News October 23, 2020

Extended deadline for Nominations - Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy 2020

In light of challenges during the pandemic, the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Centre for Free Expression, News Media Canada and the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression are extending the deadline for nominations for the 2020 Code of Silence awards for outstanding achievement in government secrecy to Monday, November 16, 2020.

The awards are given annually in each of four categories -- federal, provincial, municipal, and police services.

If you have met resistance in getting information from a public body, please send us your nomination for a deserving award recipient along with the reasons why it should be chosen. Please use the Nomination Form available here.

Nominations will be reviewed by our four organization which will select the most deserving recipients. Awards will be presented publicly in January.

Nominations should be submitted to Ange Holmes, Coordinator, Centre for Free Expression, Ryerson University either by email (ange.holmes@ryerson.ca). All nominations will be acknowledged.

For more information, contact Ange Holmes (ange.holmes@ryerson.ca).

For a list of preceding years' award recipients, see https://cfe.ryerson.ca/key-resources/lists/code-silence-award-outstanding-achievement-government-secrecy.

Blog March 26, 2024

Ontario Government Agency Imposing Corporate Secrecy Practices on the Public

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx, both provincial mega-agencies using, exclusively, public-private infrastructure partnerships, have imposed a requirement on the public that is supposedly being served, according to a Toronto Star article (March 19). That is, any community member that wants to participate in the ‘consultations’ regarding the expropriation and tearing down of the local Riverdale Plaza (one of the many sites designated by the province as a future ‘transit-oriented community’, known by locals as ‘developer-oriented transit’) needs to sign a “non-disclosure” agreement.

Mariana Valverde

Censorship, Access-to-Information

Policy Submission February 9, 2024

CFE Closing Submission to the Foreign Interference Commission

CFE urged the Commission to act on the testimony of expert panels and witnesses that there is an immense public interest in transparency regarding foreign interference. "The Commission cannot defer to the Government of Canada’s conclusions on what can and cannot be disclosed [but must] be prepared to seek recourse in Federal Court on an expedited basis" in the event the Government attempts to overly restrict public access to essential documents about foreign interference.

Access-to-Information, Freedom of the Press

Policy Submission February 1, 2024

CFE Opening Submission to the Foreign Interference Commission

In its opening submission, the CFE addresses principles for public confidence, the necessity of on transparency throughout the Inquiry, and the importance of the public’s right to know.

Freedom of the Press, Access-to-Information