Access & Privacy

Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) was proclaimed on October 1, 1995 and came into effect for local government bodies on October 1, 1999.

The legislation aims to strike a balance between an individual’s right to privacy and the public’s right to know. The Town of Blackfalds recognizes this delicate balance and abides by the provisions of the FOIP Act.

While supporting the principle of transparency, we take the privacy of our citizens seriously. Every effort is made to protect your privacy when we collect, use and disclose personal information.

“Personal Information” is

  • According to the FOIP Act, the definition of personal information includes an individual’s name, home or business address, home or business telephone number, race, ethnicity, colour, religious or political beliefs, age, gender, marital or family status and identifying symbols or numbers assigned to an individual.
  • Other less obvious examples include biometric information such as fingerprints, blood type and genetic information as well as health care history, disability information and details regarding educational, financial, employment or criminal history.

Did you know?

  • You have the right to:
  1. Request access to records held by the Town of Blackfalds
  2. Request access to information about you
  3. Request corrections, at any time, if your information is inaccurate
  4. Request that the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner conduct an independent review of any matter pertaining to the FOIP Act.
  • There is no cost to access your personal information unless copying charges amount to more than $10
  • Much of the information held by the Town is available to the public through our website, publications,meeting agendas and reports.
  • Additional, general information may be accessed by contacting the appropriate Town department.

Important Documents

Links 

Privacy and Security Statement

Accessing information under the FOIP Act

If the information you seek is not available through routine channels, you may submit a formal request for access.

All formal requests must be made as follows:

  • In writing, by completing a Request to Access Information form and returning it to the Civic Cultural Centre, 2nd Floor, 5018 Waghorn Street, Blackfalds, Alberta, T0M 0J0.
  • Your request must provide adequate detail to enable us to identify the record(s) you require. The more specific the request, the more efficiently a response can be prepared.
  • Please provide the required $25 application fee. Payment methods include cash, cheque, credit card or debit transaction and may be made, in person, at the front counter.

Upon receipt of your completed form and application fee, the Records Management & FOIP Coordinator will respond to your request within 30 calendar days.