This guide will intoduce you to the most relevant web resources for access to information and privacy legislation, policy and administrative guidelines. For resources which release personal or corporate information consult the section Personal and Corporate Information Available from Government
- Canadian Access and Privacy Association
- PrivacyInfo.ca (Prof. Michael Giest, University of Ottawa)
- Access to Information and Privacy Office (Dept. of Justice)
- Chief Information Officer Branch (Treasury Board) provides strategic direction and leadership for the government-wide pursuit of excellence in information management and information technology in the Government of Canada
- InfoSource: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information Before applying it can be advantageous to check the Completed Access to Information Requests to see if someone has made the same request earlier
- Library of Parliament
- Access to Information and Privacy Rights: Changes Introduced by the Anti-terrorism Act and the Public Safety Act, 2002 (2008) PDF file
- Access to Information Act and Recent Proposals for Reform (2012) PDF file
- Access to Information Legislation in Canada and Four Other Countries (2008) PDF file
- Canada's Federal Privacy Laws (2008) PDF file
- Federal, Provincial and Territorial Access to Information Legislation: An Overview (2008) PDF file
- Government 2.0 and Access to Information: 1. Recent Developments in Proactive Disclosure and Open Data in Canada (2010) PDF file
- Government 2.0 and Access to Information: 2. Recent Developments in Proactive Disclosure and Open Data in the United States and Other Countries (2010) PDF file
- Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Open Information Portal
Provinces/Territories
- Oversight Offices and Government Organizations (including legislation) via the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Ontario
- How to make a Freedom of Information request
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario also includes links to Canadian federal and provincial and selected foreign jurisdictions
Local:
Ottawa
Montreal
Toronto
Vancouver
Australia
United Kingdom
United States
- Freedom of Information Act (via USA.gov)
- Freedom of Information Act (via National Security Archive)
- Central Intelligence Agency: FOIA Electronic Reading Room
- Dept. of Justice
- Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Records: Freedom of Information/Privacy Act
International Intergovernmental Organizations
Council of Europe
European Union
- Protection of Personal Data (European Commission, Justice)
- Transparency
OECD
Organization of American States
Unesco
Personal Information
Donations to Political Parties
- Financial Reports (Elections Canada)
- Financial Statements and Contributions (Elections Ontario)
Financial Statements and Contributions (Elections Ontario)
Employment Related Disclosure
- Government-Wide Reporting (Treasury Board) includes Travel and Hospitality and Disclosure of Contracts
- Public Sector Salary Disclosure (Ontario Ministry of Finance)
- Insider trading - Ontario Securities Commission SEDI and Warning List
- Registry of Lobbyists (Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada)
- Law Society of Upper Canada Hearings
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Discipline Committee Schedule
- Orders in Council Database (Privy Council Office, Government of Canada)
- Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario Illegal Practitioners
Missing Children/Adults
Unclaimed Bank Accounts and Dividends
- Bank Accounts - unclaimed balances
- Dividends - unclaimed dividends search
Winnings in Lotteries
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation "Publishing winners is important to demonstrate the integrity of our lottery games. For every winner there are a number of othe players who did not win but have a legitimate desire to know that someone won. OLG reserves the right to publish the name, address and photograph of any lottery winner. The names of winners at gaming sites are released only with the permission of the winner."
Corporate Information
Charities
- Charities Listings (Canada Revenue Agency)
Commercial Information
- Canadian Copyrights Database
- Canadian Importers Database
- Canadian Industrial Designs Database
- Canadian Patents Database
- Canadian Trade-marks Database
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records Search (requires payment)
- Legal Actions and Opinions (Competition Bureau)
Communication Sector
Environment
- ELTO Environment & Land Tribunals Ontario - decisions are on CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute)
- old OMB decisions - E-Decisions
- Environmental Penalty Annual Report (Ontario)
- Major Applications and Projects before the NEB (National Energy Board) and Regulatory Document Index
Health and Welfare
- Consumer Product Safety (Health Canada)
- Drug Product Database (Health Canada)
- MedEffect Canada - Advisories, Warnings and Recalls (Health Canada)
- Adverse Drug Reaction Online Database (Health Canada)
- Recalls and Safety Alerts - Consumer, Vehicles, Food and Health Products
- Food Recall Warnings- High Risk
- Ontario Ministry of Labour - Convictions Archive
- Ontario Ministry of Labour - Court Bulletins
- Reports on Long-Term Care Homes (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care)
National Security
- Listed Terrorist Entities (Public Safety Canada)
Transportation
- Canadian Transportation Agency Decisions Search
- Fuel Consumption Guide (Natural Resources Canada)
- Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database (Transport Canada)
- Safety recalls, notices and testing for child car seats