Privacy Policy
Joyce Architecture Inc. Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Joyce Architecture Inc. (“the Firm,” “we,” “us,” “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of our clients, employees, and other stakeholders. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and disclose personal information in accordance with the principles of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable Canadian privacy legislation.
2. What is Personal Information?
Personal information is any information about an identifiable individual. It does not include the name, title, or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization when used for business communications. Examples of personal information we may collect include, but are not limited to:
- Client names, addresses, and contact information (phone, email)
- Billing and financial information for payment purposes
- Project-specific details and preferences related to a client’s home or property
- Communications and correspondence with clients
3. Accountability
We are responsible for all personal information under our control. We have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our firm’s compliance with this policy and applicable privacy laws.
Privacy Officer: Ryan Joyce
Contact Information: joycearchitectureinc@gmail.com
We are also responsible for personal information that is transferred to third parties for processing. We ensure that any third parties we use have privacy policies and security measures that align with our own.
4. Identifying the Purposes for Collecting Personal Information
We collect personal information for the following purposes:
To provide professional architectural services, including design, drafting, and project management.
To communicate with clients and stakeholders regarding their projects.
To prepare and administer contracts, invoices, and payments.
To comply with legal, regulatory, and professional requirements (e.g., liability insurance, professional association standards).
To maintain a record of our projects and services for professional and archival purposes.
To analyze and improve our services (in an anonymized or aggregated format where possible).
We will not use your personal information for any purpose other than those identified above without your consent.
5. Consent
We will only collect, use, or disclose your personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where required or permitted by law. Your consent can be express or implied.
Express Consent: This is typically obtained in writing (e.g., a signed agreement or an email confirmation) and is used for sensitive information or for purposes that are not obvious.
Implied Consent: This may be inferred from your actions. For example, by providing your contact information for a project, you are giving us implied consent to use that information to communicate with you about that project.
You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions. Please contact our Privacy Officer to do so.
6. Limiting Collection
We limit the collection of personal information to only that which is necessary for the purposes we have identified. We will not collect information indiscriminately.
7. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
Your personal information will not be used for purposes other than those for which it was collected, unless we receive your consent or as required by law.
Disclosure: We may disclose your personal information to third parties with your consent, such as to engineers, contractors, or suppliers, when it is necessary for the completion of your project.
Retention: We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes or as required by law. Once personal information is no longer needed, we will securely destroy or anonymize it. Our retention policies are in line with professional liability standards and regulatory requirements.
8. Accuracy
We make reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. If you believe your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact our Privacy Officer to request a correction.
9. Safeguards
We protect your personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. We use a combination of physical, organizational, and technological safeguards to prevent loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification.
Physical: Locked filing cabinets, restricted access to our office.
Organizational: Employee training, confidentiality agreements, and “need-to-know” access policies.
Technological: Password protection, firewalls, data encryption, and up-to-date anti-virus software on our systems.
10. Openness
We are committed to being open about our privacy policies and practices. This Privacy Policy is available on our website at [Your Website Address] and is available in print upon request.
11. Individual Access
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. You can also request to have any inaccuracies corrected. All requests for access must be made in writing to our Privacy Officer. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe (typically 30 days).
12. Challenging Compliance
If you have a concern or complaint regarding our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer. We will investigate all complaints and take appropriate measures to resolve any issues. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.