Winnipeg, October 18, 2001 - The National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada will launch two new Web sites at a history and education conference in Winnipeg on October 19.

National Archivist Ian E. Wilson will launch The Canadian West, a Web site which contains over 200 National Archives documents and describes the rich and varied pattern of settlement in the Canadian West from 1540 to the present. The site also links to a database that describes 25,000 Métis applications for land, and which is widely used by genealogists interested in Aboriginal history.

The National Archives is a treasure-house of the memory of Canada. The Web site can be found at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca.

“Technology is finally enabling us to do what archivists have wanted to do for decades: to share the genuine records and authentic voices of our past with a broad public,” said Mr. Wilson.

The National Archives was also a major source and contributor to the popular CBC-TV series, Canada: A People’s History, for which CBC will receive the Pierre Berton Award at the conference.

The National Library of Canada will launch the children’s site True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers. It highlights individuals who made significant contributions to the exploration and mapping of Canada, from the pioneers to 20th century explorers. A related adult site, Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada, will be available shortly. Both sites may be found at the National Library’s Web site, www.collectionscanada.gc.ca.

“The National Library is building its electronic collection to facilitate lifelong learning. We want to provide resources that can be accessed in the home, the classroom, in libraries and in the workplace,” said National Librarian Roch Carrier.

The Web sites will be presented at the Giving the Future a Past conference of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). The ACS is a national organization dedicated to promoting research, teaching and publications on the history of Canada. Conference delegates include teachers, university professors, and individuals from museums, companies and government agencies who produce material on teaching and communicating the history of Canada.

The National Archives and the National Library have their main offices at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa. The Archives cares for and shares millions of unique documents including films, maps, diaries, treaties, journals, art, government records, photographs and sound recordings. Through its services to researchers, exhibitions, public events, and its Web site, it seeks to connect Canadians to the sources of their history.

The National Library of Canada’s role is to acquire, preserve and promote the published heritage of Canada, both now and in the years to come. The Library serves as one of the nation’s foremost centres for research in Canadian Studies and as a showcase for Canadian literature and music.