239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party

City of Kitchener - June 20, 2025

The Ombudsman investigated a closed meeting held by council for the City of Kitchener to discuss the implementation of a centralized model for operations related to certain arts and entertainment facilities. The Ombudsman found that parts of the closed session discussion fit within the exceptions for:

Information supplied in confidence by a third party at section 239(2)(i) of the Municipal Act, 2001;
Labour relations and employee negotiations at section 239(2)(d) of the Act; and
Plans and instructions for negotiations at section 239(2)(k) of the Act.

As the discussion could not have realistically been parsed, the entire discussion fit within those exceptions.

Read the Report

County of Haliburton - December 6, 2023

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |hospital|third party present

The Ombudsman investigated a closed meeting held by the County of Haliburton to discuss the closure of a local hospital emergency room. The meeting was closed under the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party. Representatives from the hospital attended the closed session and provided information to council. The County believed that the information it would receive from the third party in closed session would be supplied in confidence, however, the representatives confirmed that the information was not confidential. The Ombudsman found that the discussion did not fit into the cited exception. The Ombudsman recommended that when relying on this exception, the municipality consult with third party providing the information ahead of the closed meeting to ensure that the information to be shared fits within the exception.

Read the Report

Municipality of Brockton - November 8, 2023

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party

The Ombudsman found that discussions about a partnership proposal did not fit within the exception for information supplied in confidence because the information discussed was not supplied confidentially and the reasonable expectation of harm was not clearly established. As a best practice, the Ombudsman recommended that, before relying on the exception for information supplied in confidence, the Municipality should confirm with the third party whether or not the information was supplied in confidence, and, where appropriate, inquire into what concrete harms could be expected if the information were to be disclosed publicly.

Read the Report

Municipality of Arran-Elderslie - March 28, 2023

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |financial information|negotiation

Council for the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie held a closed session to discuss a pilot project with an upper-tier municipality. The Ombudsman found that the discussion fit within the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party. The discussion involved financial and labour relations information supplied in confidence by the upper-tier municipality to the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie. The Ombudsman found that the information had been implicitly supplied in confidence and disclosure of the information could have significantly interfered with ongoing negotiations between the upper-tier municipality and other municipalities.

Read the Report

City of Greater Sudbury - March 3, 2023

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |background information|business information|financial information|third-party information

The Ombudsman found that council for the City of Greater Sudbury’s closed session discussion of third-party commercial and financial information on July 12, 2022 fit within the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party. The Ombudsman found that the third-party information, which related to bids for a proposed municipal project, was supplied in confidence and that the public disclosure of the information could prejudice significantly the bidders' competitive positions in the bidding process or interfere with their contractual or other negotiations.

Read the Letter

City of Cornwall - February 8, 2023

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |financial information|third-party information

The Ombudsman received a complaint regarding closed meetings held by the City of Cornwall’s Municipal Grants Review Committee / Working Group on November 9 and November 30, 2021. The Ombudsman concluded that the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party did not apply to the Committee’s in camera discussions at either meeting since there was no evidence that information disclosed during the meetings could have been expected to cause significant harm to a third party.

Read the Report

Town of Pelham - June 15, 2022

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |airport

The Ombudsman investigated a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Pelham on April 19, 2021, during which council discussed future management and potential development of the local airport. The Ombudsman concluded that the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party did not apply to council’s discussion since there was no evidence that information disclosed during the meeting could have been expected to cause significant harm to a third party. The Ombudsman found that council contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 when it met in closed session on April 19, 2021.

Read the Report

Bruce County - May 20, 2022

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |financial information

The Ombudsman considered the applicability of the exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party to Bruce County Executive Committee’s in camera discussion on January 10, 2019. The Ombudsman found that the discussion did not fit within this exception to the open meeting rules because none of the information discussed fell into the categories listed in s. 239(2)(i) of the Municipal Act, 2001 such as financial or commercial information.

Read the Report

Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands - April 5, 2022

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party

The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint that council for the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands contravened the Municipal Act, 2001 when it went in camera on August 11, 2020. Council’s in camera discussion pertained to a study report and a funding application, both related to an internet broadband project.
The Ombudsman found that the study report was not information belonging to a third party under s. 239(2)(i). The Ombudsman found that council’s discussion about the study report was nonetheless permissible under the exception at s. 239(2)(j), information belonging to the municipality. However, council contravened the Act by discussing the funding application in closed session and by holding a vote by consensus on this matter. Furthermore, prior to moving in camera, council failed to state in its resolution the general nature of the matter to be considered as required by s. 239(4).

Read the Report

Town of South Bruce Peninsula - October 14, 2021

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |business information|financial information|third-party information|third party present

The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for the Town of South Bruce Peninsula improperly met in closed session to receive a delegation on March 16, 2021, contrary to the Municipal Act, 2001. The Ombudsman’s review determined that council received and discussed detailed information from a third party company regarding that company’s development plans, expected profits, and intended use of proprietary technology. We were told that the third party specifically wished to discuss this commercial information in private because it did not want to prejudice a pending land transaction or alert competitors to the proprietary technology it intended to rely on to create a profitable business in a specific area. The Ombudsman found this closed session discussion was permissible under section 239(2)(i) of the Municipal Act as council discussed information supplied in confidence by a third party that, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to significantly prejudice the competitive position of the business and significantly interfere with an ongoing land transaction.

Read the Letter

City of Greater Sudbury - May 12, 2021

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party

The Ombudsman reviewed a closed session meeting held by the City of Greater Sudbury where council discussed a project proposed by a third party. Council received confidential commercial and financial information belonging to third parties. As the proposed project remained ongoing, this information could have prejudiced the parties’ competitive position and negotiations if it were disclosed. Accordingly, the Ombudsman found that this topic fit within the exception.

Read the Report

Municipality of St.-Charles - October 3, 2019

239(2)(i) Information supplied in confidence by a third party |financial information|consultant|third-party information

The Ombudsman reviewed the in camera session of the meeting of the Committee of the Whole for the Municipality of St.-Charles, in which documents and recommendations about the municipality’s finances were discussed. The council discussed a document containing a watermark indicating that it was “supplied in confidence” to the municipality by a consultant. The Ombudsman found the document summarized and analyzed information about the municipality, and was marked “in confidence” because it was created by a third party and given to the municipality. Section 239(2)(i) is intended to protect confidential information about a third party. Therefore, the discussion of this report marked “in confidence” did not fit within the information supplied in confidence exception.

Read the Report