Dean Beeby
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deanbeeby.bsky.social
Dean Beeby
@deanbeeby.bsky.social
Independent Canadian author and journalist, specialist in freedom-of-information laws, Ottawa-based. deanbeeby.ca | deanbeeby.substack.com. Author of 'Murder in Renfrew County' (2024, Lorimer); 'Mass Murder, Police Mayhem' (2023, Formac).
Here's (some) of what the City of Ottawa paid for an investigation into a councillor’s use of emoji and memes. Based on a freedom-of-info request. By Ben Andrews.
msn.com/en-ca/news/c... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
MSN
msn.com
January 20, 2026 at 7:44 PM
How do I look up court cases in my province or territory? A useful how-to compendium from the Globe and Mail.
theglobeandmail.com/business/art... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli #media
How do I look up court cases in my province or territory?
For our Secret Canada project, we’ve assembled a guide on what kinds of judicial documents you can access, and how the process works
theglobeandmail.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Nominations now being accepted until Feb. 15 for the annual Code of Silence Awards, a joint effort by the CAJ and CFE - deets and form here:
cfe.torontomu.ca/awards/code-... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy | Centre for Free Expression
The Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy is awarded annually to call public attention to governments, government departments and agencies that distinguish themselves...
cfe.torontomu.ca
January 16, 2026 at 1:14 PM
U.S. journalists confront new reality in reporting after FBI raid, including reduced use of facial recognition. Cdn journos take note. wapo.st/45bxva4 #cdnmedia
Journalists confront new reality in reporting after FBI raid
Many saw the FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home as a jarring new step aimed at limiting their ability to gather information.
wapo.st
January 15, 2026 at 9:56 PM
This is an egregious case of CBC burying the lead, re intimate partner violence: cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Globe and Mail got it right:
theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... #cdnmedia #vaw
Court documents shed light on relationship of mother, stepfather of missing N.S. children | CBC News
Jack and Lilly Sullivan disappeared from their home in rural Nova Scotia more than eight months ago.
cbc.ca
January 15, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Ontario school board invokes secrecy provision to withhold freedom-of-info records on $34K fine art collection. By CBC's
Colin Butler
cbc.ca/news/canada/... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
Ontario school board cites safety exemption in withholding records on a $34K art collection | CBC News
A London, Ont., school board is using one of Ontario's most powerful secrecy provisions to avoid disclosing records about a modest art collection.
cbc.ca
January 15, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Amid U.S. redaction scandal, Carney government developing AI systems to black out sensitive documents. By Ben Andrews.
ottawacitizen.com/public-servi... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Amid U.S. redaction scandal, Carney government developing AI systems to black out sensitive documents
At least three government departments are developing AI tools to help with redaction, but experts say the tech could "be a nightmare.”
ottawacitizen.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:19 PM
RCMP report says Bishnoi gang ‘acting on behalf of’ Indian government. Document released under access-to-info. By
Global's Stewart Bell
globalnews.ca/news/1160994... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
RCMP report says Bishnoi gang ‘acting on behalf of’ Indian government | Globalnews.ca
The report was released to Global News under the Access to Information Act
globalnews.ca
January 14, 2026 at 1:07 PM
After a wave of officer suicides, the OPP vowed to do more for members’ mental health. Internal documents obtained under freedom-of-info show the reforms have fallen short. By @fxplante.bsky.social
thestar.com/news/investi... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
After a wave of officer suicides, the OPP vowed to do more for members’ mental health. Internal documents show the reforms have fallen short
The OPP said police suicide 'remains a concerning and complex issue,' and the force has made 'great strides' in addressing it.
thestar.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Gov't documents obtained thru access to information suggest Ottawa stalled airline fee meant to fund passenger complaints system. By Erica Johnson & Ana Komenic
cbc.ca/news/gopubli... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Internal documents show Ottawa pushed to delay airline complaint fee — as taxpayers foot $30M for system | CBC News
Over two and a half years ago, Parliament ordered the Canadian Transportation Agency to create a fee airlines would pay to cover some of the roughly $30-million taxpayer cost to process air passenger ...
cbc.ca
January 12, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Pre-clearance operations in Cda are a 'critical component' of border strategy: U.S.
Story partly informed by an access-to-info request. By @jimbronskill.bsky.social & Kyle Duggan
nationalnewswatch.com/2026/01/11/p... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Preclearance operations in Canada are a 'critical component' of…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:10 PM
RCAF wants more than 1,200 security personnel to protect F-35s, other planes: access-to-info documents. By CP's
Kyle Duggan
nationalnewswatch.com/2026/01/10/r... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
RCAF wants more than 1,200 security personnel to protect F-35s, other…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:44 PM
New from me on substack: Library and Archives waives access-to-info fee - collecting $5 from users far more trouble than it was worth
deanbeeby.substack.com/p/library-an... #cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Library and Archives waives access-to-info fee
Collecting $5 from users far more trouble than it was worth
deanbeeby.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Dean Beeby
A great roundup from @deanbeeby.bsky.social about the sorry state of freedom of information in Canada, and the missed opportunities in 2025.
Governments dropped the ball on enhancing freedom of information laws in 2025, despite promises of increased transparency. The IJF’s contributing writer @deanbeeby.bsky.social takes a look at developments last year.

zurl.co/sW2sY
January 9, 2026 at 6:34 PM
New from me , for the IJF: Where’s the transparency? A year of unfulfilled promises on freedom of information: theijf.org/article/2025...
#cdnfoi #cdnpoli
Where’s the transparency? A year of unfulfilled promises on freedom of information
Public service journalism
theijf.org
January 9, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says province will file appeal against court ruling requiring release of his personal cellphone records under FOI globalnews.ca/news/1159987... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
Ford will file appeal against court ruling to release personal phone records | Globalnews.ca
The latest twist in a three-year-old transparency battle means the government has now twice lost its argument Ford should not have to make parts of his phone records public.
globalnews.ca
January 7, 2026 at 1:42 AM
New ATIA-based story from me, for the IJF: RCMP cruisers to get makeover for first time in over 30 years
theijf.org/article/rcmp...
#cdnfoi #cdnpoli #rcmp
RCMP cruisers to get makeover for first time in over 30 years
Public service journalism
theijf.org
January 5, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Ontario court rules Premier Doug Ford's personal phone records are subject to freedom-of-info law because they contain info about gov't business, and must be turned over. Province says it will seek leave to appeal. globalnews.ca/news/1159745... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
Ontario court rules Doug Ford must turn over personal phone records | Globalnews.ca
An Ontario court says it is reasonable to conclude Premier Doug Ford uses his personal cellphone to communicate and that he should make those records public.
globalnews.ca
January 5, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Congrats to Dr. Brooks Fallis and Paul Champ
#ontfoi #ontpoli #cdnfoi
January 5, 2026 at 4:45 AM
I have updated my FOI tipsheets for 2026. A few changes, but not many - our governments are highly allergic to FOI reform. Find and download the tipsheets here: www.deanbeeby.ca/tools
#cdnfoi #ontfoi
Tools — Dean Beeby
www.deanbeeby.ca
January 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Parks Cda response to my access-to-info request:
"Please note that certain information ... has not been disclosed."
Noted.
#cdnfoi #cdnpoli
December 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
In 2024, CBC lost its FOI case at the Supreme Court of Cda. Cabinet secrecy was affirmed in a ruling protecting Premier Ford's mandate letters. This month, CBC paid the Ford gov't $14,427.55 in court costs.
scc-csc.ca/cases-dossie...
deanbeeby.substack.com/p/cabinet-se... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
December 29, 2025 at 4:52 PM
City of Ottawa emails reveal few details on rationale for 5-day return-to-office mandate. Based on documents obtain thru freedom-of-info. By Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang. cbc.ca/news/canada/... #cdnfoi #ontfoi #ontpoli
City manager’s emails scarce on details on how 5-day return to office mandate came to be | CBC News
As the City of Ottawa’s 'new standard' for five days in-office begins in the new year, internal documents from the city manager’s office show how Wendy Stephanson planned to defend her controversial d...
cbc.ca
December 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
How internet sleuths are un-redacting some of the Epstein files. By Mark Gollom
cbc.ca/news/world/e... #cdnfoi
How internet sleuths are un-redacting some of the Epstein files | CBC News
While Democratic legislators, victims of Jeffrey Epstein and their lawyers have complained about the number of blacked-out pages and passages in the files released by the U.S. Department of Justice, ...
cbc.ca
December 25, 2025 at 12:43 PM
N.S. premier using false information to justify failure to update province's FOI legislation. Thank you CP's Emily Baron Cadloff for injecting some perspective and context into these misleading claims. nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/23/n... #cdnfoi #nsfoi #nspoli
N.S. premier using false information as reason against updating…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM