3215-00887 — Library and Archives Canada

The complainant alleged that Library and Archives Canada (LAC) improperly withheld information under subsection 15(1) of the Access to Information Act. The request was for historical documents concerning the defence of the Arctic region. The Information Commissioner found that LAC failed to demonstrate how disclosing the records would harm national security or the defence of Canada, especially given that similar information has been publicly disclosed by Canada and the United States. The Commissioner recommended that LAC disclose the records in their entirety, and LAC agreed to implement this recommendation.

• Whether subsection 15(1) of the ATIA was properly applied to withhold historical records.
• Whether the disclosure of the records could reasonably be expected to harm national security or the defence of Canada.
• Whether LAC provided sufficient evidence to justify the continued withholding of information.
• The relevance of prior disclosures of similar information by Canada and the United States.