Act respecting access to documents

Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information

Access to documents
The STM is a public body subject to the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information. The public is therefore entitled to access the STM’s documents, subject to the rules of this Act. Except for information of a personal nature, protected by this Act, the majority of the STM’s documents are public and accessible to anyone who requests them.

Here is some information regarding access to the STM’s documents.

Where to find out more
You may make your request verbally but the STM strongly suggests you do so in writing. Furthermore, according to the Act, only written requests can be reviewed. Requests must be sent by mail or by fax to the STM's Secretariat and legal Affairs Department, care of Christian Portelance.

By Mail

Secrétariat et affaires juridiques
Société de transport de Montréal
800 De La Gauchetière Street West
Room 9740
Montreal (Québec)
H5A 1J6

By Fax

514 280-6126

For information about the STM, or to receive a copy of the annual report, contact the General Information at:

STM-INFO - Press 8 for English,
option 4 and option 3
(514 786-4636 + 4 + 3)

Finally, the STM’s archives contain thousands of files and documents of various kinds, tracing the development of public transit in Montreal since 1861. For information about the archives, contact the Secretariat and Legal Affairs Department whose contact information is above.

Protection of personal information
The STM protects the personal information it holds in conformity with the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information. Therefore, personal information regarding personnel and clients of the STM are confidential according to the rules set by this Act.

Costs
The only costs is for document reproduction. These costs vary depending on the nature of the documents. For example, photocopying costs $0.32 per page. A base charge of $6.40 applies in all cases.

Time for access to information requests
The STM responds to access to information requests filed under the Act respecting access to documents… as quickly as possible. The Act permits a maximum delay of 20 days after receiving the request to respond, although an extension of 10 days may be necessary.

Appeal of a decision on access to information
A person whose written request has been turned down in whole or in part may ask the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec to review the decision.

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