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Terms and conditions

Important Notices

The Government of Canada and Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada are committed to providing websites that respect the privacy of visitors. This privacy notice summarizes the privacy policy and practices for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's online activities.

All personal information collected by this institution is governed by the Privacy Act. This means that you will be informed of the purpose for which it is being collected is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information.

Your Privacy and the Internet

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a website, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when visitor requests a Web page such as the page or pages visited, date and time of the visit.

Unless otherwise noted, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada does not automatically gather any specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or email address. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada would obtain this type of information only if you supply it to us, for example, by email or by filling in a contact form. In such cases, how your personal information is handled will be provided in a Personal Information Collection Statement.

In cases where services are provided by organizations outside of the Government of Canada, such as social media platforms or mobile applications, IP addresses may be recorded by the Web server of the third-party service provider.

Communicating with the Government of Canada

If you choose to send Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada an email or complete a feedback form online, your personal information is used by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada in order to respond to your inquiry. The information you provide will only be shared with another government institution if your inquiry relates to that institution. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada does not use the information to create individual profiles nor does it disclose the information to anyone other than to those in the federal government who need to provide you with a response. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Emails and other electronic methods used to communicate with the Government of Canada are not secure unless it is specifically stated on a Web page. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not send sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number or your date of birth, through non-secure electronic means.

Improving your Experience on Government of Canada Websites

Digital Markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors' browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

  • they allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site;
  • they track what information is viewed on a site which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada uses persistent digital markers on some portions of its website. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's Web server. The digital markers used do not allow Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to identify individuals.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject the digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's website.

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement, and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. Information in digital markers may be used for the purpose of web analytics to remember your online interactions with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's website.

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada uses Webtrends Analytics 9 to improve its web site. When your computer requests an Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Web page, our institution collects the following types of information for Web analytics:

  • the originating IP address
  • the date and time of the request
  • the type of browser used
  • the page(s) visited

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada uses Webtrends Analytics 9 and the information collected is disclosed to Webtrends, an external third party service provider. Your IP address is anonymized prior to being stored on the service provider's servers in order to help safeguard your privacy. The information collected is de-personalized by a technique called IP masking. As soon as technically feasible the last octet of IPv4 visitor IP addresses is set to zero. For example, IP addresses 12.214.31.144 and 12.214.31.147 would both be changed to 12.214.31.0. This creates anonymity.

Data collected for Web analytics purposes goes outside of Canada to United States and may be subject to the governing legislation of that country, for example the USA Patriot Act.

Information used for the purpose of Web analytics may be used for communications and information technology statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting. For more information on how your privacy is safeguarded in relation to web analytics, see the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics.

Protecting the Security of Government of Canada Websites

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada 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 IP address of the computer that has contacted our website, 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 site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting.

Inquiring about these Practices

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act and privacy policies regarding Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's website, please contact our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by email at infc.atip-aiprp.infc@canada.ca or writing to:

Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
180 Kent Street, Suite 1100
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 0B6

Using Files Located on Non-Government of Canada Servers

To improve the functionality of our websites certain files (such as open source libraries, images, and scripts) may be delivered automatically to your browser via a trusted third-party server or Content Delivery Network. The delivery of these files is intended to provide a seamless user experience by speeding response times and avoiding the need for each visitor to download these files. Where applicable, specific privacy statements covering these files are included in our Privacy Notice.

Providing Content in Our Official Languages

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada uses both English and French to provide services to or communicate with members of the public. When there is no obligation to provide these in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by entities not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of our website visitors.

Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. The government is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content. The government 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.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act, the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-Government websites before providing personal information.

Ownership and Usage of Content Provided on This Site

Materials on this website were produced and/or compiled by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada. You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

Non-Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified you may reproduce the materials in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

  • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author (where available); and
  • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available at [URL where original document is available].

Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the Government of Canada. To obtain permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site for commercial purposes, write to:

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Communications
180 Kent Street, Suite 1100
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 0B6
info@infc.gc.ca

Some of the content on this site may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where information has been produced or copyright is not held by Government of Canada, the materials are protected under the Copyright Act, and international agreements. Details concerning copyright ownership are indicated on the relevant page(s). To obtain additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact:

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Communications
180 Kent Street, Suite 1100
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 0B6
info@infc.gc.ca

Reproduction of Government Symbols Notice

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the Canada Wordmark, the Arms of Canada, and the flag symbol may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization.

Accessibility

In order to make this site more accessible, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada has employed templates that:

  • are HTML5 conformant, to improve compatibility with adaptive technologies, handheld devices, browsers and search engines;
  • have been successfully tested on a wide range of adaptive technologies and browser/platform combinations to ensure that Canadians can access Web pages regardless of the technology used;
  • include major components, such as the common menu bar, side menu, and content area that are properly marked up with headings to simplify navigation with a screen reader;
  • employ no-table layout and design to simplify screen reader navigation by reducing the structural complexity of Web pages;
  • improve accessibility by allowing visitors to configure visual elements to meet their accessibility needs;
  • use scaleable fonts and text-based navigational elements to improve accessibility and simplify navigation using adaptive technologies;
  • provide printer-friendly functionality in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to render pages more compatible with printers and to prevent printing unnecessary page elements; and
  • separate visual presentation from the document structure.

While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accessibility of this site, some content or services found here might be inaccessible to some visitors. In those circumstances, the contact information for someone who can assist you can be found on our Contact Us page.

To learn more about Government of Canada programs and services related to accessibility, please visit Persons with Disabilities Online.

Client-side CSS for enhancing accessibility

The design of the Web pages on this Web site is flexible enough to allow you to configure the visual presentation to meet your accessibility needs by using a client-side Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) file.

Most browsers provide the ability to specify a client-side CSS file, which would be applied to every Web page on this Web site that you visit. To take advantage of this feature, proceed to following steps:

  1. How to create a client-side CSS file, and
  2. How to configure your browser to use the client-side CSS file

Use of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Web Feeds

  • Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada does not endorse or support any of the products offered by non-Government of Canada sites.
  • You may display the headlines, active links and other information contained in Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada web feeds (the "web feed content") for non-commercial purposes, provided that:
    1. you do not modify or delete any web feed content;
    2. you do not post Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada content other than as included in the web feeds;
    3. you do not redistribute the web feeds; and
    4. the use or display does not suggest endorsement by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.
  • When Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada web feeds are displayed publicly, including on a website, you must provide attribution to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada directly adjacent to the web feed content by including "Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Headlines" in text. Any other use of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada web feeds, including use in a commercial setting or use adjacent to advertising of any kind, requires express written permission in advance from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.
  • Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada reserves the right to discontinue providing web feeds or require that you cease displaying Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada web feed content at any time for any reason. By using the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada web feeds, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions set forth on this page.

News Releases

In some cases, news releases have been altered to make them compliant with the Standard on Web Accessibility.

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