-
TEXT
The Bank of Canada does not collect any personal information about unclaimed bank balances or their owners, however, that information is transferred to the Bank's custody from federally regulated financial institutions and is posted on our web site. The Bank Act authorizes the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to publish (in the Canada Gazette) information about all unclaimed balances of $100 or more, once they have been inactive for nine years at a financial institution. This information includes the account owner's name, last known address, and balance amount. The purpose is to help people locate balances that may be owed them. If still unclaimed by the end of the tenth year, these balances are then given to the custody of the Bank of Canada, which in turn assumes responsibility for publishing the above information. The Privacy Act s. 8(2)(b) permits the disclosure of personal information when an Act of Parliament so authorizes.
It is not necessary to make a formal request under the Privacy Act for information relating to an unclaimed bank balance. Individuals who wish to inquire about an unclaimed bank balance may direct their informal inquiries to:
Telephone: 1 800 303-1282
Fax: 613 782-7802
Email: ucbalances@bank-banque-canada.ca
For additional information concerning unclaimed bank balances, please refer to the Bank of Canada website.
Individuals who wish to inquire about the status of their Canada Savings Bonds or other Government of Canada securities, may do so informally by writing to or contacting New Canada Savings Bonds as noted below. It is normally not necessary to make a formal request under the Privacy Act for this information. The Bank of Canada only collects personal information related to Canadians who hold Canada Savings Bonds.
Please be aware that in order for the Bank of Canada to release personal bondholder information to anyone other than the bondholder, we require the consent of the individual to whom the information relates or proof of the authority of the individual seeking access to the information.
Telephone: 1 800 575-5151
TTY*: 1 800 354-2222
Fax: 613 782-8096
Email: csb@csb.gc.ca
Mailing address:
New Canada Savings Bonds
P.O. Box 2770, Station D
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J7
*Telecommunication device for the hearing impaired
There is no central access to information site for government holdings. Each Crown Corporation, department and agency that is subject to the Act is responsible for maintaining its own Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office.
You must first determine if the Bank of Canada holds the documents you are seeking. For reference, you may wish to consult InfoSource, a directory of federal government institutions, their activities and their information holdings. InfoSource is available on the Government of Canada Internet site and may also be found in most libraries, constituency offices of Members of Parliament, all federal government departmental Access to Information and Privacy Offices, as well as at each location of the Bank of Canada.
Once you have determined that the Bank of Canada holds the information you are seeking, prepare a written request referring to the Act or complete the prescribed Access to Information Request Form; be as precise as possible. Also, include the $5 prescribed application fee (cheque or money order payable to the Bank of Canada) and send it to the Bank of Canada's ATIP Coordinator. Note that additional charges may be levied in keeping with the regulations of the Act.
Each request submitted under the Access to Information Act must be accompanied by a $5 application fee (cheque or money order payable to Bank of Canada). This application fee entitles you to 5 hours of search and preparation. However, additional charges may be applied during the course of processing your request. These additional charges may be related to search, preparation, computer processing, photocopying, etc. as identified in the Access to Information Regulations.
There are no fees associated with submitting a request under the Privacy Act.
Records, regardless of the format, held under the control of a federal government institution (listed in Schedule 1 of the Act) are subject to the Access to Information Act. There are two exceptions: documents that are published or available for purchase and confidences of the Queen's Privy Council. Both are excluded and, therefore, are not subject to the Act. With respect to information contained in all other types of records, it may be subject to specific and limited exempting provisions (e.g. personal information, third-party confidential, solicitor–client privilege, etc.).
Each government institution is responsible for managing personal information collected during the course of its mandate. You must first determine if the Bank of Canada has your personal information. For reference, you may wish to consult InfoSource, a directory of federal government institutions, their activities and their information holdings. InfoSource is available on the Government of Canada Internet site and may also be found in most libraries, constituency offices of Members of Parliament, all federal government departmental Access to Information and Privacy Offices as well as at each location of the Bank of Canada.
Once you have determined if the Bank of Canada holds your personal information, prepare a written request or complete the prescribed Personal Information Request Form and clearly identify the information you are seeking. Forward your request to the Bank of Canada ATIP's Coordinator. Ensure that you have provided sufficient details to help the Bank of Canada retrieve all of your personal information. There is no fee associated with submitting a request under the Privacy Act.