Terms and conditions 

Privacy statement

The Government of Canada and the Canada Business Network are committed to respecting individuals' privacy when they visit the Canada Business Network website. This privacy statement summarizes the privacy policy and practices of the Canada Business Network.

The Canada Business Network website 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 supply it by sending us an e-mail, through an on-line feedback form or verbally by telephone.

The Canada Business Network 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 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.

The Canada Business Network uses cookies to store a randomly-generated identifier for the visit. The cookies do not collect or contain personal information about you. Here is the list of information that the Canada Business Network is collecting by using cookies:

  • Your Internet Protocol address – the Canada Business Network makes no attempt to link this address with the identity of individuals visiting the Canada Business Network site
  • The length of each visit
  • The number of requests per visit
  • Your type of operating system (Windows, MacIntosh, Unix, etc.)
  • Your browser type (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.)

By keeping this data, the Canada Business Network website administrators can fine-tune the website based on user-activity trends.

Collected personal information will only be used by authorized Canada Business Network employees to fulfill the purpose for which it was originally collected or for a use consistent with that purpose. The information collected is not shared with other third parties including public bodies, corporate entities or individuals except as authorized by law. We do not sell, share or disclose your information to any type of mailing list. We may offer to put you on a Canada Business Network mailing list or listserv but only if directed by you via the Canada Business Network centre. You may, at any time, request to be removed from the service.

Any personal information you provided is protected under the federal Privacy Act. This means that you have a right to know when information is being collected, the purpose for which it is being collected, and that you have a right to access the information (see listing in Info Source). We are legally required to retain any personal information provided by you for a minimum of two years after using it so you have reasonable opportunity to obtain it. After the period of two years, personal information will be destroyed.

For questions or comments regarding this policy, or for additional information about the administration of the Privacy Act at the Canada Business Network, please contact us.

For more information about privacy on the Internet, visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada website.

Google Analytics

The Canada Business Network uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., to help measure traffic patterns to, from, and within our public websites. This analytics measurement tool uses "session" and "persistent" cookies to collect standard Internet log information and to track visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer and expire two years after your last visit to our websites. The information generated by the cookies regarding your use of the website (including your Internet Protocol address) is transmitted to Google. No personal, identifying information is recorded or provided to Google. This anonymous information is then used to evaluate visitors' use of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity for the Canada Business Network. The aggregate data and statistical reports are used only to help us make our website more useful to visitors and is available only to website managers and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

For further information about Google Analytics, please refer to the Google Analytics Privacy Policy.

If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies; by disabling JavaScript within your browser, or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Disabling Google Analytics or JavaScript will still permit you to access comparable information or services from our website. However, if you disable your session cookie option, you will still be able to access our public website, but you might have difficulties accessing any secure services. If you have never disabled the session cookie option, it should be enabled by default. To disable cookies or JavaScript, please refer to your vendor's browser instruction guide.

If you require clarification about this statement, please contact Industry Canada's Information and Privacy Rights Administration.

For more information concerning your rights under the Privacy Act, or if you are dissatisfied with a response you receive from our Privacy Coordinator regarding a privacy concern with this website, please contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

For a description of the records held by Industry Canada, please visit Treasury Board Secretariat's Info Source publication entitled Sources of Federal Government Information.

Please note that the Canada Business Network's website provides links to other websites that are not covered by this privacy policy.

External Service Providers

To effectively operate its website, the Canada Business Network occasionally uses external service providers. Such service providers are bound by contract with the Canada Business Network to treat any personal information they may receive in a manner that is consistent with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about how external service providers handle personal information, please contact Industry Canada's Information and Privacy Rights Administration.

If you are not satisfied with the Canada Business Network's response to any of your privacy concerns, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Official Languages

The Canada Business Network website is bound by the Official Languages Act, the associated Regulations and relevant Treasury Board policies. Where required, website information is available in both French and English. However, users should be aware that some information from external sources that are not subject to the Official Languages Act is provided only as a convenience and may be available only in the language in which it was provided.

Social Media

In accordance with the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, the Canada Business Network may use social media channels and Web 2.0 tools in our efforts to provide timely, accurate, clear and objective information about our policies, programs, services and initiatives in a variety of ways, means and formats to accommodate the public's diverse needs.

Hyperlinking policy

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

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

Copyright / Permission to reproduce

Materials on this website were produced and/or compiled by the Canada Business Network 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.

The Canada Business Network encourages linking to our website. Users are required to:

  • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • Identify the Canada Business Network as the source; and
  • Not represent the reproduction as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canada Business Network.

Non-commercial reproduction

  • Information has been posted with the intent that it be readily available for personal or public non-commercial use and may be reproduced, in part or in whole, and by any means, without charge or further permission, unless otherwise specified.
  • Users are required to:
    • 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 organization; and
    • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an official work that is published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada.
  • Unless otherwise specified, this authorization is also applicable to all published information regardless of its format.

Commercial reproduction

Reproduction of multiple copies of the Canada Business Network's material or information, 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. Through the permission-granting process, Public Works and Government Services Canada 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 or information 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

Email: copyright.droitdauteur@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

Third-party materials

Some of the materials and graphical elements found on the Canada Business Network website are subject to copyrights held by other organizations. This is particularly true of sites that are jointly operated by Canada Business and its partners, as part of a collaborative agreement. In such cases, some restrictions on the reproduction of materials or graphical elements may apply; it may be necessary to seek permission from the author or copyright holder prior to reproduction.

To obtain information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions on reproduction on this site, please contact us.

Reproduction of government symbols

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 written authorization. Request for authorization from the Treasury Board Secretariat may be addressed to:

Federal Identity Program
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0R5

Email: information@fip-pcim.gc.ca

Disclaimer

Information on this website comes from many different federal departments and agencies, as well as external sources and other levels of government. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy, currency and reliability of the content. Users who wish to use this information or to avail themselves of the services may contact the Canada Business Network centre in their province or territory using the toll-free lines and a business information officer will be pleased to help.