Environment and Climate Change Canada named most secretive federal government department

Environment and Climate Change Canada is the 2019 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the federal category.

The award is given annually by The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University (CFE), News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) to call public attention to governments, government departments and agencies that put extra effort into denying public access to government information to which the public has a right under access to information legislation.

Previously, CAJ, CFE, News Media Canada and CJFE  have announced recipients of 2019 Code of Silence awards in the other three categories: Provincial – Government of Alberta; Municipal – Town of Erin, Ontario; and Law Enforcement: police forces in Sudbury, Windsor, Peterborough, Longueuil, Quebec City, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and the Ontario Provincial Police.

All four organizations will continue to advocate for substantive reform to Canada’s federal access-to-information law.