Freedom of Information

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) establishes a general right of access to records held by municipal government and local agencies, boards and commissions.

MFIPPA also requires the Township to protect the personal privacy of the people whose information we have. It tells us how to collect, store, and use your personal information, and who we can give it to. It also lets you correct your own personal information if you think we have it wrong in our records.

Making a Freedom of Information Request

You can make a request for information held by the Township of Cavan Monaghan by filling out a Freedom of Information Request Form and paying a mandatory $5 application fee.

How to submit a Freedom of Information Request

Requests may be submitted in person or by mail.

You can submit the completed Freedom of Information Request form to staff in the Township Clerk's Department at the Municipal Office, or mail the completed form to our office together with a $5.00 cheque, payable to the Township of Cavan Monaghan:

Freedom of Information and Privacy Coordinator

Clerk's Office, Township of Cavan Monaghan

988 County Road 10

Millbrook, ON L0A 1G0

When we receive your request, we begin to process the request on the date it is received by our office. We have 30 days to respond. For requests that involve a large number of records, an extensive search, or consultation with an external third party, the time may be extended. Requesters will be advised of a time extension.

Additional Fees

We may charge additional fees under section 45 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act if your request involves a great deal of staff time in order to complete, or yields a large number of documents.

Ontario Regulation 823 sets out the specific fees to be charged for processing a Freedom of Information Request:

Fees for processing a Freedom of Information Request.

Type of fee Cost Description

Application fee $5 Payable when you submit your request.

Photocopies $.20 per page Payable before records are released.

Computer disks $10 per disk Payable before records are released.

Search time $7.50 per ¼ hour Time spent searching for and retrieving records.

Preparation time $7.50 per ¼ hour Time spent preparing records for release (removing confidential information).

Computer Programming $15 per ¼ hour If a program needs to be developed to retrieve information.

Costs for external services As invoiced

Shipping costs As invoiced

Appeals to the Information and Privacy Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the Township, you can file an appeal with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC).

To make an appeal to the IPC you must, within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision, complete the IPC's appeal form and also send:

  • a copy of your original request for information;
  • a copy of our decision letter; and
  • a fee payable to the “Minister of Finance”. The appeal fee is $10 for personal information and $25 for any other kind of information.
  • These materials should be sent to:
    • Registrar Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
      2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
      1-800-387-0073

Public Records

Public records are available to anyone and can be released without a formal request.

Examples of public records include:

  • Council and General Committee minutes
  • By-laws
  • Policies and procedures
  • Township budget documents

Many reports and other Township records are freely available. Search our website or contact the department responsible for the document first to see if you can have it without making a formal request.

Personal Privacy

Protecting your personal information and privacy is very important to the Township of Cavan Monaghan.

The Township collects your personal information for many activities, services, and programs. Under MFIPPA, we cannot collect your personal information unless we are legally authorized to do so. With few exceptions, personal information must be collected directly from you and we must give you advance notice in writing of:

  • our authority to collect your information
  • why it's being collected and how it's going to be used
  • who to contact if have questions about the collection of your personal information

The Township cannot use your personal information except as permitted under MFIPPA. Without your permission, personal information can only be used for the purpose for which it was collected or a consistent purpose.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about access to municipal records and the protection of your privacy.