Note
"April 14, 2014."
The original document was published on the public website of the Government of Ontario.
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2014. Reproduced with permission.
Summary
"I decided to initiate this investigation upon hearing the stories of several Ontarians who had tried to cross the border into the United States and were denied access, apparently on the basis of their mental health history. More specifically, these individuals believed that previous incidents of attempted suicide were known to U.S. border officials and had resulted in refusals of entry. Understandably, the individuals involved were shocked that U.S. border officials were able to gain access to information about their mental health. Their stories, four of which are set out below, are very similar, and raised serious privacy issues regarding the sharing of one’s sensitive health information. On learning of these events, including hearing of the pain and embarrassment caused by the denials of entry, I decided to conduct an investigation to determine exactly how and why this was happening. I kept wondering – how could this be happening in my jurisdiction, where personal health information is so strongly protected?"--Page 5.