Privacy Policy

Your Say Ontario (“we,” “our,” or “the platform”) is committed to protecting the personal information of Ontario residents who use our website at yoursayontario.ca. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) principles.

By using this website, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy.

We collect personal information only when you voluntarily provide it. This includes:

• Contact form submissions: name, email address, and message content
• Community Voice submissions: name, email, Ontario location, and submission content
• Newsletter sign-ups: email address and name
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and session duration (collected automatically via analytics software)

We do not collect sensitive personal information such as financial account numbers, Social Insurance Numbers, health card numbers, or biometric data.

We use personal information solely for the following purposes:

• To respond to contact form enquiries and editorial requests
• To review and potentially publish Community Voice submissions
• To send newsletters to subscribers who have explicitly opted in
• To analyze website usage and improve our content and user experience
• To comply with applicable Canadian laws

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making, profiling, or targeted advertising.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share limited technical data with:

• Vercel (hosting provider): Server logs and performance data. Vercel's privacy policy is available at vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.
• Analytics provider: Aggregated, anonymized usage data only. No personally identifiable information is shared.

We may disclose personal information if required by a Canadian court order, law enforcement request, or applicable legislation.

Contact form messages are retained for up to 12 months to allow follow-up correspondence, then deleted. Community Voice submission data is retained for the duration of the article's publication. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until the subscriber unsubscribes. Technical analytics data is retained in aggregated form only, with no individual identifiers retained beyond 90 days.

As a Canadian resident, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Withdraw consent for the use of your personal information (subject to legal exceptions)
• Request deletion of your personal information where we have no legal obligation to retain it
• File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We respond to all privacy requests within 30 days as required by PIPEDA.

This website uses minimal, privacy-respecting cookies. We use only technically necessary cookies required for site functionality, and optional analytics cookies that collect aggregated, anonymized data. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies will not affect your ability to read content on this site.

This website is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to us, contact [email protected] and we will promptly delete it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on our homepage with at least 30 days' notice before taking effect. The “last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.