Freedom of Information

The Township of North Dumfries is required to follow the rules set out in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The purpose of MFIPPA is to ensure that the public has a right to access the information kept by the municipality and to also ensure that personal information kept by the municipality is kept private. MFIPPA applies to all municipalities in Ontario.

MFIPPA states that:

• Any member of the public may request to view or obtain copies of general records and information held by the Township;
• Any member of the public may request to view, copy or make corrections to information about themselves held by the Township;
• The Township must protect personal information and privacy;
• Limited and specific circumstances apply where information may need to be withheld from viewing and access.

Routine Access to Municipal Government Records 

The Township endeavours to provide as much information as possible to the public without the necessity of submitting a formal request under the Act. Any person wishing to access any records held by the Township should first contact the department which holds the records and departmental staff can advise if the request should be submitted formally under MFIPPA, or if the records will be provided as routine disclosure.

Surveys, Grading Plans and Septic Drawings or Sketches 

Please note that the Township cannot give out copies of surveys or grading plans as they are copywritten. If any surveys or grading plans exist on record with the Township, then we may be able to provide the company who produced it. Please contact the Development Services Department for more information at 519-632-8800 ext. 124. Property-related information and documents can also be obtained through the Land Registry Office. 

Please note, that we cannot give out septic drawings, or sketches, as they may not be accurate. Property owners should contact a licensed septic installer to assist with locating the septic system on a parcel of land. Please note, determining locates on a property is not a municipal function. Please visit Ontario One Call for information on how to determine locates. 

Making a Formal Request Under MFIPPA

• Complete and submit the required FOI Request Form and pay the required $5 filing fee (please see the Payment Options Page for information on different payment options accepted for the required $5 payment)
• Please ensure that your request is clear, specific and as detailed as possible, so that your request can be addressed quickly and accurately
• If acting as an agent for someone else, a signed letter of consent letter to act on his/her behalf and a photocopy of a piece of his/her identification with a signature (such as a driver's license) for verification purposes must be submitted with the application
• Please be patient, staff will respond within 30 days of the date of the request - if additional time beyond 30 days is required to process a request, the requestor will be notified in writing

Fees for Requests

Other fees may apply, depending on the amount of time required for staff to complete the request and/or the number of records found to be relevant to your request. Other fees could include: Photocopies and/or scanning of records, manually searching for records, time spent preparing a record for disclosure; including severing a part of the record, developing a computer program or other method of producing a record from machine readable record, provided on USB, and costs that the institution incurs in locating, retrieving, processing and copying the record if those costs are specified in an invoice that the institution has received.

Please see the Fees and Charges page for a full list of all Township fees and charges. 

Who Determines What Information to Release

The Township Clerk (Head under the MFIPPA) evaluates all formal requests and determines what information can be released or alternatively, information that is subject to one or more of the permitted exemptions under the noted Act and as such, cannot be released.

Examples of permitted exemptions, under the MFIPPA include but are not limited to information containing solicitor-client privileges, advice or recommendations and personal privacy matters. Decisions, made by the Clerk (Head), are made in accordance with the MFIPPA and are not subject to political involvement.

Appeals 

If not satisfied with the Township's response to a request or fee estimate, the requester may make an appeal to the Information & Privacy Commission of Ontario (IPC) within 30 days of receipt of the decision letter or fee estimate.

An appeal can be filed by sending a completed Appeal Form or letter to the IPC Registrar, within 30 days after the Township has provided notice of their decision. The appeal should include:

• the appellant's name, address and telephone;
• the Town's name and file number;
• a copy of the decision letter;
• a copy of the request; and
• a brief explanation of the basis for the appeal appeal fee for: 
• personal information - $10
• all other requests for information is $25