecommunications in Ontario, and a glossary of telecommunications terms.

gopher://gopher.emr.ca

5. Municipal Information:

Generally, municipal governments have been approached by FreeNets to post their public information with them.

5.1 Ottawa

Fax/Email Gateway: To send an email message to anyone with a fax number in Ottawa (613 area code area), address email to: remote-printer.person@x.x.x.x.y.y.y.3.1.6.1.tpc.int (xxxxyyy=fax number backwards) e.g. to send a fax to Jean Chré tien at 1-613-941- 6900, you enter: remote-printer.Jean_Chretien@ 0.0.9.6.1.4.9.3.1.6.1.tpc.int For more information email tpc-faq@town.hall.org

On National Capital FreeNet:

City of Ottawa: Information about the City, directory of services and departments, public meetings and committee agendas, city councillors, telephone numbers, public announcements, tenders, street closures, tax information, election information.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	/government centre
	login: guest

Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton: Telephone directory, weekly agenda, motions and decisions from Regional committee meetings, information on departments, tenders, contracts, public meetings, press releases and events.

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	/government centre
	login: guest

5.2 Toronto

Government Fax/Email Gateway: This is a directory of fax numbers and userids for MPPs, and other politicians, school boards, hospitals, libraries, police, city councillors, cities within Toronto, as well as federal and provincial ministers.

gopher://gopher.emr.ca/doc/ontario-fax-gateway

The fax/email gateway lets you send an electronic mail message which will be received as a fax.

Send mail to: utgpu!plan9!chyk!

5.3 Victoria

On Victoria Free-Net:

Council members, searchable council minutes, list of committee members, committee meeting schedules.

gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca/government centre/municipal government

telnet://freenet.victoria.bc.ca

	/government centre/municipal government
	login: guest
WWW: http://freenet.victoria.bc.ca/vifa.html

5.4 Other

MMTDB (Maritime Municipal Training and Development Board): An agency of the Council of Maritime Premiers, the MMTDB set up this Bulletin Board System to discuss the potential of using the electronic network for the dissemination of information regarding local government management and training. It contains a directory of Maritime municipal associations and organizations, issues in local government, municipal publications listed by title with cost, job vacancies, and MMTDB- supported training programs.

telnet://owl.nstn.ns.ca

6. Freenets

There are dozens of freenets in the making across Canada. Only two have been up and running for some time: National Capital Region FreeNet and Victoria Free-Net. The information listed here can be accessed as a "guest" (ie. with no registration required). However, there may be other information on freenets available only to registered users.

National Capital Region FreeNet: Government information includes many federal as well as municipal files, information on political parties, local ridings and elections, etc.

http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/freenet/freenet.html

gopher://freenet.carleton.ca

telnet://freenet.carleton.ca

	login: guest

Victoria Free-Net Association: Information provided by and about all levels of government (municipal, regional, provincial and federal) with an emphasis on local issues. Also an excellent source for historical information: Annotated bibliographies of British Columbia historical government documents via gopher under Library and Information Services/Greater Victoria Public Library Booklists/B.C. Political History--Official Sources, and /B.C. Politics--Warts and All. A collection of full text historical documents including Rupert's Land Act, 1868, Iroquois Constitution, Metis Bill of Rights, 1869 and 1870, the 1837 Rebellion: Mackenzie's Proclamation to the People of Upper Canada, etc. available via telnet in /Library and Information Services/Online Modern History Review/Library of Historical Documents.

gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca

telnet://freenet.victoria.bc.ca

	login: guest

7. Discussion Lists

7.1 Government Lists

Industry Canada listserver:

To subscribe send email message to: listserv@debra.dgbt.doc.ca In the body of the message type: subscribe iscnews your name

Gazette-List: Extracts from Canada Gazette pertaining to communications issues, e.g. changes to telecommunications regulations and legislation, and information about licensing applications.

To subscribe send email message to: listserv@debra.dgbt.doc.ca In the body of the message type: subscribe gazette-list your name

Statistics Canada: A moderated listserver intended to be used by customers and users of Statistics Canada products and services to communicate with Statistics Canada.

To subscribe send email message to: listproc@statcan.ca In the body of the message type: subscribe statcan your name

7.2 Lists About Government Information

Capdu-l: This listserver is run by the Canadian Association of Public Data Users, whose objective is the advancement of open access to public data. Restricted to Canadians.

To subscribe send email message to: listserv@vm.ucs.ualberta.ca In the body of the message type: subscribe capdu-l your name

Coalition for Public Information: A coalition of information providers, developers and educators interested in ensuring that the developing information infrastructure in Canada serves the public interest and provides universal access to information.

To subscribe send email message to: listproc@resudox.net In the body of the message type: subscribe co_pub_info your name

Govinfo: govinfo@sask.usask.ca A mailserver list about government information in Canada at all levels of government.

To subscribe send email message to: mailserv@sask.usask.ca In the body of the message type: subscribe govinfo

8. Library Catalogues

8.1 Academic Libraries

The following are selected university libraries which have full depository status or extensive holdings of federal and provincial government documents, the majority of which are catalogued and available in an online public access catalogue accessible on the Internet. They can be reached through gopher, at the telnet addresses given. If no login sequence is specified, follow the instructions on the screen. The catalogue software is given in brackets unless it is an in-house system.

	Carleton University
	
	telnet://library.carleton.ca
	at the option prompt: press Enter
	exit:  off

	Memorial University of Newfoundland (SPIRES)
	
	telnet://mungate.library.mun.ca
	login: mungate
	terminal type: vt100
	your response: select
	exit: logoff

	Mount Allison University (DRA)
	
	telnet://bigmac.mta.ca
	username: CATALOG
	exit: logoff

	Universite Laval (MultiLIS)
	
	telnet://ariane.ulaval.ca
	username: ariane
	exit: PF1 to first screen, then select Exit

	University of Alberta (DRA)
	
	telnet://dra.library.ualberta.ca
	username: GATE
	login: direct
	exit: Ctrl-Z to main menu, then type quit

	University of Guelph
	
	telnet://searchme.uoguelph.ca
	login:  searchme
	exit:  X, then press Enter

	University of Toronto (DRA)
	
	telnet://vax.library.utoronto.ca
	username: utlink
	password: (press Enter)

	University of Saskatchewan  (GEAC)
	
	telnet://sklib.usask.ca
	username: SONIA
	exit: end, then: Q, then: Q

	York University (NOTIS)
	
	telnet://yorkline.yorku.ca
	terminal type: vt100
	exit: X

8.2 Government Libraries

	Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology
	Library (multiLIS)
	
	telnet://canlib.emr.ca
	login: opac
	exit: PF1 to first screen, then select Exit

	Communications Research Centre Library, Industry
	  Canada
	
	telnet://hazel.dgcp.doc.ca
	disconnect: quit

	Geological Survey of Canada Library
	
	telnet://geoinfo.gsc.emr.ca
	login: opac

	Natural Resources Canada Headquarters Library
	  (MultiLIS)
	
	telnet://hqlib.emr.ca
	login: opac
	disconnect: PF1 to first screen, then select Exit

9. Guides

Carroll, Jim and Rick Broadbent. Canadian Internet Handbook. Scarborough, Ont.: Prentice Hall Canada, 1994.

A general guide to the Internet; covers Canadian sources on the Internet, including some government sources.

ElectroPolis: Internet-Accessible Government Resources and Public Information Newsletter. Ottawa, Ont.: Strangelove Press. (First edition planned for May 1994.)

Intends to monitor trends in Internet access to government information in Canada and the United States. Contact: mstrange@fonorola.net

Gumprecht, Blake, ed. Internet Sources of Government Information. 2nd ed. Available:

gopher://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/inetdirs/guides on the social sciences/ government...

ftp://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/inetdirsstacks/government:gumprecht

A good subject guide to United States government information on the Internet. Includes some Canadian information.