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• What's New
  • 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook - June 16, 2008
  • More on PDS' Website Integration... - June 12, 2008
  • Website Integration means a better website for you! - June 9, 2008
  • Underwater archaeology of Red Bay - May 6, 2008
  • Managing Canada's Fisheries from early days to the year 2000 - May 6, 2008
  • The Budget Plan 2008 : Responsible Leadership -
    February 28, 2008

What's New

For any questions regarding the following information, contact our fully bilingual Customer Service.

New 2008 Edition!
2008 Emergency Response Guidebook

June 16, 2008

This publication is a vital tool in providing initial guidance to Emergency Services Personnel responding to hazardous material incidents.

The publication will:

• Help transport drivers, police, fire personnel, paramedics and others responding to an emergency to quickly identify the hazardous materials involved in a spill or accident.
• Guide emergency personnel in protecting themselves and the public.

The publication is indexed numerically and colour coded so that vital information is found quickly and easily.

Developed by Transport Canada, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Secretariat of Transport and Communications of Mexico, the Guide is valid throughout North America.

2008 Emergency Response Guidebook

More on PDS' Website Integration...

June 12, 2008

Phase 1: Implementation of Bookmark Capability and Online Report of Serial Titles

As of the end of June, 2008, there will be a very helpful new feature on the Publications Website, publications.gc.ca. Through the Permanent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) link, all users will now have the ability to bookmark any publication (i.e. all serials and monographs) for any department they choose. Once bookmarked, users can subsequently catalogue, save that information on their own database and refer to it at their leisure.

Presently, all DSP Website pages can be bookmarked while most Publications Site pages cannot be bookmarked.

Phase 1 will also include an online report of serial titles, browsable by author department. Both active and inactive departments will be included in the report. This report is dynamically generated from the database so it is updated when the page is opened.

Phase 2 (i.e. integration of the Publications and DSP websites) is coming in late fall, 2008. Further details will be communicated to you as soon as we get closer to our completion dates. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns please contact Customer Service at

E-mail: publications@pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone Order Desk: (613) 941-5995 or 1-800-635-7943
Fax: (613) 954-5779 or 1-800-565-7757

Website Integration means a better website for you!

June 9, 2008

Since 2002, Publishing and Depository Services (PDS) has maintained two web sites - Government of Canada Publications, which provides bibliographic information and access to Government of Canada publications to the public and to retailers and Depository Services Program, which provides information about the DSP to Depository Libraries as well as access to the DSP E-Collection.

In December of 2006, the Treasury Board approved a new standard for Canadian government web sites, Common Look and Feel 2.0 (CLF2), which establishes common standards for all Canadian government web sites for such elements as web addresses, page formats, accessibility and usability. All government web sites are required to comply with this standard by December 31, 2008.

In the course of assessing what changes would be required to bring our two web sites to CLF2 compliance; PDS staff concluded that the best solution would be to review and update the content of the DSP site and then merge it with the Government of Canada Publications site. This approach would require and enable a number of technical improvements including permanent URL's (PURL's) for all bibliographic records and an online, dynamic report of all serial titles by department.

By consolidating both websites, all of our clients will now have a 'single window' of access aligned with PDS information and services. Access will be simplified for everyone!

The implementation of these changes will take place in two phases. Phase 1, scheduled for the end of June 2008 will include the introduction of PURL's for all bibliographic records. Phase 2, scheduled for late fall, 2008 will include the launch of the new, integrated site. Once the integration has been successfully completed, the old DSP site will be sunset.

We will communicate more details to you as we get closer to our completion dates, on an ongoing basis. We would be happy to respond to any questions or comments that you may have about these planned changes. Questions or comments may be submitted to Customer Service at:

E-mail: publications@pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone Order Desk: (613) 941-5995 or 1-800-635-7943
Fax: (613) 954-5779 or 1-800-565-7757

Underwater archaeology of Red Bay

May 6, 2008

In 1978, Parks Canada underwater archaeologists discovered the wreck of a 16th-century Basque whaling vessel in Red Bay, Labrador. This discovery led to the most comprehensive underwater archaeology research project ever undertaken in Canada. This five-volume publication is a culmination of over 25 years of research by members of Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service. It is a high quality publication for use internationally by professional researchers, libraries and the general public, and is copiously illustrated with drawings and photographs.

Underwater archaeology of Red Bay

Managing Canada's Fisheries from early days to the year 2000

May 6, 2008

Managing Canada's Fisheries from early days to the year 2000

The Budget Plan 2008 : Responsible Leadership

February 28, 2008

The Budget Plan 2008 : Responsible Leadership