Making an access-to-information request A few pointers

Who makes requests under the federal Access to Information Act? Requests received in from: Businesses 23, % Public 23, % Media 8, % Organization 2, % Academia 1, % Total 59, %

Who gets the most requests? Citizenship and Immigration Canada 29,281 Canada Border Services Agency 4,671 Canada Revenue Agency 2,751 National Defence 1,231 Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1,730 Health Canada 1,563 Environment Canada 1,459 Transport Canada 1,091 Privy Council Office 907 Foreign Affairs 904 Other institutions 13,359 Total requests ,947

Getting started Research your subject What do you know? Tip of the iceberg What don’t you know? Rest of the iceberg Ask for information informally Use freedom of information as a safety net, a tool to obtain material you can’t get any other way

Seek out smaller agencies The biggest federal departments are often swamped with requests Avoid lengthy delays and extensions by making applications to small agencies Check the Info Source guide for ideas

Canadian Dairy Commission Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Canadian Food Inspection Agency Canadian Forces Grievance Board Canadian Grain Commission Canadian Heritage Canadian Human Rights Commission Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canadian International Development Agency Canadian International Trade Tribunal Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation Canadian Museum of Nature Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Canadian Polar Commission Canadian Race Relations Foundation Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Canadian Security Intelligence Service Canadian Space Agency Canadian Dairy Commission Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Canadian Food Inspection Agency Canadian Forces Grievance Board Canadian Grain Commission Canadian Heritage Canadian Human Rights Commission Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canadian International Development Agency Canadian International Trade Tribunal Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation Canadian Museum of Nature Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Canadian Polar Commission Canadian Race Relations Foundation Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Canadian Security Intelligence Service Canadian Space Agency

Canadian Polar Commission

Pay careful attention to each access law Fees, time limits and other requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction Web links on the syllabus will help you get to know the laws governing various provinces, territories, municipalities and public bodies Be warned: some jurisdictions levy large fees

Wording requests Pay special attention to: Time-frame Type of records The key is striking a balance between wording that is too narrow and too broad

In general, asking for more than six months’ worth of records can be troublesome. And unless you have names, dates and places, requesting a specific letter or briefing note might be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Including but not limited to… For example: Privy Council Office Records from June.15, 2013, to the present concerning the most recent decision to prorogue Parliament, including but not limited to briefing notes. However, I am not interested in s. I am also not interested in anything that is obviously a cabinet confidence.

Important wording Add the following to each request: As this request is in the public interest, I ask that all fees please be waived. Please contact me when any records are ready for release. Optional: Please do not process any records that appear to be cabinet confidences.

Exercise Break into five groups Draft one timely, well-worded federal Access to Information request per group using the form found on the syllabus under Access-to- Information links / Access to Information fillable request form it to: We will go over each one as a class