The Library and Archives Canada Foundation announced in a full-page ad published in Friday’s Globe and Mail newspaper that it has received a $5 million donation to help “unlock” Canada’s Second World War collections.
This is the foundation’s largest-ever gift.
Globe and Mail includes a photo of donors Stephen Smith and Diane Blake.
The donation is from Diane Blake and her husband, Stephen Smith, executive chairman and co-founder of Canadian mortgage lender, First National Financial. Ms. Blake is chair of the Museum of Toronto that the couple founded in 2015, and Mr. Smith is the chair of Historica Canada and a governor of the Royal Ontario Museum. In 2015, they donated $50 million to Queen’s University.
There are no details on the foundation’s website that explain exactly how this money will be used. One can perhaps assume that records will be digitized and made available online. Will this include WWII service records? We’ll have to wait and see.
In the ad, Ms. Blake and Mr. Smith are quoted as saying, “We are passionate about Canadian history and are proud to be able to support Library and Archives Canada Foundation as they help to preserve and share Canada’s incredible Second World War legacy and bring millions of documents and images into public view for all to discover.”
With support from Power Corporation of Canada, the foundation has launched a $10 million complain to “inspire learning, spark discovery and connect people with Canadian identity.”
The Right Honourable David Johnston and his wife, Sharon Johnston, are the Honorary chairs of the campaign.
The full-page ad can be viewed on the foundation’s website.
