Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the "Act") helps promote good local government by balancing the following principles:

• The public has the right to access government information.
• Whenever possible, information held by the Regional District should be available to the public.

Protection of Privacy (POP)

• Individuals have the right to have their personal information protected.
• The Regional District should not improperly collect or disclose personal information.

Collection

We only collect personal information when we have the clear authority to do so, or when the collection is related directly to and is necessary for an operating program. When we are collecting personal information, we must do so directly from you, unless we have legal authority to collect the information from another source. These rules apply even if the personal information is held by another government body.

Use and Disclosure

The personal information must only be used for the purpose it was collected or for a use consistent with the reason it was collected. We may also use or disclose personal information in other ways, but only if we have the legal authority to do so. We have security arrangements to protect personal information from unauthorized use or disclosure.

For example, if you make a bylaw enforcement complaint, we ask for your personal information (name, address, telephone number) in order for us to keep you informed of our handling of your complaint. As a complainant, your personal information is protected and is not made public. The only time that your identity as a complainant would be disclosed to another public body is to comply with court proceedings.