The protection of your personal information is important to Malaspina Consultants Inc. The Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA“) governs how private sector organizations in British Columbia handle personal information of clients, employees, and others. Personal information means all information about an identifiable individual that is not the person’s business contact information or work product information.
What information we collect and why
During the fulfillment of an engagement, we need access to all relevant facts and information that relate to our engagement, which may involve collecting personal information relating to our clients and, in some cases, individuals other than our clients.
Consent for collection, use, and disclosure
We will collect personal information directly from the person to whom the information pertains where practical and we will collect personal information from other sources when necessary. If we need to collect information about individuals other than our clients, we shall do so in accordance with the provisions of PIPA. We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the personal information we collect, use, and distribute is accurate and complete.
By engaging our firm to provide services, we consider an individual to have given our firm consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of the individual’s personal information. Once this consent has been obtained by our firm, we will continue to collect, use, and disclose personal information for the purpose of providing the agreed upon services without obtaining further written or verbal consent to do so. We may also collect, use, or disclose personal information about an individual without that individual’s consent as permitted under PIPA.
Our firm will maintain the strictest confidence with respect to any client’s or former client’s information. Accordingly, confidential client information will not, without client consent, be disclosed to any individuals in our firm beyond those who are engaged in providing services to the client. This policy applies to anyone outside the firm, except as required by law or under the CPA Code of Professional Conduct.
Our client files are accessible by all staff electronically and in hard copy. Our firm has an enforced policy acknowledged and agreed by all staff not to access or use client information other than in the course of providing professional services to or for that client.
In accordance with professional regulations, the disclosure of confidential information may be required or appropriate where such disclosure is permitted or authorized by the client, required by law or permitted or, when not prohibited by law, required by a professional right or duty.
Security and retention
In recognition of our professional and legal obligations to protect the confidential information of our clients, we have made arrangements to protect against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal, or destruction of personal information.
We will retain client personal information for a reasonable time period as required by the CPA Code of Professional Conduct and the terms of our professional liability insurance policy. When no longer required, client personal information will be disposed of in a secure manner.
Requests for access and correction
Individuals have the right to ask, in writing, for access to their own personal information in the custody or under the control of our firm as permitted under PIPA. We will respond to requests as accurately and completely as reasonably possible in the time allowed by PIPA. We are entitled to refuse access in certain situation such as when:
- The personal information is protected by solicitor-client privilege.
- Disclosure of the personal information would reveal confidential commercial information that could, in a reasonable person’s opinion, harm the competitive position of our firm.
- The personal information was collected for an investigation or legal proceeding that has not concluded, including any appeals.
- The information was collected by a mediator or arbitrator in conducting a mediation or arbitration where the mediator or arbitrator was appointed under a collective agreement, a law, or by a court.
- Disclosure could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety or physical or mental health of another individual.
- Disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause immediate or grave harm to the safety or to the physical or mental health of the individual who made the request.
- Disclosure would reveal personal information about another individual.
- Disclosure would identify the individual who has provided personal information about another individual and that individual does not consent to disclosure of his or her identity.
PIPA also allows individuals to request in writing for our firm to correct errors or omissions. We will correct any factual error or omissions and inform where we feel it is appropriate, other organizations to which we have disclosed the incorrect information. If we determine there is no factual error or omission, we will annotate the record with the record that a correction was requested but not made.
Contact
If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy, or how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing at:
Attention:
Tel: 604-806-2626
Fax: 604-684-0642
E-mail:
Malaspina Consultants Inc.
880 – 580 Hornby Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada, V6C 3B6
If you are dissatisfied with our handling of your personal information, we invite you to contact our Privacy Officer in writing, setting out the reasons for your concern. If you remain dissatisfied after our Privacy Officer has reviewed and responded to your concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner at:
P.O. Box 9038, Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9A4
Tel: 250-387-5629
Fax: 250-387-1696
