Wetaskiwin city council has approved a new privacy and access bylaw, bringing the city’s record-keeping rules in line with Alberta’s updated laws. The change, passed on July 14, 2026, replaces the old Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) bylaw that had been in place since 1995.
Council gave all three readings to Bylaw 2108-26, the new Privacy and Access Bylaw, and Amending Bylaw 2109-26. The new rules align the city with the provincial Access to Information Act and Protection of Privacy Act, which took effect on June 11, 2025.
The 30-year-old bylaw was based on Alberta’s former FOIP legislation, which was replaced with two separate acts last year. Under the new Protection of Privacy Act, all public bodies in Alberta had until June 11, 2026 to set up a privacy management program. This includes naming a privacy officer, creating a system to classify how secure information is, and training staff on privacy rules.
The bylaw update comes as the city continues to deal with internal privacy matters. Mayor Joe Branco has been barred from city hall since January 14, 2026 due to what the city calls confidential personnel issues. The city has said it cannot release more details because of the Protection of Privacy Act.
At the same meeting, council talked about updating the Budget Accountability Policy CO-012. The goal is to give city staff more freedom in how they deliver services while keeping public spending transparent. The city’s 2026 operating budget is just under $50 million, with a capital budget of nearly $3 million.
