Freedom of Information Requests

The County of Grey tries to provide as much information as possible to the public without requiring a formal request under the Act.  Persons wishing access to any records held by the County of Grey should first contact the department which holds the records.  If you are unable to get all of the information you want informally, a formal written request under the Act can be filed. 

Your request for information under the Act must be made in writing, and accompanied by a non-refundable $5.00 application fee. (make cheque payable to County of Grey)

A request for information under the Act can be made be completing and Information Access/Correction Request Form which is available from the Clerk’s Department, or you can download a copy of the form from this site.  Please complete the form in full, making sure you provide as many details as possible about the information you are requesting.

Mail or drop off your completed Information Access/Correction Request or Letter to:

County Clerk
595 9th Avenue East
Owen Sound, ON  N4K 3E3

The Act provides for a mandatory $5.00 application fee which must accompany each request for information.  Depending on the request, additional fees may apply.  Additional costs may be as follows:

• Regular photocopies-$0.20 per page
• Large photocopies-$6.20 per page
• Record search and preparation-$7.50 per ¼ hour required to prepare records for disclosure (first hour is free)
• Any other costs incurred in responding to a request for access to a record

If it appears that the cost of processing your request will be more than $25.00, the County will provide you with a fee estimate before granting access to the record.  If the cost estimate is $100.00 or more, you may be required to pay a deposit of 50% of the estimate before completing the processing of your request.

The County makes every effort to provide you with as much information as possible.  However, the Act contains a number of exemptions that may be used to limit the release of information.  For example, if a record contains someone else’s personal information or commercial information provide in confidence by a third party, the County is normally required to deny access.  Where the information requested deals with a law enforcement matter or solicitor-client privilege, the County may also decide to withhold the information.

The Act sets out specific time limits that the County must follow when processing requests for information.  Generally, the County has 30 calendar days from the date a complete request is received (including the $5.00 application fee) to respond to the request.  The County may seek a time extension in certain circumstances, in which case the requester will be notified.

If you are not satisfied with the County’s decision regarding your access request, you can file an appeal with the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario.  The Information and Privacy Commissioner is an independent body which makes impartial decisions under the Act.

If you decide to file an appeal, you must write to the Commission and request a review of County’s decision within 30 days of receiving the decision letter.  You must also submit a copy of your original request for information, a copy of the County’s decision letter, and an appeal fee of $25.00.  The correct fee must accompany your appeal and may be paid by cheque or money order made payable to the Minister of Finance.

The Commissioner’s Office is located at 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8, Telephone: (416)-326-3333 or toll free 1-800-387-0073.  You can also reach the office at http://www.ipc.on.ca/.