Submit an access to information or personal information request – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Who can make a request

Any Canadian citizen, permanent resident or any person or corporation residing in Canada has the right to request access to records of government institutions that are subject to the Access to Information Act.

Any Canadian citizen, permanent resident or individual present in Canada has the right to access their personal information held by government institutions that are subject to the Privacy Act.

Make a request online

There are several options when making an access to information or personal information request. Using the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request service is a fast, easy and convenient way to submit a request. This service allows individuals to make online requests for information instead of having to print, scan, email or mail a paper form.

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You may be contacted about your request by the Access to Information and Privacy Office.

If a request is received after business hours, it will be dated the next business day.

We have up to 30 days to respond to your request, either by providing the records or explaining why more time is needed.

What you will need

What type of request are you making?

Access to information for general government records (not sure what this includes?not sure what this includes?)

Things you need
  • Access to a valid email account;
  • Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG, or PNG);
    • Proof that you have the right to make an access to information request, such as proof of Canadian citizenship (a copy of your passport or citizenship certificate); proof of your status as a permanent resident (a copy of your permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study and/or visitor permit).
  • Credit card information to pay the $5 application fee (VISA, MasterCard or American Express are accepted. Payments cannot be made through debit or prepaid credit cards).

Access to personal information (not sure what this includes?not sure what this includes?)

Things you need
Information about yourself
  • Access to a valid email account
  • Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG, or PNG)
    • Proof that you have the right to make a personal information request, such as proof of Canadian citizenship (a copy of your passport or citizenship certificate); proof of your status as a permanent resident, (a copy of your permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study and/or visitor permit)
Information about another individual with their consent
  • Access to a valid email account
  • Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG, or PNG)
  • Proof that the individual on whose behalf you are making the request has the right to make a request for their personal information, such as proof of their Canadian citizenship (a copy of their passport or citizenship certificate); or proof of their status as a permanent resident (a copy of their permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study, and/or visitor permit) OR
  • If the individual does not have a right to apply for their own personal information, then the request must be made under the Access to Information Act. You will need to provide:
    • Proof that you have the right to make an access to information request, such as  proof of Canadian citizenship (a copy of your passport or citizenship certificate); proof of your status as a permanent resident, (a copy of your permanent resident card);or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study and/or visitor permit)
    • Credit card information to pay the $5 application fee (VISA, MasterCard or American Express are accepted. Payments cannot be made through debit or prepaid credit cards)
    • Information about the individual about whom you are making the request, including name and date of birth.
  • If you are making a request on behalf of someone else, you must include consent to release their information. The consent must be signed and dated by the person authorizing the disclosure of his/her information.
Information about an individual who has been deceased for less than 20 years
  • Access to a valid email account
  • Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG, or PNG)
    • Proof that the deceased person was a Canadian citizen (such as a copy of the person's passport or citizenship certificate); proof of the person's status as a permanent resident, (such as a copy of the person's permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (such as a work, study and/or visitor permit)
    • Proof of your status as executor
Information about an individual who has been deceased for more than 20 years
  • Access to a valid email account
  • Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG, or PNG)
    • Proof that you have the right to make an access to information request, such as proof of Canadian citizenship (a copy of your passport or citizenship certificate); proof of your status as a permanent resident (a copy of your permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study and/or visitor permit)
    • Proof of death documentation, such as a copy of an obituary notice, a death certificate, or a photo of a tombstone
  • Credit card information to pay the $5 application fee (VISA, MasterCard or American Express are accepted. Payments cannot be made through debit or prepaid credit cards)

Where do you go if you have questions?

For any questions about the status of an existing request, or what to include in a request, (such as the type of documents or proof of identity) please contact our Access to Information and Privacy Office.

If you require technical assistance with the ATIP Online service, please confirm your browser settings, then contact the ATIP Online technical support team if needed.

 

For general records related to government operations.

If you are seeking access to government records generally, you can submit an access to information request under the Access to Information Act.

 

For information about you or someone else.

If you are seeking access to personal information held by a government institution, you can submit a request for personal information under the Privacy Act.

Proceed to ATIP online request

Notice on ATIP Online Request Service website:

Possible delays in processing your request

Openness, transparency and accountability are guiding principles of the Government of Canada. However, our ability to respond to requests within the timelines mandated by the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act may be affected by the exceptional measures put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect the health and safety of Canadians. Access to information and personal information requests received from the public continue to be important to us. We will continue to make reasonable efforts to respond to requests, in accordance with operational realities. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding during this period as we all navigate these unprecedented challenges.

Make a request by mail or email

Step 1. Search existing summaries for the information you are requesting

The first step in making an Access to Information request is to determine if the information you want has already been released. Please refer to Info Source to find out what we do and what information we hold.

Before making an access to information request, you can search previously released information for records that have already been released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to see if you can find what you are looking for there.

Make note of the file number(s) of the completed requests you would like to see.

You may also be interested in visiting the Government's Open Government Portal.

Step 2. Fill in the form

Download the forms here:

Can't download or print the form?

You may also submit a letter clearly indicating that your request is being made under either the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, and describe the following:

  • The records you are seeking. Be as specific as possible. For example, you could give a date range and detailed subject matter.
  • Your preferred method of receiving the records (copies sent electronically or by mail, or to view the records in person).
  • Your email address or telephone number in case there are questions.
  • Your name, street address, city or town, province or territory and postal code.
  • The date of your request.

Other tips for submitting by mail or email:

  • To assist in processing your request quickly, you could include details, such as a date range, that would assist us in finding the relevant records.
  • For personal information requests, we may ask for additional information to verify your identity.

Mail your request and your application fee to
Access to Information and Privacy Office
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Tower 4, 5th Floor, Room 264
1341 Baseline Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C5

Step 3. Send the request and payment

Contact our Access to Information and Privacy Office.

Be sure to include the appropriate fee with your request:

  • There is no fee for personal information requests.
  • There is no fee for correcting your personal information.
  • For access to information requests, include the $5 application fee.
  • Generally, cheques or money orders can be made payable to the Receiver General of Canada.

You have sent in a request. Now what?

Learn more about how access to information and personal information requests work.

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