I’m thinking of nominating the Town of Amherstburg for the annual ‘most secretive municipal body’ award from the Centre for Free Expression.

Last September the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) launched a Transparency Challenge to government institutions on September 28, 2022, International Right to Know Day. All government levels were encouraged to share their innovative projects or programs that improve government transparency for the benefit of Ontarians.

From the IPC website: Why did the IPC launch the Transparency Challenge?

Privacy and Transparency in a Modern Government is one of the IPC’s four strategic priorities. With the Transparency Challenge, and the Transparency Showcase we want to show great examples as a way to encourage others towards greater openness and transparency. We also want to increase public awareness and understanding of the positive impacts open data can have in concretely improving the day-to-day lives of Ontarians. This is one of several IPC initiatives to advance Ontarians’ access rights and inspiring greater transparency among public institutions.

In February 2022, Stratford, Ont., city council was declared Canada’s ‘most secretive’ by Toronto think-tank, the Centre for Free Expression (CFE). Read the full CBC article.

Given the history of FOI requests, Appeals, Inquiries, excessive fees, and the fact that it’s been over three years since former CAO Miceli that the Town of Amherstburg was in the process of creating a Routine Disclosure and Active Dissemination Policy, I’m optimistic about the town’s chances of being an award recipient.

Current CAO Critchley now advises: the Town continues to investigate a number of policies and their associated role within the organization but at this time the Town of Amherstburg has not adopted a specific policy to govern the many ways in which the Town actively disseminates and routine discloses information to the public.