Last week, news organizations announced with dismay that British Columbia may impose an application fee of $25 for Freedom of Information requests filed in that province. Currently, in British Columbia, applicants can file an FOI request for free and pay no search charges unless the request is for public records (rather than personal information) andContinue reading “Why Charge an Application Fee for Each FOI Request?”
Tag Archives: News
FOI Requests Dropped Sharply During COVID-19
Freedom of Information (“FOI”) requests filed to provincial and municipal institutions in Ontario dropped by 27% in 2020, from 60,394 requests filed across the province in 2019 down to 44,167 requests filed in 2020. This drop occurred during a year dominated by the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Reasonable effort” to locate a record
Institutions should be aware of their obligation to undertake a “reasonable effort” to locate responsive records under s.24 of the Freedom Of Information And Protection Of Privacy Act and s.17 of the Municipal Freedom Of Information And Protection Of Privacy Act.
“List Of Farms” FOI Requestor Identity Revealed
The identity of the person who requested a list of all Ontario farms from OMAFRA, and why the request was made.
Federal Health Minister Criticized For Deriding Freedom of Information
Since March, federal government offices have been reopening, but the government’s ability to respond to FOI requests has apparently not kept apace.
FOI Assist 