Supplementary information tables 2025–2026

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• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus

Details on transfer payment programs

Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP)

Start date: 2015

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Contribution

Type of appropriation: Main Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2018

Link to departmental result(s): The DHCP is aligned with Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Departmental Result: Canadians are more aware of their documentary heritage.

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: The DHCP is linked to the Outreach and support to communities program.

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: The DHCP has the following objectives:

• Increase access to, and awareness of, Canada’s local documentary heritage institutions and their holdings; and
• Increase the capacity of local documentary heritage institutions to better sustain and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage.

Expected results: Under the DHCP, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) anticipates funding 35–40 projects annually to achieve two medium-term results:

1. Increased access to and awareness of local documentary heritage.
2. Increased capacity for local documentary heritage institutions to better sustain and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage.

At the end of each fiscal year, LAC assesses the achievement of these results through a final report completed by each recipient. It measures the percentage of recipients that have achieved their expected results.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: The program evaluation was completed in October 2018: Evaluation of Supporting the Documentary Heritage Communities Program, 2015–2016 to June 2017.

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: No program evaluation is planned by 2027–28 according to the Departmental Five-Year Program Evaluation Plan (2024–29).

General targeted recipient groups:

Local documentary heritage organizations eligible to apply to the DHCP are not-for-profit organizations that hold collections of mainly local or regional significance:

• Archives;
• Genealogical organizations/societies;
• Historical societies;
• Indigenous organizations or government institutions;
• Libraries;
• Organizations with an archival component; and
• Professional library and archival associations.

All applicants must be privately funded (50% or more), with the exception of Indigenous organizations/government institutions.

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients: LAC is committed to continuing to consult with applicants and recipients through traditional communication channels such as advisory committees and national archival conferences. In addition, LAC is committed to organizing training workshops to promote the program and gather feedback from the target audience.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus)

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity

Governance

• GBA Plus is a responsibility shared across LAC’s different sectors as they develop projects, programs, policies and initiatives.
• LAC’s Centre of Excellence in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) is tasked with developing EDIA strategies and support, including advising and supporting on GBA Plus.
• The Policy and Strategic Support Division (PSS) is responsible for integrating GBA Plus in LAC’s central agency submissions. PSS is also responsible for ensuring that LAC’s policies are aligned with Government of Canada policy and legal frameworks, which includes applying a GBA Plus lens.

Capacity

Every sector of LAC has the responsibility of implementing GBA Plus in relation to new and renewed projects, policies, programs and initiatives. LAC’s current GBA Plus focal point located in the EDIA Centre of Excellence and PSS offers support to sectors as they continue to build their GBA Plus capacity. LAC’s GBA Plus focal point activities include:

• Coordinating vision and actions across LAC and supporting the implementation of key action plans;
• Building and maintaining networks, both within LAC and externally, to inform EDIA initiatives and effectively implement strategies;
• Developing content and providing advice on GBA Plus components in central agency submissions;
• Offering GBA Plus analysis support and advice on projects, policies, programs and initiatives; and
• Managing GBA Plus information, resources and educational support.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus

No FTEs are currently dedicated fulltime to GBA Plus. The EDIA Center of Excellence has new capacity that will support LAC's efforts.

Section 2: Gender and diversity impacts, by program

Core responsibility 1: Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage

1) Program name: Acquiring and processing of government records

Program goals: LAC acquires records of historical value from Government of Canada (GC) institutions. Through disposition authorizations and recordkeeping advice, tools and guidance, this program ensures that the GC’s historical records are identified, appropriately transferred to LAC and made discoverable while ensuring they are accessible to all Canadians.

GBA Plus data collection plan

No formal GBA Plus data collection that allows LAC to monitor program impacts by gender and diversity is currently in place. Reviewing this gap will be one of the responsibilities of the LAC’s EDIA Centre of Excellence in collaboration with various partners.

2) Program name: Acquisition and processing of private archives

Program goals: Through this program, LAC acquires private archives of national significance from individuals, Government institutions—such as Parliament, the House of Commons and the Supreme Court of Canada—and private sector organizations through donation and purchase with a goal of making the archives accessible to all Canadians.  

GBA Plus data collection plan

Although there is no formal GBA Plus data collection currently in place, the acquisition and processing of private archives program will apply a GBA plus lens in reviewing its Private Archives Orientation, which will be implemented in 2025–26. The acquisition orientation is based on a collection analysis to identify gaps and to highlight specific underrepresented acquisition areas in private archives.

3) Program name: Acquisition and processing of published heritage

Program goals: This program acquires materials produced by Canadian publishers regardless of medium or format. All publications acquired are described and made discoverable for the use of Canadians.  

GBA Plus data collection plan

Although there is no formal GBA Plus data collection currently in place, the acquisition and processing of published heritage program applies a GBA Plus lens in reviewing its acquisition strategy to reach out to publishers of underrepresented creators (for example, Indigenous peoples, multicultural and Francophone communities, women, 2SLGBTQI+ and various regions across Canada) to promote and facilitate the deposit of their material.

4) Program name: Preservation

Program goals: This program includes activities related to the physical management of the analog collections to ensure their preservation for the benefit of current and future generations, as well as the digital operations by which LAC preserves and manages digital documentary resources to ensure their integrity, authenticity and long-term preservation.  

GBA Plus data collection plan

No formal GBA Plus data collection that allows LAC to monitor program impacts by gender and diversity is currently in place. Reviewing this gap will be one of the responsibilities of the LAC’s EDIA Centre of Excellence in collaboration with various partners.

Core responsibility 2: Providing access to documentary heritage

5) Program name: Public services

Program goals: This program offers access to all Canadians to analog and digital versions of LAC collections through in-person services at locations in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Halifax, as well as online and via other channels.

GBA Plus data collection plan

No formal GBA Plus data collection that allows LAC to monitor program impacts by gender and diversity is currently in place. Reviewing this gap will be one of the responsibilities of the LAC’s EDIA Centre of Excellence in collaboration with various partners.

6) Program name: Access to information and privacy

Program goals: This program responds to access to information and privacy (ATIP) requests to provide all Canadians access to the archival records of over 300 active and inactive federal departments and agencies. 

The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as individuals and corporations present in Canada, the right to seek access records under the control of a federal government institution.

The Privacy Act provides Canadian citizens and individuals present in Canada the right to seek access to personal information that is held by the federal government and protects that information from its collection, use, retention and unauthorized disclosure.

GBA Plus data collection plan

As ATIP legislation does not allow for the collection of applicant data, LAC does not collect personal information from applicants in connection with groups related to GBA Plus. However, applicants may voluntarily specify if their request relates to class actions, settlement agreements or other ongoing litigation. It is therefore possible to measure the number of claims related to litigation involving minority groups. This information is collated in the claims management system. In addition, LAC uses keywords (tags) in the request management system to identify requests that relate to certain predetermined minority groups.

7) Program name: Outreach and support to communities

Program goals: This program includes all public programming activities that help to promote LAC’s collections to all Canadians through physical or virtual exhibitions and events, as well as all partnering activities that allow LAC to deliver its mandate in a collaborative way. It also includes financial contribution programs that support Canada’s local documentary heritage institutions. 

GBA Plus data collection plan

Although there is no formal GBA Plus data collection currently in place, the outreach and support to communities program applied a GBA Plus lens in developing its Master Interpretative Plan (MIP), which is scheduled for rollout in 2025–26. The lens was a preliminary review and addressed high level aims and perceived exclusions. The MIP will guide the implementation of pilot programs and engagement activities for targeted audiences and demographic groups, such as families and schools at LAC. Further data collection will be undertaken in the future to help launch programs and engagement activities under the MIP and ensure alignment with the Gender Results Framework.