Access & Privacy

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) is provincial legislation effected Oct. 1, 1995. The FOIP Act aims to strike a balance between the public’s right to know and the individual’s right to privacy with regard to records held by the Town. 

You have the right to request access to records held by the Town of Blackfalds, subject to limited and specific exceptions.

  • You have the right to access information that the Town has about you
  • You have the right to ask the Town to correct personal information it has about you
  • The Act controls the way in which the Town may collect personal information from you, controls the use that the Town may make of your personal information and controls how the Town can disclose information about you
  • You have the right to request independent review of any issue related to FOIP by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

Public bodies, like the Town of Blackfalds, have policies to allow staff to provide certain categories of information upon request, so you don't need to use the process provided by the FOIP Act to obtain much of the information held by the Town of Blackfalds.

Making a FOIP Request

Before making a FOIP request, contact the Town of Blackfalds FOIP Coordinator for advice on the best method of obtaining access to the information you need. If other methods do not satisfy your needs, a FOIP request may be the best way to proceed. 

The FOIP Act requires that the Town of Blackfalds respond within 30 calendar days of receiving your request. The response will either provide the requested information or explain why the information is not being disclosed. The response to a request for correction of personal information will either inform that the correction has been made or that the record has been annotated rather than corrected.

The 30-day deadline may be extended when large volumes of records are involved or if third parties need to be consulted. More information on the FOIP Act can be obtained at the Service Alberta website.