What is Right to Know Week?

Right to Know Week celebrates a person’s right to access government records and educates people on how to do so. Right to Know Week is an extension of international Right to Know Day, celebrated on September 28 of each year.

The right of access to information is an important human right and is essential for transparent and accountable governance. The right to access information makes possible public involvement in formulating public policy and in the decision-making processes of government. The right to information can only be effectively exercised on the basis of laws that regulate this right according to international standards.

It is no surprise that the majority of the countries where there are robust FOI laws are the same places where there are healthy democracies. Some countries use FOI legislation as a valuable tool in combating corruption.

In BC, FOI requests have helped uncover abuses in seniors’ homes, problems with lottery retailers collecting a disproportionate share of prizes and environmental reports that were previously not publicly available.

Any citizen can make a FOI request, so what are you waiting for?

In a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in Dagg vs. Canada, Justice Laforest wrote:>

...the overarching purpose of access to information legislation, then, is to facilitate democracy. It does so in two related ways. It helps to ensure first, that citizens have the information required to participate meaningfully in the democratic process, and secondly, that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable to the citizenry.

History of Right to Know Week

On September 28, 2002, freedom of information organizations from various countries met in Sofia, Bulgaria and created a network of freedom of information advocates, the "FOIA Network". A goal of the FOIA Network was to promote an individual's right to access government information and to promote open, transparent governance. The FOIA Network proposed that September 28 be known as international "Right to Know Day" to symbolize the global movement to promote open governance. Right to Know Day is used to promote the fundamental human right of access to information and to campaign for open, democratic societies in which there is full citizen participation.

Pierre Trudeau said:

Democratic progress requires the ready availability of true and complete information. In this way people can objectively evaluate their government's policy. To act otherwise is to give way to despotic secrecy.

Right to Know Across Canada

The federal government, the provinces and the territories are celebrating Right to Know Week. Check the websites of individual offices for events in each province or territory.

Federal

Right to Know Events

• Listen for our cheeky public service announcements on your local College or University radio station.
• Right to Know Week proclamation by the Province of British Columbia. View the press release. View the proclamation.
• Right to Know Week proclamations by local BC governments: Town of Sidney, City of Kelowna, City of Colwood, City of Surrey, City of Langford, District of Saanich, District of Central Saanich, City of Cranbrook, City of Duncan, Town of View Royal, City of Nelson, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (Fort Nelson), District of Ucluelet, City of Quesnel, City of Kitimat, City of Trail, City of Victoria, City of Vancouver, City of Esquimalt, City of Delta and City of Richmond.
• Early Intervention Officer Caitlin Lemiski will be making a presentation to a UVic Journalism class about the right to know.
• Watch your local newspaper during Right to Know Week for short articles about your right to access information held by public bodies and private organizations.




OIPC Special Event





Shela Beach, Kenya
We are also raising awareness around the world. This photograph was recently sent to us from beautiful Shela Beach on Lamu Island, Kenya.

Right to Know Learning Resources

• Ready to use PowerPoint presentation for high school students
• A workbook intended to assist high school aged students to understand the purposes of Right to Know Week

Right to Know Quiz

Take this on-line test to explore your access and privacy knowledge!