Freedom of Information

Informal Requests 

You should always start by making an informal request. To do this, contact the department that you think might have the information you are looking for. 

FOI Requests 

If you are advised that information is not routinely available, then you may make an FOI request for records containing that information. Your FOI request must be made in writing and must specify whether you want to receive copies of the records or view the records in person. FOI Request Forms are available online above on this page or can be downloaded in pdf format and then by submitted by hand, mail, email or fax to: 

Corporate Officer 
City of Maple Ridge 
11995 Haney Place Maple Ridge BC V2X 6A9 
Fax: 604-467-7329
Email: foi@mapleridge.ca

You have the right to request any record in the custody or control of the City of Maple Ridge.

If you believe that we have personal information about you and you would like to request it, you should contact the department where you think this personal information is located and ask for that information. If you are unsure which department may have this information, please contact the Corporate Officer for assistance. 

To minimize taxpayer expense, please specify what kind of information you are requesting, and any relevant file number that may help to narrow the search. You should only make an FOI request for your personal information if you are unable to get what you need through informal channels.

Bylaw complaint records are only available through a formal FOI request. In accordance with the Bylaw Enforcement - Management of Records Policy No. 5.29, personal information that is reasonably capable of identifying a particular individual either alone or when combined with information available from other sources, where the information reasonably permits identification of the individual to those seeking to collect, use or disclose it, will not be released by the City.

Pursuant to Section 15(1)(d) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the City will not reveal the identity (ie. the complainant's name, personal information of the complainant or information that reasonably permits the identification of the complainant) of a confidential source of law enforcement information. Personal information recorded about an identifiable individual, including the complainant and alleged violator, will be kept confidential unless written consent for disclosure is received from that individual.

Please submit a Fire Department Records Request Form.

The City of Maple Ridge does not hold police/RCMP records in its custody or control. Please contact the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment for information on how to submit a request for police/RCMP records.

Informal Requests

Generally, informal requests for records do not result in a fee. If an information request will take staff an extended period of time to produce, department staff will direct you to make an FOI request. Printing costs or fees for records requests, as set out in the City's Fees and Charges Bylaw, will be charged accordingly.

FOI Requests

If there are extensive costs involved in retrieving and reproducing records to meet the request, you will be provided with a fee estimate before your request is fully processed, including a breakdown of the individual costs being charged. We require half of the fee estimate as a deposit prior to processing your request.

The City may waive all or partial fees based what is fair and equitable in the circumstances of your request, including whether the payment will cause financial hardship or whether the requested records relate to a matter of public interest. 

There is no charge for your own personal information or for the first three hours spent searching for and retrieving the records. 

Our fees are set out in the Schedule of Maximum Fees set by the Province in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation. They include the following for non-commercial applicants:

To reduce fees and to minimize taxpayer expense, please narrow your request as much as possible. If possible, please let us know what department has the records you are requesting. Please specify a date range of the records you are requesting.

Informal Requests

When you make an informal request, the department you approach will respond to you as quickly as possible. Depending on the kind of information you are requesting, you may be able to obtain an answer over the phone. 

FOI Requests

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the City will respond to your FOI request within 30 business days of the date of receiving it (we may extend this time as permitted by the Act if the request requires exceptional processing time).

The Act allows us to withhold information if the release would be an invasion of third party privacy or if it could cause harm by one of the means listed in the Act, such as harming a law enforcement investigation or threatening an individual's health or safety. This means that we will not be able to release third party personal information (including names) unless you provide us with the third party's written consent to the disclosure.

If we deny you access to any record or part of a record, you have the right to request a review by the Information and Privacy Commissioner, an officer of the legislature who is independent of the government. A decision of the Commissioner is final, subject to certain limited judicial reviews.  

The contact information for the Information and Privacy Commissioner is below:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria BC V8W 9A4
Tel: 250-387-5629
Fax: 250-387-1696
Email: info@oipc.bc.ca

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act protects personal privacy by restricting the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. Business contact information is not considered personal information under the Act.

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 another government body holds the personal information. 

Use and Disclosure

The personal information must only be used or disclosed for the purpose it was collected. We must have the legal authority to use or disclose your personal information in other ways. We have security arrangements to protect personal information from unauthorized use or disclosure. 

In instances where records that are being disclosed contain your personal information such as your name, address, or other identifying information, this information will be severed from the records prior to disclosure. We will make an exception to this rule where we deem that releasing your name and address would not be an unreasonable invasion of your privacy.

If you believe there is an error or omission in your personal information, you have the right to request us to correct it. We will carefully consider your request and respond to you as soon as possible.