Info Source: Access to Information Fact Sheet

Info Source: Access to Information Fact Sheet

A. Introduction
The Access to Information Act entitles you to examine or obtain information contained in federal government records. For guidance on how to obtain information of a personal nature, please see the Info Source: Access to Personal Information leaflet.

B. The Access to Information Act
The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens as well as people and corporations present in Canada the right to have access to federal government records that do not contain personal information about other individuals. The Act ensures that you can ask for information and, if it is not exempt or excluded, the federal government must let you have a copy or review it in person on-location at the federal institution. The Act complements but does not replace other procedures for obtaining government information. It is not intended to limit in any way the access to government information that would normally be available to the public upon request.

You may ask for information that is held by the government in any format. Some examples include letters, memos, reports, photographs, tape recordings, films, microfilms and computerized data. The Treasury Board Secretariat's Info Source publications have been designed to help you pinpoint the department or agency where the information is held and to assist you in obtaining it.

C. Using the Access to Information Act
You have the right to apply formally for information under in accordance with the Access to Information Act. However, some information may be exempt or excluded under the Act.

C.1. Exemptions
Exemptions protect certain types of information that could cause harm if released. For example, information on national security, law enforcement or trade secrets may fall into this category.

C.2. Exclusions
The Act does not apply to information that is already available publicly, such as publications or material in libraries and museums. Cabinet documents (background reports or memorandum that serve as supporting documents for discussions in Cabinet) are also excluded. Furthermore, the Act cannot give you access to records that are not controlled by the federal government, such as those maintained by provincial or municipal governments or by private organizations like banks and credit bureaus.

C.3. Access to Information Coordinator's Office
Each federal government institution subject to the Access to Information Act has an Access to Information Coordinator who may be able to help you to identify the records you wish to see.

C.4. How to apply
Once you have decided to make a formal request under the Access to Information Act, there are certain simple procedures to follow. If you are unsure about where to send a request:

• Consult Info Source (http://infosource.gc.ca) to find the appropriate department or agency.
• Obtain an Access to Information Request Form from any location where Info Source is available i.e. large public libraries, academic libraries, etc, including from the Internet site at www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/tbsf-fsct_e.asp.
• If it is not convenient for you to fill in a form, you may send a letter, provided you indicate that it is a formal request under the Access to Information Act (see details below).
• Be sure to enclose the application fee (see details below).
• Send the form or the letter to the Access to Information Coordinator at the appropriate department or agency.

If you decide to submit a letter, you must state clearly that you are requesting information under the Access to Information Act, and include the following:

• name and address of the government department or agency you believe has the information you want;
• description (be as specific as possible) of the records of interest to you;
•  preferred method of seeing the records (e.g. do you want to receive photocopies of the original documents or view the originals in a government office?);
• your name, street, address, city or town, province or territory, postal code, telephone number(s) and your signature;
• date of your request;
• application fee.

C.5. Fees and costs
An application fee of $5 (subject to change) applies and additional costs may be charged for each request if records have to be reproduced, if more than five hours is required to search for a record(s) or to prepare the record(s) for disclosure. Additional charges may also be incurred if the record has to be converted to an alternative format. You will be notified in advance if there are additional costs and you may be asked to make a deposit. Cheques and money orders are usually made payable to the Receiver General of Canada. 

• some institutions do not have an account with the Receiver-General and require the cheque be made out to the institution itself. Please confirm with the Access to Information Coordinator's Office of the specific institution (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/apps/coords/index_e.asp) before forwarding the letter or completed request form.

C.6. Turnaround time
Government institutions must acknowledge a request within 30 calendar days of receiving it. However, in special cases, they may need more time to process your request and are required to notify you of the need for an extension in such circumstances.

D. Reading Rooms
For your convenience, all federal institutions subject to the Access to Information Act have a room set aside where you may examine the records you have requested.

E. The Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner investigates formal complaints from members of the public that relate to the Access to Information Act. If you have a complaint about a denial of access to information, fees charged for access, the time taken to respond to requests, refusal to give access in the official language requested, Info Source publications and other matters that relate to requesting or obtaining access to records, you may contact:

Office of the Information Commissioner
Place de Ville, 22nd Floor, Tower B
112 Kent Street 
Ottawa ON K1A 1H3

F. Info Source
Info Source is a series of four Treasury Board Secretariat annual publications containing information about the Government of Canada, its organization and information holdings. The publications are reference tools to assist members of the public in exercising their rights under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The Info Source publications support the government's policy to explain and promote open and accessible information regarding its activities.

The four Info Source publications are as follows:
1. Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information:

• provides information about the Government of Canada, its organization and its information holdings. 
• helps individuals determine which institution to contact about requesting information formally or informally.
• provides individuals who are not, and who have never been employees of the federal government, with relevant information to facilitate access to personal information about them held by a federal government institution subject to the Privacy Act.

2. Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information:

• contains information to help current and former federal government employees to locate personal information held by the government.
• is intended to help former and current government employees to exercise their rights under the Privacy Act.

3. Info Source: The Access to Information Act and Privacy Act Bulletin:

• provides Statistical Tables reflecting the number of Access to Information and Privacy requests on an annual basis and cumulative statistics since 1983.
• contains a summary of federal court cases related to Access to Information. 

4. Info Source: Directory of Federal Government Enquiry Points:

• contains addresses and telephone numbers for federal departments and agencies subject to the Access to Information Act and/or the Privacy Act. 
• Other institutions associated with the federal government are included to facilitate access.

G. Where to Obtain Info Source
For more information about Info Source, the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, you may contact:

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
L'Esplanade Laurier, 8th Floor, East Tower
140 O'Connor Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0R5

If you would like a copy Info Source: Directory of Federal Government Enquiry Points or the Info Source: Access to Information Act and Privacy Bulletin, please contact:

Treasury Board Distribution Centre
L'Esplanade Laurier, Room P-140, Level P-1W
300 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0R5

If you would like to purchase a copy of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information or Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information, please contact:

Publishing and Depository Services
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0S5

All four Info Source publications are also available free of charge on the Internet at: www.infosource.gc.ca