Access to Information Act (ATIA)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ATIA?

On June 12, 2025, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) was replaced by new legislation: Access to Information Act (ATIA) and the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).

You have a right of access to any record in the custody or under the control of a public body, including a record containing personal information about you.  These rights have been maintained in the new legislation as have the limitations on the right of access.

How do I submit an access to information request under the ATIA?

The ATIA Public Access Portal (PAL) can be used to request any record subject to the ATIA (including records containing personal information about you) in the custody or under the control of the following public bodies:

• Alberta Health Services (AHS);
• Acute Care Alberta (ACA);
• Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL);
• Recovery Alberta (RA); and,
• Primary Care Alberta (PCA).

You will need to select the public body that you believe has the information you are requesting. By using the Portal you can safely and securely retrieve your records electronically and communicate directly with the Advisor processing your request.

To submit an ATIA request online, please Register to create an account or Sign in to your existing profile.

To make a request for information that is in the custody or under the control of the GOA Ministries of: Mental Health and Addiction, Hospital and Surgical Health & Primary and Preventative Health Services, see: https://eservices.alberta.ca/foip-request.html

For all other GOA Ministries see: Submit a FOIP request | Alberta.ca)

Before submitting an access request – check to see if the information is already publicly available:

Public Access Portal (PAL) - Reading Room: some previous AHS access requests;

AHS Publications & Transparency: data, statistics and reports. (Ex. Emergency Department wait times, Surgical wait times, business plans, infrastructure capital submissions, annual report & consolidated financial statements);

Government of Alberta – Publications: Health and Wellness (3346 related documents as of June 11, 2025); and

Government of Alberta – Open Data: a listing of GoA open datasets.

I want access to my health records that AHS, ACA, APL, RA, or PCA holds.  Is this a request that I can make through PAL?

No. The ATIA Public Access Portal only processes records subject to the ATIA, not the Health Information Act (HIA).

To obtain a copy of your Connect Care records or a Connect Care audit log, please see Access & Disclosure | Alberta Health Services for further information.

You can also directly request your health records from your health care provider.

The Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services (Previously the Ministry of Health) processes HIA access requests for the following record types:

• Statement of Medical Benefits Paid (SOPBs)
• Netcare Audit Logs
• Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) Logs
• Personal health information access requests

See: Alberta Heath – Health Information Act (HIA) - Access

Are there changes that affect my requests for information?

Yes. Many of the principles of access to information from FOIP remain in the ATIA.  There are a few notable changes that may affect how you submit requests.

• All timelines for access to information requests have been changed from calendar days to business days. Business days are Monday-Friday, excluding statutory holidays and the Government of Alberta Christmas closure.

• If a request does not have enough detail to allow the organization to find and identify what is being requested for within a reasonable time/effort, it will be considered overly broad and will no longer be accepted/processed.
  • When there is not enough detail, a public body can seek further information that must be responded to by the applicant within 30 business days.

What are some tips to help me write my request text so that it isn’t considered overly broad?

Tips can include:

• Describe in detail the records that would answer your question.
• Provide any additional information about the records you may have such as potential program areas and/or suggested key words that could assist the search.
• Think about when the records were or may have been created (Date Range of search). The more specific, the easier it is to search. A narrow a date range may also reduce the chance of requiring a fee estimate.
• Name record type(s) that would likely contain the information you are seeking. Some examples could include:
  • Briefing Notes;
  • Presentations;
  • Reports;
  • Emails;
  • Letters;
  • Communication plans;
  • Key Messages; and
  • Memos.
• Think about what you could exclude because it isn’t pertinent to what you are looking for. Some record type examples could exclude:

• Drafts – are you looking for the final version that was reviewed by executive and used to make a decision?
• Administrative Emails – do you really want all the back-and-forth emails asking for someone’s availability to attend a meeting?
• Duplicates – true duplicates can be numerous when attached to emails. Also, final string emails. After emailing back and forth, the number of pages can exponentially increase.

• Though not necessary, sometimes explaining why you want the records can help the Advisor processing your request determine where the records may be located and the types of records you are looking for.

What is the difference between a Personal ATIA request and a General ATIA request?

A personal request is a request for information that a public body like AHS holds about an individual. It can include information such as employee’s grievance records or volunteer performance appraisals.

A general request is a request for business information. Records created during the course of business that does not involve providing a health service.  It can include information about a public body’s spending, programs, policies, and other activities of the public body.

General requests are subject to the payment of an initial $25.00 fee and potential additional fee estimates as required.

Can I request personal information of someone else?

Yes. If you are wishing to obtain someone else’s personal information, you must also submit their written consent authorizing you to receive their personal information or have supporting documentation that you have the authority to request access to the records.

An individual’s rights may be exercised by another individual who is authorized to receive their personal information.  This includes:

• a personal representative (if the individual is deceased);
• a guardian or trustee (Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act);
• an agent (Personal Directives Act);
• power of attorney;
• guardian of a minor; or
• any person with written consent of the individual whose information it is.

Do I have to pay a fee for my own information or if I have proper authorization for someone else’s personal information?

No. You do not need to pay to submit an access request for your own information held by a public body.  These are referred to as personal access requests.  You will, however, need to provide Proof of Identification [government issued ID which includes a photo] so that we can verify the information belongs to you.  Note overly broad requests will not be accepted.

What is the cost for general information?

There is an initial fee of $25.00 when requesting access to records containing general information. Additionally, the public body may provide you a further fee estimate if the search for records would take a lengthy amount of time to complete. There may be other fees in the ATIA Regulations that might apply if you are seeking a broad amount of information and multiple records.

Proof of identity is not required for general requests. 

How long will it take to receive a response?

Normally, it will take 30 business days or less to receive a response. There are circumstances where a public body can take time extensions of another if warranted. Some examples of those circumstances include having received a large volume of records (500 pages) to process or having to consult another organization on records that affect their interests. This could potentially extend timelines another 30 or 60 business days.

Please consider these timelines when submitting an access request.

NEW – there are now provisions in the ATIA for time extensions due to an emergency, disaster or other unforeseen event that ends up in an unplanned operational closure or interruption.

Can a public body tell me that they won’t process my request for records?

Yes. A public body can now disregard requests without prior approval from the Information and Privacy Commissioner in limited circumstances:

1. that would interfere with the operations of the public body or amount to an abuse of the right to make a request;
2. that are abusive, threatening, frivolous or vexatious or is made in an abusive or threatening manner;
3. where the information the request relates to has already been provided to the applicant, or has been made available to the public;
4. if despite receiving further information from an applicant, the request does not have information that is sufficiently clear to enable the public body to locate and identify the record within a reasonable time with reasonable effort; or
5. the request is otherwise overly broad or incomprehensible.

Additionally, a public body may no longer make a formal access to information request to another public body.

What does it mean that my access request has been abandoned?

If an applicant received a letter stating that their access request has been abandoned one of two things may have occurred.

• An advisor sent a formal letter asking for further information/clarification with regards to your request text and did not receive a reply within 30 business days of that communication.

  Or

• An Advisor sent a formal letter to the applicant asking them to pay a fee or to agree to pay a fee and no communication was received within 30 business days of that communication.

Normally, there is an option of an applicant to reactivate their access request upon receipt of what was being asked for before abandonment. Alternatively, the applicant may seek a review from the OIPC.

What are some of the limitations to this right of access?

The ATIA continues to include all the exceptions when access to information must or may be refused of the FOIP Act. For example, information will not be released if:

• doing so will harm the financial or business interests of a third party;
• it invades the personal privacy of another person;
• it could result in a threat to individual or public health or safety; or
• would reveal the substance of deliberations of Executive Council or Treasury Board.

NEW - A new exception of disclosure under the ATIA is “Workplace investigations.” A public body can now withhold information if information would interfere, prejudice or harm a workplace investigation, prevent a witness from coming forward, or cause harm to a witness or third party in a workplace investigation.

Please contact ias@ahs.ca if you have any questions.

How can I seek a review from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) about my access request?

Under section 59 of the ATIA, you may ask the OIPC to review most decisions made on your request - including timeline extensions, use of exceptions, disregarded and abandoned requests.

To request a review, you must complete and deliver a Request for Review form within 60 business days from the date of this notice to:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

#410, 9925 – 109 Street NW

Edmonton, AB

T5K 2J8

The form is available on the Commissioner’s website www.oipc.ab.ca under Forms, email generalinfo@oipc.ab.ca, or you can call 1-888-878-4044 (in Edmonton, call 780-422-6860) to request a copy of the form.

If you wish to request a review, please provide the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) with the following information:

• A completed OIPC Request for Review Form;
• A copy of your original request sent to the public body; and
• When applicable, a copy of the communication, letter and/or decision that you wish reviewed.

Do I have to always submit a formal access request to get information?

No. A program area may have the authority to disclose your personal information without a formal access request (called a routine disclosure).

Instead of requesting a record to answer a question, email ahsinfo@ahs.ca to have your question answered. The ATIA is meant for records that are already in existence.

Currently, there are two alternate means to obtain certain records:

• Human Resources and Employee Files

If you are a current or former AHS/APL/RA/ACA/PCA employee - you may request access to records in your personnel file without an ATIA access request by calling AHS Human Resources at 1-877-511-4455.

Do NOT use the ATIA Public Access Portal.

• Environment and Public Health (EPH)

Records such as inspection reports can be obtained directly from EPH through their request form that is found on their website.

I still have questions, who should I contact?

Please use the Alberta Health Services (AHS) ATIA Public Access Portal through your profile or contact the email address ias@ahs.ca.