GOVERNMENT RECORDS & CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT RELOCATION
Government Records & Classified Document Relocation in Montreal — Federal, Provincial & Municipal Archives
Logistiques CNS executes the physical relocation of government records, archival materials, and classified documents for federal, provincial, and municipal institutions across Quebec and Ontario. We operate chain-of-custody protocols from sealed container through destination handoff, coordinate with your departmental security officer or records manager, and align our procedures with the federal Transport, Transmittal and Storage of Protected and Classified Material framework (RCMP GCPSG-007) and Library and Archives Canada transfer procedures where applicable. Over 200 institutional and specialized relocations completed since 2018. Headquartered in Saint-Laurent with direct access to Montreal federal regional offices, BAnQ Vieux-Montréal, and the downtown government-tenanted corridor.
WHY GOVERNMENT RECORDS ARE DIFFERENT
Government Records Relocations Are Custody Events, Not Moving Jobs
A private-sector office move ships furniture and boxes. A government records relocation transfers legal custody of materials that may be subject to the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Library and Archives of Canada Act, Cabinet confidences, or Protected and Classified security categorization.
The move has to preserve an unbroken chain of custody from sealed container through destination handoff, documented in a way the receiving records manager, departmental security officer, or Library and Archives Canada portfolio archivist can sign off on.
AUTHORITY SOURCES
Library and Archives Canada — Transfer Procedures ↗
Official Procedures for the Transfer of Physical and Analog Government Records. The controlling standard for federal records transferring to LAC.
RCMP GCPSG-007 ↗
Transport, Transmittal and Storage of Protected and Classified Material — the controlling standard for Protected C, Secret, and Top Secret transport.
Treasury Board — Directive on Security Management ↗
Federal security categorization framework: Unclassified / Protected A/B/C / Confidential / Secret / Top Secret. Governs classification and handling of government information.
Library and Archives of Canada Act ↗
The legislation designating Library and Archives Canada as the permanent repository for federal records of archival value.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec ↗
Provincial records authority for Quebec. Transfer of provincial records is governed by the Loi sur les archives and BAnQ-specified procedures.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
- ✓Federal security categorization: Unclassified / Protected A / Protected B / Protected C / Confidential / Secret / Top Secret. Per LAC, Protected C, Secret, and Top Secret records are consolidated onto dedicated physical storage media, packed and protected per RCMP GCPSG-007.
- ✓Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is the legislated permanent repository for federal government records of archival value. Transfer requires a Disposition Authorization and must follow LAC's Procedures for the Transfer of Physical and Analog Government Records.
- ✓LAC standard transfer container is the B30 box — a top-opening archival transfer box with maximum dimensions defined by LAC. Institutions pack records in B30 boxes unless otherwise instructed.
- ✓ISO 15489-1:2016 — Information and documentation, Records management, Part 1 — is the international records management standard referenced by LAC.
- ✓Top Secret records must be segregated from all other records in the transfer and clearly indicated in the transfer inventory.
- ✓Chain-of-custody documentation requires numbered seals on every container, an inventory manifest, timestamped handoffs at origin and destination, and signed release and receipt by authorized officials at both ends.
- ✓Provincial records in Quebec fall under BAnQ jurisdiction and are governed by the Loi sur les archives.
- ✓Municipal records follow the retention schedule of the city or municipality (e.g. Ville de Montréal archives) and may be governed by the Loi sur l'accès aux documents des organismes publics.
SCOPE SEPARATION
What We Execute — And What Stays With Your Institution
Record transportation is a custody operation. We transport; your records manager and security officer control. Institutional records moves fail when that line gets blurred — CNS keeps it explicit from first site survey through final signed handoff.
What Logistiques CNS Executes
- ✓Pre-move records inventory audit and manifest generation in coordination with your records manager
- ✓Numbered-seal application to every B30 box or archival container before transit
- ✓Secure transport with crew availability including reliability-cleared personnel for sensitive moves where required
- ✓GPS-tracked vehicles with continuous custody through transit
- ✓Access coordination at origin and destination — building security, floor access, elevator reservations, parking and loading permits
- ✓Timestamped chain-of-custody log from each container's initial seal through destination handoff
- ✓Signed handoff forms exchanged between CNS project manager and your institution's designated receiving authority
What Stays With Your Institution
- →Security categorization of records (Unclassified through Top Secret) — assigned by your departmental security officer before the move
- →Classified destruction — performed by your institution or by a CGSB-certified destruction vendor; CNS does not destroy classified material
- →Disposition Authorization decisions and LAC transfer agreements — owned by your records manager and LAC portfolio archivist
- →Access to Information Act and Privacy Act reviews before transfer — performed by your institution's ATIP coordinator
- →Cabinet confidences handling — controlled exclusively by your institution per Privy Council Office guidance
- →Decisions on what to transfer, retain, or destroy — not CNS scope
Record transportation is a custody operation. We transport; your records manager and security officer control. Institutional records moves fail when that line gets blurred — CNS keeps it explicit from first site survey through final signed handoff.
RELOCATION PROCESS
Our Government Records Relocation Process
Pre-Move Coordination Meeting
Site survey with your records manager, departmental security officer, and facility lead. Security categorization review. Container inventory. Access and timing plan.
Container Sealing & Manifest
B30 boxes or equivalent archival containers are sealed with numbered tamper-evident seals by your authorized personnel. Manifest generated and cross-referenced against the inventory system. Our project manager countersigns the initial custody log.
Secure Transit
GPS-tracked transport with crew assigned to the specific move. Continuous custody — containers are never left unattended. For sensitive projects, reliability-cleared personnel are available where contractually required.
Destination Access & Verification
Destination access coordinated with receiving facility security. Each container's seal integrity is verified against the manifest before handoff. Any seal discrepancy is flagged in writing.
Signed Handoff
Your institution's authorized receiving official signs the custody log acknowledging receipt. Our project manager countersigns. Both parties retain copies.
Custody Dossier Delivery
Post-move dossier delivered to your records manager: full manifest with timestamps, seal numbers at origin and destination, transit log, custody transfer signatures. Suitable for audit, ATIP response, or LAC transfer documentation.
PRECEDENT
Precedent — Institutional Moves That Demand Documented Chain of Custody
Chain-of-custody discipline is not new work for Logistiques CNS. Our laboratory and medical relocations — over 200 since 2018 — apply the same documented-custody framework that government records moves require: numbered container seals, timestamped handoffs, signed release and receipt by authorized personnel at both ends, and a complete dossier delivered post-move.
A recent cross-city project relocated a Canada Research Chair's stem cell laboratory from the Douglas Research Centre to the Irving Ludmer Building at McGill, managing post-mortem tissue specimens, cryopreserved biological material, and sensitive research data under a strict same-day custody window. The disciplines transfer directly to records transfer: the materials differ, the custody framework does not.
Full project detail on our Laboratory & Medical Equipment Moving page.
RECORD TYPES & INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS
Record Types and Institutional Contexts We Serve
Active Office Records
Current operational records being relocated between federal, provincial, or municipal office locations. Standard B30 archival boxes, chain-of-custody manifest, timestamped handoff.
Semi-Active & Inactive Records
Records past active use awaiting disposition decision — retention, transfer, or destruction. Custody maintained through transit regardless of disposition status.
Archival Records Transfer to LAC
Federal records with archival value transferring to Library and Archives Canada under a Disposition Authorization. B30 box standard. Transfer procedures aligned with LAC requirements.
Provincial Records (BAnQ)
Quebec provincial records transferred to or from Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec locations, governed by the Loi sur les archives.
Protected Records (A/B/C)
Records classified Protected A, B, or C under the Treasury Board security categorization framework. Protected C consolidated onto dedicated containers per RCMP GCPSG-007 guidance.
Classified Records (Confidential / Secret / Top Secret)
Records requiring consolidated segregated containers per RCMP GCPSG-007. Reliability-cleared crew available where contractually required. Top Secret segregated and clearly indicated in transfer manifest.
Legal Hold & Litigation Records
Records under active legal hold for litigation, ATIP request response, or investigative review. Chain of custody required to preserve evidentiary integrity.
Department / Ministry Office Relocations
Full-department records moves during office consolidations, renovations, or facility transitions. Multi-phase planning with records manager and facility lead.
MONTREAL CONTEXT
Serving Montreal's Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Government Corridor
Montreal hosts one of the largest concentrations of federal regional offices outside the National Capital Region, alongside provincial institutions including Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) Vieux-Montréal, the Grande Bibliothèque on Berri, and Ville de Montréal municipal archives. Logistiques CNS's headquarters in Saint-Laurent puts us within short transit of federal office towers in Complexe Guy-Favreau, the downtown provincial ministries corridor, and city-hall-area municipal facilities.
Our NIR interprovincial license covers moves between Montreal and federal facilities in Gatineau, Ottawa, and the broader Quebec-Ontario government corridor.
FAQ
Government Records Relocation FAQ
Does Logistiques CNS handle classified destruction of government records?+
Are your crew members security-cleared for classified document transport?+
Do you transfer records to Library and Archives Canada?+
What documentation do you deliver after a records move?+
How do you handle records under active ATIP or litigation hold?+
How far in advance should we engage CNS for a government records move?+
RELATED SERVICES
Related Logistiques CNS Services
RESOURCES
Government Records Relocation Resources
Standards & Authority Sources
Related Guides From Our Blog
Government Records Relocation — Intake Form
Complete this form to help us plan your government records relocation. Our project management team will respond within 12 business hours.
What Happens Next
1. We Review Your Submission
Our project management team reviews your intake form and prepares a preliminary assessment within 12 business hours.
2. Site Survey & Security Coordination
We schedule a site survey at origin and destination and coordinate clearance requirements with your departmental security officer.
3. Detailed Proposal
You receive a move proposal with timeline, crew clearance plan, chain-of-custody documentation plan, and pricing.
Coverage: Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Quebec City, Gatineau, Ottawa, Toronto, and all points between.
Need urgent help?
Call (514) 416-9610