Access to Information & Protection of Privacy

We are committed to supporting your right to access information held in our custody and control. We are required to ensure the protection of personal information in accordance with legislative requirements.

On June 11, 2025, the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and its accompanying regulations were officially proclaimed, marking a significant update to Alberta’s information and privacy legislation. With this proclamation, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) has been formally repealed. In its place, the new Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) modernizes and strengthens the privacy provisions that were previously established under FOIP.

The ATIA and the POPA incorporate both existing provisions that were in the FOIP Act, as well as new or revised provisions that focus on increased clarity, regulatory accountability, and administrative updates. These Acts grant individuals the right to access records held by Morinville while striking a balance between the need to protect privacy and sensitive information.

Before you get started

Not all requests for information require a formal access request. The information you may want may already be publicly available on our website:

Applications, Licences & Permits	Elections
Bids, RFPs & Tenders	Planning & Development
Boards & Committees	Plans, Reports & Studies
Budget	Policies
Bylaws	Property Searches
Council	Property Taxes

Request Types & Costs

Property Information Fees & Charges Bylaw establishes fees related to Property records. Property Online Request	$150.00
General - Access to Information Requests For requests for access to non-personal information otherwise known as general access requests, fees above and beyond the initial fee may be charged if the cost of processing the request is estimated to exceed $150. Online Submission Form	$25.00
Fire Investigation Reports Consent to Disclose Personal Information Form	$25.00
Personal Information For a request for an applicant’s own personal information, a public body may assess fees only for producing a copy of the record, and then only if the costs are estimated to exceed $10. ATIA Request Form	None
RCMP (officer use only) Law Enforcement Disclosure Form	None
3rd Party Requests For requests for authorized access to personal information, fees above and beyond the initial fee may be charged if the cost of processing the request is estimated to exceed $150. Consent to Disclose Personal Information Form	$25.00
Correction to Personal Information Request to correct Personal Information	None

How to Submit an Access Request

Submission instructions vary depending on the type of request and the form required.

Please review the applicable request type above and complete the corresponding form. Some requests can be submitted through an online form, while others require a form to be completed and then submitted by email or mail.

Where email or mail submission is required, send completed forms to:

Email: recordsrequest@morinville.ca
Mail:
Records & Information Management (RIM)
Town of Morinville
10125 100 Ave
Morinville, AB T8R 1L6

Please make cheques payable to the Town of Morinville.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will the new legislation impact my existing request?

Requests received by RIM on or before June 11, 2025 will be processed in accordance with the FOIP Act. Requests received on or after June 12, 2025 will be processed in accordance with ATIA. If you have questions at any time about an access request, please contact recordsrequest@morinville.ca

How will the new legislation impact my new request?

The primary impact is that legislated timelines are counted in business days rather than in calendar days. This means that weekends and holidays will not be counted when determining required duration of a request response.

When will you have a Privacy Management Program?

The Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) provides public bodies have until June 11, 2026 to have a privacy management program in place. The Town of Morinville already has many of the components of a privacy management program, such as incident response procedures, we ensure that every collection, use or disclosure of personal information is authorized. Updates and additions to our program to align with the new Act will be made available as they are ready.

Will I receive all the records that I asked for?

The right of access to records does not apply to records that are excluded under section 4 of ATIA. The right of access is also subject to limited and specific exceptions that are set out in the former FOIP Act and ATIA.

There are 2 types of exceptions under the Act: "mandatory" and "discretionary." Mandatory means public bodies must apply the exception and discretionary means that public bodies may choose to apply the exception to withhold the records. For example, public bodies must (“mandatory”) withhold information that would be an unreasonable invasion of someone else’s personal privacy, but it may (“discretionary”) withhold information that is analysis or advice used to decide.

When information is withheld in response to an access-to-information request, the applicant will be advised of the exception to disclosure that was applied.

What if I can't afford to pay the fee?

The Act provides some situations where fees can be reduced or waived entirely. RIM can assist you in narrowing the scope of your request and provide other suggestions to reduce your costs. RIM can also accept written requests with supporting documentation to be considered for a fee waiver.

What if I think the information I'm requesting is in the public interest?

The FOIP Act provided the public bodies with 30 calendar days to respond to your request.

The primary impact of the new legislation is that public bodies legislated timelines are counted in business days rather than in calendar days. This means that weekends and holidays will not be counted when determining how long public bodies must respond to a request.

Processing does not begin until fees are paid or until a clear request is received.

Public bodies may take an additional 30 business days if the scope of your request is large or if we need to consult with a third party about the records, or longer if allowed under the Act.

Is there an express service?

No. We process requests in the order that they are received, but we do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Now that I've seen my records, I think there's incorrect information about me. How do I correct my personal information?

If you want to correct other information about yourself, please contact RIM at recordsrequest@morinville.ca.

How we collect and use your information

We strive to collect only personal information that is relevant and necessary for a particular purpose or to perform job duties.
We will make personal information available internally and externally only in appropriate circumstances or when consent is given and received in writing.
We ensure to maintain collected personal information in a secure manner.