Website Privacy Policy
This policy relates to Geoscientists Canada’s privacy practices in connection with our corporate website, www.geoscientistscanada.ca, and all other websites owned by Geoscientists Canada (each, a “Website”). It does not describe information collection practices in relation to other websites, including those linked to or from the Website, and does not apply to information collected by way of emails.
Geoscientists Canada reserves the right to change this policy without prior notice. Any changes to the policy will become effective upon posting of the revised policy on the Website. Please check this policy from time to time to learn about such changes.
Collection and Use of Information
Personal Information
The Website does not directly collect any personal information unless you voluntarily provide it to Geoscientists Canada. For example, when you send an email message to
[email protected] or any other email address used by Geoscientists Canada, you may provide personal information. If you send an unencrypted email message to Geoscientists Canada, you should be aware of the inherent risks of interception when communicating online.
Information that you provide to Geoscientists Canada is used solely for the purposes for which it is intended. Such information is not shared with any third party for commercial or other purposes. Geoscientists Canada will keep such information for so long as it is reasonably necessary to do so, having regard to the purpose for which it is collected. We do not keep information for longer than necessary, and will destroy it within a reasonable time following our making a determination that it is no longer needed.
Note that this privacy policy applies only to personal information collected via the Website and does not apply to personal information collected via email that is directed to specific email addresses of persons employed by Geoscientists Canada. See our Email Privacy Policy to review what happens with emails to specific recipients.
Technical Information
When you visit the Website, the server on which the Website is located collects and saves certain aggregate or anonymous information. This information may include the originating IP address, the date and time of your visit, and the web pages you visited. Geoscientists Canada uses the IP addresses of visitors to calculate website usage levels, to help diagnose problems with the Website’s servers, and to administer the Website. If enabled by your web browser, the Website may place “cookies” (simple text files) on your computer to determine your authentication status and assign site access permissions. You may disable the ability of your computer to receive “cookies.”
Geoscientists Canada will not attempt to identify individual visitors to the Website or associate the technical information referred to above with any individual, unless required to do so by law. Even if Geoscientists Canada is required by law to associate the technical information referred to above with any individual, it may not be technically possible to do so. The information so collected is used only for statistical and administrative purposes and to assist Geoscientists Canada in making enhancements to the visitors’ experience with the Website.
Questions
If you have any questions about Geoscientists Canada’s Website Privacy Policy, please direct them to:
CEO Geoscientists Canada
200 - 4010 Regent St, Burnaby, BC V5C 6N2
[email protected]
Email Privacy Policy
This Email Privacy Policy (this “Policy”) is effective as of <*>.</*>
In this statement, the words “Geoscientists Canada”, “we”, “our”, refer to a not-for-profit corporation that carries on its undertaking under the name Geoscientists Canada. The words “you” and “your” refer to our member bodies and their representatives, persons with an interest in geoscience, government bodies and their representatives, P.Geo.’s, prospective P.Geo.’s, suppliers and anyone who communicates with us by email or otherwise provides personal information to Geoscientists Canada.
The phrase “Personal Information” means any factual or subjective information about an identifiable individual, but does not include business contact information.
- Introduction
Geoscientists Canada is the national organization of the 9 provincial and territorial regulatory bodies that govern Canada’s professional geoscientists and geoscientists-in-training. Geoscientists Canada co-ordinates development of high national standards of admissions, competency, practice and mobility to ensure that Canada is served by a skilled, versatile, reputable and accountable geoscience profession. Our mandate results in our communicating with a large number of persons (collectively, our “Contacts”) via email as well as non-electronic means. We also communicate via our website at geoscientistscanada.ca, which has its own separate privacy policy.
We recognize that Personal Information is precious and so protecting the Personal Information we collect, use, process or disclose is important to us.
This Policy explains our information practices respecting Personal Information collected through email communications and non-electronic means and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
- What information we collect
Geoscientists Canada collects the Personal Information that is reasonably necessary for the information or services you’ve requested, for funding purposes, for purposes otherwise stated in this policy, and as otherwise permitted or required by law. We may collect the following types of Personal Information about you in emails that you send us:
- Identification and contact details, such as name, citizenship, date of birth, information about your educational background, contact information (e.g. address, telephone number, and email address) and other identifying information;
- Information relating to your questions and concerns (e.g., questions and queries you pose in your emails and non-electronic communications with us); and
- Information about your past interactions with us.
- Why we collect and use your information
Part of our mandate is to educate the public and foreign geoscientists concerning what geoscientists do, what regulators of geoscientists do, and how to become a registered geoscientist in a province or territory in Canada. Therefore we may use your information for the following reasons:
- To help us understand your needs for information
- To communicate with you
- To recognize you publicly for your contributions to the profession of geoscience
- To provide you with the information and/or services you’ve requested
- To improve our quality of service to the public and to the profession
- To satisfy any contractual arrangements we may have with you
- To confirm your identity
- To process your information with your consent
- To manage our risks and operations
- To protect you from unauthorized access or identity theft
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations under applicable laws
- For other purposes required or permitted by applicable laws and regulations
- Meaningful consent
We believe in meaningful consent. Providing us with your information is always your choice. In some cases, we may assume consent when you provide your information directly to us and we use that personal information for purposes reasonably connected to what you’ve asked us to do (for example when you request information or a service we provide).
You can always retract your consent. If you retract your consent, we will respect your choice, subject to our right to continue to use your information to fulfil our obligations to you, collect payments owed to us, or otherwise as permitted or required by applicable laws and regulations.
In some limited situations, we may collect and use your information without your consent as permitted or required by law. For example, we may be legally required or permitted to disclose information for our protection (such as collection and fraud prevention) or the protection of other persons’ rights and interests without consent, and otherwise to comply with law, regulations or regulatory authority.
- How we collect your information
All the information we will collect about you will be obtained directly from you when you communicate with us by email or non-electronic means. For example, we collect information when you:
- Communicate with us, whether verbally or in writing
- Make payments to us
- Participate in any of our events
- Access any of our services or obtain information from us
If you provide information about a third party or authorize a third party to provide information about you, we will assume you or the third party have taken proper measures to obtain meaningful consent.
- How we use your information
We may use your information for the purposes stated above in Section 3, or the purposes communicated to you at the time of collection or as otherwise permitted or required by law. In specific cases, we may use your information to:
- Verify your identity and authenticate you when you contact us
- Communicate with you via telephone, mail, email or other means
- Provide you with the information and services you ask for
- Manage our risks and operations
- Meet any regulatory and legal requirements that may apply to us or to our members
- When we share your information
We will endeavour not to share Personal Information for any purposes other than the purposes listed in this Policy unless that sharing is authorized by you, or is otherwise permitted or required by law. If and when we choose to have certain services provided by a third-party provider (e.g., IT processing services), we select the provider carefully. We take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the service provider protects your Personal Information, and that the service provider enters into confidentiality agreements with us and does not keep any Personal Information on file.
The following are additional circumstances in which we may share your information with third parties. These include to:
- Comply with a legal obligation or in response to a request from public authorities or regulatory bodies to which we are subject
- Protect and defend our rights or property or reputation
- Detect, prevent or report to law enforcement agencies fraud or other illegal activity
- Verify identity or conduct required due diligence
- Act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of our workers/employees, our stakeholders, or the public
- Protect against any legal liability
- As permitted or required by law
- Safeguarding your information
It is important to us that your Personal Information is protected. We take the following steps to ensure that your Personal Information is safe, complete (to the extent necessary for the purpose for which it is collected) and accurate:
- Physical measures, such as locked filing cabinets and restricted access to physical records
- Organizational measures, such as limiting access on a need-to-know basis
- Technological measures, such as securing information by means of data permissioning, passwords and encryption
Our policy is that your Personal Information is to be accessed by employees who have a valid business reason to do so. Our service providers and contractors are also contractually required to maintain the strict information security standards set out in this policy.
We only retain information for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Policy and as otherwise permitted by applicable laws and subject to record-keeping requirements imposed by applicable laws, regulations and business practices.
- Inquiries & Privacy Contact
Any inquiries relating to this Policy should be directed to our CEO:
CEO, Geoscientists Canada
[email protected]
- Modifications to this Policy
This Policy may be modified from time to time due to changes in legal or regulatory requirements or for other reasons. We reserve the right to make such changes. Any material changes will be posted on our website, and we may also notify you by email or other means. Material changes to this Policy will be binding after such changes have been introduced and notice provided.
- Governing law
This Policy and any disputes arising from it shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia and all applicable federal laws of Canada.
