2800 Ave Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Québec City, Quebec
G2E 6J5
Nova Permits ("Nova", "we", "our") recognizes the importance of protecting your personal information. Our privacy and personal information protection policy (the "policy") aims to describe how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information when you use our website or services, and what your rights are in this regard.
This policy applies to all stakeholders of Nova, including its directors, employees, consultants, partners, and anyone else who provides services on behalf of Nova.
This policy covers all types of personal information managed by Nova, whether it is information about its current or potential clients, consultants, employees, members, or any other individuals (such as visitors to its websites or otherwise).
By providing us with your personal information, you agree that it will be processed in accordance with this policy.
"Personal information" refers to any information that relates to an individual and allows them to be identified, directly or indirectly. Examples include a person's name, address, email address, phone number, gender, or banking information, health information, ethnic origin, language, etc.
"Sensitive personal information" is information with a high degree of reasonable expectation of privacy, such as health information, financial information (including banking and credit card information), biometric information, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, etc.
Business contact information, such as your title, professional email address, professional address, or business phone number, constitutes public personal information and is not covered by this policy. The following sections do not apply to this type of information.
When you use our website, various forms, or our services, we may collect the following personal information:
In all cases, we strive to limit the amount of personal information we collect to what is strictly necessary for the purposes described in the section "6. Use of Your Personal Information."
Please note that Nova's services and programs are not intended for minors, and generally, Nova does not intentionally obtain personal information about minors (in such cases, information cannot be collected from them without the consent of the holder of parental authority or guardian, unless this collection is clearly for the benefit of the minor).
When you browse our website, we collect certain information through cookies and other tracking technologies (collectively, "cookies").
Cookies are small text files containing a unique identification number that are automatically placed on a visitor's computer. You can choose whether to enable certain cookies when you connect to our website. If you refuse, your browsing experience may be affected. By clicking "Allow All" during your first visit to the site, you agree to the storage of cookies on your device.
We use the following categories of cookies:
If you wish to change your consent, you can do so directly in the Cookie settings or by contacting us via the section "15. Contact the Personal Information Protection Officer."
This policy does not apply to third-party websites, including those that may be accessed by clicking on links found on our website. If you visit a third-party website, it will have its own policies that we encourage you to review before submitting your personal information, if applicable.
We collect your personal information directly from you with your consent when you contact us, fill out a form, or browse our website. We may also collect your personal information from third parties when you have consented to it, or when the law allows us to do so (for example, from government agencies, financial institutions, or other service providers).
In all cases, Nova only collects information if it has a valid reason to do so. The collection will be limited to the information necessary to achieve the purposes for which it is collected.
Generally, we collect, use, and disclose your personal information with your consent. Nova must also obtain the consent of the individual before collecting their personal information from third parties, before disclosing it to third parties, or for any secondary use of it. However, in some cases, the law provides that we may collect, use, or disclose your personal information without your consent (for example, when we are required to disclose your information under a subpoena or court order).
By contacting us, voluntarily filling out a form with your personal information, and browsing our website, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this policy. If you provide us with the personal information of a third party, you declare that you have the necessary consent or authority to allow us to collect, use, and disclose this information in accordance with this policy.
Subject to certain legal or contractual restrictions, you can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us as indicated in the section "15. Contact the Personal Information Protection Officer."
Generally, we use your personal information for the following purposes:
Nova can only use a person's personal information for the purposes indicated herein or for any other reasons provided at the time of collection. If Nova wants to use this information for another purpose, new consent must be obtained from the individual, which must be expressly obtained if it is sensitive personal information. However, in some cases provided by law, Nova may use the information for another purpose without the individual's consent, for example:
Limitation of Access: Nova has implemented measures to limit access to personal information only to employees and individuals within its organization who have the authority to access it and for whom this information is necessary in the performance of their duties, for a specific purpose. Nova will seek the individual's consent before granting access to any other person.
Your personal information is only accessible to our employees and agents whose duties require it. We may also share your personal information with third parties when required by law, or with service providers (for example, subcontractors, our IT or cloud hosting service providers).
In these cases, Nova must have written contracts with these providers that specify the measures they must take to ensure the confidentiality of the personal information disclosed, that the use of this information is only for the execution of the contract, and that they cannot retain this information after its expiration. Additionally, these contracts must provide that the providers must notify Nova's Personal Information Protection Officer (indicated in section 15 of this policy) of any breach or attempted breach of confidentiality obligations regarding the disclosed personal information and must allow this officer to conduct any verification related to this confidentiality.
The personal information we collect is hosted on secure servers that may be located outside Quebec, including elsewhere in Canada or the United States. We may also share your personal information with business partners outside Quebec as part of our service delivery. When your personal information is communicated outside Quebec, we conduct a privacy impact assessment (as described in section 11 of this policy) and implement contractual commitments to protect the confidentiality of this information.
We retain your personal information only for the duration necessary for the purposes outlined in the Policy and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. After this period, your personal information will be securely destroyed to ensure its protection.
Nova may adopt other policies or procedures regarding the retention and destruction of personal information. Please contact Nova's Personal Information Protection Officer (indicated in section 15 of this policy) for more information.
The personal information we collect is kept confidential in accordance with applicable legislation. Additionally, if you choose to send us personal information by email, through a form, or on our website, we will use only the information required to respond to your message and follow up, ensuring its confidentiality.
We also take reasonable organizational, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. For example, we restrict access to our computer equipment, implement multiple user identity validation measures, and raise awareness among our staff about the security and confidentiality of the personal information they have access to.
Conducting a PIA is a preventive approach aimed at better protecting personal information and respecting the privacy of individuals. It involves considering factors that may have positive or negative consequences on the privacy of the individuals concerned. Conducting a PIA demonstrates that Nova has met all its obligations regarding the protection of personal information and that all measures have been taken to effectively protect this information.
Nova conducts a PIA in particular situations, such as:
When conducting a PIA, Nova considers the sensitivity of the information concerned, the purpose of its use, its quantity, distribution, and medium, as well as the proposed measures to protect personal information.
Under applicable laws, Nova is responsible for protecting the personal information it possesses or controls.
To protect the personal information collected, Nova has designated a Personal Information Protection Officer. This officer is generally responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable legislation regarding the protection of personal information. The officer must approve policies and practices governing personal information management. Specifically, this person is responsible for implementing this policy and ensuring it is known, understood, and applied. In the absence or inability of this officer, Nova's president will assume the functions of the Personal Information Protection Officer.
Nova's staff and partners who have access to personal information or are otherwise involved in its management must protect it and comply with this policy and Nova's directives. The roles and responsibilities of Nova's employees throughout the personal information lifecycle may be specified by any other Nova policy in this regard, if applicable.
To protect your personal information, Nova has implemented policies, practices, and procedures related to the management of personal information we hold. These internal policies and procedures govern the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and destruction of personal information, as well as the handling of complaints and information security. They also provide the framework for conducting privacy impact assessments and for preventing and responding to potential confidentiality incidents.
Additionally, Nova ensures that its staff undergoes the required training and awareness activities to ensure the protection of personal information.
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Subject to applicable laws and regulations, individuals wishing to exercise their rights of access, correction, or withdrawal of consent must submit a written request to Nova's Personal Information Protection Officer, by email or mail to the address or email indicated in section 15 of this policy.
Anyone wishing to file a complaint regarding the application of this policy or, more generally, the protection of their personal information by Nova, must do so in writing by contacting Nova's Personal Information Protection Officer, by mail or email to the address or email indicated in section 15 of this policy.
The individual must provide their name, contact information, including a phone number and email, as well as the subject and reasons for their complaint, providing enough details for Nova to evaluate it. If the complaint is not sufficiently precise, the Personal Information Protection Officer may request any additional information deemed necessary to evaluate the complaint. Nova commits to handling all complaints received confidentially.
Within 30 days of receiving the complaint or receiving all additional information deemed necessary and required by Nova's Personal Information Protection Officer to process it, the officer must evaluate it and provide a written, reasoned response by email to the complainant. This evaluation aims to determine whether Nova's handling of personal information complies with this policy, any other policy and practice in place within the organization, and applicable legislation or regulation.
If the complaint cannot be processed within this timeframe, the complainant must be informed of the reasons justifying the extension, the status of the complaint processing, and the reasonable timeframe needed to provide a definitive response.
Nova must create a separate file for each complaint received. Each file contains the complaint, the analysis, and supporting documentation for its evaluation, as well as the response sent to the complainant.
It is also possible to file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec or any other privacy oversight body responsible for enforcing the law concerned by the complaint.
However, Nova encourages anyone interested to first contact its Personal Information Protection Officer and wait for the completion of Nova's complaint processing.
If you want to learn more about the protection of your personal information or wish to exercise your rights or file a complaint, please contact Stéphane Labillois, our Personal Information Protection Officer, at the following contact details:
Address: PO Box 44559 Normandie Branch, Lévis, QC G7A 4X5
Email: slabillois@novapermits.com
Phone: 800-567-7775
Our Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect legislative or operational changes within our organization. While update notices may be used, posting the revised Policy will be deemed sufficient notice. Continuing to use our website constitutes your acceptance of this Policy and any updates.
The last update date of the Policy is December 10, 2024.
