Asking the City for records? Ontario's FOI clock is now 45 business days
Asking the City of Windsor for records? Since July 1, Ontario municipalities, police services and school boards generally have 45 business days to answer an FOI request, up from 30 calendar days. Filing with the City still costs $5.
Topics: Council and City HallPublic safety
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Asking the City of Windsor, Windsor Police or a school board for records? Since July 1, 2026, Ontario's municipal institutions generally have 45 business days to answer a freedom of information (FOI) request. Before that, the general deadline was 30 calendar days.
That is roughly nine weeks of weekdays, and longer when holidays fall in between. Requests made before July 1, 2026 still run on the old 30 calendar day clock.
What else changed on July 1
The new rules came through Bill 97, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026, which amended Ontario's municipal access law, MFIPPA.
Extensions. An institution can still extend the deadline in some cases, such as when a request covers a large volume of records, and it must tell you in writing if it does.
Records in stages. For very large requests, an institution can now propose a plan to release records in batches, called a staged access plan. If you get one, read it closely and answer promptly, because it comes with its own response deadline.
Appeal clock in business days. You now have 30 business days, not 30 calendar days, to appeal a decision to Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC).
How to file with the City of Windsor
Fill out the City's FOI request form, or write a letter describing the records you want. Be specific about the topic, department and dates.
Every request needs a mandatory, non-refundable $5 fee. You can email a scan or photo of the form to foi@citywindsor.ca and staff will call to take the $5 by phone, or bring it to the Office of the City Clerk, Room 110, 350 City Hall Square West, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Questions go to 519-255-6100 ext. 6285. Extra fees can apply for large requests, such as $7.50 for each 15 minutes of searching and 20 cents a page for copies.
If the answer is late or you disagree
If the deadline passes with no decision, or you disagree with a refusal, a fee or an extension, you can appeal to the IPC. The appeal fee is $25 for general records and $10 for your own personal information.
Coming Jan. 1, 2027
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, municipal institutions such as municipalities, municipal police services and school boards must notify people when a privacy breach poses a real risk of significant harm to them.
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