Online Spying Bill C-13 has already passed the House of Commons and will soon face a final vote in the Senate. But the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that large parts of C-13 are unconstitutional. If passed, the Bill will face legal challenges and waste millions of taxpayer dollars. The Senate claims to be […]

  Click here to download a pdf of the submission November 7, 2014 Ms. Jackie Tegart, Chair Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits BY E Mail: LocalElectionsCommittee@leg.bc.ca Re: Submission to public consultations on principles for local elections expense limits Dear Ms. Tegart, I am writing to you in response to the consultation your Special […]

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has ordered the release of records requested by BC FIPA related to the mysterious Ministry of Health data breach case. FIPA had requested: Data sharing and other agreements involving the Ministry and four named individuals; Correspondence between the Ministry and the four named individuals relating to the […]

It’s that time of year again: the lineup for the 14th annual Media Democracy Days has been announced, and FIPA is excited to be part of this year’s events. The 2014 conference features two days public events that promote a fair and democratic media system; one that gives voice to the silenced, encourages diversity, and challenges […]

FIPA has teamed up with OpenMedia and other members of the Protect Our Privacy Coalition to launch a pro-privacy crowdsourcing initiative. This week the highly controversial online spying Bill C-13 passed the House of Commons, despite concerns that the Supreme Court of Canada Spencer ruling likely makes the legislation unconstitutional. This also follows a year […]

Fifty-six organizations, including BC FIPA, have submitted a joint letter to the BC government that raises concerns of a proposed overhaul of the BC Societies Act. The new legislation would allow any member of the public (or a corporation) to bring a legal action against a society on the basis that it is acting against […]

NEWS RELEASE September 23, 2014 BC government “going backward” on FOI performance-Commissioner’s report   VANCOUVER, September 23, 2014–In a scathing report released earlier today, Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham calls out the BC government on historic delays in responding to Freedom of Information requests. https://www.oipc.bc.ca/special-reports/1696 Entitled A Step Backwards, the Commissioner’s report indicates the […]

NEWS RELEASE September 15, 2014 2014 Information Summit opens in Vancouver this Friday Conference will examine future of Freedom of Information and Privacy   Vancouver, September 15, 2014–The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA)  is excited to announce that the 2014 BC Information Summit will take place this Friday, September 19th at UBC […]

Right to Know week is rapidly approaching, and we are excited to kick off with the 2014 Information Summit on Friday September 19. But that’s not all we have planned. On the following Friday, to wrap up a week of information access events that will be held across the country, we’re teaming up with Media […]

NEWS RELEASE August 28, 2014 BC Police dig deep into job applicants’ personal information BC FIPA asks Information and Privacy Commissioner to investigate overcollection VANCOUVER, B.C.—A number of police departments across BC are asking some very intrusive questions, and not about criminals under investigation. The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association has filed a […]

August 28, 2014 Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner PO Box 9038 4th Floor — 947 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8W 9A4 BY E Mail: info@oipc.bc.ca Dear Commissioner: RE: Request for investigation into excessive collection of information by police forces in employment applications I am writing to ask you to conduct an investigation under s.42 […]

The countdown to Information Summit 2014 has begun, and more than a dozen excellent and expert speakers and panelists are gearing up for the event! BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham will kick things off with a keynote address on recent developments in access and privacy, including how her office is forced to use […]