Freedom of Information Act Requests

How do I Submit a Formal Request Under the Act?

Formal F.O.I. requests must be submitted in writing to the City Clerk’s Office, Records and Information Section. You may forward a letter, or you may complete a F.O.I. application form. Forms can be obtained from the Records and Information Section on the 5th floor of City Hall at 70 Collier Street or the 7th floor City Clerk’s Office or by accessing the link below:

Freedom of Information Application Form

Your request should make reference to the Act, and should be as clear and specific as possible. Identify the type of records, where they are located and the time frame they cover. You should also indicate if you want to view the records or if you would like to receive copies. If you require assistance, Records and Information staff would be happy to help you prepare your request.

Your formal request must be accompanied by a $5.00 application fee (cheques should be made payable to The City of Barrie). This fee is legislated by the Act, and the City cannot begin a search for your information until it is paid. You may pay in person, or mail a cheque with your application letter. Please mail requests and cheques to:

Records & Information Section
City Clerk’s Office
70 Collier Street, 7th Floor
P.O. Box 400
Barrie, Ontario L4M 4T5

What Are the Costs for A Request?

The fees under the Act are set by the Province. They are as follows:

• Search, consultation and preparation time at a rate of $7.50 per 15 minutes;
• Photocopies at a rate of $.20 per 8½”x11” page;
• Computer programming time at a rate of $60.00 per 30 minutes;
• Diskettes at a rate of $10.00 per disk;
• Other fees charged as invoiced ex. Courier costs, etc.
• For fees estimated to be over $100.00, the City can require a 50% deposit before starting to work on your request.

Will I Get Everything I Want and When?

In most cases, requesters are granted full access to all of the information they asked for. However, the Act contains a number of mandatory and discretionary exemptions which allow the City to deny access to records containing certain types of information.

Mandatory exemptions include:

• someone else’s personal information;
• inter-governmental relations;
• information about a third party.

For example, if a record contains someone else’s personal information, or other information which was provided to the City in confidence, the City will sever (or blackout) this information from the record, and you will be provided with a copy of the severed document.

The discretionary include:

• Information that may cause danger of health and safety;
• Solicitor-Client privilege;
• Published information;
• Economic or other interests of an individual or company;
• Limitations on access to one’s own personal information;
• Draft By-laws;
• Reports and records of closed meetings;
• Legal, consultant advice or recommendations;
• Law Enforcement information.

If we do withhold information under one or more of the exemptions, we will tell you why.

All requesters receive a decision letter outlining the decision, the reasons for the decision, the costs, etc.

Under the legislation, the City must respond within 30 calendar days of receipt of your request. However, in the interest of good customer service, the Records and Information Section will try to fulfill your request as quickly as possible.

In circumstances where there is a large volume of records or it is necessary to consult with outside agencies, the City may ask for an extension of the 30 day time limit.

What If I don’t like the City’s Decision?

You have the right to appeal the City’s response to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC). You must file your appeal within 30 days of receiving the City’s decision.

To do this, write a letter to the Commissioner’s Office describing the circumstances of your case, including the file number assigned by the City of Barrie, and a copy of both your request and the City’s decision letter. Also, remember to include your name, address and telephone number and the required appeal fee.

If you are seeking access to your own personal information, the appeal fee is $10.00; otherwise, the fee is $25.00. Payment should be made by cheque, payable to “The Minister of Finance”.

Send your appeal information to:

Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto ON M4W 1A8

Once an appeal is received, the IPC assigns a Mediator to the case who then contacts both the requester and the organization. If the Mediator is unsuccessful, the Mediator’s report is forwarded to the Adjudication stage. The Adjudicator begins the process of an inquiry and the matter is settled by order of the Commissioner. Any order of the Commissioner is legally binding on both parties involved.

Simpler appeals can be resolved within a few weeks, while more complex cases take longer. If your file is resolved through Mediation, this would normally take no more than a couple of months. The majority of files requiring an inquiry are completed within 4 months.