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FOIP Requests

What is FOIP?

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) act aims to strike a balance between the public’s right to know and business operations. It applies to public bodies and includes all provincial government departments, agencies, boards, and commissions. It also includes local public bodies such as municipalities, universities, school boards, among many others. The act:

  • ensures that public bodies are open and accountable to the public by providing access to records, and
  • protects the privacy of individuals by controlling the way public bodies collect, use, and disclose personal information.

Visit Service Alberta for more information about the act, including frequently asked questions. 

Making a Request

Complete a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) request using the request to access information form provided by Wheatland County.

  1. Complete the “About You” section of the form. Enter your name, address and phone number;
    • If applicable enter company name
    • Fax and e-mail are optional
  2. Indicate if you are requesting general or personal information;
    • General – enclose payment for the initial fee of $25.00
    • Giving as much detail as possible, describe the records you would like to access, the business unit (department) of Wheatland County that you believe holds the records and include the time period for the records.
  3. Please sign, date and send your request to the FOIP Coordinator with fees, if applicable.

You may also submit your request in a letter provided it is, in writing stating that you are requesting the information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Please send your request to access information by:

Mail or courier:

FOIP Coordinator,
Wheatland County
242006 Range Road 243
Wheatland County AB
T1P 2C4

In person:

Wheatland County
242006 Range Road 243
Wheatland County AB
T1P 2C4

Email:

foip@wheatlandcounty.ca

Our FOIP Office is only authorized to receive FOIP requests for Wheatland County. Please contact the FOIP Coordinator if you have any questions about making a FOIP request.

FOIP FAQs

Personal Requests

A Personal Request is a request for records that contain your personal information. Personal information is defined in the FOIP Act as “recorded information about an identifiable individual.” Some examples of personal information are your name, date of birth, telephone number, an identifying number or symbol. Either you or someone who you have authorized (in writing) to access your personal information (e.g. your lawyer) can make a written request for records containing your personal information.

If you are not aware of what records Wheatland County may have that relate to you, you may make an application for a listing of all records in which you are named.

Pursuant to the privacy provisions of the FOIP Act, Wheatland County cannot release someone else’s personal information to you. 

General Requests

A General Request for information relates to records that do not contain your personal information. Requests for general information are usually topical in nature and relate to organizational operations that do not contain personal information. Examples of general requests are requests for budget records, training materials, or statistical information. When making a general request there is an initial $25 application fee.

The FOIP Coordinator will not begin processing a general request until the initial application fee has been received.

About the information you want to access

  1. What records do you want to access?
    • Be as specific as possible in describing the records.
    • If you need more space, continue your description on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to this request form.
  2. If requesting your own personal information, give:
    • your full name;
    • any other names that you have previously used; and
    • any identifying number that relates to the records, such as your employee number, case number or other identification number.
  3. If requesting another person’s information, give:
    • the person’s full name;
    • any other name that person may have used on the records; and
    • any identifying numbers for the person, if you know them.
  4. What is the time period of the records? Enter thespecific dates or date ranges of the records you wantto access. (e.g. if you want records for the periodJanuary 1, 2005 to August 31, 2007, enter those dates.If you want records from August 2008 to present, enter“August 2008 to present.”)

Fee Estimates

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the FOIP Act) provides that the right of access to records in the custody or under the control of a public body is subject to the payment of any required fee. The fee structure is based on three guiding principles:

  • The applicant should bear a portion of the cost associated with providing the information requested;
  • The fees should be reasonable, fair and at a level that would not present a barrier to applicants in exercising their right to access information; and
  • The fee structure should encourage applicants to be specific and reasonable when wording their requests for access.
    Schedule 2 of the FOIP Regulation sets out the services that a public body may charge for when processing a request for access and the maximum fees that may be charged for each service.

This Bulletin provides an overview of the fee structure, and explains when a fee estimate is required, what services a public body can charge for, how to prepare a fee estimate, the effect of the estimate on time lines, and processes for payment of deposits and fees.

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