Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) came into effect on January 1, 1991. It applies to all Ontario municipalities as well as local boards, agencies and commissions, including school boards and police services.
The Act provides the right of public to access municipal records, subject to certain limitations and exemptions, and the right to access one’s own personal information and to correct it if it is inexact, ambiguous or incomplete. The Act further requires municipalities to protect personal information by imposing protection of privacy requirements that govern the collection, use, disclosure and disposal of information.
If you are interested in obtaining access to records of the County, you are first encouraged to contact the department that would be responsible for the record to see if the records are available by way of routine disclosure. Where the records or portions of a record may contain information that is subject to exemption(s) from disclosure (in accordance with the Act) or where records are not readily available and staff time and resources are required in order to search, retrieve and compile the records, the department may request that you submit a formal request pursuant to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Your request for information under the Act must be made in writing by completing an Access/Correction Request Form or by writing a letter. Your written request must be accompanied by a non-refundable $5 application fee (cheques are to be made payable to the County of Simcoe)
Access/Correction Request Form is available from:
- for download from the County of Simcoe website. See link below.
- by calling the County of Simcoe Clerk’s Department at (705) 726-9300
- by visiting the Customer Service Department of the County’s Administration Centre during regular business hours
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) Access and Correction Form
Writing a Letter
If you choose to write a letter rather than complete an Access Request form, please include the following information:
- your name
- your full mailing address
- a telephone number where you can be reached during the day
- as much detail as possible as to the specific records (or type of records) you are seeking
Mail or drop-off your completed Access/Correction Request or Letter, along with the $5.00 application fee to:
Municipal Freedom of Information Coordinator
County Clerk’s Department
1110 Highway 26
Midhurst, Ontario
L0L 1X0
Although the County of Simcoe strives to process all requests for records in a timely manner, the municipality has 30 days (in accordance with the Act) in which to respond to any request.
Please note: that following additional fees may apply as per Section 45 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act:
- Manually searching a record - $7.50 per ¼ hour
- Preparing record for disclosure - $7.50 per ¼ hour
- Photocopying - $0.20 per page
- Computer programming $15.00 - per ¼ hour
- Records on CD ROM - $10.00 for each CD ROM
- Other (invoiced) charges associated with locating, retrieving, processing or copying records
For further information regarding the collection or disclosure of information at the County of Simcoe, please contact the County’s Municipal Freedom of Information Coordinator.