News release

July 23, 2003

Canadian Tourism industry loses national treasure trove

Ottawa -- The closure of the only library in Canada dedicated to the tourism sector is a serious loss for the Canadian tourism industry, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing the staff working at the library of the Canadian Tourism Commission.  

“This library is a national treasure trove of books and reference materials on tourism in Canada ,” said the PSAC Executive Regional Vice-president for the National Capital Region, Ed Cashman. “Its closure demonstrates clearly that the Commission does not understand the value of the library and its resources to the Canadian tourism industry.”  

Cashman also said that the Commission showed its contempt for its employees by announcing yesterday morning that the library would be closed at the end of the day and that the staff would be laid off. The commission also announced that there are no plans to move the library to another location.

 “Canadian taxpayers have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop the reference collection over the years,” Cashman said. “In one ill-conceived decision, the Commission commits the collection to the recycling bin.”

 Cashman also commented about the black eye the Canadian Tourism Commission suffered recently when its summer publication contained several errors and omissions on a map of Canada .  

“The omission of Prince Edward Island amd Yukon on a map of Canada published by the Commission illustrates the importance of sound reference material” Cashman said. “If there was ever a time the Tourism Commission needed access to a good library, it is now.”  

Cashman also called upon the federal Minister of Industry, Allan Rock, to ensure a stable multi year funding to the Commission so that it can better plan its role of helping the Canadian tourism sector which has been hard hit by events such as September 11, SARS and the mad cow disease.  

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For information:   Alain Cossette, PSAC Communications (613) 560-4317.  

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