Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Alberta’s energy ‘war room,’ known for Bigfoot movie feud, getting brought in-house

Alberta’s energy “war room” – the oft-ridiculed agency famous for its feud with a children’s Bigfoot cartoon – is being retooled and brought in-house directly under Premier Danielle Smith’s office. “The Canadian Energy Centre is an important advocate for Canada and Alberta’s long-term position as a safe, clean and responsible energy supplier,” the province’s Energy […]

Read More


Newfoundland woman was ‘living in fear’ in a for-profit shelter. She was killed there

Rayna Dove kept careful notes about her attempts to move out of the shelter in downtown St. John’s, N.L., where her mother says she was “living in fear.”  On Dec. 27, 2021, Dove’s fears came true. She died there in the early morning hours, stabbed in the abdomen by another resident, David Quirke. Joan Dunphy, […]

Read More


Ontario expanding jails by several hundred beds to deal with overflowing institutions

Ontario will add more beds to its beleaguered jails, which are bursting with inmates, solicitor general Michael Kerzner said Monday. The province intends to add several hundred spots throughout the system as it grapples with a surge of inmates over the past 18 months. “We’re expanding and building facilities that will help front-line staff to […]

Read More


MCFD v. OIPC, IndigiNews 2024 BCCA 190   

FIPA is working to support the efforts of IndigiNews. This Government’s actions to suppress access to information continue to impact press freedom and the ability of the public to hold elected officials accountable. You can contact IndigiNews for comment or to provide support by contacting them directly via email to: stories @ indiginews.com . FIPA’s Statement on […]

Read More


Delays, disruptions, fires, and health concerns: CRD’s biosolids plan beset with issues

After a series of setbacks and delays, including two fires at the Lafarge cement plant in Richmond, the CRD board approved a biosolids management plan on May 14. The plan comes just in time as biosolids pile up in significant quantities at the Hartland Landfill and in the Cassidy gravel quarry south of Nanaimo. The […]

Read More


Bruce-Grey MP’s ‘need to know’ bill passes second readingBruce-Grey MP’s ‘need to know’ bill passes second reading

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff’s “need to know” private members bill has cleared another hurdle in the House of Commons. On June 5, Ruff’s bill – C-377, An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (need to know), passed second reading. This bill will formalize the process for parliamentarians to request a secret security […]

Read More


Province investigating cause of Crescent Spur fire

The BC Wildfire Service has opened a Fire Origin and Cause Investigation into the May 10th Crescent Spur wildfire, says the Ministry of Forests. CN Rail is under scrutiny for alleged noncompliance with the fire prevention measures required by the Wildfire Act, according to the Province’s Natural Resource Compliance and Enforcement Database. Crescent Spur resident […]

Read More


Government action could shut down shipbreaking in Union Bay, lawyer says

A lawyer working with Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) — a group of Union Bay residents who came together to oppose a shipbreaking operation run by a company called Deep Water Recovery — says the government could easily shut down the ship dismantling activities if they wanted to. The site at 5084 Island Hwy. […]

Read More


More than 70,000 kids in Ontario seeking publicly funded autism supports

More than 70,000 children are seeking support through the Ontario Autism Program, but fewer than 15,000 of them are getting funding for core therapies, the province’s Financial Accountability Office said in a report Wednesday. The Progressive Conservative government has more than doubled the budget for the Ontario Autism Program, now at $720 million, but that […]

Read More


Cybersecurity standards emerging in Canada as ransomware business booms

The ransomware business is booming in Canada. Recent victims have included large corporations such as retailer London Drugs, as well as the City of Hamilton, Ont., and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. But the criminals who sometimes brag of their attacks on the so-called dark web don’t seem fussy about their victims, based on […]

Read More


Justice Department’s ‘deepfake’ concerns over Biden interview audio highlights AI misuse worries

Releasing an audio recording of a special counsel’s interview with President Joe Biden could spur deepfakes and disinformation that trick Americans, the Justice Department said, conceding the U.S. government could not stop the misuse of artificial intelligence ahead of this year’s election. A senior Justice Department official raised the concerns in a court filing on […]

Read More


Library hosts extra Twinkle Babies program with dietitian

On June 3, the Strathmore Municipal Library will be hosting a special session of their “Twinkle Babies” program to provide information about infant nutrition to parents.  Dietician Dabin Choi will be in attendance to present at the session, as well as to answer any questions parents may have. The regular Twinkle Babies programs through the […]

Read More