Privacy Policy

Maxi-Forêt, a Canadian corporation incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-44) (“Maxi-Forêt”, “our”, “we”) takes your privacy and the protection of your Personal Information seriously. This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) is intended to ensure the protection of personal information and to govern the manner in which Maxi-Forêt collects, uses, discloses, hosts, retains, secures, destroys, or otherwise manages such information so that you are properly informed.

Application and Definitions

This Policy applies to Maxi-Forêt, including, without limitation, its management, employees, consultants, directors, as well as any other person who otherwise provides services on behalf of Maxi-Forêt. It also applies to Maxi-Forêt’s website.

It applies to all types of personal information managed by Maxi-Forêt, whether relating to its prospective or current clients, consultants, employees, members, or any other individuals (such as visitors to its websites or otherwise).

For the purposes hereof, “Personal Information” means any information relating to an identifiable individual, including information that can be used alone or in combination with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person. In general, Personal Information does not include business contact information, such as your name, title, or professional contact details.

Sensitive personal information is information for which there is a high degree of reasonable expectation of privacy, e.g., health information, banking information, biometric information, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, etc.

Collection, Use and Disclosure

In the course of its activities, Maxi-Forêt may collect various types of information for various purposes.

The Personal Information we collect may include, but is not limited to:

• Your contact details such as your name, mailing address, or telephone number, in order to identify you and communicate with you;
• Information related to your requests for information, estimates, or questions regarding a product or service;
• Information about your use of the website, such as the date of use, how you use the website, or the duration of such use;
• Marketing information and your communication preferences, as well as your comments; and
• Any other personal information you have provided to us.

Maxi-Forêt applies the following general principles regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of Personal Information:

Consent

As a general rule, Maxi-Forêt collects Personal Information directly from the individual concerned and with their consent, unless an exception is provided for by law. Consent may be obtained implicitly in certain situations, for example, when an individual chooses to provide their Personal Information through a contact form or by telephone. We may also collect information relating to your use of the website, including technical information about your visits, average visit duration, actions taken on the website, type of device used, or any other information collected through cookies. For more information in this regard, we invite you to read the section “Additional Information on Technologies Used.”

Normally, Maxi-Forêt must also obtain the consent of the individual concerned before collecting their Personal Information from third parties, before disclosing it to third parties, or for any secondary use thereof. However, Maxi-Forêt may act without consent in certain cases provided for by law and under the conditions set out therein, for example: to comply with its legal obligations, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim or judicial proceeding.

We collect your Personal Information for specific and limited purposes:

• Responding to your specific requests or questions;
• Processing your orders, where applicable;
• Providing relevant information about our products or services;
• Improving our products and services; and
• Sending you promotional information or special offers, with your prior consent, where applicable.

Collection

In all cases, Maxi-Forêt only collects information when it has a valid reason to do so. Furthermore, collection is limited to the information necessary to fulfill the intended purpose.

Please note that Maxi-Forêt’s services, projects, and activities are not intended for minors, and more generally, Maxi-Forêt does not intentionally obtain Personal Information concerning minors (in such cases, information cannot be collected from a minor without the consent of a parent or guardian).

If Maxi-Forêt must collect Personal Information indirectly, including through third parties, and where such collection is necessary to access certain services, projects, or activities, or otherwise to do business with Maxi-Forêt, Maxi-Forêt will obtain the individual’s consent at the appropriate time, where required.

Retention and Use

Maxi-Forêt may only use an individual’s Personal Information for the purposes set out herein or for any other purposes disclosed at the time of collection. If Maxi-Forêt wishes to use such information for another purpose, new consent must be obtained from the individual concerned, which must be express where sensitive Personal Information is involved. However, in certain cases provided for by law, Maxi-Forêt may use the information for secondary purposes without consent, e.g., where such use is clearly for the benefit of the individual.

Limited access. Maxi-Forêt must implement measures to limit access to Personal Information only to employees and individuals within its organization who are authorized to access it and for whom such information is necessary for the performance of their duties. Maxi-Forêt will obtain the individual’s consent before granting access to any other person.

Disclosure

Generally, and unless an exception is indicated in this Policy or otherwise provided for by law, Maxi-Forêt will obtain the consent of the individual concerned before disclosing their Personal Information to a third party. Furthermore, where consent is required and where sensitive Personal Information is involved, Maxi-Forêt must obtain the individual’s explicit consent prior to disclosure.

However, disclosure of Personal Information to third parties is sometimes necessary. Accordingly, Personal Information may be disclosed to third parties without the individual’s consent in certain cases, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Maxi-Forêt may disclose Personal Information, without the individual’s consent, to a public body (such as the government) that collects it, through one of its representatives, in the exercise of its powers or the implementation of a program it administers.
• Personal Information may be transmitted to service providers where disclosure is necessary, without the individual’s consent. For example, such service providers may include event organizers, subcontractors designated by Maxi-Forêt to perform various mandates, and cloud service providers. In such cases, Maxi-Forêt must have written agreements or statements with these providers specifying the measures they must take to ensure the confidentiality of the disclosed Personal Information, that such information may only be used for the purposes of performing the contract, and that it may not be retained after the contract expires. In addition, such agreements or statements must provide that service providers notify Maxi-Forêt’s Privacy Officer (identified in 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 relating to such confidentiality.

Additional Information on Technologies Used

Use of Cookies

What is a cookie

A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies can store information such as your browsing preferences or the pages you have visited.

Maxi-Forêt’s website uses cookies solely for statistical purposes via Google Analytics or Wixapps.

Why we use cookies

We use cookies for the following purposes:

• Functionality: Cookies are used to improve the functionality of the Site, for example by allowing you to remain logged in to your account.
• Analytics: We use cookies to collect information on how you use the Site, in order to improve its content and usability.

Types of cookies we use

• Essential cookies: These cookies are necessary for the operation of the Site and cannot be disabled in our systems.
• Performance cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Site by collecting anonymous information about pages visited and any errors encountered.
• Functionality cookies: These cookies allow the Site to remember your choices (such as your username or language) to provide a more personalized experience.

Your choices regarding cookies

You have the right to choose whether to accept or refuse cookies. You can generally configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being used. However, please note that disabling cookies may affect your experience on the Site.

Consent

By using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with this cookie policy.

Retention and Destruction of Personal Information

Unless a minimum retention period is required by law or applicable regulations, Maxi-Forêt will retain Personal Information only for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected.

At the end of the retention period or when Personal Information is no longer required, Maxi-Forêt will ensure that it is:

• destroyed; or
• anonymized (meaning it can no longer, irreversibly, identify an individual and it is no longer possible to establish a link between the individual and the Personal Information) for use for serious and legitimate purposes.

Responsibilities of Maxi-Forêt

In general, Maxi-Forêt is responsible for protecting the Personal Information it holds.

The Privacy Officer of Maxi-Forêt is Mr. Jean-René Jacob. He is generally responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable legislation regarding the protection of Personal Information. The Board of Directors is responsible for approving policies governing Personal Information governance. In addition, the Privacy Officer is responsible for implementing the Policy and ensuring that it is known, understood, and applied.

Members of Maxi-Forêt’s staff who have access to Personal Information or who are otherwise involved in managing it must ensure its protection and comply with this Policy.

Data Security

Maxi-Forêt undertakes to implement reasonable security measures to ensure the protection of the Personal Information it manages. The security measures in place correspond, among other things, to the purpose, quantity, distribution, and sensitivity of the information. Accordingly, information that may be considered sensitive must be subject to enhanced security measures and greater protection.

Rights of Access, Rectification and Withdrawal of Consent

You have the right, if you wish, to exercise your rights of access, rectification, or withdrawal of consent with respect to your Personal Information. You may also, at any time, subject to reasonable notice and applicable legal or contractual restrictions, withdraw your consent (where applicable) to the processing of your Personal Information in our possession by contacting us. You should be aware, however, that if you choose not to provide us with your Personal Information, this may prevent you, for example, from using the website or may otherwise prevent us from providing certain products or services, as such information is essential for such use. You may contact us as indicated in the section “How to Contact Us” for any questions related to this matter.

Complaint Handling Process

Receipt

Any person wishing to file a complaint regarding the application of this Policy or, more generally, the protection of their Personal Information by Maxi-Forêt must do so in writing by contacting Maxi-Forêt’s Privacy Officer at the email address indicated in the following section.

The individual must indicate their name, contact details (including a telephone number), as well as the subject matter and reasons for the complaint, providing sufficient detail for Maxi-Forêt to assess it. If the complaint is not sufficiently precise, the Privacy Officer may request any additional information deemed necessary to evaluate the complaint.

Processing

Maxi-Forêt undertakes to treat all complaints received confidentially.

Within 45 days following receipt of the complaint, or following receipt of all additional information deemed necessary by the Privacy Officer to process it, the Privacy Officer must evaluate the complaint and provide a reasoned written response by email to the complainant. This evaluation will determine whether Maxi-Forêt’s handling of Personal Information complies with this Policy and applicable legislation or regulations.

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, and the reasonable timeframe required to provide a final response.

It is also possible to file a complaint with the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec or any other supervisory authority responsible for enforcing the law applicable to the subject matter of the complaint.

However, Maxi-Forêt invites any interested person to first contact its Privacy Officer and to wait for the completion of Maxi-Forêt’s complaint handling process.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions about any aspect of this Policy, wish to submit comments, file a complaint, or exercise any of the rights available to you under applicable laws, please do so via the “Contact Us” link on the website, when available, or by contacting our Privacy Officer:

Jean-René Jacob, Secretary
jeanrenejacob@maxiforet.com

Your request may be accepted or refused by Maxi-Forêt in accordance with applicable laws. Maxi-Forêt will promptly take corrective action upon becoming aware of any breach of this Policy. Maxi-Forêt cannot be held liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages related to this Policy. You may at any time file a complaint with the competent authority if you believe that Maxi-Forêt is not handling your Personal Information in accordance with this Policy or applicable laws.

Amendments and Updates to the Policy

This Policy is approved by the Board of Directors and the Privacy Officer of Maxi-Forêt. Maxi-Forêt may, at its discretion, update, revise, amend, or supplement this Policy from time to time. The Policy and any related documents, where applicable, will be published on our website. Maxi-Forêt asks its users to review and accept the revised Policy before continuing to use its website.