The Northern Village of Pinehouse is meeting its legislative obligations to process local authority freedom of information requests according to the province’s information and privacy commissioner.
In his latest report, Ronald Kruzeniski says Pinehouse did a reasonable search for records in an October 2019 information request by Saskatoon resident D’Arcy Hande.
Hande asked for copies of three bylaws.
The municipality responded that the records did not exist.
Hande requested that Kruzeniski review the matter and the information and privacy commissioner states during the review Pinehouse was able to locate one of the bylaws.
He finds there was an oversight by the village but the other two bylaws could not be located.
In his report, Kruzeniski determines some requested records do not exist and Pinehouse, “does not require a local authority to prove with absolute certainty that records responsive to an access to information request do not exist. However, it must demonstrate that it has conducted a reasonable search to locate them.”
Kruzeniski goes on to say, “I find that the search conducted by the Village was adequate and reasonable for purposes of LA FOIP.”
The information and privacy commissioner recommends Pinehouse take no further action.
Hande has filed several access to information complaints against the northern community.
Some of which led to a third-party investigation and financial review ordered by the provincial government last year.
(PHOTO: Pinehouse Lake. Photo courtesy cameconorth.com.)