Preserving The National Citizens Inquiry
The National Citizens Archive (NCA) is a permanent digital repository preserving the sworn testimony, reports, and historical record of the National Citizens Inquiry into the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Citizens Archive preserves the sworn testimony of witnesses, video recordings of the hearings, complete transcript records, submitted exhibits, Commissioners’ reports, and other documentary and visual evidence. Together, these materials form a comprehensive and enduring record intended to serve future generations of Canadians and to support ongoing research, study, and understanding of the COVID-19 era in Canada.
About the National Citizens Archive (NCA)
Explore the Official Testimony Record
412 Witnesses | 40 Days of Hearings | 8,000+ Pages of Transcripts
What is the National Citizens Archive
The National Citizens Archive (NCA) has been established as the permanent digital home for the work of the National Citizens Inquiry (NCI). Its purpose is to preserve, protect, and make accessible the full historical record of the Inquiry, ensuring that the testimony, research, and findings gathered during this extraordinary civic undertaking remain available for generations to come. The archive serves as a secure and enduring repository for the NCI Commissioners’ Reports, witness testimony transcripts, hearing videos, and all submitted exhibits, safeguarding these materials as part of the public record.
Beyond preservation, the National Citizens Archive has been designed as a powerful and accessible research tool. Through a carefully structured and searchable system, users will be able to explore the entire body of material with ease—identifying themes, locating specific testimony, and drawing connections across hundreds of witnesses and thousands of pages of evidence. This capability enables scholars, journalists, policymakers, and citizens alike to generate detailed and authoritative reports grounded directly in the source material.
In this way, the NCA is more than a repository—it is a living historical record. By documenting the experiences, perspectives, and evidence presented during the National Citizens Inquiry, the archive helps ensure that the events, decisions, and consequences surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are preserved with clarity and transparency. It stands as a resource for learning, reflection, and accountability, helping current and future generations better understand this pivotal period in Canadian history.
Who are the National Citizens Archive
The National Citizens Archive is maintained and guided by a group of individuals who played central roles in the creation and work of the National Citizens Inquiry itself. Drawing on their direct experience with the hearings, the evidence, and the preparation of the Inquiry’s reports, this team brings a deep understanding of the historical significance of the material now being preserved within the archive.
Among those involved in the establishment of the NCA are Mr. Ken Drysdale, who served as Chairman of the Commissioners of the National Citizens Inquiry and was one of the principal authors of the Inquiry’s first four Commissioners’ Reports; Mr. Shawn Buckley, who served as Lead Counsel to the Inquiry through the completion of the Edmonton hearings; and Ms. Teresa Buckley, who served as the overall coordinator and operations manager for the National Citizens Inquiry, overseeing the complex logistics and administration of the hearings across Canada until the conclusion of the Edmonton hearings in 2025.
Supporting this leadership is a dedicated group of volunteers who contributed their time, skill, and energy both during the Inquiry and in the ongoing work of building and maintaining the archive. Together, this team shares a common commitment: to ensure that the testimony, evidence, and findings gathered during the National Citizens Inquiry are preserved with integrity, completeness, and accuracy.
Through their efforts, the National Citizens Archive seeks not only to safeguard this historic body of work, but also to make it accessible to researchers, journalists, policymakers, and citizens who wish to study and understand the evidence presented during the Inquiry. In doing so, the archive continues the original mission of the National Citizens Inquiry—ensuring that the record remains available, transparent, and open for examination by present and future generations.
Leadership of the National Citizens Archive
Ken R. Drysdale
Chairman – National Citizens Inquiry (2023–2025)
Ken R. Drysdale
Ken R. Drysdale, P.Eng., FEC, is a professional engineer, entrepreneur, author, and civic leader with more than four decades of experience in engineering, business leadership, and public advocacy. A graduate of the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Structural), he founded and served as President of Accutech Engineering Inc., a nationally recognized firm specializing in Arctic development and complex engineering projects. Over the course of his career he has led major engineering initiatives across North America and internationally and has served as an expert investigator and witness in numerous structural and forensic engineering cases.
From February 2023 through April 2025, Mr. Drysdale served as Chairman of the Independent Commissioners of the National Citizens Inquiry. In this role he helped lead national hearings held across Canada and was a principal author of the Inquiry’s Commissioners’ Reports examining the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, synthesizing testimony from hundreds of witnesses and thousands of pages of evidence into comprehensive investigative reports.
Mr. Drysdale is also the founder of Citizens for Truth and co-founder of Manitoba Stronger Together, initiatives dedicated to strengthening democratic engagement and civic education in Canada. Through public speaking, research, and community leadership, he continues to advocate for transparency, responsible governance, and the preservation of the historical record.
Shawn Buckley
Lead Counsel – National Citizens Inquiry (2023–2025)
Shawn Buckley
Shawn Buckley is a Canadian lawyer who has been in private practice since 1995, specializing in criminal and regulatory law with a focus on the protection of Charter rights and the constitutional validity of legislation. Over the course of his career he has appeared before courts across Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Federal Court, as well as provincial courts in several provinces.
Mr. Buckley is widely recognized for his work in Health Canada litigation and regulatory prosecutions under the Food and Drugs Act, particularly in matters involving natural health products. He has defended numerous cases in this field—many involving constitutional challenges—and has been invited to appear as an expert witness before committees of both the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons. He is also a frequent lecturer on health regulation and was invited to draft the Charter of Health Freedom.
From February 2023 through April 2025, Mr. Buckley served as Lead Counsel for the National Citizens Inquiry. In this role he worked under the direction of the Independent Commissioners to confirm and prepare witnesses, conduct examinations during hearings across Canada, and guide the presentation of testimony as Master of Ceremonies during the proceedings.
The Volunteers Behind the National Citizens Archive
Behind the National Citizens Archive stands a remarkable community of dedicated volunteers whose commitment has made this project possible. Many of these individuals were also instrumental in the work of the National Citizens Inquiry itself, contributing their time, skills, and expertise during the hearings and continuing their efforts afterward to ensure that the record of this historic undertaking is preserved with care and integrity. Their willingness to once again step forward reflects a deep sense of civic responsibility and a shared belief in the importance of safeguarding this body of evidence for the future.
The creation of the Archive has required the combined efforts of people from many disciplines. Graphic designers, programmers, archivists, writers, video editors, artists, researchers, and copy editors—along with numerous other skilled contributors—have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to organize, structure, and present the material in a form that is accessible, searchable, and enduring. Their work transforms thousands of pages of transcripts, hours of testimony, and countless documents into a coherent historical resource that can be explored and studied by Canadians and researchers around the world.
What unites these volunteers is not recognition, but purpose. They have given their time freely, often quietly and without public acknowledgement, because they understand the significance of preserving the testimony and findings of the National Citizens Inquiry. Through their dedication, the National Citizens Archive has become more than a digital repository—it has become a collective act of stewardship, ensuring that this important chapter in Canada’s history is preserved faithfully and made available to future generations.
Teresa Buckley
Operations Coordinator – National Citizens Inquiry
Teresa Buckley
Teresa Buckley is an experienced professional with a background in engineering technology, business operations, and organizational management. A graduate of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology with an Honours Diploma in Engineering Design and Drafting Technology, she began her career working in the engineering sector before transitioning into business and real estate, where she has spent more than two decades serving clients in the Edmonton region. Her professional work has focused on complex project coordination, client service, and contract management, skills that have proven invaluable in large organizational undertakings.
From February 2023 through April 2025, Ms. Buckley served as the National Coordinator and Operations Manager for the National Citizens Inquiry, where she was responsible for the overall logistical coordination and administrative management of the Inquiry’s national hearing process. Working closely with the Independent Commissioners and Lead Counsel, she played a central role in organizing the hearings conducted across Canada, coordinating witness participation, managing scheduling and communications, and ensuring that the operational requirements of the Inquiry were carried out effectively and professionally.
Through her work with the National Citizens Inquiry and the continuing development of the National Citizens Archive, Ms. Buckley has contributed significantly to the effort to preserve and organize the historical record of the Inquiry. Her work reflects a strong commitment to organizational excellence, public service, and the careful stewardship of the testimony and documentary evidence gathered during this important national undertaking.
Why the National Citizens Archive Matters
Preserving the independent historical record of the National Citizens Inquiry
Why Canadians Called for an Inquiry
The National Citizens Inquiry (NCI) was originally established in response to a profound public demand from Canadians for an independent examination of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope and scale of those responses were unprecedented in modern Canadian history, affecting nearly every aspect of daily life—from personal freedoms and employment to education, healthcare, and the functioning of communities across the country. Many Canadians felt that essential questions about how decisions were made, what evidence governments relied upon, and what consequences resulted from those decisions had not been adequately addressed. The NCI was therefore created as a citizen-driven initiative to provide an open, transparent, and independent forum where testimony could be heard under oath, evidence could be examined, and the public record could be established.
What the National Citizens Inquiry Accomplished
Between March 2023 to the conclusion of the Edmonton hearings in March 2025, the National Citizens Inquiry conducted hearings across Canada, receiving testimony from hundreds of witnesses including citizens, medical professionals, scientists, legal experts, economists, and other specialists. Participants provided firsthand accounts of how pandemic policies affected their lives and livelihoods, while expert witnesses offered analysis concerning the scientific, medical, legal, and economic dimensions of the government response. The resulting body of work—including sworn testimony, documentary evidence, and four Commissioners’ Reports—constitutes one of the most comprehensive independent examinations of the pandemic era ever undertaken in Canada.
Why the Archive Became Necessary
Over time, however, the structure and direction of the National Citizens Inquiry changed. Following the Edmonton hearings in March 2025, concerns emerged regarding the continued independence, stewardship, and long-term preservation of the work produced during the original phase of the Inquiry. For many involved in the hearings and the preparation of the Commissioners’ Reports, it became clear that a separate and dedicated effort was required to protect the integrity of the historical record created during those initial years.
The National Citizens Archive was therefore established to preserve that record. Its mission is not to continue the work of the Inquiry itself, but to safeguard the body of evidence, testimony, and analysis that was gathered during the hearings from 2023 through the Edmonton hearings in 2025.
The Archive ensures that the four Commissioners’ Reports, the sworn witness testimony, the hearing videos, and the documentary exhibits remain permanently available as part of the public historical record.
Beyond preservation, the Archive has been designed as a research platform that allows Canadians to explore this material in an organized and searchable form. Through this system, researchers, journalists, scholars, and citizens can examine individual testimony, identify themes across hundreds of witnesses, and engage directly with the source material that formed the basis of the Inquiry’s findings.
In this way, the National Citizens Archive serves an essential purpose: it protects the integrity of an important chapter in Canadian civic history. By preserving the original work of the National Citizens Inquiry and making it accessible for future generations, the Archive helps ensure that the experiences, evidence, and lessons of this period remain available for study, reflection, and understanding long into the future.