The Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (“the Act”) establishes a process to access information and records. The Act applies to all records in the custody or under the control of public bodies like the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD). The Act has two main purposes:
to make public bodies more accountable to the public (Freedom of Information), and
to protect personal privacy (Protection of Privacy).
There are two kinds of information requests that can be made: routine and formal.
Routine records are records that do not require a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request. These routinely available records do not contain personal or confidential information and are available to the public either directly from the SLRD website or by contacting the department responsible for the records.
Formal records are those records that are not routinely available to the public and require a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request to obtain access to these records.
Before submitting an FOI request, try contacting the appropriate SLRD department to see if the information you are looking for is routinely available. For information on the SLRD departments visit: Departments | Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (slrd.bc.ca)
Examples of information that can be routinely released by staff and does not require a FOI request include:
answers to questions related to departmental operations;
If you are unsure of which department to contact please contact the SLRD office at info@slrd.bc.ca or phone: 604 894 6371.
The Act applies to all records in the custody or under the control of a public body, subject to exceptions identified in the Act.
The definition of 'record' includes books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, papers and any other thing on which information is recorded or stored by graphic, electronic, mechanical or other means, but does not include a computer program or any other mechanism that produces records.
The Act covers access to records and the information contained therein. It is NOT the intention of the Act that staff undertake compiled and summarized research in order to answer specific questions. Applicants are expected to conduct their own research from any records received from the SLRD.
Formal requests must be submitted in writing or by using the FOI application form. The form can be emailed (info@slrd.bc.ca), faxed (604-894-6526), mailed (Box 219, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton BC V0N 2L0) or dropped off at the SLRD office in Pemberton (1350 Aster Street).
Please be as specific as possible when making your request as it will assist us in locating and retrieving the records in a more timely manner.
Section 75 of FOIPPA allows public bodies to charge prescribed fees, including a $10 application fee, for access to general information prior to processing your request, as well as processing fees for large or complex requests. There are no application fees for accessing your own personal information. If fee payment is required, we will notify you.
The following payment options are available:
Cheque mailed to: PO Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0
Cash at the SLRD Office, located at: 1350 Aster Street Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1
To help reduce fees and minimize taxpayer expense please narrow the scope of your request as much as possible and keep the request clear, simple and focused.
The Act requires that we respond to a request within 30 business days of receipt. In most cases the SLRD will respond within the timeframe; however, if your request is broad in scope, or if there is a large volume of records responsive to your request, we may extend the time limit for responding under Section 10 of the Act for an additional 30 business days. You will be notified in writing if an extension to the time limit is required.
Once a review of your request has been completed, any records responsive to your request will be reviewed and any records that can be released will be provided to you in the format requested in the FOI application form.
While the Act allows the public to request records that are under the custody and control of the SLRD, there are certain exceptions under the Act where the SLRD may withhold, or sever portions of a record. Exemptions under the Act are outlined in Part 2.
If a record, or part of a record, is withheld, you will be advised of the reason(s) and the section of the Act on which the refusal is based.
If you are not satisfied with the SLRD’s response to your request you have the right to ask for a review through the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columba.
