Privacy & Terms of Use

Privacy Statement

The Town of St. Marys is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information. Part of that commitment is to explain what information may be collected and why, how it will be used, and who may have access to it. The Town’s practices have been designed to ensure compliance with the privacy provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). This Privacy Statement explains the current information management practices on the website.

The collection, retention and disclosure of personal information, online or offline, by municipalities, is governed in part by the MFIPPA. In addition, the Town is monitoring the evolution of federal and provincial legislation specific to online privacy and is committed to conformance with any regulations applicable to municipal governments. By visiting www.townofstmarys.com visitors are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Statement.

Terms of Use

Personal Information

Collection

The Town will only collect personal information that is specifically authorized by law, or where the collection is necessary to provide you with a program or service. We collect personal information directly from you unless another manner is authorized by law.

All visitors to the Town of St. Marys websites are anonymous.

Notice

In accordance with MFIPPA 29(2), any Town website where personal information is requested will contain a notice and include the following information:

The legal authority for the collection;
The principal purpose or purposes for which the personal information is intended to be used; and
The title, business address, and business telephone number of an employee of the Town who can answer questions about the collection.

Encryption technology protects personal information during transmission. A notice stating “you are in a secure website” will be posted on Town websites when you are in an encrypted session. A security icon will also appear in either the lower left corner or, depending on your browser, the lower right corner of your browser window. Once you exit fillable secure screens, those screens cannot be accessed again. If encryption is not available through a website, an alternative means of communication will be recommended. Private cache is enabled on the Town’s website, meaning that website response data is stored locally in end user’s browser-side cache, but not on public servers outside of the control of the user. This setting is used to improve browser performance by allowing it to cache and reuse non-sensitive data.

The Town web server does not collect or retain your email address in a database format unless authorized by the User via an opt-in subscription service. Although some internet service providers may automatically include your email address with your IP address (Internet Protocol).

Use

The Town may only use personal information for the purpose it has been collected, or for a consistent purpose, unless another use is specifically authorized by law. Only those with proper authorization will have access to the personal information provided.

You may choose to provide the Town with personal information such as your name, address, phone number, email address and credit card number, if you wish to:

Submit an email, comment, question or request or subscribe for information online
Request a service, product, or fill out a registration or license form online
Provide feedback, participate in consultations or surveys online
Conduct e-commerce transactions with a ministry or agency

Disclosure

The Town may disclose personal information only when permitted by law, or where the disclosure is for the purpose that we collected the information, such as providing a program or service.

Disposition

Personal information is only disposed of according to the Town’s Records Retention By-law. When personal information is disposed, it is destroyed in a manner that renders the personal information unrecoverable.

Accessing and correcting your personal information

Individuals have a right to access their personal information that is held by the Town by making a request under MFIPPA. Access is subject to limits and exceptions outlined in MFIPPA. To access a record containing your personal information, you will need to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request. More information about how to submit an FOI request is available here

For more information on the process for accessing your personal information, you may wish to view the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) website: Access to Information. You can request that government organizations correct inaccurate or incomplete information. All requests to correct your personal information held by the Town must be directed to the Privacy Officer at Clerksoffice@town.stmarys.on.ca.

Logging Practices

The Town of St. Marys redirects HTTP requests to the HTTPS address. These logs record the IP address of website visitors. An IP address is the number automatically assigned to the computer or to the ISP (Internet Service Provider) requesting a URL. The Town cannot identify you from this information. The Town archives and uses log files for systems analysis, maintenance and website evaluation.

We do not link information with the identity of individuals visiting our websites unless an attempt to damage our website has been detected.

Cookie Practices

Some Town web pages use cookies for one of the following three practices:

Single-session cookies, which log users over a single session and do not maintain data over multiple sessions or visits;
Multi-session cookies for use in web analytics, which log users over multiple sessions purely to gather data to analyze web traffic statistics; and
Multi-session cookies for use as persistent identifiers (persistent cookies), which log user activities over multiple visits with the intent of remembering data, settings, or preferences unique to that visitor.

The Town’s website uses persistent cookies to improve users’ experience by remembering settings related to functionality. Other multi-session and single-session cookies are used in combination with the website’s analytics software for website improvements.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. All website browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer.

By declining cookies, use of interactive features or online services that depend on cookies will not function as intended. If you choose to accept cookies, all browsers offer the ability to later delete cookies that you have accepted. If you choose to delete cookies, any setting and preference controlled by those cookies will be deleted and may need to be automatically recreated upon a return visit.

Links

The website links to external websites created and maintained by other public and/or private sector organizations. The Town provides these links solely for your information and convenience. The inclusion of any link to another website does not imply an endorsement by the Town and should not be construed as an endorsement of that party or its product or services. These other websites were independently developed by parties other than the Town and the Town assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of the information contained in such websites. When you link to an outside website, you are leaving the Town of St. Marys website and the information management policies no longer apply. If you decide to access linked third-party websites, you do so entirely at your own risk. When you visit another website, please review their terms of use.

Important Information

Although the Town attempts to ensure that all information posted on its website is accurate and complete, the Town does not represent that it is so, or guarantee it, and accepts no liability or obligation for accuracy or completeness. If there is any discrepancy between information posted on the website and in an original paper version, the version that is most current should be considered to be the authoritative version. The contents, products, and services are provided in good faith on an “as is” basis and were current at the time of posting for use on the website.

The Town is not responsible for any liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or other damages resulting from the use, misuse or misinterpretation of any content, products, or services provided by this website.

Your access and download of any material on this website is done at your own risk. The Town makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the website is virus-free but does not guarantee that the website is free from viruses, worms, Trojan horses or other destructive code. It is your responsibility to ensure you have set up the appropriate safeguards to protect your computer and its information.

The Town reserves the right to make changes to the website, policies, or Terms of Use and provide any additional terms at any time. The changes or additional terms are effective immediately upon their posting on the website. Your continued use of the website is an acknowledgement and acceptance of any changes to the Terms of Use. In the event any of these conditions should be determined to be invalid, void or for any reason unenforceable, that condition will be deemed to be severable and will not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining condition.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

The use of the website and any purchase made on this website are governed by the laws in force in the Province of Ontario and Canada. You agree and submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in Ontario.

Complaints

If you think that your personal information has been improperly collected, used, or disclosed by the Town, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC). Prior to filing a complaint with the IPC, please contact the Town directly to notify the Town of your concerns. In most cases, the Town will be able to work with you to resolve the issue. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may choose to file a complaint with the IPC, following the steps below:

Fill out and submit the online form, or print the form and send it to the IPC office at the following address:
- Registrar
  Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
  2 Bloor Street East,
  Suite 1400
  Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
Once your complaint is received, the IPC Registrar will open a complaint file and assign an analyst to look into your complaint.
An analyst will review your complaint and take steps to resolve it. This may include:
- Calling you to clarify your concern and to talk about what has happened in similar cases
- Review your complaint and work with you and the Town to resolve the issue.
- Open an investigation to look into your complaint further.
- In health privacy complaints, conduct a formal review.

*Note: Every complaint is different and the time needed to process the complaint can vary. Therefore, there is no specific timeline for your complaint to be resolved.

Questions

Inquiries regarding the collection, retention, and use of personal information in accordance with the privacy statement must be directed to the Privacy Officer at Clerksoffice@town.stmarys.on.ca.