Municipal Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act

On January 1, 1991, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1989 came into force covering Ontario’s municipalities and local boards. This legislation applies to any record in the custody or under the control of the Corporation of the Town of Latchford, regardless of whether it was produced before or after the Act came into force.

Under the Legislation, the “head” of the Corporation is responsible for decisions made under the Act. The Mayor of Latchford is the “head” as defined under the legislation and the Information/Privacy Coordinator is responsible for the day to day administration of the Act. As per By-Law 747/06.

The Act provides two separate rights:

1. The right of access to government held information subject to some limited and specific exemptions.
2. The protection of personal privacy where personal information is held by local government offices.

The Act has a number of provisions dealing with the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. To access detailed information about exemptions and procedures relating to the act or its regulations, refer to the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioners Office Website.

How To Make a Request

In most cases, it is not necessary to apply under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to obtain access to city records. Requests for information can generally be made by calling, writing, or visiting the appropriate department office.

• A request under the act can be made by completing an Access/Correction Request form.
• Any clear written request that refers to the Act will also be accepted.
• Requesters should provide as much detail as they can about the records they seek and submit a $5.00 application fee for each request.
• Completed forms along with a payment of request fee ($5.00) should be forwarded to:

The Corporation of the Town of Latchford Information/Privacy Coordinator Latchford, Ontario P0J 1N0

Lise McKeever lmckeever@latchford.ca

Tel: 705-676-2416

Normally, a request must be processed within 30 calendar days. This means that the Town must either provide access to the requested record or notify the individual that the information is exempt under the specific provisions of the Act. If the institution requires a time extension for any reason, then the requestor must be notified.

How to correct information held about you

The Act provides that individuals have the right to correct their own personal information if it is in error. This applies only to personal information to which the requestor has been given access. After access has been granted to personal information, the individual has the right to request:

1. correction of personal information;
2. a statement of disagreement be attached to the record;
3. notification of correction or disagreement be sent to those whom his/her personal information was disclosed within the previous year
4. The right of correction applies only to personal information to which an individual is provided access.
5. Again, requestors must complete an Access/Correction request form and remit a $5.00 payment.
6. The Town decides whether the correction will be made. Once it has been decided whether or not the information is to be corrected, the Information/Privacy Coordinator notifies the requestor. These decisions may be appealed to the Commissioner.

Fees – General

In addition to the $5.00 application fee, the Act provides that costs are to be borne by those who request access to information. All cheques must be made payable to The Corporation of the Town of Latchford.

FOI Resources

The Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office/Ontario provides access to the full text of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as well as related regulations and decisions. The information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario is also responsible for appeals, investigation of privacy complaints, and educating the public about these Acts.

Appealing a Decision

An individual may appeal any decision made by the Town of Latchford.

Appeals should be directed to: Information and Privacy Commissioner Suite 1400 2 Bloor Street East Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8 Toll Free 1-800-387-0073