The site operator respects your privacy and is committed protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information.

"Personal Information" is defined in Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ('PIPEDA') as information about an identifiable individual, though it does not include the name, business title, business address or telephone number of employees of organizations.

The site operator is committed to maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality and security of your personal information.

1. Accountability
   The site operator is responsible for maintaining and protecting the personal information under its control and shall designate one or more individuals to be accountable for that company's compliance with these principles.
2. Identifying Purposes
   The purposes for which personal information is collected shall be identified before or at the time the personal information is collected.
3. Consent
   Individual's consent will be obtained for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, except where the law provides an exemption.
4. Limiting Collection
   The personal information we collect shall be limited only to that which is necessary for the purposes identified.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
   Personal information shall only be used or disclosed for the purposes for which it was collected, unless an individual has otherwise consented or when it is required or permitted by law. Personal information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
6. Accuracy
   The site operator shall keep personal information as accurate, complete and up-to-date as may be necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is to be used.
7. Safeguards
   The site operator shall protect personal information using security safeguards that are appropriate to the sensitivity level of the personal information received.
8. Openness
   The site operator will provide information to individuals about our policies and procedures relating to the management of personal information that is under our control.
9. Individual's Access
   On written request to our Privacy Officer, an individual will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of their personal information that is under our control, and may be given access to that personal information as required and permitted by law. Individuals are entitled to challenge the accuracy and completeness of that personal information and request that it be amended, if appropriate.
10. Handling Enquiries or Complaints
    Any questions or enquiries concerning compliance with our privacy policies and procedures may be addressed to our Privacy Officer, as set out below.

Why we collect and use personal information

Collecting personal information about you is essential to our being able to provide the insurance product offered by this program.   

Personal information may be used:

• To determine eligibility for products and services
• To process applications for Clients, and provide requested information, products or services
• To understand and assess Clients' ongoing needs and offer products and services to meet those needs
• For billing and accounting services relating to our products and services
• For client communication, service and administration
• For claims administration, underwriting, actuarial or other related insurance purposes including, but not limited to, risk management and loss control initiatives.
• For internal, external and regulatory audit purposes
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• To share or exchange reports and information with credit reporting agencies, credit bureaus, and any other person, corporation, organization, administrative authority, firm or enterprise to verify the accuracy of personal information

Personal information may also be used for other purposes, subject to obtaining your prior consent for such use.

Consent to use personal information

Consent may be obtained in various ways.  We may obtain your express consent or we may determine that consent has been implied by the circumstances. Express consent could be in writing (for example in a signed consent, e-mail or on-line or written application form), or verbally in person or over the telephone. When we receive personal information from you that enables us to provide you with a requested product or service, your consent to allow us to deal with that personal information in a reasonable manner would be implied. If you need to provide personal information about other individuals (such as employees, dependants, etc.), you must obtain their consent for these purposes prior to your disclosure to us.

Providing us with your personal information is always your choice. When you request services from us, we ask that you provide information that enables us to respond to your request. In doing so, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure to appropriate third parties of such personal information for these purposes. You also authorize us to use and retain this personal information for as long as it may be required for the purposes described above. Your consent remains valid even after the termination of our relationship with you, unless you provide us with written notice that such consent is withdrawn. By withdrawing your consent, or not providing it in the first place, you may limit or even prevent us from being able to provide you or an authorized third party (such as an employer) with the products or services desired.

In certain circumstances, consent cannot be withdrawn, such as where personal information is required for policy issuance or renewal, insurance underwriting or claims administration of current policies. There are also legal exceptions where we will not need to obtain consent or explain the purposes for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information. For example, this exception would apply if there is an emergency that threatens the life, health or security of an individual, or if we must comply with a court order.

Sharing personal information with others

We are not in the business of selling client lists or personal information to others. In providing our services, we may need to disclose the personal information we collect to the sponsor of the Insurance Program, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) and other service providers or agents who perform various functions for us (such as underwriters, claims adjusters, legal counsel).

In certain circumstances, we may be required to provide personal information to third parties for legal or regulatory purposes.

The site operator may also use this personal information to assess your future needs and to offer the products and services that may best meet those needs, from ourselves or from other insurers. 

Privacy and the Internet

The site operator websites may contain links to other third party sites that are not governed by this privacy policy. Although we endeavor to link only to sites with high privacy standards, our Privacy Policy will no longer apply once you leave this website.    We are not responsible for privacy policies employed by other third parties or any foreign affiliates, since they would be governed by privacy legislation applicable in their country of residence. We suggest, therefore, that you examine the privacy statements of those sites to learn how personal information may be collected, used and/or disclosed.

Contact information

Please contact our Privacy Officer to obtain further information about our policies and procedures or if you have any unresolved enquiries or concerns. Our Privacy Officer can be contacted as follows:

While the site operator makes every effort to secure all communications within our control and on our premises, please be advised that no method of delivery is absolutely secure and any communication of personal information may be accidentally or deliberately intercepted by third parties.