For immediate release
Ottawa — April 1, 2016 — In keeping with its mandate to foster a culture of science and technology in Canada, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation is taking a leadership role in providing open access to its research and information assets. This initiative will provide digital open access to the knowledge it holds in trust for all Canadians.
The Corporation’s Open Heritage portal will serve as a model for government-wide open information practices. Information holdings will be shared on the principle of “open by default,” and will provide open access to active historical, policy, working, and decision-making files.
“I am pleased that the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation is moving forward with this initiative, as innovation is at the forefront of our government’s priorities,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Digital technology is opening up new opportunities for Canadians across the country to access cultural data. We are taking full advantage of this new digital platform.”
The Corporation’s open access policy is being undertaken in the context of Canada’s Open Government Action Plan. It is the first national museum in Canada to publish such a platform. It also was the first to release its artifacts and archive collections as Open Data, and is a partner in the crowdsourced Innovation Canada 150 digital storybook of Canadian innovation.
The Open Heritage digital platform was announced today by Alex Benay, CEO, Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, at the Canadian Open Dialogue Forum. “The drive for online engagement is central to the Corporation’s vision of participatory heritage, which will celebrate and engage Canadians with their scientific, technological, and innovative culture by allowing the public to access and interact with the work of the Corporation,” said Benay.
“In the Digital World, every organization must have information at the centre. It is very exciting to see the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation take a leadership role in putting information at the heart of growth, performance, and innovation, and it is initiatives such as Open Heritage that help stretch boundaries, enabling technologists to collaborate, invent and realize their ideas,” said Mark J. Barrenechea, CEO and Chief Technology Officer, OpenText. "OpenText is proud to provide the digital document management platform that will enable the Corporation to achieve its digital goals and offer open access to its research, information, and world-leading content."
To access the Open Heritage digital platform, visit documents.techno-science.ca.
About the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
The Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation is responsible for preserving and protecting Canada’s scientific and technological heritage and promoting and sharing knowledge about it. The Corporation and its three Museums — the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum — tell the stories of Canadian ingenuity and achievement in science and technology, and demonstrate how these accomplishments have contributed to the building of our country.
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Contact
Zoë Lomer
Manager, Communications and Marketing
Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
zlomer@techno-science.ca
613-298-5616