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Privacy Policy

CANARIE promotes an open and transparent approach to communications with a focus on information sharing while respecting the privacy of its lead contractors and their participants. Although CANARIE is not subject to the federal Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act, or the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act, it operates in a transparent manner while respecting the principles of freedom of information and protection of privacy.

Privacy

In connection with its funding activities, CANARIE collects personal information about individuals involved in the proposals that it considers and the projects that it funds. CANARIE collects personal information about individuals with whom it communicates in the course of delivering its programs. This policy outlines the access and privacy principles to which CANARIE adheres and describes how CANARIE uses and disclose personal information.

Principles

CANARIE’s access and privacy provisions are based on the following principles, which are drawn from the Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, recognized as a national standard in 1996.

  • Accountability: CANARIE is responsible for personal information under its control and has designated the Chief Executive Officer, as its Privacy Officer, accountable for CANARIE’s compliance with its principles.
  • Identifying Purposes: The purposes for which personal information is collected shall be identified at or before the time the information is collected.
  • Consent: The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for collection, use or disclosure of personal information, except when inappropriate.
  • Limiting Collection: The collection of personal information by CANARIE shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means.
  • Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention: Personal information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal information shall be retained only as long as deemed necessary for fulfillment of those purposes.
  • Accuracy: Personal information shall be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
  • Safeguards: Personal information shall be protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
  • Openness: CANARIE shall make readily available to individuals information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
  • Individual Access: Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal information and shall be given access to that information. An individual shall be able to request a correction of factual inaccuracies.
  • Challenging Compliance: An individual shall be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the Privacy Officer.

Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

CANARIE requires its project applicants to provide certain personal information about its lead contractors and their participants involved with the projects for which funding is sought. Such information may include, but is not limited to, curriculum vitae, contact information, academic affiliation, budgetary information and salary information. This information is used for CANARIE’s review of an application.

CANARIE uses personal information collected in connection with funding applications to review such applications and to administer and monitor contributions of funding. As part of the review process, application information is disclosed to Board members and steering committee members. These individuals are informed of CANARIE’s obligations to protect such information and agree to comply with such obligations.

CANARIE also uses personal information provided in connection with funding applications for purposes of its internal management, administration and evaluation requirements. In this regard, CANARIE may use and disclose personal information for program planning, evaluating and reviewing, auditing, and for generating statistics for these activities.

CANARIE routinely publishes and disseminates certain information about successful applications. Such information may include information about project leaders and researchers including name, institution and department affiliations and field of work or research.

CANARIE also collects limited personal information through its web site and electronic mail related to persons who express interest in receiving CANARIE’s news releases, and other publications. Personal information collected in these activities is used only for the purpose that it is collected and is not used or disclosed for any other purpose.

CANARIE uses Google Analytics, a web-based software tool that collects anonymous data (cookies) from the browsers of visitors to our site. No personally identifiable information is being accessed or collected.

This software tells us how long visitors stay on our site, how they came to our site, and which links on our website are the most popular. CANARIE benefits from this data by being able to improve website functionality and provide an optimal user experience.

Consent for Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

Lead contractors are required to sign a consent form for the use and disclosure of their personal information when applying for program funding. The lead contractor is also required to obtain consent from their participants. By obtaining the signed consent form, CANARIE will be deemed to have received consent from the lead contractor and its participants. Consent provided in connection with program delivery (funding applications, etc.) may not be withdrawn.

Information Retention

CANARIE will retain information obtained in connection with funding applications for a period sufficient for completion of its purposes related to a funding program including program planning, evaluating and reviewing, auditing, and for generating statistics for these activities.

Keeping Personal Information Accurate

CANARIE will correct any factual inaccuracies in personal information held by it in response to satisfactory evidence having been provided by the individual to whom it relates.

Protecting Information

CANARIE will use appropriate security measures to protect against loss, theft, or unauthorized access, disclosure, use or modification of personal information collected by it. Such measures involve physical, organizational and electronic security procedures and systems. CANARIE will require that its employees keep all personal information confidential and comply with its personal information security standards as set out in its Human Resource Management Policies – Confidentiality clause. CANARIE will take appropriate measures to ensure that upon disposal and destruction of records, confidentiality of personal information is maintained.

Access to Personal Information

Any individual whose information has been collected and held by CANARIE may request access to that information. Upon request to the Privacy Officer, CANARIE will advise individuals of the existence, use and disclosure of their personal information on file with CANARIE. There will be no cost for reasonable requests to access information unless the individual requests copies of records, makes multiple requests, or when the request involves significant retrieval costs. CANARIE will not respond to requests for access to personal information that are frivolous, vexatious or repetitious.

In certain circumstances, CANARIE may be unable to provide access to some or all of the personal information that it holds about an individual. Such circumstances include, for example, those in which personal information about the individual cannot reasonably be separated from personal information of others, or cannot be disclosed for reasons related to personal security, solicitor-client privilege or commercial confidentiality.

CANARIE will not release any information that could constitute personal or private information, except in accordance with our privacy policy or as otherwise required by law.

Requests for Access; Questions, Concerns; Withdrawal of Consent

Individuals may request access to their information, address any questions or concerns regarding their personal information or change or withdraw their consent to CANARIE’s use of their information, in accordance with this policy by contacting CANARIE’s Privacy Officer.

By mail to:

CANARIE Inc.
45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1150
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1A4

By telephone: 613-943-5454

By email: [email protected]