BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Tracking Hospital Overdoses Isn’t Easy as It Seems: Dr. Bonnie Henry
The Tyee has spent over half a year trying to figure out how many people are overdosing while they are patients at British Columbia’s hospitals. In February, we published a summary of what we’d managed to learn after filing seven freedom of information requests, or FOIs, and elevating two of those requests to complaints with…
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Expanded Immunization Effort Targets Hepatitis A Clusters
Manitoba is reporting additional cases of hepatitis A linked to an ongoing provincial outbreak, as health officials expand vaccine eligibility and urge residents to remain vigilant. As of Feb. 2, 2026, there have been 350 locally acquired cases of hepatitis A associated with the outbreak, according to provincial public health. Earlier figures showed 308 cases…
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Ottawa drops TikTok ban, will now let platform stay in Canada with conditions
Ottawa says it will allow TikTok to continue operating in Canada after receiving more security guarantees from the social media company to protect Canadians’ data. The federal government banned TikTok from operating and maintaining a physical presence in Canada in 2024. Ottawa recently asked the Federal Court to set aside that order to permit another…
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Ottawa hands corporate leaders 50 roles in government
Ottawa plans to embed 50 corporate leaders in key government roles after adopting a business group’s proposal — even naming the program after them, a briefing note reveals. Build Canada, funded by major Canadian tech and industry players, proposed changes to a federal program that would quickly embed 50 business executives in the federal public…
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Councillors question bringing Aurora’s Procedural Bylaw in line with Strong Mayor Powers
A recommendation for Council to adopt an updated Procedural Bylaw governing how meetings are run, bringing it in line with Strong Mayor powers, sparked a debate at last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Supporters of the recommended changes before lawmakers last week stated Council does not currently have a Procedural Bylaw in line with…
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Report raises concerns about human rights of N.S. female migrant workers
A new report says Nova Scotia is failing to adequately protect female migrant workers employed on farms and seafood plants in the province. The report, published by the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia, reviewed over 40 pieces of existing research and surveyed dozens of workers in the Colchester, Cumberland, and Pictou counties of…
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Jino Distasio named University of Winnipeg interim president
A University of Winnipeg professor who researches poverty and urban renewal at the downtown campus now has a new leadership role at the province’s second-largest university. Jino Distasio, one of the most high-profile researchers at U of W, was named Tuesday as its new interim president and vice-chancellor. Distasio, a veteran faculty member in the…
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Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult. Many children posted farewell messages, while parents reported distraught children discovering they’d been shut out of…
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Why northern First Nations still rely on diesel fuel — and what could power the coveted Ring of Fire
The fumes coming through the walls of Neskantaga First Nation’s nursing station warned of a crisis with a familiar smell. Diesel wafted from the flooded basement, a stench so strong it made people sick with headaches and nausea, residents said. After they detected the scent, the building was shut down and with it the community’s…
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Inside the Ring of Fire: A tale of two First Nations and a road that could change everything
I. THE WARNING The ancestors knew. First Nation elders understood the south would march north eventually. They knew it would come in waves, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Those ancestors told their kids, who told theirs, and so on until today. The south has already carved many changes. Decades ago, Webequie First Nation and Neskantaga First…
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Major procedural changes set in motion for Crowsnest Pass council
Crowsnest Pass municipal council has opened the door to major procedural changes, voting to draft amendments to its meeting bylaw that could affect how the public speaks to council, how meetings are scheduled and how councillors receive correspondence. The discussion took place during the Nov. 25 regular council meeting, where Coun. Doreen Johnson asked council…