Ian E. Wilson

Dr. Ian E. Wilson was appointed National Archivist of Canada in July 1999. Born in Montreal, Quebec, in April 1943, Ian Wilson attended the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean and obtained his Master's in History from Queen's University in 1974. In 2001, he was awarded
an Honourary Doctorate of Letters (DLitt) from York University in recognition of his contribution to Canadian archives. In May 2002, he was appointed to the Order of Canada. Dr. Wilson has had a distinguished career in several areas including archival and information management, university teaching and government service. He began his career at Queen's University Archives, later becoming Saskatchewan's Provincial Archivist (1976-86) and Chairman of the Saskatchewan Heritage Advisory Board. He was Archivist of Ontario from 1986 to 1999. Dr. Wilson chaired the Consultative Group on Canadian Archives on behalf of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The Group's report, Canadian Archives, CC generally known as the Wilson Report was published in 1980 and has been described as a milestone in the history of archival development in Canada. As National Archivist, Dr. Wilson serves on the Information Management Sub-Committee of Treasury Board, and is a member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In September 2000, he was elected Vice-President of the International Council on Archives. He has taught as an Adjunct Professor in the Faculties of Information Studies and Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto. He has also been President of the Champlain Society since 1995. Dr. Ian Wilson has been involved with the Canadian archival community for over 30 years and has worked diligently to make archives accessible and interesting to a wide range of audiences. He has helped safeguard the integrity of archival records while at the same time encouraging an active use of them by the public. In addition, he has published extensively on history, archives, heritage, and information management and has lectured both nationally and abroad.

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