Federal government meets Y2K benchmark

Zoomer | January 1st, 2006

The federal government says that it has reached a “crucial milestone” for Y2K, according to a report released late last week by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. The Secretariat’s final monthly progress report on the Year 2000 readiness of the Government of Canada’s essential services illustrates an impressive effort by our civil servants.

“I am pleased to report that the Government of Canada has completed 99 percent of the work required to prepare its mission-critical services. This achievement, in combination with our contingency planning efforts, puts us in an excellent position to make the transition into the Year 2000,” said Lucienne Robillard, Treasury Board Secretariat President.

The report confirms that many of the government services considered essential to the health, safety, security and economic well-being of Canadians have been fully repaired, tested and implemented. While the report congratulates the government for its own performance, it also cautions us that “much work remains to be done to ensure a smooth transition.”

It’s reassuring to learn that the government, which still has a profound influence on many aspects of our lives, is well ahd of the Y2K game. Yet even with that, they are hedging their bets, just a little.

“Year 2000 experts recognize that it is simply impossible to eliminate all Year 2000 errors from computerized systems,” said Ms. Robillard. “Even with our best efforts, we must assume there could be disruptions, and have back-up plans ready.” The federal government will also continue to work closely with other levels of government and the private sector to ensure Canada makes as smooth a transition as possible into the Year 2000, and to co-operate with other countries in the interest of Canadians who work, travel, or have business abroad.