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The Office of the Municipal Clerk is charged with administering the Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act. The Act applies to all records in the custody or under the control
of public bodies like Saanich. The Act gives the public a right of access to Saanich's records
although there are limited exceptions to that right. The Act also regulates how Saanich collects,
uses and discloses a wide range of personal information in fulfilling its statutory
responsibilities and operating its programs.
Saanich has always prided itself on being an open Municipality and one that readily shares its
records with the public. As a result of this philosophy, most of the information sought by the
public has always been available and is handled informally without using the Act. Front line
staff will readily release records such as agendas, minutes, bylaws, policies and procedures and
information related to your property.
Formal requests under the Act are dealt with by the Clerk's Office and the decision on whether to
release information rests with the Head of Information and Privacy. A formal request is a request
in writing for records that are not routinely available.
If you know a formal request is required, an access to information form should be filled out. The
request should provide sufficient detail to assist staff in locating and retrieving the records.
To find out if a formal request is required, contact the office directly at (250) 475-1775. We
also have the form available as a PDF file.
Information and Privacy Team
The Office of the Municipal Clerk
Corporation of the District of Saanich
770 Vernon Avenue
Victoria BC V8X 2W7
The Act provides for the Municipality to charge a fee for certain limited costs of providing applicants with records. If there are costs involved in processing a formal request, the applicant will be provided with an estimate before the application is fully processed.
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