1. Accountability

CONTACT is responsible for the protection of your personal information collected through our offices, program activities and website. Individuals will be asked to review and sign a consent form before any personal information is released to third parties for the purpose of providing enhanced services or otherwise.

 

2. Identifying Purposes

CONTACT will provide a statement to explain the purpose(s) for the collection of your personal information wherever possible, before we ask you to disclose it.

We collect personal data when you make use of or register for our programs and services, in order to better meet your program, service and information needs.

We also use and disclose data, which does not identify individuals, for statistical purposes to assess, develop and improve CONTACT’s programs and services.

We also collect personal information in order to refer you to enhanced services, or to satisfy legal, government and regulatory obligations.

We do not sell personal information we collect.

We will not disclose your personal information to anyone else without your prior knowledge or consent, except when required by a government body or agency, or as permitted by law.

If you supply us with your contact information, you may hear from us about important information concerning CONTACT’s program or service in which you are registered.

You may also hear from us about other CONTACT programs and services that may interest and benefit you or we may ask you for feedback about the services you have already received as part of our quality assurance commitment. If you do not wish to receive information about other CONTACT programs, services or opportunities, please call (705) 435-4900.

Using our Website
You can access our website home page and browse our site without disclosing your personal data. Any personal information that site visitors voluntarily choose to provide in order to receive free electronic newsletters, participate in periodic polls and surveys and/or to complete any of our online application forms IS NOT shared with third parties unless stated otherwise. CONTACT will ensure all personal information is secured and remains confidential.

CONTACT’s Use of Cookies
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that is transferred from a website to the hard drive of your computer so that the website may identify separate visitors to the site and track users’ activities on the website. A cookie will not let a website know any personally identifiable information about you, such as your real name and address.

CONTACT uses cookies only to keep track of how many people visit the CONTACT website and how frequently each page is visited. Each individual movement of any user cannot be tracked while on the CONTACT site. CONTACT uses cookies to track page popularity for statistical purposes and to improve the quality of the site and meet your needs.

Links on our Website
Because CONTACT wants your website experience to be informational and resourceful, our Website also provides a number of links to third party sites. CONTACT assumes no responsibility for the information practices of sites you are able to access through our site. We encourage you to review each site’s privacy policy before disclosing any personally identifiable information.

 

3. Consent & Disclosure

The only personal information that CONTACT collects is with your knowledge and consent.

You can choose not to disclose any personal information we may ask you to provide. However, a decision to withhold some personal information can result in our inability to provide you with our services.

Further, you can withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to any legal requirements and reasonable notice.

 

4. Limiting Collection

The amount and type of information that CONTACT collects is limited only to that which is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified. CONTACT will ask for the information it requires directly from the individual. Personal information will be collected using procedures which are fair, transparent and lawful.

You can choose to disclose as much or as little personal information as you are comfortable with. As noted in Principle 3, a decision to withhold some personal information can prevent us from providing you with our services.

 

5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention

CONTACT will use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected.

Your information will not be disclosed without your knowledge and consent, unless permitted or required by law.

Your personal information will be retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, and in compliance with any laws surrounding information retention. If all identified purposes for the use of your personal information have been exhausted, we will destroy the information or render it unidentifiable.

 

6. Accuracy

In order to ensure the reliable delivery of services and information, your personal information will be kept accurate, complete and up to date.

We assume that the information that you provide to us is accurate. If at any time your personal information changes, we hope to be informed of it immediately. If you contact us with a request, we will take appropriate steps to update or correct the personal information in our possession that you have previously provided to us.

 

7. Safeguards

CONTACT employs a number of safeguards to protect your personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. Such safeguards include physical measures, for example locked filing cabinets, restricted access to offices, and limiting access on a “need to know” basis, and use of passwords and encryption.

Procedures for implementing these measures are communicated to all employees to ensure compliance with this principle.

 

8. Openness

CONTACT has easily understandable and readily available specific information about its policies relating to the management of personal information. Our policy is available at all times on CONTACT’s website, www.contactcommunityservices.ca under Privacy Policy.

 

9. Individual Access

Upon request, we will inform you if we hold any personal information about you and provide you with access to this information. If we have any personal information about you, we will also tell you for what purposes it is used for, if applicable.

You have a right to update any personal information that we hold on you. Should you wish to see the full contents of your information file, you must make a formal written request and mail it to:

Emily M^cIntosh
Privacy Officer
CONTACT – South Simcoe Community Information Centre
Community Service Centre South Simcoe
Town Square, 39 Victoria Street East
P.O. Box 932 Alliston, Ontario L9R 1W1

We will respond to you within thirty (30) days after receipt of your written request or will notify you if a longer period is required by us in order to fully address your request, provided that an extension of thirty (30) day period is permitted by applicable privacy laws.

 

10. Challenging Compliance

If, for any reason, you are concerned about our compliance with our Privacy Policy, you may contact our Privacy Officer in writing, by phone or by email:

Emily M^cIntosh
Privacy Officer
CONTACT – South Simcoe Community Information Centre
Community Service Centre South Simcoe
Town Square, 39 Victoria Street East
P.O. Box 932 Alliston, Ontario L9R 1W1
Phone: (705) 435-4900 Email: emily@contactsouthsimcoe.ca

CONTACT has policies and procedures to receive, investigate and respond to individuals’ complaints and questions.

If you are not satisfied with the way CONTACT has responded to a complaint, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Notice of changes to this Privacy Policy that affect you will be posted at this site.

This policy was last revised in October 2008.