INFORMATION SHARING

The Committee heard repeatedly about the high level of interconnection in our economy. Each sector requires many other sectors to be operating to permit its own operations to continue. All sectors reaffirmed the need for the basic infrastructure that includes electrical power, telecommunications, oil and gas, water and wastewater, health care, fire and police services, and transportation. As well, most sectors reported their need for services from all levels of government. Several also noted that without their clients, partners and suppliers, they would be unable to function, even if all essential services were available. This testimony strongly supports the modern truism that parts of society and the economy are so intricately interlinked that major failures anywhere can seriously affect the entire country.

Some of the sectors were most concerned on a macro level, that is the status of supporting services such as Canada Customs, while others were also concerned at a more micro level, that is, the availability of electricity or water and wastewater services in their areas. Thus the Committee heard various sectors of the economy express concerns and anxiety with respect to the level of the Year 2000 preparedness of the other areas of the economy as well as the level of emergency preparedness of the three levels of government. The Committee recommends that, to increase the information available to Canadians:

Recommendation 1:

That Industry Canada work aggressively with representative associations and trade organizations to promote special interest Web pages on its Strategis Internet site with links and newsgroup facilities to provide Year 2000 information and to aid the discussion of solutions.

Recommendation 2:

That the federal government publicly disclose details of the Year 2000 readiness of its essential services and of the relevant contingency plans of key departments on a monthly basis starting in March 1999.

Recommendation 3:

That provincial/territorial and local governments publicly disclose details of the Year 2000 readiness of their essential services and of their relevant contingency plans.