TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Rules of use
Blain, Joyal, Charbonneau, LLP (hereinafter “BJC”) owns and operates a website hosted at www.bjc.ca (hereinafter “the site”).
Except as otherwise noted on the site, it is accessible to all users (hereinafter “the user”).
By surfing this site, you accept the following terms and conditions. Please refrain from consulting the site if you refuse to comply with the terms and conditions.
BJC may amend the information that follows by simply updating this page of the site.
Copyright
The form and content of BJC’s site are protected by copyright as well as by Quebec, Canadian and foreign intellectual property laws.
All of the information and documents available on the site are the exclusive property of BJC. The bjc.ca domain name as well as BJC’s logo are also the property of BJC. The user is not authorized to reproduce for distribution, by any means possible, the texts, computer codes, opinions, notices, videos, images, training modules, files and information contained, expressed or made available on the site.
It is strictly forbidden for the user to sell or modify for public or commercial purposes the texts, opinions, notices, videos, images, training modules, files and information contained, expressed or made available on the site.
Any consultation, printing, copy or other distribution of the texts, opinions, notices, videos, images, training modules and information provided on the site is authorized for personal purposes only, unless BJC has otherwise given its prior authorization.
Limitation of liability
The texts, opinions, notices and information expressed or made available on the site or through hyperlinks are provided for educational and informational purposes. The user must refrain from interpreting them as constituting expert legal, fiscal or accounting advice.
The information, documents and images on the site are provided on an “as is” basis as at the date of last update indicated on the consulted page. Seeing as laws and regulations constantly change and as their interpretation depends on specific facts, the information on the site is provided without any guarantee regarding its accuracy, timeliness or completeness. Except where mentioned to this effect, the objective of BJC is to keep the site up to date; however, BJC does not undertake to continuously update it to the effect of keeping it current at all times.
BJC does not guarantee uninterrupted access to the site or the content of the hyperlinks and e-mail links offered on the site. BJC reserves the right to modify the site without prior notice.
Security and confidentiality
BJC uses a system that protects its electronic and computer communications. However, BJC shall in no way be held responsible in the event of the transmission of computer viruses in any way. The user assumes all of the risks associated with exploring the site or downloading documents and images from the site.
The Internet is generally not regarded as a secure environment. Although BJC deploys efforts to ensure the security of the site, it declines any and all responsibility in the event of damages to the user or a third party arising from the transmission of confidential information to a third party using the e-mail links offered on the site.
Jurisdiction
This agreement is governed and interpreted under Québec law. Any dispute arising out of the content of this agreement shall be referred to a court in the judicial district where BJC is headquartered, i.e., the judicial district of Longueuil.
PRIVACY POLICY AND PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your privacy is important to us
This policy was last updated on September 20, 2024.
Introduction
Protecting your privacy is important to us, and we understand your concerns in this regard. We know that our clients rely on us to maintain the confidentiality and security of their personal information. We take this responsibility seriously.
This privacy and protection of personal information policy describes the practices of BLAIN, JOYAL, CHARBONNEAU S.E.N.C.R.L. (collectively, “BJC”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) regarding the collection, use, retention, and disclosure of personal information that we collect when you use our services, our website “bjc.ca“, or our secure platform “CCH IFirm Portal (BJC Portal)”. This policy aims to comply with the requirements of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and any applicable provincial laws or regulations regarding the protection of personal information.
Personal Information
The term “personal information” refers to any information about an identifiable individual or information that allows identifying a specific person, excluding the name and title of an employee of an organization, as well as the address and telephone number of their workplace.
Consent
By providing your personal information to BJC or its representatives, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of this personal information in accordance with this privacy policy, which may be amended from time to time and for purposes permitted or required by law. Individuals who do not wish for their personal information to be collected, used, or disclosed should refrain from providing it. Individuals who have provided their personal information and wish to withdraw their consent can do so by sending an email to “vieprivee@bjc.ca“. Subject to contractual or legal restrictions, a person can withdraw their consent at any time with reasonable notice.
Your consent can be implicit or explicit, verbal or written, or communicated electronically (by checking a box or clicking a button) or otherwise. We may consider your consent to be implicit if it is reasonable under the circumstances.
Consent is not permanent. You can withdraw it or choose to refuse the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual requirements, by contacting the privacy officer of “BJC”. We respect your choice, but if you do not give your consent or withdraw it, we may not be able to offer you all the services or information that could be useful to you.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
We collect personal information that you provide to us directly or through third-party service providers when we have obtained your consent or within the limits set by law. We use this information to provide you with services or send you relevant communications. We also communicate with financial institutions, various Ministries, financial institutions, professionals, or other third parties with whom you have a relationship.
Protection of Personal Information
We have implemented physical, contractual, and technological security measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These measures include facility security, restricted access to personal information files, security software, and firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to computers, as well as internal security and password policies. Only partners, employees, or subcontractors who need access to this information as part of their duties are granted access to this personal information.
When you access our secure platform “CCH IFirm Portal (BJC Portal)” where your personal information is stored, it is your responsibility to protect access with a password and only grant access to trusted individuals in your organization.
Disclosure of Personal Information
We will not disclose your personal information to third parties without your permission, except if we are authorized or required to do so by law (for example, if we are required to do so under a legal obligation, court order, or to prevent fraud or other crimes), or if we believe such action is necessary to protect and/or defend our rights, property, or personal safety, as well as those of our users and clients. We may also share your personal information with subcontractors or service providers who need it to perform their functions on our behalf.
Retention of Personal Information
We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to carry out the activities or services for which it was collected, for any retention period required by law or professional standards, until the end of the period concerned by a dispute or investigation related to the services, or in accordance with our internal retention policies or practices, the duration of which may vary depending on the nature of the information retained. Copies of personal information stored in our electronic backup files will be destroyed in accordance with the current lifecycle of backup copies. Our backup copies are stored on servers in Canada.
Our Website and Links to Third-Party Sites
Our website and our sharing of links in correspondence may contain links to external websites that are not governed by this policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these websites to understand how they use your personal information. When you visit our website, you will be asked for permission to use “Cookies” to obtain information that helps us improve your experience on our website. You can always refuse, but some features will not be accessible.
Accuracy of Personal Information
We strive to keep your personal information as accurate, complete, and up to date as possible. We expect you to regularly provide us with up-to-date personal information if necessary for us to provide you with services or send you communications that you have requested.
Updates to the Privacy Policy
This privacy policy is the version in effect as of the “last update date” indicated at the top of this document. As our environment is constantly changing, it may be revised from time to time.
Responsibility and Contact
“BJC” is responsible for your personal information under its control. If you have any questions about privacy or your personal information, or if you wish to modify or access your personal information, you can contact the privacy officer of BJC by email at “vieprivee@bjc.ca” or by mail at 104-1410 rue Principale Sainte-Julie (Québec) J3E 1R6 Canada.
If you want more information about Canadian privacy laws or if we have not been able to satisfactorily address your concerns about how “BJC” handles your personal information, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by mail at 30 rue Victoria, Gatineau (Québec) K1A 1H3, or by phone at the toll-free number 1-800-282-1376.