Freedom of Information Requests

• All paper, electronic documents and other forms of stored data are considered to be records of the institution.
• There is a right of access to information in records, subject to certain limitations.
• The personal information of individuals has to be protected and is not accessible to others, subject to certain limitations.

The City of London promotes open government, and fosters an organizational structure that advances the fundamental principles of the Act:

• Information (general records) should be available to the public;
• Individuals should have access to their personal information;
• Exemptions to access should be limited and specific;
• Institutions should protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information held by institutions.

If the request is on a request form available from City Clerk's Office or online or if it is written but refers to the Act and is accompanied by the $5.00 application fee, then the matter must be processed in accordance with the provisions provided in the Act.

MFIPPA Access or Correction Request Form

Property Information Requests

Some Property Information Requests may be submitted directly to the Building and Zoning divisions of Housing and Community Growth, including:

• Work order letters and lawyer letters
• Compliance with swimming pool fence by-law
• Development and/or subdivision agreement letters
• Survey Plan check
• Zoning compliance letter
• Building permit search letter

More information about the types of Property Information Requests that are accepted outside of the formal MFIPPA process, and the associated fees, can be found here.

Environmental Site Assessment Information

Information requests related to environmental site assessments that may include non-compliance, outstanding violations of environmental regulations, or the existence of a historic landfill or dumpsite, may be submitted directly to the following:

If your request relates to building/zoning, please contact building@london.ca

If your request relates to subdivision/site plan, please contact plandev@london.ca

London Fire Department, Fire Incident Records 

Requests for records related to a Fire Incident which London Fire responded to can be submitted directly to fireforms@london.ca or 519-661-4565. Fire incident records may include: 

• Incident reports, Incident Commander Reports, Incident Response Reports
• Fire Investigation Reports and Summary Reports
• Fire Origin and Cause Assessment
• Event chronology from a fire incident
• Compliance letters, File Search Letters

By-law Copies and Previous Zoning Information

For copies of frequently requested by-laws and/or previous zoning information, please contact docservices@london.ca 

Information about the City of London's Open Data initiative can be found here. Various datasets are available for download through the City of London's Open Data Licence.

In November 2001, the City of London established a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system in downtown public areas. The CCTV system is operated under the Code of Practice. Information obtained through video monitoring is used exclusively for security and law enforcement purposes and released according to the standards set by MFIPPA. All information is retained for a 72-hour period unless a record has been requisitioned for use.

London Police Service (LPS)

Please note that the City of London does not have in its custody or control London Police Service records. If you wish to request police records, please request them directly from the London Police Service.

Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Please note that the City of London does not have in its custody or control Ontario Disability Support Program records. If you wish to request ODSP records, please request them directly from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

London Transit Commission (LTC)

Please note that the City of London does not have in its custody or control London Transit Commission records. If you wish to request LTC records, please request them directly from the London Transit Commission.

London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH)

Please note that the City of London does not have in its custody or control London Middlesex Community Housing records. If you wish to request LMCH records, please request them directly from the London Middlesex Community Housing.

Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU)

Please note that the City of London does not have in its custody or control Middlesex-London Health Unit records. If you wish to request MLHU records, please request them directly from the Middlesex-London Health Unit. 

Requested records are located (should they exist), and within 45 business days of receiving the request, the Head makes a decision to either release the records entirely, in part, or to deny access to them. This decision is based on the provisions of the Act and on relevant Orders that have been issued by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC).

• The decision letter will explain the appeal process to the IPC, which the requester can pursue if not satisfied with the decision made by the institution.
• The IPC will first attempt to achieve a mediated settlement of the appeal between the appellant and the institution. If this is unsuccessful, the appeal will move to adjudication and the IPC will issue an Order either upholding the decision of the institution or directing the institution to reissue their decision.