About Privacy Legislation
In the municipal sector, the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is the access to information and privacy legislation. MFIPPA states that an individual has a right to access information kept by a municipality, and that a municipality must protect personal information in its custody.
All information collected by the Township of Southgate is done in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The principal purpose(s) for which the personal information is intended to be used is for the distribution of information as subscribed to on this page using the contact information you have provided.
For any questions or concerns regarding the collection of your personal information, please contact the Municipal Clerk.
Please go to Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) website for more information about privacy laws in Ontario.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests |
What do you need to know before making an FOI request?
To Make and FOI
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Correction of Personal Information |
Someone who is given access to his/her own personal information may request that the Township make a correction to that information if he/she believes the information is incorrect. The Township will decide whether to make the correction or not. If the information is not corrected, the person may ask that a Statement of Disagreement be attached to the record to indicate that he/she does not believe that the information is accurate. To request a correction of personal information
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Fees |
In processing a request for information under MFIPPA, the Town incurs certain costs. MFIPPA sets out the following fees:
If it costs less than $25 to process a request, the requester will not receive an estimate of fees. The requester will be notified of the fee amount in the decision letter. The Township may not release the records until the fee has been paid. If it costs between $25 and $100 to process a request, the requester will be given an estimate of the fees required to be paid prior to the release of the records. If it costs $100 or over to process a request, the requester will be given a fee estimate. The Township may require that a deposit of 50% of the estimated fee be made before the request will continue to be processed. The records will not be released until the full fee has been paid. |
Appeals |
If you are not satisfied with the Township's response to your request or fee estimate, you may make an appeal to the Information & Privacy Commission (IPC) within 30 days of receipt of the decision letter or fee estimate. Further information regarding appeals can be found on the IPC's website. |
Privacy Complaints
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Health Information Protection Act outline privacy standards for the collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction of personal information held by government institutions.
The Township of Southgate is committed to ensuring the security of personal information in its possession.
Individuals who believe the Township has breached their privacy are encouraged to contact:
Municipal Clerk, Township of Southgate
185667 Grey Road 9
Dundalk, ON N0C 1B0
519-923-2110 ext. 230
clerks@southgate.ca
Complaints are investigated on a confidential basis.
Individuals also have the right to make a formal complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario regarding a privacy breach (www.ipc.on.ca). When a complaint has been received, the Commissioner will assign a compliance investigator to review the facts of the complaint and determine if the Township has complied with the privacy provisions of the Act.
Closed Meeting Investigation Request
According to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, any person may request an investigation to determine if a municipality or local board has met the requirements outlined in the Municipal Act or its Procedure By-law regarding a meeting that was closed to the public, in part or in whole.
If you feel that any board or sub-committee of the Township of Southgate has failed to meet its closed meeting requirements, then you may submit a request for investigation. Complete and submit the request form.
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