Freedom of Information

The Town is responsible for protecting personal information and providing access to information under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act).

The Act establishes a general right of access to records held by municipal government and local agencies, boards and commissions using these principles:

any information held by government should, in general, be available to the public
any exemptions from the right of access to information should be limited and specific
any decisions relating to access to information can be reviewed by the independent Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
any person may make a request for information held by a government institution covered by the Act.

Looking for Records?

Complete an application form

FOI Application Form

There are some exceptions to what you can obtain through the FOI process. Some exemptions include: information received in confidence by other governments, third parties or solicitors; drafts of records in progress; records about other individuals. Specific exemptions are listed in the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act.

Please know that only existing records can be disclosed in response to a freedom of information request. The Town is unable to create a new record, analyze information, or provide answers to questions in response to a freedom of information request.

Need a copy of a record filed with or created by the Town?

Start by contacting the responsible department, if you know who they are, or the Clerk’s Division.

The Town endeavours to be open about sharing information. There are records that can be routinely provided by staff, upon request.

Routine Disclosure Guideline

Please note: If you are requesting drawings for a property that you own, these records can be routinely disclosed to you for a fee. Please submit a request to the Building Division.

How to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request

Requests can be submitted via email to info@townofbwg.com, by mail or in-person at:
PO Box 100
100 Dissette Street, Unit 7&8
Bradford, ON L3Z 2A7
All requests must be submitted with the non-refundable $5.00 application fee.
Provide as much detail as possible about the records or information you are requesting. This helps staff locate the information you are looking for. If you can, specify the type of information you are looking for such as, the dates for the information you are requesting and the town office or division that may have the information you are requesting.
If you are requesting records or information that contain your own personal information, proof of identity must be provided.
If you are acting as an agent on someone else’s behalf, please include the completed application, a signed Agent Authorization as well as a piece of their identification that includes their signature for verification purposes.

FOI Application Form

Next Steps

We will process your payment and start processing your request.
Staff will review the request and retrieve all related records.
Within 30 calendar days we will issue a written decision about your information request. This will outline any outstanding fees and explain the responsive records that will be released.
Once payment is received, we will prepare the responsive records and will send them to you.
Please note: Non-responsive or exempt information may be removed from the record in order to protect the privacy of other individuals.
If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Ontario

After the Decision - Appeals to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC)

If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the Town, you may file an appeal within 30 days with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. You can do so by filing an appeal with the appropriate fee online at www.ipc.on.ca. Alternatively, appeals can be mailed with a cheque or money order payable to “Minister of Finance” to: Registrar, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8.

Fees for Information Requests

The following fees for general information requests about another individual, a government program or activity are in accordance with the Act.

Fees
Item	Fee	Details
Search Time	$7.50	Per 15 minutes (1/4 hr) required to search and retrieve records
Record Preparation	$7.50	Per 15 minutes (1/4 hr) required to prepare records
Photocopying	$0.20	Per page
Computer Programming	$15	Per 15 minutes (1/4 hr) required to develop a program to retrieve information
CD or USB	$10	Per CD or USB
Other		Any costs to locate, retrieve, process and copy the record will be charged if they are itemized in an invoice the Town received

Please note: if the fee exceeds, $100 a notification and estimate will be sent and a 50% deposit will be required.