Privacy Policy

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (“QMSP”) respects the privacy of all users of QSMP websites (referred to collectively and individually as the “Website”), and agrees to protect said privacy in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

The Website is intended for use in Canada.

This Privacy Policy explains the manner in which QSMP collects, uses, discloses, retains, and protects the information collected within the framework of your activities on the Website.

All Website users are deemed to have read, accepted, and acknowledged the validity of the Privacy Policy. If a Website user does not accept the terms of the Privacy Policy, he or she must cease use of the Website. QSMP can modify the Privacy Policy at any time without notice. Website users should check the Privacy Policy periodically for changes. Users are deemed to have accepted changes to the Privacy Policy if they continue to use the Website after changes are posted.

Collection of Personal Information

QMSP may collect personal information about users in the course of operating the Website.

“Personal Information” refers to information that permits your identification, such as your name, contact information, email address, etc. The types of Personal Information collected by FPAQ depend on a number of factors and on the context.

QSMP collects Personal Information when you consent to provide it upon subscription to an QSMP service such as a newsletter, participation in an QSMP promotional offer or survey, or when you submit a request through the Website. QSMP may also receive Personal Information from its commercial partners or other third parties, provided that these third parties confirm your authorization of the sharing of such information.

The Website may include a message board or other such interactive features. You must be aware of the risks associated with disclosing Personal Information on a blog, message board, or any similar tool. Information disclosed by such means falls outside the scope of the Privacy Policy. As a result, you must be very careful if you decide to provide Personal Information using these methods of communication. You transmit your information at your own risk. This information can be collected and used by a third party without your prior consent and FPAQ assumes no responsibility in this context.

The act of willingly providing Personal Information to QSMP constitutes consent to the QSMP’s collection, use, and disclosure of said information in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Privacy Policy.

Use of Personal Information

QSMP may collect and use Personal Information for the following activities:

1. a) To provide you with requested services or information, to communicate with you in response to a question, to manage the quality of information provided through the Website, to undertake internal quality control checks, or for statistical purposes.
2. b) In order to communicate information, news, updates, promotional offers, and recipes related to maple products. The communication of these emails complies with antispam legislation, and you may ask QSMP to remove your email address from its online mailing list at any time.
3. c) If you participate in a contest or other QSMP promotional offer, QSMP may use your name and certain other Personal Information for the administration of the contest or promotion, in accordance with the rules of the contest or promotion (for example, to communicate with the winners of the contest or to announce and promote the winners).
4. d) QSMP may also use Personal Information if it has reasonable grounds to believe it could be useful when investigating the contravention of a federal, provincial, or foreign law, or in order to protect or defend a legal interest, or as required or allowed by applicable legislation.

Retention of Personal Information

QSMP retains the Personal Information it collects as long as it is needed for the conduct of its activities and the fulfilment of its identified purposes, as long as it is reasonable to do so for legal or commercial purposes. The duration depends on the product or service and the nature of the information. When the retention period expires, the information is destroyed, deleted, or made anonymous.

Disclosure of Personal Information

QSMP agrees not to publish, sell, rent, or share your Personal Information with anyone, except to the extent allowed in the Privacy Policy. QSMP will disclose your Personal Information to third parties in the following cases only:

a) You have expressly authorized QSMP to disclose your Personal Information for a specific purpose.

b) The third parties involved are acting on QSMP’s behalf as agents or suppliers of products or services, and the information is disclosed to them only to assist QSMP in providing the services, it being understood that these third parties shall respect strict contractual conditions that oblige them to maintain the confidentiality of all Personal Information and use it for purposes related to the supply of QSMP services only.  

c) In accordance with the conditions applicable to an QSMP service, to facilitate the provision of the service, particularly to satisfy legal requirements.

d) If QSMP is required to provide Personal Information in response to a legitimate court order, a subpoena to submit documents, or an investigation by authorities, or is otherwise required by law to provide it.

e) QSMP reserves the right to report to law enforcement authorities any activity that QSMP believes, in good faith, to be illegal.

f) QSMP may disclose certain Personal Information when it considers such disclosure reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property, and safety of third parties, as well as those of QSMP.

g) Should QSMP sell its business or assets, in whole or in part, or be involved in a merger, as required by such a transaction.

Security of Personal Information

The security of your Personal Information is important to QSMP. QSMP applies reasonable technical, contractual, administrative, and tangible measures to protect the Personal Information you provide.

QSMP limits access to users’ Personal Information to employees, contractors, and agents whose work or duties require it. QSMP informs them of their obligation to maintain its confidentiality. Individuals who have access to Personal Information may use it only in accordance with the principles set out in this policy and in applicable legislation and regulations.

Depending on the nature of the Personal Information, it may be stored in QSMP’s offices, in the various computer systems of QSMP or its service providers, or in the storage installations of QSMP or its service providers. QSMP processes and stores Personal Information in its servers located in Canada, to which you agree.

Third-Party Websites and Social Media

The Website may contain hyperlinks to websites of third parties (“Third-Party Websites”) that can cause the user to leave the website. QSMP provides these hyperlinks for convenience. Third-Party Websites are not controlled by QSMP; as a result, the QSMP has no control over the privacy and confidentiality practices of such Third-Party Websites. Accordingly, any Personal Information that is transmitted through Third-Party Websites is subject to the privacy policy of the relevant Third-Party Websites. It is your responsibility to consult these policies in order to ensure that your Personal Information is protected.

QSMP uses social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) in addition to this Website. Social media accounts are public and are not hosted by QSMP. Users who interact with QSMP through social media must therefore read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and the applications used to access them.

The Personal Information you provide to QSMP by way of social media accounts is collected to record exchanges (e.g. questions and answers, comments, “likes”, retweets) between you and FPAQ. They may be used to answer requests, make statistical evaluations, prepare reports, and for all other purposes indicated in this Privacy Policy.

Children

QSMP takes special precautions to comply with applicable laws regarding children’s advertising and privacy. Although most aspects of the Website are intended for a general audience (not children), certain sites or sections may appeal to children. If special games or contests for children are made available on the Website, additional terms and conditions specific to these activities will be displayed and QSMP will ensure that any collection and use of personal or contact information of children complies with the law, and that parental consent is acquired. QSMP does not intend to collect Personal Information from children without verified parental consent or in any way forbidden by law. If you think QSMP has done this, please let us know.

Collection of Online Information

In its operation of the Website, QSMPmay collect additional information about users, and the sections in this Privacy Policy dealing with Personal Information also apply to this online information, with the appropriate adjustments.

“Online Information” includes such information as Internet Protocol (IP) address, dates and times of visits, pages visited, the domain used to access the Website, the type and version of browser or operating system used, and the last and next website accessed by the user. Aggregate information, such as user demographics, visitor numbers, and average time of use of the Website, is also considered Online Information.

QSMP collects or obtains Online Information as part of its operation of the Website. For example, when a user visits the Website, the site servers may automatically collect Online Information obtained through your browser, cookies, web beacons, or other digital markers. These analytical tools collect one limited data set only, with the time and date of access to the Website, and the IP address. The Website also makes use of analytical tools, including Google Analytics, employed by advertiser partners or service providers who assist FPAQ in the evaluation of its Website.

Use of Online Information

In addition to what is already provided in this Privacy Policy with respect to Personal Information, QSMP uses Online Information to track usage of the Website and improve its operation, to customize the user experience, in particular by proposing customized advertisements and offers, to make statistical analyses of all the characteristics and behaviours of users, to measure the demographic variables and interests of users with respect to specific services, to describe its services to third parties and potential commercial partners, and to determine how and where QSMP resources can be more effectively allocated. No Personal Information is disclosed in the course of these activities.

QSMP also requires this Online Information to collect data on the number of users, most-visited pages, the technology employed by users of the Website, referral websites, and the location of users.

QSMP may use this Online Information for geolocation purposes, in order to make personalized offers to users according to their geographic location.

QSMP may also use Online Information to provide information to its sponsors on the effectiveness of a sponsorship. If needed, QSMP may provide aggregate demographic data, particularly on the people who saw and clicked on a promotional offer. No Personal Information is divulged in this process and only anonymous aggregate information is communicated.

Cookies are little bits of information that are sent to your computer when you visit a website. They are saved, either temporarily or permanently, on your hard drive, leaving a trace of your passage. This may include information such as the date and time of your last visit, an answer given to an online question, and so on. Cookies can also enhance your browsing experience by recording your navigation preferences for a given website.

Cookie files stored on your hard drive are harmless and may be read and deleted at any time. Thus, you always have complete control. This information tells us the total number of visitors for each Website and the length of each visit. Upon using the Website, a cookie file is created and stored on your computer, letting QSMP “recognize” you every time you visit the Website.

Many major websites use cookies. Most browsers accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you may, at any time, change your settings to notify you of the presence of cookies or to disallow their use. While it is your choice whether or not to accept cookies, please note that certain features of the Website may not function properly if you set your browser to refuse them.

The Website may contain digital images known as “web beacons” that allow QSMP to count the number of users who have visited given pages. Web beacons are not used to access your Personal Information; they are only used to collect a limited set of data including a cookie number, the time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the web beacon resides. The Website may also contain web beacons placed by advertising partners or web analytics service providers to help QSMP determine the effectiveness of Internet advertising or sponsorship campaigns.

The Website may also use retargeting services which, through cookies or web beacons, identify users who have been on a website and target them with online advertising after they leave the website, in order to display advertisements related to previous browsing activity. This discloses no Personal Information.

Access to Personal Information and Modification of Personal Information

You may access your Personal Information and consult, update, or correct it, by contacting QSMP by email at: siropderable@upa.qc.ca.

You can also contact QSMP at the following address:

Quebec Maple Syrup Producers

555 Roland-Therrien Boulevard, Suite 525
Longueuil, Québec J4H 4G5
Phone: 450-679-7021

Questions, Comments, and Suggestions

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Policy or QSMP privacy practices not discussed in it, contact QSMP by email at: siropderable@upa.qc.ca.

You may file a complaint with QSMP if you believe QSMP is not meeting its obligations with respect to the protection of Personal Information. QSMP will investigate such a complaint and, if it is justified, will take appropriate measures to correct the situation. If you are not satisfied with this internal review of your complaint, you may contact the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec.