I made an FOI request regarding the City Manager’s Office of the City of Victoria, with and regards, the UDI a registered lobbying group for corporate real estate and development interests. The City of Victoria estimates charging me over $700 for that information.

I made an FOI request regarding the City Manager’s Office of the City of Victoria, with and regards, the UDI a registered lobbying group for corporate real estate and development interests. The City of Victoria estimates charging me over $700 for that information.

By Sasha Izard
Jan 16, 2026

In December of 2025,

I sent the following FOI request to the City of Victoria for:

All records regarding communications by and to the Victoria City Manager’s office regarding the Urban Development Institute (UDI), including communications with it.

(Date Range of Search 2020-01-01 to 2025-12-17).

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The City of Victoria responded with a cost estimate of $712.50.

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I responded:

Hello,

I am sending an official complaint that this fee be reviewed, because we are looking at one office, the City Manager’s Office.

Why would it cost over $700 to see specific communications from one office?

Thank you,
Sasha Izard

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Appendix: The City of Victoria’s Fee Estimate Letter

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See also:

Index of Exorbitant Cost Estimates Provided for Freedom of Information in British Columbia – CRD Watch Homepage

Plane Flights and Helijets, where taxpayer dollars go from the City of Victoria, for Development Lobby Events – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of articles about lobbying influence on the City of Victoria and deliberations regarding it. – CRD Watch Homepage

Published by

CRD Watch

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: City Manager’s Office, City of Victoria, cost barriers to transparency, exorbitant FOI costs, fee estimate, Freedom From Information, Freedom of Information, Jocelyn Jenkins, lack of accountability, lack of transparency, lobbying, local-government, oipc, separation of lobby and state, udi, urban-development-institute

4 responses to “I made an FOI request regarding the City Manager’s Office of the City of Victoria, with and regards, the UDI a registered lobbying group for corporate real estate and development interests. The City of Victoria estimates charging me over $700 for that information.”

slowlydependablea37a606bc8

January 17, 2026 at 10:09 am

reduce the scope, and then send another request.

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Sasha Izard

January 17, 2026 at 10:17 am

The scope only involves the UDI and one office..

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jimsereda

January 17, 2026 at 6:23 pm

Sasha thank you for your tireless work in reporting how intensely and successfully the development industry lobbies the province and Victoria. I suggest requesting a fee waiver from the city as a journalist with a history of reporting important issues in the public interest, then if necessary send the OIPC a request for review of a fee waiver on the same grounds, and if these are not successful then post an appeal to subscribers to donate funds to pay for the estimated fees.

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1. Sasha Izard
  
  January 17, 2026 at 7:09 pm
  
  Thank you Jim. Your support is much appreciated.
  
  The City of Victoria did provide a 50% fee waiver on an FOI previously when I brought up the issue of public interest.
  
  Still 50% on $700+ is a lot of money.
  
  I’ve sent an official complaint regarding the fee estimate to both the city and the OIPC.
  
  We’ll see what happens,
  Sasha
  
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  Reply

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4 responses to “I made an FOI request regarding the City Manager’s Office of the City of Victoria, with and regards, the UDI a registered lobbying group for corporate real estate and development interests. The City of Victoria estimates charging me over $700 for that information.”

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