Privacy Policy
At Altitude Forest Management, delivering exceptional service to our clients is our top priority. As part of this commitment, we recognize the importance of protecting the personal information we collect, use, and disclose in the course of providing our services.
We have always been dedicated to respecting our clients' privacy and safeguarding their personal information. Our commitment is reinforced by our compliance with British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), effective since January 1, 2004. PIPA provides the guidelines for how businesses and non-profit organizations in B.C. should manage personal information.
We ensure that our clients are informed about why and how we collect, use, and disclose their personal information. We obtain consent where required and handle personal information in a manner deemed appropriate by a reasonable person in the given circumstances.
This Personal Information Protection Policy, aligned with PIPA, outlines the principles and practices we adhere to in safeguarding clients’ personal information. Our commitment to privacy includes maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of personal information and enabling our clients to request access to and correction of their information.
Definitions
Personal Information – means information about an identifiable individual (e.g., including name, age, home address, and phone number, etc). Personal information does not include contact information (described below).
Contact Information – means information that would enable an individual to be contacted at a place of business and includes name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email, or business fax number. Contact information is not covered by this policy or PIPA.
Privacy Officer – means the individual designated responsibility for ensuring that Altitude Forest Management complies with this policy and PIPA.
Policy 1 – Collecting Personal Information
1.1 Unless the purposes for collecting personal information are obvious and the client voluntarily provides their personal information for those purposes, we will communicate the purposes for which personal information is being collected, either orally or in writing, before or at the time of collection.
1.2 We will only collect client information that is necessary to fulfill the following purposes:
- To verify identity
- To verify creditworthiness
- To identify client preferences
- To understand the marketing needs of our clients
- To open and manage an account
- To deliver requested products and services
- To enroll the client in a program
- To send out association membership information
- To ensure a high standard of service to our clients
- To meet regulatory requirements
Policy 2 – Consent
2.1 We will obtain client consent to collect, use, or disclose personal information (except where, as noted below, we are authorized to do so without consent).
2.2 Consent can be provided orally, in writing, electronically, through an authorized representative, or it can be implied where the purpose for collecting, using, or disclosing the personal information would be considered obvious and the client voluntarily provides personal information for that purpose.
2.3 Consent may also be implied where a client is given notice and a reasonable opportunity to opt out of their personal information being used for mail-outs, the marketing of new services or products, and the client does not opt out.
2.4 Subject to certain exceptions (e.g., the personal information is necessary to provide the service or product, or the withdrawal of consent would frustrate the performance of a legal obligation), clients can withhold or withdraw their consent for Altitude Forest Management to use their personal information in certain ways. A client’s decision to withhold or withdraw their consent to certain uses of personal information may restrict our ability to provide a particular service or product. If so, we will explain the situation to assist the client in making the decision.
2.5 We may collect, use, or disclose personal information without the client’s knowledge or consent in the following limited circumstances:
- When the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information is permitted or required by law
- In an emergency that threatens an individual’s life, health, or personal security
- When the personal information is available from a public source (e.g., a telephone directory)
- When we require legal advice from a lawyer
- For the purposes of collecting a debt
- To protect ourselves from fraud
- To investigate an anticipated breach of an agreement or a contravention of law
Policy 3 – Using and Disclosing Personal Information
3.1 We will only use or disclose client personal information where necessary to fulfill the purposes identified at the time of collection or for a purpose reasonably related to those purposes such as:
- To conduct client surveys in order to enhance the provision of our services
- To contact our clients directly about products and services that may be of interest
3.2 We will not use or disclose client personal information for any additional purpose unless we obtain consent to do so.
3.3 We will not sell client lists or personal information to other parties.
Policy 4 – Retaining Personal Information
4.1 If we use client personal information to make a decision that directly affects the client, we will retain that personal information for at least one year so that the client has a reasonable opportunity to request access to it.
4.2 Subject to policy 4.1, we will retain client personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes or a legal or business purpose.
Policy 5 – Ensuring Accuracy of Personal Information
5.1 We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that client personal information is accurate and complete where it may be used to make a decision about the client or disclosed to another organization.
5.2 Clients may request correction to their personal information to ensure its accuracy and completeness. A request to correct personal information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information and the correction being sought.
5.3 If the personal information is demonstrated to be inaccurate or incomplete, we will correct the information as required and send the corrected information to any organization to which we disclosed the personal information in the previous year. If the correction is not made, we will note the client’s correction request in the file.
Policy 6 – Securing Personal Information
6.1 We are committed to ensuring the security of client personal information to protect it from unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal, or similar risks.
6.2 The following security measures will be followed to ensure that client personal information is appropriately protected:
- The use of locked filing cabinets
- Physically securing offices where personal information is held
- The use of user IDs, passwords, encryption, and firewalls
- Restricting employee access to personal information as appropriate (i.e., only those that need to know will have access)
- Contractually requiring any service providers to provide comparable security measures
6.3 We will use appropriate security measures when destroying clients’ personal information such as shredding documents and deleting electronically stored information.
6.4 We will continually review and update our security policies and controls as technology changes to ensure ongoing personal information security.
Policy 7 – Providing Clients Access to Personal Information
7.1 Clients have a right to access their personal information, subject to limited exceptions including: solicitor-client privilege, disclosure would reveal personal information about another individual, and health and safety concerns.
7.2 A request to access personal information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information being sought.
7.3 Upon request, we will also tell clients how we use their personal information and to whom it has been disclosed if applicable.
7.4 We will make the requested information available within 30 business days or provide written notice of an extension where additional time is required to fulfill the request.
7.5 A minimal fee may be charged for providing access to personal information. Where a fee may apply, we will inform the client of the cost and request further direction from the client on whether or not we should proceed with the request.
7.6 If a request is refused in full or in part, we will notify the client in writing, providing the reasons for refusal and the recourse available to the client.
Policy 8 – Questions and Complaints: The Role of the Privacy Officer or Designated Individual
8.1 The Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring Altitude Forest Management’s compliance with this policy and the Personal Information Protection Act.
8.2 Clients should direct any complaints, concerns, or questions regarding Altitude Forest Management’s compliance in writing to the Privacy Officer. If the Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, the client may also write to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia.
Contact information for Altitude Forest Management’s Privacy Officer:
Email:[email protected]
Hours:
Mon-Friday: 7-5
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
