Privacy Policy

This Privacy Notice describes our privacy practices as they relate to personal information. Personal information means any information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form (paper, digital or electronic form).

How we collect your personal information and what we do with it:

Our commitment to your privacy

Because protecting your personal information is important to us, we at PACE Atlantic have adopted strong principles in that respect.

We tell you why we use your personal information.

We limit how much personal information we collect, use, communicate and store to what is necessary for our purposes and permissible pursuant to the Privacy Act.

Sometimes, our service and municipal partners need access to your personal information. They are only allowed to use your personal information to provide services on our behalf. The only exception is when they have a legal obligation to disclose your personal information to the authorities.

We give you the option to control your personal information and we offer you tips on how to control the personal information we collect. We also have a Privacy Office that responds to your privacy concerns and an ATIP Office that can provide you with access to your personal information and implements the corrections that you have requested.

We may communicate your personal information to authorized parties without your consent where permitted or required by applicable law.

Types of information we collect

The personal information we collect includes but is not limited to:

Identification information: For example your name, date of birth, gender, diversity aspects, citizenship status

Family information: For example marital status, number of dependents

Contact information: For example your phone number, personal address, email address

Limited financial information about you: For example property tax or utility bills

When and how we collect your personal information

PACE Atlantic collects personal information that relates directly to an operating program or activity in connection with the Municipal partners we serve. Examples of personal information we collect includes the following:

We collect personal information when you give it to us directly. For example:

When you apply for a loan from one of our municipal partners
You apply or subscribe to one of our programs or initiatives
When you fill in an online form
When you subscribe to receive updates from us

We also collect personal information obtained from sources other than yourself. For example:

From our municipal partners (such as property tax payments)
From provincial or municipal governments (such a property assessments)
From our services providers for web analytics or ads
From social media websites to respond to your inquiry or for statistical or analytical purposes.
From third parties who have obtained the necessary consent to share this information with us or who are authorized to share this information with us pursuant to applicable law

When you browse our website, we use cookies that track your activities
We collect information about how you use our website. Even though this information is not linked to your identity, it can be in certain circumstances, such as, for example, through the use of cookies. This is why we consider this data to be personal information as well when linked to your identity. The data we collect includes:

The pages of our website that you viewed
The date, time and duration that you viewed those pages
The region where you are connecting from (geolocation)
The web browser used (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc.), browser settings and the type of device used (Mac or PC, mobile or desktop, etc.)
AdWords used and references from which websites, applications or social media you come from before your visit

How we track your activities

When you browse our website, we track your activities to infer your interests based on pages you have visited.

What cookies are and what we can do with them

Cookies are files that a website automatically creates and stores on your computer to collect information on your web browsing activities. Like most websites, we use first-party cookies to improve your user experience.

Our website creates cookies that allow us to recognize you the next time you visit our website

For example, we can know if you have already completed a survey so we do not ask you to do it again. These cookies are called persistent cookies, because they stay in your browser after you have closed your session.

We also use third-party cookies for marketing purposes. With marketing and remarketing cookies, we can:

Automatically create lists about our users’ interests based on pages they have visited, not only within the PACE Atlantic website, but also with other websites
Use this information to target users with updates or information
Analyze how well our information updates perform for a specific audience

For example, if you visit a page about municipal loans, an alphanumeric code that identifies you will be added to a list of users who are interested in home retrofit financing solutions. This code will also be stored in a cookie on your computer. As a result, you may see a PACE Atlantic pop-up about financing solutions on a different website.

You can disable cookies

You may adjust your browser settings to manage and/or delete cookies as you wish. Please consult your browser’s Help Menu for instructions.

We use digital analytics tools to collect data about how you use our website (web analytics).

Digital analytics tools typically makes your data anonymous by removing part of your IP address.

Digital analytics tools relies on cookies to collect information. Cookies used by digital analytics tools will expire two years after your last visit to our website. For more information, consult the Google Analytics website and privacy policy.

This policy does not cover personal information you give to social media companies or online payment providers.

When you interact with us through social media, you give information to social media companies and not to us. This information is covered by each platform’s own privacy policy. Keep in mind that information you publish on social media can be seen by others.

Why we use your personal information

We use your personal information or discloses it to third parties for the purpose for which the information was originally obtained or compiled, for a use consistent with that purpose or for a purpose permitted under the Privacy Act. Examples of use include the following:

For business purposes:

We use your personal information to identify you.

We use your personal information to register you, for example, for an event.

We use your personal information to communicate with you and to answer your questions about our products or services.

When you apply for a loan, one of our programs or request a specific service from PACE Atlantic, we use your personal information as part of our due diligence to determine if you meet the conditions to receive the loan or service you have applied for or requested.

We use your personal information to provide tailored advice and direct you towards the most appropriate resources, products and services and rebate organizations upon request. This way, we make sure our advice, resources, products and services are best suited to your profile.

For digital analytics purposes

We collect and analyze data about web traffic and visits on our website, as well as interactions with our social media accounts and email newsletters. This is called digital analytics. Digital analytics allow us to:

Understand how you use our website, social media and email newsletters
Improve your experience
Further develop our business and operations

For marketing purposes

If you have signed up to receive updates from us, we may send you information emails, newsletter, social media posts or other electronic messages.

We also use cookies to publish ads that target our users based on pages they have visited. You may see our ads when you browse the Web even though you never subscribed to anything. If this is a concern for you, there are things you can do to disable cookies.

We use your personal information to offer you advice or other opportunities for PACE Atlantic products or services you may be eligible for.

For other purposes listed in the Privacy Act

We comply with the Privacy Act. In some cases, the law allows us to use your personal information for other purposes than those listed above. For example, we can use personal information to detect and prevent fraud or to comply with court orders.

How we store your information

Where we store it

The majority of your personal information is stored in Canada but exceptionally, it can be stored outside Canada because of some of the third-party service providers we use to store and process your personal information.

How we keep it secure

We take the safeguarding of your personal information seriously. We have implemented security policies and practices in the interest of protecting your information as user or visitor to our website from unauthorized access, improper use, alteration, unlawful or accidental destruction, and accidental loss. PACE Atlantic’s security infrastructure is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications.

While we have taken reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information, PACE Atlantic cannot guarantee the security of electronic systems or email and cannot be held responsible for unauthorized or unintended access that is beyond our control. PACE Atlantic also cannot guarantee, warrant, or represent in any way that the personal information you provide will be transmitted securely or protected completely against interception, loss, misuse or alteration, and we strongly recommend that you use appropriate discretion before transmitting sensitive personal information electronically.

How long we store it for

Although at a minimum personal information is retained for 2 years in compliance with the Privacy Act, we may retain your personal information for as long as necessary to accomplish our business purpose and compliance needs in accordance with our retention and disposition schedules in place for all our records.

To whom we communicate your personal information

Our employees or representatives may view your personal information for their work or for the reasons why we collected this information in the first place. They will not view your personal information for any other reason.

Our municipal partners and service providers may need to handle your personal information (i.e. access, process or store). They are not authorized to disclose your personal information for any reason other than providing the services we ask from them, or if they have a legal obligation to do so. Examples of services we obtain from our service providers include but are not limited to the following:

Processing tax payment checks
Conducting digital analytics
Processing your payments
Managing email delivery
Distributing useful content
Providing IT services
Providing legal services
Providing consulting services
Performing marketing research activities/surveys

Although we strive to ensure personal information is stored in Canada, exceptionally some personal information may be stored by our service providers outside of Canada. As such, service providers may exceptionally be required to disclose your personal information to relevant authorities outside of Canada pursuant to applicable law.

With your consent or as otherwise permitted by the Privacy Act we may communicate your personal information to relevant third parties, including for example, if we receive a court order to communicate your personal information; or, if disclosure is necessary for the protection of public interest; or, to collect money you owe us (deficiencies owed through legal judgement).

Things you can do to control how we process your personal information

To unsubscribe, please advise PACE Atlantic at any time by return email or click on the “Unsubscribe” function included in specific emails. Please note that you will need to unsubscribe directly from each PACE Atlantic tool. Choosing to unsubscribe from one of PACE Atlantic’s mailing lists will not affect other email communications that you may receive from us or your access to our services and products.

You can control cookies in the following ways:

Disable cookies in your browser’s settings. You will still be able to access our website, although some features may not work properly.
Opt out of Google Analytics by installing the appropriate Google add-on on your browser.

You can access your personal information and ask us to correct any error
You can access your personal information at any time. To do so, please contact the ATIP Office. In some exceptional cases, we might be unable to give you access to your personal information. For example, if we cannot dissociate your personal information from:

Other persons’ personal information
Our own proprietary information
Information covered by solicitor-client privilege

You can ask us to make corrections to personal information that we have that is not accurate. If we do not make these corrections, you can ask us to add annotations to your personal information to explain why certain corrections you asked were not made. Finally, you can ask us to notify certain persons about these corrections or annotations. To do so, please contact the ATIP Office (contact information below).

You can express your privacy concerns by calling us or writing to us. To file a privacy complaint, you must send an email to the ATIP Office. This ensures that we keep a record of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Additional details and contact

We did our best to make this policy as easy to read and understand as possible. Here are a few more things you should know:

We may change this policy at any time

Because privacy concerns, business and legal requirements continually evolve, we may need to change this privacy policy in the future, with our without notice.

What if the policy has changed since your last visit?

If you visit our website or use our online services after our privacy policy has changed, you will be governed by the updated version of the privacy policy.

How to read and interpret this Privacy Policy

This policy is governed by the laws of Nova Scotia and Canada. This policy complies with the Privacy Act of Canada.

Did you understand everything? Contact us with any question
Feel free to contact us: https://switchpace.org/contact-us/

PACE Atlantic Privacy Office

For questions or comments about this policy, or for more information about how we deal with your personal information, send us a message at https://pace-atlantic.org/contact-us/ or mail us a letter:

PACE Atlantic Privacy Office
2625 Joseph Howe Dr. Suite 12
Halifax, NS B3L 4H9

PACE Atlantic values the privacy of individuals who interact with us through electronic or other means. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act and other applicable laws. PACE Atlantic’s website is open to visitors. However, to access certain areas of the website, registration is required. It is your choice to provide personal information to us. By registering (and clicking on the “I Accept” button in the registration form) and by choosing to provide personal information to PACE Atlantic, or by using this website, you are consenting to the collection, use, disclosure, retention, handling and processing of your personal information for the purposes explained in the sections below. Please ensure that all information that you provide is true, accurate and complete.

Please note that without your consent to collect, use and disclose your personal information we are unable to provide you with information or services. If you do not agree with this Privacy Notice or the Terms and Conditions of Use that govern this website, please do not provide PACE Atlantic with your personal information.