Witness Testimony

Lindsay Kenny, a former elected councillor in Fruitvale, British Columbia, testified about her efforts to obtain documentation through Freedom of Information requests concerning COVID-19 public health orders. She described initiating requests related to provincial mask mandates, including policies requiring children to wear masks in schools, and seeking the evidentiary basis cited within those orders. She stated that her requests were met with delays, fee estimates, and denial of fee waivers despite invoking public interest provisions.
She outlined a process involving narrowed requests, complaints to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and an eventual fee waiver issued approximately 20 months after her initial request. Upon receiving documents, she reported that the material did not address the specific mask-related evidence she had requested. She also described unsuccessful attempts to delegate to her local school board to raise concerns regarding prolonged mask use for children.
Kenny further testified about a separate Freedom of Information request concerning a Strategic Research Advisory Committee associated with the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, which identified knowledge gaps regarding COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness during the rollout period. She stated that requests for conclusions or related records were answered with indications that no records were held by the Ministry of Health or that the study was ongoing. She characterized Freedom of Information legislation as an important accountability mechanism while describing her experience with the Ministry of Health as obstructive.