PRIVACY POLICY
Waterloo Horticultural Society
INTRODUCTION
The Waterloo Horticultural Society (WHS) is a not-for-profit charitable organization with a volunteer Executive and Board of Directors whose purpose is to provide leadership and assist in the promotion of education and interest in all areas of horticulture and related environmental issues.
This page summarizes WHS’s privacy policies and procedures that have been developed to comply with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA"). PIPEDA sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of a member's or volunteer's personal information, as well as safeguarding that information in the course of its activity as defined in the legislation.
WHAT IS "PERSONAL INFORMATION"
Under PIPEDA, "Personal Information" means any information that is identifiable to an individual, including name, address, telephone number, Social Insurance Number, and date of birth. It also includes, but is not limited to, other information relating to identity, such as, nationality, gender, marital status, financial information and credit history.
PURPOSES FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect only the personal information required to effectively communicate with and serve you as a member, and to assess your eligibility to receive the benefits and programs offered by the WHS and its partners.
CONSENT
At the time of completing a membership application, your consent will be sought for the collection, use, retention and disclosure of their personal information for the purposes set out in the WHS's privacy policy. You may choose not to provide some or all of the personal information requested, but if we are unable to collect sufficient information to validate a membership and its benefits, your application may be turned down.
ACCURACY
We endeavour to ensure that all personal information in active files is accurate, current and complete. When you notify us that your personal information requires correction or updating, the necessary changes will be made. Information contained in closed files is not updated.
LIMITING USE, RETENTION & DISCLOSURE
We use and retain personal information for only those purposes to which you have consented. Personal information will be disclosed to only those WHS Executive, Directors and committees, and/or Board of Directors that need to know the information for the purposes set out in the WHS Privacy Policy.
Occasionally, we will share your information with 3rd party partners but only if you have consented to sharing this information for the purposes of accessing membership benefits.
WEB BROWSING, ONLINE CONTESTS, QUESTIONS OR SURVEYS
When you ask a question, participate in a survey, or enter a competition (sponsored by WHS), through our websites, we may collect your name, address, phone number and email address. We use this information to administer your participation.
Our website uses “cookies” and collects technical and navigational information that is not personally identifiable to any particular user. For example, computer browser type, Internet protocol address, pages visited and time spent on our website. This information may be used or analyzed by WHS to improve our web design and functionality and our ability to service you and your accounts. Our cookies cannot profile your system or collect information from your hard drive. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can set your browsers to refuse cookies.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Members are notified that by entering into public areas for WHS events you consent to your likeness being used without liability or compensation.
Members taking part in WHS activities requiring registration will be asked to agree to a photography release indicating their image/likeness may be used by the WHS for promotional purposes, no remuneration will be provided.
Photographs of members identified on our website, newsletter or social media site require verbal or written permission of the member and are used by WHS for promotional purposes, no remuneration will be provided. This information is to be obtained by the photographer or by waiver. Photographs submitted to WHS are deemed to have this permission and be the property of the photographer.
Photos of members will be removed from the WHS website or social media site upon request of the member.
SAFEGUARDS
To protect your personal information, WHS maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in keeping with industry standards and practices, all of which are regularly updated in response to changes in technology. We strictly limit access to information about you to those who need to know the information in order to perform their duties. The WHS executive, directors, volunteers are prohibited from accessing our files and databases without proper authorization.
Personal information contained on the WHS computers and the electronic databases are password protected. As well, the Internet server or router has firewall protection to protect against virus attacks and hacking into the database.
Notwithstanding the technological safeguards implemented by the WHS, all Internet transmissions are susceptible to possible loss, misrouting, interception and misuse. For this reason, as part of the application that individual's sign consenting to their personal information being collected, used, retained, and disclosed, the WHS will assume that it has the individual's consent to communicate via the Internet unless notified to the contrary.
You should always safeguard your own personal information by protecting passwords used to access websites and by safely disposing of records no longer needed.
INDIVIDUAL ACCESS
An individual who wishes to review or verify what personal information is held by the WHS, may do so by making a request, in writing to the WHS’s Membership Director. Upon verification of the individual's identity, the Director will provide a written report within 60 days.
INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS
Any concern or issue about the WHS’s personal information handling practices may be made, in writing, to the Membership Director. Upon verification of the individual's identity, the Director will act promptly to investigate the complaint and provide a written report to the individual.
If the individual is dissatisfied with the report provided by the Director, or feels that the corrective action taken by the WHS is insufficient, the individual may direct a complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner in writing. The address of the Federal Privacy Commissioner is provided in this Privacy Statement for your convenience.
AMENDMENTS TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
The WHS's Privacy Policy and this Privacy Statement may be updated from time to time to reflect amendments in applicable Federal and Provincial laws. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on the WHS website and will apply to personal information collected from the date of the posting of the revised Privacy Policy.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding the Waterloo Horticultural Society's Privacy Policy, or you wish to make an access to personal information request, please contact:
Membership Director
OTHER HELPFUL PRIVACY LINKS
For a copy of PIPEDA, or for answers to other questions regarding privacy legislation, below are some helpful privacy links.
Federal Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.gc.ca
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3
Provincial Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.on.ca
This policy was adopted and approved by the Waterloo Horticultural Society’s Board of Directors March 21, 2017
The Waterloo Horticultural Society (WHS) is a not-for-profit charitable organization with a volunteer Executive and Board of Directors whose purpose is to provide leadership and assist in the promotion of education and interest in all areas of horticulture and related environmental issues.
This page summarizes WHS’s privacy policies and procedures that have been developed to comply with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA"). PIPEDA sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of a member's or volunteer's personal information, as well as safeguarding that information in the course of its activity as defined in the legislation.
WHAT IS "PERSONAL INFORMATION"
Under PIPEDA, "Personal Information" means any information that is identifiable to an individual, including name, address, telephone number, Social Insurance Number, and date of birth. It also includes, but is not limited to, other information relating to identity, such as, nationality, gender, marital status, financial information and credit history.
PURPOSES FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect only the personal information required to effectively communicate with and serve you as a member, and to assess your eligibility to receive the benefits and programs offered by the WHS and its partners.
CONSENT
At the time of completing a membership application, your consent will be sought for the collection, use, retention and disclosure of their personal information for the purposes set out in the WHS's privacy policy. You may choose not to provide some or all of the personal information requested, but if we are unable to collect sufficient information to validate a membership and its benefits, your application may be turned down.
ACCURACY
We endeavour to ensure that all personal information in active files is accurate, current and complete. When you notify us that your personal information requires correction or updating, the necessary changes will be made. Information contained in closed files is not updated.
LIMITING USE, RETENTION & DISCLOSURE
We use and retain personal information for only those purposes to which you have consented. Personal information will be disclosed to only those WHS Executive, Directors and committees, and/or Board of Directors that need to know the information for the purposes set out in the WHS Privacy Policy.
Occasionally, we will share your information with 3rd party partners but only if you have consented to sharing this information for the purposes of accessing membership benefits.
WEB BROWSING, ONLINE CONTESTS, QUESTIONS OR SURVEYS
When you ask a question, participate in a survey, or enter a competition (sponsored by WHS), through our websites, we may collect your name, address, phone number and email address. We use this information to administer your participation.
Our website uses “cookies” and collects technical and navigational information that is not personally identifiable to any particular user. For example, computer browser type, Internet protocol address, pages visited and time spent on our website. This information may be used or analyzed by WHS to improve our web design and functionality and our ability to service you and your accounts. Our cookies cannot profile your system or collect information from your hard drive. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can set your browsers to refuse cookies.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Members are notified that by entering into public areas for WHS events you consent to your likeness being used without liability or compensation.
Members taking part in WHS activities requiring registration will be asked to agree to a photography release indicating their image/likeness may be used by the WHS for promotional purposes, no remuneration will be provided.
Photographs of members identified on our website, newsletter or social media site require verbal or written permission of the member and are used by WHS for promotional purposes, no remuneration will be provided. This information is to be obtained by the photographer or by waiver. Photographs submitted to WHS are deemed to have this permission and be the property of the photographer.
Photos of members will be removed from the WHS website or social media site upon request of the member.
SAFEGUARDS
To protect your personal information, WHS maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in keeping with industry standards and practices, all of which are regularly updated in response to changes in technology. We strictly limit access to information about you to those who need to know the information in order to perform their duties. The WHS executive, directors, volunteers are prohibited from accessing our files and databases without proper authorization.
Personal information contained on the WHS computers and the electronic databases are password protected. As well, the Internet server or router has firewall protection to protect against virus attacks and hacking into the database.
Notwithstanding the technological safeguards implemented by the WHS, all Internet transmissions are susceptible to possible loss, misrouting, interception and misuse. For this reason, as part of the application that individual's sign consenting to their personal information being collected, used, retained, and disclosed, the WHS will assume that it has the individual's consent to communicate via the Internet unless notified to the contrary.
You should always safeguard your own personal information by protecting passwords used to access websites and by safely disposing of records no longer needed.
INDIVIDUAL ACCESS
An individual who wishes to review or verify what personal information is held by the WHS, may do so by making a request, in writing to the WHS’s Membership Director. Upon verification of the individual's identity, the Director will provide a written report within 60 days.
INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS
Any concern or issue about the WHS’s personal information handling practices may be made, in writing, to the Membership Director. Upon verification of the individual's identity, the Director will act promptly to investigate the complaint and provide a written report to the individual.
If the individual is dissatisfied with the report provided by the Director, or feels that the corrective action taken by the WHS is insufficient, the individual may direct a complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner in writing. The address of the Federal Privacy Commissioner is provided in this Privacy Statement for your convenience.
AMENDMENTS TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
The WHS's Privacy Policy and this Privacy Statement may be updated from time to time to reflect amendments in applicable Federal and Provincial laws. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on the WHS website and will apply to personal information collected from the date of the posting of the revised Privacy Policy.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding the Waterloo Horticultural Society's Privacy Policy, or you wish to make an access to personal information request, please contact:
Membership Director
OTHER HELPFUL PRIVACY LINKS
For a copy of PIPEDA, or for answers to other questions regarding privacy legislation, below are some helpful privacy links.
Federal Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.gc.ca
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3
Provincial Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.on.ca
This policy was adopted and approved by the Waterloo Horticultural Society’s Board of Directors March 21, 2017
