Freedom of Information

The fundamental purpose of the freedom of information process (FOI) is accountability to the public. The spirit is to create an open and accountable government by providing as much information as possible to the public, while ensuring that their personal privacy is protected.

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is a piece of legislation that gives individuals the right to request access to information, including most general records and records containing their own personal information maintained by the Township of Essa.

The Act also provides for the protection of personal information that has been collected by the municipality.  The Act is based on the principles that:

• Information should be made available to the public;
• Individuals should have access to their own personal information;
• Exceptions to access should be limited and specific;
• The privacy of individuals with respect to the personal information the municipality collects and maintains shall be protected; and
• Decisions on access to government information may be appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC/O).

Under the Legislation, the ‘Head’ of the Corporation is responsible for decisions made under the Act. For the Township of Essa, the Clerk has been delegated the responsibilities and powers of performing the duties as the ‘Head’ within the meaning of the legislation.

If you would like to make a request for records which fall under MFIPPA, it is required that you complete and submit a Freedom of Information Request Form with the application fee. Payment is accepted in the form of cash, debit or cheque only.  You will be notified of additional charges accumulated upon completion of the request. A breakdown of the FOI request and additional charges can be found in our Schedule of Fees.​

Some records or parts of a record may not be publicly accessed based on requirements set out by MFIPPA. These guidelines are in place to protect the rights of another person or organization.  If we are not able to disclose a record, you will be informed accordingly based on the exemption that the Clerk is applying to the record(s).

For further information regarding FOI, please visit the following websites:

The Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario www.ipc.on.ca