Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Libraries meeting changing community needs despite funding woes

When Kristel Fleuren-Hunter was growing up in Antigonish, she remembers the bookmobile – a library on wheels – coming to the school and her and the other children picking out books for the classroom. As she got older, she borrowed Nancy Drew books from her small local library. Trecia Schell remembers singing “skinnamarinky dinky dink” […]

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Élections Québec asked government to change French-language laws in 2023

Élections Québec knew it would not be allowed to send voter information in English over a year before the election campaign, The Canadian Press has learned.  The provincial election authority had tried to pressure the government to amend its language legislation — and even provided proposed wording of an amendment — but the government refused, […]

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Iran war has cost the US more than $38B, budget office says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. war against Iran has cost the Department of Defense more than $38 billion through Aug. 1, and will continue costing up to $3 billion a month or more depending on the intensity of the conflict, according to an assessment released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. CBO said the […]

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Don’t ignore access to information request, University of Saskatchewan told

In July, the University of Saskatchewan received an access to information (ATI) request to release recent purchasing records, which it deemed “frivolous” and asked the province’s information and privacy commissioner to dismiss. Commissioner Grace Hession David, however, ruled that the university’s refusal would deny that applicant’s access to information rights, according to a decision published […]

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N.B. mayors get training on roles, responsibilities

About 74 of New Brunswick’s mayors and deputy mayors were part of a new training program hosted by the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB) — called Mayor’s School. President Brittany Merrifield said the organization came up with the idea to help better explain the role of the mayor. “We have to run the […]

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The secret ballot has been an article of faith in US elections. That’s being tested in Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) — Security researchers say rapid advances in artificial intelligence are making it more critical to address a flaw in Georgia’s voting equipment that can allow voters to be matched to their ballots after they have been cast. The system’s vulnerability has been drawing increased attention, with election security advocates criticizing state election officials […]

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In an age of instant answers, educators say there’s a case for letting kids struggle a little

When children forget their lunch, can’t solve a math problem or don’t know how to get somewhere, the instinct for parents can be to step in immediately. But sometimes, the problem is an opportunity. Developmental experts and educators say children need chances to struggle with everyday problems because figuring them out is a skill that […]

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ACLU lawsuit seeks release of Hartford, Connecticut immigration court data

The Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU-CT, filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that the Hartford immigration court is withholding access to “basic immigration court records.” The lawsuit names U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and the chief immigration judge for the Hartford court, Angela Munson. According to the suit, ACLU-CT […]

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O’Leary Digital appeal adds new front to Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation’s water license challenge

O’Leary Digital Limited (ODL), the company behind the proposed Wonder Valley data centre complex in northern Alberta, is appealing an Aug. 13 court ruling that barred it from blocking a legal challenge by Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation (SLCN). SLCN has called for a judicial review of a water license granted by the government of Alberta […]

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Opposition decries Alberta’s purported ‘red carpet’ plan for AI data centres, more oil and gas

Naheed Nenshi, the NDP leader of Alberta’s Opposition, is accusing Premier Danielle Smith of a scheme that could increase power bills for Albertans “so she can build AI data centres for her foreign billionaire friends.”  The comments come from a news conference organized by the NDP in response to reporting by The Narwhal on a […]

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Senators from both parties question OpenAI on breach of AI startup Hugging Face

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers worried about the existential risk posed by new artificial intelligence products demanded information from OpenAI on Thursday with separate queries that underscored growing concerns in Washington about the technology’s potential to elude human control. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., launched an investigation Thursday into OpenAI for its artificial intelligence system hacking into […]

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Court asked to order Élections Québec to mail out English voting information

A lawyer for Élections Québec told a Montreal courtroom on Thursday that there might be time to send out one piece of English-language voter information by mail, as the elections agency and provincial government faced a court challenge over French-only mailouts. But Henrick Lavoie also told a Quebec Superior Court judge that it’s too late […]

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