Recent Library of Parliament Legislative Summaries

The Library of Parliament in Ottawa has recently published a number of legislative summaries of important federal bills.

Among them are:

• Legislative Summary of Bill C-20: An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments: "Bill C-20 establishes the independent Public Complaints and Review Commission (the Commission) to review and  investigate complaints against employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The Commission replaces the existing Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) which reviews complaints against the RCMP. Currently, no oversight authority is responsible for reviewing complaints against the CBSA."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act: "The bill amends the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to accomplish several distinct legislative objectives, including: providing for two additional days of advance polling; moving the next fixed election date; regulating voting at long-term care institutions; updating the process for voting by mail (special ballot); regulating voting at post-secondary educational institutions; amending the requirements relating to political parties’ policies for the protection of personal information; amending or creating new prohibitions pertaining to the electoral process; amending the regime applicable to third-party financing; granting new powers to the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE); and requiring the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to report to Parliament on potential changes to the electoral process."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-50: An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy: "The Government of Canada describes this legislative initiative as the product of comprehensive consultation, the purpose of which is to establish both a plan and mechanisms for governance and accountability to place the federal government in a better position to support workers and communities as Canada works to build a net-zero economy."
• Legislative Summary of Bill C-69: An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024: "Part 1 implements various income tax measures through amendments to the Income Tax Act and related statutes and regulations, including increasing the home buyers’ plan withdrawal limit and deferring the repayment period, creating the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, and providing a refundable investment tax credit to qualified businesses for certain investments in clean technology manufacturing property (clauses 2 to 80). Part 2 enacts the Global Minimum Tax Act, which is a regime based on the Rules of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, that ensures that large multinational corporations are subject to a minimum effective tax rate of 15% on their profits wherever they do business (clauses 81 to 111). Part 3 repeals the temporary relief for supplies of certain face masks, respirators and shields from the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax, and implements certain measures regarding excise duty in respect of tobacco and vaping products, beer, spirits and wine. It also implements certain changes to the Underused Housing Tax (clauses 112 to 148). Part 4, which is divided into 44 divisions, implements various  measures. It amends numerous existing Acts that cover many areas of law. It also enacts the Consumer-Driven Banking Act (clauses 149 to 468)."

Library of Parliament legislative summaries summarize bills currently before Parliament and provide background information about them in an objective and impartial manner. They are prepared the Library's research staff which carries out research for and provides information and analysis to parliamentarians, Senate and House of Commons committees and parliamentary associations. Legislative summaries are revised as needed to reflect amendments made to bills as they move through the legislative process.

Canadian Government Publishes 2024-2025 Departmental Plans

The federal government recently published the departmental plans for 2024-2025.

Every year, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat tables plans in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

They set out departmental/agency priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain expected results.

The plans are part of the federal government's budget estimates process. 

There are many justice-related agencies and departments in the list, including the Supreme Court of Canada. 

Recent Government of Canada Publications from the Weekly Acquisitions List

The Government of Canada's Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government. 

It is a record of all publications catalogued in the previous week.

The most recent list had a few documents that attracted my attention:

• Applying R v Gladue : the use of Gladue reports and principles: "In 1996, section 718.2(e) was added to the Criminal Code, which introduced the principle of restraint in the use of imprisonment during sentencing with particular attention to the circumstances of Indigenous offenders ... The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), in 1999, first interpreted section 718.2(e) in R v Gladue.⁠ Through this case, the SCC clarified that judges need to consider the unique systemic factors which may have played a part in bringing an Indigenous offender before the courts. To support courts in applying what are now considered Gladue sentencing principles in their decision-making, judges require relevant information about the Indigenous offender before the court. This information can be provided through comprehensive Gladue reports, which include information about an Indigenous person’s background and experiences with colonization, intergenerational trauma, racism, and discrimination ...This study was undertaken by the Department of Justice Canada to better understand how Gladue reports are being prepared across the country and how they and Gladue principles are being considered by the courts."
• National risk profile : a national emergency preparedness and awareness tool: "The National Risk Profile (NRP) is Canada’s first strategic, national-level risk assessment. This report is based on input and evidence from whole-of-society stakeholders across Canada, and provides a foundation for understanding disaster risk from the three costliest hazards facing Canadians: earthquakes, wildland fire, and floods. It aims to broaden public awareness of disaster risk, identify gaps in the Canadian emergency management system at a national-level and provide evidence to support existing federal risk assessment and climate change adaptation efforts."
• Canada Centre 2023 conference on countering radicalization to violence : what to measure, how to prevent: "At a time of converging drivers and vulnerabilities that are propelling extreme, grievancefueled forms of violence, Public Safety's Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre) designed its fourth international conference on countering radicalization to violence (CRV) around the theme of ‘What to measure, how to prevent.’ The idea was to emphasize the importance of research, evaluation, and knowledge exchange between experts and practitioners for adapting prevention to this complex environment.  What follows are select highlights, with further detail about particular sessions and presentations available from the Canada Centre upon request."
• ArriveCAN : independent auditor's report: "Overall, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada repeatedly failed to follow good management practices in the contracting, development, and implementation of the ArriveCAN application. As a result of the many gaps and weaknesses we found in the project’s design, oversight, and accountability, it did not deliver the best value for taxpayer dollars spent. The enduring benefit of the ArriveCAN application is that it remains available for customs and immigration declarations. As of October 2022, ArriveCAN is no longer used to collect travellers’ contact and health information."

2023 Corruption Perceptions Index

The government ethics watchdog group Transparency International has released its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a survey of perceptions of corruption in hundreds of countries across the globe.

180 countries and territories are ranked by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The scores range from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

More than two-thirds of the countries and territories fell below 50. Most countries have either declined or made no progress in the last decade. 

Rising authoritarianism and the undermining of independent accountability mechanisms and independent justice systems are to blame according to the NGO:

"Justice and the effective rule of law are essential for preventing and stopping corruption at  both the national and international levels. Both are cornerstones of democracy and  embody notions of fairness and accountability. Impunity for corruption – where people who abuse their power do not face consequences for the harm they cause – is the essence of  injustice and failure of the rule of law." 

"There has been a global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016.  The rise of authoritarianism in some countries contributes to this trend, and even in democratic contexts, the mechanisms that keep governments in check have weakened. Governments across the political spectrum have undermined justice systems, restricted civic freedoms  and relied on non-democratic strategies to address recent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Against this backdrop, this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that only 28 of the 180 countries measured by this index have improved their corruption levels over the last twelve years, and 34 countries have significantly worsened. Despite progress made across the planet in criminalising corruption and establishing specialised institutions to address it, corruption levels remain stagnant globally."

The least corrupt countries in descending order according to the Index are Denmark, Finland , New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland.

At the other end of the listing, the most corrupt countries are estimated to be Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, North Korea, and Nicaragua.

The Index aggregates data from several different sources to gather perceptions among businesspeople and country experts of the level of corruption in the public sector. 

Government of Canada Annual Departmental Results Reports for 2022-2023

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

The 2022-2023 reports were presented earlier this month. These reports are part of the federal government's Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved.

The list includes reports from many justice-related bodies such as:

• Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada
• Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
• Correctional Investigator Canada
• Courts Administration Service
• Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
• Justice Canada
• Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
• Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada
• Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying Canada
• Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
• Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Intelligence Commissioner
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Public Prosecution Service of Canada
• Public Safety Canada
• RCMP External Review Committee
• Veterans Review and Appeal Board

Results are also presented on the government website GC InfoBase with tables and interactive data visualizations.

Auditor General Report on Inclusion of Racialized Employees in the Canadian Public Sector

The Government of Canada Weekly Acquisitions List can be a great way to discover new research reports published by various public bodies and agencies of the federal government.

In a recent edition of the list, there was a link to a document from the Office of the Auditor General entitled Inclusion in the workplace for racialized employees : independent auditor's report.

"Many initiatives have been undertaken in the public service over decades to address known barriers and inequities in the workplace. None of these resulted in the full removal of barriers and in the achievement of equity (...)"

"To assess progress made to foster an inclusive organizational culture in the federal public service, we selected 6 organizations responsible in whole or in part for providing safety, the administration of justice, or policing services in Canada. Together, they employ about 21% of workers in the federal core public administration. We found that while all organizations we examined had established equity, diversity, and inclusion action plans, there was no measurement of or comprehensive reporting on progress against outcomes for racialized employees in each organization. As a result, the 6 organizations did not know whether their actions had made or would make a difference in the work lives of racialized employees."

"Practices for gathering and analyzing disaggregated data were also mixed across the 6 organizations. None examined performance rating distribution or tenure rates for racialized employees, and only some examined survey results and representation, promotion, and retention data at disaggregated levels. These differing approaches make it difficult to track and report on results for racialized employees or progress in inclusion across these federal workplaces."

"Not using data to understand the lived experiences of racialized employees in the workplace means that organizations and the public service as a whole are missing opportunities to identify and implement changes that could yield improved employment experiences for racialized employees. For example, we found that the 6 organizations we examined did not analyze complaint data to inform how they handled complaints of racist behaviours and related power imbalances despite racialized employees’ concerns about the existing processes. As well, organizations were not always using performance agreements for executives, managers, and supervisors to set expectations for desired behaviours to foster inclusion and create accountability for change (...)"

"The 6 organizations we examined had continued to focus on meeting workforce representation goals, including aligning the composition of their workforce with that of Canadian society. While this established approach is an important first step, it is not enough to fuel a sustained shift in organizational culture. Employment equity legislation in Canada has existed since the 1980s, so it alone is not enough to achieve the meaningful change to a workplace that is not only diverse but truly inclusive."

CBC Report Card on Implementation of Calls for Justice of National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Canada's public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), has created a report card on the implementation of the recommendations in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

According to the CBC:

"It’s been four years since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released 231 calls for justice."

"Those calls tackled 18 areas needing reform, including education, justice and health."

"To date, only two of the 231 calls have been completed — and more than half haven’t even been started, according to CBC’s analysis."

"Here’s a look at the status of each of them."

That Inquiry final report was issued in June 2019.

After more than 3 years of meetings and gathering testimony, the Inquiry made 231 calls for action to government, institutions and the larger Canadian public to help address endemic levels of violence directed at Indigenous women and girls and what the report calls 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual) people.

One of the supplementary reports explains the legal reasoning behind the Inquiry's declaration that the disproportionate levels of violence suffered by Indigenous women and girls in Canada could be considered a form of "race-based genocide (...)  empowered by colonial structures, evidenced notably by the Indian Act, the Sixties Scoop, residential schools and breaches of human and Indigenous rights, leading directly to the current increased rates of violence, death, and suicide in Indigenous populations".

Among its findings, the report stated that Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or to go missing than members of any other demographic group in Canada.

At the time of the release of the final report, the CBC website condensed the calls for action for easier understanding.

Canadian Government Publishes 2023-2024 Departmental Plans

The federal government has been publishing the departmental plans for 2023-2024.

Every year, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat tables plans in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

They set out departmental/agency priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain expected results.

There are many justice-related agencies and departments in the list, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

The plans are part of the federal government's budget estimates process. They replace the former Reports on Plans and Priorities.

2022 Corruption Perceptions Index

Recently, the government ethics watchdog group Transparency International released its 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a survey of perceptions of public sector corruption in some 180 states. The perceptions come from experts and business leaders:

"This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reveals that 124 countries have stagnant corruption levels, while the number of countries in decline is increasing. This has the most serious consequences, as global peace is deteriorating  and corruption is both a key cause and result of this."

"Corruption and conflict feed each other and threaten durable peace. On one hand, conflict creates a breeding ground for corruption. Political instability, increased pressure on resources and weakened oversight bodies create opportunities for crimes, such as bribery and embezzlement."

"Unsurprisingly, most countries at the bottom of the CPI are currently experiencing armed conflict or have recently done so."

The cleanest countries for the survey were Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. Canada came in 14th.

Government of Canada Annual Departmental Performance Reports for 2021-2022

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

The 2021-2022 reports were presented last month. These reports are part of the federal government's Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved.

The list includes reports from many justice-related bodies such as:

• Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada
• Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
• Courts Administration Service
• Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
• Justice Canada
• Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
• Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada
• Office of the Correctional Investigator
• Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying Canada
• Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
• Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Intelligence Commissioner
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Public Prosecution Service of Canada
• Public Safety Canada
• RCMP External Review Committee
• Veterans Review and Appeal Board

Results are also presented on the government website GC InfoBase with tables and interactive data visualizations.

Open Government Week 2022

Many countries around the world will be celebrating Open Government Week May 16-20, 2022 and there are many activities planned here in Canada:

"Open Gov Week is a global call to action to transform the way governments respond to their citizens’ needs. It is a chance to connect with leaders at all levels to share ideas, discuss solutions, and inspire open government reform everywhere."

"This year, Open Gov Week is about the doers, thinkers, creators and reformers working tirelessly to open government and renew democracy. We encourage the Open Government community to come together to share ideas, discuss solutions, and honour the innovators transforming government work around the world."

"Open Gov Week is a community-led initiative. We hope to see groups across Canada organize events: public town halls, open houses for government organizations, presentations, open mics, meetups, hackathons, open data book clubs, design jams – and anything else you can think of that connects citizens with government and civic life."

Here is a list of events in Canada (descriptions on the Open Government Week website):

• The Many Forms of OG Champions, May 16
• Embedding Public Deliberation in Decision Making, May 17
• Bring Your Data to Work for Open Government Week, May 17
• Open Doors at Justice: Supporting People-Centered Justice through Research and Open Data, May 17
• Open Gov, In Practice, May 18
• Throwback Thursday, May 19 (rebroadcast of the Public Webinar on Canada’s 5th National Action Plan on Open Government that was held on March 7th)

Library and IM-Related Highlights from the 2018-19 Departmental Results Reports

The website Librarianship.ca has published Highlights from the 2018-19 Departmental Results Reports.

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments:

"Departmental Results Reports replaced the former Departmental Performance Reports, which are part of the Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved."

"Below are some highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies."

The report for the Supreme Court of Canada is on the court website.

Library of Parliament Background Paper on Appointment of Officers of Parliament

Canada's Library of Parliament recently published a new Background Paper on the Appointment of Officers of Parliament:

"Officers of Parliament are responsible directly to Parliament rather than to the government or a federal minister. This emphasizes their independence from the government of the day. They carry out duties assigned by statute and report to one or both chambers of Parliament."

"There are nine officers of Parliament: 1) the Auditor General of Canada; 2) the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada; 3) the Commissioner of Official Languages; 4) the Information Commissioner of Canada; 5) the Privacy Commissioner of Canada; 6) the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner; 7) the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada; 8) the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada; and 9) the Parliamentary Budget Officer (...)"

"Federally, there is no statutory definition of what constitutes a parliamentary officer. However, the role and function of these officers are distinct from those of other positions such as the Clerk of either house, the Sergeant-at-Arms, the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel or the Parliamentary Librarian. The latter officials assist Parliament in procedural and administrative matters, whereas officers of Parliament support Parliament in its accountability and scrutiny functions, and in carrying out other tasks."

Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Earlier today, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report at a public ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec.

One of the supplementary reports explains the legal reasoning behind the Inquiry's declaration that the disproportionate levels of violence suffered by Indigenous women and girls in Canada can be considered a form of "race-based genocide (...)  empowered by colonial structures, evidenced notably by the Indian Act, the Sixties Scoop, residential schools and breaches of human and Indigenous rights, leading directly to the current increased rates of violence, death, and suicide in Indigenous populations".

Among its findings, the report stated that Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or to go missing than members of any other demographic group in Canada.

After more than 3 years of meetings and gathering testimony, the Inquiry made 231 calls for action to government, institutions and the larger Canadian public to help address endemic levels of violence directed at Indigenous women and girls and what the report calls 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual) people.

The website of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has condensed the calls for action for easier understanding.

Impact on Legal Information of Partial US Government Shutdown

This is a follow-up to the January 10, 2019 Library Boy post on Disappearing Data Caused by US Federal Government Shutdown.

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) issued an eBriefing today on the Impact of the Partial Federal Government Shutdown:

"Impact of the shutdown to selected agencies:

• The Library of Congress/Law Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office remain open. The shutdown has not closed the Library of Congress/Law Library of Congress or the Government Publishing Office. Both remain open because they are funded through the Legislative Branch appropriations bill, one of the five appropriations bills completed prior to the October 1 start of Fiscal Year 2019. Government websites operated by these agencies—including Congress.gov and govinfo—remain available.
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Legal Services Corporation are open.
• The National Archives and Records Administration is closed.
• The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is operating the Judiciary on limited funds through January 18, 2019 (...)"

"In general, federal departments and agencies that face a lapse in appropriations are required by law to shut down operations, with only 'excepted activities' relating to the 'safety of human life or protection of property'. Agencies develop contingency plans outlining actions to be taken when Congress fails to enact appropriations, under guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)..."

According to AALL, many government websites in the US are not being updated during the shutdown, including those of the Department of Justice and the federal Courts of Appeal.

There is also more information on the Free Government Information blog (Government shutdown causing information access problems) and the legal research website beSpacific (Shutdown: Dot-gov websites vulnerable to cyberattacks, certificates expiring amid funding pause).

Disappearing Data Caused by US Federal Government Shutdown

The Pew Research Center's Fact Tank website has documented a perhaps unforeseen consequence of the ongoing shutdown of major parts of the US federal government: the drying up of the important streams of data government that institutions provide citizens, investors, planners and the government itself:

"Figuring out which of the government’s data streams will continue to flow and which have been stoppered is complicated, not least because some agencies were fully funded before last month’s budget negotiations reached a stalemate, and thus have been able to keep operating. Here’s a look at what data are and are not available during the shutdown, from what we’ve been able to find out via agency release schedules and planning documents, third-party calendars, and our own reporting. Bear in mind that, based on past experience, scheduled data releases may be delayed because of information-gathering backlogs even after the budget impasse is resolved and agencies fully reopen."

Library and IM-Related Highlights from the 2017-18 Departmental Results Reports

The website Librarianship.ca has published Highlights from the 2017-18 Departmental Results Reports.

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

"Departmental Results Reports replaced the former Departmental Performance Reports, which are part of the Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved."

"Below are some highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies."

Library and IM-Related Highlights from the 2016-17 Departmental Results Reports

The website Librarianship.ca has published Highlights from the 2016-17 Departmental Results Reports.

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

"Departmental Results Reports replace the former Departmental Performance Reports, which are part of the Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved."

"Below are some highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies."

New Law Library of Congress Report on Lobbying Disclosure Laws

The Law Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. recently released a new report on Lobbying Disclosure Laws that examines laws governing the registration of lobbyists and foreign agents in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom:

"Current French law does not require lobbyists to register, but France recently enacted a law requiring registration that will go into effect on July 1, 2017. It will require lobbyists to provide information that will become publicly available, including the identity of organizations with interests related to the registrant’s representation."

"The UK enacted a lobbying registration law in 2014 that requires lobbyists whose annual lobbying business reaches a certain threshold to disclose specified information. The information provided is made available in a public register. Among the information that must be disclosed is the identity of lobbyists’ clients."

"Germany does not have a mandatory register for lobbyists at the federal level, although it does have a voluntary register. (One state, Saxony-Anhalt, has a mandatory register for lobbyists at the state parliament.) There have been initiatives supporting a mandatory register at the federal level, and the Social Democratic Party has submitted draft legislation to establish one."

In 2011, the Library of Parliament in Ottawa published a research publication on the Canadian situation entitled The Federal Lobbying System: The Lobbying Act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct.

Reports written by the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada are published on the Office website.

Highlights from the 2017-18 Federal Departmental Plans

The website Librarianship.ca has published Highlights from the from the 2017-18 Departmental Plans.

Every year, the Treasury Board tables plans in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

They set out departmental/agency priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain expected results.

Departmental Plans replace the former Reports on Plans and Priorities.

Librarianship.ca has gone through this year's plans to find "highlights of interest to the Canadian library and information management community as identified by individual departments and agencies".