The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) came into force on October 1, 1995. The FOIP Act was the first access and privacy law in Alberta. Associated regulations include the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (Ministerial) Regulation.
Note: Two bills designed to replace the FOIP Act were tabled in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on November 6, 2024. The OIPC provided comments to the Government of Alberta on November 20, 2024, which can be viewed here.
The FOIP Act provides individuals with the right to request access to information in the custody or control of public bodies while providing public bodies with a framework for conducting the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
Public bodies subject to the FOIP Act include:
- Departments, branches or offices of the Government of Alberta
- Agencies, boards, commissions, corporations or offices designated in the FOIP Regulations
- Municipalities
- Police services and commissions
- School boards and charter schools
- Universities, technical institutes and colleges
- Alberta Health Services, Health Quality Council of Alberta, Covenant Health, nursing home operators and subsidiary health corporations
- Métis settlements
- Public libraries
- Housing management bodies
- Drainage and irrigation districts
The FOIP Act initially applied to the provincial government. The FOIP Act applied to other public bodies in stages:
- School jurisdictions on September 1, 1998
- Health care bodies on October 1, 1998
- Post-secondary institutions on January 4, 1999
- Local government bodies, such as municipalities and police services, on October 1, 1999