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Fees

As outlined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy act (excerpts below), the fee schedule to access information from Vancouver Island University are as follows.

  • July 1, 2009 - sixty dollars per hour ($60) for services described in section 75 (1) costs will be calculated to the nearest quarter hour.

    1. locating, retrieving and producing the record;
    2. preparing the record for disclosure;
    3. shipping and handling the record;
    4. providing a copy of the record
    Thirty cents per copy effective July 1, 2009.

Fees will not be charged for:

  • The first 3 hours spent locating and retrieving a record, or time spent severing information from a record.
  • Reasonable requests for the applicant's own personal information

Excerpts from the FOI/POP Act listed below

Also available at: www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/F/96165_06.htm

Fees

75 (1) The head of a public body may require an applicant who makes a request under section 5 to pay to the public body fees for the following services:

  1. locating, retrieving and producing the record;
  2. preparing the record for disclosure;
  3. shipping and handling the record;
  4. providing a copy of the record.

(2) An applicant must not be required under subsection (1) to pay a fee for

  1. the first 3 hours spent locating and retrieving a record, or
  2. time spent severing information from a record.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a request for the applicant's own personal information.

(4) If an applicant is required to pay a fee for services under subsection (1), the head of the public body

  1. must give the applicant a written estimate of the total fee before providing the service, and
  2. may require the applicant to pay a deposit in the amount set by the head of the public body.

(5) If the head of a public body receives an applicant's written request to be excused from paying all or part of the fees for services, the head may excuse the applicant if, in the head's opinion,

  1. the applicant cannot afford the payment or for any other reason it is fair to excuse payment, or
  2. the record relates to a matter of public interest, including the environment or public health or safety.

(5.1) The head of a public body must respond under subsection (5) in writing and within 20 days after receiving the request.

(6) The fees that prescribed categories of applicants are required to pay for services under subsection (1) may differ from the fees other applicants are required to pay for them, but may not be greater than the actual costs of the services.

Time limit for responding

7 (1) Subject to this section and sections 23 and 24 (1), the head of a public body must respond not later than 30 days after receiving a request described in section 5 (1).

(2) The head of the public body is not required to comply with subsection (1) if

  1. the time limit is extended under section 10, or
  2. the request has been transferred under section 11 to another public body.

(3) If the head of a public body asks the commissioner under section 43 for authorization to disregard a request, the 30 days referred to in subsection (1) do not include the period from the start of the day the application is made under section 43 to the end of the day a decision is made by the commissioner with respect to that application.

(4) If the head of a public body determines that an applicant is to pay fees for services related to a request, the 30 days referred to in subsection (1) do not include the period from the start of the day the head of the public body gives the applicant a written estimate of the total fees to the end of the day one of the following occurs:

  1. the head of the public body excuses the applicant from paying all of the fees under section 75 (5);
  2. the head of the public body excuses the applicant from paying part of the fees under section 75 (5), and the applicant agrees to pay the remainder and, if required by the head of a public body, pays the deposit required;
  3. the applicant agrees to pay the fees set out in the written estimate and, if required by the head of a public body, pays the deposit required.

(5) If an applicant asks the commissioner under section 52 (1) to review a fee estimate or a refusal to excuse the payment of all or part of the fee required by the head of the public body, the 30 days referred to in subsection (1) do not include the period from the start of the day the applicant asks for the review to the end of the day the commissioner makes a decision.

(6) If a third party asks under section 52 (2) that the commissioner review a decision of the head of a public body, the 30 days referred to in subsection (1) do not include the period from the start of the day the written request for review is delivered to the commissioner to the end of the day the commissioner makes a decision with respect to the review requested.

(7) If a person asks under section 62 (2) for a review of a decision of the commissioner as head of a public body, the 30 days referred to in subsection (1) do not include the period from the start of the day the request for review is delivered to the minister responsible for this Act to the end of the day the adjudicator makes a decision with respect to the review requested.

Extending the time limit for responding

10 (1) The head of a public body may extend the time for responding to a request for up to 30 days if one or more of the following apply:

  1. the applicant does not give enough detail to enable the public body to identify a requested record;
  2. a large number of records are requested or must be searched and meeting the time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the public body;
  3. more time is needed to consult with a third party or other public body before the head can decide whether or not to give the applicant access to a requested record.