Topic:"Confidentiality" in M12972

Issue 7 — The DRO's Closure of My File (Cover Letter Request 7) I ask the NSEB to review the DRO's closure of his file on the stated grounds that I had failed to provide consent. I did not refuse consent at any time. In my email of June 10...

AI summary The applicant is requesting the NSEB to review the DRO's closure of their file, arguing that conditional consent provided in emails was disregarded despite being acknowledged by the DRO. The applicant asserts that the closure was based on an incorrect interpretation of their consent, which was conditional on secure transmission of information.

Commitments As part of this Compliance Letter, Nova Scotia Power voluntarily commits to the additional actions set out below with a view to ensuring the adequacy of its security safeguards, continuing to address risks associated with the b...

AI summary Nova Scotia Power has committed to deleting all customer Social Insurance Numbers (SINS) from its systems by March 31, 2026, with exceptions for legal retention requirements. This action is part of ensuring adequate security safeguards and preventing future data breaches.

iliation process. NS Power remains willing to work with Mr. Nickerson to address the outstanding balance on the account, including discussing payment arrangements should he wish to pursue that option. Further, NS Power acknowledges Mr. Nic...

AI summary NS Power acknowledges Mr. Nickerson's concerns regarding account balance and communication preferences. NS Power is willing to discuss payment arrangements and notes the request for a secure electronic communication channel as a potential area for improvement. The correspondence has been marked confidential and forwarded to Mr. Nickerson.

CONFIDENTIALITY FRAMEWORK The criteria for a confidentiality order is set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sierra Club of Canada v Canada (Minister of Finance) , 2002 SCC 41 ( Sierra Club ). In Sierra Club the Court held that confiden...

AI summary The confidentiality framework is based on the Supreme Court of Canada's criteria from Sierra Club of Canada v Canada (Minister of Finance) , 2002 SCC 41, which permits confidentiality orders under specific conditions. These conditions are also reflected in s. 12(10) of the Board Regulatory Rules. The open courts principle emphasizes transparency in the Board's processes and the public interest in accessible information.

lose matters involving public security; - (b) whether the document may disclose sensitive financial, commercial or personal matters in relation to which the desirability of avoiding disclosure in the interest of any person affected outweig...

AI summary The text outlines the Board's authority to handle confidential documents in regulatory proceedings, including ordering documents to be held in confidence, placed on the public record, or made available under certain conditions. It also references the requirement that confidentiality interests must be in the public interest, as noted in the Sierra Club case.

CONCLUSION Under Board Regulatory Rule 12, you requested confidential treatment of certain personal identifiers. As noted above, your mailing/civic address, your NS Power account number, your personal email address, your telephone number a...

AI summary The Board denied a request for confidential treatment of a complainant's full name, finding insufficient evidence of a serious risk to a public interest. The full name will be made public in all filings related to the matter.

BACKGROUND On July 12, 2026, you filed a Notice of Appeal with respect to an unresolved billing dispute with Nova Scotia Power Inc. This letter addresses your request of the same date for confidentiality made under s. 12 of the Board Regul...

AI summary A Notice of Appeal was filed on July 12, 2026, regarding an unresolved billing dispute with Nova Scotia Power Inc. The letter also addresses a confidentiality request made under s. 12 of the Board Regulatory Rules.

CONFIDENTIALITY FRAMEWORK The criteria for a confidentiality order is set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sierra Club of Canada v Canada (Minister of Finance) , 2002 SCC 41 ( Sierra Club ). In Sierra Club the Court held that confiden...

AI summary The confidentiality framework is guided by the Supreme Court of Canada's criteria from Sierra Club of Canada v Canada (Minister of Finance) , 2002 SCC 41, which permits confidentiality orders under specific conditions. These criteria are also reflected in s. 12(10) of the Board Regulatory Rules, emphasizing the open courts principle and the public interest in transparency within Board proceedings.

lose matters involving public security; - (b) whether the document may disclose sensitive financial, commercial or personal matters in relation to which the desirability of avoiding disclosure in the interest of any person affected outweig...

AI summary This text outlines the conditions under which the Board may handle confidential documents in a regulatory proceeding, including the criteria for confidentiality, options for handling such documents, and procedures for withdrawal of applications or interventions if confidentiality claims are rejected.

CONCLUSION Under Board Regulatory Rule 12, you requested confidential treatment of certain personal identifiers. As noted above, your mailing/civic address, your NS Power account number, your personal email address, your telephone number a...

AI summary The Board denied a request for confidential treatment of a complainant's full name, finding no serious risk to a public interest. The full name will be made public in all filings related to the matter. The complainant may withdraw the complaint within seven days of the decision.

REDACTED Page 3 of 4 the NSEB to assess whether NS Power's continued reliance on these methods, more than a year after a confirmed breach of its own systems, meets its obligations to protect customer information and constitutes an unreason...

AI summary The complainant raises concerns about NS Power's continued use of insecure practices despite a confirmed data breach and ongoing security remediation. They also question the DRO's closure of their file based on conditional consent and request a written decision from the NSEB.

Documents Enclosed The following documents are filed with this complaint: - NSEB Rule12 Confidentiality Request filed pursuant to Regulatory Rule 12 - NSEB Statement of Complaint (including billing dispute details, full communication chron...

AI summary The complaint includes a confidentiality request under Regulatory Rule 12 and a detailed statement of complaint from the NSEB, covering billing disputes and communication history.

Introduction and Request Pursuant to Regulatory Rule 12 of the Nova Scotia Energy Board ("the Board"), I respectfully request that the Board hold specific personal information, enumerated below, in confidence and withhold it from the publi...

AI summary The complainant requests that specific personal information in their Statement of Complaint against Nova Scotia Power Incorporated be withheld from the public record, citing the Board's confidentiality policy. The request was made in accordance with the Board's Chief Clerk's instructions and based on the official policy, which requires a showing of reasonable expectation of actual harm.

REDACTEDPage 2 of 4 I request that the following pieces of information be treated as confidential and withheld from the public record, wherever they appear in my Statement of Complaint, Cover Letter, and Exhibits A through G: - 1. My full...

AI summary The individual requests that specific personal information be treated as confidential and withheld from the public record in their Statement of Complaint and related exhibits, citing concerns for security and personal safety.

2. Specific Harm Justification for Each Item (Rule 12(4)(a)) I understand that "personal discomfort or embarrassment" does not meet the Board's threshold for confidentiality, and I am accordingly setting out the specific, documented harm a...

AI summary The individual provides specific harm justifications for the disclosure of personal information, citing a data breach, increased phishing risks, and potential security threats such as identity theft, meter tampering, and unauthorized account manipulation.

3. Format of Confidential Filing In accordance with the Board's confidentiality policy and confidentiality FAQ, I will provide two versions of each document listed in this request: a public version in which the confidential information ide...

AI summary The document outlines the format for confidential filings as per the Board's confidentiality policy. Two versions of each document will be provided: a public version with redacted confidential information and a confidential version with grey-highlighted confidential information, ensuring identical formatting and pagination.

\ \ EXTERNAL EMAIL / COURRIEL EXTERNE \ \ Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking on links / Faites preuve de prudence si vous ouvrez une pièce jointe ou cliquez sur un lien Subject: My decision - RE: Request for extension of...

AI summary The sender disagrees with the Board's decision to disclose their full name but agrees to proceed with the complaint. They request confirmation of the complaint's status and next steps, as well as receipt of Nova Scotia Power's filings and correspondence.

3rd Floor, 1601 Lower Water Street Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3P6 Mailing Address PO Box 1692, Unit M Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3S3 TEL 902-424-1332 FAX 902-424-3919 TF 1-833-809-0040 [email protected] nserbt.ca/nseb August 7, 2026 David Ni...

AI summary The Board has determined that personal identifiers such as mailing address, account number, email, phone number, and meter number do not need to be made public for the purpose of determining the complaint. These identifiers are not considered confidential under the Board's Rules of Practice, although paper records remain accessible to the public under certain conditions.

From: Sent: July 22, 2026 2:35 PM To: Wallace, Lisa Cc: Penney, Nicole Subject: RE: M12972 NSPI Complaint - Billing Issues - D.N. You don't often get email from 1 . Learn why this is important \ \ EXTERNAL EMAIL / COURRIEL EXTERNE \ \ Exer...

AI summary The complainant requests an extension of time under Rule 12(12) to decide whether to withdraw their complaint following a Board decision on confidentiality. They argue that seven days is insufficient to consider the implications of the decision, especially since they are self-represented and the ruling partially denies confidentiality for their full name.

Good morning, The redacted documents can be accessed by anyone on our public database, as was explained to you previously. If someone were to request to view the unredacted documents (other than the parties involved in the matter), they wo...

AI summary The Board explains that redacted documents are publicly accessible, while unredacted versions require a formal request. Personal identifiers are removed for public access. No public requests for unredacted documents have been made, and disconnection information is standard across cases. Correspondence must be copied to all relevant parties.

Basis of my decision to proceed: My decision to proceed with this complaint was based on the Board's Rule 12 confidentiality decision. That decision states that my mailing/civic address, NS Power account number, personal email address, tel...

AI summary The individual's decision to proceed with the complaint is based on the Board's confidentiality decision, which protects personal information from being made public. The individual confirms they understand that redacted documents may be available publicly, but sensitive details like their address and account number will remain confidential.

Please confirm in writing and categorically that: The identifiers the Board held confidential (mailing/civic address, NS Power account number, personal email address, telephone number, and meter number) remain confidential under Rule 12 an...

AI summary The complainant requests a clear confirmation that certain identifiers held by the Board remain confidential under Rule 12 and will not be disclosed to non-parties. The Board confirms that only the complainant, respondent, the Board, and the DRO may access unredacted documents containing these identifiers.

Sources: The Social Security Tribunal of Canada's public policy on this point states: "We protect your personal information from public access. If we give someone access to your appeal record, we will first remove any information that reve...

AI summary The individual argues that the Board's decision to make their mailing address publicly accessible lacks a legal basis and conflicts with privacy practices of other Canadian tribunals. They reference decisions by the Social Security Tribunal, Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal, and Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which emphasize the protection of personal information. The individual requests the Board to confirm in writing that their address will not be disclosed.

4. My position going forward To restate my position clearly and for the record: I remain prepared to withdraw my complaint if the Board can identify the specific legal authority (statute, regulation, or Board rule) requiring or permitting...

AI summary The individual reiterates their position that they will withdraw their complaint only if the Board can identify the legal authority requiring public disclosure of their civic address, and reconcile it with Rule 12. Otherwise, they intend to continue their complaint and pursue the address-disclosure issue separately.

Friday, August 7th, 2026 at 3:06 PM Subject: Written confirmation required before I decide whether to withdraw – public access, return of documents, and website materials Hi Lisa, Regarding the Board's clarification regarding personal iden...

AI summary The individual is concerned about public access to their personal information, specifically their civic/mailing address, and is seeking written confirmation from the Board before deciding whether to withdraw their complaint.

A. If I withdraw the complaint - 1. Will the Board return all documents I filed in this matter (including cover letter, statement of complaint, exhibits, and confidentiality materials), including under Rule 12(13) or any equivalent practic...

AI summary The text outlines questions regarding the consequences of withdrawing a complaint, focusing on document return, public availability, retention by the Board, and privacy concerns related to personal information.

C. Timing 7. Please provide these confirmations within a reasonable time so I can make an informed decision. For the record: had I been clearly informed, before I elected to proceed, that unredacted materials containing my civic/mailing ad...

AI summary The individual expresses disappointment that the Board did not clarify upfront that unredacted materials containing their civic/mailing address would be publicly accessible, leading them to reconsider their participation in the proceeding.

Transmission of confidential material NS Power's September 8, 2026 response asks the Board to "consider the enclosed information confidential due to the personal nature of the information that has been provided," and states that NS Power f...

AI summary NS Power requested the Board to treat certain personal information as confidential, but the information was sent via email, including sensitive details like the recipient's name and account number. The Board's policy allows for additional direction on document sharing, and the request is made to ensure confidential material in Matter M12972 is transmitted securely.

Transmission of Confidential Material Confidential materials sent by NS Power to the Board are sent through the secure submit portal, the same as any documents submitted by yourself to the Board. When NS Power sends documents to you, they...

AI summary The document discusses the process by which NS Power transmits confidential materials to the Board, emphasizing that such materials are sent through a secure portal and not made public. NS Power also sends documents via email or regular mail, which contain confidential information belonging to the recipient.

Transmission of Confidential Material 6. "Confidential materials sent by NS Power to the Board are sent through the secure submit portal, the same as any documents submitted by yourself to the Board. When NS Power sends documents to you, t...

AI summary The text discusses the transmission of confidential material by NS Power to the Board and raises concerns about the security of information sent in both directions. The issue centers on the lack of a secure channel for customer information and the handling of personal data, particularly regarding how information is transmitted, stored, and accessed.

From: Wallace, Lisa Sent: September 22, 2026 10:32 AM To: Cc: Nguyen, Anh ; Cavanaugh, Marina ; Penney, Nicole ; Blake Williams ; Carley Freeman ; Chris Lanteigne ; Jennifer Ross ; Kathleen Murray ; Lisa Forsey ; Sofia Reiner Subject: RE:...

AI summary The Board has granted a 30-day extension for responding to a complaint regarding billing by NS Power, with the new deadline set for October 22, 2026. The Board also mentions the use of a secure submission system and the creation of a separate TitanFile Channel for confidential information exchange, requiring a Confidentiality Undertaking.

From: Sent: October 5, 2026 1:42 PM To: Wallace, Lisa Cc: Nguyen, Anh ; Cavanaugh, Marina ; Penney, Nicole ; Blake Williams ; Carley Freeman ; Chris Lanteigne ; Jennifer Ross ; Kathleen Murray ; Lisa Forsey ; Sofia Reiner Subject: M12972 –...

AI summary This email pertains to a confidentiality agreement (M12972) and is a reply to a response provided by NS Power on September 8. It is part of a regulatory proceeding involving confidentiality matters.

M12972 – Confidentiality Agreement, Reply to NS Power September 8 Response Hi Lisa, Thank you for your answers regarding the Confidentiality Agreement. I have read them in the original message. Respectfully, I have decided not to sign the...

AI summary The individual has decided not to sign the Confidentiality Undertaking and Agreement, believing it to be the simplest and fastest way to proceed. They agree with the handling of a procedural correspondence and see no need for it to be made public at this time.