Canadian privacy & access decisions

The complainant alleged that the Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc. (OPMC) improperly withheld information related to requests for proposals (RFPs) under various sections of the Access to Information Act, including those concerning competitive position, government financial interests, personal information, and third-party financial impact and negotiations. The OPMC failed to demonstrate that the withheld information met the requirements of the cited exemptions, with the Commissioner finding the alleged harms to be speculative. The Commissioner ordered the OPMC to disclose the records in their entirety, and the OPMC indicated it would comply.

• Whether the OPMC met the requirements for exemption under paragraph 18(b) (competitive position/negotiations)
• Whether the OPMC met the requirements for exemption under paragraph 18(d) (government financial interests/undue benefit)
• Whether the OPMC met the requirements for exemption under subsection 19(1) (personal information) and if Privacy Act exceptions applied
• Whether the OPMC met the requirements for exemption under paragraphs 20(1)(c) and 20(1)(d) (third-party financial impact/negotiations)