Important Notices

Disclaimer

Some of the information and services found on this web site have been provided by external sources. The Department is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information or services provided by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information or services should consult directly with the appropriate source.

External hyperlinks

The maple leaf image used throughout the site represents external links to other Government of Canada sites.

The globe image used throughout the site represents links to external sites to the World Wide Web.

Hyperlinking Policy

Links to web sites not under the control of the Government of Canada (GoC) are provided solely for the convenience of users. The GoC is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content. The GoC does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Users should be aware that information offered by non-GoC sites are not subject to the Official Languages Act and may therefore be available in only the language(s) used by the sites in question.

Hyperlinking Criteria

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

Materials on this Web site were produced and/or compiled by the Department for the purpose of providing Canadians with direct access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada.

The material on this site is covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act, by Canadian laws, policies, regulations and international agreements. Such provisions serve to identify the information source and, in specific instances, to prohibit reproduction of materials without written permission.

Non-commercial Reproduction

Information on this site has been posted with the intent that it be readily available for personal and public non-commercial use and may be reproduced, in part or in whole and by any means, without charge or further permission from the Department. We ask only that:

Users exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
The Department be identified as the source; and,
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Department.

Commercial Reproduction

Reproduction of multiple copies of materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution is prohibited except with written permission from the Government of Canada's copyright administrator Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). Through the permission granting process, PWGSC helps ensure individuals / organizations wishing to reproduce Government of Canada materials for commercial purposes have access to the most accurate, up-to-date versions. To obtain permission to reproduce materials on this site for commercial purposes, please contact:

Public Works and Government Services Canada
Publishing and Depository Services
350 Albert Street, 4th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0S5 or
Email: copyright.droitdauteur@pwgsc.gc.ca

Third-party Materials

Some of the materials and graphical elements found on Government of Canada web sites are subject to copyrights held by other organizations. This is particularly true of sites that are jointly operated by a Government of Canada institution and an external organization as part of a collaborative arrangement. In such cases, some restrictions on the reproduction of materials or graphical elements may apply and it may be necessary to seek permission from the rights holder prior to reproducing the material.

Privacy Statement

The Government of Canada and the Department are committed to providing visitors with web sites that respect their privacy.

This web site does not automatically gather any specific personal information from you, such as your name, phone number or e-mail address. We would only obtain this type of information if you supplied it by sending us an e-mail or registering in a secure portion of the site.

All personal information created, held or collected by the Department is protected under the federal Privacy Act. This means that at any point of collection you will be asked for consent to collect your information or advised of the authority for such collection. You will also be informed of the purpose for which the personal information is being collected, and how to exercise your right of access to that information.

The Department employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our Web site, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our web site unless an attempt to damage the web site has been detected.

The Department occasionally uses "cookies" to track how our visitors use this site or to determine sites previously visited. The cookies we use do not allow us to identify individuals. They are compiled into statistical information on traffic patterns and are used to assess site efficiency. If a departmental site is using cookies that collect personal information, a notice will appear on the site advising of such use. You will be provided with an opportunity to refuse them. Such refusal will not affect the site performance or restrict your ability to access information from this site. (A "cookie" is a file that may be placed on your hard drive without your knowledge by a web site to allow it to monitor your use of the site.)

Visitor information is not disclosed to anyone except Government of Canada personnel who need the information to carry out responsibilities of their job. Any further disclosure of the personal information you give us will be in accordance with the federal Privacy Act.

External Service Providers

In order to effectively operate its Web sites, the Department occasionally uses external service providers to the department. Such service providers are bound by a contract with the department to treat any personal information they may receive in a manner that is consistent with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

Any questions, concerns or complaints you may have about how such external service providers handle personal information should be directed to the departments’ Privacy Co-ordinator by e-mail to: nc-fas-sfa-atip-aiprp@hrsdc-drhcc.gc.ca, or by calling: 819 994-0416 or writing to 140 Promenade due Portage, Phase IV, 1st Floor, Hull, Quebec K1A 0J9.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, Place de Ville, Tower B, 112 Kent Street, 3rd Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1H3.

Official Languages

The Department is bound by the Official Languages Act, the associated Regulations and relevant Treasury Board policies. Where required, web site information is available in both French and English. However, users should be aware that information from external sources is available only in the language in which it was received.