Term: Summer – 2023
Instructor: David McKie
Email: davidmckiec@gmail.com
Phone: 613-290-7380
Social Media: @mckiedavid
Office Hours: For the hour directly after class
Location: Zoom
Dates: June 6, 2023 to August 8, 2023
Day and time: Tuesdays 12:05-14:55 AT
Delivery Mode: synchronous on Zoom and possibily in-person for the second half of the course (but still recorded on Zoom)
|Course Schedule | Week one | Week two | Week three | Week four | Week five | Week six | Week seven | Week eight | Week nine | Week ten |Tutorials | Datasets |
Territorial Acknowledgement:
The University of King’s College is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. We are all Treaty people.
Course Description
The professional project is an online course in the summer months in which MJ students pitch a story and a research plan for their final professional project.
After sessions in which we cover the elements that comprise successful projects — such as newsworthiness, the development of central characters, the use of public records, incorporating elements of solutions journalism and accountability — students will work through the initial stages to research, write and produce their professional project outline, which will server as a blueprint for the next two terms.
In the summer term, students will select a project, conduct research that leads to a story and research plan under the supervision of David McKie.
In the fall term, students will continue with their projects based on their summer research, and receive further instruction in the development and writing of large journalistic projects. If you still need access to me for advice, that will be arranged.
In the winter term I will resume my supervision to complete the production with the aim of publishing their multimedia projects in the suitable media outlet.
Who I am:
I am an Ottawa-based, award-winning journalist who spent 26 years honing his skills at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as an investigative producer.
I am now the Canada’s National Observer’s deputy managing editor.
I teach at the schools of journalism at Carleton University, the University of King’s College, and Toronto Metropolitan University (formally known as Ryerson University), and have co-authored three journalism textbooks and two user guides on freedom-of-information laws and privacy, respectively.
In addition to my teaching, I’m a data-journalism trainer who has conducted workshops for the Canadian Association of Journalists, the U.S.-based National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, and the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations. I also continue to offer data-journalism training to the CBC.
I have a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton.
You can find more information about me on my online cv.
Learning Objectives
Building on the courses they have already taken, upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Assess topics that make good projects;
- Understand the elements of a successful project, including investigative; enterprise; explanatory;
- Develop a workflow and long-term strategy for gathering, characterizing and archiving the necessary material;
- How to evaluate what to keep and what to discard;
- How to evaluate multimedia elements to enhance your storytelling, including data-visualizations, mapping, and analyzing datasets;
- How to file formal and informal federal access-to-information and provincial freedom-of-information requests;
- Build on the public-record research techniques you have learned in previous classes.
Expected time commitment
You should expect to put in four to six sustained hours into this course weekly, but this is just an estimate. By sustained hours, we mean hours on task, not including breaks. How much time it takes will depend on your working habits and will also vary weekly with the content, hence the wide estimate. You’ll need to put in the time to develop a solid story pitch and detailed research plan, which will be the foundation of your work in the fall and winter.
Texts/Learning Materials
Vallance-Jones, Fred, David Mckie, (2016) The Data Journalist, Toronto: Oxford
University Press. The simplest way to obtain this book is to buy the e-book version
available at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-data-journalist-getting-the/9780199020089-item.html. You can view it in the free Kobo app on a smartphone,
tablet or your computer. You can also buy a physical copy of the book from the King’s
bookstore and from Amazon.
Another option is to order an electronic copy of The Data Journalist through the Carleton University bookstore’s website.
You will also need a copy of the third edition of Digging Deeper which can also be purchased online if you don’t already have one.
You may already have the textbooks for previous courses in the program.
Your Right To Know is a handy guide for making access-to-information requests. It provides a step-by-step process for filing requests using the correct methodology and wording.
Students must either subscribe to the digital version or own a
hard copy of the Canadian Press Stylebook 18th edition and Caps and Spelling 22nd
edition. (There are no assigned readings in the Stylebook, but marks will be deducted from
assignments for style errors.)
Students must have a computer and internet connection that is sufficient to attend classes
on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to use an ethernet (wired) connection to attend class. Students must have a mobile phone and they must have a recording device. (Your phone can be your recording device.) Students must also have a method of recording phone calls.
This is the Zoom link for both Tuesday classes, in addition to office hours:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85180177064?pwd=L3BBNUg1eERzOFZzQkIrZ0hYYkNJdz09
Brightspace and this website are the online platform where class material will be posted. Zoom is the platform for live classes and one-on-one meetings.
Course focus
Because you already possess knowledge from previous courses covering topics such as data and public records, we will review areas in which you need a refresher or further your knowledge through brief in-class discussions and tutorials.
The emphasis will be pitching a viable project, which means selecting a topic, public records that will need to be mined, access-to-information requests that will need to be filed, the strategic use of Statistics Canada and open-data sites and the key interviews that will need to be conducted and lined up.
The aim is set the students up to eventually produce a publishable piece of work using the appropriate format. Because that format is likely to be multimedia for a digital platform, you should also be thinking that elements such as audio and video clips, data visualizations such as bar charts and maps. For those needing extra help with these elements, instruction will be provided through synchronous or asynchronous tutorials.
Please note the minimum technical requirements for computers and software (Microsoft Excel, DataWrapper, Tableau, ArcGIS Online) that have been emphasized in previous courses hold true here.
Office Hours/Instructor Availability
I will make myself available after each class on Zoom. If you have questions outside this time period, we can communicate by email, or set up one-on-one Zoom sessions at convenient times. I’m based in Ottawa, but plan to be in Halifax from July 14-Aug. 21 and will try to arrange in-class sessions at King’s for those who can make it.
As the course progresses, and you make more progress with your project development, we may not need to meet formally for the during of the allotted times. However, I will still be available during those periods for one-on-one meetings.
Ground Rules/Protocol
This course is built to culminate in a viable pitch, or roadmap, which will guide your continued research in the fall, and work towards a final product in the winter. As noted above, the aim is to produce a publishable piece of work.
As such, you be expected to choose a newsworthy topic, either because it advances a well-known story by exploring an unexplained area, or a solution that has yet to be discussed, but perhaps should be.
For example, a story about the possible perils of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable or carbon-neutral sources of energy might explore unexplored challenges companies face through a deep dive into their financial records, lawsuits, lobbying activities, as well as government briefing notes and emailed correspondence obtained through federal and provincial access-to-information requests.
However, the pitch must go beyond identifying problems. Typically, projects have a solutions component. So, you will be encouraged to explore possible solutions by learning about success stories. Not to cheerlead, but to shed light on realistic paths to success that have a proven track record — warts and all.
So, the project might have elements that are investigative, explanatory and solutions-driven. We will study examples of projects that hit these marks, discuss how they succeeded and areas where they needed to improve.
Assessment
1. Assignment one – an assessment of how a project was done. Choose a project from a media outlet. Identify the public records the outlet used and the information they provided. Examples of public records would be briefing notes obtained through federal access-to-information or provincial freedom-of-information requests, annual reports, financial documents, databases and court records. Also identify the voices the journalist(s) consulted, including victims, experts, lawmakers; the use of multimedia elements. And identify at least two voices you believe should have also be consulted. Here, I’m looking for your take on how you might have done the story. You will be graded on your ability to not only identify the elements described above, but to assess their effectiveness. You will also be required to appraise the quality of the storytelling and its potential impact. What I’m looking for is your critical assessments, and not a simple, factual recitation of facts about the story. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
In taking into consideration the criteria mentioned above, you must answer the following questions:
- What is the story?
- Was the story easy to understand?
- What would be a central question this story seeks to answer?
- Was there a nutgraph, or a paragraph that summarizes the story’s focus; in other words, a paragraph that tells readers, listeners or viewers why they should care?
- Given the discussion about projects we’ve discussed, what makes this story project-worthy?
- What is the newsworthy element? This could be a brand new focus, or a new development on a long-standing story, such as racism or gun control.
- What records are used? Name and assess the value they added to the story?
- Who were the main characters?
- What multimedia elements were used and what value did they add to the story?
- Were all the interviews on-the-record? If interviewees were quoted anonymously, was their secrecy justified?
Keep the answers to these questions brief. No more than two or three sentences so the length comes in at about 600 words.
Word length: 600 (assignments 20 or more words above or below this mark will be lose half a grade)
Percentage of course mark: 10 per cent
Due date: June 19, midnight
2. Assignment two – completing a Watchdog: Storyboarding worksheet (developed by the Investigative Reporters and Editors). The worksheet contains questions, including the maximum and minimum stories you hope to tell; an inventory of the kinds of records you plan to obtain; whether the story has been pursued, and if so, what new elements will you introduce. You’ll be marked on the completeness of your answers to the questions, the quality of the records identified, and the newsworthiness of the story idea. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Percentage of course mark: 10 per cent
Due date: June 26, midnight
3. Assignment three – filing access-to-information requests. Not all of the records you’ll need will be publicly available, which means filing formal requests at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. You will be required to file at least five requests, preferably covering as many levels of government as possible. You’ll be marked on the precision and time frame of the wording based on the examples we have studied; the types of records you have requested; whether the requests have been directed to the correct department or agency; and whether you have been thorough in determining all the government institutions that should have been targeted. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down. All the requests MUST be in the same document, numbered under three headings: “Federal request(s)”, “Provincial request(s)”, and “Municipal request(s)”. I will only accept this format. Here’s an example.
Percentage of course mark: 10 per cent.
Due date: July 6, midnight
4. Assignment four — project assessment. You will be required to provide a critical appraisal of your progress so far, including areas in which you have made substantial progress, and areas where you have not. Strategically, this assignment comes at about the halfway point in the course to establish as clear a roadmap as possible that might require tweaking your focus or changing it substantially from the worksheet you competed for the second assignment.
You will be evaluated on the depth and honesty of your assessment, which may be a rationale for switching directions based on the criteria we have established in the previous weeks. Making a slight change, or a more drastic switch IS NOT a sign of weakness and will not be penalized or marked down. Rather, a tweak or change of direction can be evidence of the critical thinking needed to assess a project’s strengths and areas that need to be shored up. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 600
Percentage of course mark: 20 per cent
Due date: July 20, midnight
5. Assignment five- draft pitch: This pitch is based on the information you’ve been able to assemble thus far. The pitch must be no longer than 200 words, with the following sections: A draft lead; a nutgraph summarizing your findings and explaining what is new; a description of the public records you will be using; the voices you’ll be consulting and the multimedia elements you’ll be using. I’ll be looking for evidence of lessons learned from the previous project assessment assignment, which includes building on weaknesses that had been identified, resulting in a narrower, sharper focus. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 200
Percentage of course mark: 20 per cent
Due date: August 3, midnight
6. Assignment six – final pitch: Ideally, this will be the road map used to guide your work for the following two terms. This pitch should be similar length to the previous assignment and contain the same sections. It’s important to keep pitches brief and to the point. Editors and producers do not like wading through pitches that go on for pages. Get to the point right away.
Unlike the previous assignment, the lead and nutgraph must be sharper, more precise, and based on the additional information you’ve obtained as you continued to research. Here, what I’m looking for is evidence of progress that answers questions such as:
What additional records have you obtained?
Have you received any access-to-information request responses, followed-up with amended wording to ensure success and avoid delays, sent new requests, mined proactively released requests, obtained Statistics Canada tables, or asked for the kinds of custom tabulations we will have discussed?
Have you identified central characters, additional experts who can shed new light on your topic?
And how has this additional information influenced the multimedia elements you’ll be using?
In short, the final pitch MUST show clear evidence of progress from the previous assignment. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 600
Percentage of course mark: 20 per cent
Due date: August 22, midnight
Professionalism: This mark will be based on your attendance, responding quickly to emailed queries, participation in group discussion and overall conduct. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Percentage of course mark: 10 per cent
Submission of Assignments
All assignments must be emailed to me in Word or Google doc format.
Deadlines & Late Penalties
Assignments are marked down one grade step each day past deadline and receive a zero if filed more than 72 hours past the original deadline. (An excellent assignment filed before a 9 a.m. Monday deadline would receive an A+. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Monday would receive an A. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Tuesday would receive an A-. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Wednesday would receive a B+. The assignment would receive an F and zero points if filed after 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Sometimes life gets in the way of assignments. If you have a personal situation that interferes with your school responsibilities, please contact me immediately, and in all cases before the deadline has passed. In general, extensions will only be granted for serious issues that are beyond a student’s control, but each situation is different and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Details and Grading
Each assignment has a rubric that will be used for grading. You are encouraged to review the grading rubric before beginning each assignment.
Absences
Student who are absent for up to three consecutive calendar days and miss a graded assignment must contact the course instructor in advance of the date of the academic requirement. They must then complete and submit a Student Declaration of Absence Form (Journalism) to the instructor via email or through Brightspace no later than three calendar days after the last day of the absence.
For absences of more than three consecutive days, student should follow the same procedure and contact their course instructor within five calendar days after the last day of the absence. Documentation from an on-campus or other health care professional is required to support a long-term absence and should describe how the medical condition affects the student’s ability to fulfill academic requirements.
Student experiencing longer-term absences, or more than two short-term absences, are encouraged to meet with the journalism school’s undergraduate or graduate coordinator, or the school director.
Grade Scale
| Grade | Grade Point Value | % | Definition |
| A+ | 4.30 | 90-100 | Excellent and above expectations |
| A | 4.00 | 85-89 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.70 | 80-84 | Very good |
| B+ | 3.30 | 77-79 | Good |
| B | 3.00 | 73-76 | Decent effort but needs improvement. |
| B- | 2.70 | 70-72 | Below expectations. |
| F | 0.00 | 0-69 | Fail |
| INC | 0.00 | Incomplete | |
| ILL | Neutral and no credit obtained | Compassionate reasons, illness |
Rubrics
Grading rubric for assignment one: an assessment of a media outlet’s project
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| Research and understanding (33.33%) | Has a clear understanding of the story’s focus and is able to identify the major players. | Has a good, general understanding of the story and its main characters, but has some gaps in the explanation. | Has a poor understanding of the story and its focus and is unable to explain it clearly. |
| Analysis and thinking (33.33%) | Shows an excellent understanding of the types of records that were used and whether they were employed effectively. | Shows a good understanding of the types of records used and whether they were employed effectively. | Shows a poor understanding of the types of records used and whether they were employed effectively. |
| Writing and presentation (33.33%) | Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Follows CP style. | Writing is generally sound, but may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style. F: misspelled name |
Grading rubric for second assignment: Completing a Watchdog: Storyboarding worksheet
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| Quality of the story idea (33.3%) | It is a brand new story or novel treatment of a well-known story. | It contains some new elements, but needs work. | Focus is old, irrelevant or unclear. |
| The quality of the records (33.3%) | The public records shed new light on the story and advance our knowledge and will be an integral part of the story. | The records cover some new ground and can be used sparingly. | The records are of little to no use. |
| The quality of the multimedia elements. (33.3%) | The multimedia elements add value to the public records in the story you are pitching because they are up to date, and provide a level of detail not contained in the records. | The elements provide valued-added content, but mostly are repetitions of what we already know in the proposed story. | The elements are unclear and provide no new information. |
Grading rubric for assignment three: filing access-to-information requests
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| Filing of a federal request (33.3%) | Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least two requests at this level. | Has done the legwork, but has only filed one request. | Has done the legwork, but neglected to file a request. |
| Filing at the provincial level (33.3%) | Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least two requests at this level. | Has done the legwork, but has only filed one request. | Has done the legwork, but neglected to file a request. |
| Filing af the municipal level (33.3%) | Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least one request at this level. | Has conducted the legwork necessary and shows evidence that a request will be filed. | Has conducted some research and has not demonstrated a request has been filed. |
Grading rubric for assignment four: project assessment
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| News judgment and focus (25%) | Shows a solid understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up. | Shows a decent understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up | Shows a poor understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up |
| Research and context (25%) | You have identified the records and assessed how they were used to shed new light on the subject. | You have identified the records but failed to explain how they helped to advance the story. | Have identified very few of the records and were unable to assess how they advanced the story. |
| An assessment of your progress (25%) | You have mapped out a plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. | You have not mapped out a complete plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. | You have not mapped out a plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. |
| (25%) | Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Generally follows CP style. | Writing is generally sound, but the assignment may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style. |
Grading rubric for assignment five: draft pitch
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| Quality of your assessment (25%) | Does an excellent job of identifying the strengths and weaknesses and areas and creating a viable to-do list to acquire the missing elements for the final pitch. | Does a decent job of identifying the project’s strengths, but struggles to assess weaknesses and identify areas for improvement. | Is unable to identify the strengths and weaknesses and areas that need improving. |
| Research and context (25%) | Has done an excellent job of digging up records such as court documents, datasets and corporate filings and has almost everything the story needs. Has shown evidence of follow-up from the previous assignment. | Has done a decent job of finding public records, but still needs to locate a substantial number of resources. Has shown some evidence of follow-up from previous assignment. | Has done little background research and has very few records. Has shown no evidence of follow-up from previous assignment. |
| Access to information (25%) | Has shown evidence of following up on the requests (through contacting the ATIP offices to assess progress, for instance) once the acknowledgement letters have been received. | Has filed the initial requests, but showed little evidence of follow-up to track their progress. | Has yet to file all the requests and showed no evidence of follow-up. |
| Professionalism and safety (25%) | Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Generally follows CP style. | Writing is generally sound, but pitch may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style. |
Grading rubric for assignment six: final pitch
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| News judgment and originality (25%) | Story idea is original and/or brings something new to an ongoing discussion. Clear and ideal focus (ie. timely, newsworthy, interesting). | Story idea is acceptable but does not make clear what is original or new. May have been covered by national or international media, but is new to a local audience. Focus may be a bit unclear. | Story idea lacks depth or freshness or understanding of the assigned task. May have been covered by other local media and offers no fresh angle. Unfocused or doesn’t identify the best angle or focus. |
| Research and context (25%) | Relevant and authoritative statistics and background info. Identifies diverse human, document/data sources. Clear and strong connection between research and story idea, and solid evidence of a research plan. | Some statistics, background info, and discovered facts but not fully developed and/or not entirely relevant or authoritative. Predictable human, document/data sources. Generally, research supports story idea. | Few statistics, little background info, and/or discovered facts. Human/data sources are irrelevant or not ideal. None or little explanation of relevance or research to support story idea, and no evidence of a research plan. |
| Multimedia (25%) | Clear and creative possibilities. Clearly tied to story focus. Shows significant effort. | Predictable possibilities. Tied to story focus, but may not be ideal or creative. Shows some effort. | Suggestions may be ill-suited to story focus. Minimum effort. |
| Professionalism and safety (25%) | Timeline is clear and achievable. Clear and suitable description of safety protocols. Shows deep understanding of the rigours and demands of reporting work. | Timeline is generally achievable, but needs a minor tweak. Description of safety protocols may lack a key element and/or one element is ill-suited. Overall, shows an adequate understanding of reporting work. | Timeline is off or unachievable. Unclear description of safety protocols and/or protocols irrelevant or not well-developed. Overall, shows a lack of understanding of the rigours of reporting work. |
Grading rubric for professionalism
| Excellent (A- to A+) | Good (B- to B+) | Below expectations (C+ and below) | |
| Attendance and participation (33.3%) | Attends all scheduled classes. | Attends 75 per cent of scheduled classes. | Attends less than 50 per cent of scheduled classes. |
| Workflow (33.3%) | Completes ALL the assigned workflow questionnaires and the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. | Completes 70 per cent of the assigned workflow questionnaires and the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. | Completes less than 50 per cent of the assigned workflow questionnaires and none of the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. |
| Participation and overall conduct (33.3%) | Participates fully in discussions, is respectful of classmates opinions and responds promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. | Participates in some discussions, is respectful of classmates opinions and fails to respond promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. | Participates in few discussions, is disrespectful of classmates opinions and fails to respond promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. |
Course Schedule (TOP)
June 6: a. Discussion of course; b. answering questions on the syllabus; c. discussing assignments; d. general discussion about projects, elements of a succcessful project.
June 13: a. Continue discussion about projects and elements the successful ones contain; b.discussion of the project-assessment assignment; c. strategies for finding the most appropriate public records; d. an in-depth examination of key public records such as government reports; e. Presentation by the Globe and Mail’s Grant Robertson about his Hockey Canada investigation.
June 20: a. Finding stories: Examples of stories that have used access-to-information; b.
Learning the law: What basic knowledge do you need to file a request;
c. Filing requests: We will review examples of successful request have yielded records, and then begin writing our own requests. We will use follow-up one-on-one sessions to complete the requests.
June 27: a. The workflow for conducting successful access-to-information requests; b.
How to craft a request.
July 4: a. Feedback on the first two assignments; b. Continuation of access to information and discussion of assignment; c. Finding and navigating Statistics Canada tables;
July 11: a. Feedback on ATI assignment; b. How to mine public accounts; b. How to find and mine government open-data portals
July 18: a. Continuation of public records discussion.
July 25: a. Review the project assessment assignment and discuss the draft pitch; b. Review access-to-information requests; c. Data visualizations: best practices; c. Downloading Statistics Canada unemployment and industrial sector data and creating pivot tables; d. Importing the data into Tableau; e. Introduction to Facebook’s ad library data.
Aug. 1: a. A continuation of data-visualizations;
Aug 6: a. Assignment postmortem; b. Individual assessment of progress with projects and lessons we can all learn; c. Discussion of final pitch; d. Postmortem.
Week One (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoF92bfcNDA
What we will cover:
Discussion of course;
Answering questions on the syllabus;
Discussing assignments;
General discussion about projects, elements of a succcessful project.
Links:
How Hockey Canada used registration fees to build a fund to cover sexual-assault claims
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hockey-canada-finances-funding-assets/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/topics/hockey-canada/
How Hockey Canada used registration fees to build a fund to cover sexual-assault claims.pdf
Behind the story: How The Globe uncovered Hockey Canada’s use of player registration fees in sexual-assault settlements
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hockey-canada-fund-investigation-backstory/
Hockey Canada investigation backstory.pdf
Luring, grooming, trafficking: How victims of human trafficking in Canada are created and why it goes undiscovered
https://signalhfx.ca/luring-grooming-trafficking/
The kids’ politics are all right: What young Canadians care about and how to reach them
https://signalhfx.ca/the-kids-politics-are-all-right-what-young-canadians-care-about-and-how-to-reach-them/
The Affordability Crisis: Can young people afford to live in Halifax?
https://signalhfx.ca/the-affordability-crisis-can-young-people-afford-to-live-in-halifax/
Surviving Hate (Canada’s National Observer)
https://www.nationalobserver.com/special-reports/surviving-hate
Advocacy, community groups track hate in Canada when law enforcement fails us
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/03/10/investigations/tracking-hate-crime-incidents-canada
The hidden hate on campus: We tracked incidents at colleges and universities and found a growing problem
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2023/03/10/the-hidden-hate-on-campus-we-tracked-incidents-at-colleges-and-universities-and-found-a-growing-problem.html
‘Staggering’ number of Ontario emergency department closures revealed by Star analysis
https://bit.ly/3OYkDww
The death of an Ontario ER: Anger, tears — and worries for what a cottage-country closure means for the future of emergency care
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/06/03/the-death-of-an-ontario-er-anger-tears-and-worries-for-what-a-cottage-country-closure-means-for-the-future-of-emergency-care.html
Week Two (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jROBcfc04F8
What we will cover:
The Globe and Mail’s Grant Robertson addresses the class about his Hockey Canada investigation;
Continue discussion about projects and elements the successful ones contain;
Discussion of the project-assessment assignment;
Strategies for finding the most appropriate public records;
An in-depth examination of key public records such as government reports;
Presentation by the Globe and Mail’s Grant Robertson about his Hockey Canada investigation.
Links:
2022-23 Annual Report: On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Access to Information Act, chronic issues continue to plague the system
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/2022-23-annual-report-on-the-eve-of-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-access-to-information-act-chronic-issues-continue-to-plague-the-system-872540222.html
How Canada’s FOI system broke under its own weigh
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canada-freedom-of-information-laws/
It’s your right to know – a freedom of information project from The Globe and Mail
https://www.secretcanada.com/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtW2eb7guyu/
Alberta’s refusal to share FOI data highlights gaps in access to information
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-alberta-foi-requests-refusal/
Federal bonuses total 1.3 billion since 2015_ATIP request.pdf
Information about programs and holdings
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information/information-about-programs-information-holdings/sources-federal-government-employee-information.html
Information about programs and holdings
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information/information-about-programs-information-holdings/sources-federal-government-employee-information.html
Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/
Library and Archives Canada
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx
Virtual Reference Library
https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/digital-archive/
Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources portal
https://parl.canadiana.ca/
House of Commons Publication Search for journals (from 2001 to present)
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?PubType=203
Status of House Business — Part 111
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/house/status-business/page-12
Public Search Tool for Journals
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?PubType=203
House Publications
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/house/sitting-58/hansard
Historical parliamentary debates
http://parl.canadiana.ca/
https://www.lipad.ca/
‘Vindication’: Canada’s Environment Ministry marks 50 years of conservation efforts
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/06/01/opinion/canadas-environment-ministry-marks-50-years-conservation-efforts
PARLINFO
https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA
Early Canadiana
http://online.canadiana.ca/
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/home
Week Three (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLSAhmFLBPg
What we will cover:
Finding stories: Examples of stories that have used access-to-information;
Learning the law: What basic knowledge do you need to file a request;
Filing requests: We will review examples of successful request have yielded records, and then begin writing our own requests. We will use follow-up one-on-one sessions to complete the requests.
Links:
The Globe and Mail and The Eastern Graphic win CJF Jackman Awards for Excellence in Journalism
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-globe-and-mail-and-the-eastern-graphic-win-cjf-jackman-awards-for-excellence-in-journalism-831817656.html
Michener Award recognizes powerful investigations into Residential School funds and Hockey Canada mismanagement in joint ceremony honoring public service journalism
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/michener-award-recognizes-powerful-investigations-into-residential-school-funds-and-hockey-canada-mismanagement-in-joint-ceremony-honoring-public-service-journalism-864134022.html#:~:text=The%20winner%20for%202022%20is,very%20best%20in%20Canadian%20journalism.
INVESTIGATION: Suncor helped write ‘first draft’ of Canadian plan for tackling carbon emissions
https://thenarwhal.ca/suncor-carbon-capture-storage-strategy/
Informal release of BN re Suncor meeting_A-2022-00388
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23846401-natural-resources-canada-june-9-2023-informal-release-of-bn-re-suncor-meeting_a-2022-00388
How Canada’s FOI system broke under its own weigh
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canada-freedom-of-information-laws/
https://www.secretcanada.com/foi-guides-and-resources
The long takeoff of skyrocketing food prices
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-grocery-prices-are-skyrocketing-because-we-ignored-their-long-takeoff/?login=true
Question Period Notes
https://bit.ly/3wVpFOo
Completed Access to Information Requests
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati
Search Briefing Note Titles and Numbers
https://bit.ly/3vSujN0
Make an access to information or personal information request
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information/request-information.html
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/apps/coords/index-eng.asp
Information about programs and holdings
https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/hgw-cgf/oversight-surveillance/atip-aiprp/ai/sfgei-srgfff-eng.asp#A
Access to Information: general info
https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/hgw-cgf/oversight-surveillance/atip-aiprp/ai/index-eng.asp
Access to Information request forms
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/350-57_e.asp
Epost Connect
https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/business/postal-services/digital-mail/epost-connect.page
PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES
Alberta
http://www.servicealberta.ca/foip/
British Columbia
Main: http://www.gov.bc.ca/citz/iao/foi/
Completed requests:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/search?id=4BAD1D13C68243D1960FECBBF7B8B091
Manitoba
Main: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/fippa/
Completed requests: https://www.manitoba.ca/openmb/infomb/fippa.html
Proactive disclosure:
https://www.manitoba.ca/openmb/index.html
https://manitoba.ca/openmb/infomb/departments/index.html
New Brunswick
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/finance/office_of_the_chief_information_officer/content/rti.html
Newfoundland and Labrador
Main: http://www.atipp.gov.nl.ca/info/accessrequestform.html
Completed requests: http://atipp-search.gov.nl.ca/
Northwest Territories
https://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/access-to-information-held-by-public-bodies/
Nova Scotia
Info: http://novascotia.ca/is/programs-and-services/information-access-and-privacy.asp
File a request online: https://iaprequest.novascotia.ca/
Completed requests: https://beta.novascotia.ca/search-previously-released-information-freedom-information-and-protection-privacy-foipop-request
The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia
http://www.nsrighttoknow.ca/
Nunavut
http://www.gov.nu.ca/eia/information/how-place-atipp-request
Ontario
https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-make-freedom-information-request
Prince Edward Island
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/justice-and-public-safety/freedom-information-and-protection-privacy-foipp
Quebec
Main: http://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/english/
Yukon
Main: http://www.atipp.gov.yk.ca/
Completed requests: https://open.yukon.ca/data/sites/default/files/20200800-Release.pdf
CITIES
Calgary
https://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Pages/Information-Access-Privacy/FOIP-request.aspx
Information disclosure: https://www.calgary.ca/ca/city-clerks/legislative-services/confidential-information-release.html
Edmonton
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/freedom-of-information-and-privacy.aspx
Fredericton
http://www.fredericton.ca/en/right-to-information-and-protection-of-privacy
Halifax Regional Municipality http://www.halifax.ca/AccessPrivacy/index.php
Completed requests: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/accountability-transparency/access-information/completed-requests
Hamilton
http://www.hamilton.ca/CityDepartments/CorporateServices/Clerks/MFIPPA_adn_PHIPA.htm
Moncton
https://www.moncton.ca/my-govt-work/right-information-and-protection-privacy-act
Montreal
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5798,39687582&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Ottawa
Main: http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/your-city-government/access-information-and-privacy
Completed requests: https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/accountability-and-transparency/accountability-framework/freedom-information-and-protection-privacy/disclosure-mfippa-requests
Regina
Main: https://www.regina.ca/city-government/administration/office-of-the-city-clerk/#outline-access-to-information-and-protection-of-privacy
Completed requests: http://open.regina.ca/group/freedom-of-information
Saskatoon
https://www.saskatoon.ca/city-hall/send-comments-concerns-city/freedom-information
Completed requests: https://open.toronto.ca/dataset/freedom-of-information-requests-summary/
Vancouver
Main: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/foi/index.htm
Completed requests: http://vancouver.ca/your-government/information-released-through-foi-requests-this-year.aspx
Winnipeg
Main: http://winnipeg.ca/clerks/fippa/
Completed requests: http://winnipeg.ca/clerks/fippa/AccessToInfo.stm
COMPLETED ACCESS REQUESTS
Federal
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati
CBC
https://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/impact-and-accountability/access-to-information/list-of-ati-requests-processed-by-cbc-radio-canada
British Columbia
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/search?id=4BAD1D13C68243D1960FECBBF7B8B091
Vancouver
http://vancouver.ca/your-government/information-released-through-foi-requests-this-year.aspx
Manitoba
https://www.manitoba.ca/openmb/infomb/departments.html
https://www.manitoba.ca/openmb/infomb/fippa.html
Winnipeg
http://winnipeg.ca/clerks/fippa/AccessToInfo.stm#1
Regina (Note: not all are freedom-of-information responses)
http://open.regina.ca/group/freedom-of-information
Nova Scotia
https://informationaccess.novascotia.ca/
Halifax
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/accountability-transparency/access-information/completed-requests
Newfoundland
http://atipp-search.gov.nl.ca/
Yukon
https://open.yukon.ca/data/sites/default/files/20200800-Release.pdf
A shopping list of key records
20 records you can get using the federal Access to Information Act
1. RECORD: Ministerial briefing notes. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All briefing notes prepared specifically to help the new minister become acquainted with his/her new portfolio. HINT: Make this request a week or two after a new cabinet is named. RESULT: Yields wide range of information about a department’s plans/activities.
2. RECORD: Expense claims. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Receipts, invoices and guest lists detailing travel and hospitality expenses claimed by a deputy minister or other senior bureaucrat that are more detailed than the ones you’ll find in the information federal institutions are obliged to file on line. HINT: Limit request to no more than one year’s worth of claims.RESULT: Can reveal spending habits and establish dates of key meetings, dealings. Remember former federal heritage minister Bev Oda’s $16-dollar glass of orange juice!
3. RECORD: Correspondence. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Correspondence with a minister or agency head on a topic of interest. HINT: Frame request narrowly. For instance, exclude letters from the public if you do not require them. RESULT: Can uncover letters from provincial premiers, lobby groups.
4. RECORD: House cards. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All cards prepared for the minister in the House of Commons on a specific issue. HINT: Watch headlines, Commons debates for ideas. RESULT: Often contain much more detail, background than revealed in Question Period.
5. RECORD: Material on possible legislation. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: Records concerning possible legislation or other initiatives on a given issue. HINT: Limit request to cover the last year to ensure currency of material. RESULT: Provides insight into initiatives that might be in pipeline, and reasons why the initiatives might (or might not) proceed.
6. RECORD: Meeting minutes. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Minutes from the two most recent meetings of a specific committee. HINT: Make calls to find out meeting schedules and whether minutes are kept. RESULT: Can aid in understanding internal policy debates and decisions.
7. RECORD: Audits. DEPARTMENT: All departments, most agencies. ASK FOR: Audits and evaluations completed by or for the department/agency on specific subjects in the last year. HINT: Ask department informally for list of audits conducted in the last year. RESULT: Audits often reveal shortcomings in programs, policies.
8. RECORD: Polls. DEPARTMENT: All departments, but especially Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Polls conducted for the department on a given subject. HINT: Some (but not all) polls are released informally. RESULT: Can reveal public attitudes towards government policies.
9. RECORD: Contract information. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: A copy of the contract for a specific project such as the federal government’s beleaguered Phoenix pay system. HINT: Public Services and Procurement Canada administers many contracts, including Phoenix. RESULT: Reveals details of financial arrangements with private companies.
10. RECORD: Responses to discussion papers. DEPARTMENT: Any department that publishes consultation/discussion paper. ASK FOR:Copies of all submissions in response to the department’s paper. HINT: Put in request just after cut-off date for submissions. Only narrow request if certain submissions are required. RESULT: Reveals views of wide cross-section of groups on pressing issues.
11. RECORD: Contracted studies. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Specific studies, research conducted for PCO. HINT: Ask informally for list of studies, which is updated regularly. RESULT: Yields advice prepared for government on unity, security, parliamentary affairs and other key issues.
12. RECORD: 20-year-old cabinet documents. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Cabinet records on a specific issue. HINT:Check almanac for noteworthy past events. RESULT: Meeting minutes reveal thinking of ministers on issues. (Cabinet documents routinely become public only after 30 years).
13. RECORD: Prime Minister’s email. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: E-mail sent to the Prime Minister by visitors to his website. HINT: Limit request to a one-week period. RESULT: Names of correspondents are deleted, but letters yield an interesting mix of feedback, including light-hearted, angry and thoughtful correspondence.
14. RECORD: Criminal intelligence briefs. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Criminal intelligence briefs prepared during the last six months. HINT:Make time-frame the last couple of years if you are seeking a brief on a specific subject. RESULT: Briefs cover issues such as aboriginal militancy, drug trade and smuggling.
15. RECORD: Incident reports. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Incident report on a specific event. HINT: Broaden request to include other records if incident is a prolonged one, such as a standoff. RESULT: Can help explain police decision-making.
16. RECORD: Lessons learned. DEPARTMENT: National Defence. ASK FOR: “Lessons learned” from major military missions. HINT: Wait a month or two after mission is complete. RESULT: Provides evaluation of peacekeeping tours and other assignments.
17. RECORD: UFO reports. DEPARTMENT: Transport. ASK FOR: Reports of unidentified flying objects filed by the public. HINT: UFO reports are also often filed with Defence and RCMP. RESULT: Names of people who make reports are deleted, but other details can be released.
18. RECORD: Observer reports. DEPARTMENT: Fisheries. ASK FOR: Observer reports prepared for the department. HINTS: Limit request to specific geographic area and time frame. RESULTS: Can provide details about operations of foreign vessels.
19. RECORD: SIRC reports. AGENCY: Security Intelligence Review Committee. ASK FOR: Specific reports prepared by committee on CSIS activities. HINT: Reports are listed in back of committee’s annual report. RESULT: Reports, though heavily edited, provide check on spy agency CSIS.
20. RECORD: CRTC debriefing notes. AGENCY: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. ASK FOR: Debriefing notes prepared in connection with a specific licensing hearing. HINT: Make request shortly after licence decision is made. RESULT: Can provide behind-the-scenes reasoning on why TV, radio licences are granted or denied.
Click here to see an example of an access-to-information request.
Ten ways to improve your searches
1. Look to the headlines for ideas.
2. Check the relevant federal websites for forms, contacts, info on departmental holdings.
3. Call the access co-ordinator before making your request.
4. Call the co-ordinator after submitting your request.
5. Make similar requests to more than one department, agency or government.
6. Keep a photocopy or scan of each request and attach all return correspondence.
7. Negotiate with departments, agencies or governments.
8. Be persistent. If necessary, complain.
9. Read and re-read the records you receive carefully.
10. Don’t get discouraged.
Resource: Dean Beeby’s access-to-information tipsheet.pdf
Week Four (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UafQ_o-8Fm8
What we will cover:
Feedback on the first assignment;
The workflow for conducting successful access-to-information requests;
How to craft a request.
Links:
Stories:
‘Staggering’ number of Ontario emergency department closures revealed by Star analysis
https://bit.ly/3CG0jZI
Here’s who lives in your city’s worst heat islands
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/2022/07/ilots-chaleur-villes-inegalites-injustice-changements-climatiques/en
INVESTIGATION: One fish, two fish, red fish, dead fish? Feds fail to disclose Coastal GasLink data on salmon eggs, habitat
https://thenarwhal.ca/coastal-gaslink-salmon-egg-data/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23860767-dfo-atip-internal-comms-data
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23860773-dfo-atip-internal-comms-monitoring
Canada significantly undercounts maternal deaths, and doctors are sounding the alarm
https://bit.ly/3Jw4yLb
Report Details ‘Systemic’ Abuse of Players in Women’s Soccer
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/sports/soccer/us-soccer-abuse-nwsl.html
EXCLUSIVE: Quebec housing minister lobbied by real-estate business partner
https://ricochet.media/en/3966/exclusive-quebec-housing-minister-lobbied-by-real-estate-business-partner
Report Details ‘Systemic’ Abuse of Players in Women’s Soccer
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23861861-report-details-systemic-abuse-of-players-in-womens-soccer
Is Canada ready to meet its ‘aggressive’ electric vehicle mandate by 2026?
https://bit.ly/46oTYzd
The nut graf tells the reader what the writer is up to
https://www.poynter.org/archive/2003/the-nut-graf-part-i/
N.B. child protection system accused of failing kids
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15993628-the-aftermath-intense-weekend-russia-n.b.-child-protection
Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/
Patient’s death in hospital with no doctor available calls attention to Nova Scotia’s staffing crisis
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-nova-scotia-patient-doctor-death/
Rent in NOTL now almost $175 more than Ontario’s average, new data finds
https://niagaranow.com/news.phtml/rent-in-notl-now-almost-175-more-than-ontarios-average-new-data-finds/
https://www.rentalhousingindex.ca/en/#intro
Larger investors dominate condo ownership in smaller cities in Ontario and B.C.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-large-investors-condo-ownership-ontario-bc/
Larger investors dominate condo ownership in smaller cities in Ontario and B.C.pdf
Nova Scotia’s freedom of information system understaffed, lacks power, watchdog says
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-nova-scotia-foi-system/
Nova Scotia freedom of information system understaffed, lacks power, watchdog says.pdf
Beijing may have tried to discourage Canadians from voting Conservative: federal unit
https://www.richmond-news.com/national-news/beijing-may-have-tried-to-discourage-canadians-from-voting-conservative-federal-unit-5509644
Research reports and analyses produced by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada in 2021
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati/reference/704df80f3a8e9259f01aff2505b52609
Informal release of Research by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada in 2021_A-2021-00824.pdf
http://www.davidmckie.com/Informal release of Research by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada in 2021_A-2021-00824.pdf
Tom Cardoso’s FOIs and data journalism
https://github.com/tomcardoso/foi-data-journalism
Tom Cardoso’s FOI tracking Google sheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dKy_NL2X_u6IQhBPAy7ZFvvqYcvi5m3G4u8bB3P-hpc/edit#gid=0
Man seeking historical records told it would cost feds $21 million to process request
https://www.thestar.com/politics/2022/06/03/man-seeking-historical-records-told-it-would-cost-feds-21-million-to-process-request.html
From private emails to Post-it Notes: How politicians avoid scrutiny
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-information/private-emails-post-it-notes-how-politicians-avoid-scrutiny/
The finalists in the Canadian Association of Journalists FREEDOM OF INFORMATION JOURNALISM:
Brittany Guyot, Kathleen Martens
Surviving Day Schools
APTN News
Nick Murray
Violence in Nunavut Schools
CBC News – North (Nunavut)
Scott Anderson, Bob McKeown, Rachel Ward
The Vaccine
CBC The Fifth Estate
Anna McKenzie, Bayleigh Marelj, Brielle Morgan, Tessa Vikander, Lindsay Sample
B.C. ministry warned birth alerts illegal and unconstitutional
IndigiNews
Rachel Mendleson, Andrew Bailey, Jennifer Yang
Internal government documents show how Ontario ‘watered down’ its strategies to keep COVID-19 out of classrooms
Toronto Star
Week Five (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpPDX6jbQOc
What we will cover:
Feedback on the second assignment;
Continuation of access to information and discussion of assignment;
Finding and navigating Statistics Canada tables;
Links:
Corrections head questioned how Mendicino was kept in dark over Bernardo transfer
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-corrections-head-questioned-how-mendicino-was-kept-in-dark-over/
Corrections head questioned how Mendicino was kept in dark over Bernardo transfer.pdf
Google Alerts
https://bit.ly/3DhXRch
Building an Ecosystem to Realize Children’s Rights and Support Family Well Being in Nova Scotia
Searchable Database of Decisions of the Courts of Nova Scotia
https://decisia.lexum.com/nsc/nssc/en/item/521121/index.do?q=green+v+green
Budget documents archive
https://beta.novascotia.ca/budget-documents-archive
Nova Scotia Child Welfare in Crisis page 1 Nova Scotia Child Welfare in Crisis: A Shared Perspective
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23866845-nova-scotia-child-welfare-in-crisis-barkley-wright
Province’s first Mi’kmaw Child Welfare Specialist
https://novascotia.ca/coms/stories/natalie-doucette.asp
Governor in Council and Ministerial Appointments
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/trnstn-bndrs/20220223/006/index-en.aspx
Orders In Council – Search
https://orders-in-council.canada.ca/index.php?lang=en
Public Safety Canada — “transparency” page
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/index-en.aspx
Statistics Canada’s data tables
How to use the data tables
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/sc/video/howto
Canadian and international tuition fees by level of study (current dollars)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=3710004501
Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410028701
Employment by industry, monthly, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, and trend-cycle, last 5 months
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410035501
Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-20-0001/142000012018001-eng.htm
International trade monthly interactive dashboard
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2020013-eng.htm
International merchandise trade by province, commodity, and Principal Trading Partners (x 1,000)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1210011901
Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2021004-eng.htm
Estimates of the components of interprovincial migration, quarterly
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710002001
Estimates of interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination, quarterly
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710004501
Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, monthly, growth rates (x 1,000,000)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610043402
Census release schedule
https://census.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/prodserv/release-diffusion-eng.cfm
Census Program Data Viewer
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/dv-vd/cpdv-vdpr/index-eng.cfm
2021 Census – Boundary files
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/geo/sip-pis/boundary-limites/index2021-eng.cfm?year=21
Census product feedback
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/contact/feedback/census-data?pid=98-507-X2021001
2016 Census – Boundary files
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/geo/bound-limit/bound-limit-2016-eng.cfm
Week Six (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVwqcVbY3DU
What we will cover:
Feedback on ATI assignment;
How to find and mine government open-data portals;
Reminder that the remaining classes will be in-person.
Links:
Cash Cows: Foreign student recruitment crisis at Canadian universities | W5 INVESTIGATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzxOAqH-pkc
‘We had no choice’: The inside story of how Doug Ford finally blinked and spent billions of dollars to save an EV battery plant in Ontario
https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/07/06/we-had-no-choice-the-inside-story-of-how-doug-ford-finally-blinked-and-spent-billions-of-dollars-to-save-an-ev-battery-plant-in-ontario.html
INVESTIGATION: Oilsands giants pushed feds to delay and weaken emissions cap rules
https://thenarwhal.ca/pathways-alliance-emissions-cap/
Canadian politics: Alberta sunshine list reveals taxpayers paid millions to fire top health officials during COVID
https://bit.ly/3raDcnr
Alberta – Salary and severance disclosure table
https://www.alberta.ca/salary-and-severance-disclosure-table.aspx
Alberta Health Services
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/about/page13093.aspx
Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/
The federal Access to Information Act
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information-act.html
Information about programs and holdings
https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/hgw-cgf/oversight-surveillance/atip-aiprp/ai/sfgei-srgfff-eng.asp#A
Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/
Parliament
Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources portal
https://parl.canadiana.ca/
House of Commons Publication Search for journals (from 2001 to present)
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?PubType=203
Status of House Business — Part 111
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/house/status-business/page-12
Public Search Tool for Journals
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?PubType=203
House Publications
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/house/sitting-58/hansard
Historical parliamentary debates
http://parl.canadiana.ca/
https://www.lipad.ca/
PARLINFO
https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA
Early Canadiana
http://online.canadiana.ca/
Week Seven (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M6Fd5hYv8g
What we will cover:
Project updates;
Discussion of the next pitch;
Continuation of open-data portals and public records discussion;
How to mine public accounts.
Links:
How can Canada fix its FOI systems? Norway, Mexico and others may offer solutions
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-freedom-of-information-solutions/
Indebted: The growing weight of Canada’s education system is crushing international students
https://signalhfx.ca/indebted-the-growing-weight-of-canadas-education-system-is-crushing-international-students/
Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/
Federal Public Accounts
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/350b4f13-d84a-4e94-b221-1109dc00ab39
Federal Public Accounts – PDF format
https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/201/301/public_accounts_can/pdf/index.html
Federal Public Accounts – Volume one
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23307715-2022-vol1-eng
Federal Public Accounts – Volume two
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23307717-2022-vol2-eng
Federal Public Accounts – Volume three
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23307718-2022-vol3-eng
Revenues, expenses and accumulated deficit, as per the Public Accounts of Canada – Open data, Vol. 1
https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/2599fe61-0e6e-40b9-958a-f56dd7f1fa09
Ministerial Expenditures by Standard Object as per the Public Accounts of Canada – Open data, Vol. 2
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9c4bcc95-bd73-4476-b86f-03553d489a45
Losses of Public Property as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format – Open data, Vol. 3
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/eda3bce1-4866-45e4-9e13-ea98679e888f
One patrol ship and 118 Crown vehicles vandalized, part of $24.2-million in lost property in 2018-19
https://www.hilltimes.com/2020/01/15/one-patrol-ship-and-118-crown-vehicles-vandalized-part-of-24-2-million-in-lost-property-in-2018-19/230140
Public Accounts – Nova Scotia
https://beta.novascotia.ca/public-accounts
Public Accounts – Nova Scotia Health Authority
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23879610-pa-nova-scotia-health-authority-2022
Accountability Report – 2014-2015 – Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20521972-2014-2015-dhw-accountability-report
Week Eight (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_-4bCm7LCI
What we will cover:
Pitch assignment feedback;
The possible significance of a federal cabinet shuffle expected July 26;
Review access-to-information requests;
Filing complaints;
Conducting Hansard searches;
Conducting searches for legal documents.
Links:
National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/
Prime Minister’s website
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en
Federal mandate letters – archived
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/all-archived-mandate-letters
We tracked hate at Canadian schools and found a growing problem.pdf
Biologist fights former department to save Nova Scotia’s mainland moose
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/07/24/news/biologist-nova-scotia-mainland-moose
CBC head ‘blindsided’ staff with comments on broadcaster’s future, Poilievre: emails
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2023/07/23/cbc-head-blindsided-staff-with-comments-on-broadcasters-future-poilievre-emails/
Documents Released in Answer to ATI Requests of General Interest
https://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/impact-and-accountability/access-to-information/documents-released
Nuclear threat from Ukraine war prompts Ottawa to update plans for catastrophe
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2023/07/19/nuclear-threat-from-ukraine-war-prompts-ottawa-to-update-plans-for-catastrophe/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23886229-a-2022-00357-release-package#document/p13/a2365370
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23886229-a-2022-00357-release-package#document/p12/a2365368
Paul Bernardo prison transfer needed to be kept ‘low profile,’ officials said
https://globalnews.ca/news/9843789/paul-bernardo-prison-transfer-low-profile/
Revelations that ArriveCan costed $54-million led to weeks of turmoil, finger pointing, documents show
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-arrivecan-outsource-spending-documents/
Secret Canada – The Globe and Mail’s access-to-information search tool
https://www.secretcanada.com/
Revelations that ArriveCan costed $54-m..
Colleagues concerned about staff safety..
Department of Finance ATIP complaint example.pdf
Filing federal access-to-information complaints
https://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/en/frequently-asked-questions
DocumentCloud
https://twitter.com/documentcloud?lang=en
Hansard searches
Historical Hansard
http://parl.canadiana.ca/
https://www.lipad.ca/
Federal Hansard search
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?PubType=37
Federal Hansard search for international students
https://www.ourcommons.ca/PublicationSearch/en/?targetLang=&Text=visas+for+international+students&PubType=37&ParlSes=&Topic=&Proc=&Per=&com=&oob=&PubId=&Cauc=&Prov=&PartType=&Page=1&RPP=15#
Nova Scotia Hansard searches
https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/hansard-debates
Hansard search for emergency room closures
https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/committees/standing/public-accounts/archive/public-accounts/pa_2009nov04.htm
Hansard search for Safer Schools Act
https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/61st_5th/1st_read/b052.htm
Hansard search for Promotion of Respectful and Responsible Relationships Act
https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/61st_4th/3rd_read/b030.htm
Hansard search on superboards
https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/hansard-debates/assembly-62-session-2/house_14sep30
Legal searches
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (a voluntary initiative and is not a comprehensive listing of all class action lawsuits currently underway in Canada)
http://canlii.org/en/index.php
Class Proceedings Act
https://www.canlii.org/en/ns/laws/stat/sns-2007-c-28/latest/sns-2007-c-28.html
Class Action Database — Canadian Bar Association
https://www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/Class-Action-Database
Nova Scotia class action registry
https://www.courts.ns.ca/courts/supreme-court/class-action-registry
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/home
Class Action Database (U.S.)
http://www.consumer-action.org/lawsuits/
Kim – Spencer – McPhee Barristers
http://www.kimorr.ca/index.html
Federal Court of Canada
https://www.fct-cf.gc.ca/en/home
The Criminal Code
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/
Supreme Court of Canada
https://www.scc-csc.ca/home-accueil/index-eng.aspx
Tax Court of Canada
http://www.tcc-cci.gc.ca/
Recent Courts Martial results
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/military-law/recent-courts-martial-results.html
List of Class Action Lawsuits (U.S)
http://www.classaction.org/list-of-lawsuits
Week Nine (TOP)
Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Dq9BLQG3Y
What we will learn:
Review the next assignment;
Filing complaints in the access-to-information process;
Data visualizations best practices;
Importing the data into Tableau;
Introduction to Facebook’s ad library data.
Filing federal access-to-information complaints
https://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/en/frequently-asked-questions
Prime Minister announces changes to the Ministry
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/07/26/prime-minister-announces-changes-ministry
Federal employees question how disastrous Regina rebrand was approved
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-federal-employees-question-how-disastrous-regina-rebrand-was-approved/
Federal employees question how disastrous Regina rebrand was approved (PDF version)
Emails about Tourism Regina
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23887681-ia-2023-00003-response-records
Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-20-0001/142000012018001-eng.htm
Consumer Price Index Visualization tool
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/2018016/cpilg-ipcgl-eng.htm
Unemployment and Industry jobs Dec. 2022 Tableau visualization
http://www.davidmckie.com/35898-2/
Statistics Canada Census program data viewer
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/dv-vd/cpdv-vdpr/index-eng.cfm
Liberal party launched over a dozen Facebook ads after government Meta boycott
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/liberal-party-launched-over-a-dozen-facebook-ads-despite-government-ban
Facebook Ad Library
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=CA&media_type=all
Facebook Ad Library data sample
http://www.davidmckie.com/FB_AD_Library_Canadian_July12,2023.xlsx
Week Ten (TOP)
Continue with data-visualization tutorials;
Introduction of the Facebook ad library
Assignment postmortem;
Individual assessment of progress with projects and lessons we can all learn;
Discussion of final pitch;
Postmortem.
Links:
CONTAMINATION & CONFLICT: A Critical Analysis on the Environmental, Indigenous, & Social Impacts of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/90d763b1b2054e9385b20dab808d2876
These dangerous health productswere
supposed to be pulled from shelves.A
popular Ontario retailer sold them to
us anyway
http://www.davidmckie.com/Star Story.pdf
Unemployment in Canada – June 2023
http://www.davidmckie.com/37501-2/
Unemployment and industrial-sector jobs – June 2023
http://www.davidmckie.com/37499-2/
Canadian yearly coal exports 2015-2022
http://www.davidmckie.com/37506-2/
Tutorials(TOP)
How to use the data tables
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/sc/video/howto
Datasets (TOP)
Investigative Journalism Examples
CAJ Data Journalism finalists – 2021
Valérie Ouellet, Naël Shiab, Sylvène Gilchrist
White men make up a third of Canada’s population but a majority of MPs — here’s why
CBC News Investigative Unit / Radio-Canada
Analysis of candidacies during Canadian federal elections
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/codesource/code-ouvert/2021/elections/candidatures/analysis.nb.html
Dataset on the Demographics of Canadian Federal Election Candidates (2008-2019)
https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/MI5XQ6
Sample candidates dataset
John Rieti, Angelina King, Katie Swyers, James Wattie
State of Our Schools
CBC News – Toronto
Sample schools dataset
Robyn Doolittle, Chen Wang, Tavia Grant
The Power Gap
The Globe and Mail
Sample salaries dataset
Tai Huynh
COVID-19 infection and vaccinations
The Local, Toronto
Kenyon Wallace, Ed Tubb, Brendan Kennedy
Making sense of COVID-19 data
Toronto Star
Toronto Star long-term-care analysis.xlsx
Toronto Star long-term-care analysis – Google Sheets
2021 Philip Meyer Award winners
The Wall Street Journal – How Tik Tok Figures You Out (first place)
Inside TikTok’s Algorithm: A WSJ Video Investigation – WSJ
The Wall Street Journal’s application form with story links and explanations of methodology
QUESTIONNAIRE_TikTok_WSJ.pdf
http://www.davidmckie.com/PRIMARY_TikTok_WSJ.pdf
The Palm Beach Post – ProPublica – Black Snow: Big Sugar’s Burning Problem (second place)
http://www.davidmckie.com/PBP_PP_BlackSnow_MeyerQuestionnaire.pdf
PBP_PP_BlackSnow_MeyerPrimaryMaterials.pdf
Asbury Park Press and ProPublica – “Gilded Badges: How New Jersey Cops Profit From Police Unions and Avoid Accountability” (third place)
APP_PP_GildedBadges_MeyerQuestionnaire.pdf
APP_PP_GildedBadges_MeyerPrimaryMaterials.pdf
Sigma Award winners 2022
The Sigma Awards Projects Database
https://sigmaawards.org/projects/
General investigations
The Smoke Comes Every Year. Sugar Companies Say the Air Is Safe.
https://projects.propublica.org/black-snow/
Stories from Black Snow: Big Sugar’s Burning Problem
http://www.davidmckie.com/PBP_PP_BlackSnow_MeyerPrimaryMaterials.pdf
Addressing Rape in Four Minutes or Less: Dating App Reps Left Unprepared to Respond to Assault Victims
https://bit.ly/3GrXD1X
Thousands of suspected injuries tied to breast implants revealed in manufacturer data dump, CBC analysis finds
https://bit.ly/3fpVVlM
“THEGRAVEYARDDOESN’T LIE”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/texas-winter-storm-power-outage-death-toll
Bias behind bars: A Globe investigation finds a prison system stacked against Black and Indigenous inmates
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-investigation-racial-bias-in-canadian-prison-risk-assessments/
How we did it: How The Globe uncovered systemic bias in prisoners’ risk assessments
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-investigation-racial-bias-in-canadian-prisons-methodology/
Toronto Star/National Observer: Generation Distress
https://ijb.utoronto.ca/projects/generation-distress/
Clean water broken promises
https://www.nationalobserver.com/tags/clean-water-broken-promises
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cbdc979bf27642bfba51689ca3c180e8
Decades after mercury poisoned the water, Grassy Narrows still searches for answers
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/06/16/decades-after-mercury-poisoned-water-grassy-narrows-searches-answers
Decades-old water pollution ravaged the health of 2 Ontario First Nations. Elders are still fighting for justice
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/09/02/water-pollution-ontario-first-nations-elders-environmental-justice
How an Ontario paper mill poisoned nearby First Nations
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/09/01/how-ontario-paper-mill-poisoned-nearby-first-nations
Resources
WSIB Ontario
https://www.wsib.ca/en
WSIB Ontario open data catalogue
https://www.wsib.ca/en/open-data-catalogue
WSIB data
http://www.davidmckie.com/Schedule 1 and 2 – Occupation category profile and WCB data in Access.zip