Our file: A-2000-0058/rr

January 9, 2001

Mr. Kenneth Dillen
13-425 Pinehouse Drive
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 5K2

Dear Mr. Dillen:

This letter is further to your request of June 12, 2000, filed under the Access to Information Act to obtain a copy of all documentation regarding Operation Wheat Bar between Canadian departments, Saskatchewan, Manitoba & Alberta Wheat Pools & U.S. Customs as well as Canadian Customs Memoranda D19-1-1, D19-3-1 and D19-3-2.  I regret our delay in responding to your request.

I am pleased to enclose a preliminary package of 459 pages relevant to your request.  Some portions of documents are exempt from release by virtue of sections 16(1)(c) [law enforcement and lawful investigations], 19(1) [personal information], 21(1)(a) [advice or recommendations], 21(1)(b) [consultations or deliberations], 23 [solicitor-client privilege] and 24(1) [statutory prohibitions] re section 107 of the Customs Act.  Other documents may have been submitted to the Privy Council Office to determine whether they qualify as Cabinet confidences under section 69 of the Act.  As soon as these consultations have been finalized we will be in contact with you again to finalize our response to your request.

Some records are labeled as protected or confidential.  Please not that the information released has been declassified.

Please be advised that you are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner concerning the above within one year from the date when your request was received in this Office (June 12, 2000).  In the event you decide to avail yourself of this right, your notice of complaint should be addressed to:

Information Commissioner
Tower B, Place de Ville
112 Kent Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H3

Should you have any questions concerning your request, please do not hesitate to contact Ron Rapley at (613) 941-4189.

Sincerely,

Anne Brennan