Our legal obligations as a public body

Access to information

As a para-municipal organization, the SHDM is subject to the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information « “Access to Information Act ».

This Act allows any individual to  :

• access the documents held by the SHDM in the exercise of its functions, subject to applicable restrictions and exceptions;
• be informed of the personal information concerning them held by the SHDM;
• have their personal information corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or ambiguous.

Make a request for access to information

Your request for access to information must be submitted in writing to the person responsible for access to documents and the protection of personal information:
Maître Julie Faucher
Directrice des affaires juridiques et corporatives
800, boulevard de Maisonneuve Est, bureau 2200
Montréal (Québec) H2L 4L8
Email:

Points to consider for your request:

• Your request must be specific enough to allow us to locate the requested document(s).
• In some cases, we may need to restrict access to information or documents according to the provisions set out by law.
• Fees may be charged for the reproduction of documents under the Regulation respecting fees for the transcription, reproduction or transmission of documents or personal information.
• Documents can also be consulted on-site at the SHDM offices during opening hours.

Protection of personal information

Respect for privacy and the confidentiality of personal information is an important concern for the SHDM.

The SHDM handles personal information in accordance with the standards set out in the Access to Information Act. The way in which the SHDM collects, uses, discloses, and retains personal information gathered in the course of its activities and through its websites is described in the Privacy policy (in Frech only).

Accessing or visiting the SHDM websites, communicating with the SHDM by any means, or agreeing to receive emails from the SHDM constitutes acceptance of the terms of this Policy.

Personal Information Governance at SHDM

The governance framework regarding access to information and the protection of personal data of the SHDM is defined in the Policy on Access to information and Protection of personal information (in French only) and includes the following policies and procedures (in French only):

• Politique de confidentialité
• Politique sur la sécurité de l’information
• Politique sur la gestion intégrée des documents
• Procédure sur les incidents de confidentialité
• Procédure sur les évaluations des facteurs relatifs à la vie privée
• Procédure sur le traitement des plaintes à l’égard des renseignements personnels

The steps for handling a complaint are described in the Procedure for handling complaints regarding personal onformation (in French only).

Distribution of information

Find here the documents available under the Regulation respecting the distribution of information and the protection of personal information, in addition to those listed above.

• Registry of Access to Information Requests (in French only)
• Administrative Document Classification Plan (in French only)

Charter of the French language

French is the official language of Québec and the SHDM undertakes to be exemplary by communicating exclusively in French, in accordance with the law.

The Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec amends the Charter of the French language and strengthens the provisions applicable to the public administration.

SHDM employees will address you in French and will ask whether you qualify for an exception when you call or visit the reception desk.

The SHDM has adopted a directive specifying the situations in which it intends to use a language other than French.

Exceptions

The Charter of the French language provides exceptions stipulating that an organization under the Administration can override the principle of exemplariness and use another language, in addition to French: 

• we were already communicating with you in English before May 13, 2021 (you have a “grandfathered right”);
• you are eligible to receive education in English in Quebec;
• you are Indigenous;
• you are an immigrant who arrived in Quebec within the last six months;
• you do not live in Quebec.

We can also communicate with you in English in the following situations:

• you are acting on behalf of a person who falls under one of the exceptions mentioned above;
• you represent a corporation, partnership, or organization that is either located outside Quebec or solely on a reserve;
• when health or safety requires it.

If you wish to obtain more information on the provisions of the Charter of the French language and the Government’s Language Policy, you can visit the web site of the Ministry of the French Language.

French Language Emissary

The SHDM’s French Language Emissary is Elisabeth Tremblay, director of communications, public relations, and customer experience.