The City of Burlington promotes open government and encourages the routine disclosure of information to the public without requiring a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).
The Act:
- Establishes a general right of access to records in the custody and control of a local government institution
- Ensures accountability and transparency by providing as much information as possible to the public while ensuring that personal privacy is protected
Requesting information
If you need information held by the City or one of its departments, contact the department that holds the records directly. If you are unsure which department holds the records, contact us at 905-335-7777 and we will connect you. The appropriate staff member will review your request and determine if:
- The records are routinely available and can be provided as routine disclosure; or
- Your request must be formally submitted as an FOI request
Most requests can be resolved as part of our routine disclosure. Please note, the rules governing access and privacy under the MFIPPA apply to both routinely available and FOI requests. We protect the privacy and personal information of all individuals when collecting and maintaining information.
Records routinely available to the public
Most requests for information can be resolved without the formal use of the Act. We release certain types of records in response to an informal request as part of our routine disclosure. Fees for requests for information under routine disclosure are based on our Rates and Fees Bylaw (By-law 061-2021).
Types of records routinely available
View the different types of records we make routinely available.
Building permits, plans, surveys and drawings |
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Due to an extremely high number of requests for routine disclosures, we are unable to accept any more applications until early 2023. A freedom of information request may be submitted as an alternative to retrieve these types of records. During this time, if your request is urgent, we recommend you contact the following organizations to see if they can assist you in finding a copy of your survey:
Building plans, drawings and surveys are copyrighted. We provide routine access (viewing or copying) to these types of records to the registered property owner or property manager with written consent from the property owner. If you are not the property owner, you must get consent to obtain records from us. If you do not have consent, you must make a formal FOI request. The information you are looking for may also be available through other sources such as the land registry offices, as the document may be registered on title, or by contacting the previous owner or creator of the record - architect, consultant, engineer or surveyor. To make an application for these records under routine disclosure, complete our Building Services' Application for Routine Disclosure
FeesAll routine disclosure applications are subject to an application fee to process the request. Additional fees may apply. You must pay all fees prior to receiving any records. All fees paid are non-refundable. Our routine disclosure service fees include (taxes included where tax is applicable):
Our responseIf you have submitted an Application for Routine Disclosure form with payment, you will receive a response (results from record search and notification of available records) within 10 business days. Due to a high number of Applications for Routine Disclosure being received, a record search may take longer than 10 business days. If records are available, you will receive a second response once we fully process your request. You must pay any additional fees at the time of pick-up. If you have submitted an Application for Routine Disclosure form without payment, the request is incomplete and will not be processed until we receive the minimum application fee payment. DisclaimerThe records provided are copies of those on file at the City of Burlington. The City of Burlington disclaims any liability as to the accuracy of the contents of the building plans/drawings/surveys as provided and would recommend that you contact the engineer(s), architect(s), and/or designer(s) noted on the plans to confirm accuracy if you intend to rely on them for any reason. These records are subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. |
Environmental assessments and reports |
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The Region of Halton has primary responsibility for environment-related matters within the City of Burlington, including:
Contact the Region directly for details on their request processes and applicable fees: Phone: 311 (from within the Region only) or 905-825-6000 Email: accesshalton@halton.ca |
Fire incident reports |
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Fire incident reports are released routinely and do not require a formal FOI request. You can request these records with the Burlington Fire Department by phone at 905-637-9536 or by email at firedepartment@burlington.ca. Fees will apply. |
Planning records (made under the Planning Act) |
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Information and material that is required to be provided to the City under the Ontario Planning Act is available to the public. You can request records with the Committee of Adjustment by phone at 905-335-7777, ext. 7629. You can direct all other planning record requests to 905-335-7777, ext. 7642 or planning@burlington.ca. Applicable fees will apply. |
Making a formal Freedom of Information request
If you would like to submit a formal FOI request under the MFIPPA, you can:
- Complete our Freedom of Information Application Form online; or
- Download and complete our physical Freedom of Information Request Form and submit it to the City in person or by mail
Freedom of Information Online Application Form
Mail requests should be sent to the following address. We only accept fee payments via cheque when sending applications through the mail.
Access and Privacy Coordinator
Office of the City Clerk
426 Brant St., PO Box 5013
Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6
Our response |
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Upon receiving your completed application form and payment, we provide a response within 30 calendar days. For requests that involve a large number of records, extensive search or consultation with an external third party, this time may be extended. We will advise you of any time extensions. Due to privacy concerns, we do not send records electronically. When your records are ready, we will contact you to pick them up with Service Burlington at City Hall or have them couriered to you. |
Fees |
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You must submit a mandatory, non-refundable $5 application fee along with each formal FOI request. If you are requesting multiple property addresses, we require a separate application form and fee for each address. Please make all cheques payable to the "City of Burlington." You may be required to submit additional fees as part of your application. Personal information requestsIf you are requesting personal information about yourself, the following additional fees may apply:
General information requestsIf you are requesting information about someone other than yourself, a property, municipal service, program or activity, the following additional fees may apply:
Fee estimates and appeal feesIf anticipated fees total more than $25, we will provide a fee estimate. If the estimate is $100 or more, you may need to pay a 50 per cent deposit. You have the right to appeal to the City's decision to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC). The commissioner is an independent body which makes impartial decisions under the MFIPPA. To file an appeal, contact the commissioner in writing and request a review of the City's decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision letter. You must also provide:
Visit the IPC's website for contact information and office locations. |
Exemptions |
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In many cases, we grant full access to your requested information, however the Act contains some mandatory and discretionary exemptions. These allow for the protection of certain types of information. For example, if a record contains someone else's personal information, or other information that was provided to the City in confidence, we will sever or blackout the information from the record provided to you. Listed exemptions are provided in the decision letter we send all requesters. Mandatory exemptions
Discretionary exemptions
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Freedom of information request statistics
You can find received and completed freedom of information request statistics through our Open Data Catalogue, which makes raw city data available for public use.
Protecting your personal information
Protecting your personal information and privacy is very important to us. The City collects your personal information for many activities, services and programs. We must protect your personal information from unauthorized use, collection and disclosure. You have the right to access your own information and to request that inaccurate information be corrected.
View more information with our Protection of Privacy and Confidentiality of Information Policy, which outlines City staff accountability, roles and responsibilities.
Privacy complaints
Along with providing access to government-held information, the Act contains standards for the collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction of personal information held by government institutions.
If you feel your personal information has been mismanaged or that the City has breached your privacy, please send us a letter of complaint with details about the incident to our Access and Privacy Coordinator. We will investigate your complaint and respond to you directly. Email, mail your letter or contact us at:
Access and Privacy Coordinator
Office of the City Clerk
426 Brant St., PO Box 5013
Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6
Phone: 905-335-7777, ext. 7701
Email: access&privacy@burlington.ca
You can also complain formally about a suspected privacy breach to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC). The IPC will assign a compliance investigator to review the complaint and determine if the City has complied with privacy legislation requirements.
Personal Information Banks
We keep an updated Personal Information Bank Registry under the requirements of the Act. View the registry to identify areas of the City that may collect personal information.