Profile: Peter Levick

Communications visionary sparks Canadians to trace their roots

The hit CBC-TV series, Who Do You Think You Are, sent thousands of Canadians scrambling to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) website to check out their ancestry. Overall, the series led to a 50-percent increase in visits to the LAC website thanks to the vision of Peter Levick, LAC’s Director General of Communications.

Canadians launched 92,000 searches on the LAC’s genealogy site on the first night the 13-part series aired in October 2007. The spark came from the stories of Canadian celebrities, such as Margaret Trudeau, Lewis Mackenzie and Don Cherry, and their family histories. During the last episode, 110,000 searches were launched.

Creative wizardry

By spearheading a partnership with the CBC, Ancestry.ca, and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund to produce the series, Peter revolutionized Canadians’ perception of historical research. He also rejuvenated interest in the LAC.

Peter’s negotiations for the Who Do You Think You Are series brought additional marketing benefits to LAC. These include media and online sponsorship and corporate logos, as well as on-air advertising and promotion activities. Peter received a 2008 Public Service Award of Excellence in recognition of his work.

When Peter arrived at LAC, he had a wealth of marketing experience. He worked for Parks Canada and the National Capital Commission, and as Director of the Partnership Program for Canada’s G8 Summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta.

He had done a lot of work in corporate branding and marketing, program and services communications, client research, and stakeholder engagement. He had also developed public participation programs and partnerships with national broadcasters and media partners.

His challenge at LAC was to show Canadians what the LAC offered: an immense range of historical records, archival photographs, maps, artwork and other materials, as well as a vast library of information. And he took to heart the Clerk of the Privy Council’s call for Public Service renewal and rejuvenation.

“By taking a calculated risk that paid off big time, not only has Peter let Canadians know what public servants do and how it can help them, but he has also brought a fresh perspective to the Public Service itself, bringing with him purpose, passion and creativity,” says LAC’s Associate Director General Monique Renaud-Gagné.

Ramping up for the launch

“Ramping up for the launch of the television series, LAC made 18 additional databases available online, hired new staff and improved the genealogy website, ready to respond in real time to the needs of Canadians,” Renaud-Gagné says.

But Peter accomplished another task along the way, says Renaud-Gagné.

“He has paved the way for internal and external synergies, harnessing the efforts of teams both within his department and outside it, teams that may not have worked together before.”

Peter’s ability to energize people and forge partnerships holds great promise for exciting new projects at LAC.

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