Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Investigation finds Alberta government not complying with freedom of information laws

Alberta’s access to information watchdog has found the provincial government to be non-compliant with its own freedom of information rules. A new report from information and privacy commissioner Diane McLeod says Alberta’s government has implemented internal procedures and policies that allow government employees to wrongfully deny freedom of information requests. The report, released Friday, follows […]

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X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor’s account under court order but challenges decision

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The social media platform X said Thursday it has blocked access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu ’s account in Turkey, complying with a Turkish court order — the latest measure targeting a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Elon Musk’s X said that while the company abided by […]

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Vancouver short-term rental data at stake in ongoing freedom of information dispute

Vancouver affordable housing advocate Rohana Rezel is six years into a freedom of information dispute with the City of Vancouver and Airbnb over data on short-term rental owners, but he says the issue has evolved beyond housing into a fight for “public transparency.”  Rezel filed two requests with the city under the Freedom of Information […]

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Judge expresses sympathy for fired federal workers but questions if reinstatement is proper remedy

A federal judge expressed sympathy on Tuesday for thousands of federal employees who were suddenly fired by the Trump administration earlier this year, but he also voiced skepticism about whether reinstating them to their jobs was a proper remedy and questioned what the courts could ultimately do. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson made the comments during […]

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Ottawa looking for ways to mend tears in Canada’s social fabric, document shows

Senior federal officials have been looking quietly for ways to bring together Canadians who don’t see eye to eye on the economy, immigration and social issues. With a general election looming, officials prepared to meet last November to brainstorm solutions to the problem of social fragmentation, according to an internal presentation drafted by the Department […]

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Alberta ramps up measles vaccination push as 3 children in intensive care

Alberta’s government says three children are in intensive care in hospital after contracting measles. A health ministry spokesperson declined to disclose their ages, citing privacy concerns. At a news conference Monday, Dr. Sunil Sookram, Alberta’s interim chief medical officer of health, said there have been no deaths. Sookram said the risk of getting the highly […]

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Number of St. Catharines properties in tax arrears soars under current council

The number of property tax accounts in arrears has risen sharply in St. Catharines since 2022, according to documents obtained by The Pointer through a Freedom of Information request. The disturbing increase aligns with the controversial hikes in municipal tax rates introduced by the current City Council. Residents of Niagara’s largest city were shocked in […]

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TSB investigating helicopter on training flight crashes in Whitehorse

A team with Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is in Whitehorse to investigate a helicopter crash. Spokesman Liam MacDonald says the Airbus AS350B was on a training flight with two people onboard when it crashed around 3 p.m. on Friday. MacDonald says the helicopter, operated by Horizon Helicopters, flew out of the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International […]

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N.L. premier leaves office on waves of praise, worry about legacy Quebec energy deal

If all goes to plan, many in Newfoundland and Labrador will likely remember outgoing premier Andrew Furey for ending a decades-old lopsided energy deal with Quebec, according to his inbox. More than 80 people sent Furey emails about a new tentative arrangement with Hydro-Québec in the seven weeks after he announced the deal on Dec. […]

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Rules that govern rulers – updates to procedural bylaw for Southgate Township

The procedural bylaw lays out rules for how council conducts its business, but also  generally allows council to suspend those rules when two-thirds of council agrees. Presenting on a new draft of those procedural rules was the team that did the updates, Michelle Smibert and Michelle Casavecchia Somers. They presented an updated procedural bylaw, and […]

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OPP detachment board’s ‘Traveling Wilburys’ seek meeting location

As the Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment board continues to hit the ground running, members hope to find a permanent meeting locale. Board administrator Phil DeBruyne presided over this week’s meeting in Tiny Township with nearly-official community representative Judy Contin who was awaiting finalization on CSPA requirements before her full participation next meeting. A verbal […]

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Xatśūll asks judge for ‘urgent’ injunction to stop raising of mine tailings dam that failed in 2014

The Xatśūll First Nation is asking a judge to urgently stop the controversial Mount Polley mine from raising its nearly 20-storey tailings dam even higher on its territories. On Friday, leaders from the Secwépemc community filed for an injunction “on an urgent basis” against ongoing construction to increase the height of the dam — which […]

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