Category: Uncategorized

  • A response to The Toronto Star (and to “FOI reform” articles in general)

    A response to The Toronto Star (and to “FOI reform” articles in general)

    News organizations such as The Toronto Star rely on the FOI process to obtain information from government institutions including at the municipal and provincial level. A few times a year, presumably out of frustration with the process, The Star will use their pages to complain about the state of the system — the delays, the…

  • Stop the clock! How different actions affect the deadline

    Stop the clock! How different actions affect the deadline

    The guidance presented in this article is intended for institutions in Ontario responsible for responding to Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests under either the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). As noted in the previous article on how to count…

  • Get your head straight – what is the role of your institution’s head?

    Get your head straight – what is the role of your institution’s head?

    Every institution to which Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) or its Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) applies has its own function.  I’ve set out a few examples below: Institution Function Legislative Assembly of Ontario To represent Ontarians and their constituencies; to debate and pass legislation;…

  • Say what? Clarifying and narrowing requests

    Say what? Clarifying and narrowing requests

    Today’s article is intended for institutions in Ontario responsible for responding to FOI requests under either the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Often, an institution will receive an FOI request that is incomplete or unclear.  It isn’t always easy to know…

  • Resources for FOI professionals in Ontario

    Resources for FOI professionals in Ontario

    Below are some resources and reference materials that FOI professionals working at Ontario’s provincial and municipal institutions should find helpful. Online Resources Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario https://www.ipc.on.ca/ The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPCO) provides oversight of Ontario’s access and privacy laws.  The IPCO website publishes hundreds of guidance documents intended to promote…

  • How to count time and how to determine the initial 30-day deadline

    How to count time and how to determine the initial 30-day deadline

    Both federally, under the Access To Information Act (ATIA), as well as provincially in Ontario, under both the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) government institutions are permitted up to thirty (30) days to respond to requests for information. In…