Privacy & Access to Information

What is the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)?

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act provides for:

• the right of access to *records under the control of municipal institutions, including local agencies, boards and commissions
• limited and specific exemptions from the right of access
• an independent body to review decisions by governments in response to an access request
• the protection of privacy of an individual’s personal information existing in government records
• the right of an individual to correct his/her personal information held in government records or to attach a statement of disagreement.

For more information about MFIPPA, please see http://www.gov.on.ca.

*What is a Record?

A record means any record of information however recorded, whether in printed form, on film, by electronic means or otherwise, and includes correspondence, a memorandum, a book, a plan, a map, a drawing, a diagram, a pictorial or graphic work, a photograph, a film, a microfilm, a sound recording, a videotape, a machine readable record, any other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, and any copy thereof. This also includes any record that is capable of being produced from a machine readable record under the control of an institution by means of computer hardware and software or any other information storage equipment and technical expertise normally used by the institution.

Directory of Records

Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (sections 25 and 34), all municipal bodies, such as Exhibition Place, must make available for inspection a Directory of Records containing a list of general classes or types of records in the custody or control of the organization and a list of all personal information banks in the custody or under the control of the organization.

In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), Exhibition Place is responsible for protecting all personal information under its control. Personal information collected by Exhibition Place must be protected against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copy, use or modification. MFIPPA defines a Personal Information Bank (PIB) as “a collection of personal information that is organized and capable of being retrieved using an individual’s name or an identifying number or particular assigned to the individual”.

The Directory of Records can be used to assist members of the public in understanding what records are held by Exhibition Place and in preparing requests for records.

The Directory of Records contains general descriptions of the types of records held by Exhibition Place. It does not contain the actual records themselves.

List of General Classes of Records in the custody of, or under the control of Exhibition Place

List of Personal Information Banks in the custody of, or under the control of Exhibition Place

Please note: In some instances, a class of records may contain general records and also be organized as a personal information bank.

Making a Request

In many cases, it is not necessary to make a formal Freedom of Information request to gain access to Exhibition Place records. When information is not available through the normal business channels, a formal Freedom of Information access request can be made through the FOI Coordinator. The FOI Coordinator will assist you in determining which records are available with or without a formal access request. For example, in some cases it is necessary to protect the confidentiality of a record(s) of interest to the institution or third parties. Some records will not be released in order to protect the privacy of individuals contained in the personal information the institution holds.

How to make a request for information under MFIPPA:

To make a request under MFIPPA for a general record, your personal information, or to request a correction on your personal information, you can:

• Write a letter; or
• Complete a copy of an access request form

If you choose to write a letter, you must state in the body of the letter that your request is being made under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Please also provide:

• your full mailing address
• a telephone number where you can be reached during the day
• specific files or types of records to which you are requesting access, including dates, where possible
• Mail your request to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3C3.
• Or hand deliver your request to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator, c/o Security Department, General Services Building, 100 Princes’ Blvd., Suite 1, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3C3. The General Services Building is located on the north-west corner of Fleet Street and Strachan Avenue. The Security Department is open 24 hours per day.
• Requests must be accompanied by a mandatory application fee of $5.00. Please make your cheque payable to the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place.
• If your request is for your own personal information, include a photocopy of a piece of identification bearing your signature.
• If you are acting as an agent for an individual other than yourself, include a signed, dated note/letter of consent from that individual authorizing you to act on his or her behalf.

NOTE: As you are required to provide your name, home address and telephone number with your request, we do not recommend sending your request by fax. Personal information is not secure sent via a facsimile transmission.

Fees (as set out in Regulation 823 of MFIPPA)

• Application fee: $5.00 to be paid when you submit your request
• Photocopying: $0.20 per page (viewing original documents is an option if no severing of information is required)
• Computer programming: $15.00 per ¼ hour if needed to develop program to retrieve information
• Search Time: $7.50 per ¼ hour required to search and retrieve records (applies only to requests for general information, not to requests for personal information)
• Record Preparation: $7.50 per ¼ hour required to prepare records for release i.e. severing time (applies only to requests for general information, not to requests for personal information)
• Diskettes/CD’s: $10.00 per diskette/cd

How to appeal a decision

• If you are not satisfied with any decision made by the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place in response to your request, you may request a review by the Information and Privacy Commission/Ontario (IPC). For more information on the general role of the IPC please contact
  https://www.ipc.on.ca
• If you wish to appeal a decision to the IPC, you must file an appeal online at the above website or send a written notice to the IPC within 30 days after the Board has given notice of its decision. The written notice of appeal should include:
  • your name, address and telephone number;
  • the name of the institution (in this case, the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place) and the file number assigned by the Board to your request;
  • a copy of the Board’s decision;
  • a copy of the request;
  • a brief explanation of the basis for the appeal; and
    • an appeal fee (If you are appealing a request for access to your personal information or a correction to your personal information, the mandatory appeal fee is $10.

If you are appealing a request for access to general information, the mandatory appeal fee is $25.00. The appeal fee must accompany your request. If you file online you must also pay online. For written appeals, your cheque or money order is to be made payable to the Minister of Finance. The Information and Privacy Commission/Ontario is located at 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1A8. Telephone number: 416-326-3333.