Lost and found rules in Canada: records, privacy and operators
These lost and found rules in Canada are the federal and British Columbia privacy texts on keeping and deleting personal information, quoted from the official sources, and the holding periods Canadian operators publish. It is information, not legal advice.
We have not yet read a Canadian law that sets a holding period for found property, so this page quotes none. We only describe a law we have read in its official source.
Updated
Personal data in lost property records: the text
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, section 4(1) and Schedule 1, clauses 4.4, 4.5.2 and 4.5.3
Applies to: Organizations, for personal information collected, used or disclosed in the course of commercial activities
4 (1) This Part applies to every organization in respect of personal information that (a) the organization collects, uses or discloses in the course of commercial activities
The collection of personal information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the organization.
Organizations should develop guidelines and implement procedures with respect to the retention of personal information. These guidelines should include minimum and maximum retention periods.
Personal information that is no longer required to fulfil the identified purposes should be destroyed, erased, or made anonymous.
Source: Justice Laws Website (Government of Canada), opened .
Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia), section 35
Applies to: Organizations in British Columbia covered by the Act
(1) Despite subsection (2), if an organization uses an individual's personal information to make a decision that directly affects the individual, the organization must retain that information for at least one year after using it so that the individual has a reasonable opportunity to obtain access to it.
(2) An organization must destroy its documents containing personal information, or remove the means by which the personal information can be associated with particular individuals, as soon as it is reasonable to assume that (a) the purpose for which that personal information was collected is no longer being served by retention of the personal information, and (b) retention is no longer necessary for legal or business purposes.
Source: King's Printer for British Columbia, opened .
Operators' own published rules: Canada
| Operator | Where | As published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax Stanfield International Airport | Nova Scotia, Canada | Up to 30 days from the date turned in | Halifax Stanfield International Airport |
| Toronto Pearson International Airport | Ontario, Canada | 30 days from the date turned in | Toronto Pearson International Airport |
| Toronto Transit Commission | Ontario, Canada | Most items 30 days; bicycles 15 days | Toronto Transit Commission |
| Central Fraser Valley Transit (BC Transit) | British Columbia, Canada | Up to 14 days | BC Transit |
| Mount Waddington Regional Transit (BC Transit) | British Columbia, Canada | Up to 14 days | BC Transit |
| Victoria Regional Transit (BC Transit) | British Columbia, Canada | Up to 14 days | BC Transit |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Ontario, Canada | 30 days; ID and bank cards destroyed after 24 hours | Toronto Metropolitan University |
| Conestoga College | Ontario, Canada | 30 days | Conestoga College |
| Simon Fraser University | British Columbia, Canada | Up to 14 days | Simon Fraser University |
| University of Victoria | British Columbia, Canada | 30 days | University of Victoria |
| Capilano University | British Columbia, Canada | One month; ID and passports 30 days, then returned to the issuer | Capilano University |
| MacEwan University | Alberta, Canada | Little or no value up to 15 days; valuables up to 30 days | MacEwan University |
| University of Manitoba | Manitoba, Canada | 60 days | University of Manitoba |
| REAL District (Regina) | Saskatchewan, Canada | 45 days from the date turned in | REAL District (Regina) |
| Lake Louise Ski Resort | Alberta, Canada | Equipment and lesser-value items 2 to 3 weeks; valuables 30 days | Lake Louise Ski Resort |
See every published holding period and how we collected them
Reviewed . Next review due .
PIPEDA: collect what you need, then destroy it
The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act applies to organizations for personal information they collect, use or disclose in the course of commercial activities.
Read more
Its Schedule 1 limits collection to what is necessary for the purposes the organization identifies, asks organizations to set guidelines with minimum and maximum retention periods, and says personal information no longer required for those purposes should be destroyed, erased or made anonymous.
British Columbia: one year after a decision, then destroy
Section 35 of British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act says that when an organization uses personal information to make a decision that directly affects the individual, it keeps that information for at least one year after using it. It must destroy documents containing personal information, or remove the means of linking them to individuals, as soon as it is reasonable to assume the purpose is no longer served and keeping them is no longer necessary for legal or business purposes.
What this means for a lost and found desk
A lost property log holds the names, phone numbers and email addresses of people who report a loss or claim an item, and sometimes the identity details checked at release. Read with that log in mind, these texts point to recording only what you need to return items, writing down how long you keep each record, and deleting or anonymising it after that.
Read more
Whether a particular release decision falls under the British Columbia rule is a question for your own adviser.
This page is information, not legal advice. It quotes only the sections named, as published on the date we opened them; laws change and carry conditions and exceptions this page does not repeat. Ask a lawyer about your own site.
Frequently asked questions
Does PIPEDA apply to a lost and found log?+
PIPEDA applies to organizations for the personal information they collect, use or disclose in the course of commercial activities, and a log of the people who report losses holds personal information. Whether it applies to your desk depends on your organization; ask your own adviser.
How long can a Canadian business keep a lost property claimant’s details?+
PIPEDA asks for guidelines with minimum and maximum retention periods and says information no longer required should be destroyed, erased or made anonymous. In British Columbia, information used to make a decision that directly affects someone is kept for at least one year after the decision. Set your own period within those texts.
Is there a Canadian law that says how long found items must be kept?+
We have not yet read one in its official source, so this page states none. The Canadian operators below publish their own holding periods.
Keep claimant details off the public list
vFound Lost & Found keeps ownership evidence and contact details in staff-only records, separate from what guests see on your site’s page.
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