Statistics Canada Annual Report on the Access to Information Act, 2024-2025

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Statistics Canada’s Mandate
  • Administration of the Access to Information Act
  • Non-Operational Subsidiaries
• Organizational Structure
• Delegation Order
• Performance under Part 1 of the Access to Information Act
  • Statistical Report
  • Access to Information Requests
  • Types of Records Requested
  • Other Requests
  • Trends in the Disposition of Completed Request
  • Completion Time and Extensions
• Training and Awareness
• Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
• Initiatives and Projects to Improve Access to Information
• Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints
• Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act
  • Financial Planning and Procurement Branch
  • Corporate Strategy Management Branch: Organizational Design and Resourcing
  • Office of the Chief Statistician
• Costs
• Monitoring Compliance
• Appendix A: Delegation Order
• Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Introduction

The Access to Information Act establishes the principle that the public has the right to access information controlled by federal government institutions, and that exceptions should be limited and specific.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 94(1) of this Act and covers the period from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Organizational Structure

The administration of the access to information legislation within Statistics Canada is the responsibility of the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, who is also the ATIP Coordinator and the Chief Privacy Officer for the Agency.

Statistics Canada works with Canadians to help educate the population on existing procedures for access to government information such as the differences between requests for datasets, data tables and custom data tabulations and requests through Access to Information for existing records under the control of the institution. An existing procedure through a cost recovery process exists and is available to the public. These data requests are managed by the Statistics Canada InfoStats program.

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 2.13 persons/year. One ATIP Manager, one ATIP analyst and one Junior ATIP analyst worked full time on the processing of requests. No consultants were hired during the reporting period, and there were no service agreements under section 96 of the Access to Information Act to which Statistics Canada was party.

The responsibilities for implementing proactive publication are undertaken by the Office of the Chief Statistician and the offices of the Assistant Chief Statisticians. Information is uploaded to the Open Government website following the legislative time frames. Further details about proactive publication can be found in the section of this report entitled, “Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the ATIA.”

Delegation Order

The delegation order exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 95(1) of the Access to Information Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Access to Information Act was formally delegated by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development as of May 2021 (Appendix A), provides full delegated authority to the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination.

Performance under Part 1 of the Access to Information Act

Training and Awareness

In 2024-2025, the ATIP Office continued formal training program for all staff across the Agency. This included training provided to senior executives, managers, and employees on ATIP processes and procedures to streamline records retrieval and approvals. ATIP also provided advice and expertise to the executive cadre on their responsibilities under the Act and the related delegated authorities for proper records management, document retrieval and approval procedures. This year’s training emphasized reminding all Assistant Chief Statistician offices of their role as tasking liaison officers, responsible for directing requests to the appropriate program areas, including their own functional teams.

Information management awareness was also at the forefront of these discussions at the senior management tables, focusing heavily on best practices and the differences between transitory and information of business value. Targeted training sessions were delivered on safeguarding sensitive information in GCdocs, with a focus on access controls, information types, and security classifications. The objective was to provide program managers with clearer guidance on record classification and ensure appropriate handling of sensitive information. Staff were reminded not to retain information that could be potentially embarrassing if disclosed under an ATIP request. Both informal one-on-one and formal group training were offered to reinforce obligations under the Act and to clarify Statistics Canada’s information management policies and directives.

ATIP created an informational document providing a quick overview of the ATIP process for ATI and Privacy requests. ATIP training through the Canada School of Public Service continues to be recommended to all employees at Statistics Canada.

Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating ATIP requests. These tools include a checklist outlining proper protocol when providing responsive records to the ATIP office for access to information requests, and the appropriate contact from the ATIP team to seek clarification and guidance from throughout the process.

The Access to Information and Privacy Implementation Notice 2024-01, effective November 13, 2024, provides guidance to federal institutions on handling requests that may compromise the safety or privacy of public servants. It addresses concerns – particularly from equity-seeking groups – about the potential misuse of ATIP requests to target individuals based on personal identity rather than professional conduct. The notice emphasizes balancing transparency with the need to protect public servants from threats to their physical and psychological well-being.

In line with the increase in “notices of intention to release” instead of formal consultations, the Access to Information Office streamlined their internal consultation process, including revised wording and shorter due dates to accommodate the decreased sensitivity and shorter time frames for these types of consultations.

During the reporting period, updates to administrative procedures were made to facilitate the retrieval of human resource documents for ATIP. Given that requests for human resource documents are typically less intricate and more recurrent, new administrative procedures expedited access to these documents, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the retrieval process and response rates for requesters.

Initiatives and Projects to Improve Access to Information

During the reporting period, the ATIP Office reinitiated engagement with key partners – including the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), Shared Services Canada (SSC), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Statistics Canada (Field 9), and OPEXUS – to advance discussions on the modernization of the technology platforms supporting ATIP operations. This collaborative effort is aimed at enhancing the efficiency, accessibility, and responsiveness of the ATIP process to better serve the needs of requesters.

Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints

No new complaints were filed against Statistics Canada with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) during the reporting period. However, the OIC reopened a previous case concerning the improper use of exemptions and failure to respond within time limits, which unjustifiably denied access to requested records under the Access to Information Act. Four (4) complaints from previous fiscal years were closed; two (2) complaints were discontinued due to no response from the complainants and two (2) were deemed Not-Well Founded. Four (4) complaints remain active, involving failure to conduct a reasonable search, improper exemption use, and delays in responding within legislated time limits.

Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act

The responsibilities for implementing proactive publication are undertaken by the Office of the Chief Statistician and the offices of the Assistant Chief Statisticians. Information is uploaded to the Open Government website following the legislative time frames.

The ATIP Office works in collaboration with agency officials to fulfill the proactive publication legislative requirements in Part 2 of the Access to Information Act. Sections 82 to 88 of Part 2 of the ATIA stipulates that government entities that support a deputy minister, are required to proactively publish travel expenses, hospitality expenses, reports tabled in parliament, reclassification of positions, contracts, grants and contributions, briefing materials, and expense reports. Within Statistics Canada, this responsibility falls to the Financial Planning and Procurement Branch, the Office of the Chief Statistician, and the ATIP Office.

Costs

The total cost of operating the ATI program for the 2024-2025 reporting period was $170,073.00.

Monitoring Compliance

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgment of the request and of the application fee of $5.00 is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area (Office of Primary Interest (OPI)). If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, only the ATIP Office contacts the client, unless prior approval is provided by the client. Client names are always kept confidential.

The retrieval form provided to the OPI was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based upon the Policy on Access to Information and the Directive on the Administration of Access to Information from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. The form includes the text of the request, the name and phone number of the ATIP Officer, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). The form includes a checklist, which the OPIs complete to confirm that they have conducted a thorough search, and a recommendation schedule for identifying sensitive information and the specific nature of the injury that could be caused by release. The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any records which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., legal issues, Cabinet confidences, personal information, company information, advice to the Minister), which may require consultations, and/or which may generate media interest. The Director General, or appropriate delegate, of the program area must sign the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with administrative procedures related to the retrieval of records. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures a retrieval form is duly completed by the program executive. The OPI and program executives are reminded of the importance of responding to ATIP requests in a timely and comprehensive manner. A weekly dashboard report is shared with senior management for informational purposes, tracking new, closed, and ongoing requests to address any emerging issues.

Appendix A: Delegation Order

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Delegation Order supersedes all previous Delegation Orders.

Schedule

The original version was signed by
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
May 18, 2021

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31

Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

1.2 Sources of requests

1.3 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of requests received

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

2.5 Pages re-released informally

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

4.2 Exemptions

4.3 Exclusions

4.4 Format of information released

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper, e-record and dataset formats

4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper, e-record and dataset formats by size of requests

4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

4.5.7 Other complexities

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

4.8 Requests for translation

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

5.2 Length of extensions

Section 6: Fees

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding

9.1 Investigations

9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated Costs

11.2 Human Resources