
5821-01349 — Transport Canada
The complainant requested information related to applications and Minimum Safe Manning (MSM) Documents for the passenger ship Queen of Cumberland. Transport Canada withheld information under subsections 19(1) (personal information) and 20(1)(b) (confidential third-party information). The complainant later withdrew the section 19(1) aspect of the complaint. The Information Commissioner found that Transport Canada failed to demonstrate that the withheld information met the requirements of paragraph 20(1)(b), ordering the disclosure of all information previously withheld under that provision.
- Whether the withheld information met the criteria for paragraph 20(1)(b) of the ATIA, specifically concerning its technical nature, confidentiality, whether it was supplied by a third party, and if it was consistently treated as confidential by the third party.
- Whether the information was publicly available or observable by passengers, impacting the confidentiality claim.
- Whether the MSI's handwritten notes and the completed MSMDs constituted information supplied by a third party.
- The third party's (BC Ferries) lack of position on the disclosure of the information.
Complaint well founded — disclosure ordered
The Commissioner determined that Transport Canada failed to demonstrate that the withheld information met all the requirements of paragraph 20(1)(b) of the Access to Information Act. Specifically, the Commissioner found issues with the information meeting the definitions of technical, commercial, or financial information, the confidentiality of the information, and whether all the information was supplied by the third party.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
Transport Canada was ordered to disclose all information previously withheld under paragraph 20(1)(b), excluding any information protected under subsection 19(1).
- s.19 ATIA
- s.20(1)(b) ATIA
- s.30(1)(a) ATIA
- s.36.1 ATIA
- s.37(4) ATIA
This decision is informational only and does not constitute legal advice.

