Access to Records

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act  (the "Act") extends information and privacy rights to the Municipality of North Cowichan. The principles of the Act are to provide a balance between access and protection:

  • the public has the right to access government information
  • individuals have the right to have their personal information protected

View North Cowichan's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Bylaw [PDF - 53 KB].

What does the Act cover?

  • correspondence
  • reports
  • forms
  • microfilm
  • drawings
  • electronic media

Methods to Access Records

1. Routinely Available Records

Much information is handled through the normal release of information, usually by front-line staff (but not the personal information supporting them). Information provided through routine channels includes answers to general questions related to departmental and governmental operations.

  • Agendas of open Council and Committee Meetings and their attachments
  • Annual Reports

  • Assessment Roll

  • Board of Variance Minutes

  • Brochures

  • Budgets

  • Building Permit Statistics

  • Bylaws

  • Collective Agreements

  • Committee Membership Lists

  • Copies of Items Received at Council Meetings and Public Hearings

  • Council List

  • Council Report on Remuneration and Expenses

  • Documents and Reports Adopted by Council

  • Job Postings

  • Development Permits

  • Development Variance Permits

  • Driveway Permits

  • Election Results

  • Fee Schedule

  • Financial Statements

  • Financial Disclosure Forms

  • Firearms Permits

  • Fireworks Permits

  • Flyers

  • Forestry Audits

  • Forestry Quarterly Report

  • Garbage Pickup Schedule

  • Highway Construction Permits

  • Information Bulletins

  • Instruction Sheets

  • Invoices

  • Leases

  • Legal Plans

  • Maintenance Records

  • Maps

  • Master Drainage Study

  • Minutes of Council and Committee meetings
    (other than closed meeting minutes)

  • Multi-Family Design Guidelines

  • OCP Planning Analyses

  • Pamphlets
  • Petitions to Council 

  • Policy Manual

  • Property Tax Printouts

  • Property Assessments (by address only)

  • Public Audits

  • Public Meeting and Public Hearing
    Information Packages

  • Reports considered at open Council and Committee meetings

  • Rights-of-Way

  • Road List

  • Road Maintenance

  • Service Location Cards

  • Soil Removal/Deposit Permits

  • Subdivision - Preliminary Layout Approvals

  • Subdivision - Proposed or Approved Plans

  • Temporary Industrial Use Permits

  • Temporary Commercial Use Permits

2. Formal Freedom Of Information (FOI) Requests

Formal FOI requests made under the Act provide a method of seeking access to information that is not otherwise available through the routine channels.  Although our philosophy is to release this government information wherever possible, the Act sets out a series of mandatory and discretionary "exceptions to disclosure" against which the records must be reviewed and upon which the Municipality's decision will be based.

An FOI request must be in writing - by means of a letter or on the form provided by North Cowichan (see below), be made to the correct jurisdiction and have sufficient detail to assist staff in processing the request.

Fees

The Municipality uses the fee schedule as set out in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation. If there are extensive costs involved in retrieving and photocopying records to meet the request, we will give you a written fee estimate before the application is fully processed. There is, however, no charge for your own personal information.

Form

Request for Access to Records [PDF - 843 KB]

Processing Information

If you have any questions, please contact the FOI Coordinator at (250) 746-3100 or foi@northcowichan.ca.

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