Last updated: April 10, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Shuswap Food Action (2018) Society (“SFAS,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you interact with our website at shuswapfood.ca or participate in our programs, events, or services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), British Columbia’s provincial privacy law, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy legislation.

Questions or concerns? Please contact us at ed@shuswapfood.ca or see the contact details at the end of this policy.

Table of Contents

1. What Information Do We Collect?
2. How Do We Use Your Information?
3. How Are Payments Handled?
4. When Do We Share Your Information?
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
6. How Long Do We Keep Your Information?
7. How Do We Keep Your Information Safe?
8. Do We Collect Information from Minors?
9. Your Privacy Rights
10. Do-Not-Track Features
11. Updates to This Policy
12. How to Contact Us

1. What Information Do We Collect?

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Make a donation through our website
• Purchase a membership, garden bed rental, or Farmers’ Market vendor fee
• Sign up for our newsletter or programs
• Register for an event or volunteer opportunity
• Contact us directly

The personal information we may collect includes:

• Name
• Email address
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Payment information (see Section 3 — we do not store your card details directly)

We only collect the information that is necessary for the purpose for which it is collected. All personal information you provide must be accurate and complete.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information such as health records, social insurance numbers, or government identification.

2. How Do We Use Your Information?

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Process donations, memberships, registrations, and payments
• Send receipts, confirmations, and program-related communications
• Send our newsletter and updates about SFAS programs and events (with your consent)
• Respond to your questions and requests
• Fulfill our legal and regulatory obligations
• Improve our website and services
• Detect and prevent fraud or security incidents

We will not use your information for purposes other than those listed above without your consent, except as required by law.

Opting out of marketing communications: You can unsubscribe from our newsletter or promotional emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us at ed@shuswapfood.ca. Note that we may still send you service-related messages necessary to complete a transaction or respond to a request.

3. How Are Payments Handled?

SFAS accepts payments for donations, memberships, garden bed rentals, and Farmers’ Market vendor fees through our website and at in-person events.

We do not store your payment card details. All payment processing is handled exclusively by our third-party providers, which are certified as compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).  Your payment information is protected to the highest industry standard. When you enter payment details on our website, that information goes directly to these providers through encrypted connections — SFAS staff never see or handle your raw card number.

4. When Do We Share Your Information?

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We share information with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it to provide services to us.
• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website (for example, which pages are most visited). This data is anonymized and aggregated. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person or to investigate fraud.

We do not share your information with any other third parties without your explicit consent.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons and pixels) to improve your experience and analyze site usage. Cookies are small files stored on your device.

We use cookies for the following purposes:

• To keep our website functioning correctly
• To remember your preferences
• To analyze how our website is used (via Google Analytics)

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website. Most browsers also allow you to set preferences for third-party cookies specifically.

6. How Long Do We Keep Your Information?

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law (for example, for tax, accounting, or legal compliance purposes).

When your information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it. If immediate deletion is not possible (for example, because information is in backup archives), we isolate it from further use until deletion is possible.

Donation and transaction records are typically retained for a minimum of seven years in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency requirements for registered non-profit organizations.

7. How Do We Keep Your Information Safe?

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Our safeguards include:

• Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS) for all data transmitted between your browser and our site
• Our website is hosted on PCI-compliant server infrastructure with firewalls and intrusion detection
• Payment processing is handled exclusively by PCI DSS-certified providers 
• Access to your personal information within SFAS is restricted to staff who need it to perform their job, based on role-based access controls
• Two-factor authentication is required for access to our administrative systems
• We maintain a formal Information Security Policy that governs how staff handle sensitive information, and staff receive annual security awareness training
• We have an Incident Response Plan in place to respond promptly to any security breach

While we take every reasonable precaution, no transmission of data over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. We cannot promise that unauthorized parties will never defeat our security measures. If you have concerns about transmitting personal information, please contact us by phone or mail instead.

In the event of a privacy breach that poses a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) as required under PIPA.

8. Do We Collect Information from Minors?

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 years of age. Our online services are not directed at minors. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has provided us with personal information without consent, please contact us at ed@shuswapfood.ca and we will promptly delete that information.

Some of our in-person programs (such as school-based and youth garden programs) do involve minors. Information collected in those contexts is handled with additional care and in accordance with the consent of parents or guardians.

9. Your Privacy Rights

As a resident of British Columbia and Canada, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent to use your information, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew consent.
• Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal information.
• Right to complain: If you believe we have not handled your personal information appropriately, you have the right to file a complaint with the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond to your request within 30 days, in accordance with PIPA.

10. Do-Not-Track Features

Most web browsers include a Do-Not-Track (DNT) feature that signals your preference not to be tracked online. At this time, there is no uniform technical standard for recognizing DNT signals, and we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals. If a recognized standard is adopted in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on our website or by contacting you directly.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. How to Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Shuswap Food Action (2018) Society
Executive Director
P.O. Box 423, Stn. Main
Salmon Arm, BC   V1E 4N6

Email: ed@shuswapfood.ca
Phone: (250) 351-0585

For general program inquiries: info@shuswapfood.ca

This privacy policy was written to reflect SFAS’s actual data practices and compliance with PIPA (BC), PIPEDA (Canada), and PCI DSS v4.0. It is reviewed annually. Next review due: April 2027.