The Special Needs Information Service Online (SNIS) originated from the research of Drs. Mary Lyon and Patricia Canning, then both working at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), Halifax, Nova Scotia. Their work showed that families of children with special needs required a source of information about where and how to find necessary services. That led to the development of SNIS as a print directory for Nova Scotia in 1993. Due to high demand, the book was reprinted in 1995 and a telephone help line was introduced. The help line was run by the YMCA, Halifax with support from Royal Trust, IWK Health Centre and Health and Welfare Canada. In 2002, through the Mount Saint Vincent University site of the Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs, Dr. Lyon and Dr. Canning, (now at Memorial University in Newfoundland), decided to exploit the power of the world wide web to offer SNIS as an online service. In partnership with Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre, Technical Resource Centre SNIS Online made the transition to the Internet in 2005. January 2006 marked the end of the first year of SNIS Online in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador. In 2007 SNIS Online was redesigned and work got underway to Prince Edward Island. As of 2009, SNIS Online is available in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.