The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) came into force on May 4, 1998. It was significantly amended as of January 1, 2011. FIPPA replaced the The Freedom of Information Act that had been in force since September 1988.

FIPPA applies to public bodies, including provincial government departments and agencies, as well as local public bodies which consist of educational, health care and local government bodies. The Act governs access to information held by public bodies and sets out requirements that public bodies must follow to protect the privacy of personal information.

If you are unfamiliar with access and privacy legislation, you may wish to begin by reading about the Principles of Access and Privacy Legislation, which outlines the values and principles underlying FIPPA, PHIA and most access and privacy legislation in Canada and around the world. Also, our section About The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act gives more detailed information regarding FIPPA.

You will also find information on FIPPA in our our Reports and Publications section, including news releases and fact sheets on topical issues, special reports that are of public interest and our annual reports with statistics and other information about our activities under the legislation. In our Resources section, you will find practice notes that we have prepared to assist persons using FIPPA as advice on, but not a substitute for the legislation.

For more information on the legislation, see the Manitoba Culture, Heritage and tourism FIPPA web pages at http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/fippa/ which post resources for members of the public and public bodies, including the Manitoba Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Resource Manual prepared by Manitoba Justice and Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism.

Users of our website are cautioned that our guides to and summaries of the legislation are not exhaustive. The original text should be consulted for all purposes of interpreting and applying the law. Our opinions, comments and recommendations are based on substantive investigation, research and analysis, but we are not legal counsel or a court of law.

Regular visitors to our website should check the What's New page for announcements of additions to our site.

If you have any questions, please contact us at (204) 982-9130 (in Winnipeg) or 1-800-665-0531 (toll free in Manitoba).