 In July 1998 , Elections Canada signed a one @-@ year interim agreement with the Division of Driver and Vehicle Licensing in Manitoba to transfer driver licence records to Elections Canada every three months . In September 1998 , the first batch of data on storage tape contained in a plastic cartridge was sent to Elections Canada ; it had information about 675 @,@ 000 licensed drivers in Manitoba . In January 1999 , Elections Canada lost the tape . A report about the investigation stated that " the tape had been deposited inadvertently into Elections Canada 's non @-@ recyclable waste " ; before the investigation , there had been concern that the tape and its data had been stolen . It resulted in separate investigations by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada George Radwanski , the Office of the Manitoba Ombudsman , and an audit commissioned by Elections Canada conducted by a private security firm . The interim agreement lapsed without renewal . 
