Privacy Policy

Who we are

This policy explains how Christmas in Merrickville Inc. collects, uses and protects personal information through christmasinmerrickville.com and its event enquiries, volunteer and sponsorship activities, and newsletter.

Christmas in Merrickville Inc. is responsible for personal information under its control. Submissions are received through christmasinmerrickvillecommittee@gmail.com and are handled by the corporation’s board. Our privacy contact is listed below.

Information we collect and why

General enquiries. We collect the name, email address, telephone number and message details you choose to provide. We use this information to answer your questions and follow up on your request.

Volunteering and sponsorship. We collect the contact details, availability, interests, organization details and other relevant information you provide to discuss and coordinate your involvement. Please share only what is needed for your enquiry.

Newsletter subscriptions. We collect your email address, your name if provided, your subscription preferences and a record of your consent. We use these details to send Christmas in Merrickville news, event announcements and updates you have requested. Sending an enquiry or applying to volunteer does not automatically subscribe you to the newsletter.

Website requests. Our hosting and security systems process technical information such as IP addresses, request times, requested pages, browser information, referring page addresses and error or security events. We use this information to deliver the website, diagnose faults and detect abuse.

You can read the public event information without creating a visitor account.

Cookies and Google Analytics

We use cookies and similar browser technologies to support website functions, security and audience measurement. Cookies are small files stored by your browser. Depending on the function, they can remember a preference or assign an identifier to distinguish visits.

Essential functions. Website and security tools can use cookies to support administrator sign-in, protect the website and remember settings. Not every function requires a cookie, and administrator cookies are separate from cookies used to measure public visits.

Google Analytics 4. We use Google Analytics through Google Site Kit to understand how people find and use the website. Information can include pages viewed, interactions, referring sources, device and browser details, cookie identifiers and approximate geographic location. We use the reports to improve event information and visitor guidance.

Google states that GA4 does not log or store IP addresses, although it processes them during collection. Analytics information is not necessarily anonymous. We do not intentionally send names, email addresses or enquiry messages to Google Analytics.

Your controls. You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Google also provides a Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on for supported browsers. Blocking cookies can affect some functions and does not remove information already collected or stop essential server logging.

Read Google’s Privacy Policy and how Google uses information from partner sites. This policy does not replace any consent that applicable law requires us to obtain.

Service providers, images and maps

GoDaddy hosting. The website runs on our GoDaddy cPanel hosting account. Hosting services process technical requests and store website files, databases and backups needed to operate the site. Read GoDaddy’s Privacy Policy.

Gmail and Google services. Enquiries and submissions go to the committee’s Gmail account for the board of Christmas in Merrickville Inc. to review and respond. Google processes and stores email content, contact information and associated technical data to provide Gmail. Google also provides the Analytics service described above.

Wordfence security. We use Wordfence to help detect suspicious activity and protect the website. It processes request and security information, including IP addresses; relevant threat information can be processed by its provider, Defiant. Read the Wordfence Privacy Policy.

Externally hosted images. Some website photographs are delivered from Unsplash. Loading these images connects your browser to its image service, which can receive technical request information such as your IP address and browser details. Read Unsplash’s Privacy Policy.

Maps and other websites. A static map hosted on this website loads like another image. Opening an external interactive map, sponsor website or local information website connects you to that provider, whose own privacy policy applies. Before introducing an embedded interactive map, we will update this notice to identify its map host, map-tile provider and relevant privacy choices.

Who receives your information

Enquiries and submissions are received through the committee Gmail account and shared with the board of Christmas in Merrickville Inc. to respond, coordinate participation and administer the event. Board members use that information for the purpose for which it was provided.

Authorized website administrators and service providers can access information where needed to maintain, host, back up or protect the website. We limit access to what is appropriate for those responsibilities.

We do not sell or rent personal information or give sponsors visitor, subscriber or volunteer contact lists for their own marketing. We may disclose information with your permission, where required or permitted by applicable law, or where necessary to address a security incident or protect someone’s safety.

Some providers process or store information outside Canada, including in the United States. Information processed abroad can be subject to the laws and lawful access requirements of those countries. We remain responsible for information under our control and use appropriate arrangements with our service providers.

How long we keep information

Our retention approach reflects the annual nature of the event. We review records and remove information when it is no longer needed. The following periods guide that review:

• General enquiries: ordinarily up to 24 months after the last meaningful contact.
• Volunteer and sponsorship enquiries: ordinarily up to 24 months after the most recent event involvement or meaningful contact. Continued involvement can require us to keep current details longer.
• Newsletter subscriptions: while you remain subscribed. After you unsubscribe, we retain only the records needed to honour your choice, demonstrate consent or withdrawal, and meet applicable obligations.
• Google Analytics: user- and event-level information for up to 14 months, according to the property’s retention settings. Standard aggregated reports can remain available longer.
• Routine technical and security logs: a target of 30 days for logs under our control, unless an investigation or operational need requires longer. Hosting-provider records and backups follow their own configured retention cycles.

Legal, accounting, dispute-resolution and security requirements can justify longer retention of particular records. We do not keep entire enquiry records indefinitely simply because the event recurs each year.

How we protect information

We use safeguards appropriate to the information, including restricted access, secure connections, website maintenance and backups. Board members and authorized administrators are expected to protect information they handle. No internet transmission or storage system is completely secure.

Your choices and privacy requests

Newsletter choices. You can unsubscribe using the instructions in a newsletter or by emailing christmasinmerrickvillecommittee@gmail.com with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. We process unsubscribe requests without delay and no later than 10 business days. Necessary replies about an enquiry or an existing volunteer or sponsorship arrangement are separate from newsletter subscriptions.

Access, correction and deletion. You can ask what personal information we hold about you, request access or a correction, raise a concern, or ask us to stop a consent-based use. You can also request deletion, subject to applicable obligations and legitimate retention needs.

Withdrawing permission can affect our ability to coordinate your involvement or handle your request, but it does not prevent you from reading public event information. We may ask for enough information to verify your identity before releasing or changing a record.

Contact the board using the privacy contact below. We aim to respond promptly and follow applicable legal time limits. Where PIPEDA applies, access requests are normally answered within 30 days, subject to permitted extensions and exceptions.

If your concern is not resolved, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for guidance or information about making a complaint.

Children’s information

This website provides event information for families and visitors. We do not invite children to create accounts or submit personal information independently. A parent or guardian should handle enquiries about a child’s participation and share only what is needed. Please contact us if you believe a child has submitted personal information without appropriate permission.

Changes to this policy

We update this policy when website features or information-handling practices change. The date at the top identifies the latest revision. Where a new use requires permission, we will ask before using information for that purpose.

Contact us about privacy

Christmas in Merrickville Inc.
Attention: Board of Directors — Privacy Enquiries
Email: christmasinmerrickvillecommittee@gmail.com
Location: Merrickville, Ontario, Canada.

For a privacy request, include “Privacy” in the subject line and enough detail for us to understand your question. Please do not send identity documents or sensitive information unless we have explained why they are needed and agreed on a suitable way to provide them.