Access to Information records show frustrated managers at the national archives were exchanging profane e-mail after they censored 7,000 web pages celebrating Canada’s first prime minister John A. Macdonald, says Blacklock’s Reporter..The exchange of profane e-mails followed a public outcry over the censorship..“So far the more irate clients have complained that we are erasing or rewriting history because of ‘political correctness’ and other views along the lines,” read a July 8, 2021 staff e-mail..The public outraged followed a July 6 Blacklock’s story indicating prime ministers’ webpages were deleted as “offensive” and “redundant.”.“The e-mails we have seen seem to mostly object in principle,” wrote one manager..“We are getting an increasing number of unhappy calls.”.“Right now front line staff seem to be bearing the brunt of public unhappiness about this which isn’t ideal,” read another staff e-mail..Comments from public emails included: “This is morally wrong,” “rewriting history is not the answer” and “this is a disgrace. You cannot remove history as much as we would like to.”.Andrew Ross, a senior advisor to the deputy chief archivist, e-mailed colleagues: “I just got an e-mail from a Tory friend sending me the link and asking, ‘What is this bull—-?’ I actually looked and now I am wondering.”. Archives staffers exchanged profane e-mails after Macdonald censoring .Ross in a separate email recounted one historian’s remark as quoted by Blacklock’s and accompanied it with a crude acronym..“‘Surely the answer is not to destroy online access to historical records’ (for f—k’s sake),” wrote Ross..Internal records detailed a large volume of complaints..“Are you guys on drugs?” wrote one complainant. “Your site is an archive,” wrote another. “It is supposed to keep outdated material. That is its function.”.“Who is choosing what facts of history are considered ‘offensive’?” asked one writer. “What I find ‘offensive’ is you are not only removing historical documents, but in some cases rewriting them.”.“Shame,” read one e-mail. “Canada’s history is a great story and you are denying it.” Wrote another: “Who is allowing you to delete Canadian history? Have you ever asked the Canadian people for approval? This is outrageous. I have seen such activities only in the Communist country I was born in. I didn’t know Canada was such a country.”.Library and Archives Canada at the time claimed webpages on John A. Macdonald, Confederation, the War of 1812 and other themes were pulled as part of routine website renewal. But subsequent disclosures showed Chief Archivist Leslie Weir personally ordered the immediate removal of thousands of pages of content deemed offensive following complaints from the Toronto Star..“I’m not sure how much you know so I’ll give a brief overview,” Rebecca Giesbrecht, manager of online content, wrote in a Tuesday, June 8, 2021 e-mail to staff..“On Friday a Toronto Star reporter asked for comment on why we had not yet removed problematic content about Sir John A. Macdonald on our website.”.A subsequent article in the Star “did not make us look great,” wrote Giesbrecht..“Leslie over the weekend asked that all Sir John A. Macdonald-related content on the website be pulled down. We found out about this yesterday.”
