British Columbia’s privacy watchdog has issued a court order to compel Northern Health Authority to respond to freedom of information requests regarding a long-term care facility in Fort St. John. Caroline Alexander, a member of the resident and family council at Peace Villa, the city’s sole long-term care facility, initiated the requests to address concerns such as inadequate room temperatures and snack shortages.
Despite facing obstacles in obtaining basic care standard information, Alexander pursued the requests for internal documents and emails related to the facility. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner intervened as Northern Health failed to meet the required response timeline, prompting Commissioner Michael Harvey to file a court order to enforce compliance.
Northern Health acknowledged its failure to adhere to legal deadlines and attributed the delays to capacity issues affecting information request processing. While the authority pledged to collaborate with resident and family councils to address concerns, Harvey stressed the importance of public bodies fulfilling their transparency obligations to maintain public trust in health services.
Harvey emphasized the significance of upholding freedom of information rights as a pillar of democracy, warning that neglecting these responsibilities could erode public trust in health services. Alexander expressed gratitude for the attention to her concerns and emphasized the importance of accountability for the well-being of Peace Villa residents and their families.