Freedom of Information

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides the right to access records held by the Town. The right to access records is subject to limited and specific exemptions. The right to access records includes both general records and any records that may contain your personal information. The Act governs how the Town may collect, retain, use, disclose and dispose of personal information which may be found within Town records.

Every person has the right to access personal information about them that the Town has. A request may be made to see the records and have the information changed if a person thinks the information contains errors or omissions. To access personal information or request a change to personal information, a formal request is required. Once the Town receives the request, it will be reviewed and the requestor will be advised whether the correction or addition of information has been granted. If the request is denied, the decision may be appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
All formal requests to see general records or personal information or to change personal information must be submitted to the Town Clerk with an application fee of $5.00. This fee cannot be waived or refunded.

Completed formal request forms and the application fee should be mailed to:

Clerks Division
32 Mill Street
PO Box 310
Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0

Requests may also be submitted in person by visiting the Clerks Division on the first floor of Town Hall.

Once the Town receives a request, it has 30 days to provide a response.
There are two types of exemptions in FIPPA and MFIPPA.

Mandatory Exemptions require the head of an institution to refuse to disclose the record. Mandatory exemptions begin with “a head shall refuse to disclose…”

Discretionary Exemptions allow the head to disclose a record, despite the existence of the exemption. Discretionary exemptions begin with “(A) head may refuse to disclose…”

Examples of exclusions and exemptions include:
- Cabinet records;
- Court records;
- Records containing certain law enforcement information;
- Records that could prejudice intergovernmental relations;
- Personal information that could invade the privacy of an individual;
- Certain records supplied in confidence by a third party; or
- Most labour relations records.
Requesters may appeal institutions’ decisions by writing or by filling out an appeal form and sending it to the IPC Registrar at the address on the form.
The MFIPPA Act is founded on the premise that requestors should bear at least a portion of the costs associated with responding to their request. As a result, requestors are required to pay the fees mandated by the Act.

When the cost is expected to be more than $25.00, requestors will be provided with a Notice of Fee Estimate that will provide a line-by-line breakdown of the anticipated fees.

When the cost is expected to be more than $100.00, a deposit equal to 50% of the anticipated cost will be required before any work associated with the request begins.

If the anticipated fees are deemed excessive or unaffordable, requestors are invited to modify the scope of the request. A Notice of Fee will be provided when the process is complete. The cost outlined in the Notice of Fee must be paid before accessing records.
In addition to providing access to Town records, the MFIPPA Act also requires the Town to protect your privacy.

Personal information is collected and used by the Town for very specific purposes that are identified at the time of collection. Personal information will not be used for any other reason than identified at the time of collection, nor disclosed in any circumstance, except as permitted by the Act.

If there is concern that personal information has been misused or disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with the Act, please contact the Town Clerk or the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.