Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Ontario Premier Doug Ford defends plan to increase jail capacity by thousands

Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended his government’s plan to build many more jails, saying the billions in cost will be worth it. Ontario’s jails are well over capacity and the overcrowding has been worsening for years under Ford’s tenure as premier. The province plans to add upward of 6,000 new jail beds by 2050, government […]

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Stats cited by Danielle Smith’s office to kill story on EMS overtime contradicted by government’s own data

Last summer, an IJF investigation revealed that the amount of overtime worked by paramedics in Edmonton had increased by 81 per cent since 2021. The story was republished by several media outlets across Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. A day later, staff from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office and the Ministry of Hospital and […]

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Doug Ford vows to find out how more than 150 inmates were improperly released

Ontario’s premier and solicitor general have vowed to figure out how the province’s jails improperly released more than 100 inmates over several years. Premier Doug Ford says the situation is unacceptable and he will get to the bottom of what happened. Global News unearthed government documents through freedom of information laws that show the province […]

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Ontario plans massive jail expansion, internal government documents show

Ontario is planning a massive expansion of jails over the next few decades, The Canadian Press has learned. The province’s jails are bursting and have been significantly over capacity for years, with the situation worsening. Ontario plans to add nearly 6,000 jail beds by 2050, documents obtained by University of Ottawa researchers through freedom-of-information laws […]

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Iranians left disappointed but defiant after failure of peace talks with US

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranians reacted with a mixture of disappointment and defiance on Sunday after peace talks with the United States failed to reach an agreement following hourslong negotiations. U.S. officials said the talks collapsed over what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program. Iranian officials blamed the U.S. […]

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Town of Oliver views video surveillance policy updates with approval

An updated video surveillance policy was reviewed and approved by Council this week which will guide the use of security cameras around town. Council received a proposed updated Video Surveillance Cameras Policy at the April 7 Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting, presented by Brieanne Mader, the Town’s Deputy Corporate Officer. The proposal intended to […]

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Internal memo flags the promise and pitfalls of expanding CSIS’s foreign spy role

An internal Canadian Security Intelligence Service memo says allowing the spy agency to collect foreign intelligence overseas would capitalize on its “existing footprint and expertise,” but might also invite a host of problems. The memo says giving CSIS the capabilities of a foreign human intelligence service — like the American CIA or Britain’s MI6 — […]

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Ontario failed to collect nearly $10M owed by alleged animal abusers: documents

Ontario has failed to collect more than 90 per cent of money owed by alleged animal abusers whose pets, livestock or menagerie were seized during investigations, The Canadian Press has learned. Since 2019, the province has charged owners money to care for animals seized by Animal Welfare Services to the tune of $10,633,241, documents obtained […]

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Town adjusts bylaw to adhere to province

The Town of Strathmore is implementing clerical changes to better align with current provincial legislation. During the April 1 council meeting, all three readings of the new Designated Officer Bylaw were passed unanimously.  “On June 11 of last year, the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) was replaced with the Access to Information Act and administration […]

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Protesters rally against planned Maryland immigration detention facility that’s now paused

NEW YORK (AP) — A group of new accounts on the prediction market Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the U.S. and Iran would reach a ceasefire on April 7, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for these new customers. These bets were made even though, in the hours before […]

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Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters, a setback in the administration’s efforts to impede the work of journalists. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times for the second time in a […]

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LNG Canada gas flaring far exceeding volumes allowed under permits: documents

Documents show the volume of gas flared at the LNG Canada plant on British Columbia’s north coast between October and January far surpassed what its permit allows. University of Victoria air quality researcher Laura Minet obtained monthly air emissions reports filed by LNG Canada to the B.C. Energy Regulator under freedom of information proceedings.  The […]

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