The City of Colwood is committed to making it easy to access information and records online, directly through contact with departments, or formally under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act is provincial legislation which balances an individual’s right to information and privacy in two ways:
- Freedom of Information - To make public bodies more open and accountable by providing the public with a legislated right of access to government records.
- Protection of Privacy - To prevent the unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information by public bodies.
Access to City of Colwood Records
Routinely available records include: Council agendas and minutes, policy and procedures manuals, guidelines, annual reports, and bylaws. Please check our List of Routinely Available Records [PDF/243KB] to see if a formal request is required.
If the information you are seeking is not routinely available, you can submit a formal request for access under the Act. Written requests can be submitted to Corporate Services by email (corporateservices@colwood.ca), fax (250-478-7516), regular mail or hand delivered (3300 Wishart Road). You may also submit a Request for Access to Records via DocuSign.
Please make your request clear, specific, and concise to reduce processing times and possible fees. Indicate in your request the date range for the records you are seeking and whether you would like to receive the records by email, regular mail, or pick- up.
Fees
Under Section 75 of the FOIPPA the City may charge fees for the costs of providing applicants with records. Additional fees such as photocopying and shipping also apply.
If there are costs involved in processing a formal request, we will send you a fee estimate before processing your application.
For a list of fees and charges please refer to Schedule 1 of the Act.
Protection of Privacy
The City of Colwood respects an individual’s right to have certain personal information protected. The City protects the personal information it collects, accesses, uses, and stores from individuals including employees, citizens, service providers, and others, in accordance with FOIPPA by:
- Ensuring compliance with the City’s Records Classification and Retention Schedule
- Collecting the minimum amount of personal information as required for business purposes
- Obtaining consent from individuals in a prescribed way (for example in writing) when collecting their personal information for a prescribed purpose
- Describing the purposes for which personal information is used in ‘statements of notification’ on all City forms and collection sites
- Ensuring personal information collected is accurate
- Providing an individual access to their information and the means to correct their personal information
- Responsible use of information and information technology, including administrative physical and technological security controls and appropriate access controls
- Developing and continually revising privacy management policies
How to correct your personal information or what to do if you have a concern regarding privacy protection:
Contact Corporate Services to discuss the personal information you would like corrected or submit your request in writing to the Information and Privacy Team at corporateservices@colwood.ca.