Investigation Report: FIPPA Disregard – Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning

2025-09-12

Summary

An individual requested records of inspections for all licensed Manitoba childcare centres for a period of multiple years. When the department issued a decision to disregard the complaint, the individual filed a complaint with our office. Our office reviewed information from the department about how it came to its decision. The public body explained to our office that it used a process of searching for a sample of the records to determine the time it would take to facilitate the request. It estimated it would take more than 8,000 hours to facilitate the request which included more than 1,100 centres.
The department told us it had explained to the individual about the size of the search and that a fee estimate would be required and asked if they would consider narrowing their search. The individual declined to narrow the request and instead expanded it. After reviewing the communications, learning more about the records being requested and considering the efforts by the public body, our office found that the public body’s decision to disregard the request is reasonable and authorized under FIPPA. The complaint was not supported.

Case MO-07942