Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) is provincial legislation put in place to ensure access to records and personal information subject to some exceptions, and to control how information is collected, used and disclosed.
Contact Information:
FOIP Coordinator
City of Airdrie
400 Main Street SE
Airdrie, AB T4B 3C3
Phone: (403) 948-8800 ext. 8755
Fax: (403) 948-6567
Accessing Information Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
If you wish to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, you may complete this form (83 KB, .PDF) and return it by mail or fax to the address above. While there is no charge to obtain your own personal information, there may be charges for photocopying ($0.25/page). If you are making a request for general information, there is an initial charge of $25 and a charge of $27/hour for locating, retrieving, preparing and handling the record for disclosure.
If you are not sure if your request falls under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, please do not hesitate to contact the FOIP Coordinator at the number above.
Accessing Information Outside of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
There are a number of records that can be released under certain circumstances.
Some examples include:
| Type of Document | Requirements for Release |
| Building Permit Information and Related Documentation | If you are not the registered owner of the subject property, written permission is required from the registered owner. |
| Tax and Utility Account Information | If you are not the registered owner of the subject property, written permission is required from the registered owner. |
| Assessment Roll Information |
The assessment roll is made available for inspection at City Hall. Please note that it can be viewed only. |
| Drawings and Plans | These documents can be viewed but are copyrighted and cannot be copied unless you have written permission from the company/person that created them. If the drawings are hand drawn and do not have a copyright, the document belongs to the person who created the drawings and their written permission is required. While the City can advise you of the name of the company you need to contact, it is the requestor’s responsibility to obtain the required permission. Note: the City is unable to copy oversized drawings. These will be sent for commercial reproduction at the expense of the requestor or you may contact the creator of the drawings/plans directly.
|
| Contact Information for Residents (ie. for service of documents, collection of debt or other legal matters) | Under the Act, this information can only be disclosed if another piece of legislation provides for it.* The City of Airdrie is only permitted to release information for the purpose for which it was collected (ie. purposes of administering utility accounts or licensing program). The information is not collected for the examples given and, therefore, the City is prohibited by the Act in providing information to requestors. Under certain circumstances, address information may be obtained through the Land Titles Office. *Examples of legislation include Maintenance Enforcement Act, Income Tax Act. |
| Release of Cemetery Records | Under the Act, disclosure of personal information is an unreasonable invasion of privacy if the individual has been deceased for less than 25 years. Although this can be considered on a case by case basis, the City’s practice is not to release personal information until the 25 year requirement is met. |
| Information regarding a Complainant | The City’s practice is to not release the personal information of an individual who files a complaint against another individual unless this information is necessary to resolving the issue (eg. required at trial). If the name of the complainant is to be released, the individual will be advised prior to having their name disclosed. |
| Information regarding Bylaw Infractions | The City is unable to advise whether or not an individual or business has been issued a notice or offence ticket regarding the violation of a bylaw. The City can only confirm that bylaws are enforced when individuals and businesses are found to be in non-compliance. |
| Contract Information | Contract information can be released to the public but may be released in a severed form. Under the Act, disclosure harmful to business interests of a third party may be protected. |
Requests vary greatly in nature but in general you may expect a response in five to 10 business days. You may need to bring in photo identification when picking up your information.
Click here to download the Request for Property Information Form
FOIP legislation states that a public body must publish a directory listing the public body's personal information banks. To view the City of Airdrie's Directory of Personal Information Banks, please click here
More information regarding the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act is available at http://foip.gov.ab.ca/.