Freedom of Information (FOI) Inquiries

In British Columbia, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSBC 1996, c 165 (commonly referred to as “FIPPA” or “FOIPPA”) sets out your rights as a member of the public to access information held by public bodies like Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

On this page we have outlined information about the Freedom of Information ("FOI") request process under FIPPA. Before submitting your request, it is important to consider whether or not the information you seek is already publicly available.

• If you are looking for information about past Disciplinary orders, visit the Discipline Hearings & Notices page.
• For information about Unauthorized Practice and Misuse of Title files that have resulted in court orders and consent agreements, visit the Unauthorized Practice or Title Notices page.
• A searchable registry of all individual and firm registrants in the province is available online through our Registrant Directory.
• If you wish to access or make corrections to your personal information, you can use the Registrant Portal.

Submitting an FOI request

1. Check to ensure the information you are looking for has not already been published on egbc.ca or in our official publication, Innovation.
2. Submit a detailed email to [email protected] outlining the information or records you are requesting. TIP: The more detail you provide, the easier it will be for us to locate the requested materials. Including details like relevant names, dates, and departments is especially helpful.
3. After conducting a preliminary assessment, our privacy team will prepare and send a fee estimate for FOI requests requiring more than 3 hours to locate and retrieve records, if the request is not a request for your own personal information.
4. We will generally respond to your request within 30 business days. We may have follow-up questions or need clarification about the materials in question during this time period. Depending on the nature of your request and/or the volume of records our search produces, it may be necessary to extend this 30-day deadline.

Fees

FIPPA grants public bodies the authority to charge fees associated with locating records, preparing the records for disclosure, shipping/handling of records (if requested), and producing physical copies of the records (if requested). Public bodies cannot charge fees for time spent reviewing or severing (redacting) records. Public bodies also cannot charge fees if you are requesting your own personal information.

The first 3 hours of locating, retrieving, and preparing the records are free. After this time, we may apply fees in alignment with regulations set out in FIPPA.

Collection Notice

Engineers and Geoscientists BC may collect the personal information of FOI requesters for the purpose of identity verification (in cases where that is required) and communication about the request. This information is collected in accordance with FIPPA section 26(c). If you have questions about this collection, please contact the organization’s Privacy Analyst at [email protected].