Make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request

Steps to making an FOI request

• |

• 

  Step 1: Complete and send FOI request form

  Keep your request simple, clear, and focused to reduce processing time and possible service fees. 

  Note Asking for “any and all” records can result in a high volume of unnecessary records and may result in additional processing fees. Review Schedule of Fees PDF file (333 KB)

  A. Fill out request form

  Request to Access Information PDF file (473 KB)

  B. Submit your request

  You can submit your completed form either:

  By email

  Email form to foi@vancouver.ca

  By fax

  1. Print form
  2. Fax form to: 604-873-7419

  By mail

  1. Print form
  2. Mail form to:
     • City of Vancouver
       City Clerk's Office
       Access to Information and Privacy Division
       453 West 12th Ave
       Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4

  In-person

  1. Print form
  2. Drop-off form at:
     • City Hall
       City Clerk's Office (3rd Floor)
       453 West 12th Ave
       Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4

  Questions?

  • Email foi@vancouver.ca. We will respond to you as soon as possible.
  • Phone 3-1-1 (604-873-7000) if you require accommodation or don't have access to email.
• 

  Step 2: Request received

  Note We will acknowledge your request within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, except on weekends and holidays.

  A. Application reviewed

  The FOI case manager reviews your request, making sure that your request is for information we hold and not another public body.

  B. You are contacted by us 

  We may contact you to:

  • Clarify your request
  • Officially let you know when to expect your request to be completed

  The Act requires us to respond to your FOI request within 30 business days of receiving it.

  Note If your request is complex, we may extend this time within what the Act allows. We will inform you of this within 30 business days.

  C: City departments are contacted

  We contact the appropriate department designates to inform them of your request.

• 

  Step 3: Receive time estimate and possible fees to fulfill request

  Note You will NOT be charged for access to your personal information or the first 3 hours spent locating, retrieving, producing, and preparing records.

  Fee estimate

  If it takes longer than 3 hours to retrieve and prepare the records you requested, we will send you a fee estimate invoice. You either:

  • Must pay a 50% deposit on the estimated invoice for us to continue with your request
  • May choose to revise your request to reduce the time it will take to complete your request

  Note Get your requested information electronically to avoid fees in preparing hardcopy records.

  Fees

  Section 75 of the Act permits us to charge an additional fee for locating, retrieving, producing, and preparing the record for disclosure. Depending on the nature of your request, there may be additional fees. We will provide you with an estimate if your request may result in fees.

  There is no fee for :

  • The first 3 hours spent locating and retrieving a record
  • Time spent severing information from a record

  Review Schedule of Fees PDF file (333 KB)

• 

  Step 4: Records gathered and reviewed

  Information gathered by staff

  Department staff assigned to your request will:

  1. Search for and gather all the records related to your request
  2. Send the records to the FOI office

  Information reviewed for privacy concerns

  We review records and withhold any information that would:

  • Be an invasion of personal privacy
  • Cause harm by one of the sections listed in the Act

  If a record has information we can't provide, we will:

  • Cover that information with a grey box
  • Mark it with the relevant section(s) of the Act explaining why we withheld the information

  Note We may refuse access to that entire record if a record has several sections of information we can't provide.

• 

  Step 5: Information is sent to you

  We prepare our final response package with your requested information and send it to you.

  When we may need to extend the timeline for your information

  We will inform you of an extension, and it may take:

  • Up to an additional 30 business days under Section 10 of the Act to respond if your request is for a large number of records or contains records of a different public body
  • An additional 50 business days to respond under Section 23 and Section 24 of the Act if the responsive record package contains records from a third-party

  How to appeal the response to your FOI request

  Sometimes, our duty to protect someone's privacy or prevent harm means we are unable to meet your request for information. 

  If you disagree with our decision, ask for a review by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia External website, opens in new tab.

  The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC:

  • Are an independent government official
  • Monitor and enforce provincial privacy and freedom of information laws