These files are organized under federal departments or programs or occasional other themes, in alphabetical order. Some files are not prefaced by departmental name, but they are of the departmental block identification amongst which they are found.
The major file groups are as follow: Agriculture (6 files), Canada Employment 4 files), Canada Post (10 files), Canadian Federations, Communications (19 files), Constitution 7 files), Consumer & Corporate Affairs (4 files), Correspondence [General, House of Commons, NDP and other subjects] (10 files), Economy (10 files), Education (6 files), Employment (31 files), Energy Mines & Resources (7 files), Environment (20 files), External Affairs (226 files), Federal-Provincial Relations (12 files), Finance (39 files), Fisheries & Oceans (2 files), Fitness (1 file), Foreign Investment Review Agency (1 file), Harbourfront (1 file), Health & Welfare (13 files), House of Commons (15 files), Housing (30 files), Immigration & Refugees (244 files), Indian & Northern Affairs (9 files), Industry Trade & Commerce (21 files), Justice (54 files), Labour (5 files), National Defence (76 files), New Democratic Party (140 files), Organizations (53 files), Personal (13 files), Public Service Commission (5 files), Public Works (3 files), Revenue Canada (10 files), Regional Economic Expansion (1 file), Secretary of State (16 files), Science & Technology (3 files), Senate (1 file), Solicitor-General (3 files), Spadina Ward (1 file), Speeches (1 file), Standing Committee on [Labour] Employment & Immigration (7 files), Statistics Canada (1 file), Status of Women (1 file), Trade [and Free Trade] (43 files), Transport (15 files), Travel (8 files), Treasury Board (2 files) and Veterans' Affairs (2 files). The sixe largest file clusters which document Heap's primary areas of interest are -- External Affairs (226 files), Housing (30 files), Immigration and Refugees (244 files), National Defence (76 files), NDP (140 files) and NAFTA (43 files).
The files consist of diverse record types - correspondence, memoranda, ms notes, briefs (presentations), reports, briefing materials, some near-print-material, xeroxed background material (informational, committee proceedings, adjudications, etc), and some clippings (xeroxed).
The Immigration and Refugees files consist of two general types: A) specific case files and general casework activity; and B) files dealing with policy, programs and immigration boards' proceedings and activities.
The case files need little commentary. They comprise at least half of the series. They are interventions on Heap's part to assist individuals in Canada having difficulty staying in the country. There is correspondence with refugee determination boards, with immigrant support groups and social organizations, with pressure groups, with lawyers, with government officials and, above all, with the Secretary of State / Minister responsible for immigration. The files reflect Heap's more generous notion of immigration into Canada, and his humanitarian concerns for refugees fleeing war, terror or political persecution (especially those who could be deemed democratic or had been branded as "leftist" by their home governments). In this, Heap also, of course, reflects the generally more open and accepting position of the NDP on immigrants and refugees.
The other material in this file cluster deals with policies, programs and the governmental structures and agencies involved with immigration and refugee determination. There are files on the domestics program, on family reunification and political asylum policies. The series reflects the working of the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Immigration and the Standing Committee on Adjudication, and Heap's contributions to these committees as well as to Bill C-86, a bill to amend the Immigration Act (1992). There is much background reference material scattered throughout this portion of the series which addresses, inter alia, immigration policy, hearings, backlogs and the refugee determination procedure. Additionally, there are refugee background information files setting out conditions in countries from which many attempted to reach Canada (Sri Lanka, India, Poland, Somalia and so on).
Other major file clusters in this series (External Affairs, Housing, National Defence and Trade [Free Trade]) are obviously linked to Immigration and Refugees. Heap, as something of an idealist and advocate of social justice universally, was disturbed by Canadian support for undemocratic and authoritarian regimes, unbridled capitalism and general support of American foreign policy which pursued interests inimical to local democracy and equitable social development. Hence his generally critical assessments of Canadian foreign and defence policies, and dangers to Canada in Free Trade (primary amongst them the decline in well-being of the working class and its impoverishment). Thus, underlying these four large clusters in these series is the expression of concern by a gentle socialist for a world in which too many suffer for the benefit of too few.
