Access and Privacy Policies

While the NCTR will make the Residential School records as widely accessible as possible, it will also strictly adhere to privacy laws and to cultural access protocols.

All records will be cared for under rigorous information and protection of privacy standards that will be guided and managed by the University of Manitoba’s Access and Privacy Office with strong input by the Governing Circle.

The NCTR is fortunate to have the full support of the Office of Fair Practices and Legal Affairs at the University of Manitoba. This includes direct input and guidance from the University’s Access and Privacy Office.

• More information on the Access and Privacy Office at the University of Manitoba

Access Policies

Most of the records in the care of the NCTR are electronic or digital. The NCTR faces a difficult and complex task in making as many of the records available as possible. Public records and redacted records will be made available online as time and resources permit. The NCTR will continually receive, process and make available additional Residential School records.

For those who do not have access to or rarely use computers, the NCTR and its partners will provide personal assistance with navigating, using, understanding, and gaining access to the records.

To request one-on-one support to access the records, contact: NCTRrecords@umanitoba.ca.

Privacy Policies

In order to protect the privacy of all the statements and materials in its care, the NCTR will place all materials in one of three categories:

• Public records – Any records that do not violate personal and collective interests will be made fully accessible to the public, largely as electronic files available through online tools.
• Redacted records – Following review, portions of some records will be redacted in order to respect privacy and collective rights. The redacted records will be made fully accessible to the public, largely as electronic files available through online tools.
• Restricted records – This group includes the unredacted versions of records, records for which no consent for public release was obtained, and culturally sensitive records. These records will not be publicly available. They may only be made available on a case-by-case basis to certain individuals according to strictly administered protocols.