Requesting Records or Information

To help you identify the information held by the Government of Canada, the government publishes details on the Government of Canada, its organization and information holdings in the publication titled InfoSource.

The Access to Information Act gives every Canadian citizen, permanent resident, individual or corporation in Canada the right to request access to records that are under the control of federal government institutions, regardless of their format.

The purpose of the Privacy Act is to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information. This Act governs the federal government's collection, retention, use and disclosure of that information. It also provides individuals with a right of access to their personal information.

• Fees
• Transparency
• How to submit an Access to Information or Privacy Act request

Fees

Each formal request filed under the Access to Information Act requires an application fee of $5.00, payable by money order, cash, credit card or cheque to the Receiver General of Canada.

Note: There is no application fee for information requested under the Privacy Act nor for informal requests made under the Access to Information Act.

How to submit an Access to Information or Privacy Act request

Submitting an online request

Using the ATIP Online Request service, is a faster, easier and more convenient way to submit access to information or privacy requests. Apply online today to save time and postage.

This service enables individuals to make online requests for information under the control of Government of Canada institutions instead of having to print, scan and email or mail a form to the correct institution.

Mailing your request

Access to Information Act

To make a request by mail under the Access to Information Act you may either submit your request on the official form provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat or you may write to us stating what information you are seeking. Your request should be sent to:

• Natural Resources Canada
  Director, Access to Information and Privacy
  580 Booth Street, 11th Floor
  Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E4

Please Note:

• An application fee of $5.00 is required before the processing of your request under the Access to Information Act can begin. Payment can be made by cheque or money order payable to “The Receiver General of Canada”, as well as in cash or by credit card.
• You must either be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have an address in Canada in order to make an Access to Information request. Canadians living abroad will be required to provide proof of citizenship in order to receive the information they are seeking.
• If you are not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident and you would like to submit a request to our department, you will have to do so through a representative that is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or has an address in Canada.
• Corporations, businesses and organizations with a Canadian presence have the right to make an Access to Information request.
• Please provide us with a detailed description of exactly what information you are seeking.
• If you are seeking personal information under our control, we suggest that you complete a request under the Privacy Act as indicated below.

Privacy Act

To make a request by mail under the Privacy Act, you may either submit your request on the official form provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat or you may write to us stating what personal information you are seeking. Your request should be sent to:

• Natural Resources Canada
  Director, Access to Information and Privacy
  580 Booth Street, 11th Floor
  Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E4

Please note:

• The processing of request sent by e-mail will not commence until your signature is received by our office for authentication purposes.
• You must either be a Canadian citizen or present in Canada in order to make a Privacy request.
• If you are not a Canadian citizen or present in Canada and you would like to submit a privacy request to our department, you will have to do so through a representative that is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or has an address in Canada.
• If you are requesting personal information that does not concern you, you must include a consent form indicating the name of the person giving his or her consent and to whom consent is being given. The consent must be dated and signed by the person giving the consent.
• Sufficient information must be detailed in your request in order to allow us to locate your personal information.
• Please DO NOT include your Social Insurance Number (SIN) as it is not required to make a Privacy Act request.
• Please note that no fees are charged under the Privacy Act.

Transparency

• Summaries of completed Access to Information requests.
• Annual Reports on the Privacy Act (Coming soon).
• Privacy Impact Assessment (Coming soon).
• Open Government Portal.
• Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information (Info Source).
• Annual report on Access to Information Act (Coming soon).
• Proactive disclosure
  • Bill C-58 - An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.
  • Revitalizing access to information: Factsheets.
  • Status of the Bill