The Canadian version of a FOIA request
October 13, 2011 6:10 PM   Subscribe

In Canada, does the Access to Information Act apply to provincial and municipal governments?
posted by thewalrus to Law & Government (4 answers total)
 
No.

From your link above:

"2. (1) The purpose of this Act is to extend the present laws of Canada to provide a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution in accordance with the principles that government information should be available to the public, that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.

"“government institution” means

(a) any department or ministry of state of the Government of Canada, or any body or office, listed in Schedule I, and

(b) any parent Crown corporation, and any wholly-owned subsidiary of such a corporation, within the meaning of section 83 of the Financial Administration Act;"

Each provincial government is responsible for its own information act. For example in Ontario, you'll want to see this link.

"The Chief Privacy Officer and Archivist supports Ontario government ministries and other provincial and local public sector organizations that have responsibilities under two laws:

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)"

Even the language is different. Again, using Ontario as an example if you want to put in a request you need to file a Freedom of Information request. Federally you'd file an Access to Information request.
posted by sardonyx at 6:27 PM on October 13, 2011 [3 favorites]


Sardonyx gave a darn fine answer I'd say.

In the Yukon Territory ATIPP speaks to accessing and sharing information however it identifies a number of agencies required to comply with ATIPP such as: Government Services, Hospital, Police and some other public bodies. Any person or group that is not mentioned is not obliged to comply with the act.
posted by YukonQuirm at 6:49 PM on October 13, 2011


In Ontario there is a statute for the province and one for muncipalities. The provincial one is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. You can find it here:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90f31_e.htm
The municipal one has the same name with "Municipal" tacked on the front.
There are parallel statutes in other provinces.
posted by girlpublisher at 4:00 AM on October 14, 2011


Manitoba information on FIPPA
posted by utsutsu at 7:13 AM on October 14, 2011


« Older Help me heal my nose   |   Please help me hang three large format pieces of... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.