Government Archives

Records are preserved in the government archives if they have enduring value in documenting the activities, decisions and responsibilities of government and contribute to an understanding of the history and culture of the province. The CIRMO Appraisal Policy establishes the basis on which decisions are made about which records to preserve in the government archives.

ARCS, ORCS and Special Schedules identify if records will be preserved or destroyed at the end of their lifecycle, as determined by government archivists.

Digital Records

The Information Management Act (IMA) establishes the digital archives as government’s primary archival system. The IMA requires government ministries and designated public sector organizations to transfer information of enduring value, as identified in an information schedule, to the digital archives.

However, the digital archives is not yet operational. Until notified, ministries and designated government organizations must continue to hold and manage digital information scheduled for archiving.

What is the Digital Archives?

The digital archives is an organizational system that manages and preserves digital information of enduring value. The digital archives will protect the authenticity and usefulness of digital information and will provide the public with increased access to information.

Physical Records

Physical records that are ready to be archived on or before September 30, 2025 don't need to be digitized and can be transferred to the BC Archives at the Royal BC Museum.

However, in the future, physical records of enduring value must be digitized and transferred to the digital archives, unless an exception has been granted by the Chief Records Officer. Ministries and designated government organizations will be notified when this requirement comes into effect.

The BC Archives will continue to receive physical government records in order to preserve them and make them available for research.