Freedom of Information

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides individuals with a right of access to records in the custody or under the control of the Town of The Blue Mountains, subject to limited exemptions and exclusions set out in the legislation. Individuals also have the right to request access to their own personal information and, where appropriate, request a correction of that information. MFIPPA also governs how the Town collects, uses, retains, discloses and disposes of personal information in accordance with the Act.

On this page:
1. Access to Information
2. Submitting a Request
3. Annual Response Rate Compliance Reporting
4. Protecting Personal Privacy

Access to Information

Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), you may request access to:

general Town records
records containing your own personal information
electronic records and digital information maintained by the Town

Records are generally available unless an exemption or exclusion under MFIPPA applies. Many records are available through the Town's normal business processes and do not require a formal Freedom of Information request. If the records you are seeking are not publicly available or cannot be provided through routine service, a formal MFIPPA request may be required. Individuals also have the right to request access to their own personal information held by the Town and, where appropriate, request a correction if they believe the information contains an error or omission.

The Town is committed to assisting requesters throughout the access request process. If you are unsure how to describe the records you are seeking, whether a formal request is required, or which department to contact, please contact the Clerk's Department before submitting your request. We are happy to help clarify your request and direct your inquiry to ensure it can be processed as efficiently as possible.

Submitting a Request

All formal requests to see general records or personal information, or to change personal information must be submitted to the Town Clerk with an application fee of $5.00. This fee cannot be waived or refunded. Cheques should be made payable to "Town of The Blue Mountains".

MFIPPA Request Form

Completed formal request forms and the application fee should be mailed to:

Town of The Blue Mountains
Clerks Division
32 Mill Street
PO Box 310
Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0

Requests may also be submitted in person by visiting the Clerks Division on the first floor of Town Hall. The Town generally has 45 business days to respond, subject to any permitted extensions or staged access plan under the legislation. In some circumstances, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) permits the Town to:

extend the response time
issue a fee estimate
pause the response timeline while awaiting payment of a required fee deposit
provide access to records in stages through a staged access plan

You will be notified in writing if any of these circumstances apply.

MFIPPA permits the Town to extend the response time in certain circumstances, including where:
- a large number of records must be reviewed
- consultations are required
- additional time is reasonably necessary to process the request
The legislation also permits a second extension in limited circumstances where authorized under MFIPPA.
There are two types of exemptions in FIPPA and MFIPPA.
Mandatory Exemptions require the head of an institution to refuse to disclose the record. Mandatory exemptions begin with “a head shall refuse to disclose…”
Discretionary Exemptions allow the head to disclose a record, despite the existence of the exemption. Discretionary exemptions begin with “(A) head may refuse to disclose…”
Examples of exclusions and exemptions include:
- Cabinet records
- Court records
- Records containing certain law enforcement information
- Records that could prejudice intergovernmental relations
- Personal information that could invade the privacy of an individual
- Certain records supplied in confidence by a third party
- Most labour relations records
For large or complex requests, the Town may propose a staged access plan. A staged access plan allows records to be processed and released in phases where appropriate under MFIPPA. A staged access plan may be used where:
- the request covers a lengthy period of time
- there is a very large volume of responsive records
- processing the request would significantly interfere with Town operations
- multiple requests from the same requester would unreasonably interfere with the Town's operations
If a staged access plan is proposed, you will receive written details explaining how records will be processed and your appeal rights.
The MFIPPA Act is founded on the premise that requestors should bear at least a portion of the costs associated with responding to their request. As a result, requestors are required to pay the fees mandated by the Act.
When the cost is expected to be more than $25.00, requestors will be provided with a Notice of Fee Estimate that will provide a line-by-line breakdown of the anticipated fees.
When the cost is expected to be more than $100.00, a deposit equal to 50% of the anticipated cost will be required before any work associated with the request begins.
If the anticipated fees are deemed excessive or unaffordable, requestors are invited to modify the scope of the request. A Notice of Fee will be provided when the process is complete. The cost outlined in the Notice of Fee must be paid before accessing records.

Annual Response Rate Compliance Reporting

In accordance with section 26 of the MFIPPA, institutions are required to submit annual statistics regarding FOI request compliance. The deadline to submit annual statistical reports to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is March 31.

Historical Data for Town of The Blue Mountains

Year	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Requests received	20	26	14	10	12	20	10	11
Requests completed	28	14	14	10	12	20	12	8
Within 30 days (%)	9 (32.1%)	12 (85.7%)	8 (57.1%)	2 (20.0%)	7 (58.3%)	6 (30.0%)	4 (33.3%)	2 (25.0%)
With time extension % *	53.6%	100%	92.9%	40.0%	66.7%	60.0%	41.7%	37.5%
Over 90 days (%)	11 (39.3%)	0 (0%)	1 (7.1%)	3 (30.0%)	2 (16.7%)	7 (35.0%)	3 (25.0%)	1 (12.5%)

* Including Notice of Extension, section 20(1) and Notice to Affected Persons, section 21(1). Such notices are used in circumstances where, for example, there is a need to search through a large number of records or consult with one or more people outside the organization.

For older data and full statistical reports, please visit the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario's website.

IPC Annual Reports

Protecting Personal Privacy

In addition to providing access to Town records, MFIPPA also requires the Town to protect your privacy.

Personal information is collected and used by the Town for very specific purposes that are identified at the time of collection. Personal information will not be used for any other reason than identified at the time of collection, nor disclosed in any circumstance, except as permitted by the Act.

If there is concern that personal information has been misused or disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with the Act, please contact the Town Clerk or the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.