Privacy Policy

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 Made in Ontario Cultural Heritage Organization
Effective date: October 23, 2026

The Made in Ontario Cultural Heritage Organization (“Made in Ontario,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) celebrates Ontario’s historical figures, local craftsmanship, agricultural excellence, industrial innovation, and creative industries.

We respect the privacy of the people, artisans, producers, businesses, partners, applicants, and visitors who engage with our organization. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information through our website, communications, recognition programs, label applications, nominations, events, and related activities.

We aim to follow the principles of Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where it applies and to use those principles as a standard of responsible privacy practice.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact information, including your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, organization, professional title, and preferred language.
• Application and nomination information concerning an artisan, producer, farm, business, creative professional, historical figure, product, project, or cultural contribution.
• Materials you provide, including biographies, stories, photographs, videos, logos, certificates, product descriptions, historical records, testimonials, and supporting documents.
• Communications, questions, feedback, newsletter preferences, and correspondence.
• Event registrations, professional affiliations, and partnership information.
• Technical information, including IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages visited, approximate location, and website-interaction data.
• Cookie and preference information.

Please do not send sensitive personal information unless we specifically request it and explain why it is required.

We may collect information:

• Directly from you when you contact us, subscribe, apply, nominate someone, submit materials, attend an event, or work with us.
• Automatically when you visit our website through cookies and similar technologies.
• From an authorized representative acting on your behalf.
• From partners or service providers, where permitted.
• From lawful public sources, including official archives, public registers, published works, museums, business websites, and media reports when researching Ontario’s heritage and achievements.

We may use personal information to:

• Respond to inquiries and communicate with you.
• Receive, review, verify, and administer applications or nominations.
• Assess eligibility for a Made in Ontario recognition, designation, award, or label.
• Create and maintain approved profiles, directories, stories, exhibitions, publications, or promotional materials.
• Promote Ontario’s people, heritage, products, industries, and cultural achievements with appropriate authorization.
• Administer events, partnerships, educational initiatives, and community programs.
• Operate, secure, maintain, and improve our website and services.
• Understand website use and measure the effectiveness of our communications.
• Send newsletters or promotional communications when you have consented or when otherwise permitted by law.
• Prevent fraud, misuse, security threats, or unlawful activity.
• Meet legal, accounting, insurance, and recordkeeping obligations.

We will not use personal information for a materially different purpose without obtaining additional consent when required.

We seek meaningful consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information, except where consent is not required or is inappropriate under applicable law.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal, contractual, or operational restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide a requested service, evaluate an application, publish a profile, or continue a program relationship.

Our mission includes public recognition and storytelling. If you or your organization is approved for a public profile, label, award, directory, publication, or campaign, we may publish approved information such as your name, professional role, organization, biography, images, geographic region, website, and description of the work or contribution being recognized.

Before publishing personal information supplied through a private application or nomination, we will seek appropriate authorization or provide clear notice, except where the information is already lawfully public and its use is permitted.

You must have the necessary rights and permissions before submitting personal information, photographs, or stories concerning another person.

We do not sell or rent personal information.

We may share information with:

• Website hosts, cloud-storage providers, email platforms, analytics providers, application-form services, security providers, and other vendors supporting our operations.
• Professional advisers, including lawyers, accountants, auditors, and insurers.
• Program partners, reviewers, or selection committee members, as needed, to evaluate an application or administer a project.
• Government, regulatory, law-enforcement, or judicial authorities when required or permitted by law.
• Another organization in connection with a lawful restructuring, merger, transfer, or continuation of our activities, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Service providers are expected to protect personal information and use it only for authorized purposes.

Some service providers may store or process information outside Ontario or Canada. Information processed in another jurisdiction may be subject to that jurisdiction’s laws and accessible to its courts, governments, or law-enforcement authorities.

We remain responsible for personal information under our control and use contractual or other appropriate measures to protect it.

Our website may use:

• Essential cookies required for security and basic website functions.
• Preference cookies that remember selected settings.
• Analytics cookies that help us understand how visitors use the website.

Where required, we will request consent before using non-essential cookies. You can manage cookies through any consent tool we provide or through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect certain website functions.

We will not introduce advertising or behavioral-tracking cookies without updating this Policy and providing appropriate notice and choice.

We send promotional electronic messages in accordance with Canada’s anti-spam legislation and other applicable requirements.

Where consent is required, we will obtain it before sending promotional messages. Every promotional email will provide a clear way to unsubscribe. Administrative messages concerning an application, recognition, event, or existing relationship may still be sent when necessary.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, to administer an active recognition or label, and to meet legal, contractual, accounting, archival, or dispute-resolution requirements.

Because preserving Ontario’s history is part of our mission, approved historical or cultural material may be retained for archival purposes. We will distinguish between material intentionally preserved as part of the public cultural record and personal information that no longer serves a legitimate purpose.

When information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These may include access controls, secure systems, encryption where appropriate, confidentiality obligations, backups, and procedures for responding to security incidents.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a breach creates a real risk of significant harm and applicable law requires notification, we will notify affected individuals and the appropriate authority.

Our website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to collect personal information directly from children without appropriate authorization.

If a submission, story, image, or program concerns a minor, the person submitting it must be the parent or legal guardian or must have their authorization. Please contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information without appropriate consent.

You may request to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Learn how it has been used or disclosed.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Withdraw consent where applicable.
• Raise a question or complaint concerning our privacy practices.

We may need to verify your identity before responding. Certain legal exceptions may limit access, and we will explain any refusal as required. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Our website may link to third-party websites, archives, marketplaces, social-media platforms, or partner services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. We encourage you to review those policies before providing personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy as our programs, technology, or legal obligations evolve. The revised Policy will be posted with a new effective date.

If a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent when required.

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, please contact:

Privacy Officer
Made in Ontario Cultural Heritage Organization
Email: [lake@madeinontario.ca]
Mailing address: [lake@madeinontario.ca]

We will investigate privacy complaints fairly and respond within a reasonable period. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or another privacy regulator with jurisdiction.