The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) gives you the right to access records held by the RMOW.
A few key considerations about FOIs:
- You cannot ask for a specific question to be answered, only for access to records that you think will hold the answer to your question.
- Under the act, it is the responsibility of a local government to provide you with access to records, not to interpret the information for you.
- The record must be under the custody and control of a public body in order for it to be released through an FOI request. “Custody” means having physical possession of a record and “control” means that the local government is the owner of the record and has the right to control it.
Exceptions under the act include:
- Cabinet and local public confidences
- Policy advice or recommendations
- Legal advice
- Disclosures harmful to law enforcement
- Disclosures harmful to intergovernmental relations or negotiations
- Disclosure harmful to the financial or economic interests of a public body
- Disclosure harmful to the conservation of heritage sites
- Information that will be published or released within 60 days
- Disclosures harmful to business interests of a third party
- Disclosures harmful to personal privacy
There are no fees for access to your own personal information or for the first three hours spent searching for and retrieving the records. However, there is an application fee for all non-personal information requests.
If there is a fee for your request, you will be provided with a fee estimate before processing your request. A deposit may be required and payment of the full fee is required before staff provide you with the records.
The fees for non-commercial applicants (in accordance with the maximum fees set by the Province) are:
- $10: application fee
- $7.50 per ¼ hour ($30/hour): for locating, retrieving, and producing the records
- $0.25: per regular photocopy
To reduce your fees and minimize taxpayer expense, please narrow your request as much as possible.
To make an FOI request, you must follow these steps:
Step 1: Make an informal information request directly to the department
Before filing a formal FOI request, start by making an informal request.
Contact the department responsible for the content you are looking for. If the information is routinely released or easily accessed, you may receive your records as soon as possible without a formal process or fees.
If you are told that the information is not routinely available, you must make a formal FOI request.
Step 2: Make a formal FOI request
An FOI request:
- Must be in writing, using the FOI Request for Access to Records Application (PDF). Example: If you are representing a person, you must provide the necessary authorization to represent that individual and receive their personal information.
- Must be made to the correct jurisdiction. Example: If the request is for a Fire Commissioner’s Report for a fire in Whistler, the applicant should submit its request to the Office of the Fire Commissioner, not the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
- Must be in sufficient detail to assist staff in processing the request. Example: Requesting “all records relating to (subject)…” is too vast and could cover a period of 30+ years of records, including excessive fees and time extensions. Instead, try to narrow down the scope of your request. The FOI Coordinator can help you clearly define the records to search and retrieve the exact documents you are looking for.
Download the FOI Request for Access to Records Application (PDF) or pick up the form at the front desk of Municipal Hall.
Deliver, mail, fax or email your request with the subject reading “FOI Request” to:
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator
4325 Blackcomb Way
Whistler, BC, V0N 1B4
The act requires the RMOW to respond to your FOI request within 30 business days, not including holidays, of receiving it.