Freedom of Information
Access to Records Held by the Town of Banff
The provincial government requires the Town to make information that it collects available to the public. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) legislation affects access to one's own personal information and access to the Town's general information.
The Town of Banff endeavours to make general information available to the public free of charge through routine dissemination whenever possible.
Please contact the appropriate department or the FOIP Coordinator prior to making a formal FOIP request to see if the information you seek is readily available.
Any information in the custody and control of the municipality may be asked for with a written request. However there are specific guidelines set out by the FOIP Act that determine whether information may be released entirely or released in part. Consideration to releasing information is carefully weighted against provisions set out by the FOIP legislation.
Personal Information
Personal Information is any recorded information about an identifiable individual including:
- Name, home or business address, home or business telephone number;
- Race, national or ethnic origin, colour;
- Religious or political beliefs or associations;
- Age, sex, marital status or family status;
- Identifying number referring to the specific individual;
- Educational, financial, employment or criminal history;
- Anyone else's opinion;
- Individual's personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else.
FOIP requests for your own personal information do not require an initial fee, although there may be charges for photocopying. You must provide proof of your identity before records containing your personal information are released to you.
General Information
General information is contained in records of the Town. It is all information that is recorded in any form that is created by the Town to conduct its programs and services.
FOIP requests for other than your own personal information require an initial fee of $25 and must accompany the FOIP Request Form. If you wish to make a request for information under the FOIP Act, complete the FOIP form (PDF) and submit it to the address below.
Additional fees may be charged in accordance with Schedule J the Fees and Charges Bylaw (PDF) for retrieving, preparing and handling records for disclosure when the cost of processing the request exceeds $150. for The Town will provide you a fee estimate prior to processing the request.
The more detailed the request, the more efficiently the request can be answered. Dates, times and locations will assist with processing the request. You can generally expect a response within 30 business days.
