The RECCOWICHAN.CA registration software provides a single database for recreation user or client information, registerable programs, facility admission, event ticket sales, and facility booking information at or through facilities operated by the following three Local Governments: Municipality of North Cowichan, Cowichan Valley Regional District and Town of Ladysmith (collectively, the “Local Governments”). The Local Governments share the administration and operation of the shared recreation database.
The Local Governments are committed to protecting your privacy. The Local Governments collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. ‘Personal information’ is defined broadly in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as recorded information about an identifiable individual, other than contact information, which is the information used to contact a person at a place of business. The purpose of this privacy statement is to inform you of the personal information that may be collected from you when visiting the Local Governments’ shared recreation software online portal located at http://www.reccowichan.ca/ (RECCOWICHAN.CA) and how that information may be used.
This privacy statement relates to the information automatically and voluntarily collected from you as a result of your visit to RECCOWICHAN.CA.
The Local Governments collect information about your visit, including personal information, through the use of audit logs and cookies. A cookie is a small file stored on your computer by your web browser when using some websites. Personal information is also collected voluntarily when applicants register for programs online.
The information automatically collected is:
The Local Governments, via RECCOWICHAN.CA, will notify you if cookies will be collecting additional information from you. A cookie may remain on your computer after the Internet session finishes (until the cookie expires or is deleted by you).
In order to ensure the safe and efficient operation of recreation facilities, it is expected that the following information will also be collected: records of conversations with the client with respect to financial interactions and modifications on their accounts (i.e. adjustments for registration or withdrawal corrections, missed monthly payments, credit owed to client), and a history of unsafe conduct where this has resulted in the client being banned from the facility, or police involvement.
The Local Governments collect personal information under the authority of section 26(c) of FOIPPA for the purposes stated below in the next section.
The Local Governments collect personal information through cookies (small files which are stored on a user’s computer) to better understand general user trends at an aggregate level and improve web performance, web services, and website maintenance. Personal information will only be used by authorized staff to fulfill the purpose for which it was originally collected or for a use consistent with that purpose, unless you expressly consent otherwise. The Local Governments collect personal information through security audits to protect against threats from hackers, and for other enforcement and security purposes. The Local Governments do not use this data to determine your identity unless required to do so as part of an internal investigation or for another enforcement-related purpose, and then, only in compliance with FOIPPA.
Personal information collected from clients voluntarily is limited to what is required to administer the particular recreation program, or facility, by the Local Governments. The current recreation facilities include aquatic & fitness centres, ice arenas, rooms for recreation classes and camp use, and use of outdoor fields, parks and open spaces.
Client registration information will be used to place clients in appropriate recreation classes, assess appropriate facility or event admission fees, grant access to facilities, issue refunds, etc. Information about individuals may also be provided by the Local Governments with respect to inappropriate use of facilities.
Your browser may permit you to disable cookies, but you cannot opt out of the information collected for audit purposes. Also, your decision to disable cookies may impair your ability to browse, read, and download information contained on RECCOWICHAN.CA, and the Local Governments may be unable to personalize your web experience. However, you may still be able to access the Local Governments’ services by other methods such as personal contact, fax or mail.
The Local Governments are obligated to protect your personal information by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure or disposal. Specifically, access to systems, applications and the collected data is restricted to authorized Local Government and service provider (support and maintenance) staff only. Furthermore, any personal information collected and used for identifying user trends (e.g. IP address) is aggregated and made anonymous during report generation.
A limited number of designated staff from each of the Local Governments will be able to access the shared database, including personal information of clients, in order to provide recreation services to clients. For compliance with section 12 of the FOIPPA Regulation, the Local Governments have entered into a Shared Recreation Database Agreement.
Some cookies will remain on your computer for only as long as your browser remains open, or until you delete them off your computer. Other cookies will remain on your computer so that you may be recognized when you return to the website.
Information collected or created by RECCOWICHAN.CA is maintained in accordance with the Local Governments’ individual records retention schedules and other legislative requirements. Personal information collected must be kept for at least one year after it is used in making a decision directly affecting an individual, then stored inactively for a period of time set out by each of the Local Governments’ records retention schedules. Given records management capabilities associated with the software, the information may remain in the database for a longer period of time, unless removal is specifically requested by the client or identified by records staff as appropriate for manual removal.
You can review any personal information collected about you by requesting access to it by the public body holding the information, or by submitting a Freedom of Information request. You may request changes or annotate your personal information if you believe it to be inaccurate by submitting a written request describing the error. Please contact the Freedom of Information (“FOI”) Coordinator relevant to the local government recreation facility you attend for further direction:
RECCOWICHAN.CA may include links to external websites. Once you leave RECCOWICHAN.CA, this privacy statement does not apply. The Local Governments are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites.
Questions regarding this privacy statement, including the collection of personal information, can be directed to the FOI Coordinator (Deputy Director of Corporate Services), Municipality of North Cowichan, PO Box 278, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan, BC, V9L 3X4, telephone (250) 746-3100, or email foi@northcowichan.ca.
