Come Back In 2098: Document Request Will Take 80 Years, This Government Said

Library and Archives Canada says it needs only eight more decades to help a researcher with his request for documents. The federal department has requested an 80-year extension on an access-to-information request made by Ottawa-based researcher Michael Dagg. By law, most requests must be fulfilled within 30 days, reports The Star.

Mr Dagg asked Library and Archives Canada (LAC) for files from Project Anecdote - an investigation into money laundering and public corruption that was launched in 1993, reports CBC News.

The department initially told him that they would require 292,000 days or 800 years to furnish the documents he required. However, they realised their error later and told the 70-year-old Mr Dagg that his documents would be ready in just 80 years.

"I may get those records in my next lifetime," said Mr Dagg in an interview to CBC News.

According to the Access to Information Act, any Canadian can request government information for a $5 fee.

Dino Roberge, a spokesperson for Library and Archives Canada, told The Star via email that the department "must consider the volume and format of material that must be processed and whether it must consult with other organizations on the content of the material."

"This then determines how long it will take to process the request."