The Certified General Accountants Association of Nova Scotia Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Commitment to You
The Certified General Accountants Association of Nova Scotia ("CGA Nova Scotia") respects your right to privacy. Should you choose to provide personal information to us, we can assure you that we use stringent security safeguards to protect your personal information. We have also adopted the CGA Nova Scotia Privacy Policy (this "Policy"), which explains our commitment to protecting your privacy. The objective of this Policy is to promote privacy protection practices in a manner that meets or exceeds applicable privacy laws such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA").
The principles that form the basis of this Policy are interrelated and CGA Nova Scotia adheres to the principles as a whole. Each principle should be read in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. As permitted by applicable privacy laws, commentary in this Policy has been drafted to reflect privacy issues specific to CGA Nova Scotia.
Scope and Application
This Policy applies to identifiable individuals whose personal information CGA Nova Scotia collects, uses and discloses in the course of its activities. As a result, this Policy applies to members, students and persons who provide personal information to CGA Nova Scotia directly and through the CGA Nova Scotia Internet web site. This Policy does not impose any limits on the collection, use and disclosure of certain business contact information, aggregated data, certain publicly available information and other personal information as exempted by applicable laws such as PIPEDA.
Principle 1 - Accountability
CGA Nova Scotia is responsible for personal information under its control and shall designate one or more persons who are accountable for its compliance with this Policy.
CGA Nova Scotia is accountable for the personal information under its control. CGA Nova Scotia has appointed a Privacy Officer who is responsible for its compliance with this Policy. Other individuals within CGA Nova Scotia may be delegated to act on behalf of the Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for the day to day management of personal information.
As appropriate, CGA Nova Scotia implements privacy policies and procedures to properly enforce this Policy and uses contractual or other means to provide a comparable level of privacy protection while personal information is being processed or used by a third party or agent of CGA Nova Scotia.
Principle 2 - Identifying Purposes for Collection of Personal Information
CGA Nova Scotia shall identify the purposes for which personal information is collected at or before the time such information is collected.
CGA Nova Scotia collects personal information from members solely for the following purposes:
- 1. to enable communication;
- 2. to provide products and services requested;
- 3. to provide income tax receipts;
- to provide payment for the products and services requested;
- 5. to support analysis, research, and management of educational, membership, marketing and public relations programs;
- to identify and meet professional development needs;
- to enable access to the members and students-only Internet web sites
- to meet statutory and regulatory requirements;
- to conduct disciplinary investigations where required; and
- to meet legal and regulatory requirements or to achieve any other purpose for which an individual has provided their consent or as required or permitted by law.
CGA Nova Scotia collects personal information about students solely for the following purposes:
- for admission and registration;
- to provide income tax receipts;
- o provide scholarships and awards;
- to administer examinations;
- to enable access to the members and students-only Internet web sites;
- to conduct convocation;
- to enable communications;
- to meet statutory requirements;
- to conduct disciplinary investigations where required;
- for research and planning purposes;
- to support management of the student program; and
- to meet legal and regulatory requirements or to achieve any other purpose for which an individual has provided their consent or as required or permitted by law.
People who are neither members nor students also provide, either directly or indirectly, personal information to CGA Nova Scotia. CGA Nova Scotia collects this personal information solely for the following purposes:
- to provide the products and services requested;
- to process payment for the products and services requested;
- to respond to communications from the person submitting the information; and
- to meet legal and regulatory requirements or to achieve any other purpose for which an individual has provided their consent or as required or permitted by law.
Further reference in this Policy to "identified purposes" means the purposes identified in this Principle.
Principle 3 - Consent
The knowledge and consent of an individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate. In certain circumstances personal information can be collected, used or disclosed without the knowledge and consent of an individual.
Unless we hear otherwise from you, your use of CGA Nova Scotia products and services, and/or your enrollment as a student or member of CGA Nova Scotia, constitutes consent for CGA Nova Scotia to collect, use and disclose personal information for the identified purposes stated in this Policy.
You may refuse or withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. The choice to provide us with your personal information is always yours. Please note, however, that if you are a member or a student of CGA Nova Scotia, your decisions to withhold particular information may impact your ability to meet the membership requirements and/or student program enrolment requirements of CGA Nova Scotia.
You may refuse or withdraw your consent by contacting us at 1-902-425-4923. Our staff will explain your options and any consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, and will record your choices.
Principle 4 - Limiting Collection
CGA Nova Scotia shall limit the collection of personal information to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by CGA Nova Scotia. CGA Nova Scotia shall collect personal information by fair and lawful means.
We collect personal information only for the identified purposes as set forth in this Policy. CGA Nova Scotia may collect personal information from other sources that represent that they have the right to disclose such information to CGA Nova Scotia.
Principle 5 - Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
CGA Nova Scotia shall not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required or permitted by law. CGA Nova Scotia shall retain personal information only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
We do not use or disclose personal information for any purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with your consent or as required or permitted by law.
We do not sell, lease, or trade information about you to other parties.
Personal information is retained only as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by law.
Principle 6 - 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.
CGA Nova Scotia will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that personal information is as accurate, complete, and current as required for the purposes for which it was collected. If you find any inaccuracies in our information, please inform us and we will make the appropriate correction promptly. In some cases, CGA Nova Scotia relies on you to ensure that certain information about you, such as your mailing address and telephone number, is current, complete and accurate.
Principle 7 - Security Safeguards
CGA Nova Scotia shall protect personal information by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
CGA Nova Scotia uses appropriate security safeguards to protect your personal information from risks such as loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure or alteration. Safeguards include physical, administrative and electronic security measures.
All employees of CGA Nova Scotia are required to abide by the privacy standards that CGA Nova Scotia has established. They are also required to work within the principles of ethical behavior as set out in staff guidelines and must follow applicable laws and regulations. In the course of daily operation, access to personal information is restricted to those employees whose job responsibilities require them to access it.
Principle 8 - Openness
CGA Nova Scotia shall make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and procedures relating to the management of personal information.
Individuals should forward questions or concerns regarding CGA Nova Scotia's policies and procedures relating to the management of personal information to the CGA Nova Scotia Privacy Officer at the address listed below.
Principle 9 - Access to Personal Information
Upon request, CGA Nova Scotia shall inform an individual of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal information and shall provide access to that information. An individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the personal information and have it amended as appropriate.
You have the right to access your personal information under the control of CGA Nova Scotia. Upon request in writing to the Privacy Officer at the address listed below, you will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal information and you will be given access to that information. In certain exceptional situations, CGA Nova Scotia may not be able to provide access to personal information that it holds about you. For example, CGA Nova Scotia may not provide access to personal information if doing so would reveal personal information about a third party. If access cannot be provided, CGA Nova Scotia will notify you, in writing, of the reasons for the refusal.
Principle 10 - Challenging Compliance
An individual shall be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated person or persons accountable for CGA Nova Scotia's compliance with this Policy.
Questions or concerns regarding CGA Nova Scotia's privacy practices should be directed to the Privacy Officer at the address listed below.
Revisions to this Policy
The development of CGA Nova Scotia's policies and procedures for the protection of personal information is an ongoing process. Due to changes in technology and legal requirements, we may revise this policy from time to time. Please ensure that you refer to the current version of the CGA Nova Scotia Privacy Policy. The current version will be posted on our web site at http://www.cga-ns.org.
Addressing Your Questions or Concerns
If you have a question regarding this Policy, or a concern or complaint regarding the privacy practices of CGA Nova Scotia, please contact the Privacy Officer by telephone at 1-902-425-4923, by email at office@cga-ns.org or by regular mail at:
Certified General Accountants Association of Nova Scotia
1801 Hollis Street, Suite 230
Halifax, NS B3J 3N4
ATTN: Privacy Officer
For general questions regarding the privacy regulations we invite you to visit the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's web site at www.privcom.gc.ca.