Presenters: Kristi Thompson (Research Data Management Librarian, Western University) and Alexandra Cooper (Data Services Coordinator, Queen’s University)

In early 2025 data and documents began to disappear from U.S. government web sites in response to a series of executive orders. This led to a scramble as various individuals and groups mobilized to save as much disappearing data as they could. These events served as a wake-up call and led to the founding of the Canadian Public Data Rescue Initiative (CPDRI). 

Initially formed, in part, to support rescue efforts in the U.S., the CPDRI also set out to build infrastructure to support public data in Canada. Drawing on projects including the Canadian Government Information Digital Preservation Network and the OCUL Ontario Data Rescue Group, the CPDRI is working to establish a sustainable strategy for preservation of vital Canadian public datasets.