Access to Information Act
Ingenium is subject to Canada’s federal Access to Information Act. The purpose of the Act is to provide Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any individual or corporation present in Canada the right to access information in records under the control of a government institution, subject to specific and limited exemptions.
The core principle of the Act is that government information should be available to the public, subject only to limited and specific exceptions to protect privacy, confidentiality and security. By providing access to government information, the Act serves the important public interest of enabling public debate on the conduct of government institutions, strengthening the accountability of government to its citizens.
Privacy Act
Ingenium is subject to Canada’s federal Privacy Act and recognizes that the protection of privacy is fundamental in fostering public and employee trust.
The purpose of the Act is to extend the present laws of Canada that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information held by a government institution. Under the Act, all personal information under the control of Ingenium is protected.
The Act also provides individuals with the right to request access to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and the opportunity to request the correction of such information should it be inaccurate.
How to submit a request
Online Request Portal
The Access to Information and Privacy Online Request Service offers a convenient way to submit a request through a portal for general or personal information that is held by Ingenium and other federal institutions that is not already available publicly. It allows for the secure transmission of sensitive documents such as identification for privacy requests and eliminates the need to print, scan, and email or mail a form to an institution.
If you are unable to access the portal, requests may be submitted by using the Access to Information Request Form (PDF | HTML) or the Personal Information Request Form (PDF | HTML).
When making a request by mail or email, forms must be printed, completed and mailed or emailed to the following address:
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation
P.O. Box 9724, Station T
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5A3
Canada
atip-aiprp@ingeniumcanada.org
*Please Note - Each Access to Information Request must be accompanied by a $5.00 application fee in the form of a cheque or money order made payable to the Receiver General of Canada. There is no application fee for Personal Information Requests or Correction Forms.
Please ensure your request includes:
- The date of your request.
- 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:
- sent electronically, in which case you will need to provide your email address,
- or by mail, in which case you will need to provide your name, street address, city or town, province or territory and postal code, or
- viewing the records in person
- Your preferred official language, and if you would like to receive the records in that language if feasible
- Your email address or telephone number in case Ingenium needs clarification on your request.
We may request additional information to verify your identity. Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any individual or corporation present in Canada can make requests under the Access to Information Act.
Correction Forms
Requests for correction to your personal information may be submitted by using the Record Correction Request Form (PDF | HTML)
When making a request by mail or email, forms must be printed, completed and emailed or mailed to the following address:
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation
P.O. Box 9724, Station T
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5A3
Canada
atip-aiprp@ingeniumcanada.org
Facsimile: 613-998-7759
Our commitment to requesters
In processing your request under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, we will:
Offer reasonable assistance throughout the request process.
Provide information on the Act, including information on the processing of your request and your right to complain to the Information Commissioner of Canada.
- Inform you, as appropriate and without undue delay, when your request needs to be clarified.
- Make every reasonable effort to locate and retrieve the requested records.
- Apply limited and specific exemptions to the requested records.
- Provide accurate and complete responses.
- Provide timely access to the requested information.
- Provide records in the format and official language requested, as appropriate.
- Provide an appropriate location in the government institution where you can examine the requested information.
How to make an Inquiry or Complaint
If you have any questions or concerns about Ingenium's processing of your request under either the Access to Information Act or Privacy Act, please contact our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by email at atip-aiprp@ingeniumcanada.org or by telephone at 613-991-3044.
If after contacting us, you are not satisfied with our response to your concern, you may:
Contact the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) if your concern is about an Access to Information Request. For information about filing a formal complaint with the OIC, visit their Complaints page.
Contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if your concern is about a Personal Information Request or other privacy matter. For information about filing a formal complaint with the OPC, visit their Complaints page.
Completed Access to Information Requests
One of the cornerstones of Canada’s transparency agenda is to provide summaries of completed Access to Information requests to the Government of Canada's Open Government portal.
Ingenium’s summaries are made available on the portal within 30 calendar days after the end of each month and you can request a copy of the previously released records if you find one of interest.
Please note that the following types of requests are not included in the summaries:
- Requests for personal information, or that are otherwise of unique interest to the requester.
- Requests that were treated informally, transferred to another institution for processing, or that were abandoned.
- Requests for which a government institution is unable to confirm or deny the existence of records.
- Requests where the head of institution declined to act (section 6.1 of the Access to Information Act).
Access to Information and Privacy Annual Reports
Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act:
- Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year
- Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year
- Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year
- Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year
- Annual report on the administration of the Access to Information Act for the 2017 to 2018 fiscal year
Information about Programs and Information Holdings (formerly Info Source)
As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, Ingenium publishes a description of its programs and information holdings on an annual basis. This publication was formerly referred to as “Info Source”.
This publication includes a corporate profile, and describes Ingenium’s functions, programs, activities, and related information holdings that are subject to the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.
The publication assists individuals exercising their rights under these Acts, and supports the federal government’s commitment to facilitating access to information.