Info Source is a series of publications containing information about and/or collected by the Government of Canada. The primary purpose of Info Source is to assist individuals exercise their rights under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Info Source also supports the federal government's commitment to facilitating access to information regarding its activities.

Info Source includes the following four publications:

Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information:

provides information about the functions, programs, activities and related information holdings of federal government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act; and
provides individuals and employees of the federal government with relevant information to access personal information about them held by federal government institutions subject to the Privacy Act.

Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information:

provides information to assist current and former federal government employees locate personal information about them held by federal government institutions and to exercise their rights under the Privacy Act.

Info Source: Bulletin – Statistical Reporting:

contains statistical information about access to information and privacy requests on an annual basis; and
provides cumulative statistics about access to information and privacy requests since 1983.

Info Source: Bulletin – Federal Court Case Summaries:

includes an annual summary of federal court cases related to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

A. Roles and Responsibilities

Treasury Board Secretariat
The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act assign responsibility to the President of Treasury Board (as the designated Minister) to create and disseminate information annually about federal government institutions' programs and activities and the personal information they collect, use and disclose. Treasury Board Secretariat fulfills this role by compiling and distributing the Info Source publications.

Library and Archives Canada
In accordance with the Library and Archives of Canada Act, Library and Archives Canada is charged with various responsibilities regarding the disposition of records created by federal institutions. These responsibilities include the authorization of records destruction by government institutions and the preservation of records for historical or archival purposes.

For more information, please see: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/index-e.html.

Federal Government Institutions
Federal government institutions are responsible for sound management practices and decisions in responding to requests from applicants and with respect to the handling and protection of personal information.

Institutions are also responsible for providing comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date descriptions of their functions, programs, activities, related information holdings and collections of personal information for the Info Source publications on an annual basis. Each institution is responsible for the information it submits.

Each federal institution also has an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Coordinator or a Privacy Coordinator. A list of federal government ATIP Coordinators is available at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/apps/coords/index-eng.asp.

Office of the Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner investigates complaints from people who believe they have been denied rights under the Access to Information Act. An independent ombudsman appointed by Parliament, the Information Commissioner has investigative powers and mediates between dissatisfied applicants and government institutions.

For more information, please see: www.infocom.gc.ca.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner
The mandate of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is overseeing compliance with the Privacy Act, which covers the personal information-handling practices of federal government departments and agencies. The mission of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals. The Commissioner works independently from any other part of the government to investigate complaints from individuals with respect to the federal public sector and the private sector.

For more information, please see: www.privcom.gc.ca.

B. Access to Information Act

The Access to Information Act provides Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as all individuals who are present in Canada (but who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents) and all corporations present in Canada, the right of access to records under the control of a government institution. The Act complements, but does not replace, other means of obtaining government information and it is not intended to limit in any way the access to government information that is normally available to the public upon request.

Some information may not be released
Under the Access to Information Act, some information may not be provided for specific reasons. There are two (2) kinds of exceptions to the right of access: exemptions and exclusions.

Exemptions: Exemptions protect certain types of information that could cause harm if released. For example, some information on national security, law enforcement or trade secrets.

Exclusions: The Access to Information Act does not apply to information that is already publicly available, such as government publications and material in libraries and museums. It also excludes material such as Cabinet documents.

Note: The Access to Information Act cannot give individuals access to records that are not under the control of a federal government institution, such as those maintained by provincial or municipal governments or by private organizations such as commercial banks and credit bureaus.

C. Privacy Act

In their day-to-day operations, federal government institutions collect personal information from almost all Canadians. The Privacy Act provides Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as all individuals who are present in Canada (but who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents), a right of access to personal information about themselves that is under the control of a government institution. It also protects against unauthorized disclosure of that personal information.

Under the Privacy Act, personal information is defined as "information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form". This can include information relating to the race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age or marital status of an individual, the education or the medical, criminal, financial or employment history of an individual, the address, fingerprints or blood type of the individual and any identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual.

Some personal information is confidential
Under the Privacy Act, there is some personal information that federal government institutions may not release. This information normally relates to other people, sensitive national security matters or law enforcement investigations.

Safeguarding personal information
The protection of an individual's personal information and privacy is a very important aspect of the Privacy Act. The Act states how and when the government may collect, store and dispose of personal information. It also indicates specifically why and how the information may be used or given out, as well as who may use or receive it.

Disclosing personal information
The government may only disclose an individual's personal information to someone else with the individual's consent, or when one or more of the criteria outlined in the Privacy Act are met, such as a requirement to comply with a subpoena.

Personal Information Banks
Personal Information Banks provide a description of the types of personal information about individuals that is held by federal government institutions. The Privacy Act requires that Personal Information Banks include all personal information that is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. Personal Information Banks must also include personal information that has been or is being used, or is available for use for an administrative purpose.

Please see the Glossary of Terms in Section G for descriptions of the various types of Personal Information Banks and an explanation of their contents.

Note: The Privacy Act cannot give individuals access to personal information that is not under the control of a federal government institution, such as personal information collected by provincial or municipal governments or by private organizations such as commercial banks and credit bureaus.

D. How to Apply

Access to Information Act
The following procedures should be followed when making a formal request under the Access to Information Act.

Obtain an Access to Information Request form from the Treasury Board Secretariat web site: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/350-57-eng.asp). If the form is not used, a letter may be sent instead. See the instructions below.
Enclose the application fee.
Send the form or the letter to the Access to Information Coordinator of the appropriate federal government institution. A list of federal government ATIP Coordinators is available at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/apps/coords/index-eng.asp.

If a letter is submitted instead of the Access to Information Request form, the following information must be included:

statement that the information is being requested under the Access to Information Act:
name of the appropriate federal government institution;
description of the records (be as specific as possible);
preferred method of viewing the records (e.g. receiving photocopies of the original documents or viewing the originals in the government office where they are located);
name, street, address, city or town, province or territory, postal code, telephone number(s) and signature of the applicant;
date of request; and
application fee.

Fees and costs
An application fee of $5 applies and additional costs may be charged for each request. Applicants will be notified in advance if there are additional costs and if a deposit is required.

Cheques and money orders are payable to the Receiver General of Canada with some exceptions.

Please refer to Section F - Institutions Without Receiver General Accounts for a list of federal government institutions to which access to information requests must be accompanied by cheques or money orders made out to the institution itself and not to the Receiver General of Canada.

Time to process a request
Under the Access to Information Act, federal government institutions must acknowledge a request within 30 days, however, in special cases, more time may be needed to process a request. Applicants who feel that it is taking too long to process their requests may submit a complaint to the Office of the Information Commissioner (See Section A – Roles and Responsibilities).

Privacy Act
The following procedures should be followed when making a formal request under the Privacy Act.

Obtain a Personal Information Request Form from the Treasury Board Secretariat web site: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/350-58-eng.asp).
Send the form to the Privacy Coordinator of the appropriate federal institution. A list of federal government ATIP Coordinators is available at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/apps/coords/index-eng.asp.

There is no fee to apply for information under the Privacy Act.

To change personal information
If an individual believes that the personal information a federal institution has on file about them is untrue or misleading, they may ask to have it corrected. Even if the institution does not agree to change this information, it must make a note that a request for the change was made and attach the note to the file.

Time to process a request
Under the Privacy Act, all or most of the information requested should be provided to an applicant within 30 days of receiving the request. If a time extension is required, the applicant will be notified within the first 30 days and told why up to another 30 days may be needed. Applicants who feel that it is taking too long to process their requests may submit a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (See Section A – Roles and Responsibilities).

E. Where to obtain Info Source

For more information about Info Source, the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, please contact:

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
219 Laurier Avenue West, 14^th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R5

General Enquiries: 613-946-4945
Facsimile: 613-957-8020
E-Mail: infosource@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Internet: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca

To purchase a copy of Info Source: Sources of Federal Government Information or Info Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information on CD-ROM, please contact:

Publishing and Depository Services
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S5

E-Mail: publications@pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-941-5995
Telephone Toll-free: 1-800-635-7943 (Canada & US)
Facsimile: 613-954-5779
Facsimile Toll-free: 1-800-565-7757 (Canada & US)
Internet: http://publications.gc.ca

All Info Source publications are available free of charge on the Internet at: www.infosource.gc.ca.

F. Institutions without Receiver General Accounts

Access to Information Requests being sent to the following institutions must be accompanied by cheques or money orders made out to the institution itself and not to the Receiver General of Canada:

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
Atlantic Pilotage Authority Canada
Bank of Canada
Blue Water Bridge Authority
Business Development Bank of Canada
Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Post Corporation
Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
Canadian Commercial Corporation
Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board
Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
Canadian Polar Commission
Canadian Tourism Commission
Canadian Wheat Board
Farm Credit Canada
Federal Bridge Corporation Limited
Federal Public Service Health Care Plan Administration Authority
First Nations Financial Management Board
First Nations Statistical Institute
International Development Research Centre
Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated, The
Laurentian Pilotage Authority Canada
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board
Marine Atlantic Inc.
Montreal Port Authority
National Capital Commission
Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
Old Port of Montreal Corporation Inc.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, The
Port Alberni Port Authority
Prince Rupert Port Authority
Royal Canadian Mint
Saguenay Port Authority
Saint John Port Authority
Seaway International Bridge Corporation, Ltd.
St. John's Port Authority
Standards Council of Canada
Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Toronto Port Authority
Trois-Rivières Port Authority
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
VIA Rail Canada
Windsor Port Authority
Yukon Surface Rights Board

G. Glossary of Terms

TERM	DEFINITION
Administrative Purpose	The use of personal information in a decision making process that directly affects that individual. This includes all uses of personal information for confirming identity (i.e. authentication and verification purposes) and for determining eligibility of individuals for government programs.
Bank Number	A field in a Personal Information Bank. This unique identifying number is created by each institution for each PIB using the institution's Federal Identity Program acronym or commonly used acronym, Personal Information Bank code (e.g. PPU, PPE, etc.), and the institution's assigned reference number.
Class of Individuals	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Identifies the group or category of individuals about whom the information relates; e.g. current and former employees, contractors, program applicants, etc.
Classes of Personal Information	Other personal information not used administratively or not retrievable by personal identifier; for example, instance unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence.This category was created to ensure that federal institutions account for all of the personal information that they hold.
Classes of Records	Descriptions of the records created, collected and maintained by a federal institution as evidence of and information about a particular institutional program or activity. Formerly referred to as Program Records.
Consistent Uses	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Itemizes the potential or related uses for which the personal information may be used or disclosed.
Data Matching	An activity involving the comparison of personal information from different sources, including sources within the same government institution, for administrative or non-administrative purposes. Data-matching includes the disclosure or sharing of personal information with another organization for data-matching purposes.
Description (Classes of Records)	A field in a Class of Record description. Identifies the records that an institution creates, collects and maintains as evidence of its mandated programs and activities.
Description (Personal Information Bank)	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Indicates the specific personal information contained in the records which the PIB is describing. For example, name, address, telephone number, age, sex, marital status, country of birth, citizenship, employee identification numbers, fingerprints, etc.
Document Types	A field in a Class of Record description. Identifies specific document types that are contained in an institution's files.
Format	An optional field in a Class of Record description. Specifies records contained in an institution's files that have been created in a non-standard format such as photographs, audio-visual recordings, maps, etc.
Government Institution	Government institutions are defined in the Access to Information and Privacy Acts as: any department or ministry of state of the Government of Canada bodies or offices listed in Schedule I of the Access to Information Act and the Schedule of the Privacy Act (e.g., Canada Revenue Agency, Canadian Wheat Board) any parent Crown corporation (e.g., CBC, Canada Post); and any wholly-owned subsidiary of a parent Crown corporation (e.g., Canada Post International Ltd., Cape Breton Casting Inc.). About 250 Government institutions are subject to the Acts.
Manual	Instructions, handbooks or procedures used by employees in administering or carrying out institutional programs and activities that affect members of the general public.
Personal Information Bank (PIB)	A description of personal information that is organized and retrievable by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. The personal information described in the personal information bank has been used, is being used, or is available for an administrative purpose and is under the control of a government institution. There are three types of Personal Information Banks in this publication.
Personal Information Bank –Central	Central Personal Information Banks describe personal information about members of the general public and employees (current and former) from all or several federal government institutions and are maintained by central federal government departments and agencies such as the Public Service Commission of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Central PIBs are identified with the unique identifier "PCU".
Personal Information Bank – Institution-Specific	Institution-Specific Personal Information Banks describe personal information about members of the general public and employees (current and former) that is contained in the records of a specific federal government institution. Institution-Specific PIBs are identified with the unique identifier "PPU".
Personal Information Bank – Standard	Standard Personal Information Banks describe personal information about members of the general public and employees (current and former) that may be found in records created, collected and maintained by most federal government institutions to support common internal functions, programs and activities such as communications, travel and employment. Standard Personal Information Banks are created by Treasury Board Secretariat. Standard PIBs are indentified with the unique identifier "PSU".
Purpose	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Provides an explanation of the reason why the personal information was obtained or compiled.
Record Number	A field in a Class of Record description. This unique identifying number is created by each institution for each Class of Record description using the institution's Federal Identity Program acronym (or commonly used acronym) and the institution's reference number.
Reading Room	The Access to Information Act requires all federal institutions subject to the Act to provide facilities where their information and/or manuals can be reviewed. One or more locations may be provided by an institution.
Records Disposition Authority (RDA) Number	A field in a Personal Information Bank. A unique number assigned by Library and Archives Canada. A Records Disposition Authority is the instrument that the Librarian and Archivist of Canada issues to enable government institutions to dispose of records which no longer have operational or other utility. There are three disposition methods – destroying the records (at the discretion of institutions), transferring historical records to the control of Library and Archives Canada, or removing records from the control of the Government of Canada; e.g. transferring them to a Special Operating Agency or other level of government.
Related Record Number	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Personal Information Banks must be cross-referenced to institutional Classes of Records. See the definition of Record Number above.
Retention and Disposal Standards	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Identifies the length of time records are maintained under the control of an institution and the point at which the final disposition is applied.
Standard Classes of Records	Standard Classes of Records describe records created, collected and maintained by most federal government institutions in support of common internal functions, programs and activities such as Human Resources Management, Materiel Management, and General Administrative Services. Standard Classes of Records are developed by Treasury Board Secretariat.
TBS Registration Number	A field in a Personal Information Bank. Unique number assigned by Treasury Board Secretariat once a Personal Information Bank has been reviewed and approved.