A Saskatchewan publication is hoping the courts can accomplish what the province’s privacy commissioner has not been able to do.
Briarpatch magazine has filed a statement of claim demanding the release of specific information on a $200 million agreement between the Village of Pinehouse and uranium companies Cameco and Areva.
Last fall, Saskatchewan’s privacy commissioner ruled the village had failed to properly comply with a freedom of information request and if it continued not to do so, charges should be laid.
Former Briarpatch editor Valerie Zink says to date Pinehouse has still not complied with the freedom of information request and this why the magazine has filed the lawsuit.
“Well ideally I think we would be seeing action from the province,” she says. “It shouldn’t be the responsibility of private citizens to enforce provincial legislation.”
Current Briarpatch editor Andrew Loewen says while the collaboration agreement is posted on the Pinehouse web site, it does not provide all of the information that it should.
“The financial statements for Pinehouse Business North, articles of incorporation for Pinehouse Business North stipulating year end surpluses and losses and correspondence between Pinehouse Business North and Cameco and Areva,” he says. “Those are specifically what we are asking for.”
The $200 million 11-year collaboration agreement was signed in December 2012.
It is available online on the village’s web site.
However, what is posted online does not include the specific information originally asked in the freedom of information request.
Pinehouse Mayor Mike Natomagan was not available for comment.