Privacy Policy

Commitment to Privacy

We are committed to protecting your privacy and your personal information through responsible privacy management practices in accordance with British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and associated regulations, and other applicable laws and regulations.

Visitors to our website can trust that we take their privacy very seriously and use all reasonable measures to protect personal information against unauthorized collection, use, and disclosure.

What is Personal Information?

Personal information is recorded information about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes, but is not limited to an individual’s name, personal address, personal phone number, birth date, personal email address, social insurance number, signature, credit card information, and any other information that could identify an individual.

In contrast, personal information does not include an individual’s contact information at a place of business or employment, including an individual’s name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number.

Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Personal Information

Any personal information the FVRD collects from you will only be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with FIPPA.

The FVRD collects personal information for purposes of administering and delivering FVRD programs and services.

Any personal information the FVRD collects from you will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected, or for a use consistent with that purpose.

The FVRD limits the amount of personal information that it collects and only collects what is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

With limited exceptions, the FVRD will only collect your personal information directly from you and with your consent.

The FVRD collects personal information when an individual voluntarily uses one of our online (web-based) services, including online credit card payments, and surveys, including but not limited to the following:

• Vedder River Campground Registration
• Hope Recreation Program Registration
• Utility Bill Payments
• Dog Licence and Dog Adoption Applications
• BC Transit Bus Passes
• Citizen Engagement Surveys
• Recruitment
• Citizen Feedback
• Freedom of Information Requests
• Other online (web-based) services that the FVRD delivers

If a user voluntarily uses one of our online or web-based services, the user is deemed to have consented to the collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information provided in accordance with FIPPA, or other applicable enactment. You are not required to provide your personal information through the FVRD website. You have the right to request available online or web-based FVRD services by other available means.

Electronic Forms and Personal Information

If you choose to provide the FVRD with personal information in an email or by filling out an electronic form and submitting it to the FVRD through our website, the FVRD will use that information to respond to your message and to assist us in providing you with the requested information or service.

Security and Storage of Personal Information

The FVRD is committed to taking all reasonable measures to protect your privacy and your personal information against unauthorized collection, use, disclosure, modification or destruction.

The FVRD manages, secures and stores personal information by utilizing current industry standards and best management practices. FVRD website security practices are continually evolving and improving in order to ensure that your personal information is reasonably protected and secured in accordance with FIPPA.

Unless authorized under FIPPA, or another enactment, the FVRD stores all personal information we collect inside Canada.

Users should be aware that while the FVRD takes reasonable security to measures to protect your privacy and personal information, there is always an element of risk when you provide your personal information through an internet (web-based) service provider.

Users are responsible for carefully considering what personal information you wish to submit through the use of the FVRD website. Users are responsible for safeguarding their user identifications, passwords or any other special identifiers used to access the FVRD website.

Retention of Personal Information

The FVRD’s commitment to protecting your personal information extends to securely storing, retaining and disposing of your personal information in accordance with the FVRD Records Classification and Retention Policy. The FVRD must retain your personal information for a period of one year if it has been used to make a decision affecting you.

Access to and Correction of Personal Information

You may request access to your personal information and/or correction of your personal information by contacting us at the address below or by visiting our Freedom of Information page.

Please help the FVRD maintain the accuracy of your personal information by notifying us of any changes to your personal information.

Visiting our Website – Website Analytics

Even if you do nothing more than browse, read pages or download information during your visit to the FVRD website, please be aware that the FVRD automatically gathers and stores certain information about your visit. When you visit www.fvrd.ca, our website automatically collects a limited amount of information for the website’s operation and security. This information includes the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer or device you use to access our website. As well, the type of computer or device, operating system, browser type, pages viewed and content download is also collected when you visit our website.

Our website may use “cookies” which is user data sent by an internet server to a web browser. The web browser returns the data to the internet server each time the internet server is accessed by the same user. “Cookies” are used to track a user’s access to the internet server. We may share the website information generated through the use of “cookies” with third-party organizations that we have a commercial relationship with in order to measure the use and functionality of our website. Users may adjust their browser settings in order to block the use of “cookies” if they so choose.

The FVRD uses Google Analytics for purposes of gaining insights into how the FVRD website is being used, and with a view to measuring our performance and improving upon on our customers’ online experience. None of the information collected by Google Analytics is personally identifiable and your identity remains anonymous. Users should be aware however that this information could be processed outside Canada in any country where Google operates. The information collected by Google Analytics is used specifically by us to:

• Monitor the use of our website
• Identify requirements for website improvement
• Analyze trends and track visitor movement on the site
• Gather broad demographic information for aggregate use
• Measure whether we are providing you with the best possible website experience

Link to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other third-party websites. When a user clicks one of those links, the user is accessing another website. The FVRD Website Privacy Statement does not apply to third-party websites or online payment services. The FVRD assumes no responsibility or liability for, or control over, third-party websites that may be accessed through the FVRD website. The FVRD assumes no responsibility or liability for the unauthorized collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by third-party websites or online payment services accessed through our website. If you access a third-party website or online payment service through our website, the user is responsible for reviewing the third-party’s privacy statement or policy.

Updates

We commit to reviewing and updating the FVRD Privacy Statement on a regular basis in order to reflect changes to FVRD website administration and to our privacy management practices to ensure that they are FIPPA compliant.

Complaints

If you believe we are not managing or protecting your privacy or personal information in accordance with FIPPA, you have the right to complain to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia. For more information visit www.oipc.bc.ca or contact:

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt. 
Victoria, BC V8W 9A4
250-387-5629 | Enquiry BC at:1-800-663-7867 | E-mail: info@oipc.bc.ca