Access to Information - Records

The County respects the privacy of all individuals and is committed to protect the personal information that is shared with us.

As a local public body, the County of Wetaskiwin No 10 is subject to the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).

Making Requests
All records will be released if they do not fall within the specific exemptions of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) or other statutes which exempt or prohibit disclosure of specific information or records.

To request access to an unpublished General Record (non-personal data created, used or disclosed by a public body) or to request Personal Information (collected, used or disclosed by a public body), a request must be made in writing to the ATI Coordinator using the Access to Information Request Form .

The following information must be included on the form:

  • About you: Name, address, telephone number and email address of the requestor/applicant.
  • About your request: Sufficient information to identify the public record.
  • About the information you want to access: Sufficient details about what records are being requested and the time period of the records.
  • Your signature and Date of the Request

To request a correction of personal information, a request must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer using the Request to Correct Personal Information Form.

Where to send your request

Contact Information is found on the back of the Access to Information Request Form and forms can be submitted in person, by mail or email.

Costs
Fees for Access to Records are listed under Schedule “G” of the Fees and Charges Bylaw, which reflects what is provided for in the Access to Information Act - Regulations.

Exemptions and Denials

All public bodies as defined in the ATIA have statutory duties under POPA, unless a specific exclusion applies.

The following are common reasons why a record may be exempt from disclosure or denied:

  • Exceptions: The Access to Information Act (ATIA) lists several mandatory and discretionary subsections that define when a record must not or may not be disclosed. These can be found under Sections 19 through 34 of ATIA.
  • 3rd Party Intervention: Requested records that contain information that may affect the rights of others may be exempt from disclosure. Notification will be given to third parties when considering giving access to a record and the third party will be given an opportunity to make representations concerning disclosure.
  • Abandoned Requests: When a requestor fails to respond to notification or fails to pay a fee or agree to pay a fee, their request will be declared as abandoned and notice of such will be given in writing.

POPA applies to all personal information collected, used or disclosed by a public body and all data derived from personal information and non-personal data created, used or disclosed by a public body. However, some records and information are excluded from POPA altogether, meaning they are not subject to any provisions under the Act. Records that are excluded are found under Section 3 of POPA.

Correspondence With the County

All records in the custody or under the control of the County of Wetaskiwin are subject to the provisions of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).

Definitions

“Record” means any electronic record or other record in any form in which information is contained or stored, including information in any written, graphic, electronic, digital, photographic, audio or other medium, but does not include any software or other mechanism used to store or produce the record.

“Electronic Record” means a record that exists at the time a request for access is made or that is routinely generated by a public body that can be any combination of texts, graphics, data, audio, pictorial or other information represented in a digital form that is created, maintained, archived, retrieved or distributed by a computer system.