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Canada (LAC) improperly withheld information under subsection 15(1) of the Access to Information Act, concerning historical documents related to the defence of the Arctic region. LAC initially made a partial disclosure and later a supplementary disclosure during the investigation, but continued to withhold the majority of the information, citing national security implications. The OIC found that LAC failed to demonstrate how the release of the information, much of which was historical, publicly available, or related to cancelled programs and defunct entities (like the USSR), would reasonably be expected to harm national security or defence. The Commissioner concluded that LAC did not meet the requirements of the exemption, as the alleged harm was not probable but merely a possibility. The complaint was found to be well founded, and LAC agreed to disclose the records in their entirety.