Access to information and freedom of information (FOI) laws allow citizens to request records held by public bodies, including governments. FOI legislation is founded on the idea that Canadian citizens have the right to know what their governments are doing, and to hold them accountable for it.
That premise is under strain. Since 2024, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario have introduced new legislation that gives public bodies more room to withhold, delay or dismiss records requests. Ottawa is now weighing changes of its own.
