We make every effort to offer access to our records while balancing the need for privacy. Our position aligns with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), which promotes transparency by offering public access to records, either partially or in full.

On this page:

  1. Freedom of information requests
  2. Exemptions
  3. Appeals
  4. Privacy breaches
  5. Personal Information Bank
  6. Correcting personal information
  7. Non-FOI-related requests

Freedom of information requests

If you want to access one of more of our records, you may need to submit a freedom of information (FOI) request.

Exemptions

Records we cannot share publicly are called exemptions. We keep them private to protect the rights of another person or organization.

If we determine we cannot disclose all or part of a record, we must declare which exemption(s) apply to the record(s).

Appeals

If we have denied access to all or part of a record(s) and you disagree with our decision, you can file an appeal with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC).

You have 30 calendar days after we have notified you of our decision to give notice of appeal to the IPC. The fee for making an appeal is $25, payable to the IPC.

You may give notice of appeal by writing and attaching a letter to the appeal form, and mailing the package, with the $25 fee, to:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor St. E., Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8

Privacy breaches

If you feel we have either collected, used or disclosed your personal information improperly, please contact our access and privacy specialist to see if the matter can be resolved.

You may also complete a privacy complaint form and send it to the IPC.

Personal Information Bank

Under MFIPPA, we must keep a Personal Information Bank (PIB) which is an index of record types held by the City of Kitchener that contain personal information about one or more individuals. This includes:

  • the type of personal information maintained
  • where it is located
  • how it is used
  • by whom it is used
  • the legal authority for its collection
  • how long it is retained

Correcting personal information

If you believe we have inaccurate information about you in our records, you can make a request for us to correct the details.

To do so, you must show proof the information you're substituting is correct by either:

  • writing us a letter, with details about the information that should be corrected
  • completing a request form

Non-FOI-related requests

We handle some records requests outside of the formal FOI process, including:

Routine disclosure

Routine disclosure is the release of certain types of records to the public in response to an informal request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You can find available records in the Routine Disclosure & Active Dissemination listing.

Environmental phase 1 records

The fee is $181.50 (flat rate) for each request (one property per request), and a cheque payable to "City of Kitchener" must accompany the request which can take up to three weeks to process.

Please send your written request by either email or mail, indicating the subject property or properties, and a cheque for $181.50 to:

Michelle Maunsell, Records Administrator
Kitchener City Hall, 5th Floor
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7

Surveys

We have surveys for some local properties in our records. The fee for a copy of each survey is $12.50 (flat rate), which can be paid by cash, cheque or debit, and is due upon pick up. Surveys are typically ready for pick-up the same day a request is made. We will not charge you for a request if we do not have the survey you need.

Please keep in mind, a survey may not be up to date. Under Section 29(3) of Ontario Regulation 10/26 (R.R.O. 1990) under the Surveyors Act (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter S.29), a survey is only valid if it's appropriately certified. Since we cannot certify a survey, the copy you receive from us will not be valid. If you need a valid copy, please contact a local Ontario land surveyor.

A survey may also be subject to copyright. You're responsible for obtaining copyright release to use the survey; this is not the city’s responsibility.

To request a survey or for more information, please contact:

Michelle Maunsell, Records Administrator
Kitchener City Hall, 5th Floor
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7