Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY OF PME MTL

INTRODUCTION

With the advent of new communication tools, it is necessary to pay particular attention to the protection of privacy. That is why we, PME MTL Centre-Est, PME MTL Centre-Ouest, PME MTL Centre-Ville, PME MTL Est-de-l’Île, PME MTL Grand Sud-Ouest, PME MTL Ouest-de-l'Île (hereinafter “PME MTL Network”, “PME MTL” or “The Organization”), are seriously concerned about the privacy of your personal information and we are committed to respecting the information we collect.

The PME MTL Network undertakes to respect, in accordance with applicable laws, the obligations regarding the collection and processing of personal and confidential information obtained in the context of the operation of a company so that everyone can benefit from the respect of their private life.

The hereby privacy policy (hereinafter the “Policy”) describes the information that we may collect from the user, that is to say the end user or the organization you represent, or you work for (hereinafter the “User” or “Users”), in connection with its activities, the purposes for which we collect it, the use we make of it, and the circumstances under which we can pass them on to third parties. In addition, this Policy indicates the User’s rights regarding the collection, use and communication of its personal information. PME MTL agrees not to collect, use or disclose the User’s personal information otherwise than in accordance with this Policy and applicable laws in Canada and Québec.

SCOPE OF THIS POLICY

When the User uses our services by visiting our website https://pmemtl.com/ (hereinafter the “Platform”), or subscribes to our newsletter, he agrees to the terms and conditions of this Policy. If the User continues to use the Platform after a new version of this Policy has been posted on the Platform, he consents to and will be bound by the changes.

The information we collect is necessary when we provide the User with a service that he has requested. By providing us with this information, the User consents to its collection and use as defined in this Policy.

COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

The PME MTL Network may obtain personal information from the User when he saves his personal information on the Platform, or, if applicable, when he discloses this personal information otherwise, such as requesting a service, by providing information in the account on his personal identity or business, by contacting us by phone, email or otherwise, or by completing a form to enter a program, request for financing or survey.

Beyond the reasons for which it was collected, the personal information of the User or his company may be kept for statistical or accounting purposes.

The personal information of the User or his company will not be kept beyond the reasons for which it was collected. PME MTL respects the retention period established by this policy, which complies with the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector. The deletion of data takes place when the User requests it in writing. Therefore, the deletion of data will be effective thirty (30) days after receipt of the request for deletion of personal information.

The Platform is designed for use by adults and children over fourteen (14) years of age.

For more information on the protection of your personal information and your related rights, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Commission for the Protection of Privacy of Québec.

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: www.privcom.gc.ca
• Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec: www.cai.gouv.qc.ca

FORMS AND INTERACTIONS

The User’s personal information may be collected through forms, namely:

• Survey;
• Resources Form;
• Contact Form;
• Contests;
• Funding Request Form.

PME MTL also uses cookies, as indicated in the “Automatically Exchanged Data” section. The Organization may also keep a record of the User’s product interests and obtain his information from divisions or current or future companies belonging to PME MTL Network.

To find out about the use of the User's personal information collected by cookies, see the "Automatically Exchanged Data" section below.

If the User has not subscribed to our newsletter, he will not receive any emails from PME MTL, except in special cases (e.g. follow-up or expiry of a request, application for funding, participation in an training).

The User’s information is also collected through the interaction that may be established between it and the Platform and may be used for the following purposes:

• Provide services to the User;
• Manage User and business relations;
• Sending newsletters.

As indicated in the "Children" section below, certain sections of the Platform are reserved for minors. The information is collected with the consent of a parent, representative or teacher of the child. Except for these sections, the site is not designed for persons fourteen (14) years of age and under.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

PME MTL will contact you only if you wish. If you prefer not to receive any advertising information from us or if you do not want us to use your personal information to enhance your user experience, please let us know by contacting us at the contact listed in the section, “Right of opposition and withdrawal.”

Remember to include your full name and the e-mail address you used when you registered. There may be a delay in processing time for a request sent by e-mail and you may continue to receive communications from PME MTL Network, in the meantime.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

PME MTL may use third-party services as part of the management of its activity and its Platform. Under no circumstances is the Organization responsible for any damage that may arise from these third-party services. To find out the Conditions of use of these services, we invite the User to consult their respective website.

PME MTL prohibits and is not responsible for the resale or use by third parties of "opt-ins" obtained through the Platform by partner organizations. If you've agreed to share your information with partner organizations, then we will share it with them. We do not sell or rent our lists of user’s information.

AUTOMATICALLY EXCHANGED DATA

We collect certain information during exchanges between the User’s computer and our server. Cookies, files created by a website and stored automatically on the User's electronic devices for the purpose of collecting information on his browsing activities, allow the User to connect to the Platform during subsequent uses and allow the PME MTL Network to personalize the Platform. This information consists mainly of the following:

• Domain Name;
• IP Address;
• Navigation History;
• User's Language.

Most of the automatically exchanged data do not allow to identify the User. They are collected only because of the technological requirements inherent in browsing the Internet. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but it is usually possible to modify this setting. However, if the User chooses to refuse cookies, he may not be able to identify himself or use certain features of the Platform.

The use of such information allows us to improve the service, to personalize the User’s experience and to better track his requests and orders.

This information is also used to:

• Communicate with the User (by email, post or otherwise) and send him advertising material or additional information on services, surveys, contests and training;
• Learn more about the User's service preferences; and
• Perform market research and performance research in order to assess customer service, measure performance, enhance User experience and improve services.

These cookies are multiple, some expire when the User closes their browser and have no more effect, while others may be kept. At any time, the User can deactivate cookies. However, in this situation, PME MTL does not guarantee optimal functioning of the Platform.

CHILDREN

The Platform contains sections intended for minors over the age of fourteen (14). The only information we collect on these people is:

• The name and first name;
• The age;
• The gender;
• The telephone number ;
• The personal address;
• The educational establishment.

This information is collected, among other things, if:

• The User is an entrepreneur under the age of eighteen (18); or
• The User participates in a program or an initiative supervised by his school.

The collection of this information is done with the consent of the parents, the child's representative or his teacher. The use of PME MTL's service by a minor confirms that said consent has been obtained by a responsible person. Minors registered on the Platform and using the PME service are responsible for obtaining the prior consent of their legal guardians.

As indicated in the "Forms and interaction" section, the PME MTL Platform is designed for adults and children and no person fourteen (14) years of age and under should use it or give any personal information to it.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

It is possible that in certain situations, the User’s information is transferred to servers outside of Canada. The User acknowledges that PME MTL is not liable for the consequences of such transfer.

SHARING PERSONAL INFORMATION

The PME MTL Network does not market the personal information collected from the User. Situations where personal information may be shared are in context of sharing with the different poles of the Organization or with its partners and the application of the law or legal requests.

The User understands that the Organization may at any time share his personal information during a partial or total transfer of the activity to a third party. In such case, the information transferred as assets of PME MTL will be subject to the same guarantees as those in this Policy.

If the User does not wish their personal information to be communicated to third parties or partners, they can object to this at any time, as mentioned in the following section.

The PME MTL Network may, in the following cases, exceptionally communicate the User's personal information without their consent:

• In the event of a legal obligation, in particular when a court order obliges the Organization to disclose the User's personal information.
• When it is impossible to obtain the User's consent and the laws on the protection of privacy allow the Organization to communicate this personal information. This is particularly the case when the protection of the public interest so requires.

WITHDRAWAL AND OPPOSITION RIGHTS      

We are committed to offering the User the right to oppose and withdraw of his personal information and business information.

The right of opposition is understood as the possibility offered to the Users to refuse to allow their personal information and business information to be used for certain purposes mentioned during the collection.

The right of withdrawal is also understood as the possibility offered to the Users to request that their personal information and business information no longer appear, for example, in a mailing list.

The User also has the right to request access to the personal information we have collected about him and to correct any information as needed by contacting the contact person whom information is listed in the section “Contact person” below.

ANTI-SPAM LEGISLATION

PME MTL complies with the dispositions of the Canadian Anti-Spam legislation (CASL). The User understands that he can expressly or tacitly consent to receive messages from the PME MTL Network.

Express consent is the consent requested from the User, consent which must be stated in simple and clear terms and must include the purposes for which the consent is sought, the regulatory information allowing the identification of the person requesting the consent and, if it is solicited on behalf of another person, the regulatory information allowing it to be identified; as well as any other information specified by the regulations made under this law.

The User understands that he is giving his tacit consent during current business relations or ongoing private relations, when the User publishes his electronic address without mentioning that he does not wish to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages or when the message is sent in the other circumstances provided for by the regulations made under this law.

• For the purposes of this Policy, current business relationship refers to the business relationship established between two people such as a purchase or a rental during the two years preceding the date of sending the message; an investment or a game offered; bartering a thing; any contract in force or expiring during this period; or a request within six months of the date the message was sent.
• For the purposes of this Policy, ongoing private relationship means relationships between two people other than business relationships, such as a donation or gift, work done as a volunteer; and membership, within the meaning of regulations; all in the two preceding the date of sending the message.

To unsubscribe from our electronic communications mailing list, simply contact us at the following address: info@pmemtl.com.

SECURITY

The personal information that PME MTL collects is kept in a secure environment. The Organization has taken appropriate measures to maintain the confidentiality of personal information and protect it against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, taking into account, in particular, its sensitivity and the purposes it is used. In addition, PME MTL Network requires that each employee, mandatory or representative of the Organization complies with this Policy.

To ensure the security of the User's personal information, the PME MTL Network uses material, administrative and technical measures which are those that are reasonably expected of an organization carrying out the same activities.

PME MTL thus undertakes to maintain a high degree of security by integrating the latest technological innovations to ensure the confidentiality of the User's transactions in order to ensure the protection of his personal data and prevent them from being consulted, used or disclosed without permission.

However, since no mechanism offers maximum security, there is always some risk involved when using the Internet to transmit personal information.

FRENCH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE

In the event of a problem with the definition or interpretation between the French and English versions of these Terms of Use, the French version will prevail.

APPLICABLE LAWS AND JURISDICTION

The Platform and its content are managed by PME MTL Network from their offices located in the province of Québec in Canada. The Platform, its content, the Terms of Use and your use of the Platform are regulated by the applicable legislation of Qébec and Canada, without giving effect to no principle regarding conflicts of laws.

You accept that any question or litigation regarding the Platform and your use of it will first be brought before a mediator and, in the absence of a compromise, settled by the courts of Montréal.

Notwithstanding any attribution of jurisdiction and applicable law, when the User is a consumer within the meaning of the Québec Consumer Protection Act, then any dispute relating to this Policy will be governed by the law of the Province of Québec and will necessarily be brought before a competent court in application of the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure.

INTERPRETATION

This Policy is governed by applicable Québec and Canadian laws, including the Privacy Act of Canada. These laws apply without giving effect to any conflict of law principles.

Whenever the context so requires, any word written in the singular also includes the plural and vice versa; any word written in the masculine gender also includes the feminine gender and vice versa.

DIVISIBILITY

Each provision of this Policy is a separate and distinct whole so that a court decision that any provision of this Policy is invalid or unenforceable will not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Policy.

CONTACT PERSON

You can exercise the rights provided for in this Policy or send us any other question or complaint concerning the practices of PME MTL with regard to the protection of personal information by contacting us at the following addresses:

PME MTL Centre-Est : confidentialite.ce@pmemtl.com 
PME MTL Centre-Ouest : confidentialite.co@pmemtl.com  
PME MTL Centre-Ville : confidentialite.cv@pmemtl.com 
PME MTL Est-de-l’Île : confidentialite.est@pmemtl.com 
PME MTL Grand Sud-Ouest : confidentialite.gso@pmemtl.com 
PME MTL Ouest-de-l’Île : confidentialite.odi@pmemtl.com 

AMENDMENT OF THIS POLICY

We occasionally update this Policy. Continued use of the Platform constitutes User agreement with this Privacy Policy and its updates.

The User accepts and acknowledges that PME MTL reserves the right, at any time and without prior warning, to modify, change or update the Policy. If the User objects to any modification made to this Policy, he must cease all use of the Platform. PME MTL will attempt, to the extent possible, to inform users of any changes to this Policy. However, it is the User's responsibility to review them regularly in order to be informed of any changes that may be made to them.

Last update performed on September 29^th, 2022.