BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
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REDACTED: City of Brampton’s $4-billion electric bus deal leaves taxpayers completely in the dark
$245 for 1,799 pages: 1,622 completely redacted—words covered by large blocks of black to hide them from the public. The Pointer is trying to uncover the details behind a $4-billion deal, the largest of its kind in the municipality’s history, between the City of Brampton and a foreign company that not many in Ontario have…
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Manitoba shelves plans for teacher exchange program
The Manitoba government has shelved plans to organize teacher exchanges to address workforce shortages and give urban and northern professionals an opportunity to learn from one another. The now-defunct teacher interchange committee was created to bring together bureaucrats, school leaders from Winnipeg and northern Manitoba and representatives from Gakino’amaage: Teach for Canada in 2024-25. Gakino’amaage,…
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Domestic violence convictions falling in Nunavut, but explanation lacking
Domestic violence charges in Nunavut have been leading to fewer and fewer guilty verdicts, with 2023 seeing the lowest number of intimate partner violence convictions since 2011, Statistics Canada data shows. Only 29 per cent of domestic violence cases in the territory resulted in a guilty verdict in 2023, the most recent year for available…
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Salmon group says aquaculture companies stashing garbage along Newfoundland coast
An eastern Canadian conservation group is calling for a moratorium on aquaculture expansion in Newfoundland and Labrador, alleging fish-farming companies are stashing plastic garbage along the province’s remote southern coastline. In a report summary released Tuesday, the Atlantic Salmon Federation said satellite images suggest aquaculture companies appear to have left broken cages, rope and other…
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NDP government spent $94,000 promoting school nutrition program expansion
The Kinew government spent more money promoting its universal school meal program this year than it did feeding students in some small divisions. At the start of the 2024-25 school year, the province spent $94,617.50 on advertisements related to the expansion of breakfast, lunch and snack offerings in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 buildings. The campaign — details…
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Oil giant broke deal to deactivate thousands of pipelines and faced no penalty, documents reveal
This investigation is a collaboration between The Narwhal and the Investigative Journalism Foundation. One of Canada’s largest oil and gas companies violated a deal it struck with B.C.’s energy regulator to address thousands of inactive pipelines in the province — and faced no financial penalties for doing so. Internal government documents obtained by The Narwhal…
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Former University of Winnipeg regent who quit in protest cited governance concerns
Twelve days after a University of Winnipeg board member resigned in protest over governance concerns at the cash-strapped campus, his ex-colleagues approved a balanced budget that rests on continued austerity measures. The board of regents — a group of appointees who are alumni, administrators and public representatives, among others, and in charge of policy making…
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Daily contact, a Ford phone call: docs reveal Ontario government’s close relationship with Enbridge
In early October 2023, a senior bureaucrat in the Ontario Energy Ministry emailed an Enbridge official with a “sort of urgent” request. Newly released internal documents show that Premier Doug Ford had called the natural gas giant that month to discuss delays in obtaining a natural gas connection for a facility whose name is redacted…
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Quebec language watchdog now says it’s OK to use ‘go’ to support sports teams
Quebec’s language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it’s acceptable to use the word “go” to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while “allez” is the preferred term, it’s now “partially legitimized” to use the English word to…
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County of Simcoe unveils revitalized Positive Aging Strategy
The County of Simcoe has released the 2025 – 2030 Age Friendly Positive Aging Strategy committed to fostering age-friendly communities. A revitalized strategy, it builds on years of research, engagement, and community-driven priorities that enhance the lives of older adults across the region. As Simcoe County’s older adult population continues to grow, the County remains…
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Australian airline Qantas says customer data stolen by cybercriminal
Australian airline Qantas said Wednesday that a hacker made off with a trove of customers’ personal data including passenger names, emails, phone numbers, birth dates and frequent flyer numbers. The company said in a statement that a cybercriminal targeted one of its call centers on Monday and gained access to a third-party customer service platform…