BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
-
‘Irresponsible’: Disruption of crucial cancer scanner in Saskatchewan angers family
An on-again, off-again machine in Saskatchewan that’s vital for diagnosing cancer has been disrupted again, putting at least one family in a bind. The Saskatchewan Health Authority said Tuesday its PET/CT scanner in Saskatoon — the province’s only such device — was down for two days in December and isn’t running at full capacity. The…
-
Suspect in Desjardins data leak involving 9.7 million members arrested in Spain
Quebec provincial police say a suspect in a major data leak at Desjardins was arrested in Spain in November 2025. Juan Pablo Serrano had been sought by police since June 2024 for the theft and resale of personal information belonging to the 9.7 million members of the Quebec financial institution. In a news release, police…
-
Caledon residents furious after FOI documents uncover gaps in Town record-keeping around opposition to mega-blasting quarry proposal
Caledon resident Tony Sevelka’s days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and now years since he started digging into the details of a proposed blasting mega-quarry steps away from his home. His quest led him to file a freedom of information request this summer, seeking access to all public objections to the contentious project. …
-
‘No end in sight’ for systematic killing of BC wolves to save caribou
The BC government spent a decade killing wolves to protect caribou. Now, critics warn that despite questions about its effectiveness, ethics and impact on the rest of the environment, the government is moving to make the wolf cull a permanent part of its strategy. Launched as a short-term emergency measure in 2015, the decade-long wolf…
-
Louisiana AG investigating CVS for sending mass text messages lobbying against legislation
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Thursday she is investigating whether pharmaceutical giant CVS improperly used customers’ personal information to send out text messages lobbying against a proposed state law. Murrill also said she plans to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the company to stop the messages. As lawmakers debated…
-
Ford government obfuscated Greenbelt records through code words: commissioner
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government broke its legal, record-keeping obligations amid its now-reversed decision to open up parts of the protected Greenbelt lands for housing, the province’s information and privacy commissioner has found. Political staff were using code words to thwart document requests and left a surprisingly small paper trail for such a consequential policy,…
-
Supreme Court of Canada to hear appeal in long-running Facebook privacy case
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to review a ruling that concluded Facebook broke federal privacy law by failing to adequately inform users of risks to their data when using the popular social media platform. Last September, the Federal Court of Appeal found Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, did not obtain the meaningful…
-
Legal experts gear up to challenge Bill 5 as First Nations pledge to ‘close Ontario’s economy’
Rallies for endangered species. Protests led by First Nations. A filibuster from the NDP. More than 4,000 amendments tabled by the Liberals. Two committee hearings with Indigenous leaders, legal experts, labour representatives, and more. Despite all of it, Bill 5 passed. On June 5, as Ontarians across the province struggled to breathe through smoke-filled air…
-
Communication during Bocabec wildfire ‘challenging’: report
An after-action report released by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organizations said communication during the Stein Lake wildfire near Saint Andrews in 2023 was challenging. The wildfire burned more than 500 hectares, surpassing the province’s 10-year average and was started by an ATV that caught fire, according to Saint Andrews fire chief Kevin Theriault. An…
-
SDG Rural Education Committee looks at rural school funding
Phillip BlancherLocal Journalism Initiative Reporter CORNWALL – Rural schools in SDG Counties are receiving specific provincial funding, and the Rural Education Committee wants to know what that funding is and how it is used. Members of the Rural Education Committee, an SDG Counties council committee formed in 2022, discussed the provincial Rural and Northern Education…
-
RVH moving forward with positive changes following investigation
Renfrew – The investigation into financial impropriety at Renfrew Victoria Hospital (RVH) has brought on positive changes to avoid future issues, including reunifying Renfrew Health (RH) with all hospital funds returned to RVH and assets to be transferred there, installing a new senior management team and new CEO, bringing in a “whistleblower” system and establishing…