5820-02800 — Shared Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada

The complainant alleged that Shared Services Canada (SSC) improperly refused to process an access request for records related to informal official language complaints. SSC argued that the request, even after being narrowed to a one-year timeframe and specific keywords in email subject lines, did not meet the requirements of section 6 of the Access to Information Act because it would require tasking over 8,300 employees and create an unreasonable administrative burden. The Information Commissioner disagreed, stating that the term "reasonable effort" in section 6 refers to identifying records, not limiting the number of individuals tasked. The Commissioner also noted that the Act provides for time extensions for large requests and that the potential for redacting personal information under section 19 is not a valid reason to refuse processing. The Commissioner concluded that the request was sufficiently detailed and ordered SSC to process it.