The BC FOI Fund

We help to reduce barriers to government transparency in BC by crowd sourcing funding to support requests for provincial information.

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

Hello, friends of government transparency! Over the coming days and weeks, we'll register a non-profit society, launch our website, write a press release, and start accepting your donations and funding requests.

Want to get involved or learn more? Send us a DM!
#bcpoli #FOIPPA

[Kim Bolan @kbolan]

Frustrating that my @LangaraJSchool students had to each pay $10 in class today to file #FOIs to the BC govt for their investigative reporting projects. How about a student exemption @jjhorgan?

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

In which a BC Court decides that the press is not allowed to write facts about the police.

[Capital Daily @CapitalDailyVic]

A BC Supreme Court judge has permanently prohibited Capital Daily from publishing a leaked document that raises questions about the RCMP’s conduct at Fairy Creek.

What we can tell you is what got us to this point—and that’s a story unto itself: https://t.co/gfWxSrAiA7

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

In which #FOI disclosures reveal a high level of coordination between police and city officials to terrorize homeless people in Toronto and steal all their stuff. The objective of this collaboration remains unclear.

[IMPACToronto @ImpacToronto]

Thanks for following!

As Wednesday is the 1 year anniversary of the "militarized" clearing of Trinity Bellwoods, we thought we would release 10 more documents not covered so far by reporting on FOI documents we have obtained.

We will tweet them individually, then thread.

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

The BC NDP's top priority as a majority government was to limit the public's access to information.

[Brett Forester @BrettForester]

I obtained more than 4,000 pages of court files and releases from about two dozen ATIP and FOI requests.

Many of these documents—founding policing plans, operational review, handwritten notes, court affidavits—offer a rare glimpse behind the scenes of this shadowy outfit.

[Dr. Lyne Filiatrault @DrFiliatrault]

Not so surprising, remember the Code of Silence Award from the Canadian Association of Journalists. Unlike many recent awards, that one is actually well deserved. 1/4

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

Police keeping secrets from the public about their decision to use chemical weapons against an entire apartment complex during a "wellness check" on one harmless, unarmed man in distress is... Not good.

[Brishti Basu @brish_ti]

Ways I tried to contact @vicpdcanada for this story:

Emails/calls
Qs to 2 cops at the building on Thursday
Visit to VicPD HQ
An email from #yyj mayor and police board co-chair Lisa Helps who cc'd 2 VicPD members & said they'd find someone to answer my qs

Radio silence

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

@kreynolds118 Fixed! Appreciate your feedback.

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

Hello, friends of government transparency! Over the coming days and weeks, we'll register a non-profit society, launch our website, write a press release, and start accepting your donations and funding requests.

Want to get involved or learn more? Send us a DM!
#bcpoli #FOIPPA

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

@kreynolds118 Thanks for the heads up! I will check our settings.
-@kerricoombs

[Bean & Sprout's Mom @beansprouts_mom]

NSW is a state, not national government. So I thought, hmmm, Canadian provinces are also running the same let 'er rip / pretend COVID is over campaigns. Do we have these units? So, I looked. And now I feel nauseous.

https://t.co/R84LZyt8Q2

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

In which @ianjamesyoung70 learns through #FOI disclosures that Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health deliberately concealed outbreaks in care homes from staff, residents and family, resulting in 1000 infections and 170+ deaths, following instructions issued by the @CDCofBC.

[Ian Young @ianjamesyoung70]

A thread. For 4 months I’ve been investigating Covid-19 disasters in Vancouver care homes. The story drops now: Documents obtained via FOI reveal dozens of Vancouver care homes deliberately DID NOT DECLARE OUTBREAKS when a worker first tested positive 2/ https://t.co/mXwXe5vEvO

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

Will do!

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

In which @j_mcelroy's simple question to health authorities generated 72 pages of emails between government officials, including a deputy minister & the PHO herself, resulting in a refusal to release basic information available in many other jurisdictions, that was leaked anyway.

[Justin McElroy @j_mcelroy]

was not planning on reading a 72 page book tonight but i'm a sucker for punishment

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

In which @PennyDaflos waits for a year to receive 500 pages worth of documents she was initially told did not exist, relating to widespread and deadly COVID outbreaks in BC hospitals, where staff and patients still can't have airborne PPE. https://t.co/K1O1CRoTos

[The BC FOI Fund @bcfoifund]

NEW POLL: @bcfipa #FOI request filers in #bcpoli & #bcmedia, how long did your request take to fulfill? (For multiple requests, please estimate the average)
Please RT for better stats!
@npescod @brish_ti @NicESpurling @eatonhamilton @thenarwhalca @SafeSchoolsBC @PennyDaflos

[John Hua 華仁安 @JohnHua]

“Privacy is the low-hanging fruit that public bodies use as a scapegoat to deny access to information and that's concerning.” - Jason Woywada @bcfipa. Health information ultimately belongs to the patient not the public body. Consent matters. @GlobalBC @CKNW @BCInfoPrivacy

[Freedom of Information and Privacy Association @bcfipa]

Given this Government and @lisabeare's failed attempt to improve the legislation, they now face 34 recommendations from open consultation. Lets see if this Government actually keeps its commitment to improve access to information or act on their mandate. https://t.co/doqjf6dbTG

[Brandi Morin @Songstress28]

Question for reporters who have submitted FOIP requests to RCMP for information release; their deadline is supposed to be 30 days. But they don’t often meet that and some wait years. Who has done this and what’s the time you’ve had to wait?