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If you’ve been hanging around the University of Calgary much these last few months, you’ve probably heard many vague, curious yet excited references to the “Milky Way” by the library staff and wondered what was up.

Sure, there may have been some notable discoveries in the solar system, such as identifying the youngest supernova and the spotting of a Saturn-sized exoplanet, but likely these discussions weren’t about that.

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They were about something a little closer to home.

And on Thursday afternoon, U of C officials announced the major donation to the school that lifted the veil on the “Milky Way” code: the complete EMI Music Canada Archive.

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The massive collection of audio and video recordings, documents, photos, publicity material, and business dealings and correspondences from the record label’s 63-year history were gifted to the institution by Universal Music Canada which acquired EMI in 2012. The label, over the years, was home to such notable Canadian acts as Rush, Tom Cochrane, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Paul Anka, The Tea Party and Nickelback, and on the international side of things, delivered work by such acts as the Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Garth Brooks, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis.