Instructor: David McKie
Email: davidmckiec@gmail.com
Phone: 613-290-7380
Office Hours: 16:00-18:00 ET
Classes: 10-12 EST  – Mon-Friday
Delivery Mode: in person
Feb 14- March 25, 2022

Required text and reading

David, Fred Vallance-Jones, Rob Cribb and Dean  Jobb are co-authors of
Digging Deeper Third Edition

Canadian Press Style Guide: An Overview

Optional Texts

David McKie and Jim Bronskill are co-authors of
Your Right To Know: How to Use the Law to
Get Government Secrets

David and Fred are co-authors of
“The Data Journalist: Getting the Story“

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

Overall: Working as a team and using investigative techniques, you
will research, write and produce a substantial investigative-enterprise package.
The stories will feature diverse storytelling techniques and, if they meet
the necessary standards, will be published online in The Signal, Canada’s National Observer, or both.

We will function as an investigative newsroom. David McKie, who will act as both
an advisor and editor-in-chief,  has final word in all matters.
The deputy editor works closely with the editor-in-chief to organize
assignments and make editorial decisions.

Because this is a course for credit, there is time set aside for
necessary formal teaching, but even in the first week, the emphasis is
on active investigation and learning by doing. This workshop is about
taking the skills you have already learned to work to a new level.

The course, to be delivered synchronously using Zoom, will teach you how to take a deep dive into an investigative-enterprise project, from pitch to final project and potential follow-up.

Required readings: As assigned.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• identify the required research for investigation or enterprise stories;
• identify a range of public records and learn how to mine them for information;
• find stories in public records such as data;
• use freedom-of-information and access-to-information laws to conduct informal and  formal searches and requests;
• present the data in an engaging and informative format, including online graphics packages;
• conduct accountability interviews and follow-up research;
• push for accountability interviews;
• produce finished packages of information — or pitches — on the selected subjects;
• learn how to work in groups;
• be inspired to continue this kind of work!!

COVID-19 Contingency Plans for Course Delivery

Should the University (and/or our course) need to proceed remotely for a period of time, students are asked to check their university email account for direction from the instructor as to how the class delivery will be adapted to circumstances. These instructions may include, but are not limited to, adjustments to course delivery and assignments, and updates on office hours. The School’s technical assistants will also provide information on equipment availability.

Absences

To ensure our classrooms remain safe and trusted spaces for everyone in them, we must all commit to staying home if we are feeling unwell. Reasonable accommodations at the discretion of the instructor will be made for students who, because of illness, are unable to attend class.

Such accommodations may include re-scheduled assignment due dates and presentations (where feasible), or alternate coursework (consistent with the integrity of the class evaluation).

Ground Rules/Protocol

RULE #1: We don’t tell anyone outside of our workshop the topic
of our investigation, including classmates, friends, aunts,
uncles, cats, dogs.

RULE #2: See rule #1

Note on time management: Treat this class as a full-time job. As noted later in the
syllabus, class hours in this course are kept to a minimum to
facilitate maximum time to dig for information. If unavoidable personal conflicts arise,
give David a heads-up.

Please do not increase the potential for conflicts by scheduling extra shifts at a part-time job, taking on additional freelance writing assignments, etc., because there appears to be spare time in the schedule, or there are no specific classes scheduled. You need
to be available on a moment’s notice because last-minute developments such as a key interview that comes together at the last minute will require us to be nimble. You should expect demands in this workshop to increase during the course of the six weeks.

Procedures

The class will be divided into a working team for each of project.
We will decide on the group members and roles, largely depending on your expertise and preference.

Each group will have a senior reporter who attends the daily editorial
meetings.

Note that depending on requirements, and the relative workload of
the groups, you may be asked to take on reporting tasks to help
another group.

Because we are a team, everyone is here for everyone else. We will
assume you are engaged with the project during normal working hours
Monday to Friday.

We know that people sometimes have to deal with
illness, family emergency or the occasional work shift. Please advise
David if this applies to you. Any extended absence due to illness will
need to be documented following university policies.

You may need to complete some tasks outside of working hours; you are free to
organize your time in this latter regard as you please. The important
thing is to meet deadlines as assigned. And if you find yourself having
completed your assigned work, brainstorm to find ways to dig even deeper, and find out what you can do to help your colleagues who may be having a more difficult time.

Experience shows that the best marks typically go to the students who go beyond
merely what was requested. Initiative is rewarded in this class — and the real word.
When you have arranged a substantial interview — any interview other
than brief calls for nuggets of information — you must prepare a list of
questions and discuss them with your group and David. If it’s an accountability interview, you’ll need to come up with a list of questions with your group and David.

These questions should progress from scene-setting, icebreaking
questions, to queries that build upon the agreed factual
base through, to any more difficult, pointed questions.

When you have completed your questions, submit them to David for feedback at
least a day before the scheduled interview. If an interview is arranged
on tighter timelines, get David the questions as soon as you can.

Good performance will beget opportunities. If you shine, you get
the chance to shine some more. We will assign more difficult and
challenging work to those who show an interest and aptitude for it
and develop a record of performance, as would be the case in many newsrooms.

While industriousness and creativity are encouraged, remember
that your safety and the reputation of the school are both
important considerations. Please always be honest, courteous
and upfront with people about your intentions. Do not agree to
interviews that may involve unusual situations, such as
surreptitious meetings, without first consulting with David. These
should almost never be required. You must not use any
specialized techniques, such as “undercover” work, without
getting explicit permission from David, who may need to
obtain permission from higher-ups at King’s.

Use common sense. If you feel a situation could put your personal safety
at risk, bail out and advise David ASAP. For more information on
safety and your work at the journalism school, please go to
http://kingsjournalism.com/handbook/#safety.

All substantial interviews need to be summarized,
transcribed and saved into the transcripts folder in the shared drive.
Each group should create an “interview” folder. Within that folder, there should be a sub-folder for each student, which will contain the interview transcripts and recordings.  So, for example, the Health group would contain a sub-folder called “Interviews”.  Within that subfolder would be the name of each group member that contains the interview transcripts and recordings.

Immediately upon completion of the interview you must write a
memo indicating the subject and place of the interview, the date and
time, key information that emerged, the best quotes,
and your own assessment of how it went. To make your life simpler, you can do this in the same Word document, just above the transcript.

The complete transcript of the interview should be done as soon afterward
as practicable with the following: The name of the interviewer; the
properly spelled name and title of the interview subject; the location of
the interview; and the date and time, all indicated at the top.

Normally, transcripts are prepared by the person who conducted the interview.
You must also record your interviews, and upload an MP3 file of your
interview your folder in the shared drive. Be sure to convert
any other audio formats to MP3 before uploading. This step is crucial,
as questions will come up during fact-checking after the workshop
concludes and, at times, David needs to be able to check material
from interviews against both the transcript and the audio. To make this task easier,  please use time codes at five-minute intervals.

Do let the editorial team know if you get an important break, or if you
are running into an obstacle that seems insurmountable. We can
help. Don’t let days go by without reporting back on issues you are
having.

Telephone interview information: While we try to do as many
interviews in person as possible — especially during a pandemic — interviews with some people far from your location may have to be done by phone. If you have limited
airtime or long-distance minutes, you may wish to download a VOIP
application such as Fongo onto your cellphone. Fongo provides you
with a local phone number — you can also choose a number
somewhere else in Canada —  and it allows unlimited free calls to most
parts of the country, with the North the biggest exception. It is an ad-supported
service. But, don’t worry, the ads are unobtrusive. Fongo uses wi-fi when
there is a sufficiently strong signal. Note that when not connected
to wi-fi, Fongo will use cellular data, if you have it enabled, and
uses 30-50 mb of data per hour. Check your data plan to ensure
you won’t be running up big charges. Fongo does not provide
free calls to the United States; you’ll have to buy credits. Calls to
the U.S. cost 2 cents a minute.

Some tips: You should plan each day’s work strategically. There will
be some tasks that are more difficult and some that will be easier to
complete.

• Have a key goal for each day’s work. In concert with the
editorial team, decide what is most important to complete. As
you discover new information, the priorities may shift as more
important goals come into view, relegating other considerations to the background —  at least for the time being.

• Always seek primary records. When people tell you things, ask if
they have records such as memos, reports, studies or data related to what they are saying.

• Similarly, you should corroborate key facts with additional sources of information such as primary records or interviews. Remember,  the key to investigative journalism is collecting information from many sources  to build a picture that is as complete as possible — full well realizing that total completion is virtually impossible, unless someone confesses or provides a proverbial “smoking gun.”

Where we work: Most, if  not all of you, have your own computers. So, as much as possible, the workshop is set up so that you are not nailed down to one
location. If you want to write in a coffee shop, transcribe in your room,
or work on the website wherever you are, everything is set up to
make that possible, with all files and resources (except any paper
documents) available online through our Google docs account. This flexibility is even more important during a pandemic when we must conduct our business virtually.

Equipment: Most workshop participants prefer to use their own
computers. A phone scanner such as TurboScan (iOS) or
CamScanner (iOS or Android) does most small to medium-sized jobs
well. A scanner can save copying files at the courthouse, which would
otherwise cost 75 cents a page to copy.

Semi-fictitious Class Schedule

Because investigative journalism happens on the fly, it is impossible
to establish a reliable schedule for this workshop beyond our regular daily gatherings. So, please don’t be surprised if things change from time to time. We will try, as much as
possible, to stick to advertised times, but as the project develops,
please expect to see meeting times changed, meetings
cancelled or additional meeting times set. Meetings may be
required on short notice when developments warrant, so be
ready for that, too. We will put out notices by email and phone you if
necessary. Attendance at all meetings is mandatory, but we will be
flexible for unavoidable pre-existing conflicts including other classes,
media job shifts, etc. but make sure we know.

Week 1 February 14 to 18
Monday to Friday, 10-12 ADT
Additional meetings if required

Weeks 2 to 5 (Feb. 21-Feb. 25, Feb 28. 1-Mar. 4,Mar. 7-Mar. 11,
Mar. 14-18)
Daily editorial meetings, 10-12 , followed by editors’ meeting.
End-of-week meeting, 10-12 Friday

Week 6 March 21-25
Editorial meetings, Monday to Wednesday, 10-12, followed by
editors’ meeting.

End of-workshop meeting, 10-12.

Dream editorial targets (subject to change):

Week 1: Initial research. Initial storyboard and direction established.
Initial contact with sources. A guest speaker.
Week 2: Continued research, the filing of access-to-information reports, data analysis and discussion of groups’ progress.
Week 3: Continued work on assigned tasks for each group and the introduction of more public records
Week 4: Depending on the group you are in, substantial, interviewing, data analysis and writing continue.
Week 5: Reporting, interviewing, data analysis and writing continued.
Week 6: Final group pitch that discusses where the project is going with a maximum and minimum story

Assessment

Your mark for the workshop will be determined as follows:

10 per cent: Initial research assignment, which in our case will be the story pitch(s) that you’ll be making, using the template that you’ve been given as a guide.

30 per cent: This mark will be shared with colleagues in your
reporting group. Everyone in the group will get the same group
mark based on the final pitch, including how far it has advanced from the first pitch, writing, research for public records, data work and photographic elements working with Michael Creagen.

Specifically, you will be graded on the following components:

-Newsworthiness of your pitches,  accuracy, and clarity of writing;
-Quality of the public records;
-Quality of the sources (experts, victims, advocates, etc.) interviewed, both on-the-record and off-the-record;
-Quality of your formal and informal access-to-information requests;
-Quality of your ability to work in a group.

Note that this mark is for the final work produced. Your individual contributions will be marked in the breakdowns described below.

The remainder of the mark will be based on your individual
contributions to the project.

40 per cent: You can receive up to 40 marks for your daily contributions as
indicated in your daily work record, and observations by your
instructor of such things as interviews arranged and completed, formal and informal access to information requests filed; transcripts completed in deadline, participation in meetings, submission of interview questions for review by David, and other contributions.

Here is a guide to grade ranges:

A range: Consistently completes assigned tasks on time and as
assigned, but also goes beyond assigned tasks. Submits all interview
questions for review by instructor. Work always meets professional
standards.
B range: Usually completes assigned tasks on time and as
assigned, and often goes beyond assigned tasks. Submits most
interview questions for review by instructor. Work usually meets
professional standards.
C range: Completes some assigned tasks on time and as assigned.
For many interviews, questions are not submitted for review by
instructor. Work is of satisfactory quality.
D/F range: Never complete assigned tasks on time and as assigned.
Work is unsatisfactory.

10 per cent: Ten percentage points will be based on your having filled out the
daily activity log by 9:30 p.m. each day, starting with the first day
as agreed by the class. For every five percentage points below 100
per cent handed in, you will lose one of the ten percentage points, per
the following scale:
95 to 100 per cent handed in: 10 marks
90 to 95 per cent handed in: 9 marks
85 to 90 per cent handed in: 8 marks
80 to 85 per cent handed in: 7 marks
75 to 80 per cent handed in: 6 marks
70 to 75 per cent handed in: 5 marks
65 to 70 per cent handed in: 4 marks
60 to 65 per cent handed in: 3 marks
55 to 60 per cent handed in: 2 marks
50 to 55 per cent handed in: 1 mark
Below 50 per cent: 0

10 per cent: The final 10 percentage points will be based on your instructor’s
overall evaluation of your professionalism. For this latter 10
percentage points, this is a guide to how you will be evaluated:

A range: “You wouldn’t believe the interview I got, the public record I dug up, or the access-to-information request I filed” Demonstrates
daily commitment to the project, works hard, shows outstanding
creativity in overcoming obstacles, completes assigned tasks on time,
never misses meetings without a good reason and always is a team
player.
B range: “I’m ready to work. Tell me what I need to do.” Completes
assigned tasks, puts in full days, shows some creativity in
overcoming obstacles.
C range: “I sent an email a few days ago but they’re not getting back
to me.” Completes many assigned tasks, waits to be told what to do,
requires frequent intervention by supervisors to complete tasks, may
be hard to locate between meetings and/or is frequently late or
absent from meetings.
D/F range: “I didn’t know I was supposed to be here.” Fails to
complete assigned tasks and may not be around to be assigned.
Misses many meetings

Grade	Grade Point Value		Definition	Explanation
A+ A A-	4.30 4.00 3.70	90-100 85-89 80-84	Excellent	Considerable evidence of original thinking; demonstrated outstanding capacity to analyze and synthesize; outstanding grasp of subject matter; evidence of extensive knowledge base.
B+ B B-	3.30 3.00 2.70	77-79 73-76 70-72	Good	Evidence of grasp of subject matter, some evidence of critical capacity and analytical ability; reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature
C+ C C-	2.30 2.00 1.70	65-69 60-64 55-59	Satisfactory	Evidence of some understanding of the subject matter; ability to develop solutions to simple problems; benefiting from his/her university experience
D	1.00	50-54	Marginal Pass	Evidence of minimally acceptable familiarity with subject matter; some critical and analytical skills.
F	0.00	0-49	Inadequate	Insufficient evidence of understanding of the subject matter; weakness in critical and analytical skills; limited or irrelevant use of the literature
INC	0.00		Incomplete
W	Neutral and no credit obtained		Withdrew after deadline
ILL	Neutral and no credit obtained		Compassionate reasons, illness

Important note on interviews

When you set up and do interviews, you must ensure that you tell
interviewees that their comments will be published for all to see.
Sometimes sources will not understand that student work is published
and you should be sure you are clear that it WILL be published. As a
general rule, interviews must also be “on the record.” We do not use
unnamed sources in published stories in this workshop though they
may assist us with background.

Absences
A student who is absent for up to three consecutive calendar days
and misses a test or 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 in person , or via email, no later than three calendar
days after the last day of the absence.

For courses weighted three or six credit hours, a Student Declaration of Absence can be submitted for two separate absences, up to three days each, per course per
term. For a 9-credit hour workshop, a Student Declaration of Absence
can be submitted for a single such absence.

For long-term absences of more than three consecutive days, a
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.

A student experiencing a long-term absence, or more than two short-term
absences, is encouraged to meet with the Journalism School’s
Undergraduate or Graduate Coordinator, or the School Director.

Ethical Conduct

All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the School’s Handbook of Professional Practice and abide by its ethical standards.

Fair & Inclusive Conduct

All students in the School of Journalism should feel they are participants in a respectful, fair and safe learning environment. Classrooms, newsrooms and online course delivery systems are spaces where everyone should feel welcomed and supported. The School expects students, staff and faculty to abide by the highest standards of collegial learning.

The University has policies, procedures and resources to guide students’ experience, whether in a class or as part of a reporting assignment. If you are concerned about your learning environment you may take a range of steps to initiate a discussion or a process:

Meet with the Course Instructor: You are encouraged to discuss concerns about a particular course first with the instructor. This instructor may be able to address concerns informally. Such concerns may relate to grading, course content, interpersonal issues with other students, or any other issue. The instructor may also direct you to other resources within the University. If you have an unresolved issue with an instructor, you can also:

• Appeal a final grade in a course by filing a Request for Reassessment of Final Grade.
• Provide written comment on an instructor in the Student Ratings of Instruction, distributed near the end of the course. Evaluations are reviewed by the Director each year and used in tenure and promotion decisions for Faculty.

 Meet with the Journalism School Director: The Director welcomes any comment on the experiences of students within the School. Concerns may be addressed informally — especially as they relate to the curriculum, academic environment and interpersonal issues. The Director may refer students with more specific or serious concerns to individual policies, procedures and resources of the University. Inclusion and respect for others are key values of the School. An experience of racism, intolerance or inequitable treatment will typically prompt co-operation between the Director and the Equity Officer in working toward immediate and longer-term resolutions.

• Write a letter to the School Director to express a strong concern about an experience in the School. The Director may bring it to a meeting of Journalism Faculty and will keep the letter on file.

Meet with the Equity Officer: King’s Equity Officer is available for consultation on any issue concerning equity, diversity, inclusion, discrimination and harassment. The officer administers the Policy and Procedures for Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment, found in the Yellow Book. If you have concerns about your experience in the School, you are encouraged to seek advice and assistance from the officer, who also receives complaints and administers the process for resolution under the policy. This policy is part of the University Code of Conduct, also found in the Yellow Book, which governs conduct by all members of the University community. The Equity Officer is Rhema Ferguson <rhema.ferguson@ukings.ca>

Meet with the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Officer: The SVPRO provides support around experiences of sexualized violence and administers King’s Sexualized Violence Policy. This support is confidential and can include informal discussion, academic accommodations, and assistance with disclosures and reports. All decisions regarding disclosure of sexualized violence are in the hands of the individual disclosing. Academic accommodations may be available to those who do not wish to make a formal report. The SVPRO is also available if you are supporting someone who has experienced sexualized violence. The SVPRO is Jordan Roberts <jordan.roberts@ukings.ca>, 902 229-6123.

Review the School’s Safety Guidelines: The School’s Handbook of Professional Practice contains safety guidelines for physical safety while reporting. To do journalism well, you must sometimes be uncomfortable, but you should never be unsafe. If you run into trouble or if you feel a situation might put your or others’ personal safety at risk, call your instructor right away.

Contacting the Police

Journalism students must talk to their instructor before they contact Halifax Regional Police or RCMP. On approval of their request, they must send the police an email from their official school account that is cc’d to their instructor.

Academic Integrity

At King’s, we are guided in all of our work by the values of academic integrity:

honesty, trust, fairness, responsibility and respect. As a student, you are required to

demonstrate these values in all of the work you do. Plagiarism — stealing someone else’s work and presenting it as your own — is a form of academic fraud and unethical journalism. The most common instance involves copying material from the internet without attributing it. If you have any doubt about proper citation for an academic paper or proper attribution in a piece of journalism, contact your instructor. For more information, consult p. 34 of King’s academic calendar.

Accessibility

Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers to inclusion related to disability, religious obligation, or any characteristic under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act. If you experience barriers related to the design, instruction, and/or experiences within this course please contact the Student Accessibility Centre. Please note that a classroom may contain specialized furniture and equipment. It is important that these items remain in the classroom, untouched, so that students who require them will be able to participate in the class.

Appeals

Disputes over academic performance and assessment will be dealt with according to the Academic Regulations of the School of Journalism. For more information, see p. 42 of King’s Academic Calendar.

Class Sessions

Links

General news stories

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Investigative Journalism Examples

Award Winners

Canadian Association data journalism award and overall award winner:
Bias Behind Bars
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-investigation-racial-bias-in-canadian-prison-risk-assessments/

2020 Philip Meyer Award Winners
https://www.ire.org/ire-announces-winners-of-2020-philip-meyer-journalism-award/

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

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nOcPZRrrS8j24-O0IHyPzbaCfjmBRreP/view?usp=sharing

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

COVID-19-related investigative and enterprise stories

Disabled Canadians face uphill struggle for regular care as COVID-19 drains resources
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-disabled-canadians-face-uphill-struggle-for-regular-care-as-covid-19/

Disabled Canadians face uphill struggle for regular care as COVID-19 drains resources (PDF version)

Faces of the unemployed a year after so many lost their jobs to the COVID-19 pandemic
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-faces-of-the-unemployed-a-year-after-so-many-lost-their-jobs-to-the/

Faces of the unemployed a year after so many lost their jobs to the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF VERSON)

Canada’s economy need not fear the third wave of COVID-19
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canadas-economy-need-not-fear-the-third-wave-of-covid-19/

Canada’s economy need not fear the third wave of COVID-19 (PDF VERSION)

Apres les mesures sanitaires s’enchainent les sos en sante mentale
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/recit-numerique/2189/covid-19-appel-aide-sante-mentale?fbclid=IwAR0vi_YI5vYyyLsEIiYoevOon8j3lsQdk4zIfqK5BuIf8K6EhNqE0U5y72w

More than $395M sent to Manitoba through CERB at start of pandemic, data shows
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-cerb-data-1.5932741

For-profit nursing homes in Ontario say ownership has nothing to do with their higher COVID-19 death rates. A Star analysis finds that’s not the case
https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/02/26/for-profit-nursing-homes-say-ownership-has-nothing-to-do-with-their-higher-covid-19-death-rates-a-star-analysis-finds-thats-not-the-case.html

‘Critical’ Global Affairs Canada services disrupted amid coronavirus cases at offices
https://globalnews.ca/news/7632416/global-affairs-canada-coronavirus-cases-service-disruption/

Senior Liberal staffers discussed withholding details about COVID-19 response: Internal emails
https://globalnews.ca/news/7625016/coronavirus-ppe-government-emails-withheld-information/?utm_source=notification

Internal emails reveal tensions with PHAC, provinces as Trudeau’s office responds to COVID-19
https://globalnews.ca/news/7612950/coronavirs-emails-prime-minister-office-trudeau-internal-frustrations/

Alberta’s worst COVID-19 rates are in racialized communities, data show
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-albertas-worst-covid-19-rates-are-in-racialized-communities-data/

Ontario rejected its own public health agency’s advice when it launched its colour-coded plan for COVID-19 restrictions
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/11/11/ontario-rejected-its-own-public-health-agencys-advice-when-it-launched-its-colour-coded-plan-for-covid-19-restrictions.html

Is anyone taking the second wave of COVID-19 seriously? This data shows we’re shopping and travelling like it’s practically 2019
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/08/is-anyone-taking-the-second-wave-of-covid-19-seriously-this-data-shows-were-shopping-and-travelling-like-its-practically-2019.html

Ontario families living in more racialized neighbourhoods less likely to send children back into classroom, Globe analysis finds
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-families-living-in-more-racialized-neighbourhoods-less-likely/

2,000 COVID-19 cases missing from Toronto’s map of hot spots
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/covid-19-data-toronto-public-health-hot-spots-1.5598844?fbclid=IwAR0YCo65N1AltvM8kztaV9pQqY4zhh674m1TXZI6Q0nNVd_qN9JRJX_HKLk

Poverty and COVID-19: More data would help explain the connection
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/12/opinion/being-poor-shouldnt-be-deadly

COVID-19 hits poorer Montreal boroughs hardest, data reveals, with Montreal North bearing the brunt
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/covid-19/covid-19-hits-poorer-montreal-boroughs-hardest-data-reveals-with-montreal-north-bearing-the-brunt-1.4935066

A study urged better standards for migrant workers’ housing. Nothing was done. Now COVID-19 has struck
https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/05/11/a-study-urged-better-standards-for-migrant-workers-housing-nothing-was-done-now-covid-19-has-struck.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=thestar_recommended_for_you

Analysis of billions of cellular data: the Quebec break has catalyzed the epidemic
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/2020/05/geolocalisation-deplacements-provinces-regions-quebec-montreal-distanciation-sociale/?fbclid=IwAR3xWHUt-VZvu8J7gByBDHLFdiHa1OzrI1t4t395E0QuRthVgCLYxTpOAug

Low-income neighbourhoods at higher risk of coronavirus
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/04/20/low-income-neighbourhoods-at-higher-risk-of-covid-19/

Access to information – formal and informal

Completed Access to Information Requests
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati?_ga=2.69692565.406018153.1536604353-1818651053.1522773341

Question Period Notes
https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/

Briefing Note Titles and Numbers
https://search.open.canada.ca/briefingt/

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

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

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/

Saskatchewan
http://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/justice-crime-and-the-law/your-rights-and-the-law/make-a-freedom-of-information-request

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

Toronto
https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/access-city-information-or-records/freedom-of-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

A shopping list of key records to obtain through a access-to-information request

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.

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.

Links

Resources

Dean Beeby’s access-to-information tipsheet.pdf

Click here to see an example of an access-to-information request.

Click here to see freedom-of-information requests to E-Comm 9-1-1

Click here to see freedom-of-information request to WorkSafe BC

Canadian Access to Information News Story Index
http://www.canadafoi.ca/atianewsintro.pdf

To download the PowerPoint on the same topic, please click here.

Open data

Open data portals
http://www.davidmckie.com/open-data-portals/

Proactive disclosures
https://open.canada.ca/en/proactive-disclosure

Federal mandate letters
https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters

Ottawa to relax penalties for drug offences, encouraged to treat possession as a health issue
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ottawa-to-relax-penalties-for-drug-offences/

Offender Profile 2017-2018
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/844ff1e3-e137-41be-9ebe-6bd9843c1a53

Census Profile, 2016 Census
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=01&Geo2=&Code2=&SearchText=Canada&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0

CEWS Registry Results
https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch?dsrdPg=1&q.srchNm=car&q.ordrClmn=NAME&q.ordrRnk=ASC

Conservatives, Liberals and Bloc end 2020 with record-breaking fundraising quarter
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-2020-q4-fundraising-1.5896460

Elections Canada
https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Elections Nova Scotia
https://electionsnovascotia.ca/Electoral-Finance-Reports

Elections Alberta
https://www.elections.ab.ca/

Elections Ontario
https://www.elections.on.ca/en.html

Elections Newfoundland and Labrador
https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/

Buyandsell.gc.da
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/

Nova Scotia Tenders
https://procurement.novascotia.ca/ns-tenders.aspx

Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/en/

Registry of Lobbyists Nova Scotia
https://novascotia.ca/sns/lobbyist/

Financial public records: Public accounts, budgets, annual reports

Nova Scotia Public Accounts
https://beta.novascotia.ca/public-accounts

Nova Scotia Health Authority public accounts uploaded to DocumentCloud
https://notices.novascotia.ca/files/public-accounts/2020/nova-scotia-health-authority.pdf

Federal budget 2021
https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21183520-budget-2021-en

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://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20493461-p51-1-2020-3-eng

Federal Public Accounts – Volume two
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20493462-p51-1-2020-2-eng

Federal Public Accounts – Corrections to Volume two
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20493460-erratum-vol2-org-415-416-418-419-eng

Losses of Public Property as per the Public Accounts of Canada  in csv format
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/eda3bce1-4866-45e4-9e13-ea98679e888f

Losses of public money due to an offence, illegal act or accident as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/23f921e3-e229-4ee7-b65e-a3b99ca82ecb

Ministerial Expenditures by Standard Object as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9c4bcc95-bd73-4476-b86f-03553d489a45

Ministerial Expenditures by Type as per the Public Accounts of Canada
https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9df1d5f2-3c03-4dad-9b9b-67fcbafcc791

Federal Public Accounts – Volume three
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20493461-p51-1-2020-3-eng

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

Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2019-2020
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/services/publications/annual-financial-report/2020/report.html

Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2019-2020 – uploaded to DocumentCloud
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20493465-annual-financial-report-of-the-government-of-canada-fiscal-year-2019-2020-canadaca

Federal Fall Economic Statement 2020
https://www.budget.gc.ca/fes-eea/2020/home-accueil-en.html

Federal Fall Economic Statement uploaded to DocumentCloud
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20419378-nov-30-2020-fiscal-update

Accountability Report – 2014-2015 – Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20521972-2014-2015-dhw-accountability-report

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/

General Searches

Google Newspaper Archives
https://news.google.com/newspapers

Statistics Canada

StatCan release schedules

Statistics Canada’s data tables

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

Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210108/dq210108a-eng.htm?HPA=1&indid=3587-2&indgeo=0

Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-20-0001/142000012018001-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

2016 Census – Boundary files
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/geo/bound-limit/bound-limit-2016-eng.cfm

Legal searches

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/home

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 Action Database — Canadian Bar Association
https://www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/Class-Action-Database

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

Coroner’s reports

2020 coroner’s inquests’ verdicts and recommendations
https://www.ontario.ca/page/2020-coroners-inquests-verdicts-and-recommendations

Quebec coroner’s service
https://www.coroner.gouv.qc.ca/

Nova Scotia Medical Examiner
https://novascotia.ca/just/cme/

Coroner’s Service New Brunswick
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.14198.Coroner_Services.html

Coroner PEI
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/justice-and-public-safety/coroner

BC Corners Service
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/death/coroners-service

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – Alberta
https://www.alberta.ca/office-chief-medical-examiner.aspx

Backgrounding

Sunshine lists

British Columbia Public Sector Salary Disclosure – Sunshine List 2020
https://www.sunshineliststats.com/Province/BC

Salary and severance disclosure for government employees – Alberta
https://www.alberta.ca/salary-disclosure.aspx

Proactive Disclosure: Public Sector Compensation Disclosure – Manitoba
https://www.gov.mb.ca/openmb/infomb/pscd.html

Public sector salary disclosure – Ontario
https://www.ontario.ca/page/public-sector-salary-disclosure

Public sector salary disclosure – New Brunswick
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/finance/comptroller/content/public_accounts.html

Public sector compensation: disclosure reports – Nova Scotia
https://beta.novascotia.ca/public-sector-compensation-disclosure-reports

Class recordings

Week One

Feb 14, 2022

Links:

Class recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcHMLKoqzpE

Feb 15, 2022

Links:

Class recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GYy5HR9Hx8

Nation Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Trudeau blockade tweet
https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1493337729484140545?s=20&t=6X3DqaW5kcdPva679uv9qw

Trudeau news conference announcing measures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDQkyqxhqPc&t=3s

What is the Emergencies Act? A primer on the law invoked by Trudeau to quell protests
https://www.timescolonist.com/national-news/what-is-the-emergencies-act-a-primer-on-the-law-invoked-by-trudeau-to-quell-protests-5062415

Two members of military counter-terrorism unit under investigation for allegedly taking part in convoy protests
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/two-members-of-military-counter-terrorism-unit-under-investigation-for-allegedly-taking-part-in-convoy-protests

Two members of military counter-terrorism unit under investigation for allegedly taking part in convoy protests.pdf

Feb 16, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-wGDECPkY

Links:

Data leak reveals Canadians, Americans donated millions to fund convoy protests
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-data-leak-reveals-canadians-americans-donated-millions-to-fund-convoy/

Data leak reveals Canadians, Americans donated millions to fund convoy protests.pdf

Canadians are responsible for roughly half of the money raised online for the trucker convoy, leaked data shows.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/world/canada/canada-trucker-protests-donations.html

MEGA for Business
https://mega.nz/folder/IwAG0RYQ#f-LVjkc8mEoJroP8U_KSOg

Wage subsidies were meant to preserve jobs. In many cases, the $110.6-billion response padded bottom lines
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canada-emergency-wage-subsidy-data-analysis/

Wage subsidies were meant to preserve jobs. In many cases, the $110.6-billion response padded bottom lines.pdf

CEWS Registry Results
https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch?dsrdPg=1&q.srchNm=car&q.ordrClmn=NAME&q.ordrRnk=ASC

Feb 17, 2022

Class Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSpWr_U4yhA

Links

Meet the top five Canadian donors to the ‘Freedom Convoy’
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/16/meet-the-top-five-canadian-donors-to-the-freedom-convoy.html

Feb 18, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMJL4f8Bbg

Links

Citizens group wins court-ordered freeze of Freedom Convoy accounts, cryptocurrency
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/17/citizens-group-wins-court-ordered-freeze-of-freedom-convoy-accounts-cryptocurrency.html

Citizens group wins court.docx

Tweetdeck
https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/home

Canlii
https://www.canlii.org/en/

Class Action Database
https://www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/Class-Action-Database

Week Two

Feb. 22, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJ5NkHq6Bo

Links:

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Question Period Notes
https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/

Completed Access to Information Requests
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati?_ga=2.69692565.406018153.1536604353-1818651053.1522773341

Briefing Note Titles and Numbers
https://search.open.canada.ca/briefingt/

To download a tip sheet for pitching, editing and storyboarding an investigative project, please click here.

Feb 23,  2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha7z5fCQtls

Links:

Ontario police officers are named in leaked list of donors to the ‘Freedom Convoy’
https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/investigations/2022/02/22/ontario-police-officers-are-named-in-leaked-list-of-donors-to-the-freedom-convoy.html

Ontario police named in leaked list of donors to Freedom Convoy.pdf

CEWS Registry Results
https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch?dsrdPg=1&q.srchNm=car&q.ordrClmn=NAME&q.ordrRnk=ASC

How political extremists took advantage of COVID-19
https://o.canada.com/news/national/how-political-extremists-took-advantage-of-covid-19

Feb. 24, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwVXGwFBsIc

Links:

Theses Canada
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/theses/Pages/theses-canada.aspx

Nova Scotia Property Online
https://novascotia.ca/sns/access/land/property-online.asp

Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/en/

Elections Canada
https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Corporations Canada
https://corporationscanada.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/home

Search for business or non-profit information filed with Registry of Joint Stock Companies
https://beta.novascotia.ca/search-business-or-non-profit-information-filed-registry-joint-stock-companies

The Government Electronic Directory Services
https://geds-sage.gc.ca/en/GEDS?pgid=002

Wayback Machine
https://archive.org/web/

Canadian Who’s Who
https://canadianwhoswho.ca/

Week Three

Feb 28, 2022

Watchdog storyboarding worksheet

March 1, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2grBNCGdwE

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

West wages economic war on Russia with unprecedented sanctions
https://tgam.ca/3IA8fNt

West wages economic war on Russia with unprecedented sanctions.pdf

Canada to ban Russian oil imports, send anti-tank weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, says Trudeau
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/foreign-affairs-minister-more-lethal-aid-shipments-for-ukraine-1.6367163

Russia_and_the_Global_Financial_Risks.pdf

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)
https://www.fintrac-canafe.gc.ca/intro-eng

Office of the Auditor General of Canada
https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/english/admin_e_41.html

Parliamentary Budget Office
https://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/en/

March 2, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VET8e9D6iLo

http://www.davidmckie.com/Access%20to%20Information%20requests.pdf

March 3, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rzMJ-wnCQ8

Group check-ins

Photo session with Michael in “vroom” room

Week Four

March 7, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U_EG9p-tCY

Links:

Quebec journalists federation calls for access to information law overhaul
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-journalists-federation-access-to-information-law-1.6374689

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

West wages economic war on Russia with unprecedented sanctions
https://tgam.ca/3IA8fNt

West wages economic war on Russia with unprecedented sanctions.pdf

Canada to ban Russian oil imports, send anti-tank weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, says Trudeau
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/foreign-affairs-minister-more-lethal-aid-shipments-for-ukraine-1.6367163

International trade monthly interactive dashboard
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2020013-eng.htm

Energy Products_Jan 1, 2017-Dec 31, 2021_1210011901.csv

Tableau
https://www.tableau.com/

Russia_and_the_Global_Financial_Risks.pdf

Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2021004-eng.htm

Arms Trade specific chapter_Canada_93_2014-2021.xlsx

Arms Trade specific chapter_provinces_93_2014-2021.csv

March 8, 2022

Interactive data visualizations of COVID-19
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/visual-data-gallery/

Cumulative COVID-19 vaccination does administered per 100 people — Our World in Data
https://bit.ly/3gfGKvr

Statistics Canada
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/start

March 9, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R6fQ2F7CQg

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

The UK is sending Ukraine more anti-tank weapons to defend against Russian troops, defense minister says
https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-09-22/index.html

Can the US increase oil fast enough to offset Russian imports?https://mailchi.mp/poynter/quxwb2jk38?e=c6ec6147c3

March 10, 2022

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Week Five

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs2ddqQitXk

March 14, 2022

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/home

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (username and password creation) https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/registration-inscription/home.html?lang=eng

Feds report $326.1-million in lost revenue, public money, property in 2020-21
https://www.hilltimes.com/2022/01/11/feds-report-326-1-million-in-lost-revenue-public-money-property-in-2020-21/337215

Feds report $326.1-million in lost revenue, public money, property in 2020-21.pdf

Public Accounts 111, 2020-21 uploaded to DocumentCloud
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21413988-2021-vol3-eng

March 15, 2022

Links

Nova Scotia Public Accounts
https://beta.novascotia.ca/public-accounts

Federal budget will be a ‘back to basics’ document responding to the chaos in Europe, sources say
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-budget-trudeau-freeland-ukraine-1.6381733

Federal budget 2021
https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21183520-budget-2021-en

Feds’ move to privatize Via Rail corridor feels like ‘bait and switch’: NDP transport critic
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/03/15/news/feds-move-privatize-rail-corridor-feels-bait-and-switch-ndp-transport-critic

Government of Canada launches the next phase in the procurement process for High Frequency Rail
https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-launches-the-next-phase-in-the-procurement-process-for-high-frequency-rail.html

High Frequency Rail (HFR) – RFEOI (T8128-210188/A)
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-NB-003-81058

Buyandsell
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/

Nova Scotia Tenders
https://procurement.novascotia.ca/ns-tenders.aspx

March 16, 2022

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Feds’ move to privatize Via Rail corridor feels like ‘bait and switch’: NDP transport critic
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/03/15/news/feds-move-privatize-rail-corridor-feels-bait-and-switch-ndp-transport-critic

High-frequency rail: news release
https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-launches-the-next-phase-in-the-procurement-process-for-high-frequency-rail.html

Federal tenders
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-NB-003-81058

Departmental Plans 2022-23
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/planned-government-spending/reports-plans-priorities/2022-23-departmental-plans.html

Transport Canada Departmental Plan
https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/transparency/corporate-management-reporting/departmental-plans/transport-canada-2022-2023-departmental-plan

Auditor General of Canada’s report
https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201602_07_e_41251.html#hd4d

Previously released records
https://open.canada.ca/en/search/ati?search_api_fulltext=high-frequency+rail&sort_by=year&sort_order=DESC

March 17, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_xc9KLfZG0

Week Six

March 21, 2022

Links

Number of reported hate crimes set new record in 2020 as other crimes decreased: Statistics Canada
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/statistics-canada-hate-crimes-1.6389976

Why aren’t more hate crime charges being laid in Canada? A Globe and Mail analysis examines police performance across the country
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-why-arent-more-hate-crime-charges-being-laid-in-canada-a-globe-and/

Why aren’t more hate crime charges being laid in Canada? – PDF version

March 22, 2022

National Newswatch
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

Investigation launched after National Research Council is hit by ‘cyber incident’
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nrc-cyber-incident-1.6392358

National Security and Intelligence Committee
https://www.nsicop-cpsnr.ca/index-en.html

March 23, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ3p3SCmETk

March 24, 2022

Class recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSEoL2D6Hw

 Pitching stories

To download a tip sheet for pitching, editing and storyboarding an investigative project, please click here.

To download the PowerPoint on the same topic, please click here.

Interviewing

Interviewing techniques

Six basic rules of interviewing.pdf

CBS 60 Minutes interview with former U.S. President Barack Obama —  Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KieU1kzUCRo

Charlie Rose interview with Barack Obama
https://charlierose.com/videos/26938

Writing

7 NMA21 Judging Guide Investigative Reporting.pdf

Don Gibb’s numeracy column for Media magazine

Writing manuals
https://www.amazon.ca/Elements-Style-William-Strunk-Jr/dp/020530902X

10 principles for data journalism in its second decade
https://medium.com/thoughts-on-journalism/10-principles-for-data-journalism-in-its-second-decade-3b45e08a4793

Tutorials

To obtain the Statistics Canada tutorial on using data tables, please click here.

Dexter’s Google Sheet’s Scraping Tutorial Using COVID Related Financial Data
https://studio.youtube.com/video/0t1p6PF07iw/edit

How to use DocumentCloud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_d0zsw6hhQ&feature=youtu.be

Visual thinking with taking multiple photos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC4Kr2_4MlU&feature=youtu.be

Nova Scotia Political donation tutorial 2021 03 09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz9hCfci7bk

Tableau tutorial joining labour force and industrial sector data March 17, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9b7ECiORQ

Data

CEWS_Feb 23, 2022, scrape.csv

CEWS_Feb 21, 2022, scrape.csv

convoy_donations.csv

CEWS_Feb 15, 2022, scrape.csv

CEWS Registry.xlsx

Eviction applications by landlords_ first three digits of postal code_2020-20492-SNSIS.pdf

Eviction forms – 2019-2020

Landlord eviction applications_Master_2019-2020.xlsx

Additional Resources

Data Journalism Academy: Writing with data
https://sites.google.com/view/mj-basic-data-academy/data-state-of-mind/writing-with-data?authuser=0

The Quartz guide to bad data
https://github.com/Quartz/bad-data-guide

Michael Creagen’s instructional video for photo ideas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Gb69vlxKo&feature=youtu.be

Downloadthemall (Youtube demo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzl4WIExeUA

Downloadthemall (for Firefox)
https://www.downthemall.net/

Downloadthemall (for Chrome)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/downthemall/nljkibfhlpcnanjgbnlnbjecgicbjkge?hl=en